Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 
Ephesians  5: 25 - 27  (NKJV)
  
Life would be meaningless if the only thing a Christian experienced was justification.  I use the word experienced in the framework of understanding and accepting God's free gift of pardon.  Although Christ's act of justification is performed separate and apart from man's works, yet it cannot be performed separate and apart from a man's feelings an attitudes.  By faith to hear Jesus say, "Your sins be forgiven," brings to the soul a wonderful sense of peace and calm.  So the doctrine of justification can never be understood and accepted without its touching the deepest levels of the soul!

This is why justification becomes the springboard for sanctification.  Out text today begins with justification and ends with sanctification.  "Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her."  That's justification.  But the purpose of Christ's giving Himself a sacrifice for His people is that He might sanctify them, and the ultimate result is to present a people to His Father without spot or wrinkle!

Justification clears our past record, and sanctification keeps the record clear.  Justification accomplishes a work for us; sanctification accomplishes a work in us.  Justification is our title to heaven;  sanctification is our fitness for heaven.

Many Christians possess only what we might call half-salvation.  Forgiveness for past sins is stressed, while victorious living right now, today, is passed over too lightly.  Man presumes on the love of God when he persists in known sin.  True sanctification builds barriers against sin.  We may fail many times and need forgiveness many times, but there must be an advance in victorious living.  To achieve a daily experience of sanctification, the most intimate association with Jesus Christ is necessary.  We come back to the age-old point of prayer, meditation, study, and witnessing.  Use these tools today in order to gain power over evil.

taken from: First Things First
June 30
by: Bob Spangler