It is sad and heart breaking to see how the church, the body of Christ, has not been able to distinguish itself from the rest of the world, instead of being separated as they are required to do they are merging with the world, and even inviting the world into their midst, ignoring the warning which says; “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4).

True believers in Jesus Christ, who forms the church of the living God, the body of Christ, are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own special people elected to proclaim the praises of God, who called them out of darkness into his marvelous light.

What differentiates them from the rest of the world is their appreciation and acknowledgment of their sanctification from the world through the following process:

1. God the Father:

It is God the Father who, “Has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace by which he has made us accepted in the Beloved” (Eph.1:3-6).

It is God the Father who works in us both to will and to do for his good pleasure; His plan, his everlasting love is all fulfilled in Jesus Christ, when he did not spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all. How shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

To this end, “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore who was raised to life, and is even at the right hand of God who also makes intercession for us” (Rom.8:33-34).

It is the God of peace himself who completely sanctifies us so that, our whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2. Jesus Christ:

It is in Christ we all live and move and have our existence. He is the vine and we are the branches. Because of God we are in Christ Jesus who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption, so that he who glorifies, let him glory in the Lord.

Jesus Christ is the one who sanctifies the believer. For both he who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying; “I will declare your name to my brethren; In the midst of the congregation I will sing praise to you.” And again; ‘I will put my trust in him.’ And again; “Here am I and the children whom God has given me” (Heb.2:11-13).

Everything God has in store for us has already been fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The righteousness by which anyone can serve God is not by one’s own righteousness which is regarded as filthy rags before God. Neither is it by the works of the law, for by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight. The righteousness by which we can serve God is God’s own righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ.

God’s righteousness is a gift imputed to man, just as David described the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works; He said; “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin” (Rom.3:6-8).

God’s righteousness is a gift from God through our new life in Jesus Christ, which was created according to God, in righteousness and true holiness. As it is written; “For if by one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ” (Rom.5:17).

3. The Holy Spirit

Jesus Christ who has become our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption says: “Most assuredly I say to you, he who believes in me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do because I go to the Father.” Again he says; “Nevertheless I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart I will send him to you” (Jn.14:12; Jn.16:7).

This Helper is the Holy Spirit which is given to us on condition that we keep his commandments, for it is written; “If you love me keep my commandments, and I will pray the Father and he will give you another Helper, that he may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him; but you know him for he dwells with you, and will be in you.”

We are also instructed by Peter saying; “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree, him God has exalted to his right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him” (Acts 5:32).

The Holy Spirit, our Helper, is also our Teacher. The Lord says; “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” He is the anointing which we have received from the Father that abides in us, and we do not need any one to teach us; but as the same anointing teaches us concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as he has taught us, we will abide in him” (Jn.14:26; 1Jn.2:27).

No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit, and no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we the believer have received, not the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1Cor.12; 3; 1Cor.2:11-14).

Believers are, “Elected according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ” (1Pet.1:2). The apostle Paul echoed a similar sentiment with the apostle Peter by saying; “But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which he called us by the gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2Thes.2:13-14).

In greeting the faithful brethren the apostle Peter wrote; “To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as his divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2Pet.1-4).

It is important that we do not forget that God from the beginning chose us for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit for obedience and belief in the truth, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Therefore our individual part in the process of sanctification is:-

4. Obedience to the truth:

Our obedience to the truth is what sanctifies us and separates us from the rest of the world. Jesus praying on behalf of his disciples said; “I have given them your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that you should take them out of the world but that you should keep them from the evil one.

They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by your truth, your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world, and for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth” (Jn.17:14-19).

Truth is the most important criterion by which God is to be worshiped. Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, “You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is of the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worship the Father seeks. God is Spirit, and his worshipers must worship him in spirit and in truth” (Jn.4:22-24).

With regards to the worship of God, the objective and purpose of worship has not been changed, only the place of worship, the priesthood, and the sacrifice for sins which could not present the worshiper perfect before God that was changed. But now there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.

5. Christ’s Blood:

Christ’s blood is what purifies our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. It is what gives us the boldness to enter the most holy place, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience. God has given it to us upon the altar to make atonement for the soul, for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul. In Christ we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.

The sanctified ones have come to mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels to the general assembly and church of the first born who are registered in heaven, to God the judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel” (Heb.12:22-24).

The blood of sprinkling by which we are sanctified, and Christ as Mediator is the Cup of the New Covenant which on the night before he was led to be crucified took, gave thanks and said, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the New Covenant which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matt.26:27-28).

It is obedience to the word of Christ which says; “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day, for my flesh is food indeed and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on me will live because of me” (Jn.6:53-57).

6. Prayer:

The living God is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. Those who believe and know the truth receive foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving: for every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. The kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense (Tim.4:3-5, 10, Rom.14:17, 20).

7. Manifest you election in life:

As the elect of God, holy and beloved put on tender mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long suffering; bearing with one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things, put on love, which is the bond of perfection; and let the peace of God rule in your heart, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord, and whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Col.3:12-17).

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