Justification

ROMANS 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

This verse encapsulates the doctrine of justification, which is the divine act where God declares a sinner to be righteous solely on the basis of faith in Jesus Christ. It is not earned through human effort or moral achievement but is a gift granted the moment one believes in the redemptive work of Christ on the cross. In that instant, God imputes Christ’s perfect righteousness to the believer, forgiving all sin and establishing a new, unbreakable relationship of peace. This peace is not merely a feeling but a legal and spiritual reality—hostility between God and the sinner is removed, and reconciliation is complete. Importantly, entrance into heaven is secured not by the believer’s progress in sanctification, which is the ongoing process of becoming holy, but by this once-for-all justification. Thus, the believer’s standing before God is not based on fluctuating spiritual performance but on the unchanging righteousness of Christ. Being “in Christ” means being fully accepted, fully loved, and eternally secure.

ROMANS 3:24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;

Romans 3:24 reveals the heart of the gospel: “being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.” Justification is not something we earn or achieve—it is a gift, freely given by God’s grace. The term “justified” means that God declares us not guilty, absolving us of all sin and imputing to us the holiness of Christ. This declaration is rooted not in our own righteousness, but in the redemptive work of Jesus, who paid the price for our sins through His death and resurrection. When we place our faith in Him, we are united with Christ, and His righteousness becomes ours. This means that in God’s eyes, we are not only forgiven but also counted as holy. Justification secures our standing before God, giving us confidence and peace, knowing that we are accepted and loved—not because of what we’ve done, but because of who Christ is and what He has done for us.

1 CORINTHIANS 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able,

The believers in Corinth although they had come to faith in Christ and received the Holy Spirit, their spiritual maturity was lacking. He refers to them as “infants in Christ,” indicating that while they had been justified—declared righteous before God through faith—they had not progressed in sanctification, the ongoing process of becoming more like Christ. Justification is instantaneous, occurring the moment one believes, but sanctification is gradual and requires cooperation with the Holy Spirit. The Corinthians were still dominated by fleshly behaviors such as jealousy, pride, and division, which hindered their spiritual growth. Paul’s metaphor of giving them “milk” rather than “solid food” illustrates their inability to grasp deeper spiritual truths due to their immaturity. This passage reminds us that spiritual growth is not automatic; it demands a conscious yielding to the Spirit and a rejection of the flesh. When believers resist the Spirit’s transformative work, they remain spiritually stagnant, unable to move beyond the basics of the faith into the fullness of maturity that God desires for His children.

Sanctification

PHILIPPIANS 2:12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to desire and to work for His good pleasure.

This verse offers a profound insight into the believer’s journey of sanctification. After justification—being declared righteous by faith in Christ—the Christian life enters a new phase: the daily outworking of salvation. Paul urges believers to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,” not as a call to earn salvation, but to actively participate in the sanctifying work God is doing within them. This process involves the transformation of character, the renewal of the mind, and the cultivation of holiness. It is not a solitary effort; “it is God who is at work in you,” both to give the desire and the power to live in a way that pleases Him. Sanctification is the ongoing experience of salvation—where the Holy Spirit shapes the believer more and more into the likeness of Christ. It requires humility, reverence, and a willing heart, recognizing that spiritual growth is a cooperative effort between divine grace and human response.

1 THESSALONIANS 4:3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification.

Sanctification is not optional—it is the will of God for every believer. While justification happens in an instant, the moment we place our faith in Jesus Christ and are declared righteous, sanctification is the ongoing process that follows. It is the work of God in us, shaping our character and conduct to reflect the holiness of Christ. Believers are called to abstain from sexual immorality, to exercise self-control, and to live in a way that honors both God and others. This is not merely about external behavior, but about a heart transformed by the Spirit, no longer driven by lustful passions like those who do not know God. Sanctification is progressive—it unfolds over time as we yield to the Spirit, obey God’s Word, and pursue holiness in our daily choices. God has not called us to impurity, but to a life set apart for Him. This is His present work in us: to make us holy, not just in position, but in practice.

2 TIMOTHY 2:21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. 22 Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness… with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

Paul is urging his beloved disciple Timothy to pursue holiness as the foundation for effective ministry. He reminds Timothy that to be a vessel for honor—someone who is sanctified and useful to the Master—he must first cleanse himself from dishonorable things. This passage reveals that sanctification is both personal and communal—it involves individual discipline and shared pursuit. To serve God well, one must first be transformed by Him. Holiness is the soil in which fruitful ministry grows.

Glorification

1. ROMANS 8:29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son … 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

This verse presents a complete and unbreakable picture of God’s work in salvation, often called the “golden chain.” Salvation begins with God, not man. Those whom God foreknew—meaning those He set His loving purpose upon—He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. God’s goal is not only to save people from sin, but to transform them to become like Christ. Those whom He predestined, He also called with an effective call that brings faith and new life. Everyone whom God calls in this way is then justified, declared righteous before Him through faith in Christ. Finally, those whom God justified, He also glorified. Remarkably, glorification is written in the past tense, even though it is still future for believers. This shows the absolute certainty of God’s plan—what God has determined will surely come to pass. Because God knows all things beforehand and is sovereign over history, future events can be spoken of as already accomplished.

2. PHILIPPIANS:20–21

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”

Here Paul teaches that glorification involves the transformation of our earthly bodies into glorified, immortal bodies like Christ’s resurrected body.

3. 1 CORINTHIANS 15:51–53

“Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

This describes the moment of glorification—when believers receive immortal, resurrection bodies at Christ’s return.

4. 1 JOHN 3:1-3

"… For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure."

As believers, we are already children of God—not metaphorically, but truly and legally adopted into His family through Christ. Yet, the fullness of what we will become has not yet been revealed. When Jesus returns, we will be transformed; our bodies will be glorified, and we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He truly is. This is not a vague or wishful hope—it is a certain, confident expectation grounded in God’s promises.

Because of this sure hope, we are called to live in a way that reflects our identity. The world may not recognize us or understand our values, because it did not recognize Christ. But we are not defined by the world’s standards—we are defined by our relationship with the Father. Therefore, we are to live as children of God: pursuing purity, walking in love, and reflecting the character of Christ. This hope motivates us to grow in holiness, to align our lives with the One we will one day see face to face. To live like a child of God is to live with eternity in view, shaped by grace and driven by love.

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