|
Main
- books.jibble.org
My Books
- IRC Hacks
Misc. Articles
- Meaning of Jibble
- M4 Su Doku
- Computer Scrapbooking
- Setting up Java
- Bootable Java
- Cookies in Java
- Dynamic Graphs
- Social Shakespeare
External Links
- Paul Mutton
- Jibble Photo Gallery
- Jibble Forums
- Google Landmarks
- Jibble Shop
- Free Books
- Intershot Ltd
|
books.jibble.org
Previous Page
| Next Page
Page 46
They are of a germinal or seed character. Now it belongs to the
very nature of life to develop, increase, and make progress. And it is
this development or growth of the new life that we wish now to
consider. It is called _sanctification_, or growth of the soul
into the image of a holy God.
It is closely related to justification, and yet clearly distinct
from it. In justification, God _imputes_ or _counts over_ to the
sinner the righteousness of Christ. In sanctification, God _imparts_
the righteousness of the new life. Justification is what God does
_for_ the believer; sanctification is what His Spirit does _in_ him.
Justification being purely an act of God, is _instantaneous_ and
complete; sanctification being a work in which man has a share, is
_progressive_. Justification takes away the _guilt_ of sin;
sanctification gradually takes away its _power_. Sanctification begins
with justification. So soon as the sinner believes he is justified;
but just so soon as he believes, he also has the beginnings of a
new life.
In time, therefore, the two come together; but in thought they
are distinct. And it is of the greatest importance that these
distinctions be understood and kept in mind. It is by confounding
justification with sanctification, and _vice versa_, that all the
flagrant, soul-destroying errors concerning the so-called "higher
life," "sinless perfection," etc., are promulgated and believed. It is
by quoting Scripture passages that speak of justification, and
applying them to sanctification, that this delusion is strengthened.
How often have we not heard that precious passage, 1 John i. 7, "_The
blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin_," quoted to
prove entire sanctification. Now, if we understand the Scriptures at
all, that passage speaks of the _forgiveness_ of sin through the
efficacy of Christ's blood, and not of overcoming sin in the believer,
or eradicating its very fibres and impulses.
But this, perhaps, is a digression. Let us understand clearly
what we mean by sanctification. The English word comes from a Latin
word that means sacred, consecrated, devoted to holy purposes. The
Greek word translated sanctify in our English Bible also means to
separate from common and set apart for holy purposes. The same word
that is translated sanctify, is in many places translated consecrate,
or make holy. The English word _saint_ comes from the same Latin
root, and is translated from the same Greek root, as sanctify. It
means a sanctified one, or one who is being sanctified. Thus we find
believers called saints, or sanctified ones. We find, indeed, that the
apostles call all the members of their churches saints. Thus they
speak of "_the saints which are at Jerusalem_," "_The saints which are
at Achaia_," "_To all that be in Rome ... called to be saints_," "_As in
all the churches of the saints_." So in many other passages.
In harmony with the apostolic usage, we confess in the Apostles'
Creed: "I believe in the Holy Christian Church (which is) the
communion--or community--of saints." If then saints means sanctified
ones, or holy persons, do not the Bible and the Apostles' Creed demand
perfect sinlessness? By no means. Christians are indeed to strive to
constantly become more and more free from sin. They are "_called to be
saints_," are constantly being sanctified or made holy. But their
sanctity or holiness is only _relative_.
They have indeed "_come out from the world_," to "_be separate_."
They are "_a peculiar people_." They hate sin, repent of it, flee from
it, strive against it, and overcome it more and more. They "_mortify
the deeds of the body_," "_keep it under_," "_crucify the flesh with
its affections and lusts_," "_present_--(or consecrate)--_their
bodies, as living sacrifices to God_." They have pledged themselves at
Christ's altar to "renounce the devil and all his works and ways, the
vanities of the world and the sinful desires of the flesh, and to live
up to the doctrines and precepts of Christ."
In so far, they are separated from the world, set apart to become
holy, consecrated to Christ. Not that their sanctification or
saintship is complete. If that were the case, the apostles would not
have written epistles to the saints. For perfect beings need no
Bibles, no Churches, no means of Grace. The angels need none of these
things. There is indeed not one sinless person mentioned in the Bible,
except that divine One, "_who did no sin, neither was guile found in
His mouth_."
If there were one Scripture character who, if such a thing were
possible, would have attained to sinless perfection, that one would
certainly have been the greatest of all the apostles, Paul. He labored
more than they all; he suffered more than they all; he went deeper
into the mysteries of redemption than they all. He was not only
permitted to look into heaven, as the beloved John, but he "_was
caught up into the third heaven, and heard words that it was not
lawful for him to utter_" on this sinful earth. Oh, what purifying
through suffering! What visions and revelations! What experience of
Grace! And yet this burnished vessel never professed sinless
perfection. Indeed, he never ceased to mourn and lament the sinfulness
and imperfection of his own heart, and called himself the chief of
sinners. He does indeed speak of perfection. Hear what he says, Phil.
iii. 12, 13, 14: "_Not as though I had already attained, either were
already perfect; but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for
which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not
myself to have apprehended; but this one thing I do, forgetting those
things that are behind, and reaching forward unto those things which
are before, I press toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling
of God in Christ Jesus._"
Previous Page
| Next Page
|
|