Does 'sanctified by the blood of the covenant' in Hebrews 10:29 prove the man was saved?
A viewer describes a debate on eternal security in which a Catholic cited Hebrews 10:26-29, arguing the man was a believer because verse 29 says he was sanctified by the blood of the covenant, while the Protestant claimed being sanctified does not mean he was actually justified or saved; the viewer asks how to respond.
Answer
No, that is a constant mistake made by Protestants. In 1 Corinthians 6:11 it says, in this order, you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified. 'Washed' refers to baptism, so it could have said you were baptized, you were sanctified, you were justified. Sanctified means you are made holy, set apart, taken away from everything evil and put in a new place, which is what happens when you become a Christian. And justified means all the sins you were carrying, original, mortal, and venial, are washed away so you can stand justly before God. So Scripture uses sanctification and justification as synonymous terms here, even though they have a distinction: sanctified means to be made holy, and justified means your sins are forgiven so you can stand in God's sight. The two are joined, because if all your sins are taken away, then you are holy. You receive justification once, though you may receive it again if you commit mortal sin, whereas sanctification is a continual application of God's actual grace so that you keep acting holy. So do not let a Protestant tell you that being sanctified by the blood of the covenant does not mean the man was really saved; 1 Corinthians 6:11 shows the two terms are synonymous.