from A Heart Like God's series
“For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified”
When we talk about sanctification, it's easy to slip into thinking it's something we have to work to achieve. We might feel we have to climb a mountain of effort, behavior, or spiritual discipline to reach holiness. But the truth, the Good News, is that sanctification isn’t something we accomplish through our own striving. Sanctification is a gift, completed in us by Jesus Himself. His once-and-for-all sacrifice has set us apart for God and made us holy, forever.
You see, Jesus’ offering on the cross wasn’t a partial or temporary fix. Hebrews 10:14 reminds us, “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” This verse says it all. The cleansing, the perfection, the sanctification—it's all accomplished in Christ’s finished work. When Jesus went to the cross, offering His body and shedding His blood, He took care of every part of our sanctification. That means, in Him, we’re already holy.
Hebrews 10:14 offers a powerful picture of our sanctification in Christ, and the differences between translations like the KJV and NKJV highlight the depth of this truth. The KJV says, “those who are sanctified,” while the NKJV says, “those who are being sanctified.” This difference comes down to the Greek tense. The original Greek uses the perfect tense, which describes an action completed in the past but with ongoing, continual effects in the present.
This means that our sanctification is not a progressive work that we’re striving to achieve; rather, it’s a perpetual state established through Christ’s sacrifice. We were sanctified the moment we believed, and that sanctification remains effective today. It’s a one-time act that continues to bear fruit in our lives as we rest in His finished work, letting the power of His holiness transform us daily.
Sanctification Is Perpetual, Not Progressive
Under the New Covenant, Jesus’ sacrifice achieved what the old sacrifices never could. While the old sacrifices had to be repeated year after year, Christ’s work was perfect and final. Hebrews 10:10 says, “By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” This isn’t a work-in-progress; it’s a completed reality. Jesus’ blood didn’t just cleanse you once, leaving you to maintain that cleansing on your own. It perpetually sanctifies you.
Imagine it like this: if sanctification is a shower, Jesus’ sacrifice isn’t just a quick rinse-off; it’s like an everlasting fountain, continually refreshing and cleansing you from the inside out. His holiness keeps us holy as we abide in Him.
Resting in the Finished Work of Christ
The most freeing part of this Good News? We’re invited to rest in what He’s already accomplished. That means the weight of striving, of trying to achieve perfection in our own strength, is lifted. Holiness isn’t something we achieve through our effort; it’s something we receive and walk in because of Jesus. This isn’t a call to laziness but an invitation to trust in the power of His grace. When we trust in His work, we find freedom.
Here’s the best part: His initial cleansing is perpetual. It’s everlasting. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 tells us, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” God Himself is committed to seeing His sanctifying work remain effective in our whole being—spirit, soul, and body. We live in the sanctifying work of His Spirit within us by grace through faith, not through striving and self-effort to become more holy.
Living Out the Reality of Sanctification
So, what does it look like to live in this perpetual state of holiness? I believe it’s about partnering with the Spirit as we walk in the grace He’s given us. Here are some practical steps:
Rest in Him – Let go of the pressure to “be holy” by your own strength. Instead, acknowledge that He has already made you holy. When you rest in that reality, you allow His Spirit to work through you without striving.
Renew Your Mind – Holiness may be a reality in our spirit, but our minds need constant renewal to align with that truth. Romans 12:2 encourages us, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Think of it like tuning your heart to what God’s already said about you. Allow your thoughts to reflect the sanctified person you truly are.
Put on the New Man – Ephesians 4:24 reminds us to “put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” This means choosing to walk in your new identity. Just as you put on clothes daily, actively “put on” the new, holy identity Jesus bought for you.
Live Under the Power of Grace – Grace isn’t just a “get-out-of-jail-free” card; it’s the power to live in holiness. Grace empowers you to live from His righteousness, not to try to achieve your own. Lean into grace, and let His Spirit guide and strengthen you.
Experiencing the Freedom of True Holiness
Imagine what life would be like if you embraced the fullness of this sanctification. No striving, no anxiety about measuring up, no shame from past mistakes. In Christ, you are forever holy. Let that sink in—forever. When God looks at you, He sees His sanctified child, fully cleansed, fully loved, fully accepted.
This is what it means to live out the reality of sanctification: to live free. Free to love God without fear, free to serve others from a place of wholeness, free to be the unique person He created you to be. So today, rest in Him, renew your mind, put on your new identity, and live under His grace. You are perpetually sanctified, and that’s the Good News of His finished work.
Scriptural Support
Hebrews 10:10 – "And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."
Hebrews 10:14 – "For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified."
Hebrews 13:12 – "And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through His own blood."
1 Corinthians 6:11 – "And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."
Colossians 1:21-22 – "Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now He has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation."
1 Peter 1:2 – "To God’s elect... who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with His blood."
1 Peter 2:9 – "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light."
1 Thessalonians 5:23 – "May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
