We Must Keep Sanctification Separate From Justification

Romans 6:4, “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.”

Romans 7:6, “But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.”

It is amazing to me that the Lordship Salvationist (non-Christians) cannot distinguish between salvation and sanctification. By failing to do so they corrupt God's Word. If they are ~not~ separate, then all you have is salvation by works. Lordship Salvationists believe in salvation by works, even though they'll vehemently deny it. If you separate sanctification from justification, then you have salvation in Christ; and the outgrowth of salvation, which is sanctification.

I humbly think Pilgrim's Progress author John Bunyan said it best:

“If you do not put a difference between justification wrought by the man Christ without and sanctification wrought by the Spirit of Christ within, you are not able to divide the Word aright; but contrariwise, you corrupt the Word of God, and cast stumbling blocks before the people.” —John Bunyan (1628-1688)

That is my favorite preacher's quote!

Please carefully notice in both of our text passages of inspired Scripture that the Bible says we “should” walk in holiness and serve God; not “will” as the hellbound Calvinist preaches, nor “must” as the hellbound Roman Catholic is errantly taught. The inspired Word of God teaches that God's redeemed saints SHOULD walk in holiness in newness of life, and we SHOULD serve God as His children; but to say that we WILL or MUST is to pervert the free grace gospel. For God's salvation to truly remain a “free gift,” there can be no additions, stipulations nor obligations to receive and keep it. Faith is the only righteous thing that I can do!

Salvation is not a reward for the righteous, it is a gift for the guilty.

Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith.

Turning away from sinful ways would be a work. Faith puts all of the merit where it belongs, on the object of our faith, Jesus and His work.

If to “repent” means to forsake our sinful ways TO BE SAVED, but Jesus already paid for our sins by dying on the cross, then what are we repenting from?

The true Gospel always points you to CHRIST; a false gospel always points to YOU.

If salvation is truly by grace, then you don't need to start or stop anything to be saved. Eternal life is a free gift from God (Romans 6:23).

One is saved by God's grace through faith in the finished Work of His Son on the Cross as payment in full as our pardon for sin.

Contrary to what many false teachers are saying in Bible colleges and churches today, a changed life is ~not~ the result of genuine repentance to be saved. A Changed life is in fact the “fruit” of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which truth is confirmed in Galatians 2:20-21, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” It is no mere coincidence that the Apostle Paul warns the reader in verse 21 that we cannot be saved by works, which is exactly what you are doing if you attribute a changed life to your own turning from sin.

In the damnable heresy of Lordship Salvation, the focus is upon YOU as a sinner to turn away from your sinful ways; whereas in the true free grace gospel, the focus is only upon CHRIST and what He did to pay for your sins on Calvary's cruel cross 2,000 years ago in Jerusalem. The true Gospel always points you to CHRIST; a false gospel always points to YOU.

I hope you see the drastic difference between telling a sinner that he must be willing to forsake his sinful bad habits to get to Heaven (which is self reformation); versus just coming to Jesus as a guilty sinner (in your wretched condition) to trust Christ, and then the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Christ - Romans 8:9) will live the Christian life through you, if you walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:25). The former is Lordship Salvation; the latter is true salvation.

It is imperative dear reader that we always keep sanctification (service) completely separate from justification (salvation). We must keep discipleship entirely separate from sonship.

Here are some words of wisdom from Pastor M.R. DeHaan (1891-1965):

"There is a vast difference between coming to Jesus for salvation and coming after Jesus for service. Coming to Christ makes one a believer, while coming after Christ makes one a disciple. All believers are not disciples. To become a believer one accepts the invitation of the Gospel, to be a disciple one obeys the challenge to a life of dedicated service and separation. Salvation comes through the sacrifice of Christ; discipleship comes only by sacrifice of self and surrender to His call for devoted service. Salvation is free, but discipleship involves paying the price of a separated walk. Salvation can't be lost because it depends upon God's faithfulness, but discipleship can be lost because it depends upon our faithfulness." —Pastor M.R. DeHaan, “Hebrews”; Zondervan Publishing House; 1959 (p. 117)

Yes, that is exactly right! Bravo Pastor DeHaan! We must keep service and salvation separate, because we don't want to combine works with grace. Here's a helpful sermon...

Caught Between Grace And Works! | MP3 | MORE

(by Pastor Ralph “Yankee” Arnold)

BEWARE of Satan's minions today, whom the Bible calls “ministers of unrighteousness” (2nd Corinthians 11:13-15). Anyone who mixes works with grace is a monster in the eyes of Heaven. To the carnal man, it makes perfect sense that you must forsake your sinful ways and pursue holiness to inherit Heaven, but such thinking goes totally contrary to the plain teaching of the Scripture. The whole reason why Christ died on a cross 2,000 years ago, to pay our debt of sin, is simply because there is nothing we can do to save ourselves. The only thing that you and I contribute to our own salvation is the sin that made it necessary.

Salvation is of the LORD (Jonah 2:9). You don't have to “repent of your sins” to get to Heaven; but rather, Christ died to pay for your sins so that you could go to Heaven.