The Manifold Wisdom Of God
Kingdom Holiness & Sanctification
(ALIVE TO GOD AND
LIVING DIFFERENTLY)
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"Be holy, for I am holy"
"in the world" - "not of the world"
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To generalise, holiness and sanctification are about "knowing what God says about you" and "living out the things He says to you".
The basic words of "holy" and "sanctified" are from the Greek words hagios, translated holy, and hagiazo, translated sanctified (Strong's Concordance).
"Hagios" means holy, a characteristic of God and separated (to God).
"Hagiazo" means to make holy, consecrate, sanctify, separate, set apart for God.
The characteristics of holiness and sanctification have their beginnings in godliness. Godliness begins when a person hears the Good News of Jesus Christ, believes it and receives Him.
The new-born Believer has become godly, that is, alive to God and aware of Him. (For more see Kingdom Godliness on the Menu).
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God calls these new Believers to "Be holy, for I am holy". However, being holy in every day life requires a sorting out their way of thinking.
Nevertheless, there is something about holiness and sanctification that must be understood first. It is that in Christ :
1. Believers are counted as holy and are called holy: "Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved ..." Colossians 3'12.
2. Believers are counted as sanctified and are called sanctified: "... to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus," 1 Corinthians 1'2.
That is why Believers are called saints (sanctified ones). The word "saints" appears 61 times in the New Testament
Holiness and sanctification, that is, being holy and being sanctified, are characteristics of the Lord Himself which is now shown through the lives of His People.