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In Christianity, sanctification (or in its verb form, sanctify) literally means "to set apart for special use or purpose", that is, to make holy or sacred (compare Latin: sanctus). Therefore, sanctification refers to the state or process of being set apart, i.e. "made holy", as a vessel, full of the Holy Spirit.
Protestants believe justification is applied through faith alone and that rather than being made personally righteous and obedient, which Protestants generally delegate to sanctification as a distinct reality, justification is a forensic declaration of the believer to possess the righteousness and obedience of Christ.
The term "sanctification" was used to refer to the lifelong process of transformation. Thus the Roman Catholic term "justification" effectively includes both what Protestants refer to as "justification" and "sanctification." This difference in definitions can result in confusion, effectively exaggerating the disagreement.
"Justification" involves the reasons why someone holds a belief that one should hold based on one's current evidence. [4] Justification is a property of beliefs insofar as they are held blamelessly. In other words, a justified belief is a belief that a person is entitled to hold.
Catholic theologians often explain salvation by dividing it into justification—which relates to infused faith and how justice is satisfied—and sanctification—which relates to infused charity and our capacity for happiness at the beatific vision, [135] some emphasizing their intertwinedness more than others.
Additionally, Wesleyan-Arminian theology teaches that both justification and sanctification are synergistic. [66] The Arminian perspective on salvation is often described as "God-initiated synergism". [65] This perspective aligns closely with the main characteristic of the early Semi-Augustinian thought. [67] [24]
The mediaeval scala naturae as a staircase, implying the possibility of progress: [1] Ramon Llull's Ladder of Ascent and Descent of the Mind, 1305. Within many denominations of Christianity, Christian perfection is the theological concept of the process or the event of achieving spiritual maturity or perfection.
Justification differs from sanctification: Justification before God is a free unconditional gift by faith alone but sanctification requires obedience to God. Sanctification of all Christians is not guaranteed. Only final glorification of all Christians to a sinless state is guaranteed (Romans 8:30; Philippians 2:12). [89] [90] Eternal security