What happens after you give your life to Jesus? Is salvation just a one-time event, or is there more?
Answer: Salvation is both instant and ongoing. What does this mean?
I. Justification (Instant and Complete)
Definition: Justification is God declaring a sinner righteous through faith in Christ Jesus. It happens instantly when you accept Jesus and is based entirely on God’s grace—not human effort.
- Key Scripture:
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
An image for better understanding: Imagine being in a courtroom where you are guilty. But instead of sentencing you, the judge (God) declares you innocent because Jesus took your place.
- Key Point:
- This is a gift—you cannot earn it.
- God knew we could never make ourselves right with Him, so God Himself became a man, lived a sinless life, and died for us. Instead of leaving us in our mess, He made a way and gave us the choice to accept Him.
II. Sanctification (A Lifelong Transformation)
Definition: Sanctification is the ongoing process of being set apart for God and transformed into His likeness. It involves our participation with the Holy Spirit’s work in us.
- Key Scripture:
“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18
Sanctification can imagined like refining gold—God removes impurities over time to make us more like Christ.
- Key Point:
- This process affects every part of your life, including:
- How you talk
- How you treat others
- What you wear
- How you handle difficult situations
- How you care for your body
- How you think
- This process affects every part of your life, including:
3. How Justification & Sanctification Work Together
Justification is the foundation that sanctification is built on.
Sanctification is evidence of the decision you made to follow Jesus.
- To help you better understand, think of it like this:
- Justification is like being adopted into God’s family—it happens instantly.
- Sanctification is like growing up in that family—learning and changing over time.
4. Why This Matters for New Believers
- You don’t have to earn salvation—justification is by faith!
- Struggles don’t mean failure—sanctification is a process, and God is still working in you.
If you feel like you aren’t changing fast enough, remember Philippians 1:6—”He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.”
5. Reflection & Action Steps
- Reflection Question:
- How does knowing you are justified by faith in Jesus give you confidence in your faith?
- In what areas do you see God sanctifying you right now?
- Challenge:
- Pick one area (speech, patience, actions, thoughts) where you want to grow, and ask God to help you this week.
Closing Prayer:
God, thank You for every person who clicked on this post. May this post help them understand what justification and sanctification means and why it is important in the life of every believer. I pray for every unbeliever who stumbles upon this post. May they see You for the loving, gracious, faithful, and trustworthy God that You are. I pray they understand the love that went into what You did and let it renew their minds and encourage them. I pray this post will go forth producing an abundance of fruit in their lives. Overall Lord, let Your will be done. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Love,
Terry’ana xx