But before diving deeper into that inner conflict — which, if sanctification truly takes hold, will eventually lead to the overcoming of our old selfish nature — it’s worth pausing to think carefully about how sanctification relates to justification.
Most people agree that justification and sanctification are not the same thing. Still, they’ve sometimes been treated as if they were identical, even by thoughtful writers. That confusion isn’t entirely surprising, since both share an important underlying idea: complete submission.
In both justification and sanctification, we come to recognize our own unworthiness and become willing to receive everything from God. And in both cases, we receive it in the same way — through faith.
Even so, there are several important differences between them. These differences matter — not just for theology, but for practical Christian life. If we blur the distinction, it can create confusion and even discourage people who are seeking spiritual growth.
1. Their relationship to time
One key difference is how each relates to time. Justification mainly deals with the past. It answers the question: How are our past sins forgiven?
Sanctification, on the other hand, builds on justification and looks ahead. It assumes the past has been dealt with and asks: How are we kept from sin going forward?
Because of this, it’s clear that the two should not be confused.
2. What they accomplish
Justification removes the guilt of sin — it frees us from condemnation for what we’ve done wrong.
Sanctification goes further. It deals with the power of sin itself. As a person becomes sanctified, they are increasingly freed from sin’s influence.
Another way to put it:
- Justification frees us from condemnation.
- Sanctification brings us into alignment with God’s law.
3. The order in which we experience them
There is also a natural order in how people think about and experience these two realities.
When someone first becomes aware of their need, they aren’t asking to be made holy — they are asking to be forgiven. It’s their past sins that trouble them most. They want those sins removed.
Only after experiencing forgiveness do they begin to think about living a holy life in the future. At that point, sanctification becomes the focus.
4. Their connection to Christ
Christ is our justification because of what He did for us on the cross — taking the penalty of sin in our place.
Christ is our sanctification because He works within us through the Holy Spirit, transforming us from the inside.
In both cases, Christ is the source. But justification is, in a sense, something done for us, while sanctification is something done within us.
5. Sanctification as evidence of justification
Sanctification also serves as evidence that justification has truly happened.
These two are connected not only in sequence (one following the other), but also in proof. A changed life — the process of becoming holy — is evidence that a person has been justified.
This aligns with the teaching that people are known by their fruit. Someone who has been forgiven will naturally seek to live differently.
On the other hand, if a person shows no concern for holiness, there is little reason to believe their justification is genuine.
6. Completion vs. progress
Another major difference is how each unfolds over time.
Justification is complete. Once it happens, it fully addresses all past sin. It’s not something that gradually develops — it is finished.
Sanctification, however, is ongoing. It is a continuous, growing process that remains throughout life — and even beyond.
Even when sanctification is described as “complete,” it still continues to deepen. There is always room for growth in holiness and love.
7. The distinction in Scripture
The Bible plainly treats justification and sanctification as distinct.
For example:
"May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 5:23 NRSV.)
And again:
"Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and of spirit, making holiness perfect in the fear of God." (2 Corinthians 7:1 NRSV.)
Other passages also suggest this distinction — such as those describing believers who had not yet received the Holy Spirit.
Because of this, most theologians and teachers have recognized the difference, and it has become a standard part of Christian teaching. Attempts to merge the two tend to create confusion rather than clarity.
Final Thoughts
Even though justification and sanctification are clearly distinct, they are still closely connected.
Both come from Christ.
Both are received through faith.
Both require a humble recognition of our need.
And importantly, sanctification depends on justification — it grows out of it. You can’t have sanctification without first being justified.
Still, we shouldn’t conclude that they are the same simply because they share some similarities. Many things in life are related without being identical. Memory and reasoning overlap but are different.
Reasoning and imagination share features but are distinct. The same is true here.
So if we believe we have been justified, we should also pursue sanctification. It’s not enough to know our sins are forgiven — we should also seek to overcome sin going forward.
We can be deeply grateful not only for the grace that forgives the past, but also for the grace that transforms the future. Holiness gives its fullest meaning and beauty to forgiveness.
This is a revision of Part 2, Chapter 1 of Thomas C. Upham's book The Interior or Hidden Life (2nd edition 1844), written with the assistance of Microslop CoPilot. The original chapter can be found here: On the distinction between Justification and Sanctification.
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