Our Absolute and Progressive
Sanctification
Can you imagine how chaotic the
Christian life would be like if we believed on
Christ to save us, but we had to keep ourselves
saved by our own sinless life?
Because of false teachings most
non-believers have the misunderstanding that
Christians are to be “perfect” once they believe on
Christ as their Savior. They are led to think that
all Christians are hypocrites because they are not
“perfect” in their daily life and practice. The
truth is Christians are “saved sinners” who by the
grace of God are striving to live a life that is
pleasing to their Savior. Our goal is perfection,
but it will not be reached in this life. We will be
presented “complete,” “mature,” “perfect” before our
heavenly Father in heaven at the end of this life on
earth. Only then will we experience sinless
perfection.
I thank God that the same grace
that saved me, also keeps me saved.
Every blessing in the Christian
life is ours in Christ for all eternity from the
moment we believed on Him. They are ours all because
of the pure grace of God. Yes, we have everything in
Christ.
How tragic if we were to trust
Christ for salvation, but had to trust in ourselves
for sanctification. We would have a religion that
would teach that God only forgives sin committed up
to the time when we accept Christ as our savior, but
after that we would have a lifelong probation
proving that we were saved, and would have to
forfeit our justification and reconciliation with
God when we sinned. If we did not repent of unknown
sin in our lives we would forfeit our salvation. We
would be in a constant need of a “second blessing”
or a further work of grace to keep us saved. We
would have to be saved over and over again. Our
salvation would depend upon us rather than the
perfect, all-sufficient atoning death of Jesus
Christ.
The problem with a legalistic
philosophy of Christian living is one of sinless
perfection. There are no sinless Christians this
side of heaven (1 John 1:8-2:1; Phil. 3:8-14).
We are totally dependent upon
the grace of God for Christian living. The same
grace that eternally saved us the day we believed on
Christ as our Savior enables us to persevere in the
Christian life for all eternity.
Everything we need to live in a
manner pleasing to God is found in the perfect
provision Christ has already made for us. We are
eternally linked to Christ as the Head, the Vine,
and the Life. There are no bounds, no limits to the
enabling presence of Christ to the believer. The
believer has everything in Christ. Therefore, the
more we are occupied with Christ the more power we
have for practical everyday deliverance from the
power of sin and temptation.
The more I am occupied with
Christ the more I know by experience the love of God
shed abroad in my heart by the Holy Spirit.
Occupation with Christ in the
power of the presence of the Holy Spirit produces
the fruit of righteousness in our life, devotion to
the Lord and love for His Word.
God has not promised what He
cannot produce in the believer’s daily life.
Sanctification in the
Christian’s life is both absolute and progressive.
We have been set apart to God
and are perfected forever in His sight by the one
perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. We
are accepted in the Beloved and eternally linked to
Him.
All Christians are separated to
God in Christ. With such a relationship with Him
comes an awesome accountability to live responsibly.
God has sanctified, set apart the Christian. He has
reserved us for His holy purpose. Our sanctification
is also a progressive work of divine grace upon the
soul that is justified by faith in Jesus Christ.
By progressive sanctification
we mean the Christian believer is gradually cleansed
from the corruption of his nature, and is at length
presented “faultless before the presence of His
glory with exceeding joy.”
Sanctification in the
Christian’s life is an act of God’s pure grace.
Holiness and sanctification are equivalent terms in
the Bible.
Hebrews 10:14 reads, “For by
one offering He has perfected for all time those who
are sanctified.” The Christian has been declared to
be perfected forever. The sanctified believer is
forever perfected, and therefore can never lost his
sanctification.
Moreover, even those who have
been sanctified by the Holy Spirit are exhorted to
be holy (1 Pet. 3:15; Heb. 12:14; Phil. 3:13-16;
John 17:19). “Be holy; for I am holy” (1 Pet, 1:1,
2, 15, 16). We, who have been sanctified by the
blood of Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, are
exhorted to be holy. God expects us to live holy
lives, but that does not imply that we have already
arrived in our daily practice. Therefore, we are to
be progressively sanctified through the Word of God.
The Bible does not teach that
our old nature is eradicated. We will never be
sinlessly perfect in this life, but we are
nevertheless separated to God in Christ Jesus and
therefore sanctified. It is from this work of grace
that we have the resources to live a life pleasing
unto the Lord today.
From this position of
separation unto God we live our daily life seeking
to be more and more conformed to the likeness of
Christ. It is this divine life within us that
enables us to live Christ every day.
The one perfect cleansing
sacrifice of Christ at Calvary sets us absolutely
apart in God’s sight forever.
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
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Unless otherwise noted "Scripture quotations taken from the NASB."
"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE" © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://www.bible.org/. All rights reserved.
Wil is a graduate of William Carey University, B. A.; New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Th. M.; and Azusa Pacific University, M. A. He has pastored in Panama, Ecuador and the U. S, and served for over 20 years as missionary in Ecuador and Honduras. He had a daily expository Bible teaching ministry head in over 100 countries from 1972-2005. He continues to seek opportunities to be personally involved in world missions. Wil and his wife Ann have three grown daughters. He currently serves as a Baptist pastor and teaches seminary extension courses in Ecuador.
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