Tony
Scriptures:
John 3:3 Galatians 2:20 Romans 8:5-13 Romans 3:24 Ephesians 2:8 Romans 4:7 1 Thessalonians 4:3
Justification is only one part of Spiritual conversion. When a person accepts God’s forgiveness and yields his or her/her life to Christ, that person’s life is changed from being subject to spiritual death to being guided in a new direction towards eternal life with Christ. Christ comes to live in and through the believer. (John 3:3, Galatians 2:20). From now on Holy Spirit lives in the believer, empowering victory over sin and helping us to grow Christ-like. (Romans 8:5-13).
Being put right with God is a gift (Romans 3:24, Ephesians 2:8). We can never achieve a perfect relationship with God in our own strength. It must be grounded in the work of Christ, who not only deals with past sin but also sets us free from sin and its power over our lives. This gift is a gift of God’s mercy and grace. It is the result of God’s undeserved favour and love, and is related to the forgiveness of our sins (Romans 4:7). Sinners are declared guilty, according to God’s law and condemned to eternal death, but our sins are all forgiven through faith in Christ Jesus, made possible by His atoning death and resurrection.
Scripture declares us ”crucified with Christ”. We identify with, and receive His gift of love and His power to continually turn away from temptation, and live a Spirit filled life. Christ’s initial work of Spiritual redemption cannot be separated from the Spirit’s ongoing work of sanctification, which involves purification, perfection and separation from evil. The believer discovers the gift God has given to him or her to be part of building up the Body of Christ.
Rather than continuing with my own words, I would like to share with you a remarkable article from “Open the Bible” which comes into our inbox daily. The author appears to be Pastor Colin Smith, a Scotsman now leading a big church in America. Marian and I find his teaching very sound, so we felt it best to share his excellent explanation of Justification and Sanctification here:-
“It is God’s will that you should be sanctified. (1 Thessalonians 4:3)
A helpful way to understand sanctification is by contrasting it with justification—twin blessings that God gives to every Christian in this life. Justification is about forgiveness so that you may come to God. Sanctification is about holiness so that you may become like God. In justification, God calls us to believe. In sanctification, God calls us to watch, fight, and pray. Justification is Christ’s hidden work. You cannot tell if a person is forgiven. It is the gift of God given in secret as a person comes to faith in Christ. Sanctification is Christ’s visible work. You can tell if a person is becoming more like Jesus. “By their fruits you shall know them.” A good tree produces good fruit. Justification and sanctification are quite distinct from one another, and we run into difficulties when we get them confused. Some Christians think that their acceptance with God (justification) depends on the degree of success they experience in their battle with sin. But if that’s what you think, you will never enjoy peace with God or be confident in His love. Other Christians have grasped that salvation is about forgiveness for the past and heaven for the future, but they have never grasped that salvation is also about the power of Christ in your life now (sanctification), and so they never change. It is important to grasp that justification and sanctification are different blessings, and they should not be confused, but they are always found together and they should not be separated. Which do you struggle with more: Feeling accepted by God? Or experiencing the power to change in the Christian life?” (Pastor Colin Smith)
Prayer: Heavenly Father we thank You for your gifts of mercy and grace toward every repentant sinner. May we know full assurance that our sins are forgiven through the precious sacrificial blood of Jesus. Holy Spirit we invite You to bring sanctification into our innermost being, making us ever more Christ-like day by day. In Jesus’ powerful Name, Amen.
If anyone would like to find the website, you can do so by googling, ‘Open the Bible Pastor Colin Smith’, or Facebook under ‘Open the Bible’.
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