"Sanctification-Set apart for god"

Sanctification-Set Apart For God

The doctrine of sanctification is one of the most
misunderstood teachings recorded in the New Testament.
This is due, in large part, to the fact that it deals with
consecration (to make holy or to dedicate to a higher
purpose) and holiness.
In justification we are declared righteous in order that
through sanctification we may become righteous.
Justification is what God does for us; sanctification, what
God does in us. Justification puts us into a right
relationship with God; sanctification exhibits the fruit of
that relationship – that is, a life separated from a sinful
world and dedicated unto God.
Sanctification is a biblical doctrine. The word is found in
its various forms at least four hundred times in the Old
Testament, to say nothing of the many references to it in
the New Testament.
The Meaning Of Sanctification
The words "sanctify," "saint," "hallow," and "holy’ all
come from the same Greek root hagizo or hagiazo (ha-
geed-zo). In the New Testament sense, the word means
"to place in a relation to God answering to His holiness."

In the Old Testament, the root word is kadash (ka-dash)
which means "to cut or separate." In either case,
sanctification has to do with separation, and this
separation is subsequent to, or because of, something else.
The sanctified person or thing has been chosen first and
then separated. Therefore, sanctification, or being set
apart, is subsequent to regeneration.
It is sanctification. Growing in likeness to Christ.
Growing in holiness. To “work out one’s salvation” is not
working for salvation. Paul is not teaching salvation by
works. He is teaching that we should work out what God
has worked in.
Paul was writing to believers not unbelievers. Paul could
not be speaking about working for salvation because that
is not consistent with everything else he wrote about
salvation. Throughout his writings, he emphasizes that
salvation is not by works but by grace through faith. 
Read Ephesians 2:8 (NLT)
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you
can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
But also in Philippians 3:2-11, he teaches that salvation
(righteousness) can only come through faith in Christ not
by any human effort such as keeping the Law.

Read Philippians 3:9 (NLT)
and become one with him. I no longer count on my own
righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become
righteous through faith in Christ. [a]  For God’s way of
making us right with himself depends on faith.
Let me be very clear. No one will go to heaven by their
good works. You are not saved because you do right. We
can only be saved by realizing we can’t do right. We are
sinners. We are not a sinner because we sin. We sin
because we are a sinner. So we throw ourselves at the
mercy of God and admit our sin and trust in Christ to save
us. That is the way a person is saved – by faith, not by
good works which we conjure up on our own.
Salvation is from start to finish the work of God. We do
not work to be saved. But there are 3 aspects of salvation.
We have been saved from the penalty of sin, we are being
saved from the power of sin, and we will be saved from
the presence of sin. The salvation from the penalty of sin
(which is justification) is all God’s doing. But the
salvation from the power of sin requires that we labor
together with God. We don’t just have a passive approach
to “let go and let God." We actively must pursue holiness.

The Process of Sanctification
Romans 6:1-14 (NLT)
Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us
more and more of his wonderful grace?  2  Of course not! Since
we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?  3  Or have
you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in
baptism, we joined him in his death?  4  For we died and were
buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised
from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also
may live new lives. 5  Since we have been united with him in his
death, we will also be raised to life as he was.  6  We know that
our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might
lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.  7  For
when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of
sin.  8  And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live
with him.  9  We are sure of this because Christ was raised from
the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any
power over him.  10  When he died, he died once to break the
power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of
God.  11  So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the
power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. 12  Do not let
sin control the way you live; [ a ]  do not give in to sinful
desires.  13  Do not let any part of your body become an instrument
of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God,
for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your
whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of
God.  14  Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under
the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom
of God’s grace.

I. The Identification Romans 6:1-4 (NLT)
Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can
show us more and more of his wonderful grace?  2  Of
course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we
continue to live in it?  3  Or have you forgotten that when
we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined
him in his death?  4  For we died and were buried with
Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the
dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also
may live new lives.
II. The Hope Romans 6:5-7 (NLT)
Since we have been united with him in his death, we will
also be raised to life as he was.  6  We know that our old
sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might
lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to
sin.  7  For when we died with Christ we were set free from
the power of sin. 
III. The Example Romans 6:8-10 (NLT)
And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live
with him.  9  We are sure of this because Christ was raised
from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no
longer has any power over him.  10  When he died, he died
once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he
lives for the glory of God. 

IV. The Process Romans 6:11-13 (NLT)
So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the
power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. 12  Do
not let sin control the way you live; [ a ]  do not give in to
sinful desires.  13  Do not let any part of your body become
an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves
completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have
new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do
what is right for the glory of God. 
V. The Reminder Romans 6:14 (NLT)
Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under
the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the
freedom of God’s grace.
Let us rejoice in the Lord today that what God has started
in us, He will finish. He saved us and He will continue
His work of sanctifying us. And we can rejoice that
regardless of our circumstances, God is at work in us
making us like Christ. Look at Philippians 1:6 
Read Philippians 1:6 (NLT)
And I am certain that God, who began the good work
within you (justification), will continue his work until it is
finally finished (sanctification) on the day when Christ
Jesus returns.

And the more we learn to rejoice in our conformity to
Christ instead of our circumstances the more we grow
into the likeness of Christ.
However, let’s not be passive about our personal holiness.
Put to use the God ordained means of holiness. Get into
God’s Word and let it work to transform you. Spend time
in prayer, confessing your sin to God, repenting of it. Do
life together with your brothers and sisters in Christ
bearing one another’s burdens and exhorting one another
to love and good works. See suffering as a tool to
conform you to the image of Christ and rejoice in it.
Live your life in constant awareness of God’s presence.
Be the same person in private you are in public. Realize
God is watching all you do and stand in awe of his
holiness and in fear of his chastening.
I am not what I might be, I am not what I ought to be, I
am not what I wish to be, I am not what I hope to be. But
I thank God I am not what I once was, and I can say with
the great apostle, "By the grace of God I am what I am.”