Is Sanctification Needed Before Salvation?

By Donald Werner

As a believer I was always taught that we get saved by what we believe, and some time later the Holy Spirit would clean us up and do the work sanctifications in us. They say you had to catch a fish before you could clean it.
But is that what the Scriptures teach? Is that what Jesus taught? Is repentance necessary for Salvation, or is it something that happens later? The Church so tenaciously protects salvation by grace apart from all works that they have, as I see it, gone into error. But you decide for yourself, I have put together a study book that will lay it out in front of you, with the Scriptures to prove any points taken. You will rethink what it means to be saved when you read this book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Sep 4, 2017
• ISBN: 9781387210558

Book preview

Is Sanctification Needed Before Salvation?

Is Sanctification Needed Before Salvation?

Donald Werner

5/9/2018

© 2017 Donald Werner. All rights reserved. ISBN #: 978-1-387-21055-8

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.  All Scriptures, unless otherwise marked are from the NKJV.

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

THE PREFACE

The Premise for this Book; It is my understanding that the Bible is God’s word, and its authority supersede all other authority, including religious instruction, doctrines, creeds and teachings.  All ‘truth seekers’ must be willing to honestly compare what your church teachings to the teachings of Bible.  If you are not willing to do that, perhaps this book is not for you.

THE INTRODUCTION

Over the centuries the original Christian faith changed, and the Christian faith we practice is no longer the same faith that Jesus taught and practiced – though it originally was. 

Jesus was a Bible believing Jew.  Jesus referred to the Scriptures as the Word of God and would not tolerate any Jewish tradition or oral law that leavened the pure word. Yet today the teachings of the churches have strayed far from what Jesus taught and preached.  In some cases the orthodox or commonly accepted Christian faith negates God’s word and in other cases it changes God’s word.

Through this series of books, I will share with you truths that have been set aside in favor of church creeds, doctrines and traditions.

In this book I will examine the Scriptures to see what it alone says about whether or not sanctification is needed before salvation.  I will draw on many of scriptures from the New and Old Testaments.  By the time you are done with this book, the answer you are seeking will be obvious.

I pray that God will be your Teacher and your Guide as you study the material in this book.  I pray that you will not just informed, but that you and your relationship with God will be transformed by what you read. 

Blessings as you study,

Donald Werner, [e-mail]

IS SANCTIFICATION NEEDED BEFORE SALVATION?

MUST WE REPENT OF OUR SINS AND OBEY GOD’S COMMANDMENTS BEFORE WE CAN BE SAVED?

Before we discuss such issues it is important that we agree on terms;

Justification - means forgiven of all your past sins, just if we had never sinned. The Record of your sin is cleared, blotted out. Acts 3:19, Repent therefore, and repent, that your sins may be blotted out. Luke 18:14, "I tell you, this man (a repentant sinner) went down to his house justified … for every one that exalts himself shall be abased; and he that humbles himself shall be exalted."

Sanctification – means ‘setting apart’ (or make holy), from the others which are common (or unholy), for a specific purpose.  God tells us that we are ‘sanctified’, or ‘made holy’, by keeping His commandments (John 17:17, Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.) – We are set apart from the rest of humanity to be God’s very own people.  Leviticus 20:7-8, "Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am YHVH your God. ⁸ And you shall keep My statutes, and perform them: I am YHVH who sanctifies you."  You are sanctified (made holy) when you keep God’s commandments, His word of Truth.

Repentance – to repent literally means to ‘turn around’ from sinner to righteousness.  To repent means to change your mind and attitude about your relationship with God, where you now love and fear God, in a way that produces a character change, so as to stop sinning (stop trespassing God’s law) and start keeping God’s law, thereby receiving God’s forgiveness.  Luke 24:47, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be preached in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

Righteousness -  A righteous person is not one that never sins, but one that repents from their sins. Proverbs 24:16, "The righteous may fall seven times but still get up, but the wicked will stumble into trouble."  Luke 1:6, "And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless."

Must you repent of your sins, i.e., stop breaking and start keeping God’s law, before you can be saved?  It seems pretty obvious to me that we must, however, orthodox Protestant Christianity says ‘no’ because ‘then you would be earning your salvation by your works’.

Many preachers would say that repentance is not part of the Gospel.  But they are wrong – repentance is the core of the Gospel.  The call to repentance is important and must not be neglected. It is entirely accurate to say that it is the first word of the gospel. 

Repent was the first word of John the Baptist's gospel (Matt 3:1-2).

Repent was the first word of Jesus' gospel (Matt 4:14 and Mark 1:14-15).

Repent was the first word in the preaching ministry of the twelve disciples (Mark 6:12).

Repent was the first word in the preaching instructions Jesus gave to His disciples after His resurrection (Luke 24:46-47).

Repent was the first word of exhortation