The Holy Spirit and sanctification
David J Ellis, Stowmarket
Because of the distortions of the doctrine of sanctification during the last century or so, there is always the need for a clear statement of the Bible’s teaching. There are essentially two errors. The first is that of the Higher Life movement often linked with Keswick and its historical conventions. This position classically defines the Christian life in terms of being justified by faith paralleled by being sanctified by faith. In practice, this means passive surrender to the Holy Spirit or ‘Let go and let God.’ The second movement appears to be even more influential and is seen in various brands of the so-called Charismatic movement. This movement teaches that advanced sanctification comes by means of a sudden post-conversion experience often referred to as the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Evidence of this having taken place, is that the believer experiences phenomena such as speaking in tongues. Both of these movements and their variants appear to be spectacular, as if sanctification was a leap into super-spirituality. The Bible teaches plainly that true sanctification is the slow, unspectacular and gradual work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer by the means which the Sovereign Lord has granted to us. The primary means, which God uses, is his Word, the Sacred Scriptures. The Lord Jesus prayed that it would be so when he petitioned his Father, Sanctify them by your Truth. Your Word is Truth (John 17:17).
The necessity of sanctification
Too
often God’s people give the impression that since they have been
justified and thereby have peace with God, all is well. Now it would be
folly to undervalue in the slightest the utterly stupendous truth of
imputed righteousness. To be declared just and be reconciled to God
through the blood of our Redeemer, to have all our sins atoned for and
our guilt removed, is of unsurpassable significance to the child of God.
But we must become righteous, having been declared righteous, before our Holy Father. It is here that one detects an absence of a sense of holiness among the Lord’s people. Sanctification is a vital ongoing work, which is set in motion firstly by being born again of the Spirit of God, being granted faith to trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross, and being now conformed to the image of God’s Son. The work of the Spirit in sanctifying those who have been set apart for God draws us out of death in sin into the life of fellowship with Christ. Galatians 2:20 sums this up so well: I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.
Corresponding to this truth is the fact that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. As he lives in us, so he empowers us to live for Christ, to serve God with a life of love and obedience, developing more and more those characteristics which are the hallmark of true believers.
The Holy Spirit is never our substitute, as God the Son is in his life and death. He does not do works of holiness on our behalf. He helps us to work out what has been already worked in us by God’s grace (Philippians 2:12-13). We must do deeds of righteousness that men may see them and glorify our Father in heaven. There is no easy route to sanctification or holiness. Yet holiness is an absolute necessity without which we shall never see God. No holiness, no heaven!
How we are sanctified
The Holy Spirit, in the fellowship of the Triune God, sanctifies those whom God has chosen in Christ and whom he has prepared for good works. Do not lose sight of the fact that the Holy Spirit is God, and must never be considered merely as a power. He is the one who executes the divine purpose by bringing the dead in sins to life in Christ; by applying the work of Christ in redemption; and by making the truth of God’s Word clear and effective in our lives. The Holy Spirit’s presence is as real to the disciple today as Jesus was to the disciples when he was here on earth.
He renews the new nature in contrast with the old. His work is repeated constantly throughout the life of the saint. He who regenerated us and brought us to the new birth now constantly restores us to a living relationship with the Lord. He resides in us, not just as a welcome guest, but also as prompter, motivator, helper, instructor and perfecter. In our battle with sin, the devil and the world, he renews our strength. He refreshes us when we are weary, worn and sad. As we become lethargic in Christian life and devotion, he revitalises us. Yet his most frequent and glorious work is to return us to Christ, the source of all our blessings and vitality. He stirs within us a constant endeavour to do God’s will. How does he do all this? Always by the Word of Truth and never independently of it.
The sanctified love truth
This is why Christians love to sit under and meet around God’s Word. It is the primary means of sanctification that the Spirit uses. Other secondary means, subservient to the Word, include separating from sin and the world’s mindset (Psalm 1), fellowship with the assembly of believers, the church (Hebrews 10:25), and the providences and trials of life (James 1:2-12).
We are still sinners, even though saved by grace. We see the stains on our life and become disturbed because we do not reach the divine ideal. Yet we press on knowing that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6, ESV).