Athanasius stated in the fourth century that Christ ?assumed humanity that we might become God,?[3] i.e. ?God became Man that Man might become God.?
The essence of this is not that man becomes divine, but that man in Christ is enabled to partake of the divine nature. The doctrine of theosis needs to be understood in the view of salvation expressed in the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Eastern Orthodox view of salvation is about God's image being restored in man.
In the Eastern Orthodox understanding of salvation one of the main themes is ?release from the corruption and mortality caused by the evil desires of the world.?[4]
The term ?sanctity? is employed in somewhat different senses in relation to God, to individual men, and to a corporate body. As applied to God it denotes the absolutemoral perfection which is His by nature. In regard to men it signifies a close union with God, together with the moral perfection resulting from this union. Hence holiness is said to belong to God by essence, and to creatures only by participation. Whatever sanctity they possess comes to them as a Divine gift. As used of a society, the term means
that this society aims at producing holiness in its members, and is possessed of means capable of securing that result, and
that the lives of its members correspond, at least in some measure, with the purpose of the society, and display a real, not a merely nominal holiness.
It is further manifested that the Church's holiness must be of an entirely supernatural character ?? something altogether beyond the power of unassisted human nature.
Another characteristic of holiness according to the Christian ideal is love of suffering; not as though pleasure were evil in itself, but because suffering is the great means by which our love of God is intensified and purified. All those who have attained a high degree of holiness have learnt to rejoice in suffering, because by it their love to God was freed from every element of self-seeking, and their lives conformed to that of their Master.
?Thus, until the last day, the Holy Ghost abides with the holy congregation or Christendom, by means of which He fetches us to Christ and which He employs to teach and preach to us the Word, whereby He works and promotes sanctification, causing it [this community] daily to grow and become strong in the faith and its fruits which He produces. We further believe that in this Christian Church we have forgiveness of sin, which is wrought through the holySacraments and Absolution, moreover, through all manner of consolatorypromises of the entire Gospel [...] For although the grace of God is secured through Christ, and sanctification is wrought by the Holy Ghost through the Word of God in the unity of the Christian Church, yet on account of our flesh which we bear about with us we are never without sin [...] But outside of this Christian Church, where the Gospel is not, there is no forgiveness, as also there can be no holiness [sanctification]. Therefore all who seek and wish to merit holiness [sanctification], not through the Gospel and forgiveness of sin, but by their works, have expelled and severed themselves [from this Church] [...] Meanwhile, however, while sanctification has begun and is growing daily, we expect that our flesh will be destroyed and buried with all its uncleanness, and will come forth gloriously, and arise to entire and perfect holiness in a new eternal life. For now we are only half pure and holy, so that the Holy Ghost has ever [some reason why] to continue His work in us through the Word, and daily to dispense forgiveness, until we attain to that life where there will be no more forgiveness, but only perfectly pure and holy people, full of godliness and righteousness, removed and free from sin, death, and all evil, in a new, immortal, and glorified body. Behold, all this is to be the office and work of the Holy Ghost, that He begin and daily increase holiness upon earth by means of these two things, the Christian Church and the forgiveness of sin. But in our dissolution He will accomplish it altogether in an instant, and will forever preserve us therein by the last two parts.?[5]
Luther also viewed the Ten Commandments as means by which the Holy Spirit sanctifies.
?Thus we have the Ten Commandments, a commend of divine doctrine, as to what we are to do in order that our whole life may be pleasing to God, and the true fountain and channel from and in which everything must arise and flow that is to be a good work, so that outside of the Ten Commandments no work or thing can be good or pleasing to God, however great or precious it be in the eyes of the world [...] whoever does attain to them is a heavenly, angelic man, far above all holiness of the world. Only occupy yourself with them, and try your best, apply all power and ability, and you will find so much to do that you will neither seek nor esteem any other work or holiness.?[6]
The understanding that holiness is relational is growing in the contemporary Holiness movement. In relational holiness, the core notion is love. Other notions of holiness, such as purity, being set apart, perfection, keeping rules, and total commitment, are seen as contributory notions of holiness. These contributory notions find their ultimate legitimacy when love is at their core (Thomas Jay Oord and Michael Lodahl). It is only as a believer is enabled and empowered to respond to the love of God that they begin to live a holy life. Their goal is to make God their one great desire, to yield their all to God and let Christ be enthroned in their life.
Greathouse, Willam M. Wholeness in Christ. Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 1998
Grider, J. Kenneth. Entire Sanctification. Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 1980
Verbrugge, Verlyn D. New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000
Biblical references
Leviticus 11:44 - "...you shall be holy; for I am holy..." (NKJV)
Psalm 119:32 - "I will run the course of Your commandments, For You shall enlarge my heart." (NKJV)
Psalm 130:4 - "But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared." (NKJV)
Matthew 5:48 - "You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (ESV)
John 15:5 - "...He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." (NKJV)
John 3:30 - "He must become greater; I must become less." (NIV)
Romans 6:22 - "But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification." (NRSV)
Acts 15:9 - "...purifying their hearts by faith." (NKJV)
1 Corinthians 1:30 - 1 Corinthians 1:30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, (NASB)
1 Corinthians 6:11 - "...But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God." (NRSV)
2 Corinthians 3:18 - "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." (NKJV)
2 Corinthians 7:1 - "...beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." (NKJV)
1 Thessalonians 4:3 - "For this is the will of God, your sanctification..." (NRSV)
1 Thessalonians 4:7 - "For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness." (NRSV)
1 Thessalonians 5:23 - "May the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (RSV)
Hebrews 6:1 - "Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection..." (KJV)
Hebrews 12:14 - "Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord." (NRSV)
James 1:4 - "And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (ESV)
1 Peter 1:15-16 - "...but, as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; for it is written, 'Be holy, because I am holy'..." (HCSB)
1 John 4:18 - "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love." (ESV)
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