The words “justified” and “justification” speak of a believer’s positional righteousness before God while still in the sinning state. In other words, being “justified” means “just-if-I’d” never sinned. However, practically speaking, believers are “being made holy and righteous” daily as the Holy Spirit transforms them to become more like Jesus. This refining process is called sanctification.
Justification is an instantaneous occurrence that takes place at the moment of salvation. It is not a process but a state of being before God where He sees believers through His Son’s imputed righteousness. In other words, believers are clothed in Jesus’ righteousness, which enables them to be declared holy in God’s sight, even though they still sin.
When born-again believers sin, they do not lose their salvation or positionally righteous standing before God. Instead, their intimate fellowship with God is broken and needs to be restored. This “reinstatement” occurs when they confess their sins to Jesus — agreeing with Him that their actions were wrong — and ask Him for forgiveness. In response, Jesus forgives them for these sins and cleanses them from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9-10).
The justification of believers should never be viewed, understood, or utilized as a license to sin. Anyone claiming to be born-again who cites God’s grace as a free pass to habitually sin is not demonstrating the fruit of salvation. Instead, they are still in their sins, most likely, and in jeopardy of God’s severe judgment for trampling on Jesus’ precious blood that was shed for them.
(See the Scripture References link at the top of the page.)
