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Westminster Larger Catechism, Question 77

Question 77

Wherein do justification and sanctification differ?

Although sanctification be inseparably joined with justification, yet they differ, in that God in justification imputeth the righteousness of Christ; in sanctification his Spirit infuseth grace, and enableth to the exercise thereof; in the former, sin is pardoned; in the other, it is subdued: the one doth equally free all believers from the revenging wrath of God, and that perfectly in this life, that they never fall into condemnation; the other is neither equal in all, nor in this life perfect in any, but growing up to perfection.

Scripture references for paragraph 1

Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.

1 Corinthians 1:30

30It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God: our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.

1 Corinthians 6:11

11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Romans 4:6

6And David speaks likewise of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

Romans 4:8

8Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.”

Ezekiel 36:27

27And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.

Romans 3:24-25

24and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

25God presented Him as the atoning sacrifice through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand.

Romans 6:6

6We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.

Romans 6:14

14For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

Romans 8:33-34

33Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.

34Who is there to condemn us? For Christ Jesus, who died, and more than that was raised to life, is at the right hand of God—and He is interceding for us.

1 John 2:12-14

12I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven through His name.

13I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.

14I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

Hebrews 5:12-14

12Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to reteach you the basic principles of God’s word. You need milk, not solid food!

13For everyone who lives on milk is still an infant, inexperienced in the message of righteousness.

14But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil.

1 John 1:8

8If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1 John 1:10

10If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us.

2 Corinthians 7:1

1Therefore, beloved, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Philippians 3:12-14

12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,

14I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus.

Source and edition

Westminster Larger Catechism. NonlinearFruit/Creeds.json, Unlicense. Creeds.json, English transcription

Unlicense. Source transcription.

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