The Three Ways that Jesus Saves Us from Our Sins

She will give birth to a son,

and you are to name him Jesus,

because he will save his people from their sins."

- an Angel of the Lord (Matthew 1:21, CSB)

When people think of Jesus saving us from our sins, they often think about how He died for us so that through faith in Him our sins can be forgiven, and we will not be cast into hell on judgment day. People should think about that! It’s the gospel truth. But while Jesus saving us from our sins does mean we are forgiven for our sins, that’s not all it means. That’s just the beginning. There’s much more to it.

There are three biblical words that represent three broad ways in which Jesus saves us from our sins: justification, sanctification, and glorification. Understanding what these words mean can help us understand God’s work in our lives now, as well as give us hope for the future.

When Christians think of salvation, there is a risk of focusing on what God has done for us (justification) and what God has promised to do for us (glorification, when we are resurrected and live forever with God in a perfect world), and failing to think about the middle step: sanctification. This has negative consequences because if you are a Christian then sanctification is the step you are on right now. Sanctification calls for your active involvement and strenuous effort, empowered by God’s Holy Spirit.

Let’s look at each of the three steps, and then hopefully all of this will make more sense:

1. Justification (saved from the penalty of sin) - we are forgiven of our sins and declared righteous in God's eyes. This can happen because Jesus died for us. We are justified when we hear the good news and believe in Jesus. It is a one-time event. It is like a normal light switch - either on or off. In other words, you can't be 30%, or 50%, or 90% justified, it’s all or nothing.  Our part is only to have faith. We cannot justify ourselves at all. At the same moment that we are justified, we are also adopted into God’s family and become children of God. Justification, if real, will always lead to sanctification and glorification. They are a package deal! (A really, really great package deal!)

While we don’t work at all for our own justification, amazingly God calls us to work with Him in leading others to justification. We do this by sharing the good news about Jesus and through prayer and by the example of our lives. Only God can justify people, but He uses us in the process of people sharing the gospel. When people hear the gospel and believe, they are justified by God.

Some verses related to justification:

ESV Romans 3:28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

ESV Romans 4:7 "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;

8 blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin."

ESV Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

ESV Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

ESV Galatians 2:16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

2. Sanctification (saved from the practice of sin, but not all at once, and not perfectly in this life) - this is a process of becoming more and more like Jesus which begins when we believe the gospel and are born again. It continues throughout our lifetime. It is like a light with a dimmer switch. We become more and more sanctified. It is often a messy, three steps forward, two steps back process, but over time by God's grace we make progress. Sanctification is only possible by God's grace and power working in us, but we are also called to work hard at our own sanctification.  Our Spirit-enabled effort can make sanctification go forward more quickly, or a lack of effort can cause us to be stuck. Progress in sanctification is evidence that justification has occurred and gives us confidence in our salvation. But in sanctification we still constantly need grace. And God gives us the grace we need in Christ!

A huge amount of the Bible is about sanctification. All of the verses teaching and urging us not to sin are related to sanctification. So are all of the verses teaching us how to love others like God loves us. It’s not surprising that so much of the Bible is about sanctification because the Bible is mainly written to and for Christians. If you are a Christian, you are in the process of sanctification right now! It’s hard work. We can’t make progress without God’s help, and one of the main ways God gives us help is through the Bible.

Here are some verses about sanctification:

ESV Romans 6:19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.

CSB17 Philippians 1:9 And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment,

CSB17 Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

CSB17 Colossians 1:10 so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God,

CSB17 1 Thessalonians 4:3 For this is God's will, your sanctification: that you keep away from sexual immorality,

CSB17 Hebrews 5:14 But solid food is for the mature-- for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.

ESV 1 Peter 2:1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.

 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation--

 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

3. Glorification (saved from the presence and all the effects of sin) - this happens when we are resurrected and live in God's Kingdom with Him forever. We will be completely sanctified and no longer sin or even want to sin. Everyone will be as loving, true, faithful, kind, good, and pure as Jesus Himself. We will never suffer again from others sinning against us and there will be no sickness, sorrow, death or other effects of sin. God does this for us by His grace. Our part is to believe (being justified) and to persevere in faith throughout our life here while we are being sanctified (which God strengthens us to do).

Here are some verses about glorification:

ESV Romans 8:16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs-- heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

CSB17 2 Corinthians 4:17 For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory.

CSB17 Philippians 3:21 He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of his glorious body, by the power that enables him to subject everything to himself.

CSB17 Revelation 21:4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.

Hallelujah!

What a Savior!!!

Hebrews 13:16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others . . .