Part 2 - Two Major Life-Changing Phases

This Article is part of a multi-part Study Series called The Necessity of Sanctification .

There are two major life-changing phases in the Christian’s life; 1) Justification, and 2) Sanctification.

  1. Justification is the process whereby we believe and God declares us to be ‘righteous on the basis of faith in the Person and work of Christ.’ Justification is the activity of God that liberates us from the penalty, guilt, and shame of Sin. This is a work of “the Cross” in that Christ Died FOR US!
    • (Romans 4:25)
  2. Sanctification is the work of God in Christ liberating us from the Power of Sin, by dying AS US!

“… we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Heb. 10:10)

So, “justification” Imputes (or counts) the righteousness of God unto us, while… “sanctification” actually Imparts the righteousness of God throughout our being… by the ‘work’ and ‘Power’ of “the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus” … based upon the Crosswork of Jesus. I will explain this further as we proceed.

In Romans 6, Paul gives us the basis and motivation for overcoming Sin, which is by Christ’s finished crosswork for us, which includes our co-death and resurrection with Him (Christ).”  

Paul wrote that we as believers are “Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God…” (Col. 2:12, cf. Rom. 6:3-4) Yet, most fail to see and trust in the fact that Christ in us nowIS (currently) made unto us … sanctification” (1Cor. 1:30).

FACT: Our sanctification IS an accomplished finished work of the Cross! Clearly, according to Paul, we’ve died “to sin” in Christ and are free from Sin’s dominion (read Rom. 6:3-7). Yet, most of us try hard toreckon it to be so, to yield ourselves to God, and it just doesn’t work! This is because we are trying to perform what God has done and will perform In Us by the work of the Spirit… in His time.

It was only by our faith in the cross of Christ that we are forever ‘counted’ as being sinless in God’s eyes. God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing (not counting) their trespasses (sins) unto them…” (2 Corinthians 5:19) Similarly, our faith in our co-death with Jesus is the basis of our sanctification.

We are those super-blessed people in that while we are in the process of being sanctified by the work of God, our failings and sins are not even taken account of by the Lord. This is why we can say we live in a rarified atmosphere of pure grace and there is “no condemnation” toward us, while God is at work IN US.

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus… (Romans 8:1)

Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will Not Impute (Not Count) Sin.” (Romans 4:8)

So, now… it is ‘God Which Worketh In You’ both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13). And, we can be certain that He will continue working in us right up to the time of the Rapture. “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” (Philippians 1:6)

Now, as we learn to be “led by the Spirit” we actually begin to grow up spiritually in our union with Christ who is now in our spirit.  “he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit (with Him).” (1 Corinthians 6:17). And, “as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the (grown up) sons of God. (Romans 8:14).

But, if we interpret Romans 6 as the ‘method’ for experiencing victory over Sin we’re bound for trouble. Rom. 6 is only Paul’s introduction to Paul’s revelation on the process of sanctification. Romans 6 does not give us the full solution to the issue of sanctification; it merely presents the basis for sanctification and the need for sanctification. To put this in different words, Romans 6 does not deal with the method of sanctification, but rather the motive for sanctification.

It is in Romans 8 that we get to the matter of the revelation of God’s righteousness in the daily life of the Christian, with the spotlight on the ‘How,’ which is addressed only by the power of “the Spirit of life in Christ” within us.  “as many as are led by the Spirit of God…” (Rom. 8:14). If the Spirit is not leading you … then don’t go there, you cannot do it! Wait for His leading you. Meanwhile, just look to Him, trusting Him to ultimately bring you sanctification’s victory… by the power of “His Spirit.”