Your seeker-sensitive mistruth. . .
Methinks the pot is calling the kettle black.
You have yet to show me scripture supporting your mistaken seeker-sensitive sequence (Justification and then Sanctification) that contradicts Paul's sequence(Sanctification followed by Justification and a glorified body) ...
You have yet to show me that Paul meant that as the order of sequence.
As you have yet to show me that Paul meant his sequence to be the
order of occurence of those events.
So let's look at and study carefully the Biblical nature of
justification and
sanctification.
Justification (
dikaiosis -
forensic righteousness):
1) is by faith alone, no works (
Ro 3:28), as is salvation (
Eph 2:8-9).
2) justification is simply a
declaration by God of "not guilty" because one's sin has been forgiven by faith in Christ, a
sentence of acquittal, a
pronouncement of sinlessness (
forensic righteousness), of right standing with God (sin free),
not actual righteousness of character.
Sanctification (
hagiasmos = set apart, holiness,
actual righteousness of character):
1)
separated, from sin and to God (
1 Co 1:30,1 Th 2:13, 1 Pe 1:2),
2) the
course of life of those separated to God (
1Th 4:3, 4, 7, Ro 6:19, 22, 1 Tim 2:15, Heb 12:14),
3)
relationship with God into which men
enter by faith in Christ (
Ac 26:18, 1 Co 6:11),
4) to be
pursued by the believer (
1 Tim 2:15, Heb 12:14)
not a
granting, transferring or imputing, but an
individual possession,
built up little by little as the
result of obedience to the Word of God and of
following the example of Christ (
Mt 11:29, Jn 13:15, E;h 4:20, Php 2:5) in the power of the Holy Spirit (
Ro 8:13, Eph 3:16), who is the agent in that sanctification (
Ro 15:16, 2 Th 2:13, 1 Pe 1:2).
So
justification,
being simply a
declaration by God of sin-free (because of one's faith in Christ for the forgiveness of one's sin), and
not being actual holiness of character
and
sanctification being actual holiness of character through a
life of obedience in the power of the Holy Spirit,
we can see that
sanctification does not occur at the time of the gift
of faith (
Php 1:29, Ac 13:48, 18:27, 2 Pe 1:1, Ro 12:3)
while
justification does occur at the time of faith (
Ro 3:28),
therefore, justification
at the time of coming to
faith is
before the
gradual growth in sanctification of an obedient
lifetime,
and the Biblical order is:
faith --> salvation -->
justification -->
sanctification --> death --> resurrection -->
glorification (immortal, sinless, glorious body like Christ's)
Justification is God's sentence of acquittal of guilt, which is
conditioned on 1) Christ's sacrifice, and 2) acceptance of Christ by faith; i.e.,
salvation (
Ro 5:16).
The
gift (
Ro 5:15),
the
gift that came by the grace of the
one man Jesus Christ (
Ro 5:15),
the
gift of God (
Ro 5:16), that was
unlike the result of
one man's sin which brought condemnation for
all,
the
gift that followed
many transgressions (
Ro 5:16) is the atonement of Christ; i.e.,
salvation; i.e., forgiveness of sin.
That gift (
salvation) brought justification (
Ro 5:16).
And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
And those He predestined, He also called; those He called(sanctified), He also justified; those He justified, he also glorified.
"Called"(
kaleo) is not "sanctified, holy" (
hagiasmos).
"Called" is an
invitation (to sanctification, holiness).
"Sanctified" is the result of the
action of sanctification, holiness in the
answered "call."
Your seeker-sensitive sequence is backwards. We are first sanctified as a Believer and finally justified (eternal life).with a glorified body...
Justification (dikaiosis) is not life "eternal" (zoe aionios) of Jn 3:16, Tit 1:2. . .
justification is a declaration by God of "not guilty," sin forgiven, sin-free--without sin; i.e., right(eous) standing before God, which does not include holiness/sanctification of character (hagiasmos).
By definition, sanctification means to be reserved for holy use.while on earth.
By definition sanctification means "set apart". . .
from sin and
to God.
By definition sanctification is the process of dying
to sin and living to God, as symbolized in baptism, where
we die
to sin as Christ died
for sin, and rise to live a new life (
Ro 6:1-4) of obedience leading to holiness/sanctification (
Ro 6:19).
