Sanctification and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit (Advent 2)

There was a thief who accepted Jesus Christ, received baptism, and began his new life as a Christian. A couple of months later, he came to the pastor, asking, “Pastor, I stole again. You said a man in Christ is a new creation; the old is gone, and the new has begun. But why did I steal again? Am I not a new creation? What’s wrong with me?”

The pastor asked, “How did you feel when you stole in the past before you became a Christian?” The man said, “I felt great. It’s like an achievement. The more difficult the heist, the more excitement I got. The greater the value, the higher the thrill.”

The pastor asked, “How did you feel when you stole this time?” He said, “I felt terrible. I feel extremely guilty. That’s why I came to ask you for help.”

“Well, isn’t that the sign that you are a new creation? You used to be proud of stealing, but now you feel uncomfortable doing it. From now on, you just need to listen to that nudge to actualize your new life,” the pastor concluded.

This story may sound simplistic, but it’s a succinct allegory of sanctification. It can apply to many areas of life. Your old habits, whatever they may be, no longer fit your new life. His conscience is reborn and being refined. God is pruning him to become fruitful. The change may not be overnight, but it has surely begun.

There are three stages of salvation: Justification, sanctification, and Glorification. Justification is when you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and receive baptism as your public declaration of your repentance. Repentance (μετανοέω) in Greek means “changing of mind.”

Unfortunately, many Christians stop there. They had a change of mind (repentance) and received the baptism but didn’t progress to the next stage of sanctification. It’s like a baby that never matures after birth. It’s like a tree that never becomes fruitful. They stop at justification but miss sanctification. That’s why John the Baptist said,

“Bear fruit worthy of repentance.” (Mt 3:8).

Sanctification is the process of becoming fruitful. The word “sanctification” came from the Latin “sanctus,” meaning being set apart, becoming holy, or becoming a saint.

However, sanctification is not an attainment but a surrender. You don’t ascend to holiness but descend to holiness. You do not strive for sanctification but allow the Holy Spirit to sanctify you from the inside out. You just need to “let go and let God prune you to bear more fruit. That’s a profound process of baptism of the Holy Spirit.

There are two baptisms: by water and by the Holy Spirit. Maybe that’s why Jesus never baptized people with water because his specific job is to baptize people in the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist says,

“I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (Mk 1:8).

The baptism in the Holy Spirit is sanctification, making you become a saint.

The thief in the story is being sanctified. That’s why he begins to feel stealing disgusting. He no longer belongs to that old sinful behavior. That’s a sign of immersion in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is demanding holiness from him from the inside out.

The outcome is a fruitful life filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. It’s a dream life we all long for from deep inside.

So, today, we will explore the baptism of the Holy Spirit based on this week’s scripture lesson. Let’s begin!