The Sixth Act of Salvation – Sanctification
The peace of the Lord be with you and your house. I give honor, praise, and glory to the only true, eternal God, creator of heaven and earth, our former and sustainer. By His grace and mercy we stand; to Him, and to Him alone, be honor and glory. Tonight we will study the sixth act of salvation: sanctification, as part of the series on the acts of salvation.
Context: The Acts of Salvation
Salvation is a process of divine actions to rescue what was lost. Jesus proclaimed: “The Son of Man has not come to condemn, but to seek and save what was lost”. What was lost? The image and likeness of God with which man and woman were formed in Eden. God established a limit: “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die”. In Adam and Eve, we were all genetically and spiritually represented. Their disobedience was not just an offense to God; it was more grave: they lost that divine image and submitted themselves to the kingdom of darkness. Romans 6:16 says: “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey?”. By obeying the enemy, they adopted his nature.
The acts of salvation are God’s actions to recover man and woman, returning them to their original position and beyond:
- First act: “The Word became flesh” (John 1); “Undeniably great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in flesh” (1 Timothy 3:16). Jesus lived with our limitations, showing the way to the Father: “I am the way, the truth, and the life”.
- Second act: On the cross, Jesus bore the death condemnation (doctrine of substitution: the righteous for the unrighteous).
- Third act: At three in the afternoon, by saying “It is finished”, He declared us innocent, and the veil was torn (Matthew 27:51).
- Fourth act: Justification, in the resurrection, restores and exalts us, as in the parable of the prodigal son.
- Fifth act: Reconciliation attributes Christ’s nature to us. John 20:22: “He breathed, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’”. 1 John 3:2: “Beloved, now we are children of God”. Romans 8:17: “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ”.
1 Corinthians 1:30 summarizes these acts: “But of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption”. It is not a single event, but a process that many are unaware of.
Sanctification: Sixth Act of Salvation
The sixth act is sanctification, an act exclusive to God, not man. Many believe they sanctify themselves by their own effort, causing spiritual confusion. This usurps divine authority and alters the gospel, which we must not innovate. 1 Corinthians 2:13 exhorts us to adjust “spiritual things to spiritual things”. If we ignore the order of these acts, we will not receive their benefits.
What is Sanctification?
Sanctification is God delivering His Holy Spirit in baptism, not just as a breath of life (John 20:22), but as a full filling. Acts 1:4-5: “He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father… for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit”. This promise, given to Abraham (“In your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed”), is fulfilled at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4): “There came tongues as of fire… and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit”. This is the moment of sanctification.
John 7:38-39 clarifies: “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. This He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified”. Glorification occurs upon ascending (1 Timothy 3:16: “Received in glory”), 40 days after the resurrection. In John 20:22, the disciples received spiritual life (reconciliation); at Pentecost, sanctification.
Sanctification vs. Consecration
God sanctifies; man separates and consecrates. 1 Corinthians 6:18: “Flee sexual immorality”. 2 Corinthians 6:17: “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you”. To consecrate is to prepare, but not to sanctify. 1 Corinthians 6:11: “But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God”. It is a divine act, not a human one.
What Does Sanctification Consist Of?
It consists of removing the seed of sin implanted in disobedience. 1 John 3:8-9: “He who sins is of the devil… For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not practice sin, because His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God”. Man sins because of his sinful nature (Psalms 51:5: “In sin my mother conceived me”), but sanctification eliminates it. Romans 6:22: “But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life”. The Holy Spirit liberates us.
Human Responsibility and Benefits
It is our responsibility to separate and consecrate ourselves to receive this act. 2 Corinthians 7:1: “Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God”. Ephesians 1:13: “You were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise”. Acts 1:8: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you”. It is not optional; it is essential.
Many see it as additional, but this explains recidivism in sin and the idea of “opportunities” that Scripture does not endorse. Hebrews 10:26-29: “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment… How much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?” Sanctification delivers us from licentiousness.
Conclusion: A Complete Process
Salvation includes seventh and eighth acts: full salvation and eternal life. Omitting sanctification interrupts the process. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification… for God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness”. It is not human effort (fasting, sacrifices), but divine grace through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The gospel without power emerges from ignoring this act.
God calls us to separate ourselves to be sanctified. Ephesians 4:13 seeks “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”. I bless you; the peace of the Lord be with you. Amen.
