Sanctification

Sanctification is an old word for a simple idea: being made holy, set apart for God and changed to be more like him. Paul states it directly: “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). The New Testament speaks of it in two ways. Believers are already called saints, set apart in Christ. Yet they are also told to grow, putting off old habits and putting on new ones. Paul is confident “that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). Traditions differ on how far this change goes in this life. Romans 6 and Colossians 3 lay out the practical side.

1,100 verses

Genesis

Genesis 17:1

And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

Genesis 35:2

Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:

Exodus

Exodus 19:6

And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

Exodus 22:31

And ye shall be holy men unto me: neither shall ye eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field; ye shall cast it to the dogs.

Exodus 28:36

And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.

Exodus 29:37

Seven days thou shalt make an atonement for the altar, and sanctify it; and it shall be an altar most holy: whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy.

Exodus 29:43

And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory.

Exodus 31:13

Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.

Exodus 33:16

For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.

Exodus 39:30

And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.

Leviticus

Leviticus 10:8

And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying,

Leviticus 10:9

Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:

Leviticus 10:10

And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;

Leviticus 11:44

For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Leviticus 11:45

For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

Leviticus 11:47

To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten.

Leviticus 19:2

Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.

Leviticus 20:7

Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 20:8

And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify you.

Leviticus 20:26

And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.

Leviticus 21:1

And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people:

Leviticus 21:2

But for his kin, that is near unto him, that is, for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother,

Leviticus 21:3

And for his sister a virgin, that is nigh unto him, which hath had no husband; for her may he be defiled.

Leviticus 21:4

But he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.

Leviticus 21:5

They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.

Leviticus 21:6

They shall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God: for the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and the bread of their God, they do offer: therefore they shall be holy.

Leviticus 21:7

They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God.

Leviticus 21:8

Thou shalt sanctify him therefore; for he offereth the bread of thy God: he shall be holy unto thee: for I the LORD, which sanctify you, am holy.

Leviticus 21:9

And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.

Leviticus 21:10

And he that is the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes;

Leviticus 21:11

Neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother;

Leviticus 21:12

Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the LORD.

Leviticus 21:13

And he shall take a wife in her virginity.

Leviticus 21:14

A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, or an harlot, these shall he not take: but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife.

Leviticus 21:15

Neither shall he profane his seed among his people: for I the LORD do sanctify him.

Leviticus 21:16

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Leviticus 21:17

Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations that hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God.

Leviticus 21:18

For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous,

Leviticus 21:19

Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded,

Leviticus 21:20

Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken;

Leviticus 21:21

No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God.

Leviticus 21:22

He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy.

Leviticus 21:23

Only he shall not go in unto the vail, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries: for I the LORD do sanctify them.

Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 13:17

And there shall cleave nought of the cursed thing to thine hand: that the LORD may turn from the fierceness of his anger, and shew thee mercy, and have compassion upon thee, and multiply thee, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers;

Deuteronomy 14:2

For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.

Deuteronomy 18:13

Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.

Deuteronomy 26:19

And to make thee high above all nations which he hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honour; and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the LORD thy God, as he hath spoken.

Deuteronomy 28:9

The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.

Deuteronomy 29:4

Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.

Deuteronomy 30:2

And shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul;

Deuteronomy 30:6

And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.

Deuteronomy 30:10

If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.

Joshua

Joshua 7:12

Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.

Joshua 7:13

Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.

1 Kings

1 Kings 8:58

That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers.

Job

Job 5:24

And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle shall be in peace; and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin.

Job 28:28

And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

Job 36:21

Take heed, regard not iniquity: for this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.

Psalms

Psalms 4:4

Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.

Psalms 15:1

A Psalm of David. LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?

Psalms 15:2

He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.

Psalms 15:3

He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.

Psalms 15:4

In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.

Psalms 15:5

He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

Psalms 24:3

Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?

Psalms 24:4

He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

Psalms 24:5

He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Psalms 32:2

Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

Psalms 36:9

For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.

Psalms 37:27

Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.

Psalms 51:2

Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

Psalms 51:7

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Psalms 51:10

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Psalms 65:3

Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away.

Psalms 68:13

Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.

Psalms 68:18

Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.

Psalms 73:1

A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.

Psalms 85:13

Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.

Psalms 87:4

I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me: behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this man was born there.

Psalms 87:6

The LORD shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Selah.

Psalms 94:15

But judgment shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it.

Psalms 97:10

Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.

Psalms 110:3

Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.

Psalms 119:1

ALEPH. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.

Psalms 119:2

Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.

Psalms 119:3

They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.

Proverbs

Proverbs 4:23

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Proverbs 11:23

The desire of the righteous is only good: but the expectation of the wicked is wrath.

Proverbs 12:5

The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit.

Proverbs 12:28

In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death.

Proverbs 14:27

The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

Proverbs 16:1

The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.

Proverbs 16:17

The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.

Proverbs 21:8

The way of man is froward and strange: but as for the pure, his work is right.

Proverbs 21:15

It is joy to the just to do judgment: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.

Proverbs 21:29

A wicked man hardeneth his face: but as for the upright, he directeth his way.

Proverbs 22:1

A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 7:1

A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.

Isaiah

Isaiah 1:16

Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

Isaiah 1:17

Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

From Easton's Bible Dictionary

Matthew George Easton, 1897

Involves more than a mere moral reformation of character, brought about by the power of the truth: it is the work of the Holy Spirit bringing the whole nature more and more under the influences of the new gracious principles implanted in the soul in regeneration. In other words, sanctification is the carrying on to perfection the work begun in regeneration, and it extends to the whole man (Rom. 6:13; 2 Cor. 4:6; Col. 3:10; 1 John 4:7; 1 Cor. 6:19). It is the special office of the Holy Spirit in the plan of redemption to carry on this work (1 Cor. 6:11; 2 Thess. 2:13). Faith is instrumental in securing sanctification, inasmuch as it (1) secures union to Christ (Gal. 2:20), and (2) brings the believer into living contact with the truth, whereby he is led to yield obedience “to the commands, trembling at the threatenings, and embracing the promises of God for this life and that which is to come.”

Read the full entry

Perfect sanctification is not attainable in this life (1 Kings 8:46; Prov. 20:9; Eccl. 7:20; James 3:2; 1 John 1:8). See Paul’s account of himself in Rom. 7:14-25; Phil. 3:12-14; and 1 Tim. 1:15; also the confessions of David (Ps. 19:12, 13; 51), of Moses (90:8), of Job (42:5, 6), and of Daniel (9:3-20). “The more holy a man is, the more humble, self-renouncing, self-abhorring, and the more sensitive to every sin he becomes, and the more closely he clings to Christ. The moral imperfections which cling to him he feels to be sins, which he laments and strives to overcome. Believers find that their life is a constant warfare, and they need to take the kingdom of heaven by storm, and watch while they pray. They are always subject to the constant chastisement of their Father’s loving hand, which can only be designed to correct their imperfections and to confirm their graces. And it has been notoriously the fact that the best Christians have been those who have been the least prone to claim the attainment of perfection for themselves.”, Hodge’s Outlines.

Based on Nave's Topical Bible by Orville J. Nave (1896). Dictionary entries from Easton's Bible Dictionary. Public domain. KJV scripture text, public domain.