Our Sanctification

Wesleyans are real big on sanctification, teaching regeneration allows mankind to start doing good and through becoming moral we reach a level of goodness whereby we are sanctified.

Rom 6:19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.

Thus, sanctification by works after God gives us power through grace. They teach works based sanctification. Though sanctification requires presenting ourselves as slaves to righteousness, we never become morally perfect.

This is against the cross however, when groups claim moral superiority. Sanctification simply means separation in some cases. We separate ourselves to righteousness and Christ seperates us to himself. We can never separate ourselves to becoming completely moral, and no moral canon will lead us to perfection.

We see this in I Cor 1 where Paul says he taught Christ and him crucified. No teacher could boast of superiority because all are forgiven through the cross.

1Co 1:30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,

1Co 1:31 so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."

It is Christ who sanctifies in baptism, not the baptizer. see Ephesians 5:26.

Eph 5:26  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

Complete sanctification only comes through Christ. Yes, we can attain to a certain level, but Christ is our sanctification completely fulfilled.

This is Paul's context concerning division, boasting in teachers above other teachers. Paul wasn't discounting baptism, he was showing how all teachers were saved through the cross, thus none were superior.

Paul had Christians killed and imprisoned, Peter denied Jesus 3 times, both needed the cross. We should only boast in Christ who sanctifies and cleanses us.

Robert Hawker the Anglican said it like this,

But it would not have been enough to have made us sensible of our misery, and to have instructed us in the way of obtaining salvation by Christ out of it, had not the same Lord which taught us these precious things, taught us also, that He who made Christ to us wisdom, made him also our righteousness. Oh! the blessedness, when a child taught of God, can say, the Lord is my righteousness. But here again, a soul needed somewhat more. The child of God, though renewed in soul, is not renewed in body. The flesh lusteth against the spirit. I feel, I groan daily under a conscious sense of indwelling, inbred, corruptions. Oh! the grace, the mercy, when my Lord taught Me that Christ is made of God sanctification also, and He who justified me, as freely sanctifieth me. And, finally, to crown all, and to counteract all the exercises, which at any time sin or Satan, the world without, or fears within, might suggest; how blessedly doth this scripture come in to our aid, that Christ is not only wisdom, righteousness, and sanctification, but redemption God’s works, and not man’s. God’s providing, not our’s. And He who gives the covering, puts it on. First gives a gracious acceptation to the persons of his people, in His dear Son; and then blesseth them with all spiritual blessings, in Christ; that they may be holy, and blameless before him, in love! Thanks! thanks be to God which always causeth us to triumph in Christ! 2Co_2:14.