Justified – Sanctified - Washed

Hugh DeLong
08/31/23 - Mornings With The Bible

Justified – Sanctified - Washed

“⁹ Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, ¹⁰ nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹ Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:9-11).

·       Sin – separates from God. Here is a list (one of several recorded in the Bible).

·       BUT – they became disciples of Jesus –

·       Such WERE some of you – BUT you were washed, sanctified, and justified.

Justified –

People ‘justified’ God – to declare Him ‘just’ – Luke 7:29-30

WE are ‘declared just’ – to be right with God.

·       NOT declared that never sinned –

·       RATHER – There is to be NO PUNISHMENT for us BECAUSE OF JESUS.

·       He is our punishment fulfilled – he is our sacrifice – HE DIED for us.

·       God is thus both JUST and the justifier of him who trusts in Jesus – Rom. 3:26.

Sanctified –

This means to be Set Apart – both of ‘things’ and ‘people’

Under OT –   Sprinkled with blood – Heb. 9:19

NOW in Christ – The sprinkling is with HIS blood – Heb. 12:24, 10:22

With such sprinkling of blood we have been sanctified:

·       IN RELATIONSHIP – immediate.   The Corinthians became SAINTS by relationship even though they were NOT SAINTS in character!  1Cor. 1:1-3

·       IN CHARACTER – we are growing and living – perfecting holiness – pursuing holiness – 2Cor. 6:16 - 7:1.

Washed –

PRE-reformation and Zwingli – cp. Acts 16:21: “Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins.”

THE CHANGE WITH ZWINGLI – ‘outer sign of inward grace’ – a symbol – our profession – etc.

·       Washed, Sanctified, and Justified are about GOD’s actions –

·       SO with ‘being baptized’ – the emphasis is NOT upon US in ‘doing’ – but always upon what GOD does FOR and TO us WHEN we are baptized.

·       Today – it has changed and baptism is said to be about what WE DO –

BUT IT SHOULD BE ABOUT What God Did in such washing?

·       Circumcision

·       Cleansed

·       Forgave

·       Made alive

·       Saved

Hence the order in which Paul wrote it: Washed à sanctified à justified

The Corinthians, hearing the gospel, believed and were baptized (Acts 18:8). IN such baptism, GOD WORKED and they were washed, sanctified, and justified. (see Col. 2:9-13). That should be the case for all people. Is that your situation with God?     

Hugh DeLong

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