If you turn on the stove and place a pot of water over the heat, the water will warm and eventually boil. There’s no doubt about the consequences that follow. We depend on those consequences to prepare our meals or to have a cup of coffee.

A person who has heard the loving call of Jesus, who has received the forgiveness of sins won at Calvary, who trusts in Christ as his Redeemer and calls the Son of God his friend—such a person will produce the fruit of repentance and righteousness. There’s no doubt about the consequences that follow from the fire of the Holy Spirit burning in a Christian’s heart.

The first four articles in this series have treated the subject of justification, God’s verdict of “not-guilty” that was declared objectively upon the whole world and has been declared personally upon each Christian. Our final article deals with sanctification, the natural result of justification in a believer’s heart and life.

Sanctification flows from justification

To sanctify means “to set apart as holy.” Something that is sanctified has been elevated above that which is common, and it has been set aside for a greater, nobler purpose.

We must always distinguish between justification and sanctification, for they are two very distinct things: