---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In some denominations, \"righteousness by…"
description: "\"“In some denominations, \"righteousness by faith\" has traditionally been understood to include two things. (1) Being declared righteous (justification) ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/058/desmond-ford-14966_christianity_in-some-denominations-righteousness-by-f_2112475.jpg"
---

#  In some denominations, "righteousness by faith" has…

![“In some denominations, &quot;righteousness by faith&quot; has traditionally been understood to include two things. (1) Being declared righteous (justification) and (2) being made righteous (sanctification—our status or standing with God by faith in Christ and our condition before God. By condition we mean…” quote by Desmond Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/058/desmond-ford-14966_christianity_in-some-denominations-righteousness-by-f_2112475.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/058/desmond-ford-14966_christianity_in-some-denominations-righteousness-by-f_2112475.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/058/desmond-ford-14966_christianity_in-some-denominations-righteousness-by-f_2112475.jpg)

> ““In some denominations, "righteousness by faith" has traditionally been understood to include two things. (1) Being declared righteous (justification) and (2) being made righteous (sanctification—our status or standing with God by faith in Christ and our condition before God. By condition we mean the Holy Spirit in the life, the doing of good works, and the developing of character.) That, of course, is not the "righteousness by faith" of the New Testament. Never, never, never. In Paul's discussion on acceptance and in his discussion on justification, "righteousness" and "faith," "just" and "faith," are linked together thirteen times in thirteen verses. They are never so linked in his discussion on sanctification. It is so important to understand that sanctification, or being made righteous, is the fruit of the gospel. It is not the gospel. It is the result of the gospel. The gospel is the good news about the death and resurrection of Christ. Through faith in Christ, his perfect righteousness is imputed to us, and God accepts us—now. Sanctification—or working in cooperation with the Holy Spirit—is the fruit of the gospel.””

[Desmond Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-ford/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Faith declares believers righteous before God; sanctification follows as the gospel’s fruit, not its source.

**In simple terms:** Faith makes us right with God; sanctification is the result.

Key Takeaway

Trust God’s declaration, then cooperate with the Spirit.

Themes

theology justification sanctification gospel faith

Mood

reflective educational

Type

theological explanatory

When to use this quote

- preaching
- personal study
- spiritual mentoring
- church teaching
- daily devotion

Key Concepts

Imputed righteousness spiritual growth cooperation with Holy Spirit

Questions to Reflect On

- How does understanding sanctification as a result change your spiritual practice?
- What role does the Holy Spirit play in your growth?

A Different Perspective

Sanctification can be misunderstood as earning salvation.

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[Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Good news](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-news/) [Holy spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy-spirit/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Justification Righteousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justification-righteousness-4271194/) [New testament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-testament/) [Righteous Justification](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/righteous-justification-4271195/) [Righteous Sanctification](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/righteous-sanctification-4271193/) [Righteousness Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/righteousness-faith-380274/) [Sanctification Righteous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sanctification-righteous-4271192/)

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