Pyhittämisessä

Pyhittämisessä, often translated as sanctification, is a theological concept primarily found within Christianity, referring to the process of becoming holy or being set apart for God. This concept is multifaceted and understood differently across various denominations.

In many Protestant traditions, particularly within evangelicalism, pyhittämisessä is viewed as a progressive, lifelong journey. It begins at conversion when an individual is declared righteous by God through faith in Jesus Christ (justification). Following this, sanctification is the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in the believer's life, gradually transforming them to become more like Christ in thought, word, and deed. This process involves actively pursuing holiness through prayer, scripture study, obedience, and community.

Some traditions, like Methodism, emphasize a second work of grace or entire sanctification, where a believer can reach a state of perfect love, freed from the dominion of sin, though still prone to temptation and error. This is often seen as a more instantaneous experience than the gradual process described in other views.

In Catholicism and Orthodoxy, sanctification is also a lifelong process, but it is strongly linked to the sacraments and the ongoing participation in the life of the Church. The sacraments are seen as channels of God's grace that aid believers in their journey towards holiness. The concept also involves both passive aspects, where God's grace works in the individual, and active aspects, where the individual cooperates with that grace through virtuous living and adherence to divine law. Ultimately, full sanctification is understood to be completed in heaven.