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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | ?self effort 2 B holy now vs befor saved | Phil 3:9 | Pam D | 100243 | ||
Dear Joe, This is Part II of my response to you. Part II: As you can see, all of these points would certainly give someone the wrong idea as to exactly what their role in sanctification was. Once I recognized what “wrong” beliefs I was believing, a whole new world opened up! After recognizing all of that, I now think MY part in my practical / experiential sanctification is that “I” am supposed to PURSUE holiness. Personal Holiness is not attained by faith, like justification. It is work. “I” need to MAKE EVERY EFFORT to be like Jesus, and get rid of every attitude, action and motivation that is unchristlike. But then the question arose in my mind as to what is Gods part in my practical / experiential sanctification? I believe that God plays the whole part in both my positional sanctification and my ultimate santification. But what is Gods part in my practical / experiential sanctification? I suppose part of it is that the Holy Spirit reveals to me through reading the bible where I am missing the mark so I can fix it. But whats the difference between my self effort to be holy now that I am saved and my self effort to be good when I was unsaved? That last question is the one I was urged to repost and which you responded to. But I guess what I am really asking is: if God plays a part in my experiential sanctification, exactly how does God help me in this struggle to be holy? Thanks for any insight you may have. Blessings, Pam PS The following are some of the very helpful answers I received before I reposted the question and you answered. -------------------------------------------------- Emmaus answered and said: Let me offer that the difference is grace. By that grace of Justification you are now a child of God, a member of His family and you are able to cooperate with God because of that grace, which is something you could not do without it. It is the fact that you are now in Christ that allows you to be conformed to Him and to cooperate with Him in the process of being sanctified by Him. I hope this is of some help. -------------------------------------------------- EdB answered and said: I like what Emmaus said. Let me add. As we strive for perfection (holiness) grace covers our imperfections and gives us the desire to become holier. The difference between your effort to be holy now versus your effort to be good when you were unsaved is GRACE. Your effort to be good was an effort to conform to the law, a task that was virtually impossible. Once saved your effort to be holy is an effort to have a deeper relationship with God. What is God's part in all of this? In the past you did everything to in your attempt to be good, being human you failed and tried and tried again. Today you do what you can and God provides the rest so that you can be in relationship with Him. The more we put out of our lives seeking more of God, brings us closer to God and us less accessible to sin. James 4:7. Stay with it your on the right track. EdB -------------------------------------------------- |
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2 | ?self effort 2 B holy now vs befor saved | Phil 3:9 | Reformer Joe | 100271 | ||
Thanks for your comments. I am familiar with the whole Keswick "Higher Life" thing, and it is quite a mess. You wrote: 'After recognizing all of that, I now think MY part in my practical / experiential sanctification is that “I” am supposed to PURSUE holiness.' Yes, as Hebrews 12 tells us and 1 Peter 1:14-16 tells us. We are called to work for God's glory (NOT for our own justification, which was applied to me on the basis of faith in Christ), and those who have been truly justified WILL work. "Personal Holiness is not attained by faith, like justification." I would qualify this by saying that it is not attained by a faith that is alone. I recommend reading Hebrews 11, the so-called "Hall of Faith." These examples of godliness did what they did "by faith," but the fact is that by faith they DID things. Whatever is by self-reliance is futile, but relying on God for the strength to obey Him is not a passive experience. 'It is work. “I” need to MAKE EVERY EFFORT to be like Jesus, and get rid of every attitude, action and motivation that is unchristlike.' Yes, by the power that God supplies. I cannot conquer sin by Joe's effort alone, but because the Spirit of God is sanctifying me and empowering me both to hate my sin and love God's law (see Psalm 119 for the supreme example of the right attitude toward God's commands), I am graciously equipped to fight the good fight of faith. "But then the question arose in my mind as to what is Gods part in my practical / experiential sanctification? I believe that God plays the whole part in both my positional sanctification and my ultimate santification. But what is Gods part in my practical / experiential sanctification?" God supplies the power and works in our hearts to expose sin, causing us to acknowledge it, confess it before Him, thank God for the pardon that comes through Christ, hate that sin, and get to work killing it. "I suppose part of it is that the Holy Spirit reveals to me through reading the bible where I am missing the mark so I can fix it." Yes. "But whats the difference between my self effort to be holy now that I am saved and my self effort to be good when I was unsaved?" The latter is impossible and turns the law into a means of justification. The former is aided and motivated by God himself and is possible because an omnipotent God is bringing it about, even as we participate. Again, I wholeheartedly recommend the books of Jerry Bridges, who has written some very biblical and fascinating things about this. Try to get _The Pursuit of Holiness_ and _The Discipline of Grace._ They both should be available at your local bookstore or any of the usual online Christian booksellers. They are very much worth your time. The bottom line is that even though *we* are working out our salvation in fear and trembling, it is *God* working within us both to WILL and to WORK for His good purposes (Philippians 2:12-13). Both aspects of that must be understood to get the biblical notion of sanctification down. --Joe! |
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3 | Is the sin nature a substance or mindset | Phil 3:9 | Pam D | 100278 | ||
Dear Joe - Thanks so much for your comments. They were very helpful. As soon as I get off the web I will order both of those books that you suggest. I have another question for you. What do you think the sin nature is? Is it a substance or a mindset? I know Jesus has two natures, one divine and one human and I believe that they must be two different substances. If the sin nature is a substance, has it been replaced with the new nature or do both the sin nature and the new nature dwell in the believer at the same time and battle against one another? Blessings, Pam |
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4 | Is the sin nature a substance or mindset | Phil 3:9 | Emmaus | 100303 | ||
Pam, I presume Joe will also answer. May I suggest that the sin nature is more related to absence of substance than a substance in and of itself. The absent substance is the the life of God (grace) within us. Emmaus |
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