Why should I be sanctified as a Christian?

by Bibi Babatunde-Ikotun

Hi everyone, welcome back to my blog. I pray that this second half of the year is greater than the last 6 months. I pray that all your expectations become manifestations and your mouth be full of songs of praise and thanksgiving. I am rooting for you! I look forward to hearing great news from you! 

So by the topic, you already know what I'm going to be talking about. Funny story, a young lady reached out to me via twitter a while back with some important questions about grace. She said she loved as I always talked about the realities of a believer in Christ, and wanted to hear my opinion about what a brother had told her. Apparently, the brother told her that because we've become the righteousness of God in Christ every action becomes a righteous one. He went on to say when a believer fornicates, it becomes an act of righteousness. I was so angry in my spirit, how can someone bastardize the grace of God like that? I wonder how many women he would have told this lie to take advantage of them. If any man defends sinning because of grace, don't be afraid to tell them to keep quiet. Grace is not a licence to sin.

Remember when I did the post on "What it means to be born again"? I touched on the tripartite nature of man. Man is a spirit, who has a soul and lives in a body. When a person gives their lives to Christ, they are justified. It happens on the spot, they experience a new birth. That is the first phase of salvation, is to be justified! The next phase is the sanctification of our soul/mind. This phase is the longest phase of salvation, we have to keep satisfying our minds till we are called home to Jesus or He returns. 

What is sanctification?

The word sanctify means to be set apart, to be holy and to be consecrated. This is the work of the Holy Spirit in us, to continually save our soul/mind. When we heard the gospel, faith is developed in us which leads us into believing in Jesus. Afterwards, the Holy Spirit in us helps us to continually conform to the image of God which helps us bear good fruits.

Let's go into the scriptures that highlight the importance of sanctification coupled with my thoughts. I pray that you'll see that continuous sanctification is the will of God.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 (NIV) It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body[a] in a way that is holy and honourable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God;  and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister.[b] The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.

1. Firstly, grace is never an excuse for any kind of sin! As believers, we're dead to sin and have become slaves to righteousness. 
2. Self-control is imperative in this world! The grace of God is not the push to start doing things that are not worthy of a person that has been washed clean by the blood of Jesus. 
3. Remember, you've been called out of the world. You need not behave like someone who is not a son of God! You have the Holy Spirit to live above sin!

Romans 12:2 (NIV) Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

1. If you don't renew your mind with the word of God often, you'll have strongholds developing in your mind without your permission. These strongholds will begin to reflect in your character and most of them are not godly. 
2. Once you begin to act outside your character in Christ, you begin to live outside God's perfect will for your life.
3. This is where righteousness consciousness comes in, as those ungodly thoughts pop into your mind...you pop them out with reaffirming that you're the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus! Sin has no dominion or control over you! 

2 Corinthians 6:17 (NIV) Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”

1. I have already established the fact that you've been called out! And trust me, in due season you won't feel like you're missing out of worldly things. This is because God will fine-tune and change your desires as you continue to fellowship with Him. 
2. Being called out can initially sound like a burden but listen, this life in Christ is far from that. You're free from sin to enjoy life in the true sense. Any anti-god enjoyment is not really enjoyment, renew your mind to see this.

Galatians 5:16 (NIV) So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

1. The place of total submission to the Holy Spirit is important! Without this, your faith walk will be hard. Listen to the Holy Spirit, when He tells you to keep quiet please obey. He is your helper and comforter. He is not in you to stifle you but to help you live responsibly like the righteous man or woman that you are.
2. If you don't feed your spirit, your flesh will grow. Once your flesh grows very strong, it will be easier to gratify the desires of the flesh. All the things that you know not to engage in will be downplayed and easier for you to do.

2 Corinthians 7:1 (NIV) Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

1. Out of your love for God, a life of holiness is imperative. You are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus hence you have been enabled to live right and responsibly. 
2. Grace is not an enabler for sin, it is what frees you from the dominion of sin and death.
3. Do not be sin consciousness! Remain conscious of the fact that you've been free from the law of sin and death.

1 Peter 1:14-16  (NIV) As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

1. If it was impossible to be holy, God wouldn't have asked us to be holy. Christ is Holy and in lives in us as well as the Holy Spirit. Everything that we need to live a Holy life has been given to us in Christ. It is indeed possible to be holy.
2. Evil desires are real, they keep coming all day long! But you have the Holy Spirit in you, you can decide to desist from unholy actions simply because it not you. 

Romans 6:19-22 (NIV) I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!  But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.

1. Right living is possible! It is what we're been called to in Christ. Before you gave your life to Christ, it was natural to live a life of sin. But now, you're a new creation! Your standards have changed, they are higher than that of the world. 
2. The wages of sin is death and Jesus has died the death on our behalf. We owe the one who paid the debt we can never repay the whole of our being! You are not a slave to righteousness because you're a son of God! 

Okay, now that we have gone through scriptures, I bet you're still asking why do I really need to be sanctified. I am justified, I have eternal life. Is it still necessary I live a life that is pure and holy?

The need for sanctification

Without salvation, we're all headed for hell. Yes, even the good and moral people you so admire. But by the mercies of God, we have been saved from eternal damnation. Being justified is super important for eternal life because that's what happens when we say yes to Jesus into our lives. We know where we're headed, no doubts about our final destination.

However, our sanctification is for our soul/mind. This is so important in our everyday life. Without being sanctified daily it will be hard to enjoy that sweet relationship with God. There will be this void in you heart when you don't pray, study the Word and dwell in your identities as a believer.

Often time, when we don't sanctify ourselves we begin to feel like where incomplete. Whereas a saved man is complete in Christ. You'll see yourself trying to seek validation and worth from everything outside of Christ.

It just makes living as a Christian hard! Don't stop at "I am justified" go on to "I am being sanctified because the power of the Holy Spirit is at work in me. It is giving me the power to do God's will and His pleasure".

With love,

Bibi Babatunde-Ikotun

By the way, my latest youtube video focuses on body image and positivity. We often say hurtful things to people and it's unfair. Check it out and please subscribe.