Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. Just as You sent Me into the world, I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, so that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. (vv. 17-19)

Justification and sanctification can be distinguished but cannot be separated. For the elect, they are not difficult to understand. However, the description of justification and sanctification is too wordy and philosophical because theologians have been trying to convince the unbelievers with their words. The mystery of God is hidden until God opens the eyes of His elect children. This is not revealed to the reprobate no matter how much they try to understand.

Turning to the disciples, He said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see the things that you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things that you hear, and did not hear them. (Luke 10:23-24)

Many theologians and ministers have been using the words of philosophers to know and explain God and His will. But their efforts are useless because their heart is not in God but in people. This error of using the words of unbelieving philosophers is quite common. I think that Augustine, Luther, and even Calvin were not free from this error.

Justification and sanctification are closely related to righteousness. In earlier posts, I mentioned that only God is righteous. And those who are united with God through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are righteous. The narrow meaning of righteousness is being morally good. But it is more like uprightness which Job had (Job 1:1). The righteousness that is imputed to the saints is bigger than that. And it has to be bigger than that.

Our Lord, Jesus Christ, was accused of breaking the law and morally wrong by the scribes and the Pharisees while He was on the earth.

The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a heavy drinker, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ And yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds. (Matthew 11:19)

For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God. (John 5:18)

In many ways, the Pharisees were more righteous than any other Jews. However, our righteousness must exceed their righteousness. This righteousness is not from works but from being one with God. It is not from works of the law or obedience. It is directly from God. We receive it by becoming His children. This righteousness comes through faith in God.

For I say to you that unless your righteousness far surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:20)

It appears that the Jews at the time of Jesus believed that the rich were more likely to enter the kingdom of God because they could do good works using their money such as helping the poor. It could be that richness was interpreted as a blessing or reward from God. The Pharisees loved money and had money. Churches around the world also love money. But Jesus spoke what was contrary to their belief.

And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. (Matthew 19:24)

When explaining justification and sanctification, theologians use words like imputation, infusion, extra nos, intra nos, etc. John 17 explains them more simply and more accurately. Jesus Christ justified and sanctified His people by being salt and light inside the leavened dough. I mentioned that salt and light kill bacteria (leaven). In the same way, Jesus Christ has sanctified His church by becoming a human just like her. And the church stays sanctified because Christ is one with her. God is always with us (Immanuel). Christ entered the corrupt world as salt and light to remove leaven. Anyone who is outside this (sanctified) dough does not belong to Him. Again, the mystery lies in the person of Jesus Christ. Although His works represent Who He is, the mystery is found in the person of Christ with two inseparable natures.

… but if I do them, even though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father. (John 10:38)