What are the effects of separating justification from sanctification?

Kevin Swanson explains in this video that we are not free to sin. Rather, we are free from sin and transgressing the law of God because of the grace of Christ that takes care of the guilt of our sin and the corruption and power of sin over us. Today, many people want only to rid themselves of the guilt of sin but not its power over them. They want to continue to embrace sin instead of desiring that it be put to death.

If Christ’s blood takes care of the guilt, it will do just as much for the corruption of our sins. We cannot separate Christ’s death from his resurrection. To do so is to separate our justification from our rising and walking in the newness of life. We are saved by faith and by the sanctification of the Spirit of God. It cannot be one and not the other.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NKJV) – “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

We are not free to sin, we are free from sin. We are free from transgressing the law of God because of the grace of Christ that yes, takes care of the guilt of our sin but at the same time takes care of the corruption and power of sin over us. People want to split the blood cell of Christ that flows from his veins for us. They want to say half of the blood cell is for the guilt of our sin, the other for the corruption. I'm fine with half of that blood cell.

I want Jesus' blood to take care of my guilt, but not the corruption and power of that sin over us. Impossible, I say. Impossible. If Jesus Christ's blood takes care of the guilt of our sin, it will do just as much for the corruption of our sins. The good news is that Jesus died on our cross for our sins and on the third day rose again from the dead.

You can't separate these things. Many want to separate it saying the gospel is Jesus died on the cross for our sins, period. No, He died on the cross for our sins and rose again on the third day. To separate Christ's death and resurrection is to separate our justification from our rising and walking in newness of life. Paul tells us in Thessalonians, We are saved by faith and by the sanctification of the Spirit of God.

It's both.