Yet
for this reason I found mercy, The Difference between Justification and Sanctification
1
Timothy 1:15-16
New
American Standard Bible (NASB)
15
It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. 16 Yet
for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ
might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those [a]who would
believe in Him for eternal life.
The
Justification and Sanctification of believers through the finished work of
Christ, in my previous post we briefly examined the important doctrine of
Justification, which in many ways is part of the bigger picture of Salvation
and the Christian life and walk, today we will examine briefly the important doctrine
of Sanctification which follows on from Justification.
1) Now let us look at the differences between
Justification and Sanctification
Justification
Sanctification
Legal
Standing
Internal
Condition
Once
for all time
Continuous
throughout life
Entirely
God’s work
We
co-operate with God
Perfect
in this life
Not
perfect in this life
The
same in all Christians
Greater
in some than in others
Sanctification
differs from justification in several ways. Justification is a one-time work of
God, resulting in a declaration of “not guilty” before Him because of the work
of Christ on the cross. Sanctification is a process, beginning with
justification and continuing throughout life. Justification is the starting
point of the line that represents one’s Christian life; sanctification is the
line itself
2) Sanctification is a progressive work of God
and man that makes us more and more free from sin and like Christ in our actual
lives
Sanctification is the process of renewal and
consecration by which believers are made holy through the work of the Holy
Spirit. Sanctification is the consequence of justification and is dependent
upon a person being in a right relationship with God.
Sanctification
is applied justification. By its very nature justification does not have a
progressive character. It is God's declaration of righteousness. The focus of
justification is the removal of the guilt of sin. The focus of sanctification
is the healing of the dysfunctionality of sin. Since all spiritual blessings,
justification and sanctification included, are the Christian's the moment he or
she is "in Christ" sanctification is total and final in one sense
Yet, unlike justification, sanctification also continues until it will be
consummated when Jesus Christ returns. For then we will be like him, perfect
and complete. Sanctification, therefore, has an initial, progressive, and final
phase. A believer's present preoccupation is with progressive sanctification,
by which the child of God lives out the implications of initial sanctification
with an eye to the goal of final sanctification. The sanctified life is
victorious, though it is lived out in the context of temptation and suffering.
God promises the "overcomers" in Revelation 2 and 3 to restore all
that was lost in the fall, in sanctification; the believer is simply applying
the implications of his or her justification.
3) A believer grows in sanctification by living
according to his or her new identity
Sanctification, defined broadly as the work of
God’s grace in man’s perfection in righteousness, begins when he becomes a
believer and hence is “in Christ.” It continues progressively until death
brings him into Christ’s presence unless he “does despite to the Spirit of
grace.” It is only as one by dedication and faith realizes in actuality what is
provided in the atonement that this grace is experienced; it does not follow as
a matter of course, as the exhortations in the NT imply. Parallel to the work
of sanctification is the infilling of the Holy Spirit in the believer, perfection
in love, having the “mind of Christ,” and “walking as he walked.”
There
are many things that I can say about Sanctification but more importantly that I
what I can stay about Sanctification is what the Bible says about
Sanctification.
Now
let us look at some scriptures in regards to Sanctification
1) Romans 6:15-19 15 What then? Shall we sin
because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! 16 Do you not
know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you
are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin [j]resulting in death, or of
obedience [k]resulting in righteousness? 17 But thanks are to God that
[l]though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that
form of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and having been freed from
sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms
because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members
as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, [m]resulting in further lawlessness,
so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, [n]resulting in
sanctification.
2) 1 Corinthians 1:30 30 But [u]by His doing
you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, [v]and righteousness
and sanctification, and redemption.
3) I Thessalonians 5:23-24 23 now may the God
of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body
be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24
Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.
4) I Thessalonians 4:1-8 4 finally then,
brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received
from us instruction as to how you ought to [a]walk and please God (just as you
actually do [b]walk), that you excel still more. 2 For you know what
commandments we gave you [c]by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is
the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from [d]sexual
immorality; 4 that each of you know how to [e]possess his own [f]vessel in
sanctification and honour, 5 not in [g]lustful passion, like the Gentiles who
do not know God; 6 and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the
matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also
told you before and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for the
purpose of impurity, but [h]in sanctification. 8 So, he who rejects this is not
rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you
5) 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 13 But we should
always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God
has chosen you [o]from the beginning for salvation [p]through sanctification
[q]by the Spirit and faith in the truth. 14 It was for this He called you
through our gospel, [r]that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15
So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught,
whether by word of mouth or by letter [s]from us.16 Now may our Lord Jesus
Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal
comfort and good hope by grace, 17 comfort and strengthen your hearts in every
good work and word.
