Paul spent three chapters of Romans explaining the depravity and universal sinfulness of man. Before Paul gets into the Gospel he pins, "Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God." Romans 3:19 (ESV) This verse is a perfect segue into the gospel because it tells us that every man has need for a savior “The only person who longs to hear the good news of a way of forgiveness is the person who knows he is justly condemned and helpless.” (1)
Once a man realizes he is a lost and sinful man that is separated from God, he can listen to and understand the Good News in order to be saved. There is a difference between justification and sanctification. But the difference is often muddied, even to the point that the two concepts are sometimes incorrectly combined into one action. This misconception leads to a twisted gospel. “The many errors about the work of God in salvation could be avoided if everyone would recognize one fact: Justification, while intimately connected to sanctification, is a separate divine act, with differing time frame of operation. That is, while it is completely true that everyone who is justified will also be sanctified, it is likewise just as true that justification must be distinguished from sanctification. If it is not, tremendous errors result, for inevitably this wrong view results in a confusion of the experience of sanctification with the grounds upon which all of the work of God rests, the perfect sacrificial work of Christ on Calvary.” (2)
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