The sermon discusses the theological concepts of justification and sanctification. Justification is described as God's work in which believers are declared righteous and at peace with Him, receiving His love as He loves His Son. Sanctification, on the other hand, involves believers cooperating with God and growing in grace, which is a result of God's love, not a cause. The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding that God's love is not contingent on our sanctification process but is fully given through the righteousness of Christ. This correction addresses a common misconception that God's love is conditional upon our spiritual growth.

Justification is that work of God by which we are declared righteous in his sight. Scientific is that work of God by which we cooperate with him and the means of grace by which we are made righteous in his sight. So we are declaratively at peace with God. He loves us. We're perfect.

And that's something I think we miss. I think we feel like that the work of Christ has gotten us to the place where God's not really mad at us. He's willing to be patient with us and he's leading us along in our sanctification and when we're done then he'll really love us. I think it's vitally important for us to grasp that the imputation of the righteousness of Christ to us now means that our Father loves us as much as He loves His Son. He loves us as much now as He ever will.

And the sanctification is the blessing that flows out of that love, not the source of that love or the cause of that love. So we're growing in grace because He loves us. He doesn't love us because we're growing in grace.