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"That through DEATH He might destroy him that had the power of DEATH, that
is the devil; and deliver those through fear of DEATH were held in bondage"
(Heb. ii. 14, 15).
Heb. ii. thus illuminated is seen to be closely allied to the teaching of Rom. vi. It is
death, brought in by sin, that corrupts and defiles. Sin needs justification; and death,
sanctification. So in Rom. vi.-viii. we read:--
"Death hath no more dominion over Him" (Rom. vi. 9).
"The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and
death" (Rom. viii. 2).
The different view-point of Romans is seen in chapter vi. of this epistle, where the
basis for sanctification is set forth as righteousness. Romans lays the foundation
preparatory to the second phase of the believer's full acceptance:--
"As ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and iniquity unto iniquity;
even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness . . . . . your fruit
unto holiness" (Rom. vi. 19 and 22).
While the whole work of grace--justification, sanctification and acceptance--was all
accomplished in the one offering of the Lord Jesus Christ, the experimental order and the
order of revelation is that suggested by Rom. vi. 19: "Righteousness unto holiness."
First justification, then sanctification. First the fact that Christ died for the ungodly; then
the fact that, when He died, His people died with Him.
The essential connection between sanctification and union with Christ we hope to
consider in another article; for the present we must continue the survey of
"sanctification" in Hebrews.
Heb. x. 10 carries forward the thought of the previous passage where the apostle
declares that "It is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins"
(Heb. ix. 13). When He cometh into the world, He saith: "A body hast Thou prepared
Me" (Heb. x. 5). He partook of flesh and blood in this great work of sanctification, and
the body which He took was prepared for sacrifice:--
"Through death" (Heb. ii. 14).
"Through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Heb. x. 10).
A glance at Heb. x. 14 will show that the theme of the epistle--"perfection"--is
dependent upon sanctification:--
"For by one offering He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified."
The only remaining reference to sanctification in Hebrews is that of x. 29, shewing
that the blood of the covenant sanctifying His people is that wherewith He Himself was
sanctified:--
"He that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one" (Heb. ii. 11).