Justification - Sanctification

In Romans 3:26, it says that, in that moment, in which you first repented of your sins and trusted in Jesus Christ, you were justified, or declared righteous, before God. When you put your faith in Jesus, God, the judge, hands down the verdict that you are righteous. He transfers the perfect, sinless record of Jesus to you.

The word justified refers to our status before God. This is amazing grace at its most amazing. In the moment that I first believed, my past sin didn't cease to exist. I hadn't done any good work that could somehow make up for my disobedience. Yet God completely and totally forgave me. He not only wiped the record of my sin away, he credited the righteousness of His Son to me.

"However, the power of the gospel doesn't end when we're justified. When God declares a sinner righteous, He immediately begins the process of making that sinner more like His Son. Through the work of His Spirit, through the power of His word and fellowship with other believers, God peels away our desires for sin, renews our minds, and changes our lives." This would be called "Sanctification."

Sanctification is a process of becoming more like Christ, of growing in holiness. This process begins the instant you are converted and will not end until you meet Jesus face-to-face. Sanctification is about our own choices and behavior.

We must not confuse the two. CJ gives a few examples of how the two differ:

• Justification is being declared righteous
• Sanctification is being made righteous, being conformed to the image of Christ

• Justification is our position before God.
  
• Sanctification is our practice. You don't practice justification. It happens once for all, upon conversion.

• Justification is objective, Christ's work for us.
• Sanctification is subjective, Christ's work within us.

• Justification is immediate and complete upon conversion. You will never be more justified than you are the first moment you trust in the Person and finished work of Christ.
• Sanctification is a process. You will be more sanctified as you continue in grace-motivated obedience.

I think William Plumer had a pretty good summary of the two. "Justification is an act. It is not a work, or a series of acts. It is not progressive. The weakest believer and the strongest saint are alike equally justified. Justification admits no degrees. A man is either wholly justified or wholly condemned in the sight of God."

Lord, I ask for your grace and strength as I seek to serve you today. I thank you that all your blessings flow to me from your son's work on my behalf. I am justified by your grace, and Your grace alone. None of my efforts to obey you and grow in sanctification add to your finished work at the cross.

Amen