Faith in Relation to Justification and Sanctification
by Bryan Carlson
“Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Faith is the confident trust and belief in the person and work of Jesus Christ. It involves acknowledging the truth of who Jesus is and what he has done and relying on him alone for salvation. “Saving faith is trust in Jesus Christ as a living person for forgiveness of sins and for eternal life with God” (Grudem, p. 710, IBCD).
A right standing with God has always come as a result of faith. “Abraham was justified not by his own righteousness but by faith in the promised Messiah. “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:3). “The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you’” (Galatians 3:8). “He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit” (Galatians 3:14).
Faith and justification are closely related in that justification is God's declaration that a sinner is righteous based on their faith in Jesus. In other words, faith is the instrument through which we receive justification. Romans 3:28 says, "For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law." This verse makes it clear that justification is not based on our good works or obedience to the law, but on our faith in Jesus. Justification is based on the work of Jesus Christ and is the response of God to repentant faith where God makes a legal declaration that His children are forgiven of sin and possess His own righteousness. “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior” (Titus 3:3-7). Faith in Christ is portrayed as acceptance of His full atonement for sin (1 John 2:2; 3:5; Rev. 5:9). Paul makes a clear case in the book of Romans that we are justified through faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All mankind were unrighteous sinners, deserving of death and eternal separation from God in Hell—our sin made us unholy and caused us to fall short of His glory. Hopeless and helpless, God in His grace sent His Son to pay the penalty for sin (Romans 3:10, 23; 5;12; 6:23; 5:8; Ephesians 1:3-8). Justified means “to be made right.” We are “right” before God when we have trusted Christ for the forgiveness of our sin and confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God raise Him from the dead (Romans 10:9-10). All we have to do is accept this free gift He offered. What amazing grace.
Faith also has a relationship to sanctification, which is the ongoing process of becoming more like Jesus and growing in holiness. While justification is instantaneous and legal, sanctification is progressive, continuous, and gradual (Roy 29). Justification is 100% God (as is glorification); sanctification is symbiotic with both God and man. “Sanctification is a progressive work of God and man that makes us more and more free from sin and like Christ is our actual lives” (Grudem 746). Sanctification is enabled after placing faith in Christ because now our heart motivation for growing in holiness is properly ordered (IBCD). Faith in Jesus leads to a transformation of the heart and a change in behavior, as people are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live lives pleasing to God. As Paul writes in Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Titus 3:5 and Eph. 2:8-9 make it clear that I cannot be justified by my own good deeds and that my good deeds are as filthy rags before a holy God. However, my good deeds prove my faith through the process of sanctification. According to James faith without works is dead. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that “we were created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Genuine faith produces good works.
Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, 722-735, 746-758.
Don Roy, IBCD, ACBC Theology Exam Study Guide, 29.
