Is there a difference between Justification and Sanctification?

[blankCrossfire]

-Is there a difference between Justification and Sanctification?
-Does one come before the other or is it simultaneous?
-Who is responsible for Justification? (God/Man/Both?)
-Who is responsible for Sanctification? (God/Man/Both?)

 

[Optimax]

Both happen together.

When a person is born again they are justified by the Blood of Jesus.

They are also sanctified.

Sanctified means set apart.

When a person is born again they are set apart for God.

Because they are, once born again, belonging to God they are made holy because He is holy.

The fact of sanctification does not make a person live a holy life.

That comes as they grow spiritually.

They are holy because they are set apart for God and anything that is God's or for God's use is considered holy by Him.

That is the true holiness without which scripture says that no one will see the Lord.

It is not a holiness that man can do or be on his own.

 

[Clare73]

-Is there a difference between Justification and Sanctification?

Yes, there is.

Justification is a declaration of guiltlessness, right standing (righteousness) before God through faith alone,
whereby one's sin is forgiven, with no change of character involved.

Sanctification is the process of transformation into the image of Christ by the power of grace through the obedience of saving faith.

Justification is forgiveness of sin through faith alone.
Sanctification is the process of transformation by the power of grace through the obedience of faith.

Both justification and sanctification are called righteousness.

-Does one come before the other or is it simultaneous?

Yes.

Justification (sin forgiven, declared guiltless) comes with saving faith.

Sanctification is a life-long process following justification.

-Who is responsible for Justification? (God/Man/Both?)

God.

Justification is by faith alone, and
both faith (Php 1:29; 2Pe 1:1; Ac 18:37; Ro 12:3) and
justification--righteousness, right standing before God (Ro 5:17)--are gifts.

-Who is responsible for Sanctification? (God/Man/Both?)

The Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit works it in us by the power of grace through the obedience of faith.

 

[Nanopants]

I reject the notion that justification is merely a declaration of anything at all. If the just live by faith, but are not in fact, just to some degree, then justification is only a silly word.

 

[concretecamper]

-Is there a difference between Justification and Sanctification?
-Does one come before the other or is it simultaneous?
-Who is responsible for Justification? (God/Man/Both?)
-Who is responsible for Sanctification? (God/Man/Both?)

What do you understand justification and sanctification to be?

 

[concretecamper]

-Is there a difference between Justification and Sanctification?
-Does one come before the other or is it simultaneous?
-Who is responsible for Justification? (God/Man/Both?)
-Who is responsible for Sanctification? (God/Man/Both?)

RCC perspective: CCC

1989 The first work of the grace of the Holy Spirit is conversion, effecting justification in accordance with Jesus' proclamation at the beginning of the Gospel: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."38 Moved by grace, man turns toward God and away from sin, thus accepting forgiveness and righteousness from on high. "Justification is not only the remission of sins, but also the sanctification and renewal of the interior man.39

1990 Justification detaches man from sin which contradicts the love of God, and purifies his heart of sin. Justification follows upon God's merciful initiative of offering forgiveness. It reconciles man with God. It frees from the enslavement to sin, and it heals.

1991 Justification is at the same time the acceptance of God's righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ. Righteousness (or "justice") here means the rectitude of divine love. With justification, faith, hope, and charity are poured into our hearts, and obedience to the divine will is granted us.

1992 Justification has been merited for us by the Passion of Christ who offered himself on the cross as a living victim, holy and pleasing to God, and whose blood has become the instrument of atonement for the sins of all men. Justification is conferred in Baptism, the sacrament of faith. It conforms us to the righteousness of God, who makes us inwardly just by the power of his mercy. Its purpose is the glory of God and of Christ, and the gift of eternal life:40

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from law, although the law and the prophets bear witness to it, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies him who has faith in Jesus.41

1993 Justification establishes cooperation between God's grace and man's freedom. On man's part it is expressed by the assent of faith to the Word of God, which invites him to conversion, and in the cooperation of charity with the prompting of the Holy Spirit who precedes and preserves his assent:

When God touches man's heart through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, man himself is not inactive while receiving that inspiration, since he could reject it; and yet, without God's grace, he cannot by his own free will move himself toward justice in God's sight.42

1994 Justification is the most excellent work of God's love made manifest in Christ Jesus and granted by the Holy Spirit. It is the opinion of St. Augustine that "the justification of the wicked is a greater work than the creation of heaven and earth," because "heaven and earth will pass away but the salvation and justification of the elect . . . will not pass away."43 He holds also that the justification of sinners surpasses the creation of the angels in justice, in that it bears witness to a greater mercy.

1995 The Holy Spirit is the master of the interior life. By giving birth to the "inner man,"44 justification entails the sanctification of his whole being:

Just as you once yielded your members to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now yield your members to righteousness for sanctification. . . . But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life.45

 

[BobRyan]

When you come to Christ as a lost person - the whole point is to quit, give up, stop persevering in rejecting Christ. "I STAND at the door and Knock - if anyone hears my voice AND OPENS the door I WILL Come in" Rev 3.

The lost must be "justified by faith apart from works of the law" Rom 3:28 for the lost has no possibility of any good works to be used as a basis of salvation.

But for the saved - "sanctification" takes place long the Romans 8 model "By the Spirit putting to death the deeds of the flesh" - in a day by day walk with Christ.

For the saved saint there is "perseverance in doing good" Romans 2:7

For the saved saint you have Romans 8:6-8 contrasting the lost sinner to the saved saint.

1John 5:1-4 should be read carefully.

in Christ,

Bob

 

[Way195]

Very good explanation on the differences between sanctification and justification here!

 

[~Anastasia~]

-Is there a difference between Justification and Sanctification?
-Does one come before the other or is it simultaneous?
-Who is responsible for Justification? (God/Man/Both?)
-Who is responsible for Sanctification? (God/Man/Both?)

My understanding has been similar to several here. (Though I am open to learning, as some of these things I have never yet examined deeply and am now trying to do so.)

Is there a difference between Justification and Sanctification?

I would say yes.
I believe Justification involves God working to save a fallen individual. I believe it is offered freely by grace, and not through anything man has done to deserve it. I believe it involves believing that Christ died to redeem us out of our sins, and trusting in His finished work on the Cross.

I believe Sanctification is a work that is accomplished throughout the life of the believer after Justification. I believe this is accomplished through the Holy Spirit and involves a process of the believer becoming more like Christ in word and deed.

-Does one come before the other or is it simultaneous?

I believe Justification happens first, and Sanctification is a process that follows.

-Who is responsible for Justification? (God/Man/Both?)

I'm in the process of considering this. I believe God is responsible. I am working to determine man's role - where it is entirely passive, can be active only through rejection, or exactly what. (I am leaning to believing man may at least reject and is not entirely passive)

-Who is responsible for Sanctification? (God/Man/Both?)

Well, I believe it won't happen without the Holy Spirit working in a person's life. I believe it is necessary for us to surrender to His work in us, let His will supersede our own. God is at least that much responsible.

As for man, at the very least we must surrender our will. We are at least that much responsible. Also it is our bodies doing, our lips speaking, and so on, so we must necessarily be involved to that degree, I believe.

With that, it seems I am describing a cooperation, so I think I have to say both.

Possibly subject to revision, but that's where I am at the moment.

 

[Wordkeeper]

1 Corinthians 7
14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.

 

[Clare73]

I reject the notion that justification is merely a declaration of anything at all.
If the just live by faith, but are not in fact, just to some degree, then justification is only a silly word.

Then you disagree with Scripture, going all the way back to Abraham.

Scripture is clear that righteousness (justness) was credited to Abraham because he believed (Ge 15:6), and
for no other reason, not because he was a good person, had done good deeds, deserved it, or had earned it in any way,
not because he was "just to some degree."

Paul drives home the point in Ro 4:5:

"To the man who does not work (good deeds) but trusts God who justifies the wicked,
his faith is credited as righteousness (justness)."

Justification comes with faith, whereby one's sins are forgiven and, therefore, one is declared guiltless, righteous
(i.e., right standing before God), with no change of character involved.

Sanctification then follows justification, wherein one is transformed into the image of Christ in the work of the Holy Spirit, through the obedience of faith by the power of grace.

 

[Clare73]

1 Corinthians 7
14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.

Sanctified, holy = set apart, from sin and to God.

The unbelieving husband or wife is set apart (sanctified) from a sinful life and included with the people of God.

The children are likewise set apart (holy) from a sinful world and included with the people of God.

 

[Wordkeeper]

Some inference, joining of dots, is required. but its probable that Paul meant that Abraham was convicted in the same way as those who did not have the formal set of rules (Torah means “Instructions”, things of the Law, works of the Law, requirements of the Law) were convicted:


Romans 2
12For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; 13for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. 14For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, 16on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.

Abraham found that the things he knew were right were the things he couldn't do, because of the body of death he was born with, the body that always tried to act according to its own advantage, the body that natural man, like other creatures possessed. A body that God created to ensure continuity in those creatures. A body that Christ could deliver man from, if he believed in a Redeemer. The desired end result is a renewed man, like a powerful horse with a skilled rider, or a powerful car with a good driver.

The Law (Eternal Law for Abraham and Gentiles, Torah for Jews) could only reveal inadequacy, need for Christ. When Abraham, Zacharias and Cornelius petitioned God, He gave them to Christ. The text tells us Abraham saw Christ's Day and was glad. The Old Covenant could only reveal a future redmption, give believers hope, which in turn guarded them, protected them, till Christ came. The New Covenant offered actual redemption, by putting the believers IN Christ.

One can only be IN Christ if one believes, only believe if one hears, only hear if someone is doing the work of gathering, preaching.

The unbelieving husband is sanctified because he decided to stay with the believing spouse. In that sense he is a believer, because he believes his believing wife is acceptable to him. This decision, in principle, is an act that makes him for Christ, not against Christ. If Abraham can be declared compliant because he believed God would send a Redeemer, then the husband can be declared compliaant because he believed his wife is acceptable even though she has turned away from following mammon and followed God through belief in Christ as Redeemer.

By doing so he is acceptable as a partaker of the Rock, just as those sojourners who were circumcised could drink from the Rock, be included in the Assembly of God's People. IOW, the requirement for being accepted for eating from the Word of God is as light as agreeeing to remain with your believing spouse. The decision and the results of that decison may seem insignificant, but don't forget what exposure to the Word of God can do.

The Gibeonites started out as wood and water bearers in the Sanctuary, but when the majority of the tribes of Israel fell away from God, they had become pillars of the House of God.

Nehemiah 3
5Moreover, next to him the Tekoites made repairs, but their nobles did not support the work of their masters.
6Joiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the Old Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors with its bolts and its bars. 7Next to them Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah, also made repairs for the official seat of the governor of the province beyond the River.

Small steps...

Abiding.

Justification, sanctification and glorification.

John 17
22“The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; 23I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. 24“Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.

 

[Giantbear]

-Is there a difference between Justification and Sanctification?
-Does one come before the other or is it simultaneous?
-Who is responsible for Justification? (God/Man/Both?)
-Who is responsible for Sanctification? (God/Man/Both?)

Think of it as this:

There are many called to Christ but very few are chosen by Christ.

What does this mean?

It means that accepting Christ and being baptised in him, we are cleared of our transgressions by the bail bond posted on the cross at Calvary.

This justification does not guarantee you that you are home and hose, meaning you are not guaranteed salvation yet, you are only being cleared as a transgressor of the Law and placed on say good behaviour bond where you walk as a free man according to the way God see it.

You can quite easily be condemned at the end of your life if you were declared by Christ to be not FAITHFUL ONTO DEATH to him.

This is the real deal, that is, you must be faithful onto death.

So as soon as you accept Christ you automatically are on parol and Saint Paul calls it being a prisoner of Christ and so your next step whilst you are pardoned as a prisoner of Christ is to fully submit to his Holy Spirit and be completely reformed, meaning transformed into a new creature from that of the carnally minded to that of the spiritually minded according to all of Christ's eight beatitudes.

This rehabilitation process is life long and ends at death. This encompasses sanctification where you are being transformed year in and year out as a prisoner of Christ until you are made Holy by the Holy Spirit that indwells you.

Salvation is not by justification alone, but is when you have passed rehab at the end of your life with flying colours and you were found to be faithful to Christ onto death.

You therefore are justified the moment you accept Christ into your life and be baptised into him. However sanctification is the remainder of your life struggling with sin and overcoming it by the power of Christ's Spirit before you die.

Once you die then you are immediately judged and Christ determines whether he will raise you right there and then and call you into his barn, meaning his heavenly host numbers.

Therefore Christ justifies and his Holy Spirit sanctifies and all these must be fully met before you die, otherwise you penance purgatory program is going to save you. By the way there is no purgatory and no penance program as far as God is concerned the Vatican invented it as a money spinner to empire build.

 

[Giantbear]

 

[bling]

-Is there a difference between Justification and Sanctification?
-Does one come before the other or is it simultaneous?
-Who is responsible for Justification? (God/Man/Both?)
-Who is responsible for Sanctification? (God/Man/Both?)

This presents a “problem” for me:

1 Corinthians 7: 14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.

An unbeliever can be made “sanctified” and remain an unbeliever. The issue here seems to be: “Is it alright for a believer to stay married to an unbeliever if the unbeliever is willing to remain the spouse”? Paul is telling them “yes” even though we are not to be “unevenly yoked” together (we are not to get into this situation if we can avoid it)? The relationship is made “pure” (holy/alright) by just one party being a believer. The non-believer is not saved by being married to a believer but is not “unclean” for the believer. The unbeliever has taken on a special “holy” purpose (in spite of what he believes) by being married to the believer. Hopefully the unbeliever will become a believer through the witness of the spouse.

Justification )to stand justified before God) is more complicated.

Just looking at Ro. 3: 23 since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 they are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins; 26 it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies him who has faith in Jesus.


Ro. 3: 23-26 talks about a previous time when God’s righteousness was not seen, so when was that and why was it not seen?


Ro. 3: 25 talks about God in the past “passing over sins” so when was this and how/why did that happen?


Ro. 3: 25 says this “change” happened with Christ going to the cross, so what happened with the cross?


Did God/Christ forgive some sins prior to Christ going to the cross?


Think about this: What all need to happen between a wonderful forgiving Father and his rebellious disobedient child that will not only reinstate the relationship prior to the acts of disobedience, but actually improve the relationship? You can think about yourself and your child and figure out what you would both need to do in ceasing the “opportunity” a rebellious disobedient act provides? What would allow/needs to happen for the disobedient child to both feel and stand “justified” before the wonderful parent?

You might also want to look up the relationship between righteous and justified, since they are very similar. If you stand justified before God are you also righteous before God and if you are righteous are you also justified?

When your child has been rebelliously disobedient is it hard for you as a parent to forgive that child if he/she asks for forgiveness?


Is just being a forgiving parent all that is need to justify a rebellious disobedient child?


Is it easier to forgive your child than it is to see to the optima discipline?


What are the benefits to properly disciplining your child? How about some of the following:


1. It is a deterrent for the child, to hopefully keep them from doing the same thing again.


2. It is a deterrent to sibling that see the results of disobedience.


3. It allows the child to know the significance of his/her disobedience since the discipline (punishment) should be in proportion to the offence.


4. The Bible teaches: one of the ways we know we are a child is by the fact we are disciplined.


5. Once the disciplining is over the child can easily put the offence behind them (it is done/you’ve done the crime and done the time).


6. The child can know the parent is fair, just and consistent, treating his children equally (not the exact same way) for similar offences.


7. This should be a learning experience for the child and siblings, about the father, Love, grace, justice, fairness, offences.


So back to Ro. 3: 23-26, Under the Old Testament and before Christ went to the cross, God did provide very just/fair disciplines/ punishments for the people’s offences that were for the most part to be carried out by the people. The people could not carry them out (everyone would have been stoned, killed or thrown out of the nation of God’s people. Unintentional sins had a mild form of discipline and God would forgive them, but what about the intentional sins under the “Law” the punishments for them were severe and really there was no difference (in God being fair and just) if you “repented” or not, you should still be stoned.


The people just could not follow through with just discipline so repentant individuals under the Old Law could avoid most of the punishment and God did forgive. So is this the problem in Ro. 3:25 “passing over of sins”? With this lack of being disciplined also mean you could not stand justified (and maybe righteous {made right}) before God?


So how does Christ going to the cross provide a way for the repentant guilty person to be disciplined, so he can stand justified?

Would an unjust act of punishing the innocent and allowing the guilty to go free resolve the problem?

 

[rockytopva]

I embrace the teachings as taught by William Seymour...

1. Justification - We are justified by faith... Simple faith! No need to make it anymore complicated!
2. Salvation - Christ is our sacrifice, accept him in your heart and you are in!
3. Sanctification - At the laver... The outside the temple things like communion, catechism, that prepare us for the inside temple...
***Inner temple = Inner sanctification
4. The Word of God -Eaten at the table of shewbread
5. The Lightstand - Christian character
6. Prayer and praise - At the alter of golden incense
***Holy of Holies - The anointing of the Holy Spirit
7. The Ark of the Covenant - The Shekinah Glory!

 

[Nanopants]

Then you disagree with Scripture, going all the way back to Abraham.

Scripture is clear that righteousness (justness) was credited to Abraham because he believed (Ge 15:6), and
for no other reason, not because he was a good person, had done good deeds, deserved it, or had earned it in any way,
not because he was "just to some degree."

Paul drives home the point in Ro 4:5:

"To the man who does not work (good deeds) but trusts God who justifies the wicked,
his faith is credited as righteousness (justness)."

Justification comes with faith, whereby one's sins are forgiven and, therefore, one is declared guiltless, righteous
(i.e., right standing before God), with no change of character involved.

Sanctification then follows justification, wherein one is transformed into the image of Christ in the work of the Holy Spirit, through the obedience of faith by the power of grace.

I'm not convinced that I am disagreeing with scripture, and I'm not seeing the proof which equates justification with credit. The alternative is that faith actually justifies:

-Faith is the substance of things hoped for (Heb 11:1)
-What we hope for is righteousness by faith (Gal 5:5)
-Faith actually purifies the heart (Acts 15:9)

Further:

-This explains why James stressed the futility of dead faith.
-Righteousness by faith in no way advocates righteousness by works of the law.
-It reconciles the supposed disagreement between James and Paul.
-A promise =/= justification, else there would be no need of a promise for something already received.
-A pardon =/= justification, else we could not be pardoned until we are completely transformed into the image of God.
-Could God have pardoned and promised justification for Abraham before he received it? Yes.

 

[Clare73]

-Is there a difference between Justification and Sanctification?
-Does one come before the other or is it simultaneous?
-Who is responsible for Justification? (God/Man/Both?)
-Who is responsible for Sanctification? (God/Man/Both?)

Justification (to stand justified before God) is more complicated.

Just looking at Ro. 3:
23 since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 they are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus,
25 whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith.
This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins;
26 it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies him who has faith in Jesus.

Ro. 3: 23-26 talks about a previous time when God’s righteousness was not seen, so when was that and why was it not seen?

Ro. 3: 25 talks about God in the past “passing over sins” so when was this and how/why did that happen?

God's righteousness is his justice (they are the same Greek word).

God "passed over" the sins of the OT saints,
not punishing (judging) them according to his righteousness (justice),
but instead, applying the cross to them, based on its future reality,
and, therefore, his righteousness/justice (punishment) was not seen by the OT saints.

Ro. 3: 25 says this “change” happened with Christ going to the cross, so what happened with the cross?

Did God/Christ forgive some sins prior to Christ going to the cross?

Yes, the sins of the OT saints were no longer "passed over" and were judged (punished) in Christ on the cross.

This is the clear testimony of the word of God in Ro 3:23-26, and is to be believed,

not rejected and overturned by human sentiment and human reasoning.

 

[Clare73]

Then you disagree with Scripture, going all the way back to Abraham.

Scripture is clear that righteousness (justness) was credited/reckoned to Abraham because he believed (Ge 15:6),
and for no other reason, not because he was a good person, had done good deeds, deserved it, or had earned it in any way,
not because he was "just to some degree."

Paul drives home the point in Ro 4:5:

"To the man who does not work (good deeds) but trusts God who justifies the wicked (not those who are "just to some degree"),
his faith is credited as righteousness (justness)."

Justification comes with faith, whereby one's sins are forgiven and, therefore, one is declared guiltless, righteous
(i.e., right standing before God), with no change of character involved.

Sanctification then follows justification, wherein one is transformed into the image of Christ in the work of the Holy Spirit, through the obedience of faith by the power of grace.

I'm not convinced that I am disagreeing with scripture, and I'm not seeing the proof which equates justification with credit.

The meaning of "justification" (Gr:dikaiosis) is "declaration of acquittal, guiltlessness, right standing before God, righteous,"
because one's sins are forgiven,
which is through faith alone, by grace (Ro 1:17, 3:22; Gal 1:15-16), not because of anything we are, or have done (Ro 4:4-5).

And the only proof there is are the texts of Scripture, which you are not reckoning with:

"Abrahams' faith was credited (reckoned) to him as righteousness."

(Ge 15:6; Ro 4:3, 22-24; Gal 3:6)

So actually you are disagreeing with Scripture.

Any "alternative" is according to the mind of man, not the mind of God.