Self-Sanctification is Impossible

There are four steps to the process of Salvation: Justification, Regeneration, Sanctification and Glorification.

Justification is the work that Jesus did on the cross by His death. Because of His shed blood, I (if I am born again)am treated just as if I’d not sinned.

Regeneration is the process of being born again by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit.

Sanctification is the process of the born again man being changed to become like Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Sanctification causes us, by the miraculous intervention of the Holy Spirit, to be “made perfect” or, as we might say it today, to become mature Christian people.

Sanctification is the daily and regular manifestation of God’s Spirit in us as seen when our behaviors are Christ-like. To the degree that we are conformed to the image of Jesus in behaviors, attitudes and actions (Rom 8:29), we can said to be becoming sanctified. The obvious presence of God in Mother Teresa, for instance, was seen in God’s image progressively manifested in her life.

Glorification will be finalized in each of us when we receive our resurrected bodies, an exercise that occurs for most of us at the Second Coming of Christ. The Grand Canyon or a giant sequoia can be said to manifest or show forth the glory of God. They dwell among us as a living testimony of God’s brilliant design. They are exactly as God designed and intended them to be and are, therefore, awe-inspiring.

When we have received our glorified bodies, we will dwell as a living testimony of God brilliant design made manifest by our perfection. In other words, we will be living as God designed and intended us to live. We will be truly awe-inspiring, even to the angels.

Num 14:20-21 So the Lord said, “… indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord. NASB

Ps 72:18-19 Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, Who alone works wonders 19 and blessed be His glorious name forever; and may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen, and Amen. NASB

The glory of God was manifested in the unfallen world after creation and marred significantly by man’s sin. In the Millennial Reign the glory of God will once again fill all the earth. No longer will the earth be subjected to futility (Rom 8:20). It will work in all aspects like it was intended to by God and that will manifest God’s glory to all who see it.

Having said all of that, this blog concerns the process of Sanctification that leads up to that final glorified state. Sanctification is the gradual elimination of sinfulness within us
by the power of the Holy Spirit as we seek Him for this purpose.

David prayed for sanctification in Ps 51:10-13. Fallen man is riddled with sinfulness and needs to be sanctified if he is to reconciled with God.

Ps 51:10-13 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Thy presence, and do not take Thy Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit. 13 Then I will teach transgressors Thy ways, and sinners will be converted to Thee. NASB

Mark 7:20-23 And He (Jesus) was saying, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. 21 “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22 deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. 23 “All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.” NASB

Gal 5:16-26 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 26 Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another. NASB

The Holidays often leave us with an upset stomach. We eat too much and too much of the wrong stuff. It is a real challenge to the gall bladder and, eventually, the gall bladder cannot take it anymore. Our body creates painful stones and generates sickening bile (so I am told) until the gallbladder must be removed. Modern surgery is very effective but expensive, especially early in the year before we meet our deductible.

So I propose we surgically remove the gallbladder ourselves ?. It saves money and wasted time in doctor’s offices. It should be simple. Get a medical book from the library.
Learn where to cut, what to clip, what to remove and how to close up afterwards. I just can’t figure out how to administer the anesthesia and still get the surgery done. Just about the time I get ready to slice into my belly, I pass out. There is something wrong with this silly picture.

What is wrong is that self-surgery does not work. We need the assistance of another to remove our unwanted, harmful diseased body parts, but remove them we must or they may eventually kill us. We need someone qualified to do it. None of us can remove our own spleen, appendix, etc. Similarly, none of us can remove our own selfishness, pride, lust, hate, etc.

Our sinfulness is deep rooted, internal, significant and very natural to fallen man. Like a cancerous growth, it winds itself around our heart and, over time, strangles it. Maybe we can address simple external issues (warts, hangnails, splinters), but the serious internal spiritual issues can only be handled by the Great Physician and the Holy Spirit Anesthesiologist.

Luke 5:30-32 And the Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at His disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax-gatherers and sinners?” 31 And Jesus answered and said to them, “It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. 32 “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” NASB

The Pharisees and religious people thought of themselves as being “clean” and “whole.” Jesus did not waste His breath trying to persuade them otherwise. It takes revelation to see our sinfulness. The tax-gatherers, prostitutes and non-religious people were under no illusions. They knew they were sinful, flawed, and not rightly related to God in some area(s) of their lives.

They recognized their need not only for salvation, but also for sanctification; i.e., freedom from their sinfulness. They knew they were not able to be good in their own strength, so they came seeking salvation AND sanctification from John and from Jesus.

John’s baptism was designed to help his followers to acknowledge their sinfulness, not get them into Heaven or make them holy. He told the insincere Pharisees that came for baptism that he would not baptize them until they “bore the fruit of repentance.”

Matt 3:7-12 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 “Therefore, bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance; 9 and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves,’ We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you, that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10 “And the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. NASB

John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance from sin, not a baptism of entrance into the Kingdom. Jesus’ baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire was something altogether different.
It could actually remove the sin in us.

When Paul came to Ephesus, he encountered some believers who were obviously lacking in power. I think he saw their willingness to repent, but not their victory over sin. So he asked them if they had received the Holy Spirit
when they got saved. Like many (maybe most) church people today, they answered, “We did not even know that there was a Holy Spirit.”

Acts 19:1-7 And it came about that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper country came to Ephesus, and found some disciples, 2 and he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4 And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 And when they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. 7 And there were in all about twelve men. NASB

John’s baptism was for Jews, a people who already believed that they were acceptable to God, because they were Jews. However, those Jews who came to be baptized by John realized that they were not living up to their covenant with God. They acknowledged themselves to be “chosen people” who were, nonetheless, living in an unrighteous manner before God.

John’s baptism was designed to take away their sin. But John’s baptism could neither save them nor sanctify them. It was just their way of acknowledging their sinfulness and their need for the Messiah, the Redeemer. Only the baptism of Jesus could sanctify them, and that was done by the power of the Holy Spirit.

We cannot save ourselves and we cannot sanctify ourselves. We cannot stop sinning by ourselves. And yet we are called to “stop sinning.”

John 8:10-11 And straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 11 And she said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go your way. From now on sin no more.” NASB

1 Cor 15:34 Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame. NASB

1 Tim 5:20 Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also may be fearful of sinning. NASB

Heb 10:26-27 For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment, and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries.
NASB

Rom 6:1-11 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin, once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Rom 6:12-15 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace. 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! NASB

How is that possible that we are supposed to stop sinning? Valid question! My experience tells me that “my spirit may be willing, but my flesh is weak.” We may try to stop sinning, but we soon give it up as a lost cause. There are some sins we no longer commit, but sin clearly still has a grip on us after we have been saved. Try as we may, we cannot stop.

So what are we to think about that? Either we are not really saved or there are some sins we “just can’t help sinning.” We conclude there must be some inevitability about sin that we cannot do anything about. So we stop “trying.” And there lies the problem. We have been “trying” to sanctify ourselves. We have been attempting self-surgery or self-sanctification on our selfishness, pride, etc. Paul confronted the Galatian church on this very issue.

Gal 3:1-6 You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain — if indeed it was in vain? 5 Does He then, who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 6 Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. NASB

The Galatians were mostly Gentiles who came to Christ through the preaching of Paul. They were saved by the power of the Holy Spirit, not by their own efforts, and they knew it. Then after Paul was gone, some Jews from Jerusalem came and convinced them that they must become circumcised, keep the Sabbath and obey the Torah Law in order to become holy and remain saved.

Paul energetically rebukes such foolishness. They did not get saved by works or good deeds. Neither will they become sanctified by them. It is the power of the Holy Spirit
that allows them to become saved and sanctified. They sought God for salvation and
they must seek God for sanctification. The Holy Spirit worked a miracle in them to allow them to become born again. He will continue to work miracles in them to allow them to become holy, sanctified and rightly related to God and man.

Gal 5:1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. NASB

Paul goes on to tell the Galatians that they were saved so they could be free from sin. We do not “have to” sin. We only continue in sin because of inertia. The “old self’s” inertial wickedness overpowers the “new self’s” good intentions. We see it and we try to overcome it, but we cannot. The same Holy Spirit who caused the “new self” to be born in us has to empower us to kill the “old self.”

Paul tells the Galatians to walk by the Spirit and stop sinning, and he lists for all to see the kind of sin he means. It is not just “big sin” like murder or adultery. It is all sin of any and every kind.

The fruit of our relationship with the Holy Spirit is to live sanctified. Jesus told His disciples that it was necessary that He (Jesus) go away so He could send the Holy Spirit who would “convict you of sin” and “enable you to become like me.”

John 16:5-14 “But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 6 “But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away ; for if I do not go away , the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8 “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and
righteousness, and judgment; 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you no longer behold Me; 11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. 12 “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 “He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall disclose it to you. NASB

Paul tells the Ephesians and the Colossians (and us) the same thing he told the Galatians.

Eph 4:17-19 This I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19 and they (the world), having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality, for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.

We need to stop living like the world lives, valuing what the world values, behaving as the world behaves, or we will go where the world goes when we die. We need to “come ye out and be ye separate” (Is 52:11). The “gentiles” were not always so bad, just unenlightened.

2 Cor 6:16-18 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 17 “Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord. “And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you. 18 “And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” says the Lord Almighty. NASB

Return to text: Eph 4:20-24 But you did not learn Christ in this way, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

How should we have “learned Christ?” The question is, “Did we?” We are called to put away our old self and our old way of life. It is being corrupted by our desires through deception. Be renewed in the spirit of your mind! Put on the new self! Remodel yourself to the pattern; i.e., Jesus! Become conformed to the image of His son (Rom 8:29)! Become rightly related to God and neighbor! Become holy; i.e., set apart to the truth of God.

Eph 4:25-32 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of you, with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. 26 Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not give the devil an opportunity. 28 Let him who steals steal no longer; but rather let him labor, performing with his own hands what is good, in order that he may have something to share with him who has need. 29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Here are some practical examples of what Paul means: lay aside falsehood; i.e., be genuine, speak truth to your neighbor, be angry, but do not sin. Get over it quickly or the Devil will use it against you and your relationships. Stop stealing (in any way.) Work honestly. Earn your way and enough left over to share with others. Watch your mouth. Keep it decent. Speak love and encouragement to build up, not tear down.

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit. Work with Him to become sanctified. Do away with bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, malice. Be kind and forgiving, because God is kind and forgiving towards you. In summary: Become sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Col 3:5-11 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. 6 For it is on account of these things that the wrath of God will come, 7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him 11— a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all. NASB

Here is more “old man-new man,” this time in Paul’s letter to the Colossians. Expect your earthly body to be free of: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and greed. Immorality here is porneo; i.e., pornography and also fornication. Impurity here means physical or moral uncleanness or behavior. Passion here is the word for concupiscence. Greed here is the word for coveting and its related rampant consumerism.

These things are what will bring God’s wrath upon the world. We need to get them out of our lives by the Holy Spirit. We used to walk in them, but we should no longer do so.
We need to put aside anger, wrath, malice, slander and abusive speech (reviling). Stop lying to one another.

We supposedly have laid aside the old practices. Did we? We have supposedly put on the new self. Did we? We are being conformed to God’s image through sanctification, aren’t we? Sanctification is available to anyone who seeks it.

So if we do not save ourselves, sanctify ourselves or “operate on ourselves,” what do we do? We examine ourselves asking God to show us our sin and we seek the Holy Spirit to change us to become like Jesus.

Gal 6:4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. NASB

Deut 4:29 But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul. NASB

1 Chron 16:10-11 Glory in His holy name; Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad. 11 Seek the LORD and His strength. Seek His face continually. NASB

Ps 34:10… they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing. NASB

Isa 55:6-8 Seek the LORD while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the LORD, and He will have compassion on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. 8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. NASB

The “good news” of the Gospel is that we are called to become like Jesus in this lifetime. The better news is that we cannot sanctify ourselves, but that God will do it in us if we seek Him and allow Him. When we seek the Lord, we will be like David, a man after God’s own heart.

We will ask the Lord to create in us a clean heart and renew a right spirit in us. We will ask the Holy Spirit to be our heart surgeon because self-surgery is silly and self-sanctification is impossible.