Holiness Transforms Us
We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Hebrews 10:10
Each of us who has accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior has a “testimony” or story to share about how we came to make that decision. For many of us, choosing to follow Christ brought us out of darkness and led to us making profound and positive changes. A few had parents who modeled the benefits of a life devoted to following God, and we naturally wanted to experience those same benefits in our lives. Regardless of our particular story, the reality is that we were all sinners before we met God. We all needed to receive justification for our sins and be set on the path of sanctification.
When Paul shared the story of his salvation with King Agrippa in Acts 26, he explained how God had commissioned him to open the eyes of the Gentiles and “turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith” (verse 18). Paul’s mission was to bring the gospel to the lost so they could be forgiven, rescued from the dominion of darkness, and brought into the kingdom of God (see Colossians 1:13). Safely in the hands of their heavenly Father, sinners became saints, failures became victories, and the common was made holy.
One of the cities to which Paul had been sent was Corinth. Paul opened his first letter to this body of believers with this greeting: “To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people” (1 Corinthians 1:2). Later in the letter, he asked the congregation to recall their former way of life and said, “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11). Paul wanted to remind the believers of their positional sanctification, which took place at their salvation.
Just as the “past tense” reality of our salvation is the basis for the “present tense” working out of our salvation, so also is our position in Christ the basis for our growth in Christ. At the moment of our salvation, we are set apart, or separated, to God and begin to participate in His holiness. Peter states, “[God’s] divine power has [past tense] given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given [past tense] us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Peter 1:3-4).
Positional holiness is based on the fact that we are new creations in Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). By faith we are joined to Christ and share in His holiness. This does not mean we are sinless and perfect—just that we are spiritually alive in Christ. As sinners we couldn’t enter into God’s presence, but through our faith in Christ—who sacrificed Himself to cleanse us from sin—we are joined to Him and have been invited into the “holy of holies” of heaven to have fellowship with Him. It is from this lofty position in Christ that we grow in grace.
questions to consider:
Read 2 Peter 1:3-11. What are we given the moment we are born again?What characteristics will define our lives and reveal that we have been sanctified or “set apart” for God?
What hope does it provide for us knowing that our union with God makes us a participant in the divine nature?
What is preventing you and others from being holy as Christ is holy? (For instance, “I don’t want to give up certain pleasures,” “I would feel like a nerd,” “I tried once and it didn’t work,” “I fear rejection,” “I don’t know how,” “I will later,” “I just don’t care.”)
What would you stand to gain if you became more like Jesus?
Neil T. Anderson is the founder of Freedom in Christ Ministries. He began the ministry in 1989 and continues to spread the message of freedom to this day.