What are the agents by which we receive sanctification?

• A. The Word and Spirit
• B. The Law and Grace
• C. Flesh and Spirit
• D. Gospel and Faith

Answer: (A)

Sanctification is God’s ongoing work of making us holy, and the main means He uses to accomplish that are His Word and His Spirit. The Word of God provides truth, summons us to live in a righteous way, exposes what needs to change, and teaches us how to walk before Him. The Spirit of God applies that truth to our hearts, producing new desires, empowering obedience, and shaping our character to align with Christ. Together, the Word and the Spirit partner in the sanctifying process, bringing about growth in holiness.

The other pairings don’t fit as the agents of sanctification. The Law and Grace highlight how God relates to us in salvation rather than the ongoing means of becoming holy; the Law often exposes sin, while grace saves by changing us from the inside out, but sanctification is best understood through the Word and Spirit working together. Flesh and Spirit describe the internal struggle rather than the instruments God uses to sanctify. Gospel and Faith point to how one enters salvation, with faith responding to the Gospel; sanctification, however, flows from the Spirit applying the Word, not from the Gospel and faith alone as the immediate agents.