Summary
On this reading, God accepts sinners by grace through Christ and then renews them over time. Sanctification is real but incomplete in this life: believers fight sin, practice obedience, receive the means of grace, and grow in love without turning their progress into the ground of acceptance.
What this contributes
It gives assurance and transformation their proper relationship. Holiness is not an alternative way to earn salvation, but the necessary fruit of union with Christ and the Spirit’s continuing work.
Question to keep in view
Critics ask whether a strong distinction between justification and sanctification can make transformation seem secondary or leave too little room for decisive experiences of holiness.