Justification is a solitary covenant with God. Sanctification is a communal process of shared covenant to encourage, spur one another on, and live out the “one another’s” lived and taught by Jesus Christ. Justification occurs at a point in time, individually, with God, as Christ’s new garment or mantle of imputed righteousness is placed upon us. Sanctification progresses over a course of time in Christ and in community with others.
The problem is that in community we can get distracted by comparison of ourselves one to another, unable to see that the garment of imputed righteousness we wear is the same for everyone, like the tunic worn under one’s armor. We get bashful about being seen for the truth of our need for continued refining, our “nakedness” in having “put off” the old filthy rags of the past. God alone sees us in the truth that truly is the fullness and completeness of the mantle itself. We don’t have the same ability yet to see the new garment’s beauty for what it is. Until we wear it a while and get comfortable in it and quit trying to compare it with that of others. It “grows on us” or we “grow into it” gaining further necessary “accessories” along the way like the belt of truth, breastplate of imparted righteousness, helmet of salvation, shoes of preparation for the gospel of peace, the sword of the Word and the shield of faith.
Like David casting aside Saul’s useless armor and moving out to slay Goliath with what he’d been equipped with and trained to do by God alone, just a youth who sized up the threat to himself and others, trusted God, and said, “Yes” to God. In receiving the mantle given him, he was then anointed by Samuel, received into the king’s house and given the further equipping for future kingship that he had to grow into. And even as he did, while his heart was for obedience and service to the Lord, even so he made wrong steps along the way and had to face many obstacles and a few serious consequences. But he continued to wear the mantle of imputed righteousness in Christ. His heart could recognize and repent of wrong and accept God’s discipline while continuing to be further pruned and equipped with the other things a king needs and attempting to equip and set an example for his successor and son, Solomon, as well. But in the end, God alone acts to choose, anoint, equip, and refine each generation based not on popular acclaim, entitlement or heritage, but by grace.
With the armor we learn to hold the imparted garment of the righteousness of Christ in place with truth, guard our hearts with the breastplate of imparted righteousness, guard our minds with the helmet of salvation, walk in holiness and obedience with the shoes of preparation of the gospel of peace, and keep alert to the enemy by keeping in our hands the sword of the word and the shield of faith. Equipped this way we remain alert, and will not be naked or ashamed, ready to always give a defense and the reason for our hope and destroy the darts and arrows of the enemy.