John,
A quick note only on the opening and closing of your post:
We have often been so filled up with a theology of justification that we don't understand the theology of sanctification.
:
:
Many are so full of justification that they have not understood sanctification.
We need to be very careful not to appear to set these two aspects of the believer's life (or any other positive conditions) in opposition to one another. This is the theological Goldilocks Fallacy, in which for every positive quality there is a possible range from "too little" through "just right" to "too much".
The perennial concern that over-emphasis on justification would corrupt sanctification has been variously, brilliantly, simply and scripturally answered, as in:
Heidelberg Catechism, 64:
Q. But does not this teaching make people careless and sinful?
A. No, for it is impossible for those who are ingrafted into Christ by true faith not to bring forth the fruit of gratitude.
That is, true justification--"this teaching", with no caveats as to the amount thereof--inevitably issues in sanctification.
Westminster Larger Catechism, 78:
Q. Whence ariseth the imperfection of sanctification in believers?
A. The imperfection of sanctification in believers ariseth from the remnants of sin abiding in every part of them, and the perpetual lustings of the flesh against the spirit; whereby they are often foiled with temptations, and fall into many sins, are hindered in all their spiritual services, and their best works are imperfect and defiled in the sight of God.
That is, lack of sanctification is not the fruit of over-emphasized justification, but of sin. A corrupted, or worse, lacking knowledge of justification's unbreakable bond to subsequent sanctification is of course one among sins which will atrophy sanctification, but that is not at all the same as being "full/filled up with (a theology of) justification".
Savoy Declaration, 13, Of Sanctification:
1. They that are united to Christ, effectually called and regenerated, having a new heart and a new spirit created in them, through the virtue of Christ's death and resurrection, are also further sanctified really and personally through the same virtue, by his Word and Spirit dwelling in them; the dominion of the whole body of sin is destroyed and the several lusts thereof are more and more weakened, and mortified, and they more and more quickened, and strengthened in all saving graces, to the practice of all true holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.
2. This sanctification is throughout in the whole man, yet imperfect in this life; there abideth still some remnants of corruption in every part; whence ariseth a continual and irreconcilable war, the flesh lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.
Again, the fruit of justification--with no mention of an appropriate range thereof--is sanctification, and the root of imperfect sanctification is the remnants of corruption, which most certainly can not include a supposed superfluity of either justification or the awareness thereof!
Better to say that an undervalued emphasis on sanctification is a very probable indicator that justification has been insufficiently understood rather than overvalued.
