Church Speak - Part 4 - Sanctification

What would moly be without it?  

Remove it and the cow loses its halo. 
It precedes a variety of words - crickets to mackerel to smoke. 
Robin, of Batman fame, might possibly hold the record for usage as well as creativity with its use. 

Holy.

That word is closely connected to our Church Speak Word of the week.  In church, you may have heard the word sanctification.  The word is the noun form of a verb meaning "to set apart as holy."  The second definition provided by Webster's reads, "to make free from sin." 

When trying to understand the meaning of the word sanctification, one begins with the principle that the end result is to set something apart as holy, which includes making one free from sin.  From there, one does well to grasp these truths:

1.  Sanctification is received, not earned.

But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.
2 Thessalonians 2:13 (NIV) 

2.  Sanctification was accomplished at the cross.

In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.
Hebrews 2:10 (NIV)

3.  Sanctification begins with belief. 

But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.
2 Thessalonians 2:13 (NIV)

4.  Sanctification prepares people for eternity with Christ.

26 . . . But [Christ] has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Hebrews 9:26b - 28 (NIV)

5.  Sanctification enlarges the family of faith (the Church).

Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.
Hebrews 2:11 (NIV)

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