“All Thy works shall praise Thee, O LORD; and Thy saints shall bless Thee”
Psalm 145:10

Biblical Sanctification has its rewards both earthly and eternal. In this chapter we will look at what the Lord has in store for those who live according to His will. The merits of sanctification are available to those who are walking in the high way of God, “This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left” (Isaiah 30:21).

Perfection through Christ
The apostle Paul, writing to the Hebrews, said, “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified” (10:14). The cross brings the Christian the greatest benefit possible (i.e. perfect salvation), but it is only available to those who have received initial sanctification and are going forward to ultimate sanctification. It is of interest that the word ‘sanctified’ here is in the present participle, which emphases the continuous action in the present. This is what Paul was referring to also in Hebrews 7:25, “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Our salvation cannot be improved upon, but the work of sanctification, started at that time, grows with each step along the spiritual road. As believers we can claim Perfect Salvation with “full assurance” (Hebrews 7:22), though we need the continued power of sanctification in our lives.

“Now let me gain perfection’s height,
Now let me into nothing fall!
Be less than nothing in my sight
And feel that Christ is all in all.”

The Fruit of Holiness
The cleansing that has come to us through Christ creates fertile soil for the seed of sanctification. It may be helpful to see initial sanctification as a seed (deposit) planted in our lives at conversion. It is not meant to lie dormant but instead is to go on to produce fruit. The fruit (evidence of Biblical Christianity) in our lives is holiness. Without such holiness we are left with barren hypocrisy. Sanctification has to grow to be effective. The seed is useless if it does not begin to produce more of its own kind. Therefore sanctification produces holiness. We are guaranteed that it will if we follow the Lord and His word, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). We are therefore partakers of God’s holiness since we do not possess any of our own. “The most powerful evidence of God’s supernatural work in our lives is found in the transfiguration of our character to Christlikeness.”

God’s Presence
When God’s people are sanctified He manifests His glorious presence in them. During Israel’s exodus from Egypt and during their travels through the Wilderness for forty years, the presence of God was there guiding by day and night (Exodus 3:5). This is symbolic of His continued presence with us today. He promises in His word, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). Without His presence it would be absolutely impossible to live the Christian life or walk in sanctification. It should be noted that God does not live in defiled temples, nor does He abide what is unholy, “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal” (Habakkuk 1:13).

We shall see Him
The joy of every believer is the knowledge that one day we will see the Lord in all of His glory. Each one awaits to hear those words of commendation, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matthew 25:21). Holiness is absolutely essential if we are going to see Him for without holiness “no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14), but the Lord has promised that the “pure in heart” will see Him (Matthew 5:8). It is not the rewards of faithful living that will impress us the most, but the awesome reality of standing in the presence of the King of kings and Lord of lords. As someone said, “Heaven wont be Heaven unless Jesus is there!” 

We shall stand before Him unblameable
This seems in our present position to be almost an impossibility. How can sinners such as we stand blameless before a Holy God? Yet this is exactly what Scriptures teaches us, “to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight … To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints” (Colossians 1:22, 1 Thessalonians 3:13). The presenting of the believer perfect before God is the final acts of Biblical Sanctification. The word unblameable (amomous) means to be without blemish and faultless; unreproveable (anegkletus) means to be beyond reproach. What Paul is driving at here is the fact that God will be pleased with us. Nevertheless let us remember that Ultimate Sanctification is only possible because of Initial and Progressive Sanctification. This is why Paul states in Colossians 1:23, “If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel”.

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