Bible Study: What Does it Mean to be Sanctified?

Unlocking a Life Set Apart for God’s Best!

I want to talk to you today about something that can absolutely change your life for the better. Have you ever been in or maybe reading your Bible, and you came across that word “sanctification”? And you thought, “My goodness, what in the world does that mean for me?” It can sound like one of those really big, formal words, the kind you think only pastors or scholars use.¹ But I’ve got some good news, some wonderful news for you today! Sanctification isn’t supposed to be difficult or make you feel like it’s out of reach. Oh no, it’s a beautiful, God-given invitation! It’s a journey He wants to take you on, one that will pull you closer to His heart and help you step into the amazing, joy-filled plans He has just for you. It’s His promise that you can look more and more like Jesus with each new day!

You see, God’s dream for you is so much bigger than just forgiving your past. He wants to do something awesome in your life and through your life. He wants to choose you, to set you apart for His incredible purposes, to flood your days with true meaning, overflowing joy, and His unmistakable divine touch.¹ So, let’s discover together what it really means to be sanctified. Get ready to be lifted up, because this journey is all about God’s amazing goodness and the incredible, God-given potential He’s already planted right there inside of you!

What does “sanctified” actually mean in simple, everyday terms?

When you get right down to it, to be “sanctified” means to be “set apart for special use or purpose”.² Think about it like this: maybe your grandmother has a beautiful set of dishes, the really good ones. She doesn’t pull those out for just any old Tuesday night dinner, does she? No, she keeps them for Thanksgiving, for Christmas, for those extra-special family times. That dish is chosen, it’s valued, and it’s dedicated for something wonderful. Well, in the very same way, when God sanctifies you, He’s saying, “You are chosen! You are incredibly valuable to Me! And I’m setting you apart for My amazing plans!” It also means He wants to wash you, to cleanse you, to consecrate you – that means to make you pure and ready for all the good things He has in store.²

This idea of being “set apart” goes hand-in-hand with being made “holy” or “sacred”.³ And “holy” doesn’t mean you have to be stuffy, or boring, or act like you’re better than everyone else. Not a chance! Being holy is all about reflecting God’s pure, loving, and absolutely wonderful nature. You see, God Himself is perfectly holy; He’s completely separate from anything that’s wrong, and He is pure goodness through and through.⁴ And here’s the exciting part: He invites you to share in that holiness, to become more like Him in the way you live, the way you love, and the way you act.

Here’s another beautiful way to picture sanctification: it’s like being restored to our original, God-intended way of functioning.⁴ Think about it – a pen is really doing what it was made to do, you could say it’s “sanctified,” when it’s writing beautiful words. Eyeglasses are “sanctified” when they’re helping someone see the world clearly.⁴ It’s the same with you! You are sanctified when you start living out the incredible, unique purpose that God designed just for you – a purpose overflowing with love, with joy, and with the chance to make a real difference in this world. This shows us that being sanctified isn’t just about being holy in some far-off, abstract way. No, it’s about living a life that shines with divine meaning because it’s dedicated to God, for His special plans. It’s about a vibrant, living relationship where God Himself prepares you for a special role in His amazing kingdom.

And if you want to get a little deeper, let’s look at where these words even come from. Our English word “sanctification” actually has roots in an old Latin word, sanctus, and guess what that means? It means “holy”!5 And as it came into English, it started to mean “to make like a saint.”5 Isn’t that just like God? He wants to make you more like His precious saints!

In the New Testament, which was first written in Greek, the word that often gets translated as “sanctify” is hagiadzo (and that’s related to another word, hagios, which also means “holy”).⁵ This is a powerful word, hagiadzo. It doesn’t just mean “holy”; it carries this wonderful idea of being “set apart for service” or being “different from anything else”.⁵ So when the Bible says you are sanctified, it’s saying you are unique, you are chosen, and you are set apart for God’s special, wonderful service!

There’s one more important Greek word you might hear, and that’s hagiasmos. This word is often translated as “sanctification” or “holiness”.² hagiasmos talks about the state you’re in when you’re consecrated or purified, and it also points to the wonderful effect of that setting-apart in your heart and in your life.⁶ So you see, sanctification isn’t just a label God sticks on you. It’s a real, life-changing transformation that He works deep down inside you. The very words the Bible uses point to this beautiful process of change, of God Himself actively making you new, fresh, and ready for His best!

What’s the difference between being “justified” (saved) and being “sanctified”? Are they the same thing?

This is such an important question, and when you get clarity on this, it can bring so much peace, so much understanding to your walk with God! You might hear these two big words, “justification” and “sanctification,” and you might wonder, “Are those just two fancy ways of saying the same thing?” Well, the truth is, they are like best friends in God’s amazing plan for you – they always, always go together if you truly belong to Christ they each have a distinct and wonderful job to do in your life.²⁷ You can’t really have one without the other, and here’s the best part: both of them flow from God’s amazing, unearned grace! 22

Let’s look at Justification first. Think of this as your legal standing with God. It’s how God sees you in His heavenly courtroom.

• It’s a legal act, a divine declaration, performed by God Himself.²² Imagine this: God is the righteous Judge, and because of what Jesus did for you, He bangs the gavel and declares you “Not Guilty!” But it’s even better than that – He also declares you “Perfectly Righteous!” How amazing is that?
• This happens once for all, in a single moment, the very instant you place your faith, your trust, in Jesus Christ.²² In that moment, you are fully and completely justified. You will never be more justified than you are at that very moment of belief.²² It’s a done deal!
• Justification specifically deals with the guilt of your sin.²⁸ All your past sins, your present sins, even your future sins – they are all forgiven and wiped clean in God’s sight.
• how can God do this and still be a just God? It’s because Christ’s perfect righteousness is imputed to you. That’s a bit of a fancy word it simply means His goodness, His perfection, His right-standing with God are credited to your account, just as if they were your very own.²²
• So, justification is all about your position before God. Because of Jesus, you are accepted by Him, you have peace with Him, and you are seen as perfectly righteous in His holy eyes.²⁷
• And how do you receive this incredible, life-changing gift? Through faith alone. It’s not based on how good you are, or how many good things you can do, or anything you can do to earn it. Faith is simply the open hand that receives what God freely, lovingly offers.²²

Let’s look at Sanctification. Think of this as your life transformation, the beautiful process of becoming more and more like Jesus every day.

• This is a moral and spiritual work that God does within you.²² It’s about God changing your heart, your desires, your character, and your actions from the inside out. He’s making you new!
• Sanctification is an ongoing process. It begins the very moment you are saved (justified) and it continues throughout your entire life here on earth. It will only be made absolutely perfect and complete when you go to be with the Lord in the next life, in glory! 22
• Sanctification deals with the pollution and the power (or the dominion) of sin in your daily life.²⁷ It’s about breaking sin’s control over you and growing in actual, practical holiness day by day.
• In sanctification, righteousness is infused or imparted to you. This means God works His goodness into your character, making you more like Jesus in the way you think, the way you feel, and the way you act.²⁷
• So, sanctification is about your condition – your actual, practical holiness that grows and develops, like a beautiful flower, day by day.²⁷
• In sanctification, faith is the root and the principle.²⁸ And your works, your efforts, all empowered by God’s amazing Spirit, are very important.¹ As the Bible says, you are to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13).¹ You get to actively participate in this wonderful growth process!

Here’s a simple table to help you see the differences side-by-side, nice and clear:

Justification vs. Sanctification: Understanding God’s Amazing Work!

Understanding this distinction is so freeing! It means you can rest absolutely secure in God’s complete acceptance of you through Christ (that’s your justification!) while at the same time, you can joyfully and actively pursue a life that honors Him and pleases Him (that’s your sanctification!).²⁸ This protects you from two big mistakes: trying to earn your salvation by doing a bunch of good works (that’s legalism, and it’ll wear you out!) or thinking that how you live doesn’t really matter once you’re saved (that’s a license to sin, and it’s not God’s best!).³⁰

Your justification is the unshakeable, rock-solid foundation for your journey of sanctification. Because God has already declared you righteous and brought you back to Himself, you are free to pursue holiness not to try and gain His approval because you already have it in Jesus! 22 This changes everything! Your motivation shifts from fear to love and gratitude, and let me tell you, love and gratitude are far more powerful for bringing about genuine, lasting transformation in your life. Even when you stumble or make a mistake on your path of sanctification (and we all do!), your justification, your right standing with God, remains absolutely secure in Christ!

And because these two—justification and sanctification—are inseparable, it shows that God is interested in your whole being, every part of you! 22 He doesn’t just save you from the penalty of sin He saves you for a life of holiness, a life of good works, a life that reflects His glory and His goodness to the world.³¹ True salvation, the kind God offers, always includes both a new legal status (you’re righteous!) and a new life direction (you’re becoming more like Jesus!). That’s the full, amazing package!

What does a sanctified life look like in practice? How can I tell if I’m growing in holiness?

Alright, this is where the rubber meets the road! This is where it gets practical and exciting! Sanctification isn’t just some lofty, out-there theological idea; it’s something that powerfully and practically changes how you live, how you think, how you love, and how you interact with the world around you every single day. And let me tell you, it’s so exciting to see God’s transforming work happening right in your own life!

It’s super important to remember that a sanctified life is so much more than just following a list of rules or a bunch of “don’ts.” obedience is important, yes true sanctification, the kind that lasts, flows from a changed heart. It’s about your desires being reshaped by God, your “wanter” getting fixed, leading to a life that naturally and joyfully reflects His goodness, His kindness, and His amazing love.²¹

So, how can you tell if you’re growing in holiness? How do you know if you’re on the right track? Here are some practical signs and characteristics you can look for:

Growing in Love for God and Others:

• A primary, number one indicator is a deepening love for God and a sincere, heartfelt desire to please Him in everything you do.² You’ll find yourself wanting to know Him more, to spend time with Him, and to live in a way that brings a smile to His face.
• You’ll also notice your love for other people growing more genuine, more active, more real. Their well-being, their happiness, their struggles will matter more to you, and you’ll feel a compassionate urge, a nudge from God, to help them, to encourage them, to lift them up.² This is what the Bible calls “faith working by love” – your faith showing itself through loving actions.²¹

Becoming Wiser and More Purposeful:

• As you grow in this journey of sanctification, you become a “wiser human being”.³³ God gives you greater wisdom, greater insight, to handle everyday life challenges—things related to your finances, your job, your relationships, your health, and your personal choices. You just start making better decisions!
• You’ll find yourself living with a “clear-minded hope” and a stronger, more vibrant sense of God’s purpose for your life. You’ll be more motivated to roll up your sleeves, to get out there, and get on with doing what needs to be done, knowing that your life has divine significance, that it matters to God!33

Changes in Your Character and Conduct (The Fruit of the Spirit!):

• One of the clearest, most beautiful signs of a sanctified life is the increasing presence of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in your character. What’s that? It’s love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).²¹ These wonderful qualities will begin to blossom in you, to grow in you, like beautiful fruit on a healthy tree, as the Spirit works His miracles within.
• You’ll find yourself actively abstaining from sexual immorality and striving, with God’s help, to live in a way that is honorable and pure in God’s eyes (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5).¹
• There will be a conscious effort, a deliberate choice, to purify yourself from things that contaminate your body and your spirit, “perfecting holiness out of reverence for God” (2 Corinthians 7:1).²⁴ You’ll want to get rid of the junk!
• You’ll be in the process of “putting off” old sinful habits – things like anger, malice, slander, filthy language, and lying – and intentionally “putting on” Christ-like qualities such as compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, forgiveness, and, above all, love, which ties everything together in perfect unity (Colossians 3:5-14).¹⁹ It’s like taking off old, dirty, smelly clothes and putting on fresh, clean, beautiful garments that reflect your new life in Christ. What a transformation!
• Practical Steps You Can Take (Inspired by 1 Thessalonians 4-5 and other Scriptures): The Bible, God’s amazing instruction book, gives us lots of practical guidance for living a sanctified life. Here are some key actions and attitudes to cultivate, to practice, to make a part of who you are 63:
• Live with moral purity, especially making sure to avoid sexual immorality.
• Continuously, every day, show love to your brothers and sisters in Christ. Let it overflow!
• Mind your own business and work diligently with your own hands; don’t be lazy or a busybody, always stirring up trouble.
• Encourage your fellow believers with the wonderful, unshakeable hope of Jesus’ resurrection and His glorious return.
• Show respect and honor to your spiritual leaders. Gently warn those who are unruly or disruptive, encourage those who are fainthearted or discouraged, support those who are weak in their faith, and be patient with everyone.
• Never, ever seek revenge; instead, always try to do good to others, even those who haven’t been good to you.
• Strive to rejoice always, no matter what’s going on. Pray without ceasing, keep that line of communication open with God. And give thanks in all circumstances, knowing God is working all things for your good.
• Be open and responsive to the Holy Spirit’s leading (don’t quench or put out the Spirit’s fire) and thoughtfully consider what God might be saying to you through others (discern prophecies, test them by the Word).
• Make it a daily practice to abstain from every form of evil. Run from it!
• Other Helpful Practices for Growth: Many Christians, down through the ages and across different traditions, have found these practices incredibly helpful for growing in holiness and drawing closer to God 1:
• Acknowledge your complete and total dependence on God and the Holy Spirit. You can’t do this in your own strength, friend! It’s His power working in you.³⁸
• Practice regular repentance: This means honestly, humbly confessing your sins to God and making a conscious, determined decision to turn away from them and go God’s way.⁶⁵
• Pray specifically for the Holy Spirit to fill you and empower you for holy living. Ask Him for His strength! 38
• Be honest and sincere in your prayers. God already knows your heart, so just be real with Him.
• Learn to recognize temptation in its early stages, when it’s just a little thought, before it grows into full-blown sin.⁶⁵ Nip it in the bud!
• Study and obey the Bible daily. God’s Word is a primary, powerful tool for your transformation. Get it in your heart! 1
• Engage in fellowship with other believers. They can offer encouragement, support, prayer, and accountability. You need each other! 1
• Consider fasting as a spiritual discipline to help you focus on God, break negative cycles, and gain mastery over your fleshly desires.

Remember, this is a process, not instant perfection.³² You won’t become sinless overnight, or even in this lifetime, this side of heaven. But as you walk with God, as you keep stepping forward in faith, you should see a gradual growth, a beautiful unfolding. The desire to sin will lessen, it will lose its grip, and your desire for God and His wonderful ways will grow stronger and stronger.³⁵ Look for progress in your inner attitudes, in your outward actions, and in your relationships. God has given us these “means of grace”—like Bible study, prayer, and fellowship—as essential tools to connect with Him and receive His strength for this amazing journey. It’s a beautiful, holistic transformation, and He’s cheering you on every step of the way!

If I’m sanctified, can I “lose” it if I sin or struggle?

This is a question that touches the very heart of many believers, especially when we face those tough times, those struggles, or when we stumble and fall in our walk with God. It’s so natural to wonder about the security of God’s amazing work in us. But I want to bring you some good news today, some wonderful reassurance from God’s Word, because the Bible offers powerful comfort rooted in God’s unwavering faithfulness and the very nature of what He does when He saves you and sanctifies you.

To answer this clearly, let’s first think back to the different aspects of sanctification we’ve talked about:

• Your Initial, Positional Sanctification (The “You ARE Sanctified” Part): Remember, the very moment you believed in Jesus, the moment you said “Yes!” to Him, you were “sanctified in Christ Jesus” (1 Corinthians 1:2).¹⁹ God Himself set you apart for His special purposes. And the Bible gives such strong, powerful assurance about this foundational status, this new identity you have in Him.
• Your spirit, the real you, is “sealed with that holy Spirit of promise” (Ephesians 1:13).¹⁹ This sealing is like God putting His permanent, unbreakable mark of ownership on you, guaranteeing your inheritance, guaranteeing your future with Him! That seal can’t be broken!
• Hebrews 10:10 powerfully declares that “we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all“.¹⁹ Did you hear that? “Once for all!” That phrase strongly, clearly suggests a permanent and completed act regarding your standing, your position, before God because of what Jesus did. It’s done!
• Some wise theologians teach that when your spirit is saved and sanctified at the moment of your conversion, it is made perfect and pure in God’s sight through Christ, and this spiritual reality, this core of who you are in Him, cannot be lost.⁶⁷ This is your secure, unshakeable identity in Him.
• Struggling and Sinning in Your Progressive Sanctification Journey (The “You ARE BEING Sanctified” Part):  As we’ve seen, progressive sanctification is that lifelong journey of becoming more and more like Jesus, and yes, it definitely includes ups and downs, victories and struggles.¹ The Bible is so realistic; it tells us that we will struggle with sin even as believers (1 John 1:8).¹⁹ We’re not perfect yet.
• So, what happens if a person who is on this sanctification journey, who is striving to live for God, sins? The Bible’s wonderful, grace-filled encouragement is not to despair, not to give up to confess that sin to God and receive His full forgiveness and His cleansing power. 1 John 1:9 is a promise you can stand on: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”.¹⁹ God is always, always ready to forgive and restore a repentant heart, a heart that turns back to Him.
• The key, as the Bible says, is to keep “walking in the light, as he is in the light” (1 John 1:7).⁶⁶ This means continuing to live in an honest, open relationship with God, seeking to follow His ways, even when you stumble. As long as your deep consecration to God, your commitment to Him, remains and your faith in Him is firm, you continue to abide, to live, in that sanctified relationship, even when you face struggles and need to come to Him and confess your sin.⁶⁶ His grace is always greater!
• Can You “Reject” or “Walk Away” from Sanctification?  This is where different theological perspectives, different understandings, might offer slightly different nuances.
• Some views, like the Wesleyan perspective we talked about, teach that if a person who has experienced a deep level of sanctification (like what they call “entire sanctification”) then willfully, deliberately, and persistently chooses to sin or walks in deliberate unbelief, they can essentially reject or “lose” that specific experience of holiness. If they later turn back to God in true repentance, they would need to be restored and re-sanctified in that experiential sense. The idea here is that to deliberately reject the light God has given you is to choose to walk in darkness.⁶⁹
• But this question often connects to the bigger theological question of whether a truly saved Christian can lose their salvation altogether. And on this, the Bible gives powerful, unshakeable assurances about God’s keeping power. A true believer is described as a “new creation” in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) 68, redeemed (bought back) by the precious blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19) 68, justified (declared perfectly righteous) by God (Romans 5:1) 68, and promised eternal life (John 3:16).⁶⁸ These are powerful, God-initiated, supernatural realities!
• The Bible also teaches that those who ultimately fall away completely, who turn their backs on Christ and deny Him, may, by their actions, be demonstrating that they were never truly part of the faith to begin with (1 John 2:19).⁶⁸ Jesus Himself said, “By their fruit you will recognize them” (Matthew 7:16).⁶⁸ A life that consistently bears no fruit of genuine faith or sanctification, no evidence of God’s transforming work, does raise questions about the reality of the initial conversion.
• Rest in God’s Unfailing Grip and His Unending Faithfulness!  Here’s the most encouraging, most uplifting truth of all, friend: your perseverance in faith and your growth in holiness ultimately rest on God’s faithfulness, not just on your own strength or your ability to hold on.
• Philippians 1:6 is a wonderful, bedrock promise: “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus”.²â° God is committed to finishing what He starts in your life! He doesn’t give up on His children!
• The Apostle Paul declared with absolute confidence that nothing – no power in hell or on earth – can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39).⁶⁸ You are held securely in His love!
• Jesus Himself said that no one can snatch His sheep out of His hand or out of His Father’s hand (John 10:28-29).⁶⁸ You are safe in His grip!
• God’s gifts, including the incredible gift of salvation which absolutely encompasses sanctification, are “irrevocable” – He doesn’t take them back! (Romans 11:29).⁶⁸

So, instead of living in fear of “losing” your sanctification, I want to encourage you today to focus on nurturing your precious relationship with your loving Heavenly Father. He is committed to you. He is for you. When you stumble—and we all do, friend—He is right there to pick you up, to cleanse you through the power of Jesus, and to empower you by His Spirit to keep going, to keep pressing on, on this beautiful journey of becoming more and more like Him. Your fundamental identity as one set apart by Christ, as His beloved child, is secure. The journey then becomes about living out that secure identity with joy, with peace, and with diligence, knowing that God’s faithfulness is your ultimate guarantee. He will see you through!