The sanctification of the Christian believer begins with his or her "born again" experience with God. When a person has been made to realize by hearing the Word of God that he is a lost, hopeless sinner completely unable to save himself, and he calls on Christ to save him from sin by washing him in His blood, then at that very moment the Holy Spirit thoroughly cleanses that believer's soul and spirit of all his sins forever, and the Holy Spirit gives him the free gift of the righteousness of Christ Himself. II Corinthians 5:21; Romans 10:17; I Corinthians 6:11; Hebrews 10:12-14; Romans 5:17-21. God accepts only absolute perfection in heaven. Revelation 22:1-5. God adds the perfect righteousness of Christ to the cleansed righteousness of the believer that God put into him when He created him so that he can live with God in heaven. The created righteousness of the believer becomes imperfect because it has been sullied by sin. But at the moment of salvation; that is, the moment of conversion, the Holy Spirit thoroughly cleanses the repentant believer's soul and spirit with the blood of Christ, and he becomes a new creation in soul and spirit, a child of God, and a joint heir with Christ. II Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 4:6-7; Romans 8:14-17. Once a repentant believer becomes "born again," he can never sin again in soul and spirit because the Holy Spirit has cleansed, sealed, and recreated his inner being. I Corinthians 6:11; Ephesians 4:30; II Corinthians 5:17. In his spirit, he knows God; in his soul, he has yielded his inner life to God. I John 3:9; Colossians 3:1-4.
However, the fleshly nature of the "born again" believer can sin again after salvation. Romans 7:23-25; I John 1:8. God allows the believer to sin again after salvation in order to prove that His Love is all-powerful. God has power over all sin at all times, and He will eventually perfect all of His saints in spirit, soul, and body. Romans 8:9-11; Romans 8:35-39. While God cleanses forever the souls and spirits of believers the moment they become saved, God sanctifies and perfects the fleshly nature of the pious believer with a daily cleansing. Daily, the pious believer must confess his fleshly sins so that God can forgive him and cleanse him with the water of His Word. I John 1:9; John 13:1-17. This cleansing of fleshly sins connects directly to the water that flowed from Jesus' side on the cross. I John 5:8. But believers who backslide into sin, and who practice unconfessed fleshly sins can never lose their salvation. God will prove that He has power over all sin. Philippians 1:6. At the Rapture of the Church, Christ will thoroughly cleanse His entire Church with the water of His Word. Ephesians 5:25-27. At that time, Christ will judge backslidden believers and cast their fleshly natures into the region of death and darkness in order to effect their repentance through anguish and remorse. After their repentance, He will then cleanse and forgive them and restore them to His perfected Church. Luke 12:46; Matthew 24:51; Matthew 25:30. In the case of every saint saved by grace, whether Old Testament saint, Church Age saint, or Tribulation saint; Christ will eventually perfect them in spirit, soul, and body by giving them His own perfect righteousness which will make them fit to live with Him in heaven forever. But God will allow only the Church to become the Bride of Christ. Ephesians 5:23-33.
Just as God employs a sanctification process for all His saints saved by grace, He also employs a reprobation process for all who absolutely and completely reject His offer of salvation by grace. Just as God gives His Spirit and His righteousness to all who accept His grace, He will withdraw His Spirit from all who make a final and complete rejection of His grace. Genesis 6:3; Matthew 12:31-32. Just like the "born again" experience, the human act of a final rejection of God's grace pertains to a specific event. The Bible refers to this event as "the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost." Any person can commit this sin, not just the Pharisees. God never forgives this sin because it is totally evil. God is longsuffering and merciful. God will extend His offer of salvation by grace again and again to anyone who does not make this final rejection. But those who make this final rejection ally themselves with the rebellion of Satan which God will never forgive because it is totally vile and evil. Like Satan, they refuse to ever repent and humble themselves to God. Revelation 9:20-21. Most atheists who hate God have put themselves in this category. God has truly called them reprobates.
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