Already & Not Yet!

I have been wrestling with the concepts of Justification and Sanctification. Fully Justified and Free from Sin and death and yet still in the process of BEING sanctified, made free, clean, etc...

It is the tension of recognizing who I am IN CHRIST and at the same time, fighting to take hold of it! Understanding that I will not reach perfection in this life but strive no less to take hold of Christ. As Paul says, "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own." (Phil. 3:12)

John Piper lays it out like this:

Already: Decisively and Irrevocably Free,

Not Yet: Finally and Perfectly Free

Here are some scriptures to help encourage you with a statement of newness paired with a command to become new.

1. Statement of newness: Romans 6:14, "Sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace."
Command to become new: Romans 6:12, "Do not let sin reign in your mortal body."

2. Statement of newness: Romans 6:18, "Having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness."
Command to become new: Romans 6:19, "Present your members as slaves to righteousness."

3. Statement of newness: Romans 6:6, "Our old self was crucified with Him."
Command to become new: Romans 6:11, "Consider yourselves to be dead to sin."

4. Statement of newness: Colossians 3:9, "You laid aside the old self with its evil practices."
Command to become new: Ephesians 4:22, "Lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit."

5. Statement of newness: Colossians 3:10, "You have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him."
Command to become new: Ephesians 4:24, "Put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth."

6. Statement of newness: Galatians 3:27, "All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ."
Command to become new: Romans 13:14, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ."

7. Statement of newness: Galatians 5:24, "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."
Command to become new: Romans 13:14b, "Make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts."

8. Command to become new: 1 Corinthians 5:7a, "Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump [of dough]."
Statement of newness: 1 Corinthians 5:7b, ". . . just as you are in fact unleavened."

In Grace!

Scripture references taken from: http://www.desiringgod.org/resourcelibrary/TasteAndSee/ByDate/2001/1178_Already_Decisively_and_Irrevocably_Free_Not_Yet_Finallyand_Perfectly_Free/