It Takes Two: Justification & Sanctification

And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, - 1Corinthians 1:30

There is often much confusion when talking about justification and sanctification. In this verse Paul is reminding the church at Corinth that there is no room for a self sufficient boasting as they have received in Christ Jesus both justification and sanctification. In telling them in Christ they have received righteousness he is reminding them that there acceptance before God is in the atoning death of Christ for sins and in his perfect righteous life imputed to them in Christ. But Paul goes on to tell them that Christ is their sanctification. He is reminding them that in themselves they are unholy but now in Christ they have been brought to life in the holiness of Jesus for a life of love to God. So often in the church we get these two doctrines, justification and sanctification, confused and begin to believe they are one or our acceptance before God rests in our holiness or because we are accepted by God through faith in Christ righteousness our holiness does not matter.

In thinking through this important matter I was reading John Calvin’s New Testament Commentary on the First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians. The following comments he makes on this particular verse in discussing Paul’s calling Christ their sanctification. Beware because what he says in his third sentence is rather startling to those who believe with him that the church stands or falls on the doctrine of justification! Calvin says,

“Paul calls him our Sanctification. He means by that, that we, who are in ourselves unholy by nature, are born again by His Spirit into holiness, that we may serve God. From this we also gather that we cannot be justified freely by faith alone, if we do not at the same time live in holiness. For those gifts of grace go together as if tied by an inseparable bond, so that if any one tries to separate them, he is, in a sense, tearing Christ to pieces. Accordingly, let the man who aims at being justified by God’s free goodness through Christ take note that this cannot possibly be done, unless at the same time he lays hold of Him for sanctification; in other words he must be born anew by His Spirit to blamelessness and purity of life. Men find fault with us, because in preaching the free righteousness of faith, we seem to be calling men away from good works. But his passage clearly refutes them, by showing that faith lays hold of regeneration just as much as forgiveness of sins in Christ. On the other hand notice that while those offices of Christ are united, they are yet distinguishable from each other. Therefore we are not at liberty, indeed it would be wrong, to confuse what Paul expressly separates.”

Therefore let us come near to God by faith in Christ Jesus for his justifying grace, and may that faith work through love in the sanctifying grace of Jesus for his glory. It takes two, justification and sanctification, to walk with Jesus in his redemption.