FORGIVENESS, JUSTIFICATION, AND SANCTIFICATION. BY DAVID PENFOLD – UK

Forgiveness, justification and sanctification are three distinct blessings that the believer is blessed with at the moment of trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour (Ephesians 1v3). The act of accepting Christ as Saviour is one act, yet it results in many specific benefits including these three.

Forgiveness for the judgment of our sins is one event with a permanent effect, but forgiveness for sins that interrupt our fellowship with the Father is a continuous process (1 John 1v9). While justification is one event with a permanent effect, sanctification is both one event with a permanent effect and a process. We will consider only justification and sanctification.

JUSTIFICATION

Meaning

The Biblical meaning of the believer’s justification is not the same as it generally means today. Today justification means to find the falsely accused person innocent. However in the New Testament it means something better. Romans 4 verse 2-3 says “For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” Therefore “justification” means to be “counted {or reckoned} righteous” before God. So God makes the guilty righteous in His sight at the point of faith in Christ.

The sinner’s Answer

Who personally qualifies to be justified?  Romans 3v19 says “Now we know, that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” So every individual of all generations and all nationalities in the whole human race is guilty before God’s justice, stands condemned in His sight and is subject to His divine wrath on sin.

However God found the answer by sending His only begotten Son to the cross so that He might bear our sins (1 Peter 2v24) and His blood be shed (John 19v34) as the basis of justification. See Romans 5v9 “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”

Faith is the means of Justification

So how can a sinner receive the righteousness of God (Romans 3v22). Romans 3 verse 28 says, “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”  Romans 5 verse 1 says, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Consequently by faith in Christ a sinner receives justification as Romans 5v17 says “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)” So on the basis of Christ’s obedience, death and resurrection God can justly justify believing sinners. Belief means total reliance on. Also the Greek word “logizomai,” meaning ‘to put to one’s account,’ appears eleven times in Romans chapter 4, but it is translated by three different words – ‘count, reckon, and impute’. So God takes His righteousness and credits it to the believing sinner and declares him righteous.

The Present and Future Condition

The believer has been declared righteous. Romans 8v1 says “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, …” shows that this is a once-and-for-all declaration which saves him from the sins of the past, and secures his spiritual future. But as believers continue to sin, but to a lesser extent, after they are justified how can they still be righteous in God’s sight? 1 Corinthians was written to an assembly/church when they were in a low spiritual state but 6v11 says “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” This is positional truth (or our standing in Christ or our relationship to Christ), and is what the Godhead makes the believer based entirely on faith in Christ alone. The believer’s sins do not affect the believer’s position, standing or place, in this case of justification, before God because it is based upon Christ alone. But the believer’s sins do mar the believer’s practise (or state before God or his fellowship with the Father) and produce a feeling of guilt and separation from God. The believer needs then to confess their sins and God the Father will forgive them and restore their fellowship. 1 John chapter 1 verse 9 declares, ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness’.

SANCTIFICATION

Although sanctification is found in both the Old and New Testaments, our consideration below is how it applies to the believer in Christ. This is in four stages:

2 Thessalonians 2v13 “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.” God chose us in His sovereignty and the Holy Spirit, as the Divine Agent, sanctified and separated us to believe the truth. It is a Divine act that precedes faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as one’s own Saviour. See also 1 Peter c1v2 “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ” which in that verseincludes the activities of the Triune God

2. Positional Sanctification

So whenever a person is born again, he is positionally sanctified because of faith in Christ alone. So all believers came into the state of separation to God from the world when they are born of God. The practical truth, or our daily state, is the working out of such truth. 1 Corinthians 1v30 says, “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made (i.e. becomes, is made the source or basis of) unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” This is a once-for-ever eternal separation unto God is part of our salvation.

This is the present practical setting apart of the believer to God from the world, sin and self. It is a process by which he becomes more Christlike. This is the sanctification that Paul prays for the Thessalonians and isfound in

So sanctification is brought about by the Holy Spirit when we are obedient to the Word of God. Such practical sanctification is a process that should continue as long as the believer is on earth. He will never achieve perfection or sinlessness on earth (see Galatians 5v17), but he should ever be pursuing that goal.

When the believer goes to be with the Lord, he will be morally and physically (Philippians 3v21) like the Lord. This glorified state will be our ultimate separation from sin and total sanctification to God in every respect.

So justification and sanctification are different Biblical teachings.

The Council of Trent, held in the 16th century, was Rome’s response to the Reformation, and pronouncedanathema on anyone who says “that the [sinner] is justified by faith alone–if this means that nothing else is required by way of cooperation in the acquisition of the grace of justification.” They said in the “Decree Concerning Justification,” Chapter 7, “… Justification itself, which is not only a remission of sins but also the sanctification and renewal of the inward man through the voluntary reception of the grace and gifts whereby an unjust man becomes just and from being an enemy becomes a friend, that he may be an heir according to hope of life everlasting.” The Roman Catholic church, and probably others, confusesjustification with sanctification and even links it with good works. It was not until the Reformation that its true meaning of the great truth of “Justification by Faith alone” began to emerge and with its blessed effect.

What are the Implications?

If sanctification is included in justification, then the justification is a good works process and not an event. That makes justification progressive and not complete. Our standing before God is then based on subjective experience and not secured by God’s happy and objective declaration based on His perfect Son. Justification can therefore be experienced and then be lost. Assurance of salvation in this life becomes practically impossible because security can’t be guaranteed as it depends on us. Then the ground of justification is, ultimately, the sinner’s own continuing good works, not Christ’s perfect righteousness and His sacrificialwork on the cross.

What’s so important about the doctrine of justification by faith alone? It is the teaching upon which the confessing individual stands or falls with its implications for the church. Without justification there is no glorification – nothing but judgment for our sins. So God sanctifies whom He justifies and justifies those whom He sanctifies. So it is really important.