My apologies to the readers, and especially to Bill for waiting this long for the next post on justification. My last post dealt with where our sin problem leaves us. It leaves us with a two-fold problem. The first aspect of the problem is our guilt due to the law’s accusation. The second aspect is our sin nature, which is the fountain of all our actual sin. We could paraphrase as the hymn “Rock of Ages” does, by saying that we have sin’s guilt and sin’s power. We need something that will be of sin the double cure. That something is actually a Someone, Jesus Christ, in whom we have justification and sanctification, the former of which takes care of guilt and the latter of which takes care of sin’s power. It is of vital and central importance simultaneously to distinguish between justification and sanctification, and yet also to speak of them as inseparable.
If we were to smear the two together, we get legalism. It will mean that justification is delayed, and awaits our good works, for otherwise there is no forgiveness. This is the direction that the Roman Catholic Church took. People who confuse the two are those who are constantly telling us how good there are, and all the wonderful things they have done.
If, however, we separate justification and sanctification, then we will become antinomian. The word “antinomian” literally means “against law.” These people hate the law, and want nothing more to do with law. They are always saying things like “God is in the business of forgiving.” The hint is that therefore they can do whatever they want.
Therefore, we must walk the straight and narrow path between confusing justification and sanctification, on the one hand, and separating them, on the other hand. How does one do that? I believe that it is helpful to think of these two great benefits as being given at the same time, although distinctly, when we become united to Christ by faith. Of course, the nature of the two are different. Justification is a one-time act, while sanctification is a life-long process. But we are given the beginning of sanctification when we are united to Christ by faith, and we are given all of justification when we come to faith by God’s good gift.
Lane Keister
