Sincerely Sorry Sinners Are Also Sanctified Sinners
Friday, November 7, 2025
“The man who is really forgiven is anxious not to offend again; the possession of justification leads to an anxious desire for sanctification.” – C.H. Spurgeon
One of the saddest aspects of prison ministry is the realization that whereas 95% of all inmates are someday released, roughly 70% of them are rearrested within four years post-release. Even more tragically, half of those who return to prison are rearrested for parole violations or new crimes they committed during their first two weeks of freedom.
Incomprehensible… but sadly true.
Obviously, these recidivists were not sorry for committing their original crimes. On the contrary, they merely regretted getting caught.
Thankfully, there are exceptions to the above rule and those are the inmates who make a genuine profession of faith in Jesus Christ during their period of incarceration. Only 35%-40% of them return to prison… and for Christian ex-offenders who are welcomed into a Bible-believing church and discipled there, the recidivism rate drops to 10%-15%.
Now that’s a sign of true repentance and a changed life!
Here is how Charles Spurgeon, the “Prince of Preachers”, describes the spiritual transformation that takes place when we come to saving faith in Christ, our sins are forgiven, and we are born again.
“Forgive us our debts” – that is justification; ‘Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil’ – that is sanctification in its negative and positive forms.”
In other words, a truly “new creature in Christ” does his or her best to act like it.
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (BSB)
“And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” I Corinthians 6:11 (ESV)
- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President
