As saints we are also being sanctified dispositionally by the Holy Spirit with God’s holy nature. The Holy Spirit is changing our disposition by causing it to be mingled with the holy disposition of God. This is subjective sanctification.
Sanctification is not only a matter of position, that is, to be separated from a common, worldly position to a position for God, as illustrated in Matthew 23:17 and 19 (where the gold is sanctified by the temple and the gift by the altar, in changing their position), and in 1 Timothy 4:3-5 (where food is sanctified by the saints’ prayer). Sanctification is also a matter of disposition, that is, being transformed from a natural disposition to a spiritual one, as mentioned in Romans 12:2 and 2 Corinthians 3:18. This is a matter of a long process, beginning with regeneration (1 Pet. 1:2-3; Titus 3:5), passing through the whole Christian life (1 Thes. 4:3; Heb. 12:14; Eph. 5:26), and reaching completion at the time of rapture, at the maturity of life (1 Thes. 5:23).
Concerning subjective, dispositional sanctification, Romans 15:16 says that the believers are being “sanctified in the Holy Spirit.” Christ died on the cross primarily for our justification. Now, in resurrection as the life-giving Spirit in our spirit, He lives within us for our sanctification. As the life-giving Spirit, He is our life, and He is saturating our being with His holy nature so that we may be thoroughly sanctified dispositionally. This is the reason that in Romans sanctification is not positional by the blood but dispositional by life, even by the Spirit Himself. The Spirit is working within our spirit, spreading Himself from the center of our being throughout every part of us until He reaches the circumference. Then we shall be completely saturated with God’s holy nature. Eventually, our whole being will be sanctified by Christ as the life-giving Spirit.
To be put into Christ is a once-for-all matter, but to be sanctified by the Spirit is a life-long matter. At the very moment we called on the name of the Lord Jesus, believing in Him, we were put into Christ. In this way we are now sanctified in Christ. Because God has put us into Christ, the Spirit has entered into us and has become the sanctifying Spirit within us. Now this Spirit is sanctifying us all the time, and will continue to sanctify us during our entire life. Therefore, today we are still under the sanctifying work of the Spirit.
Another verse that speaks of dispositional sanctification is 2 Thessalonians 2:13: “God chose you from the beginning unto salvation in sanctification of the Spirit.” The salvation unto which we were chosen by God is salvation and sanctification of the Spirit. We are being saved in sanctification of the Spirit. While the Holy Spirit is sanctifying us, God is saving us. Therefore, we are being saved in sanctification of the Spirit. This sanctification of the Spirit is actually the divine transformation. By this we are thoroughly saved from all old and negative things and made a new creation to obtain the Lord’s glory.
The Spirit is in us to sanctify us with the divine element, which is the nature of God. In 1 Thessalonians 4:3 Paul speaks of sanctification, and this sanctification is of the Spirit. The indwelling of the Spirit is actually our sanctification. The Spirit indwells us with one goal-to sanctify us, to transform us, to change us metabolically. This is sanctification of the Spirit.
Every day we are being sanctified, and the One who sanctifies us is the Spirit. This is the reason the Bible speaks of the sanctification of the Spirit. All day long the Spirit is sanctifying us, applying to us what the Father has planned and what the Son has accomplished. The Spirit has been commissioned to sanctify us; He has been given to us for the purpose of completing the work of sanctification. As saints, we have such a practical, living, and subjective Sanctifier.
With sanctification the emphasis is on separation unto God for His purpose. Our sanctification began even before our repentance. When we heard the gospel, the Holy Spirit began to sanctify us, to separate us. Then we experienced regeneration, which is also a part of sanctification. After regeneration, we are in the process of being sanctified dispositionally. Eventually, we shall be glorified, and our glorification will be the final, the ultimate, sanctification. When we are glorified, we shall be fully separated unto God for His purpose.
Although with sanctification the emphasis is on being separated unto God, this does not mean that sanctification does not involve the divine dispensing. The dispositional aspect of sanctification especially involves God’s dispensing. For this reason, subjective sanctification, which is dispositional sanctification, is actually transformation. Through our experience we have come to realize that, as the sanctifying Spirit, the Spirit is dispensing His element into us. This dispensing of the Spirit is the sanctifying work of the Spirit. Therefore, the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit is to dispense His element and essence into our being to sanctify us dispositionally. As a result, we are fully saturated with the Triune God and wholly separated unto Him for His purpose.
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