Justification and Sanctification are vastly different doctrines in the church. In the Catholicism Justification and Sanctification are combined: one is justified by Jesus' death on the cross and the baptism, but must sanctify oneself through sacraments for sin after baptism. In this way a believer then must merit their own salvation with the help of Christ' grace that drips down from the cross and the saints.
The problem with this view of justification is that it undermines Christ's blood and sacrifice on the cross! The Apostle says, "For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.." (1 Peter 3:18). The Rock as the Catholic Church calls Cephas or Peter said that Jesus "died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust.." That once for all would read in our modern language as "once and for all" or absolutely and completely.
Justification is a free gift from Christ Jesus. It was offered to anyone who will believe that day, two thousand and fifteen years ago. The Apostle Paul says it most succinctly, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.." (Ephensians 2:8). It is through faith, that is trusting in Christ and His one and for all sacrifice on the cross for our sins. It is Jesus that justifies us for all time! We cannot merit or be sanctified enough through right living to make it to heaven. Only through God's Only Begotten, Never Made, Always Has Been, Son Jesus Christ are we able to enter into the Almighty's presence as forgiven and free of sin!
We cannot justify ourselves before the Righteous Judge. Our works, our merit, and good deeds are filthy rags before God. (Isaiah 64:6). The only means of being justified is through Jesus, as the Apostle says, "know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified." (Galatians 2:16). It is only through the justification of Jesus Christ on the cross that we are completely sanctified and cleanse from sin! (Romans 4:25).
The Reformers from Reformation Times pointed out that the system of merit in the Catholic Church, the concept that you must partner with God through penance and acts to be justified was flawed because, "A Justification that needs to be completed by the recipient is not resting place." (The Reformation Study Bible, ESV, Ligonier Ministries, page 1695). I agree. The belief that you must justify and sanctify yourself through pious acts and choices nullifies the Blood of Christ. In essence it is saying to Emmanuel, "you didn't do enough, your death and sacrifice was found wanting." In this way it is an anti-Christ doctrine that replaces Jesus' All Sufficient Sacrifice for Sin with a system of sacramental deeds. (Galatians 2:21).
The truth is Christ's death was the all sufficient and all that was necessary sacrifice for our sin! The Beloved Disciple said, "He himself is the sacrifice that atones (propitiates) for our sins--and not only our sins but the sins of all the world." (1 John 2:2, NLT). I like the New Living Translation because It is in present tense, that Christ's sacrifice continues to atone and pay for our sinful debt. This bring peace to the believer, which fulfills the Apostle's words, " Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:1)
The penitential sanctification systems through sacraments and righteous (good) deeds robs believers twofold. It nullifies the Blood of Christ, thus putting Christians under the Law, and it steals away the peace and resting place of knowing one is saved and will inherit eternal life. The most memorized Bible verse says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16). There is nothing in that sentence from Jesus Christ Himself that says you must sanctify yourselves through sacraments or do good deeds, it simply says "whoever believes.." If that verse does not convince, than how about these: "Whoever believes (trusts) in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them." (John 3:36). "For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day." (John 6:40). "Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.." (John 11:25). There is nothing in these verses or rest of New Testament for that matter that mentions meriting your way into heaven. Salvation is a free Gift from God!
People confuses sanctification and good works. We being sanctifying daily by Christ's blood, which is covering our sins every second! The good works we do is not to merit or earn heaven, but because we love Jesus! We act and behave and do righteous deeds because we are becoming more like Christ, not to earn Christ! The Apostle says, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20). The reason we live uprightly godly lives is because it is Christ who lives in us now. We do works out of love and as witness to the world of the change inside us that is Christ Jesus. It is not to be for our salvation or to create a show for people or to make us feel proud. Works come forth because we cannot help ourselves! We want to be like Jesus and so do as He and His Disciples & Apostles did.
I hope that you can be free of thinking and believing you can sanctify and justify yourself before God. Such a notion dates back to the Mosaic Law and in same manner it puts you under a curse. For it is written, "For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." (Galatians 3:10). If you do adhere to perfectly, every second of every day the laws of Moses you are condemn and in same manner, the sacramental system has you under the Law and if you do not obey it all, you are condemned. But if you believe in Christ Jesus, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.." (Romans 8:1). You have been acquitted and forgiven of your sins through simply believing in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. As He said, "It is finished." (). There is nothing more to be done to save our souls! It was accomplished on the cross by Christ! (Isaiah 53:5, Romans 4:25, , 2 Corinthians 5:15, Ephesians 5:2).
We have been given a great gift. The Father gaves His Only Son to die for us and to cleanse us of all sin. Before, under the Law man had to merit, to sanctify himself with the blood of bulls and lambs. He had to keep all the Laws, which was impossible. Then God rich in mercy decided to settle the debt of sin, to make it so man no longer had to toil and seek sanctification. Our Almighty Lord conceived of the means to make a sacrifice that would cover sin once and for all time. In order to do it, God Himself would have to die. Only the King of Universe, who does not live in time (), and Who governs all creation for all time, could make a sacrifice for all creation and for all time. So unlike the false gods of stone, wood, and the imaginations of men, the True God humbled Himself and made a sacrifice of Himself for us. I find it appalling how people can say God is not loving. What other god do you know lowers Himself, lets Himself be humiliated, tortured, and even killed for His creation than Christ Jesus? There is no other. Zeus only came down to have sex with a woman. Jesus came down to save us from eternal damnation and hell; and life of having to work out salvation with good deeds, which never is enough.
Jesus took us of what my pastor calls the "treadmill of religious works." He said He would do it, He would carry the cross for us and suffer the punishment every person that is born in the history of mankind should suffer. In exchange, we become righteous: "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21). If then we are the righteous of God, why would we do works to sanctify ourselves of sin? If Jesus became sin for our sake then why do we carry the load of doing good works to erase our sins? The answer is that man is insecure and that the system of making sacrifice by our own hands or priest feels good. We want to do something to make ourselves right with God, but it has always been impossible, hence why Christ Jesus died. The newfound grace we are to live under may take some people a lifetime to fully comprehend and to believe.
The penitential sacrificial meritorious system of good works to make your sanctified creates a restlessness. You are always in anxiety about sin and if you have done enough good works for the day. As result you never have peace or enter rest. Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:29). Does that sound like a God who wants you to worry all the time or feel burdened? No. It is proof that He wants you to enter His rest and to lay aside heavy yokes; rules and works of religious piety. Instead trust in Christ Jesus alone to save, sanctify, and justify you! Then you shall finally in your weariness of work keeping find "rest for your souls."
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