A7.8 – HOW TO RECEIVE SANCTIFICATION

There are three types of Sanctification:

1. Initial Sanctification: this is the second work of grace on the believer after salvation whereby the believer determines to consecrate his life and service to God. It is obtained:

a) By Faith: Faith in the perfect work of Christ through His atonement purifies, Heb 10:8-10

b) By Prayer: Just as in salvation, prayer is necessary to have definite experience, so in sanctification, the believer must pray to have a definite experience, 1Thes 5:23

c) By consecration: this is an act of dedicating oneself and service to God. It is the absolute surrendering to the lordship of Jesus Christ to obeying Him in all aspects of life, whether convenient or inconvenient. 1 Cor 6:19-20

2. Continuous Sanctification: this is the believer’s duty in daily ‘working out his/her salvation with fear and trembling’.

a) Continuous sanctification is obtained by the Word of God: By daily studying and meditating on the Word of God, the believer exposes himself to his imperfections and thus he puts them away, Joh 17:17

b) Continuous sanctification is obtained by fellowship: 1 John 1:6-7

c) Continuous sanctification is obtained by daily consistent prayer-life: Mt 26:41

d) Continuous sanctification is obtained by constant renewal of mind: Rom 12:1-2

3. Ultimate Sanctification: this is when the believer becomes perfectly holy. Perfect, absolute and complete sanctification is not attainable in this world. The more holy a man is, the more humble, self-renouncing, self-abhorring, and more sensitive to every sin he becomes, 1 John 1:8-9

a) Paul’s account of himself in Phil. 3:12-14

b) David confessed in Ps. 19:12-14

c) Moses confessed in Ps 90:8

d) Job confessed in Job 42:5-6,

e) Daniel confessed in Dan 9:3-20