The Greek noun hagiasmos means sanctification, holiness, or the process of being set apart for God. It occurs 10 times in the New Testament and describes both the state of holiness and the process by which believers are progressively made holy through the Spirit.
Hagiasmos is Paul's shorthand for the transformed life. In 1 Thessalonians 4:3, he states bluntly: 'It is God's will that you should be sanctified (hagiasmos).' This is not optional or advanced Christianity — it is God's fundamental purpose for every believer. Romans 6:19–22 presents hagiasmos as the fruit of having been freed from sin: 'offer every part of yourself as a slave to righteousness leading to holiness (hagiasmos).' Hebrews 12:14 adds the relational dimension: 'without holiness no one will see the Lord.' Hagiasmos is thus the destination of the Christian life — union with the Holy God achieved through Spirit-wrought transformation.