Justification has its basis in faith... The profound belief in the Truth through hearing/understanding the Gospel!
But what good is faith without works?
If it is a faith without proof - no proof of unashamed and bold witnessing about Christ, and love to neighbor and to God, then it is dead... laughably worthless.
Sanctification has its basis in love...
The profound LOVE of and for the Truth. Thus not only believing the Gospel but joyfully "DOING" and wanting to do with child-like abandonment, ALL that the Truth/Jesus says!
A justifying faith in God that isn't imbued with sanctifying love to that same God is dead!
"The Bottom Line" in receiving the Spirit is LOVE - LOVE first unto Christ/God!
A Profound Love! A dedicated love! A Love so dedicated and enthraled and "hooked" that is willing to do anything to prove such a love to the Lovee - anything (Scripturally speaking).
Without that person expressing love to the author of our faith then that persons faith is dung. They evidently don't KNOW Him! If they did they would gladly sell all they own and do so joyfully.
In other words, Holiness (being sanctified to the Truth) always keeps Preparing and Believing in what the Word says first and above all, in mind and heart and spirit, and then gladly believing it, seeking to do it and preparing for it.
This is the epitome of Love and proves beyond doubt ("By keeping *HIS* words") that one does know and love Jesus/God! Knowing for themselves that God is Love!
Early on, when I "first saw" (i.e.finally understood) Jesus going to the cross and realized that He was doing all this for me, and saw the love I bawled my eyes out because of all the Love I knew that God had for me! It was then that I heard God speaking to me, making Himself known and real.
Later, after still doing it "My Way" (as a yet unbroken and unyielded vessel before God), I realized all along I was avoiding coming to the cross and was doing so in order to preserve and run my old/own life.
All of this was "My Way" of having to keep from coming to and touching the cross and "Dying" with Christ in order to empty me out of myself. God knew this too.
One day He gave me a point-blank ultimatum: "My way or the highway!" The choice is yours!
(You see, He was getting tired of carrying me without seeing any "fruit" for His labors!)
It was through much struggle that I finally gave in....
This is my story
The rest is history!
One cannot be sanctified "TO" the Truth/The Word of God until that one first comes to see what God/Jesus is asking of them, sits down and weighs the costs of what "Professing and Yielding to Him (to His words)" means!
How can a man be made holy who doesn't believe he is really that dirty/unholy (unsanctified) in the first place??? He can't!
So, what good is saving/justifying a man FROM his sins, if he is unwilling to be saved/sanctified TO God????
Therefore, he must allow the Light of Truth - God's Voice - to shine in him exposing the vileness and filth within, and not only see his lost and depraved condition but see "WHY" he is like that and what he MUST DO in order to escape the very condition that Christ came to free him of, thus.... "Come to Me - Eat of Me"!
"Sanctification" is a "Union" - a being Made Holy to/in/by - a becoming One with, The Truth, Thy Word, Jesus Christ and thus becoming ONE with all that He says as The Head.
It amounts to our emptying ourselves in order to come and touch "Him", thus touching death and burial with Him (via His death on the cross) and thus coming to Him in chosing to empty ourselves of our old fallen and corrupt spiritual condition before God in order to be touched, be sanctified, made holy and be filled to the brim with His Resurrection Life!
I am not speaking here of "Progressive or ongoing" sanctification, but of a one time deal... that of ones actually being sanctified to and being made holy through THE TRUTH - God's Word... where we all become "His sheep", and "ONE" with, to and in Him.
The faith that doesn't lead you to Him in sacrificing all you own (especially your own life) in order to receive and abide by the same Life that was in Him and which He witnessed to... is dead!
Little faith = Little love to Jesus/God = little fear and recognition of His words, because of little touching of the cross.
Great Faith = Great love to Jesus/God = great recognition of His words, all because of a deep and intentional (never to be repented of) laying hold of the cross and doing it "His Way"... ALL the way.
So, the greater the death to the old (the more we willingly submit to Him), then the greater the life in the new becomes, because of the great Love from the father and the son!!! "John 14:23" (including discernment)
Biff
Sanctifying Love from and to God cannot be seperated from Justifying Faith in God. They are both intertwined along with ones hope of being glorified at His appearing.
Lose one and you lose them all!
BELIEVING (a faith) WITHOUT DOING what Jesus says will end up with, "But, Lord, Lord!"
Also one must 100% agree with Him concerning his own unholy condition before God (i.e. until he realizes the full implications of the cross, WHY Jesus had to die, and what this all means to him).
Until we're made One with/in Him... we're history!
So, the greater our faith is the greater our love (Sanctification to the Truth) should ever be.
So, little death of the old = little life in the new = little of anything from Jesus/God!!! (especially discernment)
(Like new wine that was poured into old, unchanged and leaky wineskins. Great for as long as the supply lasts, but great danger of losing all the wine, and replacing it with "emotions/feelings" later on!!)
It amounts to pouring new wine into new (i.e."Sanctified") wineskins!!)