In the foregoing message we began to consider Paul’s word in 1 Corinthians 1:2: “To the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints, with all those who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, theirs and ours.” We have seen that for the church to be of God means not only that the church belongs to God, but also that the church comes out from God as the source. We have also seen that the existence of the church comes through the divine dispensing of the Divine Trinity. In particular, the church is produced of God as the source. In this message we shall go on to consider the church sanctified in Christ as the sphere and element and also sanctified by the spirit as the application with the divine nature.
In 1:2 Paul speaks of those who have been “sanctified in Christ Jesus.” To be sanctified in Christ Jesus is to be sanctified in the element and sphere of Christ. Christ is the element and sphere that separated us unto God, made us holy unto Him, when we believed in Him, that is, when we were brought into an organic union with Him through our faith in Him.
To be sanctified in Christ first means that we are put into Christ. Christ is a holy sphere, a sphere of holiness. Not only is Christ holy—Christ Himself is holiness. Because God has put us into this Christ (1 Cor. 1:30), we have been put into the sphere of holiness. Now that we are in Christ as the sphere of holiness, we are sanctified.
In Greek, the word rendered “sanctified” is actually a verbal form of the word for holiness. The word for holiness is hagios, and the verb that means sanctified is hagiazo. To be sanctified is to be made holy. Therefore, to be sanctified in Christ Jesus is to be made holy in Him.
Do you know what holiness is? Real holiness is Christ. The holiness in this universe is Christ Himself.
Among Christians there are three main schools of teaching concerning holiness or sanctification. The first school teaches that holiness is a matter of sinless perfection. This concept of holiness was that taught by John Wesley. According to this concept, holiness is equal to sinless perfection. Certain denominations, the so-called holiness people, practice a kind of holiness that is of the school of sinless perfection. Furthermore, these denominations may require their members to obey certain regulations in order to be regarded as practicing holiness. These regulations include rules concerning clothing, make-up, and the length of their hair.
The teaching that holiness is a matter of sinless perfection absolutely is not scriptural. There is no ground in the Scriptures for this teaching. As we shall see, according to the Bible, real holiness is not a matter of sinless perfection.
In the nineteenth century, the Brethren, raised up under the leadership of John Nelson Darby, showed from the Bible that holiness is not sinless perfection. Using Matthew 23:17, they showed how the temple sanctified the gold. It was the temple that made the gold holy. These teachers pointed out that the gold in the marketplace, although there was nothing sinful about it, was not holy until it had been offered to God and put into His holy temple. Only then was the gold sanctified. Furthermore, using Matthew 23:19, these teachers proved that, according to the words of the Lord Jesus, the altar sanctifies the sacrifice. When an ox or a lamb was still in the fold, it was common. It did not become holy until it was offered to God on the altar. Doctrinally speaking, these Bible teachers defeated the teaching that holiness is a matter of sinless perfection. According to this teaching concerning holiness, holiness involves a change of position.
These Bible teachers also appealed to 1 Timothy 4:4-5, which says that food is sanctified by the prayer of the saints. When food is in the marketplace, it is common. But when the food is placed on the saints’ dining table and is prayed over by the saints, the food is sanctified by their prayer. This is a further indication that sanctification means a change of position.
In the light of all these verses, the Brethren taught that holiness is a change of position. Originally, our position was worldly and not at all for God. But when we were separated unto God, our position was changed, and, as a result, we became holy.
This teaching regarding holiness is correct as far as it goes. When we studied the different schools of sanctification years ago, we agreed with the teaching of the Brethren, for we saw that sinless perfection is not genuine holiness. However, there is a strong basis in the Scriptures to say that holiness is a change of position. Although it is true that holiness is a positional matter, through our study of the New Testament we have found that sanctification is also a dispositional matter. This means that sanctification is not only a change of position; it is also a change of disposition. Therefore, the sanctification revealed in the Bible includes dispositional transformation in addition to positional change.
I believe that this brief review of the different teachings with respect to sanctification will be helpful to us as we consider the significance of Paul’s word in 1 Corinthians 1:2 concerning being sanctified in Christ Jesus.
Holiness is actually God Himself, and God is embodied in Christ. Therefore, Christ is our holiness. As our holiness, He is the sphere and element of holiness. Through Christ’s redemption, God has put us into Christ. Now that we are in Christ, who is the sphere and element of holiness, we are sanctified, made holy.