by TheListener 12 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I am just beginning to understand that there is a difference between being justified and being sanctified.
Has anyone found a good write up that discusses this?
Honestly, as a jw and now as a faded jw I never realized that justification and sanctification could be different things, and I have no idea if this is something that all christians agree on or if there are different ideas out there.
Please share your thoughts and any publications you've found useful in learning about this.
Tom Wright is very good to read. This is a long article but readable, he's a sort of 'laymans theologian'
http://www.ntwrightpage.com/Wright_Justification_Biblical_Basis.pdf
There are other terms that you may find useful to tackle as well, such as regeneration, redemption, and adoption. It all helps you to build a well founded soteriology, if you desire to use the Christian framework of reference.
Here is sanctification, in a nutshell, as taught at the church I go to (which probably doesn't tell you much more than you already know):
There are three senses in which we are sanctified. The moment we put our faith in Jesus Christ as Savior, we are positionally sanctified or set apart unto God. Then we must be progressively sanctified by growing in holiness. This process will not be complete as long as we’re in this body, but we must actively work at it (Gal. 5:16; Rom. 8:13). When we meet the Lord we will be perfectly sanctified, made completely like Him (1 John 3:2).
So justification is the first stage in a Christian's life and as he matures he eventually reaches the stage of sanctification if I understand correctly. It's all according to the early chapters of Revelation where Jesus says if you conquer and win and do so and so I will reward you in a such way.
One of the most unscriptural popular Protestant doctrines imo. Never does Paul oppose justification and sanctification, or describe the latter as a gradual process. Although "sanctification" may be referred to in parenesis (in the sense of: behave as "holy ones" should do) or in a somewhat eternal perspective, hagiasmos ("sanctification") is most clearly defined as the act by which Christian are constituted hagioi, "holy ones," at baptism (as per MJ's definition # 1).
parenesis ? Not that I'm finding fault but do you have one of those new word of the day desk calendars?
Narkissos,
I also don't think they are opposed concepts. But I don't think they are identical, either. Synonymous terms can carry additional connotation that makes one term more correctly descriptive of a certain aspect of a thing.
Is having been declared righteous the same as having been made holy? There's no doubt that the two go hand in hand, but that doesn't mean they are the same, does it? Just bringing it up for discussion.
Respectfully,
AuldSoul
Come on, PP. With all the Bible scholarship you read you must have come across this one hundreds of times (and this once I didn't even misspell)...
AuldSoul, you're perfectly right; those are entirely distinct notions. "Justification" is a legal term (or metaphor), evocative of the justice court; "Sanctification" is a sacral term, evocative of the temple and priesthood.
What I meant is that the NT uses of dikaioô and hagiazô do not correspond to the popular Protestant articulation of "justification" and "sanctification," which makes the former a one-time, initial, instant event, and the latter a life-long gradual process. I suppose the Protestant drift compensates to some extent for the impossibility of calling to "works" in parenesis moral and spiritual exhortation.
Since Jesus died for all people wouldn't everyone be justified, perhaps even at birth? Since justification is the legal term it seems that it would cover us in Jehovah's eyes from the time of our sinful birth.
If justification doesn't occur automatically when we become living beings when does it occur? Does justification only occur when we put faith in the ransom sacrifice? Then those that don't believe in christ's ransom sacrifice aren't justified? Does that mean Christ didn't die for all, but only for those who believe?
Sanctification; it seems that most of the reading I've done shows it to occur, or at least begin, at baptism. Although I would say that baptism isn't necessarily mandatory (acts 10:44-48).
In some of Paul's greetings (ephesians 1:1 for example) he greets the Holy Ones (saints; hagiazo) and the believers (pisto). Would these believers be baptized or unbaptized? Can a baptized believer not be a Holy one because they haven't been begotten by the holy spirit?
I need help, I don't understand this.
