• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• CHAPTER 1. Perverting the Gospel - The Ultimate Sin Against Humanity
• CHAPTER 2. The Gospel of Salvation - Part I - Faith and Obedience
• CHAPTER 3. The Gospel of Salvation - Part II - A Righteous Life by Faith
• CHAPTER 4. Regeneration: God's Creation of the Righteous
• CHAPTER 5. Sanctification: Set Apart for Righteousness
• CHAPTER 6. The Neccesity of Coming Under the Lordship of Christ - Part I
• CHAPTER 7. The Neccesity of Coming Under the Lordship of Christ - Part II
• CHAPTER 8. We Walk By Faith - Part I - Every Believer Overcomes the World
• CHAPTER 9. We Walk By Faith - Part II - Every Believer Takes up Their Cross
• CHAPTER 10. The Fallacy of the "Carnal Christian"
• CHAPTER 11. Bear or Burn: The Fate of the Fruitless in the Parables of Christ
• CHAPTER 12. Righteousness vs. Self-righteousness
• CHAPTER 13. Saint or Sinner?
• CHAPTER 14. Can a Christian Backslide?
• CHAPTER 15. Sin and the Misinterpretation of Romans 7
• CHAPTER 16. Conclusion: Examine Yourselves to See Whether You Are in the Faith

Clinging to a Counterfeit Cross

Grk/Heb Fonts

by James P. Shelly

CHAPTER FIVE

Sanctification: Set Apart for Righteousness

Sanctification is most commonly understood as the work of the Spirit in the process of our spiritual growth which progresses throughout the life of a believer. However, the emphasis Scripture places on the term is primarily that of a person, place, or thing, as determined by God, to be set apart as holy and consecrated for worship and service to Himself. In much of the church, when speaking on salvation, the focus is almost entirely on God’s initial act of justification, with scarcely a word on God’s initial act of sanctification, which occurs simultaneously when we are born of the Spirit in regeneration (1 Cor. 6:11). We, therefore, hear much about forgiveness of sin, but relatively little of our being set apart from sin and unto holiness. Scripture, however, has far more to say about the latter than the former, as our obligation to serve God, in obedience to His word, is alluded to on nearly every page. Therefore, sanctification is of the utmost importance, as it is that aspect of our salvation whereof, we are set apart by the Spirit of God and granted the means whereby we are fully equipped with the power, ability, and knowledge, that we might indeed “worship the Father in spirit and truth” in faithful service to Him (Jn. 4:23, Ps. 18:32, Rom. 15:13, 2 Tim. 3:17, 1 Pet. 1:2, etc.). Without this initial act of sanctification, there is no salvation. John Murray writes;

It is a fact too frequently overlooked that in the New Testament the most characteristic terms that refer to sanctification are used, not of a process, but of a once-for-all definitive act.¹

The Hebrew word for sanctified is qadash, vd^q. The Theological Wordbook of the OT defines it as,

Be hallowed, holy, sanctified; to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate…the state of that which belongs to the sphere of the sacred.… A definitive use of the term occurs in Num 6:8. The censers of the Korahites were regarded as holy because they had been devoted to the Lord.… In the Piel the word is used most frequently of the act of consecration.… The noun (qœdeš) connotes the concept of ‘holiness,’ i.e., the essential nature of that which belongs to the sphere of the sacred and which is thus distinct from the common or profane.… the biblical viewpoint would refer the holiness of God…to his character as totally good and entirely without evil. Holy objects therefore are those with no cultic pollution which is symbolic of moral pollution. They are not merely dedicated, but dedicated to what is good and kept from what is evil. The separation of men from what defiles ceremonially is but typical of the holiness that is spiritual and ethical. ‘Be ye holy for I am holy’ is quoted from the OT (1 Peter 1:16; Lev 19:1; Lev 20:7, etc.) and the so-called holiness code is heavily ethical. ‘Man was made in the image of God and capable of reflecting the Divine likeness. And as God reveals himself as ethically holy, he calls men to a holiness resembling his own’ (ISBE, ‘Holiness’).

That which was dedicated to God was conceived of as entering the sphere of the ‘holy.’ This included the various elements of Levitical worship called ‘holy things’ in Lev 5:15-16.… The cultus also effected the holiness of those who participated in it. This was essential to the concept of redemption for, by definition, holiness is separate from all that is sinful and profane. God, therefore, calls man to holiness because he himself is holy (Lev 19:2; ef. 1 Peter 1:15, emphasis added).²

Sanctification then is primarily depicted in Scripture as a “once-for-all definitive act” whereby a believer is consecrated and devoted to God in the sphere of the sacred. Dedicated to what is good and kept from what is evil; Set apart as a holy vessel to live unto God. Therefore, believers, all those born of the Spirit, from the newest convert to the most mature, are addressed in Scripture as “saints.” Paul’s letters to the churches, Romans, 1-2 Corinthians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians are all addressed to “the saints.” The word “saint” in the Greek is hagiazo – aJgiavzw, meaning “to set apart,” “to sanctify,” or “make holy.” This is the status of every believer immediately upon their being regenerated as they are sanctified through faith. As we read in Acts 26:18, “to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me” and in 2 Thessalonians 2:13, “God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.” The TDNT states;

Christ’s atoning sacrifice is very clearly depicted as a means of sanctification in Hebrews…He achieves sanctification for the sanctified by His offering (10:10,14). His blood is the means of reconciliation (10:29; 13:12) for them: that he might sanctify with his own blood the people (13:12). There is here a clear connection between the concept of atonement and that of sanctification…

In Paul…He applies the concept passively rather than actively, speaking of the sanctified…the concept of sanctification is linked with that of reconciliation. Sanctification is not moral action on the part of man, but a divinely effected state (1 Cor. 6:11), the baptismal washing showing that in the baptismal fellowship of Christ (Rom 6:4; Col 2:12) lies the basis of sanctification and justification (cf. 1 Cor 1:30) …

In Acts the expression h(giasme/noi (which are sanctified) is twice set on the lips of Paul (Acts 20:32) an inheritance among all those who are sanctified, (26:18), inheritance among them which are sanctified, and both times in allusion to Deut 33:3. …Finally, in 1 Peter 3:15 Christians are summoned to the sanctification of Christ: Christ sanctify in your hearts. The presupposition here is that they are holy (1:16), so that Christ dwells in them as His temple, and will not suffer any impurity. Again, therefore, purity of heart is a condition of sanctification.³

The sanctification of the believer can be likened to what is to be the once-for-all act of being grafted into Christ the Vine (John 15). The branch then grows, bears fruit, is pruned to bear more fruit, but the initial grafting is completed. The branches which genuinely take root, are sanctified and set apart for holy and sacred use by the Vinedresser, that they might bear fruit unto God. Their service to God begins immediately upon their being grafted in. This service consists in the acquiescence of the will to His will according to the inward man — A heart of loving compliance and willingness to obey Him in all that He commands, which bears the result of “doing the will of God from the heart” (Eph. 6:6, Matt. 7:21, 24, Mark 3:35, Heb. 10:36, 1 John 2:17). Thus, every believer is sanctified for this holy purpose, and even as justification, sanctification, and its subsequent effects, are the product of grace through faith. The Spirit first sets us apart as His own possession, then continues His effectual work whereby our spiritual growth progresses. It is His work, through His power, producing His fruit and thus it is referred to in Scripture as “the fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22). It is the fruit of the Spiritual Vine which is naturally produced on the abiding branches. Apart from the Vine, the branches would have no spiritual life in them, no ability to produce fruit, and thus would remain forever dead and barren. Therefore, whatever fruit is to be borne is entirely dependent on the Vinedresser and the Vine, the Father and the Son, through the power of the Spirit. Even as sap in a tree provides water and nutrients throughout the tree, as does blood throughout the human body, so the Spirit is the lifeblood of the Christian. Christ is the Vine, the sap being the ministerial work of the Spirit through His words which are spirit and life (Jn. 6:63). To those with an abiding faith in Him, they are “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). Adam Clarke writes;

His Word “penetrates deeper into a man than any sword; it enters into the soul and spirit, into all our sensations, passions, appetites, nay, to our very thoughts; and sits as judge of the most secret intentions, contrivances, and sentiments of the heart.⁴

“This is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty” (Matt. 13:23). Since it is by this faith that we are initially grafted into the Vine, it is only by unbelief that we would ever be broken off (Rom. 11:19-23). Without faith, God’s word is nothing more than a dead letter. Powerless, lifeless, and therefore any alleged branch that remains barren is exposed as faithless. It is then good for nothing but to be broken off and thrown into the fire. We are therefore admonished to “hold our original confidence firm to the end” (Heb. 3:14) and to “continue in the faith, stable and steadfast” (Col. 1:23), “lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God” (Heb. 3:12). “For if God did not spare the natural branches (the unbelieving Jews). neither will he spare you. Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off” (Rom. 11:21, 22).

As was discussed in the previous chapter, in regeneration, God rescues us from our evil inclinations that He might sanctify us for service to Himself. The type and shadow in the Old Testament is that of God’s deliverance of His people out of their slavery in Egypt. “I am the Lord who sanctifies you, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God” (Lev. 22:32), and in Exodos 8:1, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me.” The purpose of their being sanctified by the Lord was that He would be their God, which is here shown to be synonymous with serving Him. As slaves in Egypt, forced to serve the Egyptian authorities, God’s people were hindered in their freedom to serve God as He had ordained. Their deliverance was then, a picture or type of the deliverance in salvation from the ruling power of sin that enslaves us (Jn. 8:34, Rom. 6:20), which separates us from any possibility of having a relationship with God, and thus from serving Him as was intended from the foundation of the world. Moreover, in our natural state, we do not have within ourselves the power or ability to set ourselves free. Therefore, grace must intervene if we are ever to have the capacity and freedom to be reconciled to God that we might be sanctified unto Him. As we read in John 8:36, “if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Even so, in the Exodus, God set the captives free. However, their faith and trust in Him was then tested in the wilderness as to whether or not they would use their newfound freedom for God’s intended purpose — to live in faithful obedience to Him in light of the expectation of entering the promised land (Deut. 8:2-5). It was a type or example of the wilderness experience of every professing Christian living in this world in light of the promise of an eternal inheritance in the kingdom of God. Lamentably, most of those whom God rescued out of Egypt abused their freedom and chose to disobey Him rather than faithfully serve Him, and thus He destroyed them (Joshua 5:6, 1 Cor. 10:1-11). Salvation in the New Testament likewise consists of being sanctified and set apart by the Spirit, for the sole purpose of serving God. Therefore, we too are warned that the same fate awaits all those who would abuse God’s grace in like manner and “fall according to the same example of disobedience” (Heb. 3:1-4:11). We learn from the Exodus that the initial act of being sanctified must persist in its purpose and effect throughout the lifetime of those who have been so if salvation is to be theirs (Heb. 3:12, 10:36). Those alone will hear the words of their blessed Master, “Well done My good and faithful servant” (Matt. 25:21). If we imagine that we will hear these words, even though we are not living as such in our daily lives, we deceive ourselves. We are not faithful servants by imputation but in practice (v. 23). On the other hand, those who are found unfaithful in their service to God, even as in the Exodus, will hear the contrary words of the Lord, “You wicked and lazy servant… cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 25:26-30). We notice here that both subjects are said to be servants, but only one was accepted by God. Both would profess to “believe,” but only one walked worthy of his profession (Col. 1:10, Matt. 7:21, Matt. 13:47). So here, we see another instance of the constant theme that runs throughout God’s Word. There are only two ways, two choices, two options, and two outcomes. There is the broad way that leads to destruction or the narrow way that leads to life (Matt. 7:13) — Those who are slaves of sin which leads to death, or those who are slaves of obedience which leads to righteousness and life (Rom. 6:16) — Those who sow to the flesh resulting in death or those who sow to the Spirit resulting in everlasting life (Gal. 6:8) — The carnally minded which is death, or the spiritually minded which is life and peace (Rom. 8:6). Fruitful branches or unfruitful branches (Jn 15:2). Faithful servants or wicked and lazy servants. The sanctified and unsanctified. Believers and unbelievers. Scripture leaves us with no other option. As in the Exodus, we faithfully serve God or we perish. Justification is as the narrow gate while sanctification is as the narrow way of a life separated from sin, and the two bound together, by God’s grace and power, lead to eternal life.

So then, the same Spirit that creates new life within the soul in regeneration takes up residence within the sanctified enabling them to serve and worship the Father in the way in which He Himself requires of us, in Spirit and truth, “in order that we may bear fruit for God” (Rom. 7:4). Therefore, even as Christ said, “I always do the things that are pleasing to him” (Jn. 8:29), it is in the heart of every Christian the desire to imitate His example (1 John 2:6).

So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him(2 Cor. 5:9).

And whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him (1 John 3:22).

And in 1 Thessalonians 4:1,

We ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more (emphasis added).

Though we may not be able to say with Christ that we always do the things that are pleasing to him, it is our “aim” to do so, and therefore we seek to do so “more and more.” It is the goal of every Christian, and therefore, that which we characteristically do. Those who have this aim will naturally seek to grow in their knowledge of God that they might know what pleases Him. Paul writes to the Colossians,

We have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy (Col. 1:9-11).

The Spirit works in the sanctified to guide them and lead them into all truth (John 16:13), the truth that has as its outcome, by its power and effect, liberation from sin. Filling them with the knowledge of His will, working in them both to will and to do what is pleasing to God (Phil. 2:13), renewing the mind and conforming it to the very mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16). We progress in the knowledge of His will, that we might progress in our liberation from sin and to righteousness. Therefore, this Spirit-wrought work is to the believer, a most prized and precious doctrine. For it is in this that his desire to please God is increasingly being satisfied and his aims accomplished as he is continually being conformed to that One in whom God is well pleased. That as it is written, Christ might be “the firstborn among many brothers” which, again, are defined by Christ as “those who hear the word of God and do it” (Luke 8:21). It is those of whom it is said are born anew, and being of His Seed, this new life grows into His likeness, and ultimately to perfection in glory (Rom. 8:29). Regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification is Christianity. To fall short of any one of these is to fall short of salvation.

So then, according to Scripture, a Christian is defined as one sanctified by God for the purpose of living a life of obedience, in conformity to Christ, as revealed in His Word (Matt. 28:19, 20, Luke 8:21, 1 Jn. 2:6, 1 John 3:3, etc.). It is the sum and substance of the Christian life. If we do not meet these terms, we will have no inheritance in the kingdom of God. This separation unto holiness begins at regeneration and is to continue without interruption until the death of the body. As we read in Philippians 1:6, in the amplified version,

And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ right up to the time of His return developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.

J.C. Ryle, wrote:

Sanctification…is the outcome and inseparable consequence of regeneration.... A regeneration, which a man can have and yet live carelessly in sin or worldliness, is a regeneration invented by uninspired theologians, but never mentioned in Scripture. On the contrary, St. John expressly says that ‘He that is born of God doth not sin,’ ‘doeth righteousness,’ ‘loveth the brethren,’ ‘keepeth himself’ and ‘overcometh the world’…. In a word, where there is no sanctification there is no regeneration and where there is no holy life there is no new birth. This is no doubt, a hard saying to many minds, but, hard or not, it is simple Bible truth. It is written plainly that he who is born of God is one whose ‘seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God’ (1 John 3:9).... Sanctification, again, is the only certain evidence of that indwelling of the Holy Spirit which is essential to salvation. ‘If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His’ (Rom. 8:9). This Spirit never lies dormant and idle within the soul: He always makes His presence known by the fruit He causes to be borne in heart, character, and life. ‘The fruit of the Spirit’ says St. Paul, ‘is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, and such like’ (Gal. 5:22). Where these things are to be found, there is the Spirit, where these things are wanting, men are dead before God. The Spirit is compared to the wind and, like the wind, He cannot be seen by our bodily eyes. But, just as we know there is a wind by the effect it produces on waves and trees and smoke, so we know the Spirit is in a man by the effects He produces in a man’s conduct. It is nonsense to suppose that we have the Spirit if we do not also ‘walk in the Spirit’ (Gal. 5:25). We may depend on it with a positive certainty that, where there is no holy living, there is no Holy Ghost. The seal that the Spirit stamps on Christ’s people is sanctification. As many as are actually ‘led by the Spirit of God, they’, and they only, ‘are the sons of God’ (Rom. 8:14). …A ‘saint,’ in whom nothing can be seen but worldliness or sin, is a kind of monster not recognized in the Bible!⁵ (emphasis added).

Martin Lloyd Jones in his commentary on Rom. 8 states,

There is no such thing as a Christian who is ‘only justified’, who has merely believed on the Lord to forgiveness and to salvation from hell, but who goes on living afterwards ‘in the flesh’. No such thing is described in the New Testament. Regeneration, and being ‘in Christ’ and ‘having the Spirit of Christ’ in us make that quite impossible. You cannot be simply a forgiven Christian; if you are a Christian you are regenerate, you are ‘in Christ’, you are ‘in the Spirit’ and the ‘Spirit is in you’. That is true of every Christian. There is no such thing as the merely justified Christian who has not yet ‘taken his sanctification’. … ‘He which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ The righteousness of the law will be fulfilled in us, because it is God who sent His own Son into this world to live and die and rise again in order that we might be reconciled to Him, in order that we might be born again and be His children, in order that His Spirit might dwell in us and work in us until we are glorified. It is God’s plan, and God’s work in every phase and detail.⁶

Jesus said, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6). The sanctified have passed over from carnal to spiritual, from darkness to light, from death to life. They live in a carnal existence, and may at times fall prey to its influences, but they remain spiritual — spiritual realities are that which dominate and govern their thoughts and actions. Their citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20). The child of God is not a citizen of this world and a citizen of heaven simultaneously. Scripture states that we are pilgrims and sojourners, aliens or temporary residents, in a foreign land (1 Pet. 2:11), the kingdom of heaven being our eternal home. We do not have dual citizenship but rather our citizenship has been transferred. Jesus said of His followers, “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” (John 17:16). The Christian no longer thinks like the world, acts like the world, or lives like the world. We have been sanctified from that which is common and profane to live as citizens of another world, a spiritual world; the kingdom of the living God. It is the life now hidden in Christ which we have our minds set upon (Col. 3:2, 3). This is where our hearts and treasures are (Matt. 6:21). It is what we seek above all else (Matt. 6:33). A. W. Pink writes,

Just in proportion as we apprehend our new standing before God and our portion in His Son, so will this world become to us a dreary and desolate wilderness. To the natural man the world offers much that is attractive and alluring; but to the spiritual man all in it is only ‘vanity and vexation of spirit.’ To the eye of sense there is much in the world that is pleasant and pleasing; but the eye of faith sees nothing but death written across the whole scene — ‘change and decay in all around I see.’ It has much which ministers to ‘the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life,’ but nothing whatever for the new nature. So far as the spiritual life is concerned, the world is simply a wilderness — barren and desolate… The wilderness is the place of travelers, journeying from one country to another; none but a madman would think of making his home there. Precisely such is this world. It is the place through which man journeys from time to eternity. And faith it is which makes the difference between the way in which men regard this world. The unbeliever, for the most part, is content to remain here. He settles down as though he is to stay here forever. ‘Their inward thought is, their houses shall continue forever, and their dwelling-places to all generations; they call their land after their names’ (Ps. 49:11). Every effort is made to prolong his earthly sojourn, and when at last death claims him, he is loath to leave. Far different is it with the believer, the real believer. His home is not here. He looks ‘for a city which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God’ (Heb. 11:10). Consequently, he is a stranger and pilgrim here (Heb. 11:13). It is of this the ‘wilderness’ speaks. Canaan was the country which God gave to Abraham and his seed, and the wilderness was simply a strange land through which they passed on their way to their inheritance.⁷

That this service of obedience is true of every believer is explicitly stated by the Apostle John when He writes, “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God” (1 Jn 3:9). The truth of this statement is not dependent on what one does, but on what one has. If we have His seed within us then this is true of us. He allows for no exceptions. He does not say that the born one of God will not practice sin unless he refuses to “yield to” or “walk in the Spirit” or that this is only true of those Christians who are spiritually mature or who have made a deeper commitment to serve Christ. No, what John says is that the Seed so effectually works in the heart of every believer that whatever means are necessary to overcome sin will indeed be appropriated and thus obedience is made certain, “if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard” (Col. 1:23). The Word being mixed with faith, being made alive in us, has such an effect on the believer that obedience to the Word becomes his natural way of life. If the Word of God lacks such power in the heart, and one is able to ignore the exhortations of the Word, it is certain that His seed is not in them. Again, God says, “I will put my Spirit within you, and will cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” In other words, God will cause us to hunger and thirst for His Word and to take up all the necessary means whereby the practice of righteousness is realized. It is even as when we are born in the flesh. We choose to eat, but hunger is that natural proclivity which God has placed within us, and though we choose whether or not to eat, unless we are gravely ill, the choice is inevitable. Likewise, when we are born of the Spirit, God creates in us a natural proclivity for spiritual sustenance, resulting in the inevitable choice of feeding on Christ and His word. The child of God does not need to be coerced to hunger and thirst after righteousness any more than a newborn babe needs to be coerced to seek its mother’s breast. Although we must be guided and encouraged that we would eat the appropriate spiritual food for our edification, we instinctively know to seek that source wherein our appetite will be appeased, and it is that source whereby we grow (1 Pet. 2:2). Christ said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be satisfied” (Matt. 5:6). This appetite is only evidenced in those who continually feed upon Christ and drink in His word since these are the primary provisions provided by God wherein our spiritual life progresses and is sustained.Therefore, Christ says, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples” (John 8:31). Most assuredly, the statement “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning,” can only be true of one who is sanctified, walking in the Spirit, abiding in Christ, under His lordship, as His disciple, and just as certain is that it is true of every believer. For, John does not say, “Some who are born of God” but rather “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning.” H. Bavinck writes in Reformed Dogmatics,

Many people still acknowledge that we must be justified by the righteousness that Christ has acquired but believe or at least act in practice as if we must be sanctified by a holiness we bring about ourselves. If that were the case, we would not — contrary to the apostolic witness (Rom. 6.14; Gal. 4.31; 5.1, 13) — live under grace and stand in freedom but continue always to be under the law. Evangelical sanctification, however, is just as distinct from legalistic sanctification as the righteousness that is of faith differs from that which is obtained by works.⁸

In the book “The Forgotten Spurgeon” Ian Murray quotes Spurgeon as saying,

A man who is really saved by grace does not need to be told that he is under solemn obligations to serve Christ; the new life within him tells him that.

The book also states,

It is frequently said that a man who has made a decision with little evidence of a change of life may be a ‘carnal’ Christian who needs instruction in holiness, or if the same individual should gradually lose his new found interests, the fault is frequently attributed to lack of ‘follow-up’, or prayer, or some other deficiency on the part of the church. The possibility that these marks of worldliness and falling away are due to the absence of a saving experience at the outset is rarely considered.⁹

Philippians 2:13, in the amplified version, says,

For it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you energizing and creating in you the power and desire both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.

Why then do we work to please God? Because He has graciously made Himself known to us through His Spirit. Opening our eyes to the beauty of His nature and character and will, that we want nothing more than to please Him.If we do not have this deep and abiding desire to please Him, He is not working in us “for his good pleasure.” We have not yet come to know Him and the truth is not in us (1 Jn. 2:3-5). His seed has yet to take root in our hearts (1 Jn. 3:9). We are still in the flesh and those in the flesh cannot please God (Rom. 8:8). We walk by sight rather than by faith and “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Heb. 11:6). The Father says of Jesus, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 17:5). We are pleasing to God only so far as we walk by faith, walking even as Christ walked (1 Jn. 2:6). We read in Hebrews 13:21, “May the God of peace...equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.” What a beautiful prayer and how blessed are they of whom it is a reality. There is no greater happiness that can be realized in this life than knowing that God is pleased with us in our endeavor to please Him. What is it that pleases the Father? Love from a pure heart (1 Tim. 1:5) resulting in obedience to His will (1 Jn 5:1-5). Again, Jesus said, “I always do the things that are pleasing to him” (John 8:29). In other words, Jesus had such love for His Father that He always did what His Father wanted Him to do in perfect obedience to His will. If there were any one wish in the Christian’s heart that he would seek to be granted above any other, it would be that he could make this statement of himself in regards to his heavenly Father, “I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” Those words should be indelibly engraved in every believer’s heart. What a glorious promise it is, in that it will become increasingly true of every sanctified child of God and will be fully realized in our glorification. There is nothing on this earth that we could receive that even remotely compares to the illustrious privilege of being transformed from glory to glory, into the image of Christ our beloved Savior. If we could gain the whole world and every pleasure therein, it is but dung in comparison. To the natural man, it is all foolishness, for they are completely blind to these precious realities. However, the child of God embraces and experiences them with the utmost joy. They are that by which he lives, moves, and has his being. “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:18). Charles Hodge writes of this passage:

The conformity to the image of Christ, as it arises from beholding his glory, must of course begin here. It is the vision of that glory, although only as in a glass, which has this transforming power. As the vision is imperfect, so the transformation is imperfect; when the vision is perfect, the conformity will be perfect. Rom. 8:29; 1 John 3:2. Only they are Christians, who are like Christ.... The transformation is carried forward without intermission, from the first scarce discernible resemblance, to full conformity to the image of Christ, both as to soul and body.¹⁰

Thus, the sanctified are ever becoming more pleasing to the Father. This is a promise fulfilled in all that are His. The teaching that says sanctification is optional rather than imperative in salvation (see chapter 6), robs the gospel of this precious promise to the ruin of the soul. Calvin writes,

The Apostle’s doctrine is not, that the grace of a good will is offered to us if we will accept of it, but that God himself is pleased so to work in us as to guide, turn, and govern our heart by his Spirit, and reign in it as his own possession. Ezekiel promises that a new spirit will be given to the elect, not merely that they may be able to walk in his precepts, but that they may really walk in them (Ezek. 11:19; 36:27, emphasis added).¹¹

Some would teach that by individual acts of sin we can “quench the Spirit,” which consequently halts or interrupts His continuing work in us. However, when Paul speaks of quenching the Spirit in 1 Thess. 5:19, he is not referring to the believer’s sin, but rather of despising prophecy in the church, v. 20. The word “despise,” in the Greek, means to “set at naught.” Prophecy being that of “divinely inspired speech.” In other words, Paul is saying, do not treat divinely inspired speech with contempt, for to do so would quench the Spirit within the corporate body of believers. The IVP Bible Background Commentary says of this passage, “Most of early Judaism associated the Spirit especially with prophecy: Paul does not want anyone quenching genuinely inspired speech.”¹² The NIDNTT states;

In verse 20 attention is directed toward one particular gift, prophecy, but here (v.19) the concern is more general: no gift of the Spirit is to be extinguished.…If those who have been given gifts by the Spirit are either not allowed to exercise them with the community or what they say and do is ignored, then in effect the fiery power and light of the Spirit is quenched and the church is not built up.¹³

Paul was emphasizing prophecy because that was the more important gift for the edification of the church (1 Cor. 14:1). However, whether it was prophecy or the interpretation of tongues, it is the “Spirit of truth” that would be quenched if these gifts were set at naught. If our individual acts of sin would quench the Spirit, His revealing and convicting work in us would be extinguished, and thus there would be no confession or repentance. We would be left in a perpetual state of darkness and hopelessness. In truth, the believer continually walks in the light (Jn. 8:12), is led by the Spirit (Rom. 8:14), which is continually exposing and convicting us of remaining sin that we might recognize it, confess it, and put it to death. Even when we are slow in dealing with our sin the Spirit does not cease His work, “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son whom he receives” (Heb. 12:6). “Chastisement is various in kind and degree. There are disease of body, distress of mind, the loss of property, injury of character, the profligacy of children, the faithlessness of friends, persecution for righteousness’ sake.”¹⁴ It can be brought on by a failure to judge ourselves; “But, if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world” (1 Cor. 11:31-33). The Christian is judged in this life, all the while storing up treasure in heaven, whereas the judgment of an unbeliever may be delayed, they are storing up wrath for the day of wrath (Rom. 2:5). The Bible never denies the fact that sin is pleasurable to the flesh for a season, but it always ends in destruction (Ps. 73). Therefore, we are told in Scripture, “Do not let your heart envy sinners, but be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day; for surely there is a hereafter, and your hope will not be cut off” (Prov. 23:17, 18, NKJV, emphasis added). So here again we see the promise of the hereafter as motivating us to be zealous of the Lord while laying aside the sinful pleasures of this world. God disciplines, to the extent He determines, every son whom he receives, that is, every Christian. There can be no escape, for “If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons” (Heb. 12:8). You are not Christians at all. Why is it that God disciplines and chastens us? Because He loves His children, “For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?” (Heb. 12:7) It is “for our good, that we may share his holiness” (Heb. 12:10). “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Heb. 12:11). We find joy in this, in the Spirit, for without holiness no one will see the Lord (Heb. 12:14). Proverbs 13:24 says, “Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.” If man, as a sinful being, is to love his child enough to strike him with a rod, how much more so will a holy God be quick to chasten his children whom he loves with an everlasting love? We come to understand in these passages that every believer will be chastened, will be partakers of His holiness, and will bear the fruit of righteousness. There can be no exceptions, for He loves all His children and shows no partiality (1 Pet. 1:17).

In whatever way we might hinder this work, God will bring it to its full completion in those with a genuine and abiding faith. Even as it was with Jonah when rebelling against God’s intended purpose toward Nineveh (Jonah 1:3), and though it cost Jonah much pain and anguish in the process, God used whatever means necessary to ultimately accomplish His will (Jonah 3:3). Jonah did not need to “get out of the way” so that God could work through him, or to “let go and let God,” as is commonly taught, but rather he was in need of a change of mind from his initial response to God’s command so he, in his own person, would accomplish God’s will. We see then that the obedience required of Jonah was ultimately accomplished by God’s intervention. Even so, God works in all the sanctified, by whatever means necessary, with whatever pains it may take, to accomplish His will and to reach His intended purpose. We read of God’s work in such ways in the life of Job, David, Peter, etc., and He will work in like manner in all who are His. Sin certainly grieves the Spirit, but praise God it does not “quench” or halt His work. What a glorious gift it is to be counted among the sanctified vessels set apart for His holy use, within whom He works by His might, in preparation for the eternal inheritance of their heavenly home.

The Christian abides in Christ and lives in union with Him. When this union becomes clouded with sin, the believer feels an estrangement from that intimacy they so treasure and their heart aches and groans in despair. They cry out in repentance and seek the restoration of the joy of their salvation;

Have mercy upon me, O’ God, according to your loving-kindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin (Ps. 51:1, 2)

Create in me a clean heart, O’ God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit (Ps. 51:10-12).

This deep and heartfelt sorrow over sin is the result of the ministry of the Spirit’s work in our hearts and will be experienced by every believer. As a result, our hatred of sin increases becoming ever more abhorrent to us. If we fall into sin, the Spirit works to expose and convict, and thus we cry out for restoration, strength, and forgiveness. Because of what Christ has done by way of the cross, God is there with outstretched arms. His justice brings us to our knees, His love lifts us up, His shed blood brushes off the filth, and faith presses on. For God is, “watching over the way of his saints” (Prov. 2:8). It is in this embrace of love and forgiveness that our love for God is increased and we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord (2 Pet. 3:18), and subsequently, our resolve to obey is strengthened. We thus discover that God uses even our times of stumbling in the process of spiritual growth (Luke 22:31-32). What Satan intends for evil God always makes good use of (Gen. 50:20). Indeed, “all things work together for the good to those who love God” (Rom. 8:28). Shall we say then, “why not do evil that good may come?” (Rom. 3:8). To those who are hungering and thirsting after righteousness that can never be. For it is impossible for one to be indwelt by the Holy Spirit while at the same time desiring to continue in sin (Rom. 6:14-17) taking pleasure in unrighteousness (2 Thess. 2:12). “How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (Rom. 6:2). A Christian may visit sin, but it is not possible that they can reside there. Charles Hodge writes,

Another mistake on this subject is made by those who suppose that religion is a fitful sort of life; an alternation of excitement and insensibility. Those who labor under this delusion, are religious only on certain occasions. They live contentedly for months in unconcern, and then, if they can be moved to tenderness or joy, they are satisfied with the prospect of another period of collapse. No form of life is thus intermittent. Neither plants nor animals thus live. Men do not, when in health, pass from convulsions to fainting, and from fainting to convulsions; nor does religion, when genuine, ever assume this form. It has, indeed, its alternations, as there are periods of health and sickness, of vigor and lassitude, in the animal frame; but just so far as it deserves the name of religion, it is steady, active, and progressive; and not a series of spasms.¹⁵

The sanctified now see sin as the greatest enemy of the soul. They become increasingly aware of its power and ability to kill, steal, and destroy their spiritual aims, purposes, relationships, happiness, well-being, and ultimately their soul. In its aftermath, it leaves nothing but heartache, sorrow, and misery. It is that with which they are at war (1 Pet. 2:11). The Spirit being their most staunch and reliable ally in the battle, along with the Word as the most powerful weapon of their warfare (Eph. 6:17, Rom. 8:13, Ps. 119:11). Acutely aware that they are the soul’s only sustenance, protection, and defense, and without them, the war will be lost and they perish. We read in 2 Pet. 1:3-5,

His divine power has granted to us [a gift] all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us [a gift] his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

Therefore,

His Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her [a gift] to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure — [And what is this gift of fine linen?] for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints (Rev. 19:8, 9).

We, as the children of God, are sons of obedience, i.e., obedience is the distinguishing mark of our character. We have not the character trait of the sinner or the backslider — we are sons of light — sons of day. As sons and daughters of God we have put on the character traits of our Father even that of our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 4:24). “Thy will be done” is the prayer of every child of God. Spurgeon rightly said:

We do not know the truth aright unless it makes us holy. We do not hold truth in a true way unless it leads to a true life...the truth, when fully used will daily destroy sin, nourish grace, suggest noble desires, and urge to holy acts.¹⁶

Every Christian from the babe to the most mature is sanctified and thus has entered into the narrow way of a holy walk with God. If we are not in “the way” we are not “in the faith” (2 Cor. 13:5). We entered by grace through faith, and we will continue by grace through faith. We must press upon our heart and mind “that no human being may boast before God” (1 Cor. 1:29), testing all Scripture in light of this truth. If we interpret His word in such a way that enables man to boast, in any way, we contradict this clear teaching of Scripture. When we teach that sanctification is some higher level of Christianity, and relies on our own effort to obtain to that level, we fail the test. Any teaching that denies that the whole of the Christian life is by grace, giving all the glory to God and God alone, is spurious. As it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Cor. 1:31). Knowing that this does not diminish the necessity for diligence on our part, for if there is no deep desire to do His will, His Spirit is not working in us to will and to do for His good pleasure. Paul says, “By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me” (1 Cor. 15:10). Even when we are admonished to work out our “own salvation with fear and trembling,” we can look to His promises, “I will put the fear of Me in their hearts, so that they will not turn away from Me” (Jer. 32:40). It is not so much a matter of us giving our hearts to Christ, for the gift of grace is a new heart from God to us, “I will give you a new heart” (Ezek. 36:26).“A tender heart, susceptible to the drawing of divine grace.”¹⁷ In other words, “We love because he first loved us” (1 Jn. 4:19). The only requirement on our part is a genuine faith that is fully convinced of the promises of God (Rom. 4:21) — A living and active faith (James 2:22) — A faith that works through love (Gal. 5:6) — A stable and steadfast faith (Col. 1:23) — A faith that overcomes the world (1 Jn. 5:4) — A faith that walks “in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had” (Rom. 4:12). Having “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1). A faith that boasts solely in the Lord. Spurgeon, speaking on sanctification said:

Holiness is always present in those who are loyal guests of the great King, for ‘without holiness no man shall see the Lord.’ Too many professors pacify themselves with the idea that they possess imputed righteousness, while they are indifferent to the sanctifying work of the Spirit. They refuse to put on the garment of obedience, they reject the white linen which is the righteous acts of the saints. They thus reveal their self-will, their enmity to God, and their non-submission to His Son. Such men talk such as they will about justification by faith, and salvation by grace, but they are rebels at heart, they have not on the wedding dress any more than the self-righteous, whom they so eagerly condemn. The fact is, if we wish for the blessings of grace, we must in our hearts submit to the rules of grace without picking and choosing.¹⁸

Charles Hodge sums it up well. He writes:

True Christians are renewed after the image of God so as to be holy; they love God, they rest with complacency on his perfections, they acquiesce in his will, and rejoice in their relation to him as his creatures and children. They are habitually devout, and have fellowship with the Father of their spirits, and with Jesus Christ his Son. They are obedient children, not fashioning themselves according to their former lusts; but as he that called them is holy, so are they holy in all manner of conversation [conduct]. As they bear the image of a just and merciful God, they are honest and benevolent towards their fellow men, not seeking their own, but the good of others. And as this victory over themselves and this conformity to the image of God cannot be obtained without conflict and self-denial, they keep up a constant opposition to the more subtle evils of the heart… Some may be ready to say, that if this is religion, then no man is religious. It is certainly true, that ‘many are called, but few chosen.’ ‘Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.’ (Mt. 7.14) We must take our idea of religion from the Bible, and not from the lives of professors. It cannot be denied that the Bible makes religion to consist in love to God and man; nor can it be questioned that the love of God will manifest itself in reverence, devotion, and obedience, and the love of men in benevolence and justice. And our own conscience tells us, that no external forms, no outward professions, no assiduity in religious services, can entitle us to the character of Christians, unless we are thus devout and obedient towards God, thus just and benevolent towards our fellow men, and thus pure and self-denying as regards ourselves. But while it is certain that these traits are all essential to the Christian character, it is not asserted that all Christians are alike. There is as great diversity in their characters as Christians, as in their bodily appearance, their mental powers, or social dispositions. But as all men, in the midst of this endless variety, have the same features, the same mental faculties, and the same social affections; so all Christians, however they may differ in the strength or combination of the Christian graces, are all led by the Spirit, and all produce the fruits of the Spirit. …Having given this brief outline of the nature of true religion, it is proper to say a few words as to its necessity. It should be ever borne in mind, that the necessity of holiness is absolute. With regard to other things, some, though desirable, are not essential, and others, though essential under ordinary circumstances, are not universally and absolutely necessary. But holiness is necessary in such a sense that salvation, without it, is impossible, because salvation principally consists in this very transformation of the heart. Jesus is a Savior, because he saves his people from their sins. Those, therefore, who are not sanctified, are not saved. The doctrine, that a man may live in sin, and still be in a state of salvation, is as much a contradiction, as to say that a man may be ill when in health. A state of salvation is a state of holiness. The two things are inseparable; because salvation is not mere redemption from the penalty of sin, but deliverance from its power. It is freedom from bondage to the appetites of the body and the evil passions of the heart; it is an introduction into the favor and fellowship of God; the restoration of the Divine image to the soul, so that it loves God and delights in his service. Salvation, therefore, is always begun on earth. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life’ (John 6.47). This is the language of our Savior. ‘To be spiritually minded is life: — to be carnally minded is death’ (Rom. 8:6). There is no delusion more inexcusable, because none is more directly opposed to every doctrine of the Bible, than the idea that a state of grace is consistent with a life of sin. Without holiness no man can see God (Heb. 12.14). Whatever our ecclesiastical connections may be, whatever our privileges or professions, if we are not holy in heart and life; if we are not habitually governed by a regard to the will of God; if we do not delight in communion with him, and desire conformity to his image; if we are not led by the Spirit, and do not exhibit the love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance which that Spirit always produces — then we are not religious men, nor are we in a state of salvation…The Bible knows nothing of proud, selfish, covetous, impure Christians. Christians are partakers of a holy calling, they are washed, and sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God; they are saints, the sanctified in Christ Jesus; they mind spiritual things; they have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts; they are poor in spirit, meek, pure in heart, merciful; they hunger and thirst after righteousness. Not that they have already apprehended, or are already perfect; but they follow after, if that they may apprehend that for which they are also apprehended of Christ Jesus; forgetting the things that are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, they press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Their conversation is in heaven; from whence also they look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, ‘who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself’ (Phil. 3:12-14, 20, 21)¹⁹ (emphasis added).

1 Peter 2:9 states that we as Christians, “are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” We are saints, set apart unto holiness, in the sphere of the sacred. The sanctified of God for His holy purpose and use. The temple wherein His Spirit dwells (1 Cor. 3:16). The obedient in whom both the Father and Son come and make their home (Jn. 14:23). This is an indescribable gift from God and the highest privilege, honor, and calling that can be received among men. We are therefore commanded to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called” (Eph. 4:1, Phil. 1:27, 1 Thess. 2:12, Col. 1:10). We are to work out, corporately and individually, the call of consecration and dedication to the service of God, with thanksgiving, love, reverence, and fear, purifying ourselves even as Christ is pure, in the expectation of the glorious hope that is set before us. This is not true of only some who profess this hope in Christ, but “everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure” (1 John 3:3). Continually growing in the knowledge of all that would be considered by God to be profane and unclean that we might remain separate from them; Persons, places, things, activities, desires, passions, thoughts, and words, as would be unfitting of the saints sanctified in Christ Jesus. We are commanded in Ephesians 5:1-13;

Be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.

And in 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1;

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, ‘I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.’ Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

So it is, according to Scripture, anyone who would imagine themselves to be in a state of salvation, without “the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 1:2), without being sanctified and set apart for God to do His will, and thus clothed in the righteous deeds of the saints (Rev. 19:8), will find themselves before the Judgment seat of Christ, wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked (Rev. 3:17) and thus hopeless. Weeping and gnashing their teeth as they are now faced with the harsh reality of the consequence of clinging to a counterfeit cross.

CHAPTER SIX
The Lordship of Christ in Salvation - Part I