Our Goal is that our State before others will match our Status or Standing with God. That we will become in experience what we already are - the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus! 2 Cor 5:21. By Justification we are declared to be Saints (Greek hagios) and through Sanctification we are commanded to be Holy (same Greek word – hagios) See Ephesians 1:1-4. Verse 1 says we are saints and verse 4 says we are to be holy.
Warren Wiersbe writes, “Keep in mind that Justification is God’s declaration that the believing sinner is righteous in Christ through faith. Justification is righteousness imputed, that is, put to our account. Sanctification is righteousness imparted, worked out in and through our lives by the Spirit. Justification is our standing before God; sanctification is our state here on earth before others. Justification never changes; sanctification does.”
Other scholars try and help us understand the difference between Justification and Sanctification by emphasizing the different aspects of our ONE SALVATION in and by Christ. They say…..
We are saved from the Penalty of Sin – this is Justification (past)
We are being saved from the Power of Sin - this is Sanctification (present)
We will be saved from the Presence of Sin – this is Glorification (future)
