Why This Distinction Protects Your Joy: Justification and Sanctification

A Devotional on Question 77 of the Westminster Larger Catechism

Few issues unsettle Christians more than uncertainty about where they stand with God. Some believers see their daily battles with sin and conclude, “I must not be truly forgiven.” Others notice real growth and quietly drift into thinking, “God must be more pleased with me now than before.” The Westminster Larger Catechism offers help by distinguishing two graces God always gives together: justification and sanctification.

We need this clarity because Scripture gives both: a finished verdict that cannot be overturned, and an ongoing work that is not yet complete. When we mix them, assurance becomes fragile, and obedience becomes either anxious or self-righteous. When we keep them distinct, while inseparably joined, we learn to rest in Christ’s completed work and to pursue holiness with confidence. The Catechism asks: “How do justification and sanctification differ?” And Answers:

“Although sanctification is inseparably joined with justification, yet they differ in the following ways: in justification God imputes the righteousness of Christ; in the sanctification of his Spirit, God infuses grace and enables it to be put into action. In the former, sin is pardoned; in the latter, it is subdued. The first frees all believers equally from the revenging wrath of God perfectly in this life, so that they never fall into condemnation; the second is not equal in all people, nor is it ever perfect in anyone in this life, but grows toward perfection.”

Two Graces, One Savior

Justification: God’s Unchanging Verdict in Christ

Justification is God’s legal declaration that the sinner is righteous in His sight, entirely because of Christ. It is not God ignoring sin; it is God dealing with sin through the blood of Jesus. Paul anchors justification in God’s free grace: we are justified by his grace as a gift, and this gift is grounded in Christ’s atoning work (Rom. 3:24–25).

The Catechism says that in justification “sin is pardoned.” That’s precisely what Romans 4 celebrates: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven… blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin” (Rom. 4:6, 8). Justification means your guilt is not merely reduced; it is no longer counted against you. God’s courtroom verdict is “righteous,” because Christ is your righteousness.

This verdict also silences fear and accusations. Romans 8:33–34 asks the strongest possible questions: “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect?” and “Who is to condemn?” The answer is not found in your spiritual performance but in Christ’s finished work. The justified believer can face the most threatening prosecutor and say, “The Judge Himself has declared me righteous, because Christ died and was raised.”

Justification is also equal among believers. New Christians are not “less justified” than mature Christians. Paul reminds the Corinthians that conversion meant a decisive change of status: “you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:11). The moment you belong to Christ, you belong fully.

And Christ is not merely the entry point; He is the whole package of salvation. “Because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:30). Notice the order is not meant to confuse the gifts, but to show they all come from one Savior. The same Christ who is your righteousness (justification) is also your sanctification (the source and goal of your growth).

Sanctification: God’s Ongoing Work by His Spirit

Sanctification differs from justification because it is not a verdict but a transformation. In sanctification, God “infuses grace and enables it to be put into action.” It is internal, progressive, and Spirit-empowered.

Ezekiel 36:27 captures the heart of it: God promises, “I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes.” Sanctification is not willpower Christianity. It is God’s Spirit actively working within the believer, producing new desires and new obedience.

Paul describes this change with striking realism. In Romans 6, he says our old self was “crucified with him” (Rom. 6:6), and then draws a practical conclusion: “sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace” (Rom. 6:14). That does not mean sin vanishes. It means sin’s reign is broken. The believer fights from a new position: not to become accepted, but because he already belongs to Christ.

This is where the Catechism is wonderfully helpful: sanctification “is not equal in all people, nor is it ever perfect in anyone in this life, but grows toward perfection.” Scripture teaches the same. Hebrews 5:12–14 acknowledges that believers can mature at different rates, moving from “milk” to “solid food” as their discernment is trained through practice. Growth is real, but not uniform.

John also addresses this unevenness without undermining assurance. In 1 John 2:12–14, he speaks to “little children,” “fathers,” and “young men,” recognizing stages of spiritual maturity in the same church. Some are newly aware of forgiveness, some are steady and seasoned, some are strong in battle. Different stages, one family.

 

Pardon and Purity: The Daily Tension of the Christian Life

 

If justification means sin is pardoned, sanctification means sin is subdued. Both are necessary. But the Christian often feels the tension because remaining sin is still present.

Scripture does not flatter us here. “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves” (1 John 1:8), and again, “If we say we have not sinned… his word is not in us” (1 John 1:10). In other words, sanctification is not sinless perfection in this life. The presence of conflict is not proof of condemnation; often it is proof of life.

Yet the presence of remaining sin is never an excuse for complacency. Paul presses believers toward holiness: “let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God” (2 Cor. 7:1). The justified are called to pursue purity, not to secure pardon, but because they already have it.

And how do we pursue it without falling into despair? By remembering the difference. When you stumble, do not try to rebuild justification with renewed efforts. Return to Christ’s finished work. Then rise and fight again, in the Spirit’s strength, remembering sin’s dominion is broken.

Pressing On Without Pretending You’ve Arrived

Philippians 3:12–14 gives a mature model of sanctification. Paul openly admits he has not already obtained or already been made perfect, yet he presses on and strains forward toward the goal. That is sanctification in motion: honest about imperfection, determined in pursuit, hopeful because Christ has laid hold of him. This is exactly the Catechism’s balance: justification is perfect and equal in this life; sanctification is real but incomplete, and it grows.

Rest in the Verdict, Work in the Power

The Christian life is steadier when you keep these two graces distinct. When you need assurance, look to justification. Your standing is anchored in Christ and cannot be overturned. Blessed is the one whose sin is not counted. When you need direction, lean into sanctification. God has put His Spirit within you to cause obedience. Sin’s dominion has been broken. You can grow even if you are not yet perfect.

Put this into practice in three simple ways this week:

1. When you hear the shouts that you have failed again, respond: “Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died” (Rom. 8:34).

2. Do not claim sinlessness, but do not treat sin as your master. Confess honestly, then fight faithfully.

3. Identify one pattern to put off and one habit to put on, and pursue it with patience. Sanctification is a marathon, not a mood. Like Paul, admit you have not arrived, then “press on toward the goal” (Phil. 3:12–14).

Justification gives you peace with God. Sanctification trains you to walk with God. In Christ, you receive both until the day growth becomes glory.

Soli Deo Gloria