Justification
Before you can take part or partake in any of the last three 'cations in the title of this article, you must be justified. Therefore, justification is our first stop. You can't be a Christian if you are not justified:
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." -Romans 5:8-9
"But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." -Titus 3:4-7
We are justified by Christ, not Moses or the law:
"And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David. Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption. Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him {Jesus} all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." -Acts 13:32-39
"Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." -Romans 3:28
Christians are predestinated unto Justification:
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" -Romans 8:28-32
1) All things work together for good for those who love God, and are called according to His purpose.
2) God foreknew who would receive Christ, so He predestinated them to be called unto justification.
Below is where justification blends into sanctification:
"That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men." -Titus 3:7-8
Sanctification
There is no sanctification without justification. Before you can be sanctified, you must be justified. Once you have been justified via the blood of Christ, then comes sanctification. Sanctification and TRUTH go hand in hand. Just as there's no sanctification without justification, you can't be sanctified if you are not walking in the truth:
"They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth." -John 17:16-19
Sanctified means being holy set apart from the world, and instead of partaking of the worldly (or in many cases, even churchianity) the sanctified follows the truth.
To be sanctified, you must let your light shine:
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." -Matthew 5:16
To be told to LET our light shine, indicates that a Christian can choose to not let their light shine. What is the light made up of? It's made of the Holy Spirit, and oil. In order for our lights to shine, we must have oil in our lamps. Absence of oil in one's lamp shows absence of sanctification:
"They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps." -Matthew 25:3-4
There are two ingredients to the Christian's sanctification:
1) Lamp
2) Oil
God provides the lamp to the saved, because the lamp is the Holy Spirit:
"And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God." -Revelation 4:5
It's up to the Christian to put oil in their lamp. The oil is following the truth; doing the will of God:
"Afterward came also the other virgins {the ones without the oil in their lamps}, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not." -Matthew 25:11-12
"Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." -Matthew 7:20-23
Sanctification is in two parts. Part One: Christians are sanctified through the Holy Spirit:
"Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied." -1 Peter 1:2
1) God already knows who will receive Christ, and who won't. Those who God already knew would receive Christ are the elect.
2) The elect receive sanctification through the Holy Spirit.
3) The sanctification through the Holy Spirit is to lead the Christian "unto obedience." In other words, to lead the Christian to walk in the TRUTH, and be holy set apart from this fallen, sinful world.
Christians retain their freewill, and can stupidly choose to not follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. Thus why we have the following Scripture:
"Quench not the Spirit." -1 Thessalonians 5:19
Quench means "stop." When you quench your thirst, it means you drank something, to stop the thirst. If one quenches the Holy Spirit, then they are resisting God's Holy Spirit within them, which is trying to lead them unto sanctification.
We are sanctified through the Holy Spirit. Christians are to let their lights shine, and the Holy Spirit is the lamp God provides us.
Part Two: The second part of sanctification involves our putting oil into that lamp. This is the "obedience" part that we saw in the above 1 Peter 1:2 scripture.
The part the Christian plays in sanctification:
"For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;" -1 Thessalonians 4:3-4
"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear" -1 Peter 3:15
"He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy {same Greek word here for sanctification} still." -Revelation 22:11
Doing the will of the Father is what puts oil in the lamp. What's the will of the Father in relation to sanctification? How about this:
"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." -Romans 12:2
"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." -Colossians 2:8
STEPS TO SANCTIFICATION:
1) You must first be justified.
2) Let your light shine.
2a) Upon salvation, you receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is symbolized as a lamp.
2b) You add oil to the lamp.
3) In order for your light to shine, you must add oil to your God-given lamp. The oil is following the Truth, and doing the will of God.
Sanctification leads automatically to edification.
Edification
Edification is for the Body of Christ - the church. A church body of justified, sanctified Christians automatically leads to the edification of one another; brethren edifying brethren:
"But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." -Ephesians 4:15-29
When one is justified and sanctified, not only does edification of the brethren automatically follow, but it also brings forth glorification.
Glorification
Your sanctification can bring others to glorify the Father:
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." -Matthew 5:16
When you walk in sanctification, it brings glory to God:
"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."-1 Corinthians 6:19-20
How it's supposed to work: You are Justified through the spilled blood of Jesus Christ unto salvation, in which you are Sanctified through the Holy Spirit of promise, unto Edification of the brethren, and Glorification to the Father.
