Once in a while, I come across Christians who do not believe it is possible to overcome sin and have victory over sin. This has surprised me since there are bible verses state that it is possible to overcome sin and live a righteous life in Christ.
To sanctify means to set apart something or someone for a holy purpose. The process to become holy and being freed from impurity (sin) is called Sanctification.
The best way to describe how Sanctification works is by comparing it to a person trying to lose weight. People who effectively lose weight change what they eat, exercise daily, change how often they eat, and where they purchase food. They also sometimes get new friends who are interested in health just as they are. Their entire lifestyle changes.
1. What is needed to be sanctified and be free from sin?
- The blood of Jesus
- The bible
- Abiding in Christ
- The Holy Spirit
2. Sanctify spirit, soul, and body
1 Thessalonians 5:23 - And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (KJV).
We need to be entirely sanctified, which means that the spirit, soul body needs to be sanctified.
2. 1. Sanctification of the spirit
Ephesians 4:23 - And be renewed in the spirit of your mind (KJV).
Whatever affects the mind, affects the spirit.
2.1.1. The transformation starts in the mind
Romans 12:2 - And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (KJV)
Thoughts become words, words become actions, actions become habits, and habits become our character.
Therefore if we want to change the habit of sinning and our character, we need to change our thoughts. We need to renew our minds.
What we put into our minds affects us. So if we think pure thoughts, we will have holy thoughts.
Reading the bible sanctifies us (John 17:17) because having God’s Word in the mind and meditating upon it changes us.
If we have thoughts that are not in accordance with God’s Word, we need to immediately block them and replace them with God’s Word (2 Corinthians 10:5).
2.1.2. How often should the mind be sanctified?
Jesus also calls Himself the bread of life (John 6:35) and that we should eat Him. John 1:14 says that Christ is the Word made flesh.
How do we eat the Word (Christ)?
Answer: By reading the bible.
If we do not eat physical food for a few days, we will find ourselves weak and faint because of starvation. There are Christians who are weak and spiritually starving because they are not eating the Word (reading the bible) daily. Therefore the bible should be read on a daily basis.
2.2. Sanctification of the soul
2.2.1. Abiding in Christ
When we abide in Christ, we will imitate his character and actions. When you do the same things that Christ did and speak as He did, you become one with Him and abide in Him.
Therefore before we do or say something, we should consider what Jesus would do in the situation and what He would say.
2.2.2. Growing the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
How does a tree grow fruit? By continuously obtaining water, sunlight, and fertilizer. If you stop providing the tree with these things, it will stop bearing fruit and eventually die.
Therefore if we want to have the fruit of the Spirit, we need to have God’s Word and must meditate on it as well as receive the living water that Jesus provides (John 4:14).
If you do not see the fruit of the Spirit in you, then it means that you are not getting enough water (Holy Spirit-John 4:14), are not getting enough light (John 8:12) and are also not getting enough food (God’s Word) and not meditating on it. Overall you if you are not seeing the fruits of the Holy Spirit, it means that you are not abiding enough in Christ (John 15:5).
Water, light, and food need to be received on a daily. Hearing and reading God’s Word once a week at church, asking to be filled with the Holy Spirit only once when you got saved, and praying once in a while is not enough.
2.2.3. Importance of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the one that lives in our hearts and also changes our character. Therefore you should pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on a daily basis.
We see how in John 20:22, Jesus gave the disciples the Holy Spirit, but we also see another outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts on the day of Pentecost. Therefore the Holy Spirit does not have to be received only once but should be continuously received.
We need to ask God to fill us with the Holy Spirit daily.
Let me put it in another way.
The oil is one of the symbols that is used to describe the Holy Spirit. The oil runs out when it is used and needs to be refilled. Therefore we need to be refilled by the Holy Spirit on a daily basis. If we do not refill the oil, it will run out, and we will become like the foolish virgins (Matthew 25:7-8).
The Holy Spirit can be quenched (1 Thessalonians 5: 19).
2.3. Sanctification of the body
2.3.1 Abstain from fornication
1 Thessalonians 4:3 - For this is the will of God, even your Sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: (KJV).
God wants us to flee from fornication because it affects our Sanctification.
2.3.2. What we eat
1 Corinthians 10:31 - Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God (KJV).
The first temptation that the devil tempted Christ was his appetite (Matthew 4:3).
According to medical specialists, what we eat affects the mind. For example, certain foods boost our comprehension, intelligence, and memory.
And certain foods decrease our comprehension, understanding, cognition, and reasoning power.
Eating food that is detrimental to our health and causes us to be sickly does not glorify God.
What we eat affects our characters because food has chemicals and these chemicals affect our hormones, which affect the mind. Processed food is especially harmful not only to the body but also to the mind. This is because some of it has MSG, aspartame, nitrates, and other toxic chemicals, which are carcinogenic.
Some Christians are finding it more difficult to overcome certain sins because their diet causes them to be prone to commit those sins. For example, it is difficult to overcome lustful passions if you are constantly consuming aphrodisiacs. In addition, too much sugar causes a person to be irritable and makes it difficult to be patient.
Having a mind that is unhealthy affects our ability to renew our minds effectively. It also affects our ability to properly understand the Bible and interpret it correctly since we cannot think clearly when we have a clouded brain.
By eating a healthier diet, you will see a change in the character and have more self-control.
There are medical studies that have been conducted that show a link between what someone eats and their behavior. You can find such studies online, and you can research them on your own time.
3. Example of how Sanctification works - Not focusing on the sin, but on Christ
The key to becoming sinless and having Christ’s character is not focusing on sin but on Christ. You should focus on imitating Christ, praying more, and reading the bible more. You should mainly focus on doing what is good, and you will automatically not do what is bad.
Let me provide you with an example.
A few years ago, I was eating unhealthily and was addicted to chocolate. So I decided to investigate how food affects the body and, in particular, why I was addicted to chocolate. I found out that although chocolate was unhealthy, it had a high amount of magnesium.
I also found out that constant stress and working too much depleted a person’s magnesium level. For example, I started becoming addicted to chocolate when I started working at a company that required me to work lots of overtime. It was a demanding and stressful job, and the company had a toxic work environment. Therefore unknown to me, my magnesium levels were very low.
My body required magnesium and knew that it could get it from chocolate, and thereby, it caused me to have severe chocolate cravings every day. However, my body was not actually craving chocolate; it was craving magnesium.
I changed my diet and included more healthy food high in magnesium. When I did, my chocolate cravings declined significantly, and I was no longer a chocolate addict.
If I had focused on willpower and told myself that I would stop eating chocolate, I would have failed every day to overcome my chocolate addiction.
Instead, I focused on eating healthy food with enough nutrients, including magnesium (doing good), and the body automatically did not desire chocolate. As a result, I did not struggle to overcome my chocolate addiction.
Therefore the main focus should be on imitating Christ, renewing our minds, and imitating Him by talking like him, talking to him in prayer, and reading the bible.
James 4:7 - Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (KJV).
If we become close to God and focus on Him, the devil has no power over us. The bible does not say that we should fight the devil, but that we should submit to God and the devil and his temptations will leave.
A person who exercises every day and eats healthily every day will lose weight faster than a person who occasionally exercises and eats healthily.
A Christian who prays and reads their bible every day will reach victory over sin faster than a Christian who does these activities occasionally.
5. Reversal of the sanctification process (i.e., Backsliding)
When a person stops exercising and stops eating healthily, they slowly go back to gaining weight. Therefore to maintain the weight that a person wants, they need to continue to exercise and have a healthy diet forever. That is the only way.
This also applies to Christians. I have come across Christians who overcame addictions and sins and were faithful in reading the Bible every day, praying every day, and going to church every week. Then, when they saw that they had changed a lot, they no longer saw the importance of continuing and started slacking, resulting in them backsliding. Unfortunately, some Christians backslide so much; they return to their sinful ways before they got saved.
6. Sabotaging the sanctification process
A person’s environment and what they are constantly exposed to play a critical factor that can hinder or enhance their process of change.
You cannot exercise, eat a salad in the morning, and then eat a hamburger for lunch and pizza for dinner and think you will lose weight. And it is also not easy to eat healthily when your fridge is full of junk food and sugary snacks. They all have to end up in the bin and out of sight.
Same with overcoming sin. You cannot hope to have holy thoughts if you are watching TV programs and listening to music that has foul language, sexual immorality, and say the Lord’s name in vain.
It will also be beneficial to distance yourself from corrupt friends if you want to be sanctified.
You need to guard what you see, hear, and feel. You need to identify the triggers that bring you into bondage and sin and avoid those triggers.
Although you should focus on God, you still need to change your lifestyle and stop doing what you did before getting saved. If you do not stop, you will be slowing down the process of change because you will keep doing sinful acts.
For example, I overcame my chocolate addiction by focusing on eating healthy (doing good). Still, at the same time, till today, I avoid the chocolate aisle and avoid looking at chocolate. My behavior had to change to ensure that I no longer ate chocolate since there was always a possibility of a relapse. As stated above, the focus should not be on sin, but at the same time, you cannot surround yourself with sin and temptation and think that you will overcome it.
Sanctification can also be compared to a person being in rehab. But instead of recovering from substance abuse, they are recovering from the disease of sin. However, the recovery lasts a lifetime, and you never leave rehab.
7. Have a realistic view of the process of change
The process to overcome sin and be holy does not happen instantaneously but is a process that happens over time. For example, if you have been living a life of sin for 40 years and get saved at the age of 40, it will take time to change your entire lifestyle. Some sins will be easier to overcome than others. Some sins will take weeks to overcome, and some might take months or longer.
Although Christianity is not works-based, it requires discipline and consistency to be effective in overcoming sin.
Exercising every day is not nice either when you start, but it becomes easier as time goes on.
The sanctification process is also like that. In the beginning, it will feel like a lot of effort, but it becomes easier as time goes on. A person might not feel like reading the bible every day or praying every day and might feel like drudgery. However, haphazard and occasional reading of the bible and prayer will delay the process.
Start small, pray the Lord’s prayer every day, then add in the psalms or any other additional prayer as time goes on.
Start reading 15 minutes of the bible every day, then 30 minutes, and so on.
You can also listen to the bible on audio during the day while working, driving or cooking, or cleaning.
Also, make learning the bible fun by downloading bible app games on your phone.
Include your family in the process by having bible quizzes or bible charades.
How quickly you change depends on how much time you spend and whether you are abiding in Christ.
Sanctification requires the entire change and transformation of a person’s life and lifestyle. Many people understand that to change or break away from certain bad habits and lose weight; they have to change. However, I have come across some Christians who do not understand that the same applies to Christianity. One cannot change if there is no change in thinking and behavior. We cannot live the same way we did before we got saved and still think that we will overcome sin. It is an impossibility.
- 1 John 5:4 - For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith (KJV).
- 1 Corinthians 15:57 - But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (KJV).
- Romans 8:37 - Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us (KJV).
- 1 Peter 2:24 - Who his own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed (KJV).
- 2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (KJV).
- Galatians 5:24 - And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts (KJV).
- 1 Corinthians 15: 34 - Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame (KJV).
To sanctify means to set apart something or someone for a holy purpose. The process to become holy and being freed from impurity (sin) is called Sanctification.
The best way to describe how Sanctification works is by comparing it to a person trying to lose weight. People who effectively lose weight change what they eat, exercise daily, change how often they eat, and where they purchase food. They also sometimes get new friends who are interested in health just as they are. Their entire lifestyle changes.
1. What is needed to be sanctified and be free from sin?
- John 17:17 says Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. (KJV)
- Psalm 119:11 says Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. (KJV)
- John 15:4 says Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. (KJV)
- 1 John 3:5-6 says And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. (KJV)
- Hebrews 2:11- For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren (KJV).
- Hebrews 13:12 - Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate (KJV).
- 2 Thessalonians 2:13 - But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth (KJV):
- The blood of Jesus
- The bible
- Abiding in Christ
- The Holy Spirit
2. Sanctify spirit, soul, and body
1 Thessalonians 5:23 - And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (KJV).
We need to be entirely sanctified, which means that the spirit, soul body needs to be sanctified.
2. 1. Sanctification of the spirit
Ephesians 4:23 - And be renewed in the spirit of your mind (KJV).
Whatever affects the mind, affects the spirit.
2.1.1. The transformation starts in the mind
Romans 12:2 - And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (KJV)
Thoughts become words, words become actions, actions become habits, and habits become our character.
Therefore if we want to change the habit of sinning and our character, we need to change our thoughts. We need to renew our minds.
What we put into our minds affects us. So if we think pure thoughts, we will have holy thoughts.
Reading the bible sanctifies us (John 17:17) because having God’s Word in the mind and meditating upon it changes us.
If we have thoughts that are not in accordance with God’s Word, we need to immediately block them and replace them with God’s Word (2 Corinthians 10:5).
2.1.2. How often should the mind be sanctified?
Jesus also calls Himself the bread of life (John 6:35) and that we should eat Him. John 1:14 says that Christ is the Word made flesh.
How do we eat the Word (Christ)?
Answer: By reading the bible.
If we do not eat physical food for a few days, we will find ourselves weak and faint because of starvation. There are Christians who are weak and spiritually starving because they are not eating the Word (reading the bible) daily. Therefore the bible should be read on a daily basis.
2.2. Sanctification of the soul
2.2.1. Abiding in Christ
- 1 John 3:5-6 says, And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. (KJV)
- 1 John 2:6 - He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked (KJV).
When we abide in Christ, we will imitate his character and actions. When you do the same things that Christ did and speak as He did, you become one with Him and abide in Him.
Therefore before we do or say something, we should consider what Jesus would do in the situation and what He would say.
2.2.2. Growing the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
How does a tree grow fruit? By continuously obtaining water, sunlight, and fertilizer. If you stop providing the tree with these things, it will stop bearing fruit and eventually die.
Therefore if we want to have the fruit of the Spirit, we need to have God’s Word and must meditate on it as well as receive the living water that Jesus provides (John 4:14).
If you do not see the fruit of the Spirit in you, then it means that you are not getting enough water (Holy Spirit-John 4:14), are not getting enough light (John 8:12) and are also not getting enough food (God’s Word) and not meditating on it. Overall you if you are not seeing the fruits of the Holy Spirit, it means that you are not abiding enough in Christ (John 15:5).
Water, light, and food need to be received on a daily. Hearing and reading God’s Word once a week at church, asking to be filled with the Holy Spirit only once when you got saved, and praying once in a while is not enough.
2.2.3. Importance of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the one that lives in our hearts and also changes our character. Therefore you should pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on a daily basis.
We see how in John 20:22, Jesus gave the disciples the Holy Spirit, but we also see another outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts on the day of Pentecost. Therefore the Holy Spirit does not have to be received only once but should be continuously received.
We need to ask God to fill us with the Holy Spirit daily.
Let me put it in another way.
The oil is one of the symbols that is used to describe the Holy Spirit. The oil runs out when it is used and needs to be refilled. Therefore we need to be refilled by the Holy Spirit on a daily basis. If we do not refill the oil, it will run out, and we will become like the foolish virgins (Matthew 25:7-8).
The Holy Spirit can be quenched (1 Thessalonians 5: 19).
2.3. Sanctification of the body
2.3.1 Abstain from fornication
1 Thessalonians 4:3 - For this is the will of God, even your Sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: (KJV).
God wants us to flee from fornication because it affects our Sanctification.
2.3.2. What we eat
1 Corinthians 10:31 - Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God (KJV).
The first temptation that the devil tempted Christ was his appetite (Matthew 4:3).
According to medical specialists, what we eat affects the mind. For example, certain foods boost our comprehension, intelligence, and memory.
And certain foods decrease our comprehension, understanding, cognition, and reasoning power.
Eating food that is detrimental to our health and causes us to be sickly does not glorify God.
What we eat affects our characters because food has chemicals and these chemicals affect our hormones, which affect the mind. Processed food is especially harmful not only to the body but also to the mind. This is because some of it has MSG, aspartame, nitrates, and other toxic chemicals, which are carcinogenic.
Some Christians are finding it more difficult to overcome certain sins because their diet causes them to be prone to commit those sins. For example, it is difficult to overcome lustful passions if you are constantly consuming aphrodisiacs. In addition, too much sugar causes a person to be irritable and makes it difficult to be patient.
Having a mind that is unhealthy affects our ability to renew our minds effectively. It also affects our ability to properly understand the Bible and interpret it correctly since we cannot think clearly when we have a clouded brain.
By eating a healthier diet, you will see a change in the character and have more self-control.
There are medical studies that have been conducted that show a link between what someone eats and their behavior. You can find such studies online, and you can research them on your own time.
3. Example of how Sanctification works - Not focusing on the sin, but on Christ
The key to becoming sinless and having Christ’s character is not focusing on sin but on Christ. You should focus on imitating Christ, praying more, and reading the bible more. You should mainly focus on doing what is good, and you will automatically not do what is bad.
Let me provide you with an example.
A few years ago, I was eating unhealthily and was addicted to chocolate. So I decided to investigate how food affects the body and, in particular, why I was addicted to chocolate. I found out that although chocolate was unhealthy, it had a high amount of magnesium.
I also found out that constant stress and working too much depleted a person’s magnesium level. For example, I started becoming addicted to chocolate when I started working at a company that required me to work lots of overtime. It was a demanding and stressful job, and the company had a toxic work environment. Therefore unknown to me, my magnesium levels were very low.
My body required magnesium and knew that it could get it from chocolate, and thereby, it caused me to have severe chocolate cravings every day. However, my body was not actually craving chocolate; it was craving magnesium.
I changed my diet and included more healthy food high in magnesium. When I did, my chocolate cravings declined significantly, and I was no longer a chocolate addict.
If I had focused on willpower and told myself that I would stop eating chocolate, I would have failed every day to overcome my chocolate addiction.
Instead, I focused on eating healthy food with enough nutrients, including magnesium (doing good), and the body automatically did not desire chocolate. As a result, I did not struggle to overcome my chocolate addiction.
Therefore the main focus should be on imitating Christ, renewing our minds, and imitating Him by talking like him, talking to him in prayer, and reading the bible.
James 4:7 - Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (KJV).
If we become close to God and focus on Him, the devil has no power over us. The bible does not say that we should fight the devil, but that we should submit to God and the devil and his temptations will leave.
- Romans 8:5-6 - For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace (KJV).
- Galatians 5:16 - This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. (KJV)
A person who exercises every day and eats healthily every day will lose weight faster than a person who occasionally exercises and eats healthily.
A Christian who prays and reads their bible every day will reach victory over sin faster than a Christian who does these activities occasionally.
5. Reversal of the sanctification process (i.e., Backsliding)
When a person stops exercising and stops eating healthily, they slowly go back to gaining weight. Therefore to maintain the weight that a person wants, they need to continue to exercise and have a healthy diet forever. That is the only way.
This also applies to Christians. I have come across Christians who overcame addictions and sins and were faithful in reading the Bible every day, praying every day, and going to church every week. Then, when they saw that they had changed a lot, they no longer saw the importance of continuing and started slacking, resulting in them backsliding. Unfortunately, some Christians backslide so much; they return to their sinful ways before they got saved.
6. Sabotaging the sanctification process
A person’s environment and what they are constantly exposed to play a critical factor that can hinder or enhance their process of change.
You cannot exercise, eat a salad in the morning, and then eat a hamburger for lunch and pizza for dinner and think you will lose weight. And it is also not easy to eat healthily when your fridge is full of junk food and sugary snacks. They all have to end up in the bin and out of sight.
Same with overcoming sin. You cannot hope to have holy thoughts if you are watching TV programs and listening to music that has foul language, sexual immorality, and say the Lord’s name in vain.
It will also be beneficial to distance yourself from corrupt friends if you want to be sanctified.
You need to guard what you see, hear, and feel. You need to identify the triggers that bring you into bondage and sin and avoid those triggers.
Although you should focus on God, you still need to change your lifestyle and stop doing what you did before getting saved. If you do not stop, you will be slowing down the process of change because you will keep doing sinful acts.
For example, I overcame my chocolate addiction by focusing on eating healthy (doing good). Still, at the same time, till today, I avoid the chocolate aisle and avoid looking at chocolate. My behavior had to change to ensure that I no longer ate chocolate since there was always a possibility of a relapse. As stated above, the focus should not be on sin, but at the same time, you cannot surround yourself with sin and temptation and think that you will overcome it.
Sanctification can also be compared to a person being in rehab. But instead of recovering from substance abuse, they are recovering from the disease of sin. However, the recovery lasts a lifetime, and you never leave rehab.
7. Have a realistic view of the process of change
The process to overcome sin and be holy does not happen instantaneously but is a process that happens over time. For example, if you have been living a life of sin for 40 years and get saved at the age of 40, it will take time to change your entire lifestyle. Some sins will be easier to overcome than others. Some sins will take weeks to overcome, and some might take months or longer.
Although Christianity is not works-based, it requires discipline and consistency to be effective in overcoming sin.
Exercising every day is not nice either when you start, but it becomes easier as time goes on.
The sanctification process is also like that. In the beginning, it will feel like a lot of effort, but it becomes easier as time goes on. A person might not feel like reading the bible every day or praying every day and might feel like drudgery. However, haphazard and occasional reading of the bible and prayer will delay the process.
Start small, pray the Lord’s prayer every day, then add in the psalms or any other additional prayer as time goes on.
Start reading 15 minutes of the bible every day, then 30 minutes, and so on.
You can also listen to the bible on audio during the day while working, driving or cooking, or cleaning.
Also, make learning the bible fun by downloading bible app games on your phone.
Include your family in the process by having bible quizzes or bible charades.
How quickly you change depends on how much time you spend and whether you are abiding in Christ.
Sanctification requires the entire change and transformation of a person’s life and lifestyle. Many people understand that to change or break away from certain bad habits and lose weight; they have to change. However, I have come across some Christians who do not understand that the same applies to Christianity. One cannot change if there is no change in thinking and behavior. We cannot live the same way we did before we got saved and still think that we will overcome sin. It is an impossibility.
