05 - Positional Sanctification

The New Testament declares that every believer, at the point of faith, is united to Christ, is separated from the world, and is separated unto God. In other words, every believer is, without exception, perfectly sanctified, positionally speaking. Scripture defines believers as those who are sanctified, not merely(!) in the Father’s decree, not merely(!) sanctified in the Son’s finished work, but actually sanctified. In making this point, Scripture frequently (if not invariably?) uses a tense which defines believers as those who have been, by faith, at the point of faith, once and for ever sanctified. This sanctification has nothing to do with the believer’s works or feelings. It is simply, merely(!), a fact about every believer; a glorious fact, but, nevertheless, simply a declaration about every believer. In itself, this sanctification involves no duty. Duty follows, as will become apparent, but the believer’s positional sanctification is at once a complete, finished and entire work of God’s grace within him. At the point of faith, in his conversion, every believer is sanctified, perfectly sanctified, set apart to God and for God, called out of the world, delivered from the domain of Satan, redeemed from sin, and liberated from bondage, fear, law, sin and death. He is a member of the particular, special, holy, separated people of God. And none of this can ever be reversed.