The Holy Spirit As Sanctifier

Religion is an issue of intense trepidation for every reflective person, whether one ultimately rejects its validity or not, because it addresses and offers answers to the most fundamental questions of human existence. An intractable problem is religious values need to be more open to scientific inquiry. The philosophy of religion takes religious concepts and beliefs as the primary material for study. Although often unrecognized, behind the philosophical discussions and debates lurks the rigorous scrutiny of arguments for the existence of God or the possibility of miracles.

Indeed, the acceptance or rejection of religious faith must be interpreted implicitly in terms of some idea about the definition of religion. At the same time, the need for more consensus about the nature of religion further complicates the discussion of virtually all philosophical issues touching on religion. In the existential perspective, religion indicates the most profound dimension of human life in which all other dimensions are rooted.

Christian Religion brings forth the Practical Manifestation of the Holy Spirit. In this season of festivity and celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, often called Christmas, there is the need to focus on the work of the Holy Spirit and recognition of the Holy Spirit as a Sanctifier.

The Birth of Jesus Foretold: Luke 1: 26-38 (NIV)

• v.26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,
• v.27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
• v.28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
• v.29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
• v.30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. v.31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.
• v.32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,
• v.33, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
• v.34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
• v.35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[b] the Son of God.
• v.36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month.
• v.37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
• v.38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Matthew 1:18-25 The Message (MSG)

The birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. Before they enjoyed their wedding night, Joseph discovered she was pregnant. (It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn’t know that.) Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced. While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God’s angel spoke in the dream: “Joseph, Son of David, don’t hesitate to get married. Mary’s pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God’s Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus—‘God saves’—because he will save his people from their sins.” This would bring the prophet’s embryonic revelation to full term: Watch for this—a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son; They will name him Immanuel (Hebrew for “God is with us”). Then Joseph woke up. He did exactly what God’s angel commanded in the dream: He married Mary. But he did not consummate the marriage until she had the baby. He named the baby Jesus.

The Above passages explicitly demonstrate the work of the Holy Spirit in Mary’s Pregnancy that gave birth to Lord Jesus Christ, often referred to as Immaculate Conception.

God calls every person to mirror and reflect His holy character: “As He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy'” (1 Peter 1:15-16). Our problem is that in ourselves, we are not holy; we are unholy. The Bible refers to us as “saints.” The term saint means “one who is holy.” Since holiness is not found in ourselves, we must be made holy.

The Holy Spirit is the One who works to make us holy, to conform us to the image of Christ. As the Third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit is no more holy than the Father and the Son. We do not speak of the Holy Father, the Holy Son, and the Holy Spirit. That the Spirit of God is called the Holy Spirit is not so much because of His person (which is indeed holy) but because of His work to make us holy. It is the extraordinary work of the Holy Spirit to make us saints. He consecrates us.

The Holy Spirit fulfills the role of the Sanctifier. To be sanctified is to be made holy or righteous. Sanctification is a process that begins the moment we become Christians. The process continues until death, when the believer is made finally, entirely, and consistently righteous.

The Reformed Faith is distinctive in its emphasis on the working of the Holy Spirit alone in regeneration. We do not assist the Holy Spirit in our rebirth. We reject outright any notion of cooperative effort in the rebirth of the believer. Sanctification, however, is a different matter. Our sanctification is a cooperative venture. We must work with the Holy Spirit to grow in sanctification. The apostle Paul expressed this idea in his letter to the Church at Phillipi:

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and do of His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12-13)

The call to cooperation involves work. We are to work in earnest. To work with fear and trembling does not suggest a spirit of terror but of reverence coupled with effort. We are consoled by the knowledge that we cannot do this work alone or by our efforts. God is working within us to accomplish our sanctification. The Holy Spirit dwells in the believer, working to bring about a more righteous life and heart. We must be careful, however, not to confuse the indwelling Spirit with any deification of the individual. The Spirit is in the believer and works with the believer but does not become the believer.

The Spirit works to produce sanctified human beings, not deified creatures. When the Spirit dwells in us, He does not become human, and we do not become gods. The Holy Spirit does not destroy our identities as human beings. In our sanctification, we must become godlike in character, not in being. God calls us to reflect His holiness. To become holy requires that we receive holiness from outside of ourselves. The Holy Spirit is called holy because of His work as our Sanctifier. Sanctification is a lifelong process. Sanctification is a cooperative work involving both the believer and the Holy Spirit. The indwelling Holy Spirit does not work to deify us.

ASSIGNMENT AND END-OF-YEAR REFLECTION QUESTIONS

Assignment on Holiness:

1. What is the definition of Holy?
2. What part does repentance play in being Holy?
3. How can we avoid all righteousness when trying to be holy?
4. How would you encourage someone struggling with self-condemnation to miss the mark of holiness?
5. Why should I have a Holy Life?
6. How does modesty in our dress code align with God’s Holiness?
7. Give Tips on breaking an unhappy lifestyle!
8. Why is it hard to be holy?
9. Is holiness monetary?
10. What steps do we take as believers to strengthen our ability to operate as holy without recreating self-laws and living by the flesh?

End-of-Year Reflection Questions:

 Question One

1. State the ‘working definition’ of Spiritual Formation. How does Spiritual Formation help in shaping a Christian?
2. At creation, man received three kinds of life: Spiritual, Social, and Physical. In the NT, three words are employed in Greek to designate these three kinds of life. Name and describe adequately.
3. (a) Give Four Bases for Personal Victory, including the Bible passages (b What are the four stages of Spiritual growth based on 1 John 2:12,14 and Titus 1:5?

4. (a) Name three significant levels of the degree of Satan’s control, including the Biblical references. (b) List Satan’s Four Familiar Steps  (c) Enumerate the ‘Ways’ a person permits and gives authority to Demons into one’s body!

5. (a) Man is a Triune Being, describe the three Centres of Consciousness within the total personality of man.  (b) The Soul is the seat of personality and the meeting point of man’s Spirit and body. Name the human soul’s three main faculties or distinct functions and operations.  (c)  The Spirit of man is the noblest part of man; name the three senses or faculties of the human Spirit and their activities.

6. The importance of Faith can be described using Ten Bases; enumerate Basis One to 10 fully.

 Question Two

1. What is Spiritual Formation? How does Spiritual Formation help in shaping a Christian?
2. What is the attraction of Satanism? Why is it increasing?
3. Enumerate the ‘Ways’ a person permits and gives authority to Demons into one’s body!
4. What are the seven realities of a loving relationship with God? Discuss!
5. (a) Give the Biblical definition of a Disciple; (b) Why is discipleship important: critically discuss the Bible passage.  (c) State the four essential elements a Christian needs to mature fully.

Question Three

1. List the five biblical descriptions of spiritual formation in light of Paul’s Romans 12:1- 2 teachings.
2. (a) The Bible speaks about three types of people – Name them and outline the differences. (b) Name the four hindrances to Faith and five ways to increase our Faith.

3. (a) Man is a Triune Being, describe the three Centres of Consciousness within the total personality of man. (b) The Soul is the seat of personality and the meeting point of man’s Spirit and body. Name the three primary faculties or distinct functions of the human soul and their operations.  (c) The Spirit of man is the noblest part of man; name the three senses or faculties of the human Spirit and their activities.

4. (a) What is the biblical definition of a disciple, or in your words, what is the definition of a disciple? (b) The mission for every believer is spelled out in the Scriptures; critically discuss the Bible Passage.

5. (a) What are the four stages of Spiritual growth based on 1 John 2:12 14 and Titus 1:5? (b) What are the five keys to becoming a mature disciple? (c) What Four essential elements are needed to reach full maturity? (d) Why is discipleship so important?

6. In Ephesians 4:11, 12, we can see that God gave the “full-time Christian workers” (the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers) to the Church for a Special Purpose: Enumerate the use of these Special Agents and their responsibilities!