Scriptural Sanctification - Media Sabda Org

Dr. Steele closes this chapter with the following words:
"We have looked in vain to find one of these verbs in the imperfect tense when individuals are
spoken of. The verb hagiazo, to sanctify, is always aorist or perfect. See Acts xx 32; xxvi. 18;
Romans xv. 16; I Corinthians i. 2; 2 Timothy ii. 21; Hebrews x. 10, 29; Jude 1. The same may be
said of the verbs katharizo and hagiazo, to purify. Our inference is that the energy of the Holy Spirit
in the work of entire sanctification, however long the preparation, is put forth at a stroke by a
momentary act. This is corroborated by the universal testimony of those who have experienced this
grace.
This seems to be a very important point, which bears directly on the instantaneousness of the work
of sanctification. For the theory we are combating assumes that there are "no notes of time" -- no
intimations of the momentary completion of the work of sanctification -- in the passages usually
quoted to prove a second and instantaneous work of cleansing and empowering. It assumes that these
passages, especially in the Epistles, contain nothing that shows an instantaneous work in
sanctification, as distinguished from regeneration, or from a gradual growth in grace, as a continuous
process up to entire sanctification. If the words translated "sanctify" and purify, when applied to
individuals, are never in the imperfect tense, thus indicating an unfinished or continued process, but
are always in the aorist or perfect tense, thus indicating a momentary or finished work, this
sanctification or purification must be instantaneous.
The general development, maturing or perfecting of the life and character, made pure and
comparatively strong by this act of the Spirit, is quite another thing. We do not speak of the gradual
baptism of a believer, or the gradual healing of a paralytic, but always think of these acts as
instantaneous and finished ones, while the better life which follows these acts may be continually
growing, expanding, and improving. As illustrating this difference let us examine a few passages of
Scripture. Though not in the Epistles, let us take John xvii. 17 "Sanctify them through thy truth." On
this passage Dr. Steele says:
"Sanctify (aorist, imperative) them once for all through thy truth, that is, through faith in the
distinctive office and work of the Comforter ... Says Winer: 'In the New Testament the obvious
distinction between the imperative aorist -- as sanctify, above -- and the imperative present is
uniformly maintained. The imperative aorist denotes an action that is either rapidly completed and
transient, or viewed as occurring but once.'"
Now, here, as we have seen, the term sanctify used by our Lord in this prayer is in the imperative
aorist, and must refer to "either a rapidly completed and transient" action or one that "occurs but
once," like a baptism. Then the sanctification for which he prayed must have been instantaneous.
And that it implied something more than "separation and consecration" -- man's work -- is evidenced
by the fact that God was asked to do this work for him. The holy lives which the apostles
subsequently lived resulted from this instantaneous work of cleansing and empowering.
Now let us consider one or two things which Paul says to the church at Corinth, which he
organized, and to which he wrote two long Epistles. We approach two passages about which a great
deal has been written on both sides of this question -- I Cor. iii. 1-4 and 2 Cor. vii. 1. In the first of