Dave... said:
There is only a one time justification before God. There cannot be an innicial and progressive justification.
Dave,
I disagree. And I think here is the main difference on this issue between Catholics and Protestants. Catholics see our relationship with God as familial, while Protestantism sees it first as a legal issue. Thus, the idea of crediting righteousness to your account and being imputed with justice that is not yours. This legalisation of how salvation works is an innovation of the Protestant Reformation - primarily coming from Luther's idea on man's utter depravity.
Catholic teaching has never seen man as utterly depraved, but wounded. Man does maintain a wounded free will - unlike what Luther said. Thus, there is nor never was a need to consider salvation as a legal transaction. Rather, as the OT also formulates, man and God have a covenantal relationship, one of familial love. As a result, we see justification and sanctification as synonymous. In Protestantism, justification is a one-time process, while sanctification, quite honestly, serves very little purpose (since supposedly, Christ has already done everything necessary for a man to enter heaven - being further sanctified serves no purpose in salvation in this scheme).
Although justification begins at a specific point - Baptism - grace continues to flow in our lives. We gain grace as we live a life of obedience. As grace increases, so does justification - and we become more sanctified (holy) in God's eyes. God removes grace from us when we turn away from Him after committing serious, unrepented sin. There is little appreciable difference between justification and sanctification. In fact, the grace received during Baptism, during initial justification, is called "sanctifying grace". An example of this application is found in 1 Cor 6:9-11:
"Know you not that the unjust shall not possess the kingdom of God? Do not err: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, Nor the effeminate, nor liers with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor railers, nor extortioners, shall possess the kingdom of God. And such some of you were;
but you are washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Spirit of our God."
Paul is speaking of Baptism (the washing of regeneration) as being instrument by which God sanctifies and justifies us. The only other place New Testament uses "washing" is in Acts 22:16, which is the act of Baptism...
"And now why tarriest thou? Rise up, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, invoking his name. "
The context of 1 Cor 6 deals with the conduct of the Corinthians, not the alien righteousness of Christians. Thus, when Paul switches around these terms interchangeably, we see there is no chronological order - justification and sanctification are two synonymous terms. In fact, the verb "justified" NEVER precedes the verb "sanctified" in the New Testament!
Is justification a one-time act? Scriptures disagree:
"He that hurteth, let him hurt still: and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is just, let him be justified still: and he that is holy, let him be sanctified still." Rev 22:11
"Do you see that by works a man is justified; and not by faith only?" James 2:24
Also, at times, the Bible uses the word "sanctify" or "sanctification" when you would expect to see "justify:
"...to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God,
that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me." Acts 26:18 (KJV)
The word "sanctified" is used, rather than "justified". Men are forgiven by sanctification, rather than by justification.
Or
"Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers dispersed through Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
elect, According to the foreknowledge of God the Father, unto the sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you and peace be multiplied." 1 Peter 1:1-2
Again, we have been chosen as the elect through the sanctification (rather than justification) of the Spirit...
Or
"But we ought to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, beloved of God,
for that God hath chosen you firstfruits unto salvation, in sanctification of the spirit, and faith of the truth" 2 Thess 2:13
Again, sanctification and faith are connected directly in being chosen for salvation - rather than justification.
Hebrews 10:29; Jude 1; and Eph 5:26 are further examples of this utilization of the word "sanctification" where "justification" would have been expected. Thus, we see the words as NOT separate. As a result, since sanctification means justification and vice versus, and sanctification continues throughout one's life, we can also say that justification continues to ebb and increase throughout one's life. God sees our holiness in Christ change as our obedience, humility, and love change as a result of the Spirit's work in our hearts.
Further study of WHEN Abraham and David were justified will yield the same results... Man's justification in God's eyes is not a one-time event, but ongoing.
Regards