What is justification, sanctification and glorification?

What is justification, sanctification and glorification?

Can Christians willfully sin? What does salvation really mean when we still sin?  Do we really: once get saved and be saved forever? Is God's grace sufficient for us to continue to sin without repentance? Is it possible for us to live a total sinless life and be always in perfection?  Those questions have been in my mind because many were answered by church doctrines but they are in conflict with my heart.  Through this class and assignment, I am able to clarify my thoughts and abide in the truth --- the word of God. 

In 2 Corinthians 1:10 we read: 'Who delivered us [past] from so great a death, and doth deliver: [present continuous] in whom we trust that He will yet deliver us [future].' Christ delivers us from the sentence of spiritual death in past, present and future.  There are three phases of salvation: justification, sanctification and glorification. 

Justification is the stage that saves us, freeing us from the penalty of sin by our faith.  This is the beginning of salvation that God looks at us through the blood of Jesus Christ as righteousness.  Through Jesus Christ, we are adopted as family members of God.  It is our legal position that we are able to connect to God and it refers to our spirit.

Sanctification is the stage to separate us from our sin and the world both in the past and continuous future.  Sin is a power.  While we are justified by the blood of Jesus Christ, the power of sin in us conflicted the power of confession of the Holy Spirit.  However; by the power of Holy Spirit, we are able to confess our sins and ask for forgiveness from Jesus Christ and be cleansed through the blood of Jesus. 

Many different teachings in this stage cause the misunderstanding of salvation.  I think that acknowledging God’s heart about salvation is the most important key to look at for the phase of sanctification.  Since we are all agree that we need salvation, we need to know that God is holy and He wants us to be holy.  There is no sin that is bigger than Jesus’ salvation; however, repentance (turning back to Him) is the only way to keep us in the legal position of God’s family.  The grace of God falls upon us only while we are in Him and sanctification refers to our soul.

There was a period of days that I was dealing with a sin.  I knew that I was wrong but I couldn’t overcome my flesh.  I was using God’s ‘grace’ to allow myself to sin for just ‘this one time’.  However, the Holy Spirit convicted me a few times but I failed again and again.  Until the day, I failed again with a deep sorrow in me.  I was tearing in my little room and said: Jesus! I am not worthy to be saved by You… I want to leave from You and go to the place where I deserve.  After that, I heard a voice from my heart asking me: Are you very sure about this??  As soon as I heard that, I knew that was from the Holy Spirit.  I started crying and knelt down at the cross and said: “No! my heart don’t want to sin but my flesh is so weak. Help me to deal with my sin.”  Since then, the sin I had been dealing with at that time, it appeared once in awhile to my flesh to tempt me but I was able to cry out to God for help not to fall. 

Glorification refers to the final change and redemption of our body.  It is the goal in God’s heart for the salvation to be like Jesus Christ.  This is the stage of completion of sanctification.  When we have our own resurrected body, it will be filled with God’s glory just like Jesus’ body.  It will be the most glorious moment to meet Jesus in the sky.

Our new born life is the process of purification.  To live in holiness is the main purpose of salvation but not to misuse the grace of God.  May we repent and hate sins more and give praise forever to God for His plan of our salvation of justification, sanctification and glorification that delivers us from sin into His holiness.