ould be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles,
ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles
might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost."--Rom. 15:16.
"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 Thess.
2:13.

These and many other texts of scripture teach us that sanctification is
a Bible doctrine. There is but one reason why some people can not see it
in the Bible--their eyes are blinded. All who are willing to yield
themselves to God and His word, will soon be taught this blessed truth.
Jesus prayed that His disciples might become sanctified. They had not
yet come into this experience. Jesus knew that they needed it. It was
His desire for their highest good. They were not able to go forth and
cope with the powers of sin. They had been under the teaching of the
Master and in His presence, and therefore were protected by Him from the
enemy; but now he was soon to be taken from them, and He knew that they
must be "endued with power from on high." Therefore He implored the
Father for the sanctification of the eleven; and not "for these alone,"
but "for them also which shall believe on me through their word." This
reaches down through the entire gospel dispensation. It is His blessed
will that we all shall be sanctified. As justified believers, we each
are as needy of this grace as were the eleven disciples. It is
indispensable for our spiritual welfare.

Some are disposed to look upon this matter as optional with them; but
such is a mistake. The time comes in the experience of every true
believer when the Holy Spirit brings before him the conditions of a
definite and absolute consecration. A refusal to meet these conditions,
done ignorantly, will bring a cloud over our experience of justification
and, eventually, if persisted in wilfully, will bring us into God's
utter disapproval. "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth
it not, to him it is sin."--Jas. 4:17.

Sanctification is the normal state of the Christian. The Father, Son and
Holy Spirit are jointly interested in us, that we attain unto this
grace. Our unity with the Godhead is incomplete without it, so also is
our unity with each other; "For both he that sanctifieth and they who
are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to