Holiness: For the Will of God Is Your Sanctification – 1 Thessalonians 4:3 [Annotated, Updated]

by J.C. Ryle

When I speak of growth in grace, I do not for a moment mean that a believer’s portion in Christ can grow. I do not mean that he can grow in safety, acceptance with God, or security. I do not mean that he can ever be more justified, more pardoned, more forgiven, or more at peace with God than he is at the first moment he believes. I strongly believe that the justification of a believer is a finished, perfect, and complete work, and that the weakest saint, though he may not know and feel it, is as completely justified as the strongest. I strongly believe that our election, calling, and standing in Christ are not gradual and do not increase or decrease.