Featured Sanctification.

Sanctification carries two meanings, (1) to be set apart for a divine purpose, such as being spiritually set apart in Christ, positional sanctification, and (2) to be made holy or more so, purified progressively, as in progressive sanctification. When we are "saved" we are set apart in Christ. And when we are chosen for salvation, we are chosen through (1) the sanctification (being set apart in Christ) by the Spirit, and (2) through faith in the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:13

James 2:5 also teaches we were chosen "rich in faith and heirs to the kingdom promised to those who love God."

Romans 5:2 indicates our faith provides our access to the grace in which we stand. So before we were saved by grace (the grace in which we stand) our faith provided the access to salvation and regeneration.

Romans 4 teaches our faith is credited as righteousness, and so by the numbers, our accredited faith provides the basis of our individual election for salvation during our lifetime, after we have lived not as a chosen people, 1 Peter 2:9-10.

 

The Reformed ordo salutis is:

1. Election/Predestination
2. Atonement
3. Gospel call
4. Inward call
5. Regeneration
6. Conversion (faith & repentance)
7. Justification
8. Sanctification
9. Glorification

1. God the Father elects and predestines those who will inherit eternal life through the Son (John 6:37; Ephesians 1:5).
2. Forgiveness of sins was made possible through atonement, by the sacrifice of the Lamb of God (John 1:29; Romans 5:9).
3. The proclamation of the Gospel (outward call) is the means of salvation (Romans 1:16).
4. The inward call (effectual call) is the work of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:30; Romans 11:7; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14).
5. The Holy Spirit regenerates the spiritually dead sinner, making faith and repentance possible (Ephesians 2; Titus 3:5).
6. Having been regenerated, faith and repentance take place (Ephesians 2:8-9).
7. Believers are set apart for the Lord's service and empowered by the Holy Spirit for holy living (1 Peter 1:15; 2 Peter 1:3).
8. Believers are positionally glorified on earth but will realize their full glorification in the eternal state (Romans 8:30; Philippians 3:20-21).

Regeneration has to precede faith and repentance out of necessity because the sinner is incapable of appropriating spiritual truth leading to the new birth (Romans 8:7; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 2:1). No amount of preaching the gospel to a sinful heart will result in the new birth unless the Holy Spirit transforms that heart through regeneration.

 

One MUST be justified before God in order to be also sanctified!

 

Is the doctrine of Individual Election which then predestines those chosen to salvation a valid biblical doctrine. In a word, NO. What supposed support was offered for this assertion? John 6:37 and Ephesians 1:5.

Lets take a look:

John 6:37 (NASB)
“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out."

The first thing to notice is this is talking about being given to Jesus Christ, and the result is the person is "in Christ" because Christ promises not to cast them out. A loose translation might read, All that the Father gives to Me, will be transferred to Me, and the one who arrives in Me, I will certainly not cast out.

Also note the verse does not say when God gives individuals to Christ such as before creation or during their lifetime. Thus although cited, the verse actually provides no support for the doctrine of predestination. Now let us look at the next verse cited:

Ephesians1:5 (NASB)
"He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,"

This verse certainly says God predestined "us" to adoption. Who are the us? Those who have been born anew. Notice verse 1, the "us" are already "in Christ." Verse 3 says we have received blessings because we are "in Christ." And then Paul enumerates the blessings.

The first blessing was that we had been chosen corporately before creation. The next blessing is that we have been predestined to adoption. And adoption is our redemption in glorified bodies at Christ's second coming, see Romans 8:23. Thus it is a future blessing, and played not part of God transferring us into Christ.

In summary neither verse offers any actual support for the mistaken doctrine of individual election before creation that predestined us to salvation.

 

The sanctification in the ordo salutis is progressive sanctification; the process whereby we become more and more like Christ (Ephesians 4:15; Philippians 1:6).

 

Not sure what you are saying.
1) When you say "sanctification" do you mean being set apart in Christ or being progressively purified after being set apart?

John 17:17 records Christ's prayer shortly before His crucifixion. He is praying specific here for His disciples. This verse says to sanctify them in truth, which would occur at Pentecost. These disciples already had faith in Christ, thus no support for your sanctification before faith assertion.

Faith from hearing the gospel comes before being sanctified in Christ, because we were saved by grace through faith, not saved by grace then sanctified.

 

Well we agree that when God sets a person apart in Christ, He makes the holy. But He chooses those to set apart in Christ through faith in the truth. He chooses those to set apart in Christ who are rich in faith and heirs to the kingdom promised to those who love God. Therefore we came to faith before we were individually chosen to be sanctified during our lifetime.

 

Sanctification is disallowed and precluded prior to an individual's faith being credited as righteousness, because we are chosen through faith. A person cannot be sanctified before they are chosen for salvation. When you enter a room through a door, you pass through the door before you enter the room. When we are saved (set apart in Christ) through faith, our faith preceded being saved.

 

Yes, scripture teaches we are made holy through the washing of regeneration, Titus 3:5

So the sequence is, (1)Revealing grace (the call of the gospel) (2)our faith, (3) God credits our faith as righteousness, and (4) God sets us apart in Christ where we are made holy by the washing of regeneration.

 

You have missed the point, if election precedes the sanctification and it does, but our individual election is through faith, then faith precedes sanctification. On what basis are we chosen to be set apart? (1) faith in the truth. (2) rich in faith, (3) heirs to the kingdom promised to those who love God.