SANCTIFICATION

The Act of Creating and Establishing Saints

By Bob Gunderson

 

Church doctrines are developed from scripture.  I am sure that most developers of doctrine feel that they have adhered to Scriptural accuracy and proper interpretation.  It is therefore with great caution that I seek to bring clarity to the doctrine of “sanctification”.  It is my belief that scholars have brought confusion into this doctrine by including other aspects of our Christian life under the term sanctification.  Let us then together examine this doctrine under the light of scripture to clarify this important element of our salvation.

In the Berean School of the Bible course, “Introduction to Pentecostal Doctrine”, Zenas Bicket makes this statement in the introduction to Unit 1: “Some Churches or denominations have, over the centuries of their existence, placed church leaders and their additions to church doctrine above the authority of Scripture.  However, Bible believing churches, like the Assemblies of God, hold the Bible to be the highest authority for our beliefs and the way we live.” (Bicket 2006, 9)

I challenge you to uphold this belief and examine with me the developed doctrine of Sanctification.  Let us hold up Scripture up as a light to see if these things are so, or if in light of Scripture the presented doctrine needs to be modified to line up perfectly with the revealed Word of God.

First let us look at some statements from the “Fundamental Truths of the Assemblies of God”.  These statements were based upon the Scripture and the definition of the word sanctification.  In a nutshell these statements adequately define and explain sanctification as an essential element of our salvation.

Sanctification, as defined by these statements is an act.  More than this, we see in scripture that it is specifically an action of God. (1Cor. 6:11)  To be sanctified is to be made holy.  It is a separation from evil as the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all unrighteousness (1John 1:9).  It is also a dedication to God as God fulfill his purpose in us. “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:” (1Pe 2:9 AV)

Yet, as time has gone on this doctrine has been added to so that it includes also our spiritual growth and our maturity.  Adding these aspects of our Christian life under the heading of sanctification adds confusion and dilutes the necessary instruction for equipping the saints to live holy lives and enjoy the freedom that God has provided for us in Christ Jesus.

 The Scholar

 To examine this doctrine I must critique the work of other scholars.  It is not my purpose to undermine their work, for I have benefited greatly from the labors of the Bible scholars that have provided me with tools to study and understand God’s Word.  Neither do I want to undermine the importance of the scholar, for in depth study of God’s Word is important.  Nor do I want to do away with logic, for God has at times invited us to come and reason together with Him.

But we have to be careful that we don’t replace the prophet with the scholar, for the prophetic utterance is the unadulterated Word of God, and should not be diluted or tampered with.  Likewise logic is to no avail if our reasoning is not being directed from above. (Rom. 12:2)  With these things in mind let us examine the doctrine of Sanctification.

What We Are Taught

“Bible Doctrines: A Pentecostal Perspective”, by William W. Menzies and Stanley M. Horton, presents the doctrine of Sanctification in chapter 9.  Prefacing this chapter they present the definition and explanation of sanctification as stated in the “Fundamental Truths of the Assembly of God”.  But before finishing the first page of the chapter the reader is presented with a multifaceted concept of sanctification that is included neither in the definition nor the explanation of sanctification they just presented.  Horton and Menzies name these facets; positional and instantaneous, practical and progressive, and final or perfected.

 What is the Foundation of the Teaching?

 This brings up some important questions.  Where in Scripture is this multifaceted concept taught?  If we have to be justified and sanctified to be saved, how can sanctification be progressive?  If sanctification is a work of God by the blood of Jesus, through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, then is it not completed?  How can we perfect what Christ has accomplished?  Can we be sanctified (that is made holy), and at the same time still in the process of becoming holy?  Is this a pure Scriptural teaching on Sanctification, or has tradition and human logic entered its way into the equation?

 First Impressions

 I cannot find this concept taught anywhere in scripture.  It appears that rather this concept of multifaceted sanctification is merely a means to explain some of the other aspects of our Christian life.  Aspects such as spiritual growth, walking holy before the Lord, dealing with sins of the believer, and spiritual maturity, to name a few.  These aspects are better dealt with by referring to them in the same terms used in the scripture to avoid confusing the elements of salvation with God’s later dealing with us as sons.  Sanctification is a foundational element of our salvation so it is important that we have a clear picture from the scripture what sanctification means in scriptural context.

 Let’s Look at Specifics

 Before Horton and Menzies move on with explaining the threefold aspect of sanctification they stop to define some terms.  The Greek and Hebrew words for “sanctification”, “saint”, “dedication”, “consecration”, and “holiness” are all related to the idea of separation.  To be sanctified is to be set apart to God. (Horton & Menzies 1993, 148)  Again we are presented with the actual meaning of sanctification that is not in harmony with elements of a multifaceted explanation of sanctification.  Horton and Menzies have told us that the chief aspect of sanctification is progressive.  Yet this is the element most in conflict with the simple definition of the Biblical term.  How can you harmonize the concept of separation with lifetime progression?  Once something has been sanctified it is separated.  The action of separating something can take time and in that sense we could possibly apply the meaning of progressive here.  But we could not say it was separated, dedicated, consecrated, holy, or sanctified until the separation was done.  Biblically speaking these words are not progressive rather they refer to an accomplished state of being.

 Old Testament Examples

 The Old Testament is rich in imagery and teaching on the concept of sanctification.  Much of what Christ did on the cross is taught to us though ceremony and type in the Old Testament worship. The seventh day was sanctified, for on this day God rested from His work of creation.  And as we continue though the Old Testament we see days, places, things, and people that are sanctified, or set aside, holy, to be used of God for a particular purpose.  That which was sanctified was holy and pure.  Again I must point out that a sanctified person, place, or thing was not in a progressive process.  That process when completed resulted in the declaration of sanctity or holiness.  So it is with us when we come to Christ and he washes us and cleanses us from all unrighteousness.  We are then the saints (holy ones) of God.  We are not becoming saints, we are saints and are referred to as such in Scripture.

 Semantics?

 This is not an issue of semantics as has been suggested by some, for to develop this doctrine of multifaceted sanctification requires a denial of the declarations of scripture.  The problem lies in trying to incorporate several doctrinal issues under the umbrella of the term sanctification.  To try to include spiritual growth and maturity with in this doctrine requires compromise of the foundational integrity of the very concept of sanctification.  Spiritual growth and maturity require sanctification, but they are not sanctification as declared by Ericson and Lasley in the textbook, “Romans: Justification by Faith”. (2006, 88)  As scholars and theologians attempt to develop the doctrine of sanctification as being multifaceted they end up conflicting with their original Biblical definition.

Horton and Menzies make this statement: “As regeneration is the impartation of new life to the new convert, so sanctification is the development of that new spiritual life.” (1993, 148) This is not a true statement, for a regenerated soul is both justified and sanctified by the blood of Jesus.  To gloss over this obvious contradiction with Scripture they finally end up making this statement: “However, what is declared instantaneously and legal about the believer is not realized in actual holiness, the second facet of sanctification.” (1993, 150)

Are Horton & Menzies really saying that God’s Word tells us we are made Holy when we are born again, but in actuality we are not holy, for holiness is still something to be attained, and will not be attained even in the second facet of sanctification (this lifetime)?  This issue needs to be cleared up, for both cannot be true.

 Imagery From the Bible

 The Scripture does not teach a multifaceted doctrine of sanctification.  I propose that we go back to the scripture and see what it does teach.  Fundamental understanding of salvation and our new life in Christ is best understood by using the imagery of the Bible.  There is much imagery in parable and prophesy that is used to bring out a particular teaching.  But there is one image that was presented by Jesus as he talked with Nicodemus that is more than just a type or likeness, it is reality.  This imagery is used extensively throughout the New Testament revealing the nature of our relationship with God.  It is an imagery that we can all understand because it parallels our physical existence on earth.  If we following this imagery everything starts to make sense and our relationships become clear.

 Born in His Image

 Jesus said, “You must be born again”.  And he actually meant it.  If we begin by looking at our regeneration as a new birth it is easier to understand how all things become new.  And if we understand Peter’s statement, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” (1Pe 1:23 AV), we will understand why it was necessary for us to be sanctified and cleansed from all our sin to become a child of God.  God cannot bare an evil child.  Adam’s sons do, and that is why regeneration is necessary.

Accepting this imagery we can parallel our physical growth and maturity from a baby to a mature person and bring understanding of what needs to take place in our spiritual life. It also helps us understand our relationships with God, and our brothers and sisters in Christ.  In this setting we will be able to understand how sanctification relates to spiritual growth and maturity rather than having it defined as spiritual growth and maturity.  So hold fast to this imagery, for it is God inspired.  Christians habitually use many term associated with it anyway, such as father, brother, sister, family, etc., so lets avoid confusion using consistency and follow God’s plan through to maturity using imagery that comes from the scripture.

 Where We Are

 Horton & Menzies state: “A great Biblical truth is that God begins with us where we are.  How wonderful it would be if older, mature Christians were as patient with new converts as God himself is.” (1993, 150)  I feel that I must clarify this statement if we are truly to take it as a great Biblical truth.  According to Scripture we are all condemned, dead in our trespasses and sins and this is where God begins.  With our repentance and our act of faith of calling on God to redeem us, God, though the blood of Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit, forgives us, justifies us, sanctifies us, and regenerates us.  In actuality we are born again, old things are passed away and all things become new.

The reason this needs to be clarified is because there seem to be a new and modern method for bringing people into the kingdom of God.  The modern method is for a person  to simply declare his desire to be a Christian and God begins working with him gradually eliminating his sins one at a time.  So we end up with a congregation full of people that live a variety of lifestyles, being involved with many various activities that are not pleasing to God.  All this is justified because they have been told that God will begin with you where you are so don’t be too concerned about these little sins.  God will work it all out in due time.  My question is; Where in the scriptures is this taught?

What We Become

When we come in faith to Christ, repenting of our sins, a miracle happens.  God meets us at that altar where we lay our all before him.  At that meeting a baby is born into the kingdom of heaven.  We are born again, a child of God, a new creature in Christ,  redeemed, regenerated, justified, sanctified, and still a baby.  This is where we need to apply the second half of Horton & Menzies statement from the paragraph above.  “How wonderful it would be if older, mature Christians were as patient with new converts as God himself is.”  As we now apply it we do so with understanding, for now we see it is not just understanding or empathy the new believer needs.  He needs comfort, nourishment, patient teaching, and sometimes our undivided attention, for he is just a baby.

Is this babe in Christ perfect (complete)?  Of course not.  Is this babe sanctified and holy?  Yes he is.  All of his sins have been forgiven and he has been washed.  Can he still sin?  Yes, of course he can because he still has free will.  Does he have to sin?  No, because he now has the power of God residing in him.  Does that make him unholy or less holy because he can sin or because he can be tempted?  No, it is sin that contaminates our holiness, not our ability to sin or be tempted.  Adam was created without a sin nature yet he was capable of sinning and he did, bringing the curse of death on all of the earth.  Satan was created holy yet he obviously was capable of sinning.

A truly born again believer is as holy as he can get.  Holiness does not come in degrees.  As we continue following the spiritual growth and maturity of the believer we will see how our sanctification needs to be maintained as we mature and learn to live a holy life.  But a new believer is clean and innocent before the Lord, as a new born baby is entirely clean after a bath.  You don’t have to wait until a person is fully mature before you can wash their entire body.  In fact I think it will become obvious that both in the natural and the spiritual it is harder to maintain cleanliness as you get older.

 How We Grow

 From the moment of conception a babe experiences growth and it is no different in the spiritual.  In the natural when conception takes place and from the moment that seed begins to grow the child is predestined to be who he will be, for from the very beginning all his attributes are determined, how tall he will be, color of his eyes, color of his hair, etc.  He is predestined to be formed in the image of his father, and unless some accident takes place, that is what he will be, it is written in his DNA.  So it is in the spiritual.  “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Ro 8:29 AV)

Are we the image of God’s Son when we are first born again?  I think we are, just as in the natural it is obvious when we are born that we are, a son of Adam.  But we are not the mature image of Christ that we will become.  Neither do we receive our spiritual bodies when we are born again.  As time goes on the spiritual man needs to be continually growing toward maturity.  The physical man continues to grow old and deteriorate.  The spiritual man needs to be in control, for he is eternal and directed by the Holy Spirit.  The physical man is our temporary house which will always display the scars and disfigurement of sin.

A large portion of the New Testament teaching is to develop that spiritual man as he develops from a baby into a mature individual.  We will touch on these things but our focus now is on understanding the role of sanctification and holiness in this process.  For I think that the scripture is very clear that, as we grow to the mature image of Christ, we guard and maintain the image of Christ in our life at all stages of our maturity.  Holiness is not a goal to attain, but our goal should be to maintain it by the power of the Holy Spirit that now dwells within us.

 As A Child

 “And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt 18:2-4 AV)

As we parallel our spiritual growth with our physical growth we can see good examples and bad examples.  We might want to keep in mind that we are not perfect parents whereas our Heavenly Father is.  And some parents are actually very bad parents.  In spite of this, the semblance is there and Jesus was able to choose a child as an example.  Notice that He did not use the example of all children but He called a child unto Himself and that child responded with obedience.

Now, we need to understand that the subject being discussed here is who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  In His answer to that question, Jesus touched on the most important issue of whether or not you would even enter the Kingdom.  For except you be converted and become as little children … And how do we become as little children?  Well first we must be converted, we must be born again.  Then as the example before us we must be trusting, obedient and humble, “… as this little child.”

Let me pause here for a reminder.  In using imagery that parallels the spiritual with the natural, we have to be careful that we don’t interject earthly wisdom on child rearing into the spiritual realm, but rather observe how God seeks to raise his own children and apply those principles into the physical when we raise our children in the natural.

 Obedience

 Coming back to our spiritual growth, as a child the first thing we are taught is obedience.  Why?  Because we are babes in Christ and our growth and maturity depend on it.

“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Ac 2:38 AV)  You see, even as a baby in Christ God calls for obedience.  Some of these men obviously believed what Peter was telling them, yet believing was not enough, they needed to act on that belief for it to be counted to them as faith.

As we respond in obedience to our Lord, God is able to feed us and teach us.  Then we will begin to grow normally as God intended.  We are in his nurturing care.  We are his holy children, saints, chosen ones, and will remain so unless we rebel.

 Maintaining Holiness

 But Christians sin, don’t they?  Is there a Christian who hasn’t sinned?  How can we be holy if we sin?  These are the type of questions that need to be answered, for it is because of these types of questions doctrines like that of sanctification have been compromised.

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (1Jo 1:8-10 AV)

Often verse 8 is quoted when promoting the concept of progressive sanctification.  Verse 10 is also a favorite for making their case.  But if we consider these verses in context, we find that this is not an ongoing process but God is faithful to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  In other words He makes us holy, not because we haven’t sinned, but because we confessed our sins and He cleansed us from all unrighteousness.  According to the Scripture we are actually sin free.

I don’t exactly know why, but we of Adam’s race seem to have a knack for assumptions.  In fact, I sometimes wonder if the biggest obstacle God has in communicating with us is our pre-conceived notions.  Somehow my statement above often is rejected because of the assumption that because we are sin-free, we cannot sin.  That is far from the truth.  Christians can and do sin.  When we sin that sin needs to be dealt with, or like a cancer it will eventually destroy us.  This is one of those areas of our Christian walk that is made more difficult by attitudes that prevail because of the term progressive sanctification.

“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:” (1Jo 2:1 AV)

 John did not say that he wrote these things unto us so that we would become holier as we matured.  He wrote these things for our understanding so that we would not sin.  Notice as he goes on to reveal the grace and provision of God, he does not say “when we” sin, but “if” we sin.  We can still sin, and if we do we are still a child of God, but he deals with it.  Sin must be eradicated.  We must maintain our holiness, for we are a child of God.

 The Discipline of the Lord

•  4 ¶  Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
• 5  And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
• 6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
• 7  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
• 8  But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
• 9  Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
• 10  For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
• 11  Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
• 12  Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
• 13  And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
• 14  Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
• 15  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
• 16  Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
• 17  For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.      (Heb. 12:4 – 17)

We could spend a week on this passage of scripture, but I felt the need to include the whole passage to highlight some important points.  God is diligent in raising His children and does not overlook sin in our lives.

• Verse 4 says his discipline will not kill us.
• Verse 5 tells us to take it with the right attitude.
• Verse 6 says he will spank you because He loves you without exception.
• Verse 7 says that if we reject his discipline we will lose our position in his household.
• Verse 8 says if we aren’t disciplined we were never a child of God.
• Verses 9 & 10 compare His discipline to the discipline of our earthly fathers and reveal the goal and result of discipline that is accepted.  We are then able to be partakers in his holiness.
• Verse 11 says it may not be pleasant.
• Verse 12 & 13 show how we are to cooperate with the discipline process so we come out of this process healed and whole.
• Verse 14 says to follow the path you have been restored back to, a path of peace and holiness: the only path to God.
• Verses 15 – 17 show us the result of not rooting out sin that will defile us and forever separate us from God.

Notice with me the result of the discipline in verse 11.  It yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness.  And just as it is when we as parents spank our children, when the response to discipline is a yielding repentant spirit the relationship is restored in much joy.  Holiness and righteousness are maintained though the discipline and admonition of the Lord.  And we are to continue in holy standing as is becoming of a child of the Most High God.

 We Continue to Grow in Grace

 “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Php 3:13-14 AV)

This is a verse that Horton and Menzies use to show that we do not arrive at actual holiness in this lifetime. (1993, 150)  But this verse is not talking about holiness or sanctification but rather maturity; of our finally reaching the full stature of Christ.  There is a big difference between maturity and our holy standing before the Lord.  If we stop growing spiritually it is evident that something is wrong.  This is the difference between a sanctified thing and a sanctified person.  The sanctified thing is made perfect (or complete) and its sanctification is maintained by keeping it clean and continuing to use it in its dedicated service to God.  Whereas the sanctified person fulfills his purpose in dedication to God as he grows, bringing glory to God even as he is becoming perfect (or complete or mature).  But to compromise sanctification by tying it with maturity would undermine the principles and character of God himself.

Much of the writings of the New Testament are for this purpose that we continue to grow.  The gifts of the spirit exercised by the members of the body are also contributing to this purpose, that we continue to grow.

If we liken this to the natural we can see how as we move from baby to the full stature of an adult we become more versatile, more useful, and more adept at the things we do.  As we grow and mature we are given more responsibility.  We also have more accountability.  But even as an adult we continue to learn and grow in different ways.  In the physical this process is hindered only by the body growing old and failing.  But this is not so in the spiritual because we are only just beginning, for the life we have been born to is eternal.

 Faith Once Delivered

 Why is it that people are overwhelmed with the concept of living a sin free life?  Is this not what Jesus promised us?   “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (Joh 8:36 AV)    Is this not what Paul teaches us in Romans, that we are no longer a slave to sin?  Our AG doctrine is peppered with references to the power of the Holy Spirit to keep us from sinning.  Jude talks about contending for the faith once delivered to the Saints.  Has our faith been undermined and become so weak that we cannot believe the power of God to remove sin from our lives and keep us clean?

 Holy Living

 In my research on the subject of sanctification I read a paper by Lehman Strauss, Litt. D., F.R.G.S. called, “Regeneration, Justification and Sanctification”.  Lehman Strauss presents sanctification much like Horton and Menzies do, as multifaceted.  As Strauss begins to explain practical sanctification, I detect the burden of his heart as he describes this as a neglected phase of this Christian doctrine.  In his years of ministry he observes that many of those that call themselves Christians neglect to seek to live a holy life.  He makes a statement at this point that I believe is profound and true.  “Satan knows well the power of true Sanctification in the believer’s life: therefore, it is to the advancement of his kingdom if he can perpetuate confusion in our minds and conflict among the brethren.”  Little does Strauss know how much confusion and contradiction are in his own paper on the subject.

On page 21 of Lehman’s paper he acknowledges the truth that is found in the AG’s Fundamental Truths.  “The death of Christ not only atones for the penalty of sin, but it has power to deliver us from the practice of sin.  This is a might truth that we must “know” and on which we need to “reckon” continuously.”  If Strauss, Horton, Menzies, and the Assemblies of God really believe this, then how can holiness be progressive?  If the power for righteous living is available to us and we can use it, why can’t we live holy lives?  What is to hinder us from living holy and acceptable before our Lord at any stage of our growth or maturity level?  Or is the power only available when we reach a certain level of maturity?

 Walking in the Spirit

 As with the teaching of Horton and Menzies, Strauss’ paper has many good and edifying points as he refers to the Scriptures and expounds on the Words of God.  But in both case we are left oscillating between walking in the spirit and walking in the flesh.  There is no hope of total victory over the flesh until Jesus returns.  Strauss alludes to his adherence to other doctrines which create additional stumbling blocks for clearly presenting the truth concerning sanctification.  It appears as if he adheres to the doctrines of “Election”, “Predestination”, and “Eternal Security”.  That is why in the same paragraph he can quote this scripture, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” (Ro 8:14 AV), and then make this statement, “The Christian who is out of God’s will is an unsaintly saint.”

It is not as if Strauss doesn’t know what the word saint means, for he has defined it for us earlier.  Saint is from the same root as sanctify.  Saints are holy ones of God by definition.  If we would go one scripture back before the previously quoted one, we would see contrast from following the flesh instead of the spirit. “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” (Ro 8:13 AV)  If we live after the flesh we will die.  The only alternative is to mortify the deeds of the flesh.

Progressive Sanctification insinuates that we can be incrementally led by the spirit.  The Scripture does not give us this option.  We either walk in the flesh, or walk in the spirit. “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (Ga 5:16 AV)   “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Ga 5:25 AV)  It is not any more possible to have unsaintly saints, than it is to have hot cold water.  How can we be unholy, holy ones?

 The Truth Comes Out

 My contention is with the doctrine of multifaceted sanctification, not with the men that sometimes teach it.  I understand that I can be as vulnerable as they are to accept tradition and human logic as we try to explain the truths of God.  That is why we must carefully examine all things in light of the Scripture.  I still believe that these men have a heart after God and that even though we sometimes don’t see all things clearly God still uses us to present His Word.  That is why, as Strauss concludes his section on progressive sanctification, he so clearly presents the key to holy living.  In so doing he undermines the whole concept of incremental sanctification that is linked to maturity.  I don’t know if I could say it any better so I will quote his last paragraph dealing with progressive sanctification.

“This I say then, Walk in (by) the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16).  “The verb walk (Greek peripateite) is in the present tense and means to keep on walking by the Spirit.  Christians in this dispensation are blessed with the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit who is the Divine enablement for our living a holy life.  What is impossible for the Christian who is resisting or grieving or quenching the Holy Spirit is possible for the one who is walking by the Spirit.  When we sin against the Spirit we break fellowship with him, thereby cutting ourselves off from the supply of His power.”  “Quench not the Spirit” (1Thessalonians 5:15), and “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God” (Ephesians 4:30), “and your life will be blessed”. (Lehman Strauss, page 22)

Did you hear what Strauss said in this paragraph?  Holy living is possible because of the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  Christians don’t live holy when they limit his power in their lives by their own will, by resisting, grieving, or quenching.  What logic has ruled out, now becomes possible by faith.  We come to Him in faith.  We are regenerated, justified, and sanctified by faith.  And we walk in faith, living a holy sanctified life.  We are blessed.  God is glorified.

 Questions Arise

 How could Paul then address the people in the Churches as “saints”, and then point out sins that were being committed by some of them?

You simply don’t throw out the baby with the bath water.  If a baby gets dirty or soils himself you simply give him a bath and throw out the dirty water.  If a child is naughty you simply discipline and correct him.  When my children lied to me I punished them and corrected their actions.  I told them that I would not allow them to lie, because if I allowed them to continue to lie they would become liars.

It is the same in the spiritual.  The contamination of a holy life must be removed before it destroys your life.  “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.” (Ga 5:9 AV)

If we sin as Christians, God deals with us as sons and daughters. He disciplines and corrects us.  You can look at any of the instruction in the New Testament and you will see the call for immediate obedience.  “Go and sin no more”, “Let not …”, “… let it not be named once among you.”  “God forbid.” “Put away …” “abstain from …” These are a few of the expressions used by Jesus and the Apostles.  There is nothing progressive about removing sin.  If we submit to the discipline of the Lord we continue to grow and be blessed.  If we choose to rebel we will eventually have to leave the household, for unrestrained behavior will effect the rest of the household.  That is another reason that sanctification cannot be progressive.

 All Levels of Maturity

 Let us not forget our imagery so that we begin to expect the same level of maturity from a baby as we expect from someone who should be maturing in his spiritual walk.  The younger the spiritual life is the more nurturing and protection is needed from the more mature members of the body.  Many times the failure of the babies in Christ to walk a holy life is due to the neglect of those who are responsible to feed and protect them, by leading and teaching the fundamentals of holiness and a walk with God.

So much of the Christian community has bought into the idea of progressive sanctification that we no longer provide basic instruction to the new believer.  It has become politically incorrect to tell a new convert to forsake his worldly friends, activities, ambitions, and dreams.  Yet a true conversion requires this for a healthy birth into the kingdom of Heaven.  A new believer does not have the strength walk into the dens of iniquity when they have yet to learn how to walk in the spirit.  Yet, Christians, many times, stand by allowing new Christians to venture into places a mature Christian shuns because of the destructive atmosphere of those places.  How stupid is that?

Again I want to insist that maturity is not holiness and holiness must be maintained regardless of our level of spiritual growth.  Maintaining holiness does not get easier as we grow spiritually.  With growth comes greater responsibility, greater accountability, and greater challenges.  It still remains a walk of faith and an adult can stumble and fall just like a toddler; they just fall harder and further.  Temptation is always just one step away in the wrong direction.  “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (Ga 5:16 AV)  So we should pray;“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” (Mt 6:13 AV)

 Perfect Sanctification

 The last facet of the doctrine of multifaceted sanctification is “perfect (or complete) sanctification”.  Horton & Menzies (1993, 153) point to this verse: “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:” (Eph 4:13 AV)  Again the Scripture is pointing to a level of maturity, not a degree of holiness.

As Horton and Menzies (1993, 154) continue they talk of this final state of holiness, a glorification of the believer, they refer to these verses: “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” (1Co 15:51-52 AV)  If we consider this verse in its context it becomes clear that Paul is referring to the redemption of the body, the culmination of our salvation, when we receive our eternal spiritual bodies and are united with the Lord.  Our battle with the flesh will be over, we will move from a fleshly house into a spiritual house.  How glorious that will be!

But this is not a new degree of sanctification (or holiness).  For what is it the Scriptures tell us of the people that Christ is coming for? “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Eph 5:25-27 AV)  Our complete holiness comes through the washing of the Word, by the blood of the Lamb, not by the redemption of the body.

Strauss (page 23), presents this verse in explaining the fulfillment of perfect sanctification: “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” (1Th 5:23-24 AV)  Strauss expounds upon the word translated “wholly”, showing how the idea of wholeness and completeness are in view, which brings out the meaning of entire sanctification.  He then focuses on the word unto, declaring that we will not be perfected until the coming of Jesus Christ.

This is an example of how our preconceived notions can blind us to the truth.  Paul is praying here that our complete sanctification, that of the spirit, soul, and body, be preserved unto the coming of our Lord.  That we be sanctified, or preserved blameless, from the time of Paul’s prayer until the coming of the Lord.  How clear is that anyway?  Somehow Strauss completely missed the word preserved.  Our complete sanctification is preserved unto the coming of the Lord.  This speaks not only of the holiness of our new man but the control and power of the Holy Spirit over the body and mind.

Strauss also quotes these verses: “Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:” (Jude 1:1 AV) “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,” (Jude 1:24 AV)

Again we are given the truth in Scripture.  God’s power can preserve us, and he is able to keep us from falling, and present us faultless before the presence of his glory.  AMEN!

Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” (1Th 5:24 AV)

 True Righteousness

 “Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.” (1Co 15:34 AV)

“And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:” (Php 3:9 AV)

In one form or another the concept, “When God looks at us He sees Jesus”, has been sung about and illustrated many times and in many ways.  What do we picture when we hear these words?  How we view our righteousness can have a profound effect on our understanding of sanctification and holiness.  Horton and Menzies make this statement: “Through the crowning work of the atonement, Christ has made it possible for a holy God to see us – not as we are in and of ourselves, but wrapped about with the robes of Christ’s righteousness.” (1993, 150-151)

This raises a very important question.  Do I through the blood of Christ become righteous?  Or does the righteousness of Christ merely cover my sin?  How we answer that question determines our concept of sanctification.

Another popular statement is: “I am just a sinner, saved by grace.”  The question I would ask is: Are you still a sinner after you have been saved, regenerated, born again, justified, and sanctified?  Or were you a sinner, and now you have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, and are truly righteous before God, and are a saint not a sinner?

I am not just playing with semantics, but I am trying to bring us to the foundation of the truth of our relationship in Christ Jesus.  Is Paul (in Php. 3:9) saying we are not righteous, or is he saying we have not been made righteous through the law?  Does he not continue to explain that we are righteous, but it is a righteousness that has come about through faith?

 Understanding Atonement

 My understanding of righteousness became increasingly clear as I was studying the Feasts of the Lord. (Lev. 23)  As I researched the Day of Atonement, focusing in on the meaning of atonement I made an interesting discovery.  Strong’s concordance gives this definition: 03722. rpk kaphar kaw-far’; a primitive root; to cover (specifically with bitumen); figuratively, to expiate or condone, to placate or cancel:— appease, make (an atonement, cleanse, disannul, forgive, be merciful, pacify, pardon, purge (away), put off, (make) reconcile(-liation).  To cover, specifically with bitumen. What is bitumen?  Basically it is asphalt, and it does a very good job of covering and blotting out something so it is not visible.  If we study the work of atonement in the Old Testament we see how this fits with sacrifices and washing that God had instructed Israel to carry out.

My shock was to find out that the word atonement was only used one time in the New Testament (KJV).  Of course the New Testament was written in Greek so we were dealing with an entirely new word here, and that Greek word was usually translated reconciliation or reconciling, from the root meaning to reconcile.  It is a book keeping term.  Although in our modern English atonement can be used in place of reconciliation, it has an entirely different meaning than the word atonement used in the Old Testament (KJV).  We would come across clearer in our meaning if we used the word reconciliation.  Christ has reconciled my sins (or fully paid the price for my redemption).

Old Testament references talk of sins that were atoned for through sacrifices.  Today the word atonement has been used extensively to describe the work of Christ on the Cross.  We say he atoned for our sins, or we speak of The Atonement.  When Horton and Menzies use this term in conjunction with a robe of righteousness we may get the picture of the atonement of Christ covering over our sins.  That is not the scriptural view of what Christ has done for us or what a robe of righteousness really is.

If we will read the 10^th chapter of Hebrews the truth becomes very clear. “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.” (Heb 10:4 AV)  The sacrifices year after year were a reminder that the sin was still there, it was just atoned for, or covered.  But what Christ did was remove sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness so we would be truly righteous.

“But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;” (Heb 10:12 AV)

 “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” (Heb 10:14 AV)

 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.” (Heb 10:16-18 AV)

I contend then, that according to Scripture we are made righteous by Christ’s righteous sacrifice and it is not merely a covering.  When the writer of Hebrews continues in verse 19 and talks of the boldness we can have in entering the Holiest, it is not under a covering, for the veil has been torn.  We stand before God consecrated, and washed in pure water.  If we can accept this, the rest of the chapter will have the desired impact as the writer encourages us to continue in righteousness and warns us of the severity of the punishment if we do not continue in righteousness.

In Summary

Sanctification is an essential element of our salvation.  Sanctification is accomplished by God through the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross and his resurrection from the dead.  It is implemented at our regeneration though a new birth by the work of the Holy Spirit and the washing of the Word.  As a new creature in Christ we are clean, pure, and holy.  Sanctification (or holiness) is to be maintained though the power of the Holy Spirit working in our lives.  It is essential for spiritual growth and maturity and is to be maintained at all levels of growth and maturity.  The Holy Spirit works in our lives to preserve our holiness and promote growth by being in us and walking with us.  His work includes discipline, admonition, guidance, and helps, providing all that is necessary to bring us to maturity and present us blameless at the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

“He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” (Re 22:11 AV)

 

 

Bibliography

•  Menzies, William W. and Stanley M. Horton 1993. Bible Doctrine: A Pentecostal Perspective. Springfield, MO: Logion Press
• Bicket, Zenas 2006. Introduction to Pentecostal Doctrine. Springfield, MO: Global University
• Lasley, William F. 2006. Romans: Justification by Faith. Springfield, MO: GPH
• Strauss, Lehman Regeneration, Justification, and Sanctification.