The third blessing listed in 1 Corinthians 1:30 is this—“Christ became to us…sanctification.” Matthew Henry remarks on this verse, “Where Christ is made righteousness to any soul, He is also made sanctification. He never discharges from the guilt of sin, without delivering from the power of it.”
In both the Old and New Testaments, the word “sanctify” means to set something apart as pure and holy. So sanctification basically means holiness. Several historic doctrinal catechisms contain the following wording in regard to our understanding of sanctification: “Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.”
Hebrews 10:10 tells us that “we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” We see, then, that sanctification is something that definitely took place when we were saved. But it is also lifelong process of consecration! As we behold the glory of Christ, we are “being transformed into the same image from glory to glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
The hymnwriter William D. Longstaff encourages us in this respect: “Spend much time in secret with Jesus alone; by looking to Jesus, like Him thou shalt be; thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.” We can take this truth to heart as we seek to be “vessels for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:21). Let us be eagerly awaiting the day that our sanctification will be complete and perfect! “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). “Let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2).
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