Quotes about Justification

If God has saved you, He has saved you by faith--plus nothing. God is not accepting any kind of good works for salvation. But after you are saved, God talks to you about your works.

Yet sanctification, in its place and proportion, is quite as important as justification. Sound protestant and evangelical doctrine is useless if it is not accompanied by a holy life. It is worse than useless: it does positive harm. It is despised by keen-sighted and shrewd men of the world, as an unreal and hollow thing, and brings religion into contempt.

The immense importance of "adorning the doctrine of God our Saviour" (Titus ii. 10), and making it lovely and beautiful by our daily habits and tempers, has been far too much overlooked. Worldly people sometimes complain with reason that "religious" persons, so-called, are not so amiable and unselfish and good-natured as others who make no profession of religion. Yet sanctification, in its place and proportion, is quite as important as justification.

Justifying faith is a grace that does not work, but simply trusts, rests, and leans on Christ (Romans 4:5). Sanctifying faith is a grace of which the very life is action. It works by charity (Galatians 5:6), and like a driving force, it moves the whole inward man.

We are frequently told by the apostle Paul that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law (Romans 3:28), but not once are we told that we are "sanctified by faith without the deeds of the law." On the contrary, we are expressly told by James that the faith by which we are visibly and demonstratively justified before man is a faith which if it does not have works, is dead in and of itself (James 2:17).

Christ has suffered for sin, the just for the unjust. God can now be just, and yet the justifier of the ungodly. It tells us that there is now a complete remedy for the guilt of sin, even the precious blood of Christ; and peace, and rest of conscience for all who believe on Christ, "Whosoever believeth on Him shall not perish, but have eternal life".

There is no greater mistake than to suppose that a Christian has nothing to do with the law and the Ten Commandments because he cannot be justified by keeping them. The same Holy Spirit who convinces the believer of sin by the law and leads him to Christ for justification will always lead him to a spiritual use of the law, as a friendly guide in the pursuit of sanctification.

In justification, the word to be addressed to us is "believe" — only believe; in sanctification, we must "watch, pray, and fight." What God has divided, let us not mingle and confuse.

It is thoroughly Scriptural and right to say "faith alone justifies." But it is not equally Scriptural and right so say "faith alone sanctifies.

Justification is regarding and judging a person to be righteous for the sake of another, even Jesus Christ the Lord. Sanctification is actually making a person inwardly righteous, though it may be in a very small degree.

In justification, our own works have no place at all, and simple faith in Christ is the one thing needful. In sanctification, our own works are of great importance, and God instructs us to fight, watch, pray, strive, try, and work. Justification is a finished and complete work, and a person is perfectly justified the moment he believes. Sanctification is an imperfect work, comparatively, and will never be perfected until we reach heaven.

Justification gives us our claim to heaven and boldness to enter in. Sanctification makes us suitable for heaven and prepares us to enjoy it when we dwell there.