II COR 7:1...PERFECTING HOLINESS IN THE FEAR OF GOD. Justification is perfect, but sanctification is imperfect; and here lies a great difference between them. Justification, I say, is perfect, and admits of no degrees; admits of no decays, admits of no intermission, nor of any interruption: but sanctification admits of all these. When I say justification is perfect, I mean, that every justified man is equally and perfectly justified.The poorest believer that is this day in the world, is justified as much as ever the ApostlePaul was; and every true believer is as much justified now as he will be a thousand years hence. Justification is perfect in all them that are partakers of it, and to all eternity; it admits of no degrees. And the plain reason ofit is this—the ground of it is the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ, and the entitling us to it is by an act of God the gracious Judge, and that act stands for ever; and if God justifies, who is he that shall condemn? ( Rom. viii. 33.) But sanctification is an imperfect, incomplete, changeable thing.One believer is more sanctified than another. I am apt to believe that the Apostle Paul was more sanctified the first hour of his conversion, than any man this day in the world. “Sanctification differs greatly as to the persons that are partakers of it; and it differs greatly too as to the same man; for a true believer, a truly sanctified man, may be more holy and sanctified at one time than at another. There is a work required of us—to be perfectingholinessin the fear of God ( 2 Cor. vii. 1). But we are nowhere required to be perfectingrighteousnessin the sight of God; for God hath brought in a perfect righteousness, in which we stand; but we are to take care, and to give diligence to perfect holiness in the fear of God. A saint in glory is more sanctified than ever he was, for he is perfectly so; but he is not more justified than he was. Nay, a saint in heaven is not more justified than a believer on earth is: only they know it better, and the glory of thatlight in which they see it, discovers it more brightly and more clearly to them.” 1 Pet. i. 1-3
Posted on: Sat, 27 Jul 2013 19:13:32 +0000
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