CONSECRATION AND SANCTIFICATION

God is a holy God. He requires that everyone called by His name to be holy. That means, a holy God with His holy children in a holy relationship. O yes, holiness of life is possible. Otherwise, God in His infinite knowledge and mercy would not require it from His children; He also made provisions for every Christian to live a holy life in our personal relationship with each other on the surface of earth. The book of Hebrews 12:14 declared, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord”. Holiness of sanctification experience is clearly taught in the scriptures, even though many are confused about what Sanctification really means and would not want to bother themselves.

It is a very precious Christian experience, not only to be obtained, but to be kept and maintained for the glory of God. The sanctified life is a shining life here on earth made fit for the glorious abode in heaven. It is the essence and object of God’s calling for us all. “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.Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it (1Thessalonians 5:23-24).

Also, Our Lord Jesus Christ prayed for the sanctification of the disciples who were already saved and following him in John 17:14-17.

The disciples, though saved, manifested many times the unsanctified attitudes against one another and the people around them. Generally, the character of the saved but unsanctified included desire to have self-honor, enlarged sense of one’s importance, hypersensitivities to injuries, tendency to magnify the fault of others, inordinate affection of one’s desire, will and plans, sullenness and moodiness, instability, self-seeking, excuse making, suspicion etc.However, sanctification is commanded by God. “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy (1 Peter 1:15-16; read Genesis 17:1; Matthew 4:48).We should be sanctified because God commanded it and Jesus died for it.“Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate” (Hebrews 13:12). And without sanctification, we cannot see God.

To receive the experience, there must be; personal dissatisfaction with self’s unsanctified state, great desire for the sanctification experience, persistent in prayer till the experience is secured, confidence in God’s ability and Christ’s atoning blood to do it, and complete consecration unto God (Romans 12:1-).Sanctification is nothing more or less than perfect love for God and man in a clean heart. If we love God with all our hearts, we will gladly keep His commandments and do all His will as He makes it known unto us.

A sanctified person is is rooted and grounded in love and knit together in love with other believers. Nothing is too precious to offer to the Lord by the sanctified. The sanctified is humble (Philippians 2:3-10), Patient in misunderstanding (Romans 12:12), peaceful during trials, prayerful and meditative (Proverbs 15:8), pitiful to the enemies (Luke 23:34), always blessing people in all sorts of ways without at any time knowing it, does not seek great things for himself, not critical purposeful in mind (Daniel 1:8), perfect in motive does not murmur in adverse conditions, evaluates other people’s action positively (Genesis 45:1-8), share and care without ulterior motive, thinks purely (Philippians 4:8), and is selfless ( 2 Corinthians 12:15).Sanctification experience is like being very healthy. It’s possible to remain healthy despite situations around.

A sanctified believer should abstain from evil and corrupting environment in order to retain his sanctification experience. He should avoid unnecessary care and anxiety, Regular prayer and fasting, deep humility before the Lord, Constant reading and meditation on God’s word, There must e sobriety and watchfulness (Ephesians 4:1-3; Philippians 4:8), self-examination in the light of God’s word (Hebrews 2:1), and absolute trust in God.