Justification: The term justification frequently contrasts with sanctification. In this sense, justification refers to God’s declaring a person to be righteous, which involves a positional, judicial standing that includes deliverance from the penalty of sin. This is what Paul refers to in Romans 8:30: “the ones whom he called, these he also declared righteous; and the ones whom he declared righteous, these he also glorified.” God justifies a person at a point in time.

Sanctification: Sanctification, in contrast, is experiential. It refers to the practical outworking of righteousness in a believer, who is set apart from sin unto God and experiences deliverance from the power and practice of sin. The common theological term is progressive sanctification, which emphasizes the continual, gradual, maturing, lifelong nature of a believer’s growth in holiness.

Differences Between Justification and Sanctification The following table specifies several differences between justification and sanctification:

Table 4.2. The three tenses of sanctification

“Slaves to Righteousness”

Romans 6:15–23

Big Picture: In Christ, we are freed from the slavery of sin to become slaves to God. Our greatest freedom is to become slaves to Christ. 

1. We become slaves to whom we obey (15-18)
   • We are either slaves of sin to death