Understanding Sanctification

 Understanding Sanctification

In the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible, the words sanctify, sanctified, and sanctification appear a total of 167 times. 

Here is the breakdown:

Sanctify: 73 times

Sanctified: 63 times

Sanctification: 31 times

Why, is this word in the Bible so many times, if it were not important?

What does it actually mean?

If you look up "sanctify" in a dictionary, you might see words like "consecrate" or "hallow," which sound like old-fashioned, confusing church language. To make it simple, think of it in terms of "Setting Apart" and "Purpose."

Here are three ways to understand it:

1. The "Special Use" Concept

Imagine you have a plain, ordinary glass cup in your kitchen. You use it to drink water every day. But then, imagine your parents have a fancy, crystal glass that is only brought out for special holidays or celebrations. That crystal glass is "set apart." It isn’t used for everyday, messy stuff; it has a special, higher purpose.

In the Bible, to be "sanctified" means God has taken you out of the "ordinary" pile and put you in the "special" pile. You aren't just living for yourself or the world anymore; you are set apart for God’s special purposes.

2. The "Cleaning" Concept

In the Bible, things that were sanctified were often washed or purified. Think of it like a professional athlete preparing for the biggest game of their life. They don't eat junk food, they don't stay up all night playing video games, and they train hard. They are "sanctifying" themselves—getting rid of the things that slow them down so they can be at their best for the game.

In the Bible, sanctification is the process by which God helps you "clean up" your life. It’s the process of becoming more like Jesus. It’s not about being perfect overnight; it’s about letting God remove the "junk" from your life so you can be more useful to Him.

3. It’s a Journey, Not a Destination

Sanctification is a process. When you first decide to follow God, you are "sanctified" (made holy) because of what Jesus did for you. But then, you spend the rest of your life becoming what you already are.

Example: Think of a sculptor working on a block of marble. The moment the sculptor decides, "This block will be a statue of a lion," it is "set apart" for that purpose. But the sculptor still has to spend weeks chipping away the extra stone to reveal the lion.

The takeaway:

Sanctified means you belong to God.

Sanctification is the daily "chipping away" process in which you let God change your habits, thoughts, and heart so that you look more like Him every day.

In short: Sanctification is simply "Living for God on purpose."

Is there more?

There are several similar words and concepts in the Bible related to sanctified, sanctification, and sanctify. These words often share the same root meaning of being set apart, consecrated, or made holy for God's purpose, including holy, holiness, consecrate, hallow, purify, and saint.

Here are the key biblical terms closely related to the sanctification family:

Holy/Holiness: The core state of being set apart, reflecting the nature of God.

Consecrate/Consecration: To dedicate someone or something specifically to God's service (e.g., priests or tools for the altar).

Hallow/Hallowed: To honor as holy, used in the Lord’s Prayer ("Hallowed be thy name").

Purify/Purification/Cleansing: Often used alongside sanctification to describe the removal of moral defilement (e.g., Ephesians 5:25-27).

Saint/Saints: In the New Testament, this refers to those who have been sanctified (set apart) by God, applied to living believers, not just the deceased.

Set Apart: A phrase often used to explain the literal meaning of sanctification.

Dedicate/Dedication: Similar to consecrate, often used for items in the temple.

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word qadash is often translated as sanctify, consecrate, hallow, or make holy. In the New Testament, the Greek word hagiazo (verb) means to make holy, and hagiasmos (noun) refers to the process of sanctification.

Most do not think about these terms as necessary to their understanding, and as many also refuse, or reject this concept simply because it is an act of God on the person, and they believe in self, or their ability to become more like Jesus on their own, which is pride.

Do you know or realize how important the Word of God is to you? First of all, the Bible is your only source of information about who God is and what He can do. You also, while listening (preaching), or reading, God uses these words to touch your heart, and yes, it is God that is giving you exactly what your mind and heart needs to hear, and know for future reference.

God knew all the Time:

There are a lot of verses like these, but you will learn more all through scripture, first: Proverbs 2:6 KJV, “For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.”

Then my favorite for it makes small the actual act of men, but shows the importance of what God says; 1 Corinthians 1:20-21 KJV, “20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”

Any questions? As you learn more about God, as your draw closer to God, He grows so much closer to you and gives to you more than you ever thought possible, and this, my friend, is sanctification, the purifying of your mind and soul.  Sanctification, like love, must have action in your life the more you actively participate the stronger you grow. God actively gives you more, the more you try.