Is there a difference: Justification & Sanctification

Is there a difference between sanctification and justification?

As SDAs we make quite an emphasis about sanctification and the idea that it is the work of a lifetime--which it is. Nevertheless, the way it is handled at times tends to put salvation afar off, promising the reward of salvation once a human has managed to live a sanctified life. I don't think this is biblical.

Is not sanctification essentially a continued, present-tense justification by faith?

AndrewK788 said:

Is there a difference between sanctification and justification?

As SDAs we make quite an emphasis about sanctification and the idea that it is the work of a lifetime--which it is. Nevertheless, the way it is handled at times tends to put salvation afar off, promising the reward of salvation once a human has managed to live a sanctified life. I don't think this is biblical.

Is not sanctification essentially a continued, present-tense justification by faith?

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The way I like to look at the three steps, Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification, is like this:

Justification is God calling us declaring that we are His children.

Sanctification is the process of God cleaning up so that you can see the family resembelance.

Glorification is the final product. What we receive once the work of sanctification has been completed.

I agree.

We profess to be God's professed people. God's professed people can't afford to speculate on these issues. The early disciples had to sit at the feet of Jesus in order to receive the true meaning of the Scriptures. Today, before we go to the world with the last message of mercy, we too need to sit at the feet of Jesus. It is Jesus speaking to us through the Testimonies of His Spirit and who can teach like Him?

"The righteousness by which we are justified is imputed; the righteousness by which we are sanctified is imparted. The first is our title to Heaven, the second is our fitness for Heaven." Review & Herald, June 4, 1895.

How are we justified?

"The sinner is justified through the MERITS of Jesus, and this is God's acknowledgment of the perfection of the ransom paid for man." Faith & Works,107.

How are we sanctified?

"Fallen man is to learn that our Heavenly Father cannot be satisfied until His love embraces the repentant sinner, transformed through the MERITS of the spotless Lamb of God." Our Father Cares,204.

The love of God transforms the sinner from sin to holiness, from grace to grace, and from light to a greater light.

For "God will accept everone that comes to Him trusting wholly in the MERITS of a crucified Saviour. Love springs up in the heart." 1 S.M.354.

"The love that Christ diffuses through the whole being is a vitalizing power. Every vital part, the brain, the heart, the nerves, it touches with healing. It frees the soul from the guilt and sorrow, the anxiety and care, that crush the life forces. By it the highest energies of the being are roused to activity. With it come serenity and composure. It implants in the soul joy that nothing earthly can destroy, joy in the Holy Spirit, health-giving, life-giving joy." Ministry of Healing.

So we are to be transformed by the love of God which is diffused through the whole being. This sanctifying love is obtained by faith, by trusting wholly in the MERITS of a crucified and risen Saviour.

So the sinner is justified and sanctified through the merits of the blood that was shed for him upon Calvary's cross.

Again, in order for justification and sanctification to take place the sinner must do his part and "Man's part is to lay hold by faith of the MERITS of Christ, and co-operate with the divine agencies in forming a righteous character, so that God may save the sinner, and yet be just and His righteous law vindicated." Fundamentals of Christian Education,430.

This is the doctrine of Christ, the true meaning of the Scriptures in regard to justification and sanctification.

When the loud cry is proclaimed to the world the people will be told of the necessity of faith in the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour. With freshness and power they will hear of the efficacy of the blood of Christ that their faith might lay hold upon its merits that they may be justified and sanctified.

sky

rainbowinthesky said:

This is the doctrine of Christ, the true meaning of the Scriptures in regard to justification and sanctification.


sky

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Just one question.

How would you explain it to a non-Adventist that puts no stock in the Spirit of Prophecy?

Andrew, no offense but before we worry about "explaining it to non-adventists who put no stock in the spirit of Prophecy," we must receive, believe, and act upon the light ourselves. Fair enough? For if we, who have been blessed with the precious light, pay little attention or no attention to it, how will we be able to present the last message of mercy to the world in its proper light?

And, to begin with, we cannot explain this faith anymore than we can explain the movings of the Spirit upon the human heart.

"You CANNOT EXPLAIN this faith that lays right hold upon the MERITS of the blood of a crucified and risen Saviour to bring Christ's righteousness into your life." Faith & Works,65.

We are invited to claim the merits of our Redeemer that we may receive all the blessings of the covenant of grace. Will we respond to this gracious invitation with the simple faith of a little child or will we, like the Israelites in the wilderness, deny ourselves the provision which God has made for sin by asking that it be explained to us before we believe?

"Faith is the condition whereby God has seen fit to promise pardon to sinners. Not that there is any virtue in faith whereby salvation is merited, but because faith can lay hold of the MERITS of Christ, the REMEDY provided for sin." Faith & Works,100-101.

There is no other way. We have been told that this is the only faith that will benefit us and therefore it is the only faith that will benefit those out there that put no stock in the Spirit of Prophecy.

"The only faith that will benefit us is that which embraces Him as a personal Saviour, which APPROPRIATES HIS MERITS to ourselves." Desire of Ages,347.

Otherwise, our faith will be a mere nominal faith in Christ:

"Many have a nominal faith in Christ, but they know nothing of that vital dependence upon Him which APPROPRIATES the MERITS of a crucified and risen Saviour." 1 S.M.389.

This is the faith that was represented to the Israelites in the wilderness by the serpent of brass:

"They knew that there was no virtue in the serpent itself, but it was a symbol of Christ; and THE NECESSITY OF FAITH IN HIS MERITS was presented to their minds." P.P.430.

Those who insisted on having this peculiar faith explained to them perished but those who looked trusting wholly in the merits of a Saviour to come were healed.

Now during the loud cry the eyes of the multitudes will be directed to Jesus, to His divine Person, to His merits and to His changeless love for the human family. They will be invited to trust, not in the merits of good works, but in the merits of the blood that was shed for them upon Calvary's cross that they may be forgiven and sanctified and thus prepared to face the great final test at the end of the loud cry and receive the final seal and go through the time of Jacob's trouble and be translated without seeing death.

All this can be taught from Scriptures like Romans 3:25; 5:1-2; 5:5; Gal.5:6; Rom.13:10; Rev.14:12; etc etc

This is God's message to mankind as far as justification and sanctification are concerned. By proclaiming this message of the merits and righteousness of Christ to the church first, and then to the world, the Lord will put His seal upon it and there will be the still, small voice behind saying,

"This is the way. Walk ye in it." Isaiah 30:21.

The Lord has given us His own credentials (we need no other) to proclaim this message in demonstration and power of the Holy Spirit.

sky

"Will those who set not before them the Pattern, Jesus, extol your merits? You have none except as they come through Jesus Christ." E.G. White, Bible Commentary, Vol.5,1128.

As SDAs we make quite an emphasis about sanctification and the idea that it is the work of a lifetime--which it is. Nevertheless, the way it is handled at times tends to put salvation afar off, promising the reward of salvation once a human has managed to live a sanctified life. I don't think this is biblical.

AndrewK788
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I believe we are now better prepared to respond.

The 1888 message shows that the work of sanctification, in and of itself, has no merit toward our salvation because we are accepted through the merits of Christ alone.

Sanctification implies good works, the works that the grace of the Holy Spirit will have enabled us to do but these good works, in and of themselves, will not act a part in the salvation of the soul or in merit.

Men will be rewarded for their good works but it is the merits of Christ that will avail in their behalf.

Notice these words very carefully:

"Works without faith are dead, and faith without works is dead. Works will never save us; it is the MERIT of Christ that will avail in our behalf." Faith & Works,48.

"If you would gather together everything that is good and holy and noble and lovely in man and then present the subject to the angels of God as acting a part in the salvation of the soul or in merit, the proposition would be rejected as treason." Faith & Works,24.

sky

rainbowinthesky said:

Andrew, no offense but before we worry about "explaining it to non-adventists who put no stock in the spirit of Prophecy," we must receive, believe, and act upon the light ourselves. Fair enough? For if we, who have been blessed with the precious light, pay little attention or no attention to it, how will we be able to present the last message of mercy to the world in its proper light?

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You cant just "claim" something, and use it as an incantation of sorts to "be saved." We can do no effort of any kind for any reason that will save us. This is why Paul says in Gal 6:14 "God forbid that I glory in anything but the cross of Christ. " Those of us who were once far from Christ, are never made near by our own efforts of any kind. Nothing but the blood of Jesus is what Adventists teach and this is the testing truth which will shake out all the spurious messages we keep getting bomblasted with.

But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. (Eph 2:13).

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rainbowinthesky said:

I agree.

We profess to be God's professed people. God's professed people can't afford to speculate on these issues. The early disciples had to sit at the feet of Jesus in order to receive the true meaning of the Scriptures. Today, before we go to the world with the last message of mercy, we too need to sit at the feet of Jesus. It is Jesus speaking to us through the Testimonies of His Spirit and who can teach like Him?

"The righteousness by which we are justified is imputed; the righteousness by which we are sanctified is imparted. The first is our title to Heaven, the second is our fitness for Heaven." Review & Herald, June 4, 1895.

How are we justified?

"The sinner is justified through the MERITS of Jesus, and this is God's acknowledgment of the perfection of the ransom paid for man." Faith & Works,107.

How are we sanctified?

"Fallen man is to learn that our Heavenly Father cannot be satisfied until His love embraces the repentant sinner, transformed through the MERITS of the spotless Lamb of God." Our Father Cares,204.

The love of God transforms the sinner from sin to holiness, from grace to grace, and from light to a greater light.

For "God will accept everone that comes to Him trusting wholly in the MERITS of a crucified Saviour. Love springs up in the heart." 1 S.M.354.

"The love that Christ diffuses through the whole being is a vitalizing power. Every vital part, the brain, the heart, the nerves, it touches with healing. It frees the soul from the guilt and sorrow, the anxiety and care, that crush the life forces. By it the highest energies of the being are roused to activity. With it come serenity and composure. It implants in the soul joy that nothing earthly can destroy, joy in the Holy Spirit, health-giving, life-giving joy." Ministry of Healing.

So we are to be transformed by the love of God which is diffused through the whole being. This sanctifying love is obtained by faith, by trusting wholly in the MERITS of a crucified and risen Saviour.

So the sinner is justified and sanctified through the merits of the blood that was shed for him upon Calvary's cross.

Again, in order for justification and sanctification to take place the sinner must do his part and "Man's part is to lay hold by faith of the MERITS of Christ, and co-operate with the divine agencies in forming a righteous character, so that God may save the sinner, and yet be just and His righteous law vindicated." Fundamentals of Christian Education,430.

This is the doctrine of Christ, the true meaning of the Scriptures in regard to justification and sanctification.

When the loud cry is proclaimed to the world the people will be told of the necessity of faith in the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour. With freshness and power they will hear of the efficacy of the blood of Christ that their faith might lay hold upon its merits that they may be justified and sanctified.

sky

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The world has been told about the necessity of faith in the merits of a crucified, risen Savior already. There is hardly a person on earth who doesnt have some idea that this is what Christians teach. certainly; one should not be using Ellen White to establish doctrine, because the Adventists Church and Ellen White counsel us not to. All you do is discredit the idea of putting the Bible first, and that is anti-Christian. Two people can actually have a different view on this topic and still be saved. The problem happens when we, mere mortals prescribe something for others, yet do not adopt it for ourselves.

For eg., you state:

"This is the doctrine of Christ, the true meaning of the Scriptures in regard to justification and sanctification."

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If this is really so, and if you really believed it yourself, why dont you use the Bible, as do Adventists, to establish doctrine?

The Person of Jesus Christ is our Justifier; He holds out His riven hands before the Father on our behalf. Nothing but the blood of Jesus is our justification; and our sanctification. Even our prayers, when we come to Him, are dependent on His shed blood. Heb_10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,

We can avail nothing NO MATTER WHAT WE BELIEVE OR WHO WE ARE. 1Co_1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (see also Eph 2:14) Is this scripture not speaking of both our justification and sanctification? It is all nothing BUT THE BLOOD OF JESUS.

On all the adventist forums where you are, my dear friend Woody, (aka castaway57 here), you profess to be a bona-fide sda but you have shown in many ways that you are far from being a true sda. You infiltrate all the adventist forums to create confusion, sometimes in very sutble ways and sometimes in not so subtle ways. Some days you are acting as though you are a protector of "our prophet," (speaking of Mrs. White) and then on other days you are subtlely making fun of her by misquoting her and misrepresenting her. I have seen you in action many a time. You may have fooled some here but you have not fooled me.

sky

rainbowinthesky said:

On all the adventist forums where you are, my dear friend Woody, (aka castaway57 here), you profess to be a bona-fide sda but you have shown in many ways that you are far from being a true sda. You infiltrate all the adventist forums to create confusion, sometimes in very sutble ways and sometimes in not so subtle ways. Some days you are acting as though you are a protector of "our prophet," (speaking of Mrs. White) and then on other days you are subtlely making fun of her by misquoting her and misrepresenting her. I have seen you in action many a time. You may have fooled some here but you have not fooled me.

sky

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lol; I am always glad to be labelled as an "Infiltrator" for Jesus. I am glad you "know" who I am, 'cause I don't. lol My kids asked me the other day: "Dad, what are you going to be when you grow up?"

I praise the Lord for this post.

AndrewK788 said:

Just one question.

How would you explain it to a non-Adventist that puts no stock in the Spirit of Prophecy?

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You make an excellent point. To be fair; one should not even need the spirit of prophecy to explain the role of faith and works in our salvation; although it could be used as an adjunct to help point out certain scriptures that talk about it.

But, in a nut shell; I would just say justification and sanctification can actually just happen all at once. It is not usually the case where we can look at our's or someone elses life and say; OK on Nov 24th Sam was justified; and then four years later, on July 5th; he was sanctified. It doesnt go in prescibed steps like that! All that is needed, is to come to Jesus as you are, without trying to fix yourself up first, and Jesus will do the fixing. That about covers all the justifying and sanctifying we will ever need. (John 6:37, 1 Cor 1:30)

1Co 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

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Castaway57 said:

But, in a nut shell; I would just say justification and sanctification can actually just happen all at once. It is not usually the case where we can look at our's or someone elses life and say; OK on Nov 24th Sam was justified; and then four years later, on July 5th; he was sanctified. It doesnt go in prescibed steps like that! All that is needed, is to come to Jesus as you are, without trying to fix yourself up first, and Jesus will do the fixing. That about covers all the justifying and sanctifying we will ever need. (John 6:37, 1 Cor 1:30)

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Thanks for the response.

I agree with you on justification and sanctification happening at once. In fact, a genuine justification by faith cannot help but be a simultaneous sanctification. Don't get me wrong though. There is no once saved always saved. The sentimental Christian that looks back to some moment many years past as the day they were saved is probably a Christian that is no longer saved... Sanctification is an ongoing justification by faith. It is dying daily, taking up our cross daily, and it is always in the present-tense. Thus, it is not untrue that sanctification is the work of a lifetime, but it also the work of a single choice made by faith which can be instantaneous. We should be careful not to equate (as some have) sanctification with lengths of time and levels of piety. When we do this we are in danger of doing exactly what the Roman church did in saying salvation is not only by faith, but by faith and penance and works.

All men were justified at Calvary. ALL men, including sinners. In this I mean legally all men were acquitted and all men were granted the gift of having God's law in their hearts and minds. That is the good news of the everlasting gospel! When one understands it properly, being lost is a hard business. We so often treat God's love as passive when in reality it is the most assertive and active force in the universe. However, the Bible makes it clear that the majority will be lost. Not because God did not do as much as He could have. But they "could not enter in because of unbelief." Many do not really believe righteousness is by faith and faith only. They may believe faith is the impetus, the kick-start, but ultimately they feel that at the end of the day, they must do it themselves. Take football. They see faith as placing them at the one yard line, but they still feel it's their job to take the ball into the endzone. It's not.

Sorry for the rant, and sorry for the lack of Bible quotes on this one. I'm already late for work. Let me know what you think and I'll be glad to come back to it later.

God bless

AndrewK788 said:

Thanks for the response.


Sorry for the rant, and sorry for the lack of Bible quotes on this one. I'm already late for work. Let me know what you think and I'll be glad to come back to it later.

God bless

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Very good rant in my opinion. lol, but like you I have no time to reply tonight. I'll look forward to coming back and chatting some more about this.