Sanctification.—A Requirement of God.
By B. F. Robbins
1 Thess. iv, 3. For this is the will of God even your sanctification. Chap. v, 23. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. John xvii, 17. Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth. Verse 19. And for their sakes I sanctify myself that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Heb. ix, 13-14. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot unto God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Chap. x, 10. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Verse 14. For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. Chap. xiii, 12. Wherefore Jesus also that he might sanctify the people with his own blood suffered without the gate. 1 John i, 7. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. Rev. i, 5. Unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood. Eph. v, 25.—Husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it. Verse 26.—That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. Verse 27. That he might present it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. Titus ii, 14. Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works. 1 Cor. i, 2. Unto the Church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus. Verse 30. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness sanctification and redemption. 1 Cor. vi, 11. And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. Heb. ii, 11. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren. Rom. xv, 16. That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 2 Cor. i, 22. Who hath sealed us and given us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. Eph. i, 13. In whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise. Verse 14. Which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory. Chap. iv, 30. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 2 Thess. ii, 13. But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you brethren, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. 1 Peter i, 2. Elect, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through sanctification of the Spirit and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Now a few questions drawn from these precious words of truth. I. Does God in his Gospel require his people to be sanctified wholly as a privilege and duty? Most certainly. This is evident from the scriptures before us. And why? Because, 1. It is his will. His command is, Be ye holy, for I am holy. 2. Christ gave himself for us in order to our sanctification. His blood cleanseth from all sin. Jesus prayed for our sanctification. 3. Without sanctification, we are unprepared for Christ's coming and kingdom. Hence, it is indispensable as a privilege and duty. For our sakes he sanctified himself that we also might be sanctified through the truth. Without holiness, no man shall see the Lord. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. II. What is sanctification? I answer, 2. It is purity of heart and life. "He that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as He is pure." What hope? The hope of being like Jesus at his coming. 3. It is a cleansing from all sin. The blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, &c. III. How are we to be sanctified or made holy and pure, cleansed from all sin? 1. By the work of the Spirit upon the heart, convincing us of the importance of the blessing and the means by which it is to be attained, as revealed to us in the word of God. By the Spirit in its work upon the heart, creating within us earnest desires for the attainment of the blessing. By the Spirit within us, leading us into all truth and sealing us unto the day of redemption. 2. By the efficiency and power of the blood of Christ to cleanse from all sin. 3. By unwavering confidence in the word of God, as God speaking to us in his promises. "For all the promises of God in him are yea and amen to the glory of God by us." Faith, all important faith, in God's word will appreciate the importance and attainableness of the blessing. Faith in God's word will prompt to earnest desires for its attainment. Faith in God's word will realize the efficiency and power of the blood of Christ to cleanse from all sin. Faith will exult Jesus as all and in all, the author and finisher of our faith, as of "God made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption." Another inquiry: IV. When are we to seek for and attain the blessing of sanctification or cleansing from all sin? Now. "Now is the accepted time &c." And why now? 1. Because the provisions and promises of the Gospel offer it to us by faith now. 2. Because the Apostles in their epistles address their brethren as sanctified in Christ Jesus; as holy brethren partakers of the heavenly calling; as perfect in Christ Jesus, &c. As they were, so should we be. 3. We should seek for this blessing now, because we know not how soon Jesus will come; lest when he comes he find us unprepared. I am aware of one prominent objection to the doctrine of this article, which is: Paul says in the viith, chapter of Romans: "I am carnal, sold under sin; for the good that I would, I do not, but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now, if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me," &c. This is the language of Paul the convicted sinner, and altogether different from the expressions of Paul in Christ in the next chapter. There are quite a number of us in this section of like faith with the friends of the Review, some recently converted, and the doctrine of this article is one of deep interest to us. It is what is giving us an influence over the minds of others around us. Yours, in the hope of being like Jesus,
B. F. ROBBINS. Friendship, Allegany Co., N. Y.