Key Doctrines of the Faith: Sanctification

by David Chadwick

We are wrapping up week two with our tenth key doctrine of the Christian faith. I pray these keys continue to build you up with revelation, wisdom, knowledge and discernment.

The doctrine of holiness, also known as sanctification, is today’s key.

If you remember, justification is the doctrine of forgiveness, when Christ’s sacrifice made it “just as if we had never sinned.” But it doesn’t stop there.

After justification, the Holy Spirit in us begins the process of inward sanctification. The process of making us holy. Being conformed to his image and likeness (Romans 8:29).

Justification is a one-time event: forever forgiven. Sanctification, on the other hand, is a lifetime process that will continue until we die. We live in fallen human bodies, in a fallen world, with a furious enemy (and all of his demons) who hate us and want us to fail and to fall.

We must put on the full armor of God each and every day and choose to obey Jesus until we meet him face to face (Ephesians 6:10-18). It takes work! Faith without works is dead (James 2:26). Jesus makes us holy, but we are to partner with his finished work. God’s truths, found in his Word and by his Spirit, will inwardly sanctify us until we see him return one day.

In the process of sanctification, we can cling to the reality of Philippians 1:6. Jesus began the process of sanctification…and HE will be faithful to complete it! The old has passed away and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17), but we must walk out this reality until the day we die!

Learn the Word of God, my friends. Hide it deep in your heart (Psalm 119:11). Obey it. Be sanctified by God’s truth because his Word is true (John 17:17).

Then watch as your process of sanctification continues until you see Jesus face to face.

Key Doctrines of the Faith: Justification

by David Chadwick

Bibliology. Theology. Christology. Pneumatology. Anthropology. Hamartiology. Soteriology. Incarnation. If any of these words mean something to you, you’ve probably been journeying with me through some of the key doctrines of the Christian faith. I’d urge you to go back through and learn along with me.

Today we pick up our ninth key: justification – the doctrine of forgiveness.

Galatians 2:16 says, “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 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Jesus took our sins upon himself on the cross and, in turn, offered us forgiveness. This forgiveness is given to us by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is a free gift. Not of works, for we could never do enough good works to earn God’s favor in his perfect holiness.

Justification is most easily remembered this way: when Jesus looks at us, it’s “just as if we’ve never sinned.” We are declared “justified.” Our sins are gone forever. Thrown into the deepest heart of the sea. He paid the debtor’s price for our sin. And now, like a slave who had someone pay the ransom price for his captivity, we are free. To live as the Father desires us to live.

Justification is a legal term. An imputed righteousness. A declaration forever that we can now make in the face of the accuser: “Jesus died the death I should have died! In my place! And his resurrection not only proves he is God, but it declares me innocent. God accepted the atonement Jesus gave on my behalf!”

1 John 4:10 says, “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” God poured out his wrath for our sins on his Son! Why? For love! Sacrificial, unconditional love.

Justification. What a wonderful word for followers of Jesus!

Key Doctrines of the Faith: Incarnation

by David Chadwick

Without physical keys, you are unable to get into a locked car or a locked house. Well, without these spiritual keys, I believe you are vulnerable to deception and may not be able to unlock truths that could set you eternally free. Study these doctrines. Learn them. Use them to gain perspectives you may not have had before.

Today’s key: incarnation – the doctrine of Jesus coming into the world.

God is holy and hates our sin. But he also loves us so much. He created us, formed us, fashioned us for love. Sin got in the way!

So, what does a loving Father do? Well, we see the account written so beautifully in God’s Word! Jesus, the Second Person of the Godhead, was found with God from the beginning and in him was life and light (John 1:1-4). The Father then asked the Son to go and rescue us from our sin and from hell. The Son said yes. Jesus became flesh and dwelt among humanity, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).

Jesus willingly laid down his equality with God and was born as a human. Leaving his position next to the Father and taking on human flesh, he ran after us. The ultimate sacrifice and display of servitude. He humbled himself in obedience to the Father in heaven to the point of death, even a humiliating death on a cross (Philippians 2:6-7).

Jesus. Perfect God. Perfect man. Born of Mary’s womb. Conceived and created in her by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Fully God. Fully human. He had to be both. Why, you might ask?

Fully God to pay the price for our sins for only God can pay that price.

Fully human to be able to take all of our sins as a man to succeed where Adam failed.

The most miraculous story ever written!