"For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;"

                            -1 Thessalonians 4:3-4

"But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:"

                            -2 Thessalonians 2:13

"And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."

                            -1 Corinthians 6:11

Sanctification, according to the dictionary, is "The act of making a thing pure and holy." This is something we cannot possibly do on our own, for Jesus said ”...without me ye can do nothing." (John 15:5) Thus, in order to be sanctified, we must earnestly pray for it, remembering the promise of the Lord in Matthew 7:7: "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:" We may not receive sanctification right away, but we must continue to pray for it until we receive.


Something else we must remember is that sanctification is not a one time thing. Yes, there may be a given moment in which we are sanctified, but it is something we must continue to work at throughout our entire life.

"I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die [i.e. to our sinful desires] daily."

                            -1 Corinthians 15:31

Sanctification is necessary because God desires us to be a peculiar people, set apart unto Him.

"Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."

                            -Titus 2:14

The Lord cannot use an unholy person in His service, because sin separates us from Him (Isaiah 59:2). That is why we must be sanctified: so that we will have no sin in our life separating us from God, and therefore we can be more pleasing and useful unto Him.