What does it mean to be "In Christ?" Pt. 7 Justified and ongoing sanctification!
Good morning & joyous Christmas tidings to all of you on this Christmas weekend. We have cold weather but I would like to have 6-8 inches of snow because it makes the winter landscape intensely beautiful. Please be safe in all that you do through the holiday season and rejoice in what God did through the birth of His Son.
Believers are sanctified in Christ
1 Corinthians 1:1-3 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, 2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: 3 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul begins his letter to the church at Corinth and in the introduction a powerful truth is put before us. The born again believer is "sanctified" in Christ.
The word "sanctified" means to be hallowed or set apart for God. It means to be free from the guilt and penalty of sin. It means to be purified by the renewing of our minds.
What does this mean to the born again Christian? Sanctification begins with justification.
Justification is a legal transaction that takes place in heaven in the courtroom of God. He declares the repentant sinner justified in His sight when that sinner has put full faith in Jesus Christ for salvation.
God imputes or credits the perfect righteousness of Christ to our account permanently. Justification means that we are forgiven for all our sins and stand before the Father robed in His Son's righteousness. Justification addresses the guilt of our sins.
Justification is an eternal, positional blessing that we have in Christ. We will not fully realize it until we are called into His presence by death or by the coming of Christ. We are declared "not guilty", as if we had not sinned! Hallelujah and Amen to our Gracious Father.
Here is the A-B-C and D of justification.
A. Justification is an ACT of God in which God pardons the sinner and counts him as righteous in His sight.
B. The BASIS of justification is the perfect obedience, death and full satisfaction accomplished by Christ on the cross.
C. Justification is bestowed by CONFESSING Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior by a repentant sinner indicates faith in Christ for salvation.
D. Justification is DEMONSTRATED by the good works of a sinner saved by grace as old things pass away and all things are made new.
Here is how sanctification fits in. Sanctification is the ongoing work of God's Spirit in us to cleanse us from sin while we live on this earth. Sanctification addresses the ongoing presence of corruption and the influence of sin upon our lives.
Why do we need sanctification? Because in our flesh dwells no good thing. We fail. We sin. We stumble and fall short. Therefore, we are in need of ongoing cleansing from sin and our failures and this is what sanctification does.
Sanctification is God's power at work in progressively transforming our mind, will, affections and choices so that we strive to glorify Him and abhor sin.
Sanctification also includes the work God's Spirit to make us more like the Lord Jesus Christ. God is continually working to transform us into the image of His Son. (Romans 12:1-2)
Points to Ponder....
2 important truths are put before us today. Justification and sanctification. These spiritual blessings are given to each person who turns to Jesus Christ in repentant faith and is born again into the family of God.
Justification is a ONCE FOR ALL action of God that is not repeated. Sanctification is an ongoing work of God because we still carry our "old man" with us and are prone to fall into sin, necessitating the cleansing work of sanctification in our lives.
How gracious and good God is to see and meet all of our needs. May we praise Him for His lovingkindness toward us.
Bob
Believers are sanctified in Christ
1 Corinthians 1:1-3 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, 2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: 3 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul begins his letter to the church at Corinth and in the introduction a powerful truth is put before us. The born again believer is "sanctified" in Christ.
The word "sanctified" means to be hallowed or set apart for God. It means to be free from the guilt and penalty of sin. It means to be purified by the renewing of our minds.
What does this mean to the born again Christian? Sanctification begins with justification.
Justification is a legal transaction that takes place in heaven in the courtroom of God. He declares the repentant sinner justified in His sight when that sinner has put full faith in Jesus Christ for salvation.
God imputes or credits the perfect righteousness of Christ to our account permanently. Justification means that we are forgiven for all our sins and stand before the Father robed in His Son's righteousness. Justification addresses the guilt of our sins.
Justification is an eternal, positional blessing that we have in Christ. We will not fully realize it until we are called into His presence by death or by the coming of Christ. We are declared "not guilty", as if we had not sinned! Hallelujah and Amen to our Gracious Father.
Here is the A-B-C and D of justification.
A. Justification is an ACT of God in which God pardons the sinner and counts him as righteous in His sight.
B. The BASIS of justification is the perfect obedience, death and full satisfaction accomplished by Christ on the cross.
C. Justification is bestowed by CONFESSING Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior by a repentant sinner indicates faith in Christ for salvation.
D. Justification is DEMONSTRATED by the good works of a sinner saved by grace as old things pass away and all things are made new.
Here is how sanctification fits in. Sanctification is the ongoing work of God's Spirit in us to cleanse us from sin while we live on this earth. Sanctification addresses the ongoing presence of corruption and the influence of sin upon our lives.
Why do we need sanctification? Because in our flesh dwells no good thing. We fail. We sin. We stumble and fall short. Therefore, we are in need of ongoing cleansing from sin and our failures and this is what sanctification does.
Sanctification is God's power at work in progressively transforming our mind, will, affections and choices so that we strive to glorify Him and abhor sin.
Sanctification also includes the work God's Spirit to make us more like the Lord Jesus Christ. God is continually working to transform us into the image of His Son. (Romans 12:1-2)
Points to Ponder....
- A blessed truth is that each born again Christian is sanctified in Christ.
- Sanctification is preceded by each born again Christian being justified in Christ.
- Sanctification is an ongoing work of God to change the way we think and the choices that we make so that we shun sin and seek Christ.
- Justification is for the sinner who exercises saving faith in the work and person of Jesus Christ.
- Justification is an action of God declaring us innocent on the basis of Christ's work when the repentant sinner confesses Christ as savior and is evident by the sinner living a transformed life.
2 important truths are put before us today. Justification and sanctification. These spiritual blessings are given to each person who turns to Jesus Christ in repentant faith and is born again into the family of God.
Justification is a ONCE FOR ALL action of God that is not repeated. Sanctification is an ongoing work of God because we still carry our "old man" with us and are prone to fall into sin, necessitating the cleansing work of sanctification in our lives.
How gracious and good God is to see and meet all of our needs. May we praise Him for His lovingkindness toward us.
Bob
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