The Attributes of God and The Full Journey of Salvation: Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification

Have you ever wondered why God saved you? Not just how—but why? For many believers, salvation is often reduced to a single moment in time—a decision we made, a prayer we prayed, or a line we crossed. But the truth is, salvation is far more than just an event. When God saved you, He didn’t simply rescue you from eternal separation or pull you out of darkness.

He invited you into a lifelong process of transformation, a journey of becoming who you were always created to be, and a future filled with His glory. Salvation unfolds in stages—justification, sanctification, and glorification—and each of these stages reveals God’s heart, His plan, and His purpose for your life. Ultimately, all of it points back to one central truth: salvation exists for the glory of God.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in your walk with God, you’re not alone. Many believers ask, “What now?” after receiving Christ. The joy of salvation is real, but so are the questions that follow. What does God want from me now? How do I grow? Where do I go from here? The truth is, your story is part of something much bigger—God’s story.

Salvation isn’t just about the past moment when you believed, but also about the present transformation and the future hope you carry. Understanding the stages of salvation helps us see where we are on the journey, how God is shaping us day by day, and how every step is leading us deeper into His plan.

Keep in mind as we dissect these words: three of these four words are attributes of God and they give an introduction to how it is interconnected in the believer’s journey.

Righteousness: Our Standing and Our Living

At the heart of salvation is the truth of righteousness—what it means to be made right with God. In Christianity, righteousness refers to both our standing before God and the way we live in response to Him. To be righteous means more than just displaying moral behavior; it means being seen by God as acceptable, approved, and aligned with His standards. It is to be welcomed, covered, and pleasing in His eyes. Scripture reveals two vital aspects of righteousness.

The first is positional righteousness, which is received the very moment you put your faith in Jesus Christ. By grace, His righteousness is credited to you—not earned or achieved, but freely given. This is what makes you justified: God looks at you and sees the righteousness of Christ. As Romans 5:1 declares, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The second is practical righteousness, which is the lifelong process of living out your new identity. Once declared righteous, the Holy Spirit begins transforming your words, actions, and thoughts to reflect the likeness of Jesus. As 1 John 3:7 reminds us, “Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.” This means that righteousness in Christ isn’t just something you receive—it’s something you live. You don’t practice righteousness to become righteous; you practice it because you already are.

Justification: Declared Righteous Before God

Justification is the foundation of our salvation—it is the act of being declared righteous before God. To be justified means that, according to God’s perfect standards of righteousness, you are no longer guilty but made right with Him. This isn’t something you can accomplish by good works or personal effort; it is entirely the work of God through Jesus Christ. When you place your faith in Christ, His righteousness is credited to your account, and God declares you forgiven and accepted.

In that moment, you stand before Him not clothed in your own imperfect record, but in the spotless righteousness of Jesus. Justification answers the deepest human problem: how can a sinful person stand in the presence of a holy God? The answer is simple yet profound—through faith in Christ, God Himself declares us righteous.

Sanctification: The Ongoing Work of Transformation

Sanctification refers to the process of being made holy, or set apart, for God’s purposes. Unlike justification, which happens in a moment, sanctification is a lifelong journey. From the moment of salvation, the Holy Spirit begins His work within the believer—reshaping desires, renewing the mind, and transforming character to reflect the likeness of Jesus Christ. This process is not passive; it involves daily surrender, obedience, and cooperation with the Spirit’s leading.

As believers grow, they learn to put aside sinful habits and walk in righteousness, demonstrating the reality of their new identity in Christ. Sanctification is an essential aspect of salvation because it reveals God’s ongoing work in us—showing that He not only declares us righteous but also shapes us to live righteously according to His will.

Glory and Glorification: The Radiance of God’s Presence

The final stage of salvation points us toward glory. Glory is the radiant display of God’s holiness, majesty, power, and goodness—it is the visible expression of who He is. Wherever God is present, His glory is revealed. For believers, glorification is the future promise that one day we will fully share in that glory. While justification removes our guilt and sanctification transforms us daily, glorification completes the journey by perfecting us in Christ’s image. In that moment, every trace of sin will be gone, and we will experience the fullness of God’s presence without barrier or limitation. His mere presence is glory, and our eternal hope is that we will dwell in that glory forever, reflecting His light and majesty for all eternity.

To grasp the fullness of glorification, we must first understand what glory means in Scripture. Glory, in essence, describes the sum of God’s attributes—His holiness, righteousness, love, wisdom, power, and goodness—made visible and experienced. This is why when Moses prayed, “Show me Your glory” (Exodus 33:18), God revealed His goodness, compassion, and name. Glory is not just a concept—it is the reality of who God is.

In appearance, God’s glory is often portrayed as light, fire, or radiance—manifestations that symbolize His unapproachable holiness and overwhelming majesty. Yet glory is not only about who God is and how He reveals Himself; it also demands a response. When God reveals His glory, we are not meant to remain passive observers. Instead, we are called to acknowledge it, worship Him, and reflect His nature in the world.

As Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” This means every aspect of our lives—our words, actions, and even the smallest daily choices—should point others back to Him. God reveals His glory, and we, in turn, glorify Him by living in a way that honors His name.

God’s Glory Is Like the Sun

One of the most powerful ways to understand God’s glory is through the metaphor of the sun. The sun itself represents God’s nature—pure, powerful, and life-giving. Just as the sun is the source of light and warmth for the world, God is the source of all life, truth, and goodness. The light and heat we feel from the sun are like God’s glory—it’s how we experience who He is. Yet, just as we cannot look directly at the sun without being overwhelmed, so too is God’s glory too intense for humanity to fully take in. His glory is beyond what we can comprehend or endure in its fullness.

Still, just as the sun illuminates the earth and sustains all living things, God’s glory lights up our lives, revealing His character and guiding us in His truth. Think of the brightest, most awe-inspiring thing you’ve ever seen, and it still only scratches the surface of His majesty. His glory is what makes Him shine, and it is the radiant expression of all that He is.

Holy vs. Glory: Nature and Expression

To understand the relationship between God’s holiness and His glory, it helps to see the distinction between the two. Holy describes God’s very nature—His moral perfection, absolute righteousness, and complete uniqueness. Holiness is what sets God apart from all creation; it is who He is in His essence. Glory, on the other hand, is the visible or revealed expression of that holiness, power, and worth. In other words, holiness is God’s nature, and glory is God’s expression.

An illustration of this would be fire and light: holiness is the fire itself—the source of purity and power—while glory is the light that shines forth from it, making its presence known and experienced. God is holy in His essence, and His glory is the radiant outpouring of that holiness into the world for all to see.

Glorification: The Eternal Fulfillment of Salvation

The final stage of salvation—glorification—is the full restoration of mankind in the presence of God. Scripture paints a breathtaking picture of this reality. In Revelation 21:3–4 (ESV), we read: “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’” This passage reveals the ultimate hope of glorification—life free from sin, suffering, and death, as God Himself dwells with His people forever.

Revelation 21:10–11 adds another layer: “And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem...having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.” Here, the New Jerusalem—symbolic of God’s redeemed people—shines with His glory, illustrating that glorification means being perfectly united with and reflecting the majesty of God.

Finally, Revelation 22:3–5 gives the most intimate description: “No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” This passage captures the heart of glorification—seeing God face to face, bearing His name, worshipping Him unhindered, and reigning with Him eternally. This is the final destination of salvation: not just deliverance from sin, but eternal life in the radiant presence of God’s glory.

The Full Scope of Salvation: From Justification to Glory

God has His own perfect standard—His righteousness. In order for humanity to avoid spiritual death and eternal separation from Him, we must be made right with God. This is what we call justification, and it happens the very moment a person truly believes in Jesus Christ. What a beautiful and simple gift of grace—no works are required, only faith in what God has already accomplished through Christ.

From this moment on, a new creation is born—the “Spirit man.” God’s Spirit comes to dwell within, and this marks the beginning of sanctification: a lifelong journey where God works Himself into us, shaping and molding us to reflect His character and His glory. This process continues until the day of glorification, when God’s nature is fully expressed in us, and we become the radiant reflection of His glory for all eternity. Put simply, the journey of salvation is this: being made right with God, growing in holiness, and one day being fully glorified in His presence.

As Paul writes in Romans 8:10, “But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.” Salvation is not just a moment in time; it is a complete journey—a divine story of God’s righteousness, His Spirit’s transformation, and His glory revealed in us forever.