Subject: What is God's part in my santification?. |
Bible Note: Dear Ed, I wanted you to know that I reposted the question Mommapbs suggested I repost with the background of why I asked the question. The ID No. is 1000109. It has led to very interesting answers from Reformer Joe that I wanted to share with you and get your comments on. Subject: ?self effort 2 B holy now vs befor saved Joe’s answer: Thanks for your comments. I am familiar with the whole Keswick "Higher Life" thing, and it is quite a mess. I wrote: After recognizing all of that, I now think MY part in my practical / experiential sanctification is that “I” am supposed to PURSUE holiness.' Joe wrote: 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. I wrote: "Personal Holiness is not attained by faith, like justification." Joe wrote: 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. I wrote: '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.' Joe wrote: 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. I wrote: "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?" Joe wrote: 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 wrote: "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." Joe wrote: Yes. I wrote: "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?" Joe wrote: 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! All of this led to my next set of Questions to Reformer Joe: Question: "Is the sin nature a substance or a mindset?" Refomer Joes Answer: Not a substance. Mindset is closer. I would call it a disposition. Pam: "Has the sin nature been eradicated and replaced by the new nature?" Joe: That is a good question. Since the believer still struggles with "the flesh" (NIV translates the Greek to "sin nature"), I would say that it hhasn't been eradicated, but it is being put to ddeath in the believer. There is a struggle bbetween the desire to please and obey God in faith and the sin nature (which will ultimately be eradicated). Pam: "Or does the sin nature remain in the believer and battle against the new nature?" Joe: I think that it is clear in the Bible that both dispositions are there. Galatians 5:16 ff. describes this struggle. Pam: "Is the sin nature the same thing as the flesh?" Joe: Yes. Pam: "What is the new nature? Is it God in me or is it a part of me that is a new creation?" Joe: The Holy Spirit indwells the believer, but the new nature is a human one that the Spirit is changing. Pam: "Is the new nature a substance or a mind set?" Joe: A disposition, like the old one. --Joe! Am I still on the right track for thinking that Joe has the right answers regarding practical/experiential sanctification? Blessings, Pam |