How can I be sanctified?

[Van]

Per Edersheim, anothen always has the meaning 'above' when used by John:

3 Jesus answered and said to him, 'Verily, verily, I say to thee, If any one may not be born from above, he is not able to see the reign of God;' (YLT)
7 'Thou mayest not wonder that I said to thee, It behoveth you to be born from above; (YLT)
31 He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly , and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all. Jn 3

11 Jesus answered , Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.
23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout . Jn 19

Anothen always has the meaning 'above' when used by James:

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Ja 1

15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure , then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. Ja 3

Here you offer "Mr. Edershem" opinion, not shared by many translations. For example John 3:3 and 3:7 read "anew" in the ASV.
No one suggested "from above" was not one of the meanings of the word.
BTW, why did John not use "anothen" in John 8:23 if He always used that word for "from above?"

As far as the "celestial motif" per post #18, it is manufactured by the translation choices, not the other way around. Jesus came from God, not Jesus came from heaven or from above, verse 2, Then in verse 31, again the idea is Jesus came from God, whose abode is heaven. (The verse could be interpreted as came from God's abode.) The motif is not where our rebirth occurs, as the Spirit's location is unknown, but that we must be born anew, spiritually alive, no longer separated from God by unholiness.

"From above" misses the actual message, we were born spiritually dead and we must be born anew, made spiritually alive together with Christ.

 

[kyredneck]

"From above" misses the actual message

No. 'Born from above' nails it:

26 But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is our mother. Gal 4

As far as the "celestial motif" per post #18

anothen:

1. 
   1) from above, from a higher place
   1a) of things which come from heaven or God
   2) from the first, from the beginning, from the very first
   3) anew, over again

2 this one came unto him by night, and said to him, `Rabbi, we have known that from God thou hast come -- a teacher, for no one these signs is able to do that thou dost, if God may not be with him.`
3 Jesus answered and said to him, `Verily, verily, I say to thee, If any one may not be born from above, he is not able to see the reign of God;`
7 `Thou mayest not wonder that I said to thee, It behoveth you to be born from above;
8 the Spirit where he willeth doth blow, and his voice thou dost hear, but thou hast not known whence he cometh, and whither he goeth; thus is every one who hath been born of the Spirit.`
21 but he who is doing the truth doth come to the light, that his works may be manifested, that in God they are having been wrought.`
27 John answered and said, `A man is not able to receive anything, if it may not have been given him from the heaven
31 he who from above is coming is above all; he who is from the earth, from the earth he is, and from the earth he speaketh; he who from the heaven is coming is above all. Jn 3 YLT

 

[Van]

No. 'Born from above' nails it:
Snip

The third meaning (anew, over again) fits the context of John 3:3 and 7.

As far as the "celestial motif" per post #18, it is manufactured by the translation choices, not the other way around. Jesus came from God, not Jesus came from heaven or from above, verse 2, Then in verse 31, again the idea is Jesus came from God, whose abode is heaven. (The verse could be interpreted as came from God's abode.) The motif is not where our rebirth occurs, as the Spirit's location is unknown, but that we must be born anew, spiritually alive, no longer separated from God by unholiness.

"From above" misses the actual message, we were born spiritually dead and we must be born anew, made spiritually alive together with Christ.

 

[Van]

How can a person be sanctified? They must be born anew.
What is "positional sanctification?" God redeems or transfers an individual from being in Adam, in the realm of darkness, into the spiritual body of Christ, where they undergo the washing of regeneration (making them alive together with Christ) where they arise in Christ a new creation (born anew) created for good works. This is how we are sanctified positionally.