Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Sanctification (02/19/26)
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TITLE: Sanctification-What Is It All About? | Previous Challenge Entry
By Lakella Davenport
02/25/26 -
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Sanctification is the process of spiritual purification or spiritual cleansing and spiritual rebirth. Sanctification is the indwelling of the righteousness of Christ in a believer’s heart. Sanctification involves the purification of the heart. What comes out of the heart is what defiles a man—what makes a man unholy, unclean, unsanctified. “But the things which proceed out of the mouth come out of the heart, and they defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies. These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands doesn’t defile the man,” (Matthew 15: 18-20).
Holiness is the spiritual byproduct, the end result of the process of sanctification. Sanctification is a process that has always involved the shedding of blood. In the Old Testament, the priests would sanctify the children of Israel through the shedding of the blood of animal sacrifices. Sanctification in those times usually involved the shedding of blood from the sacrifice of some kind of animal. Sanctification through the priests entailed a process or ritual of steps to make atonement for the people’s sins. For believers today, the blood of Jesus Christ is the source of all sanctification, purification, and spiritual cleansing. “In him we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,” (Ephesians 1:7).
Jesus Christ is the final High Priest who died one time—who sacrificed himself once—for the remission of sins for the whole world. “But Christ having come as a high priest of the coming good things, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation, nor yet through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood entered in once for all into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify to the cleanness of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without defect to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrew 9: 11-14). “According to the law, nearly everything is cleansed with blood, and apart from shedding of blood there is no remission,” (Hebrews 9: 22).
“In as much as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him,” (Hebrews 9: 27-28).
Sanctification takes place in multiple stages. The stages of sanctification involve confession, repentance, water baptism, Holy Spirit baptism, putting off the old man, putting on the new man, purification, and renewal of the heart, mind, body, soul, and spirit.
Confession. “That if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes resulting in righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made resulting in salvation,” (Romans 10: 9-10). “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” (I John 1: 9).
Repentance/Water Baptism/Holy Spirit Baptism. “Peter said to them,” “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call to himself,” (Acts 2: 38-29).
Putting Off the Old Man and Putting on the New Man. “Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin,” (Romans 6:6).
Purification in body, mind, soul, and spirit. “Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God,” (Romans 12: 1-2).
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