The word “sanctification” has become another heavy burden for many believers—much like “repentance”—because it’s been hijacked by legalistic definitions that do nothing but weigh down the conscience. The moment sanctification is mentioned, most are conditioned to brace themselves for a list of requirements and expectations that they must somehow fulfill. But this is not the gospel, nor is it the doctrine of Christ or His apostles.
The Legalistic Trap of Progressive Sanctification
The teaching of “progressive sanctification” is not a minor error; it is a man-made, legalistic doctrine that undermines the very foundation of our justification and inheritance in Christ. It tells you that after being saved, you are now responsible for climbing the mountain of holiness by your own effort, with the Holy Spirit relegated to a mere helper. This doctrine claims you are in covenant with Jesus, and that your ongoing acceptance before God depends on your ability to obey, purify, and sanctify yourself. This is not good news. It is a system that puts 99% of the burden on you and only 1% on the Spirit, leaving you frustrated, discouraged, and ultimately tempted to walk away from God altogether.
Let me be clear: You are not a party to the covenant that saves you. The Everlasting Covenant was made by God the Father with Jesus Christ alone. You are not a co-signer. You are a beneficiary—an heir—by faith in Christ. Because you did not initiate the covenant, you cannot break it. Your security, sanctification, and inheritance are guaranteed, not by your performance, but by Christ’s finished work.
There is no such thing in the Scriptures as “progressive sanctification.” This doctrine is a legal invention designed to keep you under law and in perpetual bondage to self-effort.
The Finished Work: Your Sanctification Is Complete
The truth is that your old man was crucified and buried with Christ, and your new man is risen with Him. This is not a process; it is a positional, definitive reality. You are already pure, holy, sanctified, and righteous in Christ. Any sin that appears in your life is the residue of the old man—the flesh—which refuses to acknowledge its own death. But Christ is now your life. Anything good that comes forth is produced by Him, not by your striving.
When you are told to “fight sin,” “overcome the flesh,” or “make yourself more sanctified,” you are being told to wage war in your own strength. But flesh cannot subdue flesh. The only outcome of flesh fighting flesh is more flesh—failure, frustration, and defeat. Only the Spirit can subdue the flesh, and only Christ can produce fruit in you.
“Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?”
— Galatians 3:3
Walking in the Spirit: Reckoning with Reality
How, then, do you walk in the Spirit? Not by striving, but by reckoning—by continually considering your old man crucified and your new man alive in Christ. You agree with God’s verdict about you. You count Christ as your source of life. You yield your members to God, not as an act of willpower, but as an act of faith in your new identity.
Paul writes:
“Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.”
— Romans 6:13
You are like a musical instrument. The instrument does not play itself; it is passive. It is either yielded to sin or to God. Presenting yourself to God is not about trying not to sin—it is about agreeing with God that you are a new creation in Christ and delighting in that truth. Then, God plays His music through you, subduing the flesh so that sin does not reign.
The True Nature of Growth
You cannot fight sin; only the Holy Spirit can. You cannot produce spiritual fruit; only the Holy Spirit can. There is nothing you can do to make yourself more holy or more sanctified. The pursuit of “progressive sanctification” is nothing but an attempt to perfect the flesh by the flesh—a project doomed from the start.
Your spirit is reborn of God—holy and sanctified. Your flesh is crucified and buried. The only part of you that can be transformed is your soul: your mind, will, and emotions. The battle is for your mind. The flesh tries to convince your soul that it is still in charge; the Spirit testifies that you are a new creature, alive in Christ. Transformation happens as your mind comes into agreement with the Spirit—renewing your mind, being conformed to Christ’s image, and walking in the Spirit. This is not a progressive increase in sanctification, but a progressive agreement with what is already true.
When Paul admonished believers for sin, he did not tell them to become more sanctified. He reminded them of their identity:
“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
He does not say, “You are becoming sanctified.” He says, “You ARE sanctified.” The call is not to strive for what you lack, but to walk in what you already possess.
What Is Lost If You Accept the Error
If you accept the doctrine of progressive sanctification, you forfeit the assurance of your inheritance, the rest of sonship, and the joy of a cleansed conscience. You place yourself back under law, making your standing before God contingent on your performance. You will be left in perpetual frustration, always striving but never arriving, always seeking but never finding rest. Worse, you undermine the very basis of justification by faith—making Christ’s finished work insufficient and your own effort necessary. This is not a secondary issue; it is salvific.
The Only Progression: Renewed Mind, Not Increased Sanctification
The only “progression” in the Christian life is the renewing of your mind—growing in your understanding and agreement with the identification truths of who you are in Christ. As you do, you will see the flesh subdued, sin lose its grip, and Christ’s life manifested in you. But this does not make you more sanctified; it simply brings your walk into harmony with your standing.
You will have seasons of doubt and struggle. The enemy will attack your mind. You may walk in the flesh at times, but this does not change your sanctification. The more you reckon on the truth, the more quickly you return to rest in Christ, and the less ground the flesh and the enemy will gain.
The Final Question
So, it comes down to this:
You are sanctified, holy, and righteous. Do you agree with God, or will you continue to strive for what He has already given you in Christ?
Reject the legalistic lie of progressive sanctification. Stand in the liberty of your completed, positional sanctification in Christ, and let the Spirit bear fruit as you rest in Him. This is the gospel. This is your inheritance.
