Introduction
Theology in a Christian context is "a discipline of study that seeks to understand the
God revealed in the Bible and to provide a Christian understanding of reality" (Erickson
1998:17).
In the area of sanctification, the discipline seeks to understand God's redemptive
work of holiness in relation to humankind. Sanctification refers to a state of being set apart
from the ordinary or mundane and dedicated to a particular purpose or use.
The Holy of Holies, the priests and Levites of the Old Testament illustrate such
separation.
Sanctification
From the Christian New Testament perspective, sanctification is the instantaneous
work of God whereby the Christian consciously embraces the fact of being separated from
sin and the law. He then cooperates with the Lord in the progressive outworking of
becoming more like Christ in daily living. The apostle Paul wrote to the Romans that a real
Jew is one inwardly and that true circumcision involves spiritual circumcision of the heart
(Rom.2:28-29; cf. Dt.30:6).
Three Aspects of Sanctification
The Scriptures show that for every believer, sanctification on earth has three
aspects:
The first is positional sanctification where every true Christian, independent of his
own spiritual condition, has been separated in the new birth from the power of sin, the law
and the world and has been set apart unto God (I Cor.6:11; Heb.10:10).
The second aspect is instantaneous whereby the believer comes consciously to
know in his heart that he was once-and-for-all crucified and resurrected together with Christ
the moment he was born again. He thereby sees himself as separated once-and-for-all from
sin and the law as the ruling forces in his life and considers himself to be in living fellowship
with God. Though this practical knowledge can be gained at the moment of the new birth, it
has been the writer's experience when presenting international conferences on the victorious Christian life that in the majority of people's lives, this instantaneous moment occurs after
conversion.
The third aspect of sanctification involves spiritual growth in holiness and purity.
This facet is known as the progressive aspect of sanctification. The terms "freedom in
Christ" or "deliverance and inner healing" normally refer to this third aspect. Both the
second and third aspects of sanctification are expounded in this thesis.
Misunderstandings, Aberrations and False Teachings
Misunderstandings, aberrations and false teachings can occur in any movement or
ministry.
The apostle Paul says that Christians should bring "everything to the test"
(I Thess.5:21). Though this verse refers to what a prophet utters, it is true that a Christian
must scrutinize carefully and put everything to the test of Scripture until he or she can finally
approve or disapprove the teaching or experience (cf. I Tim.4:1-2). The Holy Spirit is the
all-efficient means of enabling believers to possess knowledge of the truth (I Jn.2:20,26-27;
Vine 1985:29).
One would not speak against God's work or upset Him if a Christian sincerely
questions a prophecy given or a doctrine taught, or query a strange experience that another
believer attributes to God. Such questioning should not be credited to spiritual immaturity or
a lack of discernment in how God works. It would be immature to be tossed back and forth
and carried about with every changing wind of new doctrine (cf. Eph.4:14). The Scriptures,
therefore, affirm that one is to test doctrine against the Word of God.
God's prophet, Isaiah, was to proclaim messages of comfort to his people. He had
been called to announce "the favorable year of the Lord" to those in exile (Isa.61:1-2). In a
broader sense, the proclamation of the servant applies to the ministry of Jesus Christ (cf.
Lk.4:17-21). Jesus further preached the good news and focused on Himself as the One
bringing in the era of restoration. He applied the acceptable year of the Lord to His healing
of the blind, deaf, and lame that showed God's concern for one's whole well being (Elwell,
ed. 1989:511-512).
After His temptations in the wilderness and journey to Nazareth, Jesus read the Scriptures
from Isaiah 61 in the synagogue (Lk.4:1-16): "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He
anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord" (Lk.4:18-19). From the four gospel accounts, one can deduce that the words read from Isaiah summarize Christ's public ministry, which included teaching, preaching, salvation, freedom from sin and demonic oppression, healing and deliverance.
Having been anointed with the Spirit of God, there are four main areas of His public
ministry.
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Ed Dudek, M.A.
Bethany College of Missions
6820 Auto Club Road
Bloomington
MN 55438, USA
ed.dudek@bethfel.org
Evangelism and Growth of the Assemblies of God Churches in Tamilnadu, India - From 1989 - 2003 | Africans into World Missions? | Am I the Keeper of My Sister? | Manhattan Declaration - A Call of Christian Conscience | Lloyd C. Douglas' Ministry through His Novels | Light | An Evaluation of the Growth and Expansion of the Protestant Missionary Movement in the United States | The Way Forward in Missions -- New Wine in New Wineskins | Celebration of Love in the Book of Ruth | You Are Valued! | The Light of Christmas | Jesus Christ | Freedom in Jesus Christ - Our Lord's Ministry | HOME PAGE of December 2009 Issue | HOME PAGE | CONTACT EDITOR