By: Robert Serreyn
Question? In Romans 15:16 what does Being Sanctified by the Holy Ghost mean?
(Romans 15:16) That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.
Answer:
The word SANCTIFIED means to be SET APART.
Sanctification has two elements.
Element #1
– A person is SANCTIFIED (Set Apart) BY BELIEVING the Gospel from the unsaved.
(1 Corinthians 15:1-4) Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; (2) By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. (3) For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; (4) And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.
Element #2
The Believer is SANCTIFIED (Set Apart) for Service to the Lord.
(Ephesians 2:10) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
There SHOULD BE (sadly this IS NOT the case for MOST christians today) a difference between the believer and the unsaved person.
The problem is that MOST CHRISTIANS want to BLUR the lines and TRY to fit in with the world by APPEALING to whatever is Hip, Cool, or the IN Thing to be accepted, but scripture tells the believer this SHOULD NOT BE SO.
(Romans 12:1,2) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Romans 15:16 is referring to the Second Element BECAUSE salvation is a ONE TIME EVENT not a process has some churches teach.
(John 6:47) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
NOTICE the word HATH, it is in the present tense which means Immediate Possession, Have Right Now, etc.
(Acts 16:31) And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
(John 3:16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Being SANCTIFIED by the Holy Spirit means THE SAME as Philippians 2:12 where it says Work Out your own salvation, In otherwords WE are to GROW and MATURE in the faith.
Which DEALS DIRECTLY with OUR SERVICE to the Lord.
(Philippians 2:12) Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
(Ephesians 4:15) But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
(1 Peter 2:2) As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
(2 Peter 3:18) But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
The MOST IMPORTANT thing to know IS Jesus Christ as savior, just simply believe that Jesus Christ went to the cross and DIED and shed his blood, was BURIED and three days later RESURRECTED from the dead to pay for your sins.
-Christ DIED for you – Romans 5:8
-Christ PAID your sins in full – 2 Corinthians 5:21,1 Peter 2:24
-BELIEVE (Trust In Completely) in Christ ALONE as the complete payment of sin for salvation – John 3:16, Acts 16:31, Ephesians 2:8,9
“For the wages(payment) of sin is death (eternal torment in hell); but the GIFT(salvation) of God is eternal life THROUGH Jesus Christ our Lord”. Romans 6:23
IT IS THAT SIMPLE – THE GOSPEL TRUTH