Friday, February 19, 2010

Can you separate justification and sanctification?

Our goal is to show the connection between justification, on the one hand, and co-crucifixion and co-resurrection on the other, arguing that for Paul justification is an experience of participating in Christ's resurrection life that is effected by co-crucifixion with him.

This is a much more robust, participatory, and costly understanding of justification than one often finds attributed to Paul. It does not, however, in any sense whatsoever reduce the need for, or meaning(s), of Christ's death as God's gracious salvific act on our behalf while we “still were sinners” (Rom 5:8) and were “dead through our trespasses” (Eph 2:5). Nor is justification by co-crucifixion a form of self-justification or justification by “works,” for it is only by grace and the work of God's Spirit that co-crucifixion is possible. What justification by co-crucifixion will imply, however, and not surprisingly, is that a theological rift between justification and sanctification is impossible, because the same Spirit effect both initial and ongoing co-crucifixion with Christ among believers, a lifelong experience of cruciformity, or, in light of chapter one, theoformity—theosis.—Inhabiting the Cruciform God, p. 40

<idle musing>
I like this, "a theological rift between justification and sanctification is impossible, because the same Spirit effect both initial and ongoing co-crucifixion with Christ among believers." That sums up my view pretty well.
</idle musing>

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