Doctrines of Justification And Sanctification: An Introduction

Justification and Sanctification are the two main doctrines of the Church, which will bring Christian believers to the threshold of spiritual growth and interdependence within the spiritual and physical Church.Justification also known as, "Saving Faith," is God’s pardon or forgiveness of our sins, which comes to us by faith.

Sanctification also known as, "The Fullness Of Faith," or "Holiness," is the process by which a believer is made to conform to the image of Christ spiritually (inward) and physically (outward). The sanctification process involves both the work of God (inwardly) and each believer to physically performing the good works God requires. Learning these two doctrines will help the believer understand the relation between Faith And Works.

Some believers think that because they are justified by faith alone, they do not need to embrace doing the good "works" God, instructed us to perform, which are the outward actions or works of the sanctification process. There is a delicate balance between faith and good works. It is important that every Christian believer understand this balance. Those who do not understand the delicate balance between faith and works will unwisely discount the importance of praying, studying the Scriptures, and assembling together with the rest of the Church as being necessary aids to their salvation.

While some Christian believers, especially of nondenominational assemblies, stress justification by faith but know nothing about sanctification, other Christian believers, such as Catholics, stress sanctification but know nothing about justification by faith. As we make disciples, our goal is always to locate our followers in that middle ground between those who stress sanctification but knew nothing about justification by faith, and those who stress justification by faith but knew nothing about sanctification.

Justification by faith builds the foundation and opens the gateway that leads to sanctification or "Scriptural holiness." Every believer that experiences God’s justification will be transformed inwardly (in the human spirit) and will begin a life-long process of sanctification through which they will be empowered to live holy outwardly (in their physical existence). Paul wrote about a two-step sanctification process through which we become outwardly clean.

We implement the second step of the process of sanctification only after we believe and are born-again by God’s grace. Simply speaking, the two-step process of sanctification involves meditation and performing those good works that Jesus prescribed or instructed his disciples to perform; Ephesians 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:23. One begins the two-step process of sanctification by renewing one’s mind or soul daily by meditating in the Scriptures—Joshua 1:8, and Romans 12:1 & 2. The second step in the process of sanctification involves performing those good works, which God prepared in advance a long time ago for us to do that will cause us to be clean outwardly (ref. Hebrews 9:13 and 1 Peter 1:2).

Through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, we are sanctified or cleansed inwardly. Through our obedience to perform those good works pre-planned by God, such as "love your neighbor as your self," "do unto others as you would have them do to you," etc, we are cleansed or sanctified outwardly (that is, made holy in our physical existence). We cannot take credit for our salvation as if it is God’s reward to us for doing good works. None of us can boast about salvation, because it is not a reward from God but a gift from God. We do perform good works of our choice but those good works that God pre-planned for us to perform after we become born-again.

The Apostle Paul wrote that "God created us new creatures in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us," 2 Corinthians 9:8. Believers, who receive God’s justification, without experiencing an inner transformation, and without discerning the holy path towards sanctification, are at religious dead end. The Church or the Body of Christ stands or falls on the doctrine of justification by faith. That is to say, justification by faith mark a watershed or turning point in the history of the Church. If the Church loses sight of this hallmark doctrine, they will lose everything.

JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH
What Justification Is Not:
Justification is not being made actually just and righteous (that is sanctification). It is not being cleared of Satan’s accusations against us, nor of the law, or even of God. We have sinned, so Satan’s accusation against us stands. The good news is that God’s justification is given to us as a gift. That is, God’s justification is free to us; we do not have to work for it. Through justification, God freely pardon’s us, and provides us with forgiveness of sins.

What Is Justification?
Justification is God’s pardon or forgiveness of our sins, which comes to us by faith. The notion that justification is "righteousness" is a misnomer based on a misconception. While it is true that righteousness is an intrinsic quality, distinctive attribute, or characteristic of justification, more specifically, righteousness is the outward result of the sanctification process.

Justification has to do with the fact God has vindicated, pardoned, or forgiven humankind of all sin and in this way, humankind is consequently "declared righteous" inwardly by God. Being declared righteous inwardly does not mean that a person has been sanctified or is righteous outwardly. Upon receiving God’s vindication, pardon, or forgiveness through justification by faith, the believer immediately becomes inwardly righteous. More specifically, when a person receives God’s forgiveness by exercising or putting their faith in the works that Jesus performed on their behalf, God immediately declares the born-again spirit to be righteous.

One must understand that humankind is tripartite beings; that is, we are beings consisting of three parts—spirit, soul, and body respectively (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:23b). In John 3:3, John wrote, "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." In the eyes of God, you, and I are really spirits made in the image and likeness of God; we have a soul and live in a physical body. This is what I mean by the statement that humankind is tripartite—three part—beings consisting of spirit, soul, and body. It is the spirit, (also known as the human spirit) which must be born-again and the soul and physical body must be sanctified.

We sanctify the soul as we renew it day by day through meditating (or thinking) upon the Scriptures. We sanctify the physical body by performing the good works God has preplanned for us to do which is an ongoing process. In his letter to the church at Ephesus, Paul wrote, "
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10). The works to which Paul refer is part of the process of sanctification. When the human spirit becomes born-again, a new creation is incapable of committing sin. John wrote about this in First John the 3rd chapter and the ninth verse..."Whoever is born of God doesn't commit sin, because his seed remains in him; and he can't sin, because he is born of God" (BBE).

SANCTIFICATION BY TRUTH
Sanctification is the process by which a believer is made to conform—inwardly and outwardly—to the image of Christ. In one of his many prayers to God, Jesus prayed, "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth" (John 17:17- NKJV).

In that Jesus-The Word, The Truth, The Life, The Way-lived a sinless life of total obedience to God on behalf of humankind, God is able to sanctify every believer conforming he or she inwardly or spiritually to the holy and righteous of Jesus. In that God sanctifies us inwardly (spiritually) through our faith in Jesus and in every good deed he performed on behalf of all humanity, we are then empowered to voluntarily participate in an outward Sanctification process by which a believer is made to conform outwardly to the image of Jesus Christ in his or her lifestyle.

Our challenge as believers is to incorporate the doctrinal truths or teachings contained in the Scriptures and the New Testament writings, into a daily lifestyle—providing the Holy Spirit has revealed those truths within our hearts or consciousness. When people gain revelation of God’s truths within their consciousness, those truths will change their lives, will become ingrained in their lifestyles, and will cause them to live among people of many diversities in unity, thoughtful tolerance, forgiveness, compassion, kindness, and love for others as if they are your blood brothers and sisters.

John 17:14-19 (New International Version)
14: I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15: My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16: They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17: Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18: As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19: For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

The word "sanctify" is translated from the Greek word "hagiazo" It conveys the idea of being "...set apart for sacred use..." or make holy. This is the same meaning for this word as it is used in verse 19. John 17:19: For them I sanctify myself, [or set myself apart] that they too may be truly sanctified [or truly set apart].

John 17:14-19 (The Message)
I gave them your word; The godless world hated them because of it, because they did not join the world's ways, just as I did not join the world's ways. 
I am not asking that you take them out of the world but that you guard them from the Evil One. They are no more defined by the world than I am defined by the world. Make them holy—consecrated—with the truth; Your word is consecrating truth. In the same way that you gave me a mission in the world, I give them a mission in the world. I am consecrating myself for their sakes so they will be truth-consecrated in their mission.

John 17:14-19 (New Life Version (NLV)
14: "I have given Your Word to My followers. The world hated them because they do not belong to the world, even as I do not belong to the world. 15: I do not ask You to take them out of the world. I ask You to keep them from the devil. 16: My followers do not belong to the world just as I do not belong to the world. 17: Make them holy for Yourself by the truth. Your Word is truth. 18: "As You sent Me into the world so I have sent them into the world also. 19: I set Myself apart to be holy for them. Then they may be made holy by the truth.

Romans 10:10 (New International Version)
10: For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

Romans 10:10 (Amplified Bible (AMP))
10: For with the heart a person believes (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Christ) and so is justified (declared righteous, acceptable to God), and with the mouth, he confesses (declares openly and speaks out freely his faith) and confirms [his] salvation.

Ephesians 5:26 "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word..." (KJV).

Ephesians 5:25-27 (BBE)
25 "...Christ also loved the assembly, and gave himself up for it";
26 that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word,
27 that he might present the assembly to himself gloriously, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

First Thessalonians 5:23 (BBE)
"May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (BBE).

Hebrews 13;12 (BBE)
"Therefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people through his own blood, suffered outside of the gate."

First Peter 3;15 (BBE)
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, with humility and fear:

Both doctrines of Justification and Sanctification are about two kinds of righteousness—inward and outward. Through justification, Christ is made unto us righteousness. We are made righteous inwardly, that is, in the spirit, while sanctification makes us righteous outwardly, that is, in the soul and the physical body. Inward righteousness is of the born-again spirit and is brought about through Justification by faith in Christ. Justification requires one to base their faith upon the works performed by Jesus Christ on behalf of humankind.

Consequently, to receive God’s justification and be made inwardly righteous, one does not need to physically perform any works on his or her own, but simply depend upon the works Christ has performed on behalf of all humankind. Outward righteousness is of the soul and body and is brought about through sanctification. God requires those who have been justified through justification to also be sanctified through sanctification. Sanctification is a process of physically performing those good works pre-ordained by God. To be sanctified is to be made outwardly righteous. As we who are justified began to physically perform those good works that God requires of us, we are being sanctified or becoming righteous, outwardly showing our faith in God by the good works we perform. A Christian Hypocrite
This article is my response to some interesting allegations alleged against Christians and the Church in an article entitled "A Christian Hypocrite." If you are a Christian the allegations in the article may leave you in a pique but is nonetheless interesting and worth reading. By Terry L. Johnson, Sr.