问题32：称义和成圣是什么意思？
答：称义是指借着基督为我们死和复活，使我们在神面前被称为义；成圣是指借着圣灵在我们里面的工作，使我们的义逐渐成长。
儿童版：称义是指我们在神面前被称为义；成圣是指我们的义得以逐渐成长。

Question 32: What Do Justification and Sanctification Mean?
Answer: Justification means our declared righteousness before God, made possible by Christ’s death and resurrection for us. Sanctification means our gradual, growing righteousness, made possible by the Spirit’s work in us.
For Kids: Justification means our declared righteousness before God. Sanctification means our gradual, growing righteousness.


歌谱 Lead Sheet

经文

《彼得前书》1 章1 节至2 节：

　　耶稣基督的使徒彼得写信给那分散在……就是照父神的先见被拣选，藉着圣灵得成圣洁，以致顺服耶稣基督，又蒙祂血所洒的人。愿恩惠、平安多多地加给你们！

注解

亚伯拉罕·布斯

　　虽然称义和成圣都是恩典的祝福，是不可分割的，但神在其中的作为却截然不同，两者在各方面都有很大的差异。或许可以这样解释：称义代表法律意义上的人，是恩典一次性的工作，终止于本质的改变，即免受刑罚和享有生命权；成圣代表肉体意义上的人，是恩典持续性的工作，终止于真实的改变，即习惯和行为的改变。称义是因着我们所没有的公义，成圣则是借着我们里面从基督而来的圣洁。一个是因，一个是果。称义是以基督为祭司，注重罪的问题；成圣是以祂为君王，被祂所支配。前者剥夺的是咒诅的权势，后者剥夺了罪的支配权。称义是即时完成的，而成圣是逐步完善的。

默想

约翰·派博

　　「称义」是神的主动之工，借此称我们为义、完全或完美。因为，唯独借着信心我们与耶稣基督联合了，而祂是完全的、公义的。所以，「称义」是在神面前的合法地位，唯独借着信心在灵里与耶稣联合。你不能靠着行为或努力得着这地位，神宣告你是完全的，是因为你与基督的联合，这是唯独借着信心才会发生的事。

　　「成圣」也是神的主动之工，借着祂的圣灵和道一点一滴地改变你。有时是大幅度的改变，使你成为祂独生爱子的样式。所以我们在行为上会越来越公义，真实的在成圣过程中胜过自己的不完全。
「称义」与「成圣」的关系是什么？这是一个关键性的问题。关键的经文是——我爱这节经文——《希伯来书》10 章的14节：「因为祂一次献祭，（基督）便叫那得以成圣的人永远完全。」想一下这是什么意思，永远完全的是谁？已经完全，已经做成了，已经永远完全了，就是那得以成圣的人。被认可，成为圣洁，祂使你成为完全圣洁。是谁？这个「你」是谁？就是那得以成圣的人。也就是说，你在神面前成为圣洁、完美、公义的确据，就是你借着信，已经得以成圣了。我知道听起来有点矛盾，但这就是基督徒生命的关键所在。

　　或者这样说，你每天有能力和自己的罪、软弱争战，就是你已经完全的确据。你若把它反过来这样想：「神要我成为完全，我要在行为上完全，神看了说我做得不错，然后视我为完全。」不，实际上正好完全相反！我们得以完全是因为基督，我们信祂在十字架上所成就的，祂是一生完全的人。我们信祂，借着这信心，神使我们与基督联合。祂的完全现在成为我们的完全，因此我们在基督里已经是完全的了。而我们已经完全的证据，就是我们恨恶自己的罪。我们每天借着信，借着祂的应许，为要胜过自己的不完全而争战。

　　所以我要强调的是：请不要弄反了。因为全世界都弄反了，其他宗教也都弄反了，想要借着我们所行的、我们的努力，去胜过不完全，来取悦神，你做不到的。神认我们为可被接纳的，接纳我们成为祂的儿女，算我们为义。因这样的义，我们要用一辈子来成为我们已经成为的样子。这个名下，那么我们都需要去了解三位一体的实质。三位一体之所以很重要，是因为上帝很重要。

祷告

　　我们的救主和生命的主，祢已经做成使我们称义的工。祢也开始了使我们成圣的工，我们深信祢会带领我们完成。求祢日日更新我们，让我们能有祢的样式，遵行祢的道。阿们。

Scripture

1 PETER 1:1–2

To those who are elect exiles . . . according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

Commentary

ABRAHAM BOOTH

Though justification and sanctification are both blessings of grace, and though they are inseparable, yet they are distinct acts of God; and there is, in various respects, a wide difference between them. The distinction may be thus expressed—justification respects the person in a legal sense, is a single act of grace, and terminates in a relative change; that is, a freedom from punishment, and a right to life; sanctification regards him in a physical sense, is a continual work of grace, and terminates in a real change, as to the quality both of habits and actions. The former is by a righteousness without us; the latter is by holiness wrought in us. That precedes as a cause; this follows as an effect. Justification is by Christ as a priest, and has regard to the guilt of sin; sanctification is by him as a king, and refers to its dominion. The former deprives of its damning power, the latter of its reigning power. Justification is instantaneous and complete in all its subjects; sanctification is progressive and perfecting by degrees.

Devotional

JOHN PIPER

Justification is the act of God by which he declares us to be just or righteous or perfect because by faith alone we have been united to Jesus Christ, who is perfect, who is just, who is righteous. So, justification is a legal standing before God, owing to a spiritual union with Jesus, which is owing to faith alone. You don’t work yourself into or perform your way into this standing with God. He declares you to be perfect because of your union with Christ, and that happens by faith alone.

Sanctification is the act of God by which he, through his Spirit and his Word, is conforming you little by little—or in big steps—into the image of his Son. So we are really becoming in our behavior righteous, really overcoming imperfections in our sanctification.

Now here’s the key question: How do these two relate to each other? The key verse is Hebrews 10:14: “By a single offering, [Christ] has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” Think of what that says. Who has been perfected for all time? Has been. It’s done. Has been perfected for all time. Those who are being perfected. Being sanctified. Being made holy. He has made you perfectly holy. Who? The ones who are becoming holy. Which means that the evidence that you stand holy or perfect or just before God is that you are by faith becoming holy. Sounds kind of paradoxical, I know. But it’s the key to the Christian life.

Another way to say it is like this: The power by which you daily strive to overcome the imperfections in your life is the confidence that you’re already perfect. If you get these switched around, if you think, “Okay, God demands perfection; I’ve got to become in my behavior perfect, and then God will look at me and say, ‘He’s doing pretty good; we’ll let him be perfect or count him to be perfect.’” It’s just the opposite. Because of Christ, we believe in him and what he did on the cross and his perfect life. We believe in him, and by that faith, God unites us to Christ. His perfection is counted as ours. And the evidence that we stand perfected in Christ is that we hate our sin, and we daily, by faith in his promises, strive to overcome the imperfections that exist.

So my exhortation would simply be, please don’t get these backward. The whole world gets it all backward. Other religions get it all backward, where our works and our efforts to overcome imperfections might make us pleasing to God. You never can get there that way. God reckons us as acceptable, makes us his children, counts us as righteous; and because of that righteousness we then spend a lifetime becoming what we already are.

Prayer

Our Savior and Lord, you have completed the work of our justification. You have begun the work of our sanctification, and we trust that you will carry us through to its completion. Transform us day by day into your likeness, conforming us to your ways. Amen.