Justification & Sanctification - CA

Review:

Romans 1:18-3:20 deals with the downward spiral of sin and its judgment. The malady of sin.

Jews and Gentile alike Paul proves are accountable to God for sin. Romans 2:1-3:8 Paul beginning at Rom 3:21 explains the solution to the malady of sin. So far he has been explaining justification by faith alone.

We talked about Justification in its most simplistic form is "being made right or accounted in right standing with God"

He illustrates that Justification or being accounted in right standing with God is only appropriated by faith in the atoning work of Christ - by Abraham.

Romans 5 - Paul contrasts the two Representative Heads of Man showing us that even though the first Adam brought terrible sin and death - Christ will bring total victory over it.

So far Paul has been talking about the "legal act of being put in right standing with God." or justification.

In chapter 6 Paul is going to add to this the work of justification - sanctification.

Justification takes care of the condemnation and penalty that was upon us due to sin

Sanctification brings the actual behavioral change in us

We are sanctified (sanctification begun or initial sanctification) in the sense of change the moment we are justified

they are two sides of the same coin - you can't have one without the other.

Logically as we study the Bible you will find justification preceding sanctification (regeneration)

In experience you receive them both the moment of the new birth.

So with that in mind lets read Romans 6:1-11

Romans 6:1–11 KJV 1900

1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Reality of Freedom from Sin/ Principles of Sanctification

Paul begins this section with a question:

What shall we say then? Paul is probably referring back to 5:20 "Where sin abounded grace did much more abound." Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Now whether or not people actually taught this, or Paul through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit points it out I am not sure. But Paul is trying to circumvent a distortion of the truth.

It is amazing-- in reality heresy is a twisted or distorted truth. This heresy can be summed up like this: "The more I sin the greater grace I will experience." The sad thing is this has actually been taught before -

The theological term is "antinomianism" which basically disregards any moral or behavioral aspect to Christianity.