Justification, Sanctification and Glorification.
Rom. 3:24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
Justification happens because Jesus laid down His life for the sin of all humanity. Without His sacrifice, no man would have the opportunity to be justified because they believed in Jesus and His finished work on the cross.
Rom. 3:26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
How do we explain Justification? First, we must understand what Jesus did. The shed blood of Jesus made the remissions of all our sins possible – Matt 26:28. Sin had a severe penalty and consequence for man. The wages of sin is death – Rom 6:23. God made Jesus, who knew no sin or who never sinned, to be our substitute and receive the penalty for our sin.
On the other hand, we do not get what we deserved, but we get free instead. Instead of the penalty, we received the righteousness of God – 2 Cor 5:21. Not only does God remove the penalty of sin, but He also removes the consequences of our sin. Instead of eternal separation, we get to spend eternity with God.
JUSTIFICATION – GOD REMOVES THE PENALTY OF SIN!
Sanctification.
Sanctification comes after and because of Justification.
1Cor. 1:30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.
Sanctification is our walk to holiness. First of all, Jesus sanctified us and made us holy.
Heb. 2:11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,
Sanctification is a work of the Holy Spirit in us. Before our salvation, we had no desire to live holy. Our natural desires ruled us, and we only knew how to live to satisfy our flesh and our fallen nature. It changed when you got born again. You became a new creation with a new nature. The Holy Spirit and the Word now influence you that he writes on your heart, and not just your flesh.
2Pet. 1:4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Sanctification means that sin no longer rules and that you get to choose holiness instead. If you are born again, your natural desire should be to sin no more. Jesus came to destroy the devil’s works, and the devil’s works are to sin as it was from the beginning – 1 John 3:8.
As children of God, we have a great promise. When He comes back, we will be like Him. That alone motivates us to live a sanctified life.
1John 3:2-3 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
Justification removes the penalty for sin.
SANCTIFICATION REMOVES THE INFLUENCE OF SIN.
Glorification.
Rom. 8:30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
We have been justified, we have been sanctified, and we are being glorified. Just as we have to walk out our sanctification on earth, we will experience the fulness of this glorification in eternity. That does not mean we cannot share some of that in this life. Let’s first see what glorification entails.
For most people, it means something in the afterlife. The glory of God is His splendor, His power and ability, His essence, and His being. I am not taking anything away from that, but I want to add something. The glory of God also means that it is a place where there is no presence of sin. Sin does not exist in God’s presence. What a glorious idea that we will live without the presence of sin one day, but what about today?
We are seated with Him in heavenly places – Eph 2:6. What about Rom 8:1 that states that there is no condemnation for us who are in Christ Jesus, who walk according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh. Where there is no sin, there is no condemnation. In Christ, we have a place free from the presence of sin. In Him, we live and move and have our being – Acts 17:28.
What does that mean for us? I fully believe we can experience glory in a tiny portion by staying in Him, seeking Him, and finding the secret place of the Most High – Ps 91:1.
GLORIFICATION REMOVES THE PRESENCE OF SIN.
Justification – free from the penalty of sin.
Sanctification – free from the influence of sin.
Glorification – free from the presence of sin.
