This post is part of the series The Names of God.

Leviticus 20:7–8 (ESV) — 7 Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the LORD your God. 8 Keep my statutes and do them; I am the LORD who sanctifies you.

God is the LORD who sanctifies. God set apart the Israelites as a holy people. It was through his choosing and grace, not because they somehow had earned such a privilege. Because they had been sanctified by God, the Israelites were to consecrate themselves. They were to live as God’s people, which meant they were to live according to his word.

As Christians, we know that our salvation is fully by God’s grace. It is not in our power or ability to save ourselves. It is God who sanctifies us. He does this through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross on behalf of sinners. Christ’s sacrifice paid for our sins and his sinless, perfect life is credited to us as righteousness. This is known as imputed righteousness. Our sanctification, or holiness, is not from our own efforts to be holy, but because God has done everything to make us holy by grace. God is our sanctification.

---

**If you enjoy reading Shaped by the Word, please consider sharing this post on social media. Doing so helps us reach a larger audience. Thanks for reading!