What is sanctifying grace?

TL;DR:

Sanctifying grace is God’s power at work in believers, setting us apart and transforming us into holy people through the Holy Spirit. While we’re made right with God the moment we trust Christ, His Spirit continually shapes us to live for Him throughout our lives.

what does the bible say?

In regard to the Christian life, sanctify refers to "making one holy" or "setting one apart for holiness." Sanctifying grace refers to the concept of God's grace making us holy. God sanctified His people in the Old Testament by setting them apart from other nations as a holy people and giving them the Law (Exodus 19:6; Leviticus 20:7-8). Scripture teaches that the Law taught God’s people that they were imperfect; they were made righteous by their faith, not the Law (Habakkuk 2:4; Galatians 3:24). The New Testament shows that we are sanctified by faith in Christ, not our works (Ephesians 2:8). When believers place their faith in Christ, they are positionally sanctified (Hebrews 10:14) and filled with the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:11; Ephesians 1:13-14). Through the Spirit, we can become progressively sanctified, able to live for Christ (Hebrew 10:14).

from the old testament

In the Old Testament, God called the people of Israel His “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). They were made acceptable by following the Law and offering sacrifices for sin.
The Old Testament records God sanctifying His people: “Keep my statutes and do them; I am the Lord who sanctifies you” (Leviticus 20:7-8).

from the new testament

According to Protestant theology, Christians become justified by God and sanctified at the same time they are born again and filled with the Spirit (Romans 3:22–24; 15:16).
First Corinthians 6:11 describes the transformed life of believers: "you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God" (see also 2 Thessalonians 2:13).
Sanctification happens at salvation when we put our faith in Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice: "And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Hebrews 10:10). Protestants refer to this as positional sanctification, the same thing as justification.
Though this positional sanctification assures believers of salvation, we still retain the sin nature, so we still sin. We continue being sanctified by the Holy Spirit throughout our lives, which is progressive sanctification (2 Corinthians 3:18; Philippians 2:12–13).
As believers increase in our knowledge of God and His Word, our spiritual discipline and ability to obey God improves. We are already positionally sanctified through our faith in Christ, and living for the Lord makes us progressively sanctified: "For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified" (Hebrews 10:14).

implications for today

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” “If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again.” Motivational sayings like these can be the uplifting push we need.

In lots of ways, we can succeed by trying harder—studying harder to score better on the final exam than the midterm, learning from mistakes so that we can be more productive at our jobs than we were last week. But try as we might, we can’t be perfect. That’s because we are all born with a sin nature. Because of that, we act in ways that we regret, and then . . . we do it again.

Only through Christ, not our own efforts, is there hope. In our own strength, we can’t be the person we want to be, but in God’s strength, we can. God sanctifies us, making us the type of people who really do pray for our enemies and treat others as we would have them treat us. Where there’s a will, there’s a way—-but only through God’s will and His sanctifying grace, not ours.

understand

Sanctifying grace makes believers holy at salvation.
The Holy Spirit progressively sanctifies us throughout life.
Transformation comes through God’s grace, not our efforts.

reflect

How have you experienced God’s sanctifying grace working in your life to transform your thoughts, desires, or actions?
In what areas of your life do you struggle to rely on God’s grace rather than your own efforts to live for Him?
How does understanding positional and progressive sanctification change the way you view your growth as a believer?

engage

How do we see God’s sanctifying work reflected differently in the Old Testament compared to the New Testament?
What is our role in cooperating with the Holy Spirit in our progressive sanctification, and what is His role?
How does recognizing our ongoing need for God’s grace shape the way we support and encourage fellow believers?