Sanctification: The Experience and the Ethics

R. T. Williams

Sanctification is one of the sacred and fundamental doctrines of the Bible and of the Christian church. It has occupied a place of prominence in the writings and discussions of the leading theologians and Christian teachers for generations. No church or individual advocate of Bible truth can view this doctrine with indifference and unconcern. It commands a place of respect at the hands of all believers in the Word of God. Every student of Church history and of the doctrines of the Christian church from its origin, knows full well that sanctification has been placed in some kind of setting with the other doctrines of the church, and that it must be considered if one is to have a right understanding of the doctrines of Christianity.

The doctrine of Sanctification is scriptural. The Bible clearly and unmistakably teaches this truth. It is found in the types of the Old Testament and is definitely stated in the teachings and doctrines of the New Testament. No intelligent reader can study the biography of the prophets, the types and shadows of the old dispensation, the statements of Jesus in the Gospels, and the doctrines of Paul in the epistles to the churches without admitting that the Bible presents sanctification in the great scheme of salvation.

Again, the doctrine of sanctification is perfectly logical. When one accepts as true the story of the fall of man, his moral corruption, and his inherited depravity, sanctification must become a logical sequence in his system of belief. There is no escape from this conclusion. A right definition of sin, and a scriptural understanding of the sin question, makes almost certain our belief concerning all other Bible doctrines. A wrong conception of sin paves the way for a misunderstanding and a wrong interpretation of the entire Word of God. Find a man who has a correct view of sin and you will find it easy to indoctrinate him in other truths of the Bible.

It has always been recognized that the philosophy of salvation is the most beautiful ever presented to the mind of man. The story of the fall and the redemption of man through Jesus Christ is the most romantic, the most gripping, the most fascinating ever related from a public platform or read from a book. How glorious was man in his original state! What a tragedy is related in his fall! What indescribable love was made manifest by the Father in His passion and effort to restore man to moral rectitude and to divine favor! Let one accept the fact that man was originally pure, that he fell, that he sinned, that he became morally corrupt through his fall, that he is both guilty and impure, then the logic of regeneration and sanctification as well becomes both irresistible and beautiful. Sanctification is unanswerably logical and gloriously attractive.

At this point it would be well to call attention to the glorious work of regeneration, in order that a better understanding of the truth of sanctification might be possible. It really becomes necessary in order to prepare the way for what follows in the discussion of sanctification.

Three facts make regeneration a necessity, namely: first, spiritual death; second, transgression, or sins committed; third, acquired pollution. In regeneration these three facts are met in full and the conditions that make regeneration necessary are removed. First, spiritual death is replaced by a new divine life. Second, the sins one has committed are forgiven him; and third, he is cleansed from the pollutions acquired through the transgression of the law. He was once dead, now he is alive. He was once guilty, now he is forgiven. He had acquired pollution by his acts of transgression; he is now cleansed of this pollution. What a wonderful work! All will readily admit that such a change is the need of every individual in the world that has not already received such a work of divine grace.

John Wesley makes the following statement concerning regeneration: “The new birth is that great change which God works in the soul when He brings it into life; when He raises from the death of sin to the life of righteousness. It is the change wrought in the whole soul by the Almighty Spirit of God when it is created anew in Christ Jesus; when it is renewed after the image of God in righteousness and true holiness.”

Regeneration has been defined by one as an ingeneration of divine life; a sudden process by which man passes from spiritual death to a spiritual life through the quickening power of God’s Holy Spirit. As has been stated, in regeneration one passes from a state of death to a state of spiritual life; from a state of guilt to a state of “forgiveness;” from a state of pollution to a state of conscious cleansing; that is, a cleansing from acquired pollution. Thus regeneration has cleansing, not from the moral corruption inherited through the fall, but cleansing from that moral pollution acquired by his own acts of disobedience. Regeneration, or conversion, used in a broad sense, may be defined, therefore, as the act of the Holy Spirit in answer to faith by which spiritual life is imparted to a dead soul, his sins are freely forgiven him, and the moral corruption accumulated through his sins taken away. The man stands as a new creature in Christ Jesus; old things have passed away and all things become new. He recognizes that he is no longer a friend to the world but God’s child, separated from all that is evil and committed to obedience to God’s holy commandments.

Inherited depravity, or that corruption of moral nature passed down to a man through his birth, is not destroyed at conversion, or cleansed away in regeneration. It is mastered, conquered, but not annihilated. This fact is clearly taught by the Bible and can be proven easily by the testimony and experiences of those who have been converted and have lived long enough after conversion to experience the stirrings of a nature within them that their very soul and better judgment abhor. Who has not felt anger or pride or malice or some other unholy temper or passion within his bosom since that glorious day of his conversion? What person would today stand and testify that he had not discovered within himself a nature unlike Christ, one that he was forced to fight with desperation to keep it from mastering him and forcing him to some act that would mar his influence and grieve his Lord? Yea, since he passed from death unto life has he not had such experience?

Sanctification answers the need of every man at this point in his struggle against the fallen nature within him in his great soul-passion for Christ’s likeness.

Regeneration and sanctification both deal primarily with the sin question. That is why they are called the first and second blessings or works of grace. There are many blessings in Christian experience and Christian life, but there are two blessings that are called the first and second blessings. This is due to the fact that these two specific blessings deal with the question of sin. The one deals primarily with what we do, the other primarily with what we are. It would not be altogether correct to say that regeneration deals with the act alone. We have already stated that regeneration deals with sins committed, with spiritual death, and with acquired pollution. Neither would it be quite correct to assert that sanctification deals only with our inner state. This is true primarily, but indirectly it deals with our ethics because of the fact that our inner state makes it easier or harder for us to live right externally.

The question that lies at the very heart of justification is one of broken law, one of guilt, one of transgression. This is the factor that largely enters into the seeking of Christ on the part of a sinner. Primarily sanctification has to do with man’s inner nature or condition, as justification does with his outer conduct. In a word, when a man is converted he is forgiven and restored to favor with God. The power of sin is broken, “the old man” of sin is conquered, and the power of the new life within him is greater than the power of a fallen nature. This inherited bias, or “prone to wander,” this inner opposition to the law of God is not destroyed but is conquered in regeneration. It is destroyed, absolutely annihilated, in sanctification.

Here is the great battleground concerning holiness. The question is simply this, is sin destroyed in the act of sanctification or not? This is the question on which turns all belief in sanctification. It is folly to try to pass as a believer in holiness and at the same time question its doctrine of eradication. There cannot be such a thing as holiness in its final analysis without the eradication of sin. Holiness and suppression are incompatible terms. “The old man” and counteraction make a pale and sickly kind of holiness doctrine. It is holiness and eradication or holiness not at all. Some tell us that they believe in the positive side of holiness, but not in the negative side. That is, they believe that a man can be filled with the Holy Spirit but cannot be delivered instantaneously in his life from all sin. It seems strange that God could fill and satisfy the heart of man but at the same time not have the power to annihilate sin in his heart. If one does not believe in the eradication of sin in the heart he does not believe in holiness. His belief concerning eradication is the determining factor in his attitude toward the great doctrine of full salvation. This is the crux of the whole matter and it is useless to juggle words or become confused by hair-splitting theological discussions. Concerning holiness there is one question to settle, Can God destroy sin utterly, and does He do it in this life?

It is significant that men who quit the radical circle of holiness teaching usually justify themselves by saying that they have long doubted the eradication theory of sanctification. It is also significant that usually such persons make the change, not in the height of their glory and success, but when their popularity is beginning to wane. This change of mind is not announced while they are in some good position usually, but at such time as when the future looks rather dark to them. When once popularity begins to wane and he begins to get censorious and critical and feel that he is not rightly treated, that his talents are not fully appreciated, then it becomes quite easy to change his belief concerning eradication. It is quite easy to change one’s theory to suit his experience. It is a dangerous thing to do, but this is often the case. It is always safe to bring up the experience to the standards of the Word of God when one finds “the old man” in his heart. He should cry out for his destruction instead of trying to defend himself by changing his opinions concerning the crucifixion of carnality.

Since we have attempted to define regeneration, it might be well to call attention to some definitions of sanctification. It would hardly be logical or worthwhile to defend a doctrine without stating just what one means by such a doctrine.

First, let us view some definitions given by a few of the world’s great scholars and teachers. Mr. Webster says: “Sanctification: first, to make sacred and holy; to set apart to a holy, religious use; to consecrate by appropriate rights; to hallow. Second, to make free from sin; to cleanse from moral corruption and pollution; to purify. Sanctification; the act of making holy; the state of being sanctified or made holy. Theologically, the act of God’s goodness by which the affections of man are purified, are alienated from sin and the world, and exalted to a supreme love of God; also the state of those being purified or sanctified.”

The Standard Dictionary makes the following statement: “Sanctification: To make holy; render sacred or morally or spiritually pure; cleansed from sin. Sanctification is specifically, not theologically, the gracious work of the Holy Spirit, whereby the believer is freed from sin and exalted to holiness of heart and life.”

John Wesley says: “Sanctification, in the proper sense, is an instantaneous deliverance from all sin, and includes an instantaneous power then given to cleave always to God.”

The following is a definition given by Pope’s Theology: “Sanctification in its beginnings, processes and final issue is the full eradication of sin itself, which, reigning in the unregenerate, co-exists with the new life in the regenerate, is abolished in the wholly sanctified.”

The Methodist Catechism says: “Sanctification is that act of divine grace whereby we are made holy.”
Dr. Steele says: “The act is that of removing impurity existing in the nature of one already born of the Spirit—the deliverance from sin as a tendency born with us.”

It would be possible for us to go on giving definition after definition, but we feel this is sufficient to convince that sanctification is a doctrine and that it has special meaning. The statements given are all clear and the definitions have come from men who think, from men who not only know Christian doctrine but the Bible as well. These definitions indicate that sanctification deals primarily with the question of purifying the heart from inherited depravity; and it also includes the matter of dedicating one’s life to God in consecration.

Sanctification is both human and divine. Man has always had a part in the application of the atonement of Jesus Christ to himself. Christ’s death on the cross provisionally saved everybody but actually saved nobody except in the case of the irresponsible. The benefits of Christ’s death are strictly individual. That is, each individual must make application for those blessings purchased for him by the death of Christ. These blessings are appropriated by the voluntary act of the individual coming to Jesus Christ. “Whosoever will” is the teaching of God’s Word. If man does not come to Christ to accept His blessings, the merits of Christ will have no meaning for him so far as salvation is concerned. In order to be converted one must do his part. He must repent and exercise faith in Christ. In order to be sanctified one must do his part. Thus it is evident that sanctification has both the human element and the divine element. It is both consecration and purification. These two elements combined constitute the great truth of entire sanctification. Consecration is the human element, or man’s part. “Sanctify yourselves therefore and be ye holy” says the Word of God. In the strictest sense God cannot consecrate a man. Man must do this for himself. God can call, urge, and insist; but in the final analysis man must present himself to God. He must make his own consecration voluntarily. God can and will accept such consecration and use the man thus consecrated for the honor of His own name and the advancement of His kingdom. The act of consecration is man’s part and constitutes the human element in sanctification.

We could not stop here and be true to the teachings of the Word of God and the definitions given above. If consecration is sanctification or if sanctification is consecration and that only, then it is all purely human and God has little or nothing to do with it except to accept the work done by man. This position could never be justified nor defended. The writer of Hebrews says, “He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one; for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren.” Here we have the sanctifier, the sanctified, and the relation that exists between the sanctifier and the sanctified. If sanctification is consecration only, how could there be a sanctifier, unless that sanctifier is a man himself? This could not possibly harmonize with the text of scripture under consideration. Consecration is a part; it is the human element; but there is a divine side to this great truth. Paul prayed that the very God of peace might sanctify us wholly. He also says, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might . . . cleanse it.” It is evident from this statement that God Himself is the Sanctifier. This consecration is divinely accepted, the heart is cleansed from all unrighteousness, and man is enabled by the circumcision of his heart to love God with his whole soul, mind, and strength. Man sanctifies himself through consecration. God sanctifies him by the baptism with the Holy Ghost and fire. In this the work is complete. Man’s part is accomplished through consecration, and God’s part is accomplished in purification. Man dedicates himself to the Lord and in answer to a living faith (this man) receives the baptism with the Holy Ghost and fire by which his heart is purified and he is filled with the love of God. The refining fire is sent through his heart and the whole nature is purified. What a glorious work! What a marvelous accomplishment! Man lays himself in submission at the feet of God. His all is accepted, he is made a vessel meet for the Master’s use. What person could find fault with a perfect consecration? Who would dare state that there could be anything wrong in the consecration of every child of God to the Almighty? Who could find fault with cleansing for the human heart?

Dr. R. T. Williams was a general superintendent in the Church of the Nazarene from 1916-1946. This sermon was first published in 1928.