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Page 47
The saints on earth, then, are not sinless ones. The Bible does
indeed speak of those born of God sinning not, not committing sin,
etc. But this can only mean that they do not _wilfully_ sin. They do
not intentionally live in habits of sin. Their sins are sins of
weakness and not sins of malice. They repent of them, mourn over them,
and strive against them. They constantly pray, "_Forgive us our
trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us_." But their
heart-purity and sanctification are only relative.
Sanctification is gradual and progressive. We have seen that Paul
thus expressed himself. He was constantly "_following after_,"
"_reaching forth_," "_pressing toward_" the mark. He exhorts
the Corinthians, 2 Cor. vii. 1, to be "_perfecting holiness in the
fear of the Lord_," and again, 2 Cor. iii. 18, to be "_changed
into the same image from glory to glory_." He tells them in chapter
iv. 16 that "_the inward man is renewed day by day_." He exhorts
the saints or believers, again and again, "_to grow_," "_to
increase_," "_to abound yet more and more_."
Growth is the law of the kingdom of nature. And the same God
operates in the kingdom of Grace, and, indeed, much after the same
order. Our Saviour, therefore, so often compares the kingdom of God,
or the kingdom of Grace, to growth from a seed, where it is "_first
the blade, then the ear, and then the full corn in the ear_," Mark iv.
26-29. In harmony with all this Paul calls those who have but lately
become believers, "_babes in Christ_." He tells them they must be
"_fed with milk as babes_," etc. Therefore, it is quite natural that
we find so many exhortations to grow in Grace and in knowledge.
How directly contrary to all this is the unscriptural idea, not
only of entire sanctification, but of instantaneous sanctification.
Surely, in this fast age, many have run far ahead of prophets,
apostles, martyrs, reformers and the most eminent saints of all ages.
As we read the lives and words of these heroes of faith, we find that
the more Christ-like and consecrated they were, the more did they
deplore their slow progress and their remaining sin.
While, therefore, we have no Scripture warrant to expect
sinlessness here, while we must "_die daily_," "mortify our members_,"
and "_fight the good fight of faith_," between the old Adam, whose
remnants cleave to us, and the new man in Christ Jesus, we can still
do much to promote our sanctification, and make it more and more
complete. We can use the powers that God has given us to carry on the
warfare with sin. We can increase these powers, or rather permit
divine Grace to increase them, by a diligent use of the means of
Grace. In the chapter on the Word of God as a means of Grace, we
showed that the Holy Spirit sanctifies through the Word. In the
chapters on baptism and the baptismal covenant, we showed how that
holy sacrament is a means of Grace, whose efficacy is not confined to
the time of its administration, but that it is intended to be a
perennial fountain of Grace, from which we can drink and be refreshed
while life lasts. In the chapters on the Lord's Supper, we learned
that it also was ordained and instituted to sustain and strengthen our
spiritual life.
We have, therefore, all the means necessary for our
sanctification. Do we prayerfully use them? Might we not be much
further on in the work of holiness than we are? Do we use the truth as
we should, that we maybe "_sanctified through the truth_?" Do we
"_desire the sincere milk of the Word, that we may grow thereby_?"
Does it "_dwell richly among us_?" Know we not, or have we forgotten
it, that "_as many of us as have been baptized into Christ, were
baptized into His death_?" Do we say, with those early Christians,
"_henceforth let no man trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of
the Lord Jesus_?" And when we go to our Lord's Table do we realize
that His "_flesh is meat indeed, and His blood is drink indeed_?" Do
we go in the strength of that heavenly nourishment many days? Might we
not, by making a more sincere, hearty and diligent use of all these
means of Grace, live nearer to Christ, lean more confidingly on Him
and do more effectually all things through Him who strengthened us?
Yes, doubtless, we must all confess that it is our own fault that
we are not sanctified more fully than we are; that if, in the strength
derived from a proper use of the means of Grace, we would watch more
over self, pray more, meditate more on divine things and thus surround
ourselves more with a spiritual atmosphere, we would be more
spiritual. "_This is the will of God, even your sanctification._"
"_Without holiness, no man shall see the Lord._"
"And what am I? My soul, awake,
And an impartial survey take.
Does no dark sign, no ground of fear
In practice or in heart appear?
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