Bible Explanations
12. God as Justified and Sanctified
Justification
In the
following passages God
(or Christ) is said to be "justified." It
CANNOT be that He is made just, as God is just
already. It must mean the opposite of "condemned," i.e. declared
just.
Psalm 51:4 -
"Against
thee,
thee
only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy
sight: that
thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear
when thou judgest."
Isaiah 5:23 - "Which
justify the wicked for reward, and take
away the righteousness of the righteous from him!"
Men
cannot
do this except by declaration.
Sanctification
In the
following passages God
(or Christ) is said to be "sanctified." Therefore
it
CANNOT mean "every day in every way I'm getting better and
better". God cannot get better. It must mean a "setting
apart" more and more from the world. In this sense our
sanctification
is progressive, i.e. more and more being set apart from the world.
In God's case it is a declaration of His already being set apart from
it.
John 17:19 - "And for their sakes
I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through
the truth."
Isaiah 5:16 - "But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in
judgment,
and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness."