In last week’s sermon passage (Gal 3:1-14) the Apostle Paul asks the Galatians a question in v. 3: ‘After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?’ Paul’s subject matter is how one grows as a Christian.
The Galatians knew their salvation came through grace, as the thief on the cross had no opportunity to ‘make up’ for his sins when he turned to Jesus in faith; yet Jesus told him that when he dies in a few minutes’ time, he will be in paradise. Paul’s focus here is how Christians become more like Christ. Yet to understand this pivotal of subjects, we were introduced to some very technical theological terms:
- Justification: the process by which one is acquitted (just-as-if-I’d … never sinned)
- Sanctification: the process by which one becomes more godly (Heb 10:14). Though this word can also mean being set apart for God at conversion.
- Imputed righteousness: where God ‘credits’ (or ‘views’) one with righteousness, even though they’re not actually righteous in themselves
- Imparted righteousness: the process by which one actually becomes more righteous (godly)
The Galatians’ mistake was thinking their justification is based on their sanctification; i.e. God is only happy with me if I obey. Yet the gospel says our sanctification is based on our justification; i.e. we obey out of love for the one who already views us as righteous (through faith).
The reason many Christians are not growing into the spiritual giants we want to be (i.e. imparted righteousness) is because we’re not living in the joy of our imputed righteousness. The path to sanctification is critical. We will not ‘follow him more nearly’ unless we first ‘see him more clearly’, then ‘love him more dearly’. The solution; keep delighting in the gospel of grace.
