Paul's Passing Thoughts

Resolution On Distinctions Between Justification And Sanctification
June 2011

WHEREAS, A major contribution to the spiritual weakness of many Protestant denominations has been erroneous teachings in regard to sanctification; and

WHEREAS, Some teach that Christians are sanctified by the exact same means of justification only; and

WHEREAS, Some teach that Christians should preach the Gospel of justification to themselves everyday for sanctification purposes; and

WHEREAS, Some teach that contemplation on the Gospel of justification alone is the primary duty for the Christian, and from that one duty, all other duties find life; and

WHEREAS, Some teach that a worshipful doxology resulting from a contemplation on justification always precedes obedience acceptable to God; and

WHEREAS, Some teach that Christians need to be justified continually until glorification, and enablement to participate in sanctification has not been granted by God in any portion more than those who need to be justified; and

WHEREAS, Some teach that personal exertion by Christians in response to all that Christ has commanded in Scripture is works salvation.

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, That the Southern Baptist Convention affirm Scriptural distinctions between justification and sanctification; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we affirm these distinctions according to Scripture and those that are clearly evident in Article IV of the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message Statement. Concerning enablement in sanctification, Article IV (C) contains this statement as follows: “Sanctification is the experience, beginning in regeneration, by which the believer is set apart to God’s purposes, and is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual maturity through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him.”

Concerning justification as a one-time legal declaration by God, Article IV (B) contains the following statement: “Justification is God’s gracious and full acquittal upon principles of His righteousness of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ”; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we believe that the Scriptures are not for the sole purpose of contemplating justification only, but rather according to Article I of the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message Statement which contains the following in regard to the Scriptures: “It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. It reveals the principles by which God judges us; and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried”; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we affirm our belief in the biblical truth that Christians are new creatures in Jesus Christ, and therefore, we also agree with Article XV of the 1925 confession which contains this statement: “There is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and wicked”; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we affirm as true and biblical, any endeavor or teaching concerning sanctification that likens to these words written by JC Ryle: “In justification the word to address to man is believe–only believe; in sanctification the word must be ‘watch, pray, and fight.’ What God has divided let us not mingle and confuse”; and

BE IT THEREFORE FINALLY RESOLVED, That because of the aforementioned convictions commonly believed by Southern Baptists as described in these resolutions, that those who persist in confounding two things that differ–that is, justification and sanctification, be deemed unfit as ministers or teachers of the Gospel.