p. 506 | 4-JUSTIFY, SANCTIFY by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Aug 18, 1914

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 41, No. 32.

4—JUSTIFY, SANCTIFY

By Editor

Will you please give the meaning of the words "justify" and "sanctify," and also what these words are in the original language?

The meaning of "justify" is first, to show to be just; to declare or prove just that which is already just, but which may be charged with injustice. Thus God is justified by the development of His work. He has been just all the way through, but His work for mankind in the fulfilment of His word demonstrates that He is just.

A second meaning, as regards man, is to treat as righteous those who are sinners but who believe in Christ. See Rom. 3:20-23. They are justified wholly because of faith. The righteousness of God is put in the place of their sins, and God declares them righteous or justified. The Standard Dictionary defines thus: "In theology, to regard and treat as righteous and lawfully free from the penalty of sin, on the ground of Christ's mediatorial work."

The Hebrew word used for "justify" is thus transliterated by Strong, tsadaq, which means, to be or to make right, to cleanse or clear self. The word in the Greek comes from dikaioo, the meaning of which is, to show or regard as just or innocent. Here we have the same double thought again,—to show that one is just who is just, or to regard one as just or innocent who is guilty of sin, because he has faith in Christ. This is the great lesson of Romans and Galatians.

"Sanctify" means, to make holy, to render sacred, to set apart, to separate. It comes, in the Old Testament, from the Hebrew word qadash, which is defined by Strong to be, "make, pronounce, observe as clean." It is translated, "appoint," "dedicate," "prepare." In all these uses, it has the thought in it of setting apart, separating from other things which seemingly are of the same class. The Standard Dictionary defines it, "To make holy, render sacred or morally or spiritually pure; cleanse from sin; to set apart as holy or for holy purposes; consecrate; hallow; as the Sabbath was SANCTIFIED by God." In other words, the seventh day was separated from other days of the same length, and set apart to the service of the Lord. In the Greek it is translated from the word hagiazō, and is defined, "To make holy, to purify, to consecrate, to hallow, to be holy, to sanctify."

The word "saint" comes from the same root. A saint is a man who is separated from others and set apart and sanctified to the Lord and to the Lord's service. It does not necessarily mean that he is a perfect being, that he has overcome all sin. The Lord calls the Corinthians "saints." See 1 Cor. 1:2. These saints evidently made mistakes, and yet they were separated from the world, and set apart to the service of God.

Justification is the state which brings us into the righteousness of Christ and covers our sins with the blood of Christ. Sanctification is the act by which the believer gives himself wholly to the Master, separating himself from the sins of the past to whole-hearted service of God. It is an instantaneous work in the sense of yielding of the will to God. It is a constant life-work in the sense of the working out of this fact every day and hour of one's life.