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| 3. Fundamental Integration -> Justification & Sanctification -> Santification - Teachings Today |
Sanctification Teachings Today Summary article of History For totally described and detailed outlining of Scriptures on Sanctification and Important History of origin of Controversial teachings of Sanctification, See "Sanctification-scriptures" article.
I. In Broad Terms of Principle
DEFINITION Scripture
"Sanctify them through Thy Truth, Thy Word is Truth" (John 17:17). "..them that perish, because they received not the Love of the Truth, that they might be saved" (2 Thess 2:10)
Show me a person whose greatest love is Truth, and I will show you a Christian.
Holy = set apart Sanctify = to make set apart, to make Holy at New-birth.
Sanctification = the process of being set apart "to be being" conformed to Christ, through your daily walk according to the Mind of Christ (faith) in you, after your new- birth.
- This is accomplished by our obedience of faith (the mind of Christ, given to us in the Holy Spirit at our new birth, justification). The birth-from-above brings indwelling faith of Christ, our justification, and starts the process of sanctification. Both justification and sanctification are accomplished by Christ in us, "this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope (expectation) of glory (Spiritual perfection)." Col 1:27
- "To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in Holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints" (1 Thess 3:13). "God hath from the beginning chosen you to (eis) salvation through (ev) sanctification (setting apart) of Spirit and faith (pistis, 1402) of Truth (or Truth's faith)." (2 Thess 2:13).
- In our walk of daily obedience of faith of Christ in us, we become serious students and observers of the moral Law of God, even in our thoughts and deepest desires; not because we hope to gain merit thereby, but to walk in the Spirit of our Lord Who only is our Love and to Whom we enter daily threw the straight gate and walk in His narrow Way with overflowing gratitude and adoration, our hand in His. (see Rom 4:4)
- By Christ in us, our "expectation (hope) of Spiritual perfection (glory)." Col. 1:27. "According as he hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be Holy and without blame before Him in love" (Eph 1:4). "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God" (Rom 12:2).
- As a good Shepherd, "Separation from evil is His principle of unity,"
TODAY'S FALSE TEACHINGS
Today, Sanctification is as muddied by false teachings (heresies) as justification. Consider the following:
ANTINOMIALISM (lawlessness), the "grace" regardless apostasy today taught by Dallas Theological and major Bible Schools today--no law in any respect is applicable to our salvation by "grace" alone. So we have every right to ignore the moral Law of God. We are saved by "grace" not the works of The Law. We are not under the Mosaic Law, we are in the Dispensation of "grace" in this church age. No moral law applies to us in this church age.
HUMANISM, again the "grace" regardless apostasy today taught by Dallas Theological and major Bible Schools today human qualities are sufficient since God has by "grace" given to every man at birth: faith, the ability to believe (affirm and trust). Man just needs to exercise his faith, to receive OSAS salvation regardless of any Mosaic moral law of another Dispensation. This is the Dispensation of the church. We are not saved by our keeping any moral Law at all. We are saved by the free grace of our Savior. We don't have to follow any rules or make any commitments to a Lord for salvation in this age. God loves us so much that he freely gives us eternal salvation without any conditions on our part. This is all due to the "finished work of Christ" for us, they say.
BUILDING BRIDGES Don't become a Bridge Builder, become a follower of Christ by Living through faith of Christ within you. This means, living by the Holy Spirit Mind of Christ (faith) within you, that you do live as separate from the world and all that is false, by definition. Reading about bridge building explains why this is not done by our Lord. This is a modern heresy of Ecumenicalism today.
You are in the world, but you do not like or try to build bridges making room for the world in you. You cannot compromise with the world or any falsity in any way. When we stop being followers of our Lord, Absolute Perfection in all things, then we put ourselves into the way of Absolute Evil. There are in reality only two ways. Our choice. Good or evil. These are monadic terms, and totally contradictory.
Do not ask a fish, what water is. This would be folly, for he cannot know. The fish has no other reference point.. Who can discern rightly and distinctly what his immediate companions and culture is, unless, he has a means of separating himself from it, mentally and Spiritually in examination and discernment.
Just as the God of Spiritual Truth and Pure Holiness and Wisdom, cannot help but comprehend all apart from Himself, as separate from all others. He is not in that water; He can see and understand the distinctives of all apart from His Perfect Spiritual Being. Likewise, the nearer we are to our Heavenly Creator and Holy Father, we too may perceive all the distinctives of all things, by His Spirit in us. Only from this perspective can we Truly perceive anything about us, as we relate to our Father's Truth, Love, and Holiness. "He that is Spiritual examines all things....we have the mind of Christ." (2 Cor 2:15-16).
This is accomplished in us as His Heavenly children, by first, realizing our Heavenly separate nature from the world, flesh, and devil, and, secondly, stop Bridge Building to all such tainted things. For surely, such Bridge Building is only putting the fish back into the water, with loss of discernment. Thirdly, by focusing our minds on all contradictions to what little we know is Truth, and guiding our behavior in separation from all such contradictions, can we possibly live lives more right-related (righteous) and Holy, pleasing to our Father, and learn what more Truth is.. There is no other way to learn Truth and Holiness. This is called obedience, regardless of our infirmities, ignorance's, and mistakes.
Martin Luther (1483-1546), in a manner of speaking, got out of his fish bowl world. The world did not change, but Luther's understanding of it did. Luther once said, "If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest expression every portion of the truth of God, except precisely that little point which the world and devil are at that moment attaching, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I might be confessing Christ."
How do we know what that particular point is? It takes practice by a constant reference to an outside point, looking for contradictions, as He did looking to His Heavenly Father concerning all things.
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin (Heb 12:2-4). Once we stray from the absolute Perfect Truth, Christ Himself, we find ourselves in absolute error.
It is a strange thing to think of Sanctification (separation) without understanding our Perfect Lord's Perfect Restoration of us to be His followers through His Faith in us as His Sons NOW on this earth (1 Jn 3:2, Rom 8:14) and in the Heavenlies for Eternity (Rom 8:19-23). Being saved through His faith alone, by His grace alone.. All praise to Him, our Creator and Restorer. Who can boast?
WORKS (many of the cults, which deny Lordship of Christ for salvation by definition) includes Roman Catholicism, prescribing salvation to only be obtainable by works originating from men by themselves to merit salvation, by whatever prescribed manner.
Interestingly, the most subtle work cult is the "grace" regardless, among the Baptists, Word of faith, modern Calvinists or Reformed, modern Methodists, Anglicans, Presbyterians, and so forth. They all say they are saved eternally and securely with no works whatsoever, if they only trust or believe as a mental notation of their own minds, at one time only. No moral or Lordship commitment is necessary because they say that would be a works salvation, which they abhor. This is ONLY their trust, their believing, and their works arising from only their trusting. They in actuality are being saved by their own imaginations only. But they are blinded to this. They are taught that whatever you think God wants you to do, then you are doing it in faith. This faith is all their thinking, their origination. And their assurance is only their trust in their trusting. They trust in themselves. They praise God with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him.
ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED-a very dangerous unscriptural teaching, self-contradictory, requiring scrupulous limitations. If one insists on believing in OSAS for some emotional irrational reason, it requires: 1. Without (a) Antinomialism and (b) Humanism, as described above. 2. Requiring perseverance till death. Apostasy or a life of sinning till death means no scriptural assurance of salvation. There is no scripture giving anyone an indication to teach any assurance of salvation in such cases. Either the born-again person fell from love of God and rejected God through unbelief from sinning (Arminian) - or - never born-again at all (Calvinism). No assurance, by scripture, can ever be given to a backslider living in sin, moral sin OR doctrinal sin..
To teach OSAS regardless, is a responsibility of a teacher that goes beyond the scriptures and is a very dangerous thing for someone to teach. Calvinism which teaches OSAS has extremely shallow and contradictory teachings, but at least requires perseverance at death for true salvation. But Calvinism does not conform to the "True Gospel" message and the Three Tenants of Fundamentalism because of its redefinitions of terms, which only superficially seem to conform to them. (see article "Fundamental Definition" in section, New Age Fundamentalism).
Calvinism totally fails to explain the HOW and WHY of God in Salvation. And because of this they have the WHO, WHAT, WHEN, and WHERE of salvation and God Himself also totally perverted. Much like the Pharisees of Jesus day. They didn't seem to have a clue either, except that they had a written OT.
Calvinism is a very primitive (incomplete, inadequate) Theology. Calvinism teaches a dead letter Christian philosophy (not scriptural) and doctrines much like the Pharisees of Jesus day. And both the Fundamentalist and Ecumenical "grace" regardless teachers do likewise. These salvation doctrines of today are of the same spirit as the Pharisees of Jesus time. Nothing changes in spiritual matters.
The very small remnant of believers in any period of History has had to contend with these same two problems: (1) Pharisaical teachings of many subtle varieties (such as Calvinism, "grace" regardless, and "word of faith," which emphasize going only by the dead letter of scripture as faith) and (2) false cult religions (denying Lordship, as "grace" regardless and Catholicism). It was this way in Christ's day, and has persisted throughout history.
II. APOSTOLIC SCRIPTURAL TEACHINGS
There is no second work of sanctification, it is an instantaneous work of God along with justification at anyone's Birth-from-above regeneration (Acts 15:8-9). Justification and sanctification by Christ's Atonement in His Death and Resurrection is made conditionally provided to all mankind.
In our New-birth, we are given the new Life of Christ, the mind of Christ, (faith) in our spirits to teach, lead, and correct us, as we live in obedience to Him. It is an either/or state. It is instantaneous as the faith of Christ given to us at our New-birth Life. Our hearts are instantaneously purified by faith, and we are being continuously sanctified (Holy) as we are continuously Living by faith thereafter.
A regenerate soul cannot grow pure anymore than a sinner can grow pardoned. We are pure at New-birth, and our new Life is to be obedient to the Holy Spirit mind of Christ, faith, in us, walking as He gave us example. I only do my Father's Will, I only speak what My Father tells me to speak, My doctrine is not mine, but by Father's. After, His resurrection, the first thing He told His disciples is: "Peace to you, as My Father has sent Me, even so I send you.."
In Christ's Atonement He vicariously1 accounts our flesh nature in death into His grave, and accounts us in His Resurrection Life, when we repent and commit ourselves to His Lordship. Following that, He then actually, in fact, imparts His own Life to us. It is imparted as a Perfect and complete pure Life of indwelling Christ. so that we are purchased by His death, and given His Life by His resurrection. Then we are accounted (imputed) as being righteous and Holy in Christ indwelling us. In these acts, He declares Himself Just and the Justifier of him out from (ek) faith (pistis) of Jesus (the actual Greek of Rom 3:26). He provides this New Life to us, and in fact, imparts it to us in our New-birth. He Himself, living within us, becomes our justification (righteousness), our sanctification (Holiness), our wisdom, and our redemption (Restoration). We experience this by obedience to Him in us, His indwelling Mind (faith), by which we are to walk in obedience, hand in hand. Romans, chapters 6 and 8.
Romans, chapter 7, is simply explaining the proper understanding of our calling, while still inhabiting our bodies with the fallen (selfish=sin) flesh nature. We are to focus our minds upon the Mind of Christ in our Spirits, and walk in obedience to Him, walking as the scriptures say, by Faith (Rom 7:25), the law of Christ in us. Romans 6:17 says, "we used to be (imperfect active) the servants of sin." Romans 6:20 and 21 say, "For when ye used to be (imperfect act. indic.) the servants of sin, ye used to be fee from righteousness," and "What fruit did ye used to have (imperfect active) then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death." Romans 7:5 and 6 say, "For when we used to be (imperfect active) in the flesh, the motiions of sins, which by the law, used to work (imperfect middle) in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we used to be held; (imperfect passive) that we are serving (present active) in newness of Spirit and not the oldness of the letter."
The Bible is very clear (but not in a Calvinist translation, who deny any righteousness "within us" on earth) that we are restored from the bondage of sin in our flesh, in this life on earth, to Live in newness of the Spirit. And Romans 7:14-25. is written in either Historical Present or Gnomic Present tense, to explain how we used to live in the human nature of the "old man," but now are restored to "being renewed (present passive inf.) in the spirit of your mind, and that ye put on (aorist middle inf.) the new man, which after God is ceated in righteousness and true Holiness" (Eph 4:23-24).
After regeneration to a totally new creation in Christ, we may experience disobedience of sin within ourselves, or actual sinning, and learn much about what our new Life NOW is and how it is to be lived. And in this process of repentant learning we may experience at times a gift or many gifts of the Spirit, according to our Lord's Wisdom to give, as described in the scriptures. And our understanding of the doctrines of the Bible may become clearer or even change entirely as we walk closer to our Lord in obedience to His Spirit within us. But none of these major experiences mean that our initial regeneration and indwelling Of Perfect Christ was deficient in any way. Any deficiency is on our part, is in the measure of our beginning ignorance, the false teachings to which we listen and willfully accept, and our willingness to seek HIM, in Perfect Truth, with all our hearts. After we are born-from-above, our salvation is entirely up to our keeping this first and greatest Commandment above all men or considerations.
Show me a person who loves and seeks Truth above all else, and I will show you a true Christian. The person who says, "I am comfortable with what I believe," is a person of very doubtful character (Prov 18:2). It is a matter of our obedience to experience more of Him, seeking His Truth with all our being. There are many many second or even fifty or more works of sanctification in our experience. We are only experiencing different Spiritual things as we follow our Lord. And we, hopefully, may have many many high Spiritual experiences along the way, but this in no way diminishes the Perfect and Pure total Life and empowerment we were given at the beginning. All these experiences only mean that we must get closer and closer to the initial order; "Peace be unto you, as My Father has sent Me, even so I send you" (Jn 20:21). "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matt 5:48). Perfection is simply our "goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil 3:14).
Paul taught that our sanctification (Holiness) is maintained and kept by our obedience to faith (Mind of Christ in us). He nine times prays for Christians in various churches to be continuing in Holiness and sanctification (separation from evil). Thirteen times he commands them to go on to perfecting their sanctification, perfection, and Holiness in their personal lives. In seventy-five passages, he urges Holy, blameless, living.
Paul never speaks of a second blessing or a later one-time experience of total or entire sanctification. This teaching was an attempt by dear saint, John Wesley, trying to explain his experience of Holy and righteous men living on earth, against the background of his Calvinist country which taught that our righteousness was only in awaiting, after we got to Heaven.
Again, sanctification is an either/or state, just as justification given with it. And a complete Perfect Provision of both is provided by Christ in our spirits at our initial birth-from-above. Take them totally or reject them totally. You either are or you are not a follower of Christ, living in obedience to Christ, to His faith within you. Your obedience to your Heavenly Father is likely a resulting measure of your experience of separation to Holiness (sanctification) and to experiencing the workings of the Holy Spirit in your OBEDIENT living.
Your choice of living in obedience to Christ is constantly before you till you die. Whether continuously, intermittantly, seldom, OR also deeply, superficially, slightly, or rejected altogether by you; it is up to you. It is upon this basis that our Eternal Judgment to Heaven or hell is determined. We shall be judged by our deeds, of obedience of faith, and nothing else. So, what is faith? (see this website for explaination, Faith vs New Age Faith.)
God does not manufacture robots or force anyone to obedience. But He has provided a Perfect restoration of us to a means of Perfect Obedience to Him. If there is any deficiency it is not in His Perfect salvatiion provided to us; it is in our disobedience to Him. All spiritual beings have choice, made in the image of God, who is also a Spirit with choice. God seeks people to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.
III. ROMAN CATHOLICISM ( SINCE AUGUSTINE 400 A.D.)
In concert with their justification teachings explained in the preceding article, sanctification is simply the person working as hard as he can to observe the churches sacraments and teachings to eventually please God by developing an intrinsic righteousness by his own acts.
IV. CALVINISM (SINCE 1500'S)
In concert with their justification teachings explained in the preceding article, sanctification is simply again the fictional decree of Election of only a few by Zapping the individual to a separated position in the Heavenlies after they die, and that is the end of the story.
They insist that the Atonement to accomplish all this, to appease God's justice, is only by a penal substitutionary punishment, endured by Christ Himself, but only for His few Elect for all their sins only, past, present, and future. Whether the individual lives according to any Attributes of God or any moral conditions is irrelevant. The substitutionary penalty was paid only for His chosen few before the world began. He is Zapped for Heaven, inscrutably chosen by an inscrutable sovereign pagan-like god. That is our salvation, they say. That is, those who "think" they are among the zapped Elect. But again, inscrutably, they teach that God Himself may deceive many into thinking they are one of the Zapped Elect. Further they proudly say that this demonstrates God's Love and His Justice to the world. Incredible scholars all.
All pagan and cult religions propose that man do good works, engage in ritual, make sacrifices, or do something to somehow appease God. This is also the Calvinist concept of Christ's sacrifice for us. It was first proposed by a monastic Catholic priest, Anselm, about 1098 AD. The Bible teaches that Christ's Atonement for us is a matter of justice, concerning ALL His Attributes, not of senseless appeasement sacrifice for a selfish pagan god's inscrutible whims as in Calvinism.
Penal substitutionary appeasement is a pagan god concept. The penalty for opposing our infinite God's Attributes are infinite. It is immediate Penal Justuce, "death" imposed to Adam and all his children. This Penal Justice is an immutable law of a Holy God, at all times in force for Eternity. To remove this immutable penal Justice for any sin would deny God of His Eternal Attributes.
Therefore, a God of Wisdom is the only One who can restore us without denying his immutable Attributes, and forever remove the cause IN US-which He did in Christ's giving His sinles Life to the grave, and much more in His resurrection to impart us with His Attibutes in Himself in us, His very indwelling Life. By His death and resurrection sinless Life in us, our Lord has (1) provided to us His Perfect Life and (2) dismissal of our repentant past sins, that we may be restored to walking with Him in His sinless Holiness. Penal Justice of a continuing deliberate sinner is still and will Eternally remain in force for all people or beings whatsoever. Only by our Lord's own Perfect Life provision to us can we enjoy fellowship with Him and be acceptable to Him for Eternity. A penal substitutionary appeasement from a Catholic-Calvinist philosophy theory could not do these two necessary restoration needs of man.
To say that all man can do is trust the substitutionary penal death of Christ in His enduring the full penalty for the sins of all mankind, and thereby be forgiven by a fictional non-scriptural "decree" (Institutes, 3. 21. 5), is a great misunderstanding of what sin is and even Who our God is and what he has done for us. He is not just a great big pagan sovereign god, who demands penal sacrifices to appease himself. He is not, like a monkey, who holds his hands over his eyes while we go on sinning in this life, and only gives us righteousness after he takes us to heaven, as the Calvinists and "grace" regardless teach. Our righteousness is not hid in Christ while He sits in Heaven and His Father plays blind monkey. This Calvinistic understanding and, also, today's apostate "grace" regardless understanding of Christ's Atonement for us. falls far short of scriptures describing our gracious Creator and His purposes in the Atonement restoration.
V. METHODISM (1700'S ENGLAND)
Sanctification is a second distinct experience sometime after regeneration. It is a second work of "grace" after regeneration. It an experience of purification of heart and soul into a Holiness of living.
VI. CHARLES G. FINNEY'S TEACHINGS (1860'S IN THIS COUNTRY)
Sanctification is accomplished by the regenerate human will consecrated to Holy living. Entire sanctification is entire consecration, whenever this occurs.
VII. OBERLIN TEACHINGS (LATER FOLLOWERS SUCCEEDING FINNEY)
Sanctification (Holiness) is a matter of growth and development in striving against sin, whereby our affections are purified over time.
VIII. KESWICK TEACHINGS (EARLY 1900'S)
Sanctification is accomplished by a person's endeavoring to suppress or hold down his flesh nature tendencies. That this is our constant struggle, our Holy burden, in our sanctification throughout our lives.
However, there are no scriptures at all that teach to "hold down"/'constrain"/"to withstand, to hinder"/"to bind or tie"/to close or shut up"/"to restrain"/"to subdue"/"to bring into slavery" the flesh nature of sin, that we all have in our flesh, to accomplish "our" sanctification. It is not accomplished by man's efforts.
Notice the words that the Spirit of God does use concerning our sanctification by the Atonement of Christ for us, concerning the flesh nature. He says; "to destroy/to put off the old man/to crucify with/to put an end, to annihilate/to set free, being made free from the law of sin and death/the putting off the body of flesh/to cleanse/to purify/to root up,/eradicate". We are to regard our sin nature to be put away by death in Christ's Atonement (restoration) for us and focus our minds on obedience to His Life and Mind in us, instead of focusing our minds upon the urges and mental presentations of the flesh. (Rom 7:21 and 2 Cor 10:5) in order to "subdue" them by our striving. He, Christ Himself in us, will lead us in the paths of righteousness, if we love Him with all our heart, soul, and strength (Deut 6:5 and Rom 7:25 and 8:6). Where is your mind?
Our sanctification is a forgone conclusion in Christ by His Atonement work for us. Our responsibility is to simply be obedient to Him within us, faith. He has freed us from the law of sin and death within us. He has given us a new Life to Live. Period. Let us Live it. He said, "My yoke is easy and my burden is Light." Where is your mind focused?
"I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin......For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace" (Rom 7:25 and 8:6). For those who have been born-again (from-above), doing as Paul says, becomes "Child-simple."
IX. DISPENSATIONAL "GRACE" REGARDLESS TOTAL APOSTASY TODAY (1830 TILL CHRIST COMES. Not mainstream in this country until Dallas Theological Seminary, 1920 onward.)
They teach the following. Sanctification is not necessary: No Lordship necessary, no moral standards necessary, no moral intentions necessary, no works necessary. Christ died to became sin to pay the full penal sustitutional price for all your transgressions, past, present, and future. Trust this promise. Christ made this promise. This is our objective faith, our trust that Christ will keep His promise. You have guaranteed Heaven, by trusting His promise of Heaven to you. Do whatever you think best to please Him or not. Isn't grace wonderful, they say. Saved by grace only. (See articles, Repentance vs. New Age Repentance, Faith vs. New Age Faith, Believe vs. New Age Believing, for full documentation.)
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