Sanctification is based on redemption. Exodus 13:2 says, “Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine.” The Lord required only the firstborn to be sanctified because they were the redeemed ones. This indicates that whatever or whoever is redeemed must also be sanctified. This principle applies to us as believers in Christ. Because we have been redeemed, we must also be sanctified. Otherwise, we shall remain in Egypt, in the world. If we desire to experience a genuine exodus from Egypt, we must be both redeemed and sanctified. No one can come out of Egypt without being sanctified unto the Lord. According to the divine requirement, all those who are redeemed must also be sanctified.
Redemption is for our security, whereas sanctification is for God’s purpose. If we are shortsighted, we may see only redemption, which is for our benefit. But if we have the proper discernment, we shall see that redemption must be followed by sanctification (Rom. 6:22), which is for the fulfillment of God’s purpose.
Because the firstborn had been redeemed by the Passover lamb, all the firstborn both of man and of beast had to be sanctified to the Lord. For the sanctification of the firstborn, the oxen and the sheep did not need another kind of animal to be substituted for them. They were clean animals, acceptable to the Lord as a sacrifice. However, verse 13 says, “And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb.” Because donkeys are unclean in the eyes of God, they cannot be accepted by Him and they cannot satisfy Him. Therefore, the firstborn of a donkey had to be redeemed by a lamb.
At this point, we need to raise a rather puzzling question. Since the firstborn of a donkey had already been redeemed by the Passover lamb, why did it need to be redeemed again in sanctification? The answer is that even though a donkey had been redeemed, it was still an unclean animal. In order to be sanctified, to be offered on the altar to the Lord for His satisfaction, the donkey still had to be redeemed with a lamb. It was not qualified to be sacrificed to the Lord for His satisfaction.
We may apply this principle to our spiritual experience. As far as sanctification is concerned, we are not sheep or oxen; we are donkeys. Even though we have been redeemed, our natural man is still unclean in the eyes of God. Hence, in order to be sanctified to the Lord, we need Christ to be our substitute. In verse 13 we are told that not only the firstling of the ass, but all the firstborn of man among the children of Israel had to be redeemed. This indicates that they had to be redeemed in sanctification. They needed redemption not only at the time of the Passover, but also for their sanctification. This means that a substitute was necessary both for redemption and for sanctification.
The Passover lamb typifies Christ as our Redeemer. Through Him as our substitute, we have been redeemed. However, because we are still unclean and natural, we cannot be a living sacrifice for God’s satisfaction; we need Christ to be our substitute in sanctification. This picture indicates that both for our salvation and for our sanctification we need Christ to be our substitute.
In Galatians 2:20 Paul said, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” We need Christ not only for our redemption, but also for our living as a sacrifice to God. Although we have been redeemed, our nature has not yet been changed. As far as our nature is concerned, we all are “donkeys,” unclean in the eyes of God and therefore not acceptable to Him for His satisfaction. For this reason, we need Christ for our sanctification. Only by having Christ as our substitute can we be a living sacrifice to God that is acceptable and satisfying to Him.
Most Christians realize only that they need Christ as their substitute for redemption. Not many realize that in order to be a living sacrifice to satisfy God, they also need Christ as their substitute in sanctification. According to 13:13, if a donkey was not redeemed, its neck was to be broken. This means that any firstling of a donkey that was not redeemed had to be put to death. Because many Christians do not take Christ as their substitute for sanctification, it is as if their “necks” have been broken; that is, spiritually speaking, they are dead. They do not practice taking Christ as their substitute for their living unto God. Instead, they offer themselves on the altar as if they could be a sacrifice acceptable to God. This is a serious mistake. God will never accept the natural man as a sacrifice. On the contrary, the “neck” of the natural man must be broken.
We all need to be impressed with the fact that for redemption we need Christ as our security and that for sanctification we need Christ as our substitute in order to be acceptable to God and pleasing to Him. In ourselves, we are not qualified to be acceptable to God or pleasing to Him. In ourselves, we are not qualified to be redeemed and saved. In like manner, in ourselves we are not qualified to be sanctified to God for His satisfaction. Therefore, just as Christ was our substitute for redemption, He must also become our substitute for sanctification. Then in our living we shall be a sacrifice acceptable to God and pleasing to Him.
As we consider the picture in the book of Exodus, we see that for our security, safety, and salvation, we need Christ as our substitute so that we may be redeemed. We also see that in order to make our exodus from Egypt, to serve God, and to be a living sacrifice pleasing to God, we need Christ to be our substitute. To take Christ as our substitute for sanctification is a part of our redemption.
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