Some of you were such, but you were washed. But you were sanctified. But you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God.

1 Corinthians 6:11 (WEB)

 

Though justification and sanctification are distinct, they are not two separate acts of God. They are but one and continuing work of grace in our lives. Sanctification flows from justification. Thus, the more we grow in the understanding of our justification, the more we mature in our sanctification. This leads to a spiritually healthy and holy life.

In justification, our faith is dependent on Christ’s saving grace (Galatians 2:16). We made no contribution to our salvation, but instead received it by faith through grace, resting in the finished work of the Cross.

In sanctification, our faith is perfected through Christ’s sanctifying grace (Ephesians 5:3-21; Colossians 3:5-11). To be “perfected” means to be brought to a place of maturity, fully developed without lacking anything. We grow in our participation in our salvation, fully abiding and resting in Christ, allowing His Holy Spirit to produce His fruits of good works in and through us.

In justification, our status before God is righteous. In sanctification, our stature in God grows in righteousness. One of the greatest injustices we have done to the gospel is to uncouple sanctification from justification. In doing so, we make sanctification a prerequisite for obtaining or maintaining salvation. This is often done using a narrow set of doctrinal beliefs and rules for measuring holiness.

Holiness is not a goal to be achieved by our will power or self-efforts, but a way of life with God. Holiness comes through Christ and the working of the Holy Spirit. In other words, holiness is relational oneness and love with God. As we keep beholding and meditating on the glory of the Godhead, our encounters with His words and ways of righteousness will lead us to live well and love well.