STUDIES IN BIBLE FUNDAMENTALS Prepared For Beginners and For Classes
W hat are believers called in th e New Testam ent? (Acts 9 :13 ; Rom. 15:25; 2 Cor. 13:13; Phil. 1 :1 ): “ k o r a , I h a v e h e a r d b y m a n y o f tk la m a n , h o w m u c h e v il h e h a t h d o n e t o t h y s a in t s a t J e r u s a le m .” “ I g o u n to J e r n s n le m to m i n is te r u n to th e s a in ts.* ’ “ A ll t h e s a i n t s s a l u t e y o u .” “ T h e s a in t s i n C h r is t J e s u s w h ic h a r e a t P h ilip p i.” The word “ sain t” is th e same Greek word as elsewhere tran slated "sancti fied.” A saint, hencej is a person sep arated from th e world, set a p a rt to God. Sanctification as applied to believers in th e New T estam ent is referred to in th ree ways: 1. There is an instantaneous a c t of sanctification tak ing place th e moment a person is saved through acceptance of Christ. W hat is said of such in Heb. 10:10, 14; 1 Cor. 1:21 (R. V .); 1 Cor. 6:11 (R. V .)? “W e a r e s a n c tifie d th r o u g h th e a l te r in g o f th e b o d y o f J e s u s C h r is t o n c e f o r a ll. F o r b y o n e o f f e r in g h e h a t h p e r f e c te d f o r e v e r th e m t h a t a r e s a n c tif ie d .” “T h e m t h a t a r e s a n c tif ie d .” “ Y e w e r e s a n c tif ie d .” W hat is tru e of every born-again person? (Eph. 4 :2 4 ): “Y e p u t o n th e n e w m a n , w h ic h is c r e a te d in r i g h t e o u s n e s s a n d t r u e h o li n e s s .” And in 1 Cor. 1:30? “ B u t o f h im a r e y e in C h r is t J e s u s , w h o is m a d e u n to u s . . . s a n c tif i c a tio n .” 2. There is a progressive side to sanctification. When a person becomes a Christian he is immediately “ set a p a rt” bu t he has many victories to win. So he has need of being con tinually sanctified through agencies which God uses in perfecting His chil dren. W hat does God use according to Jn. 17:17; Eph. 5:26? “ S a n c tif y th e m t h r o u g h th y t r u t h t t h y w o r d is t r u t h .” “ T h a t H e m i g h t s a n c t if y a n d c le a n s e i t b y th e w a s h in g o f w a t e r b y th e w o r d .
SANCTIFICATION Many are afraid of th e word “ sancti fication” for the reason th a t certain sects have placed over-emphasis upon it and applied un scrip tu ral meanings to it. The word “ ‘sanctify” means “ to sep ara te or set ap a rt.” It is used in th e Bible of things or property as well as persons— meaning th a t they were set ap art for sacred uses. W hat is the first use of th e word in th e Bible? (Gen. 2 :3 ) “ G o d b le s s e d t h e s e v e n th d a y a n d s a n c tif ie d it .” (In o ther words, God "set a p a rt” th e day as a day of rest from n atu ral toil.) W hat else is spoken of as being sanc tified in Ex. 29:44? “ I w ill s a n c t if y th e t a b e r n a c l e o f th e c o n g r e g a tio n a n d th e a l t a r .’* And in Joel 2:15? “ S a n c tif y a f a s t , c a ll a s o le m n a s - s e m b ly .” How is the word “sanctify” used in Pet. 3:15? “ S a n c tif y t h e L o rd G o d in y o u r h e a r t s .” Of whom is it used in Jn. 17:19? “ F o r t h e i r s a k e s I s a n c t if y m y s e lf t h a t th e y a ls o m i g h t b e s a n c tif ie d th r o a g h th e t r u t h .” The definition “ sanctified or set a p a rt” may be generally applied to all Bible references to th e word. Since th a t which is separated to God is dedi cated to holy purposes, th e meaning “holy” becomes attached to th e word, hence when we speak of a person be ing sanctified we th in k of a person who is holy in character. Thus the tran slato rs came to tran slate the word in different ways, (as “ consecrate,” Ex. 30:30; “ dedicate,” 2 Sam. 8 :11 ; “ hal low,”- 1 K ings 9:3, 7; “ purify," 2 Sam. 1 1 :4 ). The word, however, does not necessarily mean “ holy in character,” for some th ing s incapable of mioral qualities are set ap a rt or sanctified.
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