Progressive Sanctification

It is both initial and progressive.

We receive a new heart at regeneration/justification and the process/journey of total life change commences at that point! There is much to learn, many things we have done with comfort in our past become abhorent now that our master of our life is different! Old things have passed away, all things become new. This doesnt occur in a flash but as the Holy Spirit teaches us, reveals His will to us we then strive to grow in grace and become more like what we actually are, a true child of God, covered by the blood of the cross. We must honor our thirst and hunger for righteousness, listen to Godly sermons, read Godly books, study Godly studies to progress in our journey which is now our greatest desire in life, to give all glory to Him! He has now become our sole focus and goal for life and it is to Him all glory and honor belong!

 

It sounds to me as if you are referring to the Sanctification process of mortification...IOW, putting to death the sin nature. Is this correct?

If so, then I think the best scripture passage would be Romans 7 and 8.

Joseph Botwinick

 

There's nothing wrong with the concept of progressive sanctification. However, many confuse salvation and sanctification. There are those, on the one hand, who deny progressive santification because they apply it to working for one's acceptance before God thru Christ, a misleading dichotomy. They do the same with justification.

There are those, on the other hand, who acknowledge that in fact, one is sanctified (made holy & righteous before God, because of Christ) and justified (positionally; status) in the instant one is saved, clearly OSAS. Now the progression, the acquisition of knowledge and wisdom, in the matters of The Faith, begin. One does not become progressively more acceptable to God through Christ (having already been positioned in Christ), but more like Christ in his / her spiritual acquisition of God's Truth (I guess one could say "God's Truths"), and his / her subsequent walk. After one's blinders have been removed, the initial excitement gradually wears off (the fault of the church, IMHO), and assembling the facts surrounding the Good News begins. One wants to share the Good News calmly and accurately. Here again the church plays a vital role. In Justification, approved before my Lord I stand, instantly, not of my own merit, but because of The Cross. Now I need to grow in The Faith. The song says "When He looks at me He sees not what I used to be, He sees Jesus." Wow! Obviously, He sees the price that Christ paid. That's good enough for me!

 

PastorSBC1303 that is a great question. And the biggest majority of the NT tells us what the progressive sanctification is all about. The Bible speaks of the issue in several different ways. I don't necessarily know that "progressive" sanctification is used, but certainly sanctification, salvation of the soul, gospel of Christ, gospel of the glory of Christ, etc.

The purpose of the sanctification process (salvation of the soul) is so that the believer can enter the kingdom of the heavens.

If you are interested I have some great resource material on the subject that gets much deeper into Scripture than I did. PM and I'll send it to you.

 

I think it is because the more you put to death the sin nature through the work of the Holy Spirit, the more holy we should become until the day of our glorification when we enter eternity with our Lord in heaven. The purpose of Sanctification is clear: To put to death the sin nature every day. This is not a one time event...it is lifelong.

Joseph Botwinick

 

Sanctification, by definition, means to set apart and make one holy. It is clear that the only way to do this is to mortify the flesh / sin nature. The more we seek God, the more we mortify the flesh and therefore become more holy.

Joseph Botwinick

 

Sure. Throughout the Gospel accounts we see the people that inherit the kingdom or "eternal" life (should be age-lasting life, because it is speaking of life for the age - kingdom age) are the people who are doing the will of the Father.

If you are not doing the will of the Father then you will not inherit or enter the kingdom.

The sanctification process is about dying to self and becoming conformed to the image of Christ. And the more that is taking place in our life the more the will of the Father we are doing, because it is not us living our life, but the Holy Spirit living out the manifested life of Christ in our members.

Again if you want to get into more of the specifics then I have some great resource material. Just PM me.

 

Throughout the whole of the NT growth is assumed! We are not static but even Paul confronts the Corinthians for remaining in a state requiring 'milk' when they should have progressed to 'meat' by that time and had not! They were rebuked!
Scriptural verses citing need for growth are partly:
2 Thes 1:3
Col 2 : 19
Eph 2 : 19-21
Heb 12 : 14
2 Pet 3 : 18
2 Cor 7 : 1
1 Cor 6 : 9-11

A nongrowing christian is an oxymoron, is it not?
A believer hungers, seeks food! He thirst and seeks Living Water! This is progressing sanctification!

IF that 'conversion' was for real, this will occur!

 

First of all THANKS for the great question. It's something I haven't heard of, and now I have the chance to study it.

In a quick online search with Google I have found that there are opinions on both sides of the coin. Some believe in it, and other's don't.

Here are the quick links I looked at, the last one gives some verses on progressive sanctification, if you're looking for verses maybe these will help?

FOR: http://www.allaboutfollowingjesus.org/progressive-sanctification-faq.htm

AGAINST: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/1100/progressivesanctification.html

AGAINST: http://grace-for-today.com/222.htm

FOR: http://www.athmaprakashini.com/Sanctification.HTM


Verses from the last website:

1. 1 Thessaloniance 4:3,4- "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour."



2. 2 Timothy 2:21- "If a man therefore purge himself from these (depart from iniquity-verse 19; works having the quality of wood and of earth-verse 20), he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work."



3. Hebrews 12:14- "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." Compare this with 1 John 3:2,3- "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."



4. 1 Peter 1:14-16- "As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."



Again, thanks for the great question, and I hope after I have studied this more, I can better respond!


Jamie

 

Not at all. Sanctification can ONLY occur after someone is eternally saved. That's what James is talking about in his book. Can faith alone save? The answer to that question is no, but it's not talking about eternal salvation faith, because that is based ONLY on the works of Christ.

Sanctification is a combonation of faith and works. James said you can have all the faith you want, but if you don't have works then that faith is dead and useless and will not save you. But it's in regard to the kingdom not eternity.

Kingdom salvation and eternal salvation are two totally different subjects that many today have tried to combine destorying both messages in my opinion.

 

Pursue holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord!

It is to be pursued!
Why else should we conform to 2 Tim 2 : 15 Study to show yourselves approved unto God, a worker that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth!

 

Unfortunately as far as I can tell through Scripture this is not an oxymoronic statement at all. There are those that do not walk in the Spirit, but chose to continue to control their own lives.

You gave an example yourself of the Corinthians. They had not grown at all.

There are many Scripture evidences given to show that sanctification is not a guarantee, but is a choice that one makes as to whether or not to allow the Holy Spirit to work in them.