The new status that human beings receive through the redemptive work of Christ places them no longer as rebels but as children. According to Hebrews 12, they are children, yet illegitimate children (Gk. nothos). It is precisely this status that opens the way for God the Father to discipline those who confess and receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Owner of their lives. The purpose of this divine discipline is clear, namely that they may share in God’s holiness (Heb. 12:5–10).
In sanctification, there are two inseparable aspects—first, sanctification as a change of status, from rebel to child. Second, sanctification is the granting of the potential or possibility for human beings to be truly like the Father. It is this second aspect that requires an active human response. Without that response, a person will remain at the stage of nothos, never growing into huios (Gk.), that is, a legitimate and mature son. The change from nothos to huios is not automatic but requires obedience and personal struggle on the part of each individual.
Sanctification does not stop at a mere change of status, but must continue as a real process in which every step of the sanctified person’s life truly radiates holiness. The Word of God states this clearly. In 1 Thessalonians 4:7, it is written, “For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.” In line with this, 1 Peter 1:16 affirms, “Be holy, because I am holy.” These commands are not addressed to those outside the faith, but to believers. Thus, believers are called to live in active holiness.
Active holiness is the human response to the grace of Christ, manifested through the willingness to let go of sinful character, so that one is not only forgiven from the past but also empowered not to keep falling into the same sins. Active holiness is not merely dealing with past failures, but striving so that the possibility of sinning again is increasingly narrowed. This is what is meant by responsible grace. Those who receive God’s forgiveness no longer live carelessly but surrender themselves to be shaped by God.
The transformation God works is not a superficial improvement but the restoration of the image of God damaged by sin. This process directs human beings back to God’s original design. When a person experiences active sanctification, their life becomes different. Holiness makes them set apart—not in a socially exclusive sense, but different morally and spiritually. This difference shows that those who are sanctified have a life direction that differs from that of those who do not receive salvation in Christ. Its ultimate projection is perfection, like the Father in heaven.
Therefore, forgiveness without the process of sanctification fatally reduces the work of God, treating Him as merely a “cleanser of sin” and ignoring His role as the Father who disciplines His children. Such a view is hazardous. A thief who is only forgiven without being trained to stop stealing will not change; he will, in fact, become even more rampant in his crimes. Likewise, a believer who relies only on forgiveness without a willingness to change will remain living in the same patterns of sin.
If New Testament believers receive only forgiveness without being disciplined to become perfect and restored to God’s original design, then there is no fundamental difference from Old Testament piety. Yet the Gospel calls people not only to be forgiven, but to be fully restored and to regain the glory of God that has been lost. The change of status from rebel to child must continue until a person truly lives in holiness, as the Father does.
That is why the apostle Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 1:17 that if we call on God as Father, we must live in reverent fear during our time on earth. Living as God’s children demands an attitude of reverence, submission, and obedience to the Father’s will. The model of the Son who thoroughly pleased the Father is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Therefore, the goal of salvation is that believers conform to Christ (Rom. 8:28–29).
If someone refuses the process of becoming like Christ, they are, in reality, rejecting the very purpose of forgiveness itself. Forgiveness is given not to allow people to remain as they were, but to enable them to enter a process of transformation that prepares them to be glorified together with Christ. Active holiness, therefore, is not an optional addition in the Christian life, but the very essence of salvation itself.