This is the will of God, your sanctification. – 1 Thessalonians 4:3
You need to understand what it means to be “sanctified,” so that you can understand its central place in the Christian life. When Jesus Christ lays hold of a person, He brings two primary blessings—justification and sanctification.
Justification is Christ’s work for us on the cross.
Sanctification is Christ’s work in us by the Spirit.
Justification is Christ’s completed work. Jesus said on the cross, “It is finished.” Sanctification is Christ’s continuing work. Paul says each Christian ought to live to please the Lord “more and more,” and “know how” to control his or her own body (4:1, 4). Sanctification is about making progress over time.
Justification is about removing the guilt of sin.
Sanctification is about breaking the power of sin.
Justification and sanctification are quite distinct from one another, and we run into difficulties when we get them confused.
Some Christians think that their acceptance with God (justification) depends on the degree of success they experience in their battle with sin (sanctification). But if that’s what you think, you will never enjoy peace with God or be confident in His love.
Other Christians have grasped that salvation is about forgiveness for the past and heaven for the future, but they have never grasped that salvation is also about the power of Christ in your life now (sanctification), and so they never change.
It is important to grasp that justification and sanctification are different blessings, and they should not be confused, but they are always found together, and they should not be separated.
Which do you struggle with more: Feeling accepted by God? Or experiencing the power to change in the Christian life?
