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A serious misunderstanding has come into the minds of many Christians because they are not able to differentiate between two phases of salvation, justification and sanctification. God placed our sins on Jesus and that was what killed Him. What happens when God justifies us who place our faith in Jesus is that the righteousness of Jesus is credited to us (Ro.4:5). This cancels out our debt of sin with God and allows Him to accept us. God also tells us that He will not hold our sins against us (He.8:12). But when it comes to sanctification, where we are to overcome sin, do God's will, and become more and more like Jesus, we cannot assume that God looks now only at the robe of righteousness covering us, not seeing our present condition. When preachers try to comfort people by telling them about such a grace, they make people think that our present sins are taken care of and so they do not have to worry about sinning. This is a huge mistake.

The whole goal of salvation is to save us from sin (Mt.1:21). How can we say we are being saved from sin if we are going on sinning? Paul was shocked that people would think like this (Ro.6:15). If we are sinning day by day, thinking that the blood of Jesus covers us, we have not even understood the meaning of salvation. The chances are that we have not really repented from our sins. Has Jesus only managed to forgive our sins but He really has no power as our Saviour to help us to stop sinning? No, He is able (Jude.24). God wants us to stop sinning (1Jn.2:1). God does not want sin to rule over us (Ro.6:14).

Through sanctification, God works in us through the Holy Spirit to separate us more and more from sin and uncleanness, and make us purer and purer like Him. As God works inside us, giving us a desire and strength to overcome sin and to do His will, it is our part to turn away from sin and to do the will of God. In doing this, we have to deny ourselves what we feel like because of our sinful nature, and choose to do God's will every time we are tempted (Php.2:12,13).

But we see that this is not what many preachers teach their people. Anything to do with obeying God's commandments is considered as going back under the Law. So people preach only about the grace of God and His love. But see how Paul understood his responsibility to lead people to obedience (Ro.1:5). If our faith does not lead to obedience to God and turning away from sinning, we have to realise that somewhere along the way we have received a false faith. No repentance, no turning away from sin to obeying God, and we are happily sitting around thinking we are covered by the blood of Jesus! A large number of Christians have heard this false gospel and are deceived with a false hope.

Sanctification is a path from the bondage of sin to victory. It is not immediate as in justification but a daily process. So God has provided for forgiving us when we fall along this way as we learn to overcome (1Jn.2:1).

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