Justification 7 What Is The Connection Between Justification and Sanctification
Overview
The Connection Between Justification and Sanctification
Justification is complete, instantaneous, and entirely God's gift to us through Jesus Christ. The moment God brings us to faith, faith appropriates the victory won at the cross and the empty tomb, and we are declared righteous—cloaked in the righteous garment of Christ. This is not a process we work through or achieve; it is a judicial decree pronounced over us. If we mistakenly treat justification as a gradual process (as Luther rightly resisted in his day), we will never have certainty of salvation, because we can never know whether we have done "enough." The gospel frees us from that torment.
The moment God justifies us, He sets about another work: sanctification. To sanctify means to set apart—and God sets us apart for good works as the expression of the faith He has given. Hebrews 10:14 captures both realities beautifully: "by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified." Perfected (justification) is finished and complete in Christ; being sanctified is the lifelong process of being made more and more like Jesus. Just as treating justification as a process robs us of assurance, so does expecting sanctification to be perfected in this life—we will only despair when we look honestly at ourselves. Both errors steal our confidence; the right distinction guards it.
In justification God creates a new self in us, "created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness" Ephesians 4:22-24. This new self transforms our desires. We are to consider ourselves "dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus," no longer offering our members as instruments of wickedness but as instruments of righteousness, for "sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace" Romans 6:11-14. The law condemns; grace enables. Because God in Christ has forgiven us, we now imitate Him as beloved children and walk in love Ephesians 5:1-2, doing everything in word and deed in the name of the Lord Jesus Colossians 3:17. Grace is never a license for licentiousness; it is the very motivation to serve. Meaning is no longer something we squeeze out of activities and possessions—it is something we bring into every relationship and task because we belong to Christ.
Yet sanctification is a real and lifelong struggle. Before conversion our will was bound; after conversion our will is active and cooperates with God—but the flesh still wars against the Spirit. "What the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh" Galatians 5:17, and Paul confesses, "I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out" Romans 7:18. This is not occasional but ongoing. Take heart: your assurance does not rest on the progress of your sanctification but on the finished work of Christ already credited to you. Rest in that completed gift, and from that rest, willingly live the sanctified life to His glory.
Transcript
Heavenly Father, give us deep and sincere gratitude for the gift of justification to Christ. 0s
Fand into flame our love for you by the love you have shown us in winning our salvation. 7s
Help us willingly to live the sanctified lives to your glory. 14s
We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. 19s
Well, welcome this morning with a glorious, glorious morning. 23s
For those of you that were here on the first service, I think that's what heaven sounds like. 27s
Why? I think that's what we have in store. 34s
And you think just a whole eternity of that? You know how glorious is that? 39s
Well, we continue on in our study here in honor of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, our study on the subject of justification. 44s
Last week we took a look at the subject of how long does it take to be justified? 51s
And we saw from the Scriptures that we are justified instantly that indeed as God brings us to faith, that faith appropriates the victory that has been won through the cross and the empty tomb. 58s
And that is that instantaneous justification for us. 71s
It is not a process whereby we go through. It is instantaneous. 75s
We talked about how whether one has weak faith or strong faith, faith has equal claim on the salvation that is ours through the Lord Jesus Christ. 80s
We examined the problem of viewing justification as a gradual process. 93s
We took a look and we examined how sadly the Catholic Church of today is the same doctrine that Luther fought against of old. 100s
And we saw that sadly the Catholic doctrine is justification by a process whereby you do your penance, you spend time in purgatory until finally you make yourself righteous enough for heaven. 108s
No, the gracious word from Holy Scripture is that we have been declared righteous through the blood of Jesus Christ. 125s
Well today I want to examine with you the subject of what is the connection between justification and sanctification. 133s
What is the connection between justification and sanctification? 143s
Justification is complete and it is a gift from God through the Lord Jesus Christ. 148s
It is received by faith that is also a gift of God, God's 100% total doing. 154s
The moment we are justified, God sets about at another work in our life. 164s
He sets us apart and that is the meaning of sanctification. 171s
In other words, he sets us apart for good works, for the expression of our faith. 177s
Now remember what the Reformation so clearly tried to bring the church back to in its day. 185s
Remember Luther never wanted a revolution? That is really what resulted. 193s
It was a break away. He wanted a reform of the Catholic church. 199s
So he never wanted, even though interestingly we call it the Reformation, it really turned out to be a revolution. 205s
Luther emphasized in the play with regard to works that works are not salvific. 216s
In other words, works do not earn us into the good graces of God, but works are that which are the expression of the faith that God gives. 221s
So the moment we are justified, in other words the moment that God brings us to faith in the Lord Jesus, he sets about with another work in our life. 231s
So if he sets us apart, that is the meaning of sanctification, to do good works as an expression of the new relationship that he has brought us into, an expression of the faith that he gives, 239s
he is at work to make us more and more like Jesus Christ. 254s
Now there is a distinction between justification and sanctification. To help us understand it, let's go to Hebrews, the 10th chapter, please. 259s
Good way to find Hebrews is to go to the very last book in the New Testament, which is Revelation, and start working your way slowly back toward Matthew. 269s
You are going to cross over the Johns, you are going to cross over the Peters, you are going to hit James, and then sitting right in front of James is the book of Hebrews. 279s
Hebrews, Hebrews chapter 10, verse 14. 288s
There we read, for by a single offering, he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. 303s
I like actually a different rendering in the NIV, the ESV. I think the American standard, if I remember right, also translates it that way. 323s
It translates it in the participle, so it translates it for by a single offering, he is perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. 335s
I like that translation better than what the NRSV does here. What it helps to bring out in the text is this distinction between justification and sanctification. 346s
In verse 14, then, for by a single offering, he is perfected for all time, that's justification. He has made us perfect, that Christ's perfect life has been credited to our account. 358s
It's not that we do, it's simply this judicial decree that is given upon us. 374s
We are cloaked in the righteous garment of Jesus Christ. For by a single offering, he is perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. 382s
Being sanctified, they are the process that, indeed, as we are justified, he brings us into the process of our sanctification and that sanctification in terms of becoming more and more like Jesus Christ 395s
as we express who we are, that is a lifelong process. 410s
You see, if we think of justification as a process that we have to achieve, then we lose our confidence in our salvation. 417s
Because how is it that you can ever know whether or not you have done enough then to achieve justification? 428s
So if justification is a process, it's tormenting upon the psyche. It's exactly the torment that Luther had. 437s
Luther was asking the question, how can I know I am saved? Because he would look at himself and he would see the miserable scenario was. 446s
So if we think of justification as this process, we will no longer have the certainty about salvation. 454s
If we think that sanctification can become complete and perfect in this life, we will lose our confidence in our salvation also. 463s
Because we will look at our miserable sinful selves. And we will say, I am a long way away from being like Jesus. 476s
Or there was sure a missed opportunity that went flying by. That was hardly an expression of faith that I did. 486s
So if justification is understood as a process or if sanctification is that which can be understood as in terms of being perfect in this life, both of those understandings when loses the confidence that we have in our salvation. 494s
God creates a new self. God creates a new self when we are justified. 514s
Let's go to the book of Ephesians, please. Chapter 4, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, Acts, and Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, and then Ephesians. 524s
Ephesians chapter 4, verse 22. Ephesians 4, verse 22. 536s
So he creates then the new self. 548s
And Paul writes, you were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self corrupt and deluded by its lusts, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds and to clothe yourselves with the new self. 557s
Created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. 576s
Our new nature, our new self, or what we refer to as the new Adam and the new Eve in us, we are created to be more like God in true righteousness and holiness. 584s
That then frees us to think and live in a whole new way. 599s
Because we have been forgiven through the Lord Jesus Christ, we are passionate then to live that life that is pleasing unto Him. 606s
Let's go to Romans, the 6th chapter. 615s
1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, or Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and then Romans. 618s
Romans chapter 6, verse 11. 625s
So we are justified instantaneously as God brings us to faith. 636s
He's then at work in our life, the work of sanctification, to set us apart for the expression of our faith to make us more and more like Jesus Christ. 641s
He creates in us as He brings us into faith this new self. 651s
And that transforms our desires. 657s
Romans chapter 6, verse 11. 660s
So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. 664s
Therefore do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies to make you obey their passions. 674s
No longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness. 681s
For sin will have no dominion over you since you are not under law, but under grace. 697s
The law condemns us, grace enables us into that which is new. 705s
Let's go back to Ephesians chapter 5, please. Ephesians chapter 5, verse 1. 712s
God in Christ has forgiven you. 734s
Therefore be imitators of God as beloved children and live in love as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 737s
Let's go to Colossians, the third chapter. 755s
Keep going towards Revelation, cross over Philippians, and you'll hit Colossians chapter 3, verse 17. 758s
And whatever you do in Word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. 773s
Here's a backdrop then against our text this morning that we're going to examine surmatically. 785s
Here you have the false teachers invading the church using grace as an opportunity for licentiousness. 793s
Under the banner of, well since God likes to be gracious, well, that lets give him opportunities to be gracious. 801s
You hear the exact opposite of that in Holy Scripture. 811s
It's kind of like when someone says, well, if it's all God's grace and we don't do anything, does that mean that I can do whatever it is I want to do? 817s
To which I love a response from a fisherman back in seminary. He says, well, what do you want to do? 830s
Do you want to do that? Well, no. Well, there you are. There you are. 836s
You see, that's a reflection then of the new self here that indeed we want to please God. 841s
God frees us so that in everything we do, in Word and indeed, we are doing it all unto the glory of God. 848s
That transforms how you live, isn't it? 857s
Transforms your relationships that you have in the neighborhood. It transforms your relationships in the family. 861s
It transforms your relationships at work. It transforms literally everything where you are bringing meaning to your life. 867s
And the meaning is that you are a follower, a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in Word and deed, you want to do everything to bring him praise and bring him glory. 876s
That brings meaning to absolutely everything. What's our temptation? We try and get meaning out of things we do. 887s
We try and get meaning out of. You can fill in the blank instead of bringing our meaning into each and every day. 895s
That's living in his grace. The new self that he creates that transforms us as he is continually changing us. 907s
Grace then is our motivation to serve. Is sanctification a struggle? You bet it is. You bet it is. 917s
Because you see, while the will does not cooperate in our conversion, in other words, we don't make a decision because we have made our decision and the answer is no. 933s
Our will is bound. As our confessions record, our hearts are like stone here. We are born wanting nothing to do with God. 947s
God is the one that transforms us and brings us to faith. After God brings us to faith, then we have the transform will. And what does the will do? The will cooperates then. 957s
And so we find ourselves cooperating then with God. Our will is active in that process. 969s
So in our conversion, our will is bound after our conversion, our will is active. It's empowered by God indeed. But our will is inactive. 978s
Is active. Is sanctification then going to be a struggle? It sure is. Is it a lifelong struggle? It sure is. 994s
Let's go to Galatians, the fifth chapter. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, then Galatians, Galatians, chapter 5, verse 17. 1004s
Galatians, chapter 5, verse 17. For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh. 1020s
For these are opposed to each other to prevent you from doing what you want. So the flesh then is opposed to the working and the way ways of the Spirit. 1042s
And we experience that struggle inside of us. In Romans chapter 7, verse 18, it says this, I know that nothing, Paul says, good lives in me. That is in my sinful nature. 1056s
For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. See what is that? That's someone who's saying this sanctification, that's a struggle. It's a struggle in us. 1071s
Okay, agree or disagree. There are certain times when living a Christian life will really be a struggle. I think this one through. 1088s
There are certain times when living a Christian life will really be a struggle. Are you thinking disagree? 1102s
Are you thinking disagree? Yeah, right. You're right. Yeah, because it's always a struggle. It's always a struggle. It's not episodic here. It is always a struggle. How about this one? 1114s
We should avoid setting too high a standard for our Christian lives or we will set ourselves up for failure and despair. That's easier, right? That's easier. That's kind of a softball, isn't it? 1131s