Justification is distinct from sanctification because in justification God does not make the sinner righteous; He declares that person righteous (Romans 3:28; Galatians 2:16). Notice how justification and sanctification are distinct from one another:
Justification imputes Christ’s righteousness to the sinner’s account (Romans 4:11b);
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Sanctification imparts righteousness to the sinner personally and practically (Romans 6:1-7; 8:11-14).
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Justification takes place outside sinners and changes their standing (Romans 5:1-2,
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Sanctification is internal and changes the believer’s state (Romans 6:19).
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Justification is an event, sanctification a process.
Those two must be distinguished but can never be separated. God does not justify whom He does not sanctify, and He does not sanctify whom He does not justify. Both are essential elements of salvation.
Why differentiate between them at all? If justification and sanctification are so closely related that you can’t have one without the other, why bother to define them differently? That question was the central issue between Roman Catholicism and the the true believers
Im the sixteenth century, and it remains the main front in renewed attacks against justification.
Justification in Roman Catholic Doctrine
Roman Catholicism blends its doctrines of sanctification and justification. Catholic theology views justification as an infusion of grace that makes the sinner righteous. In Catholic theology, then, the ground of justification is something made good within the sinner–not the imputed righteousness of Christ.
The Council of Trent, Rome’s response to the Reformation, pronounced anathema on anyone who says “that the [sinner] is justified by faith alone” This means that nothing else is required by way of cooperation in the acquisition of the grace of justification. The Catholic council ruled “Justification … is not remission of sins merely, but also the sanctification and renewal of the inward man, through the voluntary reception of the grace, and of the gifts, whereby man of unjust becomes just.” So Catholic theology confuses the concepts of justification and sanctification and substitutes the righteousness of the believer for the righteousness of Christ.
Am I Just splitting Hairs?
The difference between Rome and the Reformers is no example of theological hair-splitting. The corruption of the doctrine of justification results in several other grievous theological errors.
If sanctification is included in justification, the justification is a process, not an event. That makes justification progressive, not complete. Our standing before God is then based on subjective experience, not secured by an objective declaration. Justification can therefore be experienced and then lost. Assurance of salvation in this life becomes practically impossible because security can’t be guaranteed. The ground of justification ultimately is the sinner’s own continuing present virtue, not Christ’s perfect righteousness and His atoning work.
What’s so important about the doctrine of justification by faith alone? It is the doctrine upon which the confessing church stands or falls. Without it there is no salvation, no sanctification, no glorification–nothing. You wouldn’t know it to look at the state of Christianity today, but it really is that important.
More than 150,000 people die every day. That’s 4.5 million each month, a number that exceeds the population of Los Angeles. Add to that the number of dead throughout human history—it’s a staggering figure. Tragically, many of those people died without knowing Christ. What fate awaits them? Do they really Rest In Peace, or do they find a different reality beyond the grave?
Sadly, those who reject God and His way of salvation don’t find rest when they die. They enter into eternal hell where there’s no peace for the wicked. That’s a grim, terrible reality, and it’s what the Bible teaches.
The Bible is the only authority source that tells the truth about death, hell, and eternity. The Bible has the final word on that subject—and on every subject—because it is a revealed book. It has come from God, from the spiritual realm, and has the answers about where all of us will spend eternity one day.
So, what does the Bible teach about hell?
Hell Is
Far from legend, myth, metaphor, or allegory, the Bible presents hell as a real place where wicked people suffer the wrath of God. Consider these vivid portraits of hell from three different New Testament writers:
Then the King will say to those on His left, “Depart from me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.”…These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. (Matthew 25:41, 46)
If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. (Mark 9:43)
And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15)
Scripture presents a terrifyingly clear case for a literal hell. It’s a place where God punishes unbelievers for all eternity. Contrary to what some so-called evangelicals are teaching, hell is not a state of mind or a hard life on this earth. Your state of mind can change; your circumstances can improve. Hell never changes, never improves. Hell is not chastisement; it’s everlasting, insufferable punishment at the hands of an angry God.
According to the revelation Jesus gave to the apostle John, the fate of every unbeliever is to,
…drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger. And he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever. They have no rest day and night. (Revelation 14:10-11)
Jesus and Hell
Though every New Testament author acknowledges the doctrine of hell, Jesus has the most to say about it. The existence of hell wasn’t something He questioned, debated, or defended, and He certainly didn’t apologize for it. He assumed the reality of hell just as much as He did the resurrection (John 5:28-29). Jesus viewed hell as a real place, a certainty, and so should you. in fact, He’s the model on how you should think about hell.
When Jesus talked about hell, His purpose was always to warn, not to raise questions or plant doubts. Consider the graphic words He used to portray hell—they clearly aren’t meant to provide comfort, but to frighten.
According to Jesus, hell is a place of outer darkness (Matthew 22:13) where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:12). Hell is a fiery furnace (Matthew 13:42, 50) of unquenchable fires (Mark 9:48-49). Hell is a place of spiritual and bodily destruction (Matthew 10:28) where there are endless torments (Luke 16:23-24). Hell is most certainly a place, a horrific place where agonizing conditions exist.
No Way Out
Hell offers no means of escape, rescue, or relief—no way out, ever. The occupants of hell are sealed in their damnation (Rev. 22:11). Friends and family can’t help; God won’t help. The time for mercy has passed.
As one who knows exactly what awaits the wicked, Jesus told the story of a rich man who was tormented in hell:
And the rich man cried out and said, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.”
But Abraham said, “Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.” (Luke 16:24-26)
Dante seemed to understand that message. His imaginary inscription over hell’s entrance, “Abandon hope, all ye who enter here,” rightly pictured hell as a place where mercy and hope are left at the door.
The Word of God leaves no doubt about the existence or nature of hell. With clarity and authority, God has told us everything we need to know about hell, and how to avoid it through the merits of Christ.
See how to be born again:
In January of 1936, a young girl named Phyllis wrote to Albert Einstein on behalf of her Sunday school class, and asked, “Do scientists pray?” Her letter, and Einstein’s reply, can be read below.
(Source: Dear Professor Einstein; Image: Albert Einstein in 1947, via Life.)
The Riverside Church
January 19, 1936
My dear Dr. Einstein,
We have brought up the question: Do scientists pray? in our Sunday school class. It began by asking whether we could believe in both science and religion. We are writing to scientists and other important men, to try and have our own question answered.
We will feel greatly honored if you will answer our question: Do scientists pray, and what do they pray for?
We are in the sixth grade, Miss Ellis’s class.
Respectfully yours,
Phyllis
———————-
January 24, 1936
Dear Phyllis,
I will attempt to reply to your question as simply as I can. Here is my answer:
Scientists believe that every occurrence, including the affairs of human beings, is due to the laws of nature. Therefore a scientist cannot be inclined to believe that the course of events can be influenced by prayer, that is, by a supernaturally manifested wish.
However, we must concede that our actual knowledge of these forces is imperfect, so that in the end the belief in the existence of a final, ultimate spirit rests on a kind of faith. Such belief remains widespread even with the current achievements in science.
But also, everyone who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that some spirit is manifest in the laws of the universe, one that is vastly superior to that of man. In this way the pursuit of science leads to a religious feeling of a special sort, which is surely quite different from the religiosity of someone more naive.
With cordial greetings,
A. Einstein
What did Jesus mean when he told Nicodemus, “You must be born again.” We had no part in our physical birth, nor can we have a part in our spiritual birth. It’s a new birth. And that’s the point of the simple analogy. This we call the doctrine of regeneration, which means coming into a new state of things.
What does it mean? It is simply a term that describes the necessity that a person receive:
and you make no contribution to that new birth. The new birth is how we receive salvation. Consequently:
Salvation is not gained by those who try harder.
Salvation is not gained by those who live better.
Salvation is not gained by those who become more moral,
Salvation is not gained by being more religious,
Salvation is not gained by taking religion to its highest level,
Salvation is not gained by forsaking certain vices.
This is the fact from: Titus 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us,”
No, the kingdom of God is not gained by anything a person does. The kingdom of God only opens to those who are born again. John 3:3 “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.” The term is (ανωθεν -anothen) in Greek and it means “from above,” “down from above” so the new birth is a life that comes out of heaven from God.
You have to be given life from above, and there is nothing that you can do spiritually about that any more than you can do about it physically (Romans 6v23, Ephesians 1v8-9). The kingdom of salvation, opens its doors only to those who abandon all human effort as a means of salvation, who cease trying to earn their way in, but who by repentance for sin and faith in Christ, literally are born from above by the power and will of God.
It’s not: What do I do? Where do I go? What more do I need to do? What other thing do I need to do? Or what thing do I need to delete out of my life? What am I doing that I need to stop doing? What am I not doing I need to do? And Jesus says to Nicodemus:
“If you want to enter the kingdom, you’ve got to be born again.” Which is to say, nothing you’ve ever done makes any contribution. As you have not yet received spiritual life through the new birth you are spiritually dead. Therefore everything that you think you have achieved is not acceptable to God.
Jesus ignores Nicodemus’s greeting of “good teacher.” He reads Nicodemus’ mind. He goes right to his mind’s needs because He knows everyone’s mind. He knows what everybody is thinking because He is God. And He shatters in that one statement all the stained glass ideas of religious achievements by stating the need to be born again.
As we have all “come sort of the glory (character/standards) of God” (Romans 3:23), therefore all religious works, all moral works are useless, or impotent, to provide anything by which a man can enter the kingdom. This is the truth of regeneration. And is predicated on the fact that the best that a man can do is not good enough for God. See Isaiah 64:6 “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” As a result all our moral works, and all our religion is useless to satisfy or please God. Regeneration or being born again is explained in the Bible. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, “If any man be in Christ he is a new creature (or creation)”.
1 Peter 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again (we have been born again), unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
Romans 6:13 (written to believers) “Present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead.”
Ephesians 2:4, “God being rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead, in our transgressions, made us alive.” It’s always God who makes us alive, who creates us, who gives us
If any man is in Christ, he’s a new creation. Such have been born again; each one is a new creation. Jesus told Nicodemus “You must be born again.” In other words, because of our sin and our state of being spiritually dead, everything you’ve done in the past is useless. It’s all dead works. It doesn’t earn anything with God and so it’s useless. It wouldn’t make any difference if you were a prostitute or if you were the teacher in Israel, we’re all in the same “come short” condition. Because no “good” or “religious” works counts with God; none of that matters. You have to be born again. God has made it wonderfully possible through Christ to be “born from above”.
What did Jesus mean when he told Nicodemus, “You must be born again. We had no part in our physical birth, nor can we have a part in our spiritual birth. It’s a new birth. And that’s the point of the simple analogy. This we call the doctrine of regeneration.
What does it mean? It is simply a term that describes the necessity that a person receive:
a new birth,
a new life,
a new nature,
a new disposition,
a new character,
a new mind from God
and you make no contribution to that new birth. The new birth is how we receive salvation.
Salvation is not gained by those who try harder.
Salvation is not gained by those who live better.
Salvation is not gained by those who become more moral,
Salvation is not gained by being more religious,
Salvation is not gained by taking religion to its highest level,
Salvation is not gained by forsaking certain vices.
No, the kingdom of God is not gained by anything a person does. The kingdom of God only opens to those who are born again. The term is (ανωθεν -anothen) in Greek and it means “from above,” “down from above.”
You have to be given life from above, and that’s not something that you can do spiritually any more than you can do it physically. The kingdom of salvation, opens its doors only to those who abandon all human effort as a means of salvation, who cease trying to earn their way in and literally are born from above by the power and will of God.
It’s not: What do I do? Where do I go? What more do I need to do? What other thing do I need to do? Or what thing do I need to delete out of my life? What am I doing that I need to stop doing? What am I not doing I need to do? And Jesus says to Nicodemus:
“If you want to enter the kingdom, you’ve got to be born again.” Which is to say, Nothing you’ve ever done makes any contribution. Everything you are needs to be dead. Everything you have achieved needs to die.
Jesus ignores Nicodemus’s greeting of “good teacher..” He reads Nicodemus’ mind. He goes right to his mind because He knows everyone’s mind. He knows what everybody is thinking because he is God. And He shatters in that one statement, about the need to be born again, all the stained glass ideas of religion.
All religious works, all moral works are useless, impotent to provide anything by which a man can enter the kingdom. This is the truth of regeneration. And is predicated on the fact that the best that a man can do is wretched, that all our moral works, and all our religion is useless to satisfy or please God.
Regeneration or being born again is explained in the bible. In 2Corinthians 5:17, “If any man be in Christ he is a new creature,” “new creation,”
1 Peter 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again.”
Romans 6 “Present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead.” “Present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead.”
Ephesians 2:4, “God being rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead, in our transgressions, made us alive.” It’s always God who makes us alive, who creates us, who gives us
If any man’s in Christ, he’s a new creation. You’ve been born again; it’s a new creation. Jesus told Nicodemus “You must be born again,” in other word everything you’ve done in the past is useless. It’s all dead works. It doesn’t matter, it’s useless. It wouldn’t make any difference if you were a prostitute or if you were the teacher in Israel, you’re in the same condition. Because none of that counts; none of that matters. You have to be born again. Born from above.
In Adam and Eve mankind rebelled against God. All are born into the world in sin and under condemnation. Sin separates from God. The consequence of sin is physical and spiritual death. An eternal hell awaits those who remain in a state of sin and rebellion.
God in His grace has made a way for man to be reconciled to Him. By dying on the cross as a substitute for sinners, Jesus Christ provided the only way for those who repent to be forgiven for their sins. Heaven is the destination for those who receive Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour.
Jesus is alive and in His gospel offers spiritual life and a new relationship with God. To receive this life the sinner must do two basic things:
Turn from his sin and self-centered life and follow Jesus as Lord.
Trust that Jesus has done everything needed for our acceptance by God.
Acts16:31 declares: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.”
Here are the steps one must take in order to experience salvation.
Admit that you are a sinner – Romans 3:23
Realize that the penalty of sin is eternal death – Romans 6:23a
Acknowledge that there is nothing you can do to save yourself – Romans 3:20
Realize that Christ has paid the penalty for sin – Romans 5:8-9
Repent (turn from) of your sin – Luke 13:3
Believe in (turn to) Jesus Christ alone for salvation – Romans 10:9
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Romans 3:23
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Romans 6:23a
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 3:20
“Therefore no one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.”
Romans 5:8-9
“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him!”
Luke 13:3
“I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”
Romans 10:9-10
“If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”
Illustration: I often use the ABC’s of the gospel:
1. Admit that you are sinner and repent.
2. Believe in Christ as your Savior and the Lord who forgives all sin.
3. Confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and ask Him to come into your life as the only one who can give you the gift of eternal life. (Rom. 10:9,10)
The believers’ mandate originally given by our risen Lord in Matthew is very evident in Romans 10:14, 15, “How then shall they call upon Him whom they have not believed? How shall they believe in whom they have not heard? How shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent?” This lays out the gospel mandate. In order to be saved, people have to believe. In order to believe, they have to know what to believe. In order to know what to believe, there has to be somebody who tells them. And in order for there to be somebody who tells them, somebody has to be sent. That’s really our mandate.
That sums it all up. There is no salvation apart from the gospel. No gospel, no salvation. You must know the truth and believe the truth. And to know the truth and believe the truth, you have to hear the truth and therefore somebody has to bring it to you.
The gospel is the power of God for salvation. No one has ever been saved apart from the gospel since the coming of Christ and since His death and resurrection. No one can be saved unless they hear. No one can hear unless somebody preaches. And there’s no one to preach unless someone is sent.
And when you take the gospel, it is necessary that a clear explanation of the gospel be made. That’s why study is so important. There are so many inadequate representations of the gospel such as, in Greece where there’s a fast growing movement among so-called evangelicals that denies that Jesus actually came in the flesh.
It is necessary that we get the right message and that we get it accurately. And that’s why study is absolutely critical. You can’t have a caricature of the gospel, you can’t have bits and pieces of the gospel that have been floating around and amalgamated themselves into some syncratistic kind of understanding that is inadequate. It must be the gospel, it must be the true gospel and it can be nothing but the gospel.
The world is full of religion. There are religious people all over the planet. They are passionately religious. You see it all the time. You see religious Hindus in the media all the time. You see religious Buddhists. You see religious Muslims all the time escalating in their exposure to the world. You see religious Roman Catholics. You see religious New Agers, religious spiritualists, religious Protestants, even religious so-called evangelicals who have some kind of longing to gain heaven and no God. But unless they know the truth, it’s all useless.
Nobody ever sought for the truth more zealously than the Jews did. And, in fact, they had the Old Testament, to begin with, it was to them that God gave the covenants and the adoption as sons and the promises, gave them the scriptures. They had rabbis, scribes, Pharisees, experts in the study of Scripture, self-appointed, self-styled, self-confessed experts. In fact, they substituted the traditions of man for the Word of God. That was Jesus’ own indictment.
Not everybody’s going to believe, verse 16 says, they didn’t all heed the glad tidings. Even Isaiah said, “Lord, who has believed our report?” first verse of chapter 53. Not everybody’s going to believe. That doesn’t change our responsibility. So you go back to your responsibility in verse 17, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ.”
So as a true believer, you start with the word of Christ, you study the word and confront the culture and preach so the people can hear and believe and call upon the name of the Lord and be saved. This is Christ’s mandate. This is our mandate. This is our responsibility and joy.
A spell to cure warts (by washing ones hands in a silver basin by moonlight)
A spell for curing a toothache
A spell for curing cramps
A spell for dealing with a swarm of bees
A spell for finding buried treasure
A spell for remembering things
A spell for forgetting things
A spell to know whether someone was telling the truth
A spell for conjuring or preventing weather patterns including: Wind, fog, snow, sleet or rain
A spell for producing an enchanted sleep
A spell for turning a human head into a donkey’s head
A spell for making oneself beautiful beyond the lot of mortals
A spell for knowing what others were thinking of you
A spell for the ‘refreshment of the spirit’
A spell to make things invisible
A spell to make hidden things visible
A spell for changing the appearance of persons
“Lilith was a succubus, that is, a female demon that has intercourse with men while they sleep, and later kills their progenty. Lilith in Babylonian and Assyrian myhology was a ravenus sexual entrepneur. In legend lilith was Adam’s first wife. She supposedly had riotus erotic adventures with fallen
1. Was Lewis a Bible believer?
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