Justified, Sanctified, and Glorified! Unfortunately, many Christians have no idea what those words mean, much less how they pertain to God’s incredible plans for those who receive his salvation. Think of salvation, being reconciled to God, as a long hallway with two doors, one to enter and one to exit. Our Christian life is the journey through that hallway.
In John 10:9-10, Jesus said, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.” When one puts their faith in Jesus Christ, that person is justified, much like the thief on the cross did. Justification means that the debt of sin against us is cancelled because it is totally paid for by the blood of Jesus. That is why Jesus declared on the cross, “It is paid in full!” Justified means “just if I have never sinned!” Religion and religious folks have a lot of trouble accepting justification because they feel that they must “do” something to earn their salvation. That something comes in a myriad of shapes and forms but every one of them is a way of trying to earn salvation. The apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:8 declared that salvation can only be obtained as a “gift” completely apart from “works”. Once you have received the sacrifice of the savior, you have walked through the door of salvation, and you are in the hallway of the Christian life.
The hallway represents sanctification. Where justification frees us from the “punishment” of sin, sanctification frees us from the “power” of sin. The believer now has a guide and comforter who the bible says will “lead us into all truth!” (John 16:13) Our journey through that hallway called life will have its ups and downs but with the help of our guide, we will mature to become more like Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Whereas, justification gives us a new spirit, sanctification is dealing with our souls. Our soul is our minds, our wills and our emotions. The Holy Spirit is patient because our soulish self needs a complete transformation and that doesn’t happen overnight. We are assured that as we walk through the hall of life, Jesus will never leave us, nor will he ever forsake us! (Hebrews 13:5) Which brings us to the second door and culmination of our journey glorification. At the resurrection, Christians shall receive their glorified bodies. Where justification frees us from the penalty of sin, sanctification frees us from the power of sin, now glorification frees us from the very presence of sin! For Christians, glorification is the final stage of salvation, a future state of perfection where believers are fully transformed into the likeness of Christ, both spiritually and physically. It is the culmination of God’s redemptive work, where we will be free from sin, receive perfect bodies, and experience direct fellowship with God in heaven. That is what it means to be saved!
If you’re looking for a place to learn more about this incredible salvation, join us at our new location at 104 S. Main Street in St. Martinville each Sunday at 10am.
