Post by pitbull on Jun 17, 2006 5:29:50 GMT -5
FALSE VIEWS OF SANCTIFICATION REFUTED
Updated March 8, 2006 (first published February 9, 2004) (David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org; for instructions about subscribing and unsubscribing or changing addresses, see the information paragraph at the end of the article) -
Romans 6-8 deals with sanctification and holy living in the Christian life. It answers important questions such as these: If salvation is by grace without works and the believer is not under the law, does it matter how the Christian lives? Can he live as he pleases? How can the believer live a godly life and have victory over sin? Can the believer gain complete freedom from sin in this life?
This important passage of Scripture refutes many false teachings about sanctification and Christian living:
THE FALSE DOCTRINE OF ERADICATION AND PERFECTIONISM
According to this doctrine, the believer can achieve sinless perfection in this life. It is called “entire sanctification.”
Harry Ironside, who wrote many helpful Bible commentaries, encountered this teaching as a young preacher in the Salvation Army. He was taught that he could achieve entire sanctification and thereafter not be subject to the struggle against indwelling sin. Seeking this experience, he traveled away from the city and spent some time fasting and praying in a forest. On that occasion he had a powerful emotional experience and was convinced that he had “found it.” He hurried back to the Salvation Army testimony services and stood to tell his brethren that he had “it” and that they must rejoice with him in his newfound victory. After some days he fell from this emotional plateau and realized that the struggle with sin was still present. He became so discouraged and confused that he was admitted to a hospital with an emotional breakdown. There he was visited by some godly believers who gave him some literature that refuted the error of entire sanctification and taught the biblical doctrine. He was established in his understanding of the Christian life and went on to have a long and fruitful preaching and writing ministry. His testimony can be found in the book “Holiness: The False and the True.” This is available at the Way of Life web site (http://www.wayoflife.org/fbns/holiness1.htm) as well as in the Fundamental Baptist CD-Rom Library.
ANSWER:
Throughout Romans 6-8 and throughout the New Testament epistles it is assumed that the believer still has the sin nature and that he has to learn to deal with this reality. There is no promise in Scripture that the flesh will be eradicated in this present life.
1. Perfectionism is refuted by Paul’s acknowledgement that the believer can sin (Rom. 6:1, 15; 8:12; 13:13-14). Paul everywhere assumes that the believer can continue in sin.
2. Perfectionism fails to distinguish between position and practice, standing and state, relationship and fellowship (Rom. 6:3-4; Eph. 4:1; 5:8). Paul carefully makes this distinction in Romans 6-8:
“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (Rom. 6:3-4).
The believer has a new standing as dead in Christ and resurrected with Christ. Therefore, because of this new standing, he is instructed to “walk in newness of life.”
This is the teaching of the book of Ephesians. Chapters 1-3 describes the believer’s standing in Christ, while chapters 4-6 describes the believer’s walk in this world. The two things are seen in the following verses:
“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of that vocation wherewith ye are called” (Eph. 4:1).
“For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light” (Eph. 5:8).
The believer has full salvation in Christ (that vocation wherewith ye are called), therefore he should walk worthy of it. The believer is light, therefore, he should walk in the light. He is a child of God, therefore he should live like one.
Thus there are two aspects of sanctification, position and practice, eternal and temporal. The believer has complete eternal sanctification in Christ (1 Cor. 1:30). He is therefore exhorted to work out that sanctification in his daily life (1 Thess. 4:3).
3. Perfectionism is refuted by Paul’s description of the struggle with the flesh (Rom. 7:18-25; Gal. 5:16-17). It has been described as having two dogs living inside of me, a black dog and a white dog, and the one I feed and the one I say “sik ‘em” to is the one that dominates.
My maternal grandmother was one of the godliest Christians I have known. I am confident that her prayers had a lot to do with my salvation after I had gone so far out into the world. She only lived a couple of years after I was saved, but I got to spend some time with her before she passed on to Glory. I had so many moral scars and struggles because of all of the foolishness of my former life. Several months after I was saved I asked her, “Granny, do you still have any struggles with sin?” I was hoping that she would tell me that those struggles had ended decades before and that it had been only smooth sailing after that, but she replied, “Oh, yes, Dave, there are still many struggles.” She was 79 or 80 years old and had walked with Christ for more than 60 years, but there were still struggles. The only time the child of God escapes the struggle with sin is when he leaves this veil of tears.
Here we must give a loud WARNING. God will judge us if we allows the flesh to dominate (Rom. 8:12-13; 1 Cor. 9:27). The child of God can live a careless life, but he will live to regret it at the judgment seat of Christ (1 Cor. 3:13-15).
4. Perfectionism is refuted by the Bible’s description of the Christian life. The Bible does not describe the Christian life as only believing in Christ’s finished work; it is not described as passive but as active--as yielding (Rom. 6:16), walking in (Gal. 5:16), putting off and on (Eph. 4:22-24), putting away (Eph. 4:31), mortifying (Col. 3:5), fleeing (2 Tim. 2:22), laying aside (Heb. 12:1; 1 Pet. 2:1).
5. Perfectionism is refuted by the doctrine of confession (1 John 1:8-10). The subject of John’s first epistle is the believer’s fellowship with Christ (1 Jn. 1:3). He teaches that fellowship is a matter of walking in the light and confessing one’s sins (1 John 1:7-10). He plainly states that the Christian life is not a matter of sinlessness. If the true Christian life is a matter of sinless sanctification, why does John instruct us to confess our sins?
Those who teach some form of sinless perfectionism often lower the standard of sin. They can claim that they are living in a state of sinless perfection because they have redefined sin down to their level. I remember a godly woman who made that claim, but she did not count her failings as sin. If she bossed her husband, for example, that was not sin!
WHAT WOULD COMPLETE SANCTIFICATION LOOK LIKE?
Michael Pearl of No Greater Joy ministries claims: “We should and can sin no more! ... I have been preaching and living this gospel of sanctification for many years. It is not a theory. It is practical, Scriptural reality” (No Greater Joy, Jan.-Feb. 2005, p. 21).
If this were true, what would it mean in a practical sense? It would mean that not once during this time has Michael sinned in heart or practice, that not once has he disobeyed or ignored even one of God’s laws. It would mean that not once has he been angry with another person without a cause (Mat. 5:22); not once lusted after a woman (Mat. 5:28); not once been conformed to the world (Rom. 12:2); never thought of himself more highly than he should (Rom. 12:3); never dissembled in love (Rom. 12:9); not once failed to be patient in tribulation (Rom. 12:12); not once allowed any corrupt communication to proceed from his mouth (Eph. 4:29); not once spoken any sort of bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, or evil speaking, (Eph. 4:31); not once allowed any malice to dwell in his heart (Eph. 4:31); not once allowed any moral uncleanness in his heart and life (Eph. 5:3); not once had fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but has at all times and in all situations reproved such works (Eph. 5:11); that he has walked circumspectly at every moment and has never failed to redeem the time (Eph. 5:15-16); that he has been at every moment kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving (Eph. 4:32); that he has continually walked in love (Eph. 5:2); that he has been filled with the Spirit at every moment (Eph. 5:18); that he has loved his wife with Christ-like love at all times (Eph. 5:25); that he has never provoked his children to wrath (Eph. 4:4); that he has set his affection on things above in a perfect and continually manner (Col. 3:2); that he has never lied or prevaricated (Col. 3:9); that he has been forbearing and forgiving on every occasion (Col. 3:13); that he has done every single thing in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Col. 3:17); that he has never been bitter against his wife (Col. 3:19); that he has continued in prayer at every moment and been thankful in all things (Col. 4:2); that he has continually abstained from all appearance of evil (1 Thess. 5:22); that he has been perfectly holy, as holy as God, in all manner of life and at all times (1 Pet. 1:15-16); that he has perfectly and continually laid aside all malice, all guile, all hypocrisies, all envies, and all evil speakings (1 Pet. 2:1); that he has submitted to every single ordinance of human government at all times (1 Pet. 2:13-14); that on every occasion he has honored all men, loved the brotherhood, feared God, and honored the king (1 Pet. 2:17); that he has given honor to his wife at all times (1 Pet. 3:7); that at every moment he has exercised compassion, love as brethren, pity, and courtesy (1 Pet. 3:8), that he has sanctified the Lord in his heart at all times (1 Pet. 3:15), that he has been sober and watching unto prayer at every moment (1 Pet. 4:7); that he has never neglected the assembly (Heb. 10:25); that he has obeyed pastoral authority perfectly (Heb. 13:17); that he has at all times been peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated (Jam. 3:17); that he has no partiality or hypocrisy (Jam. 3:17); and that he has performed every other commandment and duty in the New Testament Scriptures.
In the case of a Christian woman who is sinlessly and completely sanctified, this would mean that she submits to her husband as unto the Lord on every occasion (Eph. 5:22); that she is in subjection to her husband even if he is not saved (1 Pet. 3:1); that she perfectly and continually exemplifies a meek and quiet spirit (1 Pet. 3:4); that she adorns herself modestly and demonstrates shamefacedness at all times (1 Tim. 2:9); and that she is a silent learner and that she never attempts to usurp the man’s authority in any manner or on any occasion (1 Tim. 2:11-14).
There is only one who has lived sinlessly sanctified in this world, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Updated March 8, 2006 (first published February 9, 2004) (David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org; for instructions about subscribing and unsubscribing or changing addresses, see the information paragraph at the end of the article) -
Romans 6-8 deals with sanctification and holy living in the Christian life. It answers important questions such as these: If salvation is by grace without works and the believer is not under the law, does it matter how the Christian lives? Can he live as he pleases? How can the believer live a godly life and have victory over sin? Can the believer gain complete freedom from sin in this life?
This important passage of Scripture refutes many false teachings about sanctification and Christian living:
THE FALSE DOCTRINE OF ERADICATION AND PERFECTIONISM
According to this doctrine, the believer can achieve sinless perfection in this life. It is called “entire sanctification.”
Harry Ironside, who wrote many helpful Bible commentaries, encountered this teaching as a young preacher in the Salvation Army. He was taught that he could achieve entire sanctification and thereafter not be subject to the struggle against indwelling sin. Seeking this experience, he traveled away from the city and spent some time fasting and praying in a forest. On that occasion he had a powerful emotional experience and was convinced that he had “found it.” He hurried back to the Salvation Army testimony services and stood to tell his brethren that he had “it” and that they must rejoice with him in his newfound victory. After some days he fell from this emotional plateau and realized that the struggle with sin was still present. He became so discouraged and confused that he was admitted to a hospital with an emotional breakdown. There he was visited by some godly believers who gave him some literature that refuted the error of entire sanctification and taught the biblical doctrine. He was established in his understanding of the Christian life and went on to have a long and fruitful preaching and writing ministry. His testimony can be found in the book “Holiness: The False and the True.” This is available at the Way of Life web site (http://www.wayoflife.org/fbns/holiness1.htm) as well as in the Fundamental Baptist CD-Rom Library.
ANSWER:
Throughout Romans 6-8 and throughout the New Testament epistles it is assumed that the believer still has the sin nature and that he has to learn to deal with this reality. There is no promise in Scripture that the flesh will be eradicated in this present life.
1. Perfectionism is refuted by Paul’s acknowledgement that the believer can sin (Rom. 6:1, 15; 8:12; 13:13-14). Paul everywhere assumes that the believer can continue in sin.
2. Perfectionism fails to distinguish between position and practice, standing and state, relationship and fellowship (Rom. 6:3-4; Eph. 4:1; 5:8). Paul carefully makes this distinction in Romans 6-8:
“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (Rom. 6:3-4).
The believer has a new standing as dead in Christ and resurrected with Christ. Therefore, because of this new standing, he is instructed to “walk in newness of life.”
This is the teaching of the book of Ephesians. Chapters 1-3 describes the believer’s standing in Christ, while chapters 4-6 describes the believer’s walk in this world. The two things are seen in the following verses:
“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of that vocation wherewith ye are called” (Eph. 4:1).
“For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light” (Eph. 5:8).
The believer has full salvation in Christ (that vocation wherewith ye are called), therefore he should walk worthy of it. The believer is light, therefore, he should walk in the light. He is a child of God, therefore he should live like one.
Thus there are two aspects of sanctification, position and practice, eternal and temporal. The believer has complete eternal sanctification in Christ (1 Cor. 1:30). He is therefore exhorted to work out that sanctification in his daily life (1 Thess. 4:3).
3. Perfectionism is refuted by Paul’s description of the struggle with the flesh (Rom. 7:18-25; Gal. 5:16-17). It has been described as having two dogs living inside of me, a black dog and a white dog, and the one I feed and the one I say “sik ‘em” to is the one that dominates.
My maternal grandmother was one of the godliest Christians I have known. I am confident that her prayers had a lot to do with my salvation after I had gone so far out into the world. She only lived a couple of years after I was saved, but I got to spend some time with her before she passed on to Glory. I had so many moral scars and struggles because of all of the foolishness of my former life. Several months after I was saved I asked her, “Granny, do you still have any struggles with sin?” I was hoping that she would tell me that those struggles had ended decades before and that it had been only smooth sailing after that, but she replied, “Oh, yes, Dave, there are still many struggles.” She was 79 or 80 years old and had walked with Christ for more than 60 years, but there were still struggles. The only time the child of God escapes the struggle with sin is when he leaves this veil of tears.
Here we must give a loud WARNING. God will judge us if we allows the flesh to dominate (Rom. 8:12-13; 1 Cor. 9:27). The child of God can live a careless life, but he will live to regret it at the judgment seat of Christ (1 Cor. 3:13-15).
4. Perfectionism is refuted by the Bible’s description of the Christian life. The Bible does not describe the Christian life as only believing in Christ’s finished work; it is not described as passive but as active--as yielding (Rom. 6:16), walking in (Gal. 5:16), putting off and on (Eph. 4:22-24), putting away (Eph. 4:31), mortifying (Col. 3:5), fleeing (2 Tim. 2:22), laying aside (Heb. 12:1; 1 Pet. 2:1).
5. Perfectionism is refuted by the doctrine of confession (1 John 1:8-10). The subject of John’s first epistle is the believer’s fellowship with Christ (1 Jn. 1:3). He teaches that fellowship is a matter of walking in the light and confessing one’s sins (1 John 1:7-10). He plainly states that the Christian life is not a matter of sinlessness. If the true Christian life is a matter of sinless sanctification, why does John instruct us to confess our sins?
Those who teach some form of sinless perfectionism often lower the standard of sin. They can claim that they are living in a state of sinless perfection because they have redefined sin down to their level. I remember a godly woman who made that claim, but she did not count her failings as sin. If she bossed her husband, for example, that was not sin!
WHAT WOULD COMPLETE SANCTIFICATION LOOK LIKE?
Michael Pearl of No Greater Joy ministries claims: “We should and can sin no more! ... I have been preaching and living this gospel of sanctification for many years. It is not a theory. It is practical, Scriptural reality” (No Greater Joy, Jan.-Feb. 2005, p. 21).
If this were true, what would it mean in a practical sense? It would mean that not once during this time has Michael sinned in heart or practice, that not once has he disobeyed or ignored even one of God’s laws. It would mean that not once has he been angry with another person without a cause (Mat. 5:22); not once lusted after a woman (Mat. 5:28); not once been conformed to the world (Rom. 12:2); never thought of himself more highly than he should (Rom. 12:3); never dissembled in love (Rom. 12:9); not once failed to be patient in tribulation (Rom. 12:12); not once allowed any corrupt communication to proceed from his mouth (Eph. 4:29); not once spoken any sort of bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, or evil speaking, (Eph. 4:31); not once allowed any malice to dwell in his heart (Eph. 4:31); not once allowed any moral uncleanness in his heart and life (Eph. 5:3); not once had fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but has at all times and in all situations reproved such works (Eph. 5:11); that he has walked circumspectly at every moment and has never failed to redeem the time (Eph. 5:15-16); that he has been at every moment kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving (Eph. 4:32); that he has continually walked in love (Eph. 5:2); that he has been filled with the Spirit at every moment (Eph. 5:18); that he has loved his wife with Christ-like love at all times (Eph. 5:25); that he has never provoked his children to wrath (Eph. 4:4); that he has set his affection on things above in a perfect and continually manner (Col. 3:2); that he has never lied or prevaricated (Col. 3:9); that he has been forbearing and forgiving on every occasion (Col. 3:13); that he has done every single thing in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Col. 3:17); that he has never been bitter against his wife (Col. 3:19); that he has continued in prayer at every moment and been thankful in all things (Col. 4:2); that he has continually abstained from all appearance of evil (1 Thess. 5:22); that he has been perfectly holy, as holy as God, in all manner of life and at all times (1 Pet. 1:15-16); that he has perfectly and continually laid aside all malice, all guile, all hypocrisies, all envies, and all evil speakings (1 Pet. 2:1); that he has submitted to every single ordinance of human government at all times (1 Pet. 2:13-14); that on every occasion he has honored all men, loved the brotherhood, feared God, and honored the king (1 Pet. 2:17); that he has given honor to his wife at all times (1 Pet. 3:7); that at every moment he has exercised compassion, love as brethren, pity, and courtesy (1 Pet. 3:8), that he has sanctified the Lord in his heart at all times (1 Pet. 3:15), that he has been sober and watching unto prayer at every moment (1 Pet. 4:7); that he has never neglected the assembly (Heb. 10:25); that he has obeyed pastoral authority perfectly (Heb. 13:17); that he has at all times been peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated (Jam. 3:17); that he has no partiality or hypocrisy (Jam. 3:17); and that he has performed every other commandment and duty in the New Testament Scriptures.
In the case of a Christian woman who is sinlessly and completely sanctified, this would mean that she submits to her husband as unto the Lord on every occasion (Eph. 5:22); that she is in subjection to her husband even if he is not saved (1 Pet. 3:1); that she perfectly and continually exemplifies a meek and quiet spirit (1 Pet. 3:4); that she adorns herself modestly and demonstrates shamefacedness at all times (1 Tim. 2:9); and that she is a silent learner and that she never attempts to usurp the man’s authority in any manner or on any occasion (1 Tim. 2:11-14).
There is only one who has lived sinlessly sanctified in this world, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ.