Justification and sanctification – differences with Protestantism

His Holiness Pope Shenouda addresses the doctrinal disagreement between the Coptic Orthodox Church and our Protestant brethren concerning the meaning of justification and sanctification, explaining points of agreement (the importance of Christ’s blood and atonement) and points of difference in how a person attains the merits of that redemption.

Core Idea

1. The speaker fully acknowledges that Christ’s atonement on the cross and the ransom of His blood are central truths — the forgiveness, salvation, and the final realization of justification were accomplished by Christ’s blood.

2. The issue is not the price of the ransom that Christ paid but the method by which people obtain the merits of that ransom: are they granted automatically by mere theoretical faith or are they obtained by following ways specified by Scripture?

3. He explains that the Protestant doctrine views justification as a free gift obtained “by faith alone” without works or sacraments as conditions, and that sanctification is an ongoing process different from justification which happened once.

4. He replies that Scripture must not be reduced to a single verse; the verses that declare salvation by grace require understanding the full biblical context, including the call to repentance, baptism, and renewal of the Spirit.

5. He affirms that obtaining the merits of Christ’s blood is linked to genuine repentance, practical faith, baptism, and the presence of the Holy Spirit, and that the sacraments (repentance/penance, baptism, the Eucharist, chrism) are not merely “human works” but means of the Holy Spirit’s action.

6. He distinguishes between Scripture’s attack on empty works (works of the law or works without faith) and the value of works born of true faith; the message warns against relying on works alone without Christ’s blood and faith.

7. He emphasizes that true faith manifests its fruit in works of love and obedience, and that hope in free salvation must be met by responding to grace and cooperating with the work of the Holy Spirit within the soul and the mysteries.

8. He concludes that justification by the atonement is correct and not opposed, but the way to receive that atonement is repentance, baptism, faith, and participation with grace through the Church’s sacraments and the work of the Spirit.

For better translation support, please contact the center.