Justification & Sanctification

SweetJade · Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 8:49 pm Post subject: Justification & Sanctification

Guys I found this article is very helpful explaining the distinguist between Justification & Sanctification... hope this article may help you gain more understanding and grow spiritually. --P' Jade

Justification and Sanctification: What is the Difference?

Understanding the difference between justification and sanctification can be as important as understanding the difference between salvation and damnation. Rightly dividing between the two is of crucial importance. When you understand what they are, you can then draw a line in the sand and say, "This is what saves. This is not what saves."

Justification is the work of God where the righteousness of Jesus is reckoned to the sinner so the sinner is declared by God as being righteous under the Law (Rom. 4:3; 5:1,9; Gal. 2:16; 3:11). This righteousness is not earned or retained by any effort of the saved. Justification is an instantaneous occurrence with the result being eternal life. It is based completely and solely upon Jesus' sacrifice on the cross (1 Pet. 2:24) and is received by faith alone (Eph. 2:8-9). No works are necessary whatsoever to obtain justification. Otherwise, it is not a gift (Rom. 6:23). Therefore, we are justified by faith (Romans 5:1).

Sanctification, on the other hand, involves the work of the person. But it is still God working in the believer to produce more of a godly character and life in the person who has already been justified (Phil. 2:13). Sanctification is not instantaneous because it is not the work of God alone. The justified person is actively involved in submitting to God's will, resisting sin, seeking holiness, and working to be more godly (Gal. 5:22-23). Significantly, sanctification has no bearing on justification. That is, even if we don't live a perfect life, we are still justified.

Where justification is a legal declaration that is instantaneous, sanctification is a process. Where justification comes from outside of us, from God, sanctification comes from God within us by the work of the Holy Spirit in accordance with the Bible. In other words, we contribute to sanctification through our efforts. In contrast, we do not contribute to our justification through our efforts.

by CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS AND RESEARCH MINISTRY
www.carm.org
Copyright Matthew J. Slick, 1995 - 2008
_________________
SweetJade
...Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edified.
If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know;
but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him. 1 Cor.8:1b-3 ~NASV~

SweetJade · Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 8:51 pm Post subject:

Part II:

Does this mean that those justified by grace can sin as much as they want?

Romans 6:1-2 says, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer in it?"

1 Thess. 4:7 says, "God has called us not for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification."

The Scriptures teach us that we are to live holy lives and avoid sin (Col. 1:5-11). Just because we are saved and eternally justified before God (John 10:2eight), that is no excuse to continue in the sin from which we were saved. Of course, we all sin (1 John 1:eight).

But the war between the saved and his sin is continuous (Rom. 7:14-20) and it won't be until the return of Jesus that we will be delivered from this body of death (Rom. 7:24). To continually seek sin and use God's grace to excuse it later is to trample the blood of Christ underfoot (Heb. 10:29) and to reveal the person's true sinful, unsaved nature (1 John 2:4; 2:19). (Other verses worth checking out are: Heb. 12:14; 1 Pet. 1:14-16; and 1 Pet. 2:21-22.)

CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS AND RESEARCH MINISTRY
www.carm.org
Copyright Matthew J. Slick, 1995 - 2008
_________________
SweetJade
...Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edified.
If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know;
but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him. 1 Cor.8:1b-3 ~NASV~

Petch · Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 8:06 am Post subject:

This is good stuff, P'Jade! As a christian, we have to understand the core of our faith.

I offen hear the second question asked all the time -- Does this mean that those justified by grace can sin as much as they want?

SweetJade · Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 8:30 am Post subject:

yeap... and I hope that the answer above is clear enough to clarify our doubt in Christianity conduct, which we call, the Gray areas of life!!

That means, we deeply need to understand the word 'Sanctification' in Christ, which is directly effect our daily living to glorify God. we have to learn the way of seeking God's holiness, resisting sins that satan tries so hard to distract our mind to drift away from God, and most of all, we need to learn to submit our heart in God's will... let's learn to edify our lives with the righteousness of Christ that the Holy Spirit will build up from inside--rooted in our heart, our soul, and our mind. so that we'll know the heart of Christ, and the mind of the Holy Spirit who is indwelling in us.

Live well to give God glory na jah!! Laughing

_________________
SweetJade
...Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edified.
If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know;
but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him. 1 Cor.8:1b-3 ~NASV~

Petch · Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 10:32 pm Post subject:

Live well to give God glory