OK, so its not really like that, but it was a catchy title. I think most people don't ever think about either word, or possible think they are interchangeable. But there is a difference. It's not a huge deal, but still important. Not knowing can cause some problems if you are not careful. So what is the difference? When you die to yourself, and are born again in Christ you are given a new heart with new desire, and your sins are cast as far as the east is from the west. Psalm 103: "11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; 12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father pities his children, So the LORD pities those who fear Him. 14 For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust."
Thus we are justified. As in we are still just as rotten as we were just prior to to the change, But our account has been credited with the righteousness of our Lord Christ Jesus. So as we surrender our lives to Christ, his righteousness comes to us along with his cleansing blood. Clear so far? Well here's the tricky part, you can not have one with out the other. Justification and Sanctification come to us at the same time. Justification is instant. At the moment we commit our lives to following Christ, our sins are cast away, we pass from darkness to light, from death to life, and written into the book of life. Ephesians 2:
"1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." On the other hand Sanctification is a process. Confused yet? We are cleansed in God's sight at our moment of conversion, but we are still sinners. In the same moment The Holy Spirit comes on to us. This begins Sanctification. This is the new heart and new desires described. The Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us, and we begin to turn from our sinful nature. We are natural born sinners, and can do no good works with out Jesus Christ. So the longer we live with the indwelling Holy Spirit, the more we are sanctified. As we grow as Christians we shed off more and more of our sinful nature by the works of The Holy Spirit. At the same time we are apt to fall to temptation, because we are still humans with a inherent sinful nature. So if we stay true to following Jesus Christ we will continue the process. Then after our flesh dies we rise to Heaven because we are Justified through the blood of Christ, and Sanctified by being freed from our sinful flesh, and the works of walking with The Spirit. Hope that clears up the riddle you probably never thought of before I brought it up. Helpful aren't I?
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