Featured Sanctification.

Please do not change the subject, no one said faith was prior to truth. What was said is faith is prior to individual election, sanctification, and salvation. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 says we are chosen for salvation through faith. James 2:5 says we were rich in faith and heirs to the kingdom promised to those who love God when chosen. How are we chosen, by being set apart in Christ, the sanctifying work of the Spirit.

You cannot sanctify someone without choosing them for sanctification first. And the basis of choosing someone is faith credited by God as righteousness.

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Wrong! It does clearly state that they were given to Christ prior to his incarnation. Note verse 38 that the purpose of Jesus coming into the world was a consequence of a people already given to him prior to his coming. This is also verified by the perfect tense "given" in verse 39.

Therefore, they were given to Christ before they came to Christ by faith in time - v. 37
Therefore, they were already given to Christ before Christ came to earth - v. 38
Therefore, they were already in a completed state of being given - v. 39

Finally, "all" given are "all" that come and are saved which means election or choice prior to the incarnation occurred which separated "all" given from the rest of mankind.

 

No, it does not! The prepositional phrase "to salvation" is accusative in case showing the termination of the action of the verb "chosen." The action of being chosen terminates on "salvation" not on faith. The second prepositional phrase modifies "salvation" not "chosen" showing that salvation occurred in time "through sanctification of the Spirit" PRIOR TO faith. Faith follows this setting apart action by the Spirit rather than being the cause of either being chosen to salvation or this sanctifying act. Again, you reverse cause and effects.

 

Abstract of Systematic Theology, James P. Boyce | The Reformed Reader

This will be helpful for you.

III. THE NATURE OF SANCTIFICATION.

What now, we may inquire, is the nature of the sanctification which is wrought out in the believer?

1. It is a personal sanctification. It is accomplished in each individual personally, and not in that of a common representative as is the righteousness which justifies.

2. It is a real sanctification, not merely one that is imputed, as is righteousness. Holiness is not merely "accounted to men," so that they are treated as though holy, but they are made holy. Holiness becomes the characteristic of their natures. It is habitually exercised in their lives. It will eventually be possessed in perfection. It is real and in no sense only virtual.

3. It is of the whole nature. The renewed nature, given in regeneration, shows that sanctification includes the whole spiritual part of man. It is not to be confined to mere outward actions. God's spiritual nature demands not only spiritual worship, but holy spiritual emotions and affections; and these belong to the heart. Hence the need of inward conformity to his will and commands is so especially set forth in the New Testament, as to mark its teachings as essentially spiritual. We are also plainly taught that between the outward fruit, and the inward condition, is such a connection that the latter is the actual producing power of the former, and is manifested by it. Matt. 12:33-35; Luke 6:43-45.

But sanctification is to be extended to the body likewise. Its appetites and passions are to be controlled, wicked actions are to cease, and unholy habits to be put away, the members of the body are to be mortified, all filthiness of the flesh to be cleansed, good works are to be exhibited to mankind, and such high moral duties to be performed as are imposed upon Christians as obligatory towards each other and the world.

The Scriptures exhort to sanctification of the whole nature, both body and soul. See 2 Cor. 7:1; Eph. 4:17-24; Col. 3:5-10; 1 Thess. 5:23. That of the body alone is urged. The apostle tells the Ephesians about his prayers for their spiritual sanctification. Eph. 1:17-19.

4. It is not a sanctification to be completed in this life.

It is not, like justification, a single act, but is a continuous process. The work goes on throughout the lifetime of the believer, nor is it completed before death.

(1.) This is manifest from the frequent exhortations to sanctification addressed to those who are already believers in Christ, and who are actually called saints. Many of the passages containing these have been given in the preceding section.

(2.) It is also shown by the warnings, about the danger of backsliding, addressed to Christian believers. Such was that to Peter by our Lord, the reality of the danger of which was shown by his subsequent grievous fall. Luke 22:31, 32. See examples of other such warnings in 1 Cor. 10:12; Col. 1:23; Heb. 3:12, 13; 12:15.

(3.) The fearful condition of actual apostasy is presented for the purpose of teaching the true people of God the extent to which knowledge of his grace may be possessed without the attainment of actual and final salvation. Heb. 6:4-6; 10:26-29; 2 Pet. 2:20. The object of this instruction is to warn against committing sins, and indulging habits to which they are still prone.

(4.) Christians are not presented in the New Testament as completely pure and holy, but, on the contrary, the very best of them acknowledge the existence of sinful tendencies, and pronounce any idea of freedom from the presence of sin to be a delusion. The faults of good men, such as Peter, James and John, and Thomas, and Paul and Barnabas (Acts 15:37-40) are especially mentioned, and John who declares that "whosoever is begotten of God sinneth not" (1 John 5:18) is the very apostle who, in a previous part of that very same epistle, teaches that "if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." 1 John 1:8. Paul constantly speaks of himself as still struggling against the power of sin, as not counting himself to have attained, as buffeting his body and bringing it into bondage lest he should be rejected, and thus he gives us, in his descriptions of his own experience, a pattern of what has been almost universally acknowledged as that of every other Christian.

5. But sanctification will not always be incomplete. In heaven perfect purity and holiness will be the portion of the believer.

(1.) The purpose of God, in the foreordination of those whom he foreknew, is that they shall "be conformed to the image of his Son." Rom. 8:29. This conformity shall be attained in heaven, for "if he shall be manifested, we shall be like him; for we shall see him even as he is." 1 John 3:2. Such likeness involves personal sinless purity.

(2.) Paul's triumphant language as to the resurrection shows that this will be true of the body no less than of the soul. 1 Cor. 15:50-57.

(3.) The Scriptures declare as to the New Jerusalem that "there shall in no wise enter into it anything unclean, or he that maketh an abomination and a lie: but only they which are written in the Lamb's book of life." Rev. 21:27. Peter says that the inheritance reserved in heaven for the saints is incorruptible and undefiled. 1 Pet. 1:4.

6. The partial sanctification of this life is also progressive. It is not a certain degree of attainment, possessed by all alike, and remaining always in this life the same; it is a growth from the seed planted in regeneration, which is constantly bringing forth new leaves, and new fruit; it grows with increased intellectual knowledge of God's truth, with a clearer perception of human sinfulness and corruption, with stronger faith and brighter hope, and more confident assurance of personal acceptance with God, with a more heartfelt conception of the sacrificing love of Christ, and with a more realizing belief in his constant presence and knowledge of what we do. It even increases from its own acquired strength and through the suffering and doing in which it is developed. In these and many other ways do Christians grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ, and in conformity to his image, "cleansing themselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." 2 Cor. 7:1.

When, however, this sanctification is said to be progressive, it is not meant to deny the imperfections before referred to, nor to assert that there is a constant rise upward to God and toward his holy perfection. The Christian life on earth is a warfare with sin, and the believer is not always without failure. He often yields to temptation, sometimes falls even into most grievous sin. The personal experience, presented by Paul, in the seventh chapter of Romans, is so strong a statement of such struggles that some have been inclined to confine its application to a time prior to acceptance of the gospel. But there can be no question of the applicability to Christians of the declaration made to the Galatians, "The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary the one to the other; that ye may not do the things that ye would." Gal. 5:17.

But the progress of sanctification is nevertheless continuous. These temptations and struggles enter into that progress, and not only they, but even the sins and falls which mar the Christian life. The process of sanctification is like the ascent of a mountain. One is always going forward, though not always upward, yet the final end of the progressive movement of every kind is the attainment of the summit. Sometimes, because of difficulties, the road itself descends, only more easily to ascend again. Sometimes certain attractions by the way cause a deviation from the route most suitable for ascent. Often it is feared that there has been no higher attainment, often that it has been but a continual descent, until, perchance, some point of view is gained from which to look down upon the plain whence the journey was begun and behold the height which has already been overcome. Often, with wearied feet, and desponding heart, the traveller is ready to despair, because of his own feebleness, and the difficulties which surround. But he earnestly presses forward and the journey is completed, the ascent is made, the end is attained.

see pt2

 

pt2;

IV. THE AUTHOR OF SANCTIFICATION.

1. From what we have learned of the persons who are sanctified, and of the nature of the work performed, it is evident that the author of it must be more than man. The Scriptures teach that it is God.

The work is attributed to God without reference to any distinction of persons. 1 Thess. 4:3; 5:23. It is also ascribed to the Father, John 17:17; Heb. 13:21; and to Christ, Eph. 5:26; Tit. 2:14.

But it is the especial work of the Holy Spirit, who is the author of the process of Sanctification, as he is also the act of Regeneration. 1 Cor. 6:11; 2 Cor. 3:18; 2 Thess. 2:13; 1 Pet. 1:2.

(1.) He enlightens the mind. John 14:26; 1 Cor. 2 :9-16; Eph. 1:18; 3:18, 19; 1 John 2:20, 27. On this account he is called "the Spirit of truth," John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13; and the "Spirit of wisdom." Eph. 1:17.

(2.) He gives spiritual strength (Eph. 3:16), lusting against the flesh (Gal. 5:17), enabling the believer to mortify the deeds of the body (Rom. 8:13), leading the sons of God (Rom. 8:14), and enabling them to purify their souls in obeying the truth. 1 Pet. 1:22.

(3.) Inasmuch as he dwells within them (Rom. 8:9), so that they are his temple (1 Cor. 3:16), with whom they are sealed as the earnest of their inheritance (Eph. 1:13, 14), so, also, does he bear witness with their spirits that they are the children of God, and, removing the spirit of bondage to fear, bestows on them the spirit of adoption, whereby they cry Abba, Father. Rom. 8:15, 16.

(4.) The fruit of this indwelling Spirit is declared to be "in all goodness and righteousness and truth." Eph. 5:9. It is specifically stated to be "love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." Gal. 5:22.

2. But, while there is such need of a divine author of sanctification, it is a work in which the believer is passively a recipient, but one in which he actively co-operates. This is exhibited in various ways in the word of God.

(1.) Christians are called upon to recognize this presence of the Spirit. 1 Cor. 3:16, 17. They are exhorted to "walk by the Spirit," and assured that, in so doing, they "shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." Gal. 5:16. They are taught that "they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit." Rom. 8:5. They are told that, because of the indwelling Spirit, "we are debtors, not to the flesh to live after the flesh," and thus, by implication that we are debtors to live after the Spirit. Rom. 8:12. They are charged to "grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in whom ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." Eph. 4:30. In these, and in other ways, their co-operation with the Spirit in the work is implied quite plainly.

(2.) They are exhorted to engage in the work of self-purification. The apostle exhorts the Ephesians not to "walk as the Gentiles also walk, in the vanity of their mind, . . . to put away . . . the old man, which waxeth corrupt after the lusts of deceit; and be renewed in the spirit of their mind, . . . and to put on the new man, which after God, hath been created in righteousness and holiness of truth." Eph. 4:17-24.

(3.) This self-purification is declared to be the work of every one that has the hope of likeness to Christ. 1 John 3:3.

(4.) Direct promises and commands, and exhortations to perfection and holiness, imply co-operative action in those who are in the process of attaining sanctification. Matt. 5:48; 2 Cor. 7:1.

(5.) All warnings against the power of temptation, the lust of the flesh, the subtlety of Satan, the influence of the world, the grievous character of sin; all exhortations to lead a virtuous and godly life, to set the affections on heavenly and divine things, to consecrate the soul and body to God; all motives to these ends drawn from the work of Christ, as an exhibition of divine love and mercy, as an example of purity of life, and of patient suffering, or as personally connected with the believer because of his union with the Lord,-in short, all that the Scriptures contain fitted to lead the Christian to a higher spiritual life, is evidence of his co-operation with the Holy Spirit in the work of sanctification.

The author of sanctification is indeed the Divine Spirit, but the Christian actively unites with that Spirit, "working out his own salvation with fear and trembling," being exhorted and encouraged to do so, because "it is God which worketh in him, both to will, and to do, for his good pleasure." Phil. 2:12, 13.

 

I responded to this assertion, and you have ignored the response. Repeatedly saying "taint so" is no rebuttal at all, a false argument.

 

Yet another copy and paste regurgitation of a false argument. No one was given to Christ before His incarnation or Crucifixion.

John 6:38 says Jesus came to earth to do His Father's will, thus no support for the false assertion. See the pattern, verse after verse is cited but the support has been read into the text.

Next, when does Jesus say He will raise up all that He has given Me. Then, before His crucifixion or on the Last Day. Last Day. So again John 6:39 provides no support whatsoever.

 

Yet another copy and paste argument that has been rebutted in the past. "For salvation" provides the purpose of the election, period! All these false grammar arguments to sever the link between chosen and through sanctification and faith in the truth are simply efforts to deny scripture, our election for salvation was based on faith in the truth.

2 Thessalonians 2:13 (NET) But we ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. through our gospel, so that you may possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Note if you drop out the prepositional phrases, it reads God chose you through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.

 

If you drop out the prepositional phrases, it reads God chose you through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. Very similar to being chosen by the sanctifying work of the Spirit (1 Peter 1:1-2)

2:13 But we ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. 2:14 He called you to this salvation through our gospel, so that you may possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Note 1 Peter 1:1-2 also says we were chosen by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, again tying chosen to the action, being set apart in Christ.

 

Yes, and what does he say the Father's will is?

For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me

Why did he come down? Not to do his own will, but to do the Father's will. Hence, he knew the Father's will PRIOR TO coming down as coming down was part and parcel in order to obey the Father.

Second, What is the will of the Father that HE ALREADY KNEW PRIOR TO COMING - Answer to secure those ALREADY HAVING BEEN GIVEN TO HIM - note perfect tense verb. In other words he already knew the Father's will - to secure those previously given to him - before he came down.

They had to have been given to him prior to his advent or else that could not be part of the Father's will which he came to do. Your view contradicts the plain sense and grammar of the text.

The perfect tense verb translated "given" demands it was already a completed action in past time and stands as a completed action up to the time of speaking.

 

Yes, your interpretation requires editing God's word. However, there are TWO prepositional phrases and not merely one as "by" (Gr. dia) introduces a second prepositional phrase. The first prepositional phrase contains the accusative case noun where the action of being chosen terminates, or grammatically provides the direct object of "chosen" while the second prepositional phrase modifies "salvation." That is the grammatical structure which your view denies but can't change.

 

Yet another copy and paste false argument. The grammar argument is bogus. When will Christ raise up all God has given Him? On the last day. This is a repeat of the first rebuttal. How many more times with the same bogus argument be copy and pasted. I do not know either.

Note 1 Peter 1:1-2 also says we were chosen by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, again tying chosen to the action, being set apart in Christ.

 

My view is found in scripture, yours in a denial of scripture.

 

@37818 , sanctification has two aspects. The first is when the new believer is joined to Christ and happens at the moment of justification (1 Corinthians 6:11). The new believer is sanctified in the sense that he is made clean and acceptable to God. Another term for this is consecrated. Typically, the first aspect of sanctification is not considered a separate part of the ordo salutis because it is part of justification. The second aspect of sanctification is exactly as it was explained in post #10. This is the process by which the Holy Spirit does His work in us to make us more like Christ. It is progressive in nature because the process of maturity always is. Just as a child matures into adulthood, so the young Christian matures in his Christian walk. This is why Reformed theologians place the second aspect of sanctification just before glorification in the ordo salutis.

 

An excellent for the topic, 1 Corinthians 6:11
"Some of you once lived this way. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."

Let us look at the order. First we were washed, which refers to the washing of regeneration, our rebirth in Christ. This washing (and the circumcision of Christ) removed our sin burden (what God holds against us) making us blameless and holy (sanctified) and therefore we were justified, or made to be just as if we had not sinned. And this was accomplished in the name (or under the authority) of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of God.

But this verse does not address how we were chosen to be set apart in Christ where we underwent the washing of regeneration. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 provides the answer, we were chosen through the sanctification by the Spirit (who put us in Christ) on the basis of our accredited faith in the truth.

Pay no attention to those who sprinkle grammar magic dust over verse after verse and then claim it does not mean what it says.

 

Also pay no attention to those who pretend to have some knowledge of Greek on one thread, and then try to rubbish those who actually know some Greek on another thread.

 

This is an example of an off topic post containing no information on the topic of sanctification. Its purpose is to disparage, and therefore no one should pay any attention to this "subject change deflection effort."