Sanctified

We have been justified - legally declared righteous.
We have been reconciled - our relationship with God has been restored
And we have been sanctified - set apart and made clean
and we are to live sanctified - set apart and holy

"But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God,
you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification,
and the outcome, eternal life."
Romans 6:22

"For this is the will of God, your sanctification;
that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality;
that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor..."
1 thessalonians 4:3-4

Sanctifiication then is a finished act at the cross and a continuing act as we live holy before God.  Does this mean that we earn our salvation?  May it never be!  (No!).  What it does mean is that because we are clean, we are to keep being clean.  1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  So, God knows that we will still sin.  But if we confess that sin, then we are cleansed (sanctified). 

We have the Holy spirit within us, Jesus interceding for us, and God the Father forgiving us.  Once we kneel at the cross, the blood of Jesus sanctifies us and cleanses us so that the Holy Spirit can reside within us.  We just have to keep clean through right living and confession to be able to go before the Father in relationship.  We are His - His prince or princess.  Our sins do not take us from that relationship, but we don't want to appear before the King in rags, so we take a bath first!

So, does that mean we can go and sin as much as we want to as long as we confess it?  May it never be! (No!). Once we have been truly cleaned and know the feel and power of righteousness, we should want to stay in that state of cleanliness.  Once we have been declared holy, why would we want to revert to unholiness? 

We were sanctified at the cross.  We are to live a sanctified life.