The
Wesleyan View - presented by Melvin Dieter
This view derives its name from John Wesley (1703-1791), an English
theologian and evangelist. Wesley was a student of the writings of
the early church fathers. Their influence set Wesley's beliefs apart
from the dominant Reformed tradition of his day.
For Wesley, the ultimate goal of sanctification
was "to renew men's and women's hearts in (God's) image."[2]
Wesley worked out this definition of sanctification in a practical
way. He believed that true Christian maturity was primarily evidenced
by "'a faith that works by divine love in the crucible of everyday
life."[3]
Dieter shares Wesley's belief that
love is the true measure of sanctification. While acknowledging
that the primary meaning of "sanctify" in the Old Testament
is "to set apart to God," Dieter claims that the New Testament
word strongly emphasizes the ethical. Love, he says, is the true
test of holiness.
Wesley taught that sanctification begins
at conversion, when the Spirit regenerates the heart of the believer,
and that it's appropriated by faith, the same way that salvation
is. Sanctification is "faith working by love": not merited
but appropriated by faith. When a Christian appeals to God in faith
for the power to live a life of Godly love, the Holy Spirit takes
away his or her "bent to sin" and replaces it with a "bent
to loving obedience."[4]
Original Sin and Prevenient Grace
Wesley believed that fallen man is utterly depraved and that any
movement toward God should be attributed to prevenient, or antecedent,
grace - the work of God in drawing all men to himself. The law written
on the Gentiles' hearts, their inner moral compass, is a product
of the prevenient grace of God extending itself to man and drawing
him to Himself. Prevenient grace is the initial and necessary agent
in the process of salvation. It is "the beginning of the process
by which God begins to lighten the darkness of the Fall for all
men and women; it will bring those who faithfully receive it to
saving grace, sanctifying grace, and grace for the life of love."[5]
Perfection
Can a Christian lead a sinless life? Wesley taught that mature Christians
will always be capable of falling into sin but they need not necessarily
do so. Christians are free from the dominion of sin and can choose
against it. But because we live in a fallen world dominated by sin
and its effects, we will have to wait for total delivery from the
presence of sin until the life to come.
Wesley admitted there is always room
for a Christian to develop in maturity. But he believed that Christians
can enjoy greater degree of freedom from sin than Reformed theologians
thought possible. He went as far as to assert that Christians can
be delivered from willful sin[6]
and that this level of sanctification can occur before death[7] .
For this reason, Wesley often said that Christians should not be
"content with any religion which does not imply the destruction
of all the works of the devil, that is, of all sin."[8]
We can fulfill God's law of love in this life, despite all the failings
and imperfections of the world. This is what Wesley calls the "optimism
of grace."
Wesley's understanding of sin in the
life of a believer is seen most clearly in his doctrine of entire
sanctification. Dieter defines entire sanctification as "a
personal, definitive work of God's sanctifying grace by which the
war within oneself might cease and the heart might be released from
rebellion into whole hearted love for God and others."[9]
Entire sanctification can occur at the moment of salvation
but typically occurs during a crisis point in the life of a Christian
sometime after conversion. Those who have experienced entire sanctification
are characterized by:
- a wholehearted love for God and neighbor
- having the mind of Christ
- bearing the fruit of the Spirit
- both inward and outward righteousness and true holiness in life
- complete devotion to God
- giving thoughts, words, and actions as a sacrifice of thanksgiving
to God
- salvation from all sin [10]
Entire sanctification involves freedom
from willful sin, but it is not the final destination of Christian
growth. Dieter says, "the idea of a gradual progression in
sanctification is extended beyond the boundaries of this life, even
though the basic relationship that nourishes such development is
established in the crisis moment of entire sanctification."[11]
Dieter also believes that the Reformation
tradition, with its emphasis on imputed righteousness, neglects
Paul's teaching that existential deliverance from sin is available
in Christ. Since the life of Jesus is being revealed in them, Christians
should "not let sin reign in their mortal bodies."[12]
They have been "set free from sin and have become slaves to
God."[13]
For Wesley and his followers, then, any view of sanctification
that doesn't hold out the possibility of real, experiential deliverance
from sin in this life falls short of the full Gospel.
The law
Wesley taught that Christians who follow the "royal law"
of the Sermon on the Mount are fulfilling the ten commandments and
the requirements of the law. He believed, "the ten commandments
are renewed in the Sermon on the Mount in their sanctifying purity
and spirituality and... describe the life of practical Christian
holiness, which is the end of faith and the commandments."[14]
Wesley also said that faith establishes the practice of the
law in the life of the believer. The result of this faith is holiness
expressed by love for God and neighbor.
Wesley disagreed with the notion that
Christians are free from their obligation to keep the law. Dieter
disagrees. He believed that "freedom," when used in conjunction
with the law, was not freedom from obligation to keep it, but rather
freedom to love and serve God. The Christian is still under "obligation
to fulfill the law on the basis of faith."[15]
The Holy Spirit
Wesley tied the ministry of the Holy Spirit to promises throughout
the Bible (Duet. 30; Jer. 31; Ezek. 36) that God will give His people
the ability to truly love God, to keep His statutes, and to obey
Him. As a result of the Spirit's empowering, true believers (the
people of God) will be "enabled to live in righteousness and
true holiness all their lives."[16]
God demands perfection and makes provision for it through the Holy
Spirit.
Reaction
to the Wesleyan View
Dieter does not directly discuss Wesley's teaching on the sin
nature. At first glance, he seems to affirm that the sin nature
is still operative within the life of a Christian:
"The presence of Christ
and the freedom from the rebellious nature of the old Adam in the
Christian's life in the Spirit, however, are not the final release
from the presence and threat of sin. Its power and presence threaten
and tempt us through our fallen bodies and minds as well as in all
that surrounds us in a world that is yet to be redeemed."[17]
But what is the source of the temptation?
Dieter and Wesley imply that the temptation to sin doesn't come
from within but rather from the fallen world around us:
"After declaring freedom
from the dominion and inner presence of sin in the life of the Spirit-filled
Christian (Rom. 8:1-17), he (Wesley) nevertheless acknowledges that
we still live in a fallen, sinful world..."[18]
Dieter grants that the flesh is a source
of temptation (Matt. 26:41) but doesn't give a well-developed explanation
of the role of the sin nature in the life of the believer. Dieter's
essay leaves the reader uncertain about the Wesleyan position on
this important issue.
In The John Wesley Reader, a compilation
of Wesley's sermon notes and journal entries, Wesley translates
Rom. 6:6 as "Our old man is crucified with Christ, that the
body of sin might be destroyed (katargeo), that henceforth we should
not serve sin." Translating katargeo as "destroyed"
is consistent with Wesley's belief in the removal of the sin nature.
This is confirmed when he adds, "an immediate fruit of
this faith... is power over sin... for it purifies the heart from
every unholy desire and temper."[19]
Wesley minimized the role of the sin
nature in the life of the believer and the conflict it causes within.
This conclusion is also supported by the Wesleyan doctrine of entire
sanctification.
Entire sanctification is an important
doctrine in Wesleyan theology. It offers the hope that Christians
are able to live without sin during their lives on Earth.[20]
But this claim doesn't account for numerous New Testament texts
which describe a struggle between the flesh and the spirit. In Galatians
5:17, Paul describes struggling against the sinful tendencies of
our flesh as if it were a normative part of the Christian experience.
In Romans 7:18 Paul says, "the wishing (of doing good) is present
in me, but the doing of the good is not." How does the doctrine
of entire sanctification explain how statements like these can come
from a mature Christian?
Dieter cites Matt 5:48 as proof that
it is possible to live free of willful sin. In this passage, Jesus
tells his listeners that their current standard of righteousness
is not good enough to satisfy God, saying, "you are to be perfect,
as your heavenly Father is perfect." As long as they insist
on approaching God by their works, the standard they'll be measured
by is perfection. But perfection was not a state Jesus expected
his audience to reach in this life. If it was, why did he model
a prayer for his disciples in which he said, "forgive us our
trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us"? His
prayer clearly implies that Christians can and will sin from time
to time. Dieter also quotes Colossians 1:28, in which Paul expresses
his wish to "present every man perfect (teleios) in Christ."
But does teleios mean "morally perfect" in this verse?
Probably not. Many commentators translate teleios in Colossians
1 as "mature."[21]
Equating sinless perfection with teleios in Colossians 1 contradicts
other verses that teach Christians continue to sin. For example,
in 1 John 2:1, John assures his Christian listeners, "I am
writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone
sins, we have an advocate with the Father." Instead of insisting
that Christians achieve sinless perfection in this life, 1 Thessalonians
5:23-24 suggests that human perfection is a future event that God
will accomplish at the second coming of Christ.
I still can't forget the words of Oswald
Sanders[22]
when I heard him speak a few years ago. This 88 year-old mature
Christian worker who had spend a lifetime following Christ said,
"the older I get, the more deeply I am aware of how sinful
I am." This has certainly been my experience and the experience
of countless other Christians who have wrestled with the issue of
sin in their lives.
Wesley's doctrine of entire sanctification
leans heavily on his vague definition of sin. He believed that a
Christian who has experienced entire sanctification enjoys freedom
from deliberate sins.[23]
Slip-ups in behavior can still occur, but these result from living
in a fallen world. Wesley called these lapses "mistakes."[24]
He said, "because we are imperfect persons in an imperfect
world, perfection 'in love' is consistent with a 'thousand mistakes.'
But limited as we are by our own and the world's imperfections,
we may still enjoy a relationship in which, through the power of
the Holy Spirit, we can fulfill the great and final commandment
of loving God with our whole heart..."[25]
By creating the categories of willful
sin and "mistakes," Wesley erodes a broader definition
of sin found in Romans 14:23: "whatever is not from faith is
sin." The Bible portrays sin as any action, deed, or thought
that falls short of God's perfect character (Rom. 3:23). This is
clear from Jesus' repeated contrasts, "you have heard... but
I say to you," in the Sermon on the Mount. By equating
murder with anger and lust with adultery, Jesus is trying to expose
the superficial, shallow view of sin held by his audience. Wesley's
attempt to separate "sins" from "mistakes" misses
the all-inclusive spirit of these and other New Testament passages.
The
Reformed View - presented by Anthony Hoekema
Reformed theologians define sanctification as "that gracious
operation of the Holy Spirit, involving our responsible participation,
by which He delivers us as justified sinners from the pollution
of sin, renews our entire nature according to the image of God,
and enables us to live lives that are pleasing to Him."[26]
When we are justified, our guilt before God is removed. Sanctification
is the process of removing the corruption caused by sin polluting
our lives. This is consistent with the meaning of the Greek word
for sanctify, hagiadzo. Hagiadzo literally means to make holy: to
be set apart for service to God and to abandon practices that displease
Him.
How sanctification occurs
Hoekema says there are three essential requirements for sanctification.
First, sanctification can only occur in the context of a growing
union with Christ. We will not grow unless we are identified with
Christ. Second, he points out that we are sanctified by the truth.
The Bible is "one of the chief means whereby God sanctifies
His people."[27]
Lastly, faith is the means by which we appropriate our sanctification.
Faith helps us to live in union with Christ, accept the fact that
we are no longer mastered by sin, and results in the production
of fruit in the life of the Christian. Like justification, sanctification
comes by faith.
The goal of sanctification
What is the process of sanctification accomplishing in the life
of a Christian? Hoekema distinguishes between two end results: the
proximate and final goals of sanctification. The final end of our
sanctification is the glorification of God. This is implied by Paul's
use of the phrase, "to the praise of his Glory" in Ephesians
1:12. The proximate goal of sanctification is our perfection: God's
desire that every Christian be conformed to the likeness of Christ
(1 John 3:2; 1 Corinthians 15:49; Ephesians 5:27; Hebrews 12:23).
As a result of being conformed to His image, Christians share in
Christ's glorification and become an eternal testimony to His glory.
God's role and man's role in sanctification
To reach this goal, both man and God play a part. God set our sanctification
in motion by electing us for conformity to Him and scripture indicates
that all three persons of the trinity are involved. We read, for
example, that the Father disciplines us and sanctifies us by the
truth (Heb. 12:10; John 17:17), the Son cleanses the church through
the word (Eph. 5:25-27), and the Holy Spirit is responsible for
our washing, rebirth and renewal (Titus 3:5). The role, or roles,
that each member of the Godhead plays in sanctification are not
compartmentalized; "sanctification (is) ascribed to the triune
God without any designation of persons."[28]
Sanctification is accomplished by God,
but it still requires the cooperation of men and women. We must
fight against sin, express gratitude toward God, and offer ourselves
fully to him. We also should imitate the example of Christ (Phil.
2:5-7; John 13:14-15).
The interplay between man's role and
God's role in conforming us to Christ is seen clearly in passages
like Philippians 2:12-13: "(you) work out your
salvation in fear and trembling.... for it is God at who is at work
in you to will and work for his good pleasure..." But Hoekema
carefully points out that the relationship between our work and
God's work shouldn't be thought of strictly in terms of cooperation.
Instead, he follows John Murray who said, "God's working in
us is not suspended because we work, nor our working suspended because
God works... the relation is that because God works we work."[29]
Definitive and progressive sanctification
Reformed theologians claim that scripture speaks about sanctification
in two ways: as an ongoing process and as an accomplished event.
The latter use can be seen in 1 Corinthians 1:2 and 6:11. In 1 Corinthians
1:2, believers are spoken of as "those who have been sanctified
in Christ Jesus." In 1 Corinthians 6:11, Paul says the Corinthians
"were sanctified." The Greek word for sanctify in 6:11,
hagiadzo, is used by Paul in the aorist tense to emphasize that
the Corinthian's sanctification is a past, completed action. This
statement, made to an audience that could hardly be called mature,
implies that Christians are somehow sanctified in a way that has
no bearing on the condition of their day-to-day life. Hoekema calls
this use of hagiadzo "definitive sanctification."
Romans 6, the passage with the most
detail about definitive sanctification, teaches that Christians
have been:
(1) freed from the power of sin
(2) enabled to live in newness of life under the reign of grace
(3) unified with Christ in his resurrection
(4) made new creatures
Definitive sanctification differs from
Wesley's notion of entire sanctification in two important ways.
First, definitive sanctification does not produce sinless perfection
in the Christian. Hoekema asserts that Christians will always "struggle
against sin and sometimes fall into sin."[30]
A true believer is genuinely a new creature, but they are not fully
transformed into Christ's image. Second, definitive sanctification
does not occur in an experience subsequent to salvation but rather
coincides with it.
Other passages describe what Hoekema
calls "progressive sanctification." They imply that sin
continues to be present to some extent in the life of the believer
(1 Kings 8:46; Psalm 19:12; Psalm 143:2; Proverbs 20:9; Isaiah 64:6;
James 3:2). According to Paul, sin is dealt with over time by putting
to death the deeds of the flesh (see Romans 8:13). Progression in
sanctification can also be seen in Colossians 3. Verses 1 and 3
affirm that definitive sanctification has occurred ("we have
died in Christ and been raised up with him") but, in verse
5, Paul advises one must still "consider the members of your
earthly body to be dead to sin." Colossians 3:9-10, 2 Corinthians
7:1 and 2 Corinthians 3:18 all convey this same progressive sense
of sanctification.
Reflecting on these two types of sanctification,
Hoekema concludes, "One could think of definitive sanctification
as the beginning of the process and of progressive sanctification
as the continual maturing of the new person who was created by definitive
sanctification."[31]
Old self and new self
Reformed theologians have differed over the presence of the old
and new self in the life of the believer. Standing with Murray,
Hoekema believes that Christians are "no longer the old selves
they once were. They are not, as has often been taught, both old
selves and new selves but are indeed new selves in Christ."[32]
He makes his case by citing:
(1) the crucifixion of the old self
in Romans 6:6
(2) the use of the aorist tense in Colossians 3:9-10 to describe
how Christians have taken off their old self and put on their new
self
(3) the New International Version's rendition of Ephesians 4:20-24
which implies that the old self was put off when we came to know
Christ
Christians are new creatures - not
sinless, nor totally conformed to the image of Christ, but genuinely
new people headed in that direction. This is why we are still repeatedly
urged in the New Testament to fight sin and the influence of evil
in our lives (Ephesians 6:11-13; Galatians 5:16; Hebrews 12:4).
Reformed theology and perfectionism
Hoekema advances several reasons why the Wesleyan hope of living
a life without sin is flawed:
(1) The hope of perfection requires
a weakening of the definition of sin (e.g. only deliberate sins).
(2) The Wesleyan goal of perfection in this life is admitted to
be less perfect than our eschatological perfection.
(3) The Bible doesn't encourage believers to seek a 'second experience'
like entire sanctification that follows conversion; the emphasis
is on pursuing ongoing growth (Rom. 12:2; Col. 3:10; Eph. 4:23;
2 Pet. 3:18).
(4) Many passages in the Bible indicate that Christians still sin
(Matt. 6:12; James 3:2, etc.).
(5) Gal. 5:16-17 indicates that an internal struggle exists
between our sinful flesh and the Holy Spirit.
The above observations make it evident
that sinful tendencies still exist in the life of even the most
mature Christian. As a result, no one is able to live a life truly
free from sin.
The law
Reformed theologians believe that the law (the 10 commandments and
other precepts given to guide our lives) should be obeyed by Christians.
Christians who fail to keep the law do not face God's condemnation
(in this sense, they are not "under the law"), but they
should express their thankfulness to God by attempting to keep it.
John Calvin called this the "third and principle use of the
law."
Hoekema claims that obedience to the
law out of gratitude toward God is taught in the Old and New Testaments.
Old Testament examples include Exodus 20:2-17 and Psalm 19:7-8.
In the New Testament (Rom. 8:3-4, for example) Paul says the Holy
Spirit came in part to empower Christians to fulfill the law (Rom.
8:3-4). Hoekema even goes as far as to equate keeping the law with
walking in the Spirit. In addition, James 1:25 and 1 John 2:3-5
prove that law keeping is an avenue through which God sanctifies
us and brings us freedom.
Reaction
to the Reformed View
Hoekema takes an in-depth look at Col. 3:9-11, Eph. 4:22-26,
and Rom. 6:6 and concludes that "the person who is in Christ
is no longer an old man or old self, but is now a new self"[33]
This statement is accurate with regard to our position in Christ,
but less than accurate when describing our day-to-day experience.
To be sure, Rom. 6:6 teaches that the old man was crucified. I would
also agree that the putting off of the old self is described as
a past event in Col. 3:9-10. Paul is clear that at conversion, Christians
are freed from the life they used to live under the rule of sin.
In this positional sense, the old self has truly passed away.
Having said this, there are numerous
passages that suggest that our old lifestyle is not easily put off
and needs to be resisted. Paul urges his audience in Romans 6:11,
for example, to consider themselves "to be dead to sin, but
alive to God in Christ Jesus." In Colossians 3:10, Paul says
the new self is going through an ongoing process of renewal. This
theme is repeated in Ephesians 4:23 where Paul urges: "be renewed
in the spirit of your mind." Verse 23, which Hoekema describes
as an ongoing process,[34]
comes in the middle of a discussion about putting off the old self
and putting on the new. If verse 23 describes a process, should
we read verses 22 and 24 any differently? The plain sense of Ephesians
4:20-24 implies that Christians must regularly lay aside the habits
associated with the old self and put those associated with the new.
Hoekema believes that Christians are
free from the law only in the sense that "we are no longer
under condemnation because of our failure to keep the law."[35]
"In another sense," he continues, "believers
are not free from the law. They should be deeply concerned about
keeping God's law as a way of expressing their gratitude to Him
for the gift of salvation."[36]
But Rom. 7:1-6 says that when someone becomes a Christian, their
relationship to the law fundamentally changes. Just as a widow is
no longer obligated to her husband, we have died to and been freed
from the law.
Some theologians argue that we are
only free from the ceremonial and civil portion of the law. However,
the law Paul discusses Romans 7 is the moral law. This is evident
when he quotes the moral part of the law in verse 7: "I would
not have known about coveting if the law had not said, 'You shall
not covet.'" Christians are free from the law - all of it.
If this is true, how should we relate
to the law? Several passages indicate that the law still has a role
to play in the life of a Christian: Jesus says he did not come to
"abolish the law but to fulfill it" (Matt 5:17) and Paul
admits he is "not without the law but under the law of Christ."
(1 Cor. 9:21) What role does the law play? The law acts as an objective
standard of morality that exposes sin (Rom. 7:7), it can stimulate
sin (Rom. 7:8,9), and it shows our need to depend of God for the
power to lead a moral life (Rom. 7:9b-24).
Hoekema is correct in saying that we
are freed from the condemnation incurred by failing to keep the
law. But Paul says we are also free from trying to meet its demands
by our own power. In place of Hoekema's law keeping, Paul suggests
we walk in the newness of the Spirit (Rom. 7:6). It is the Spirit
inside us that is then able to keep the requirements of the law
(Rom. 8:3-4). Unfortunately, Hoekema takes Rom. 8:3-4 to mean "Spirit-led
believers are precisely the ones doing their best to keep God's
law."[37]
He reduces walking in the Spirit to law keeping and entirely misses
the point of the passage: it is the power of the Spirit that enables
Christians to keep the law.
Departing from the traditional Reformed
view, Hoekema understands Rom. 7:13-25 to be Paul's recollection
of his struggle with sin as a non Christian. John Walvoord makes
an excellent defense against this view. He says, "It is not
demonstrable that an unbeliever has two inner, contending natures."
I will leave further arguments in favor of Romans 7:13-25 describing
a Christian experience for an upcoming paper.
The
Pentecostal Perspective - presented by Stanley Horton
Historical development
In the first part of his essay, Horton traces the historical
development of the doctrine of sanctification now taught in the
Assemblies of God.
At the turn of the 20th century, when
their movement started, Pentecostals disagreed over the way sanctification
occurs in the life of a believer. Holiness Pentecostals asserted
that before one can receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit,[38]
they must first undergo the crisis experience of entire sanctification.
This type of sanctification was seen as a definitive work of God's
grace that a believer receives much in the same way he receives
salvation.
Other Pentecostals (like those who
later formed the Assemblies of God) argued that putting one's faith
in Christ's forgiveness is the only precondition for receiving the
baptism of the Holy Spirit. They downplayed the importance of a
second (or third) work of grace in which Christians are entirely
sanctified, and instead viewed sanctification as process.
Further refinement of the Pentecostal
understanding of sanctification grew out of disagreements over the
nature of the trinity. In 1916, trinitarian disputes compelled the
Assemblies of God to clearly delineate their beliefs in the form
of a 16-point statement of faith. This document touched on sanctification,
but leaders soon recognized that the definition provided was vague
and poorly formulated. Over time, however, the definition of sanctification
was fleshed out. Instead of entire sanctification, they favored
instantaneous sanctification (see 1 Cor. 6:11-12) and progressive
sanctification (2 Cor. 3:15), that is, that Christians are positionally
sanctified at conversion but then progressively sanctified over
the course of their lives. The distinction between instantaneous
and progressive sanctification, promoted by the Assemblies of God,
moved away from the belief in entire sanctification espoused by
the Holiness wing of the Pentecostal movement.
The bulk of Horton's essay explains
the view of sanctification being taught today in the Assemblies
of God and focuses on the meaning of instantaneous, progressive,
and entire sanctification.
Instantaneous/ positional sanctification
Instantaneous or positional sanctification is similar to the Reformed
notion of definitive sanctification. This type of sanctification:
- occurs at the moment of belief
- involves the believer being set apart from the world to follow
Christ
- is symbolized by baptism (Col. 2:11-12)
- occurs because we are united with Christ and given new life (1
Cor. 1:30)
- puts us in perfect relationship with God
- sets Christians free to do God's will
- is based on the finished work of Christ
Progressive sanctification
Horton cites a number of verses to show that Christians don't
always measure up to their positional sanctification. He points
out that the Corinthians, despite being called sanctified in 1 Cor.
6:11, were still addressed as "infants" in 1 Cor. 3:1.
Other passages indicate that self-control needs to be learned (1
Thes. 4:3-4), and that old habits, like lying, must be renounced
(Col. 3:5-10).
While Wesleyans claim they have been
released from willful sin through entire sanctification, Horton
believes these claims result in "making God out to be a liar."[39]
He also holds that the blood of Christ cleanses us from our
sin in an ongoing way. This is in contrast to the notion that there
is no need for Christians to repeatedly seek to be cleansed from
their sins.
What does progressive sanctification
look like? According to Horton, Christians moving forward in this
process regularly put God's will into practice, demonstrate the
fruits of obedience, and exhibit a selfless willingness to do whatever
God asks them to do.
Entire sanctification
Pentecostals in the Assemblies of God reject Holiness claims to
be able to reach a state of sinless perfection in this life. They
contend that the old nature is still active in a Christian and that
claims of perfection depend on a weakened definition of sin. Despite
these objections, however, they still use the term "entire
sanctification." Instead of abandoning the term, they redefine
it as:
(1) following the purposes and desires
of God to the best of one's ability
or
(2) an event that occurs when Christ comes back and gives us glorified
bodies.
Thus, the term entire sanctification
is being used here in a way that is entirely different than Wesley's
usage.
The Spirit's Work in sanctification
Pentecostals, mindful that the work of the Holy Spirit is often
neglected by other theological schools, are quick to point out the
role the Spirit plays in sanctification.
Horton believes that of all the works
of the Spirit, the New Testament highlights sanctification foremost.
"The Holy Spirit here is the agent, and His work is the most
important means of our progressive sanctification."[40]
To underscore his point, he cites numerous verses that teach the
central role that the Holy Spirit plays in our growth (1 Cor. 6:11; 2 Thes. 2:13; Rom. 15:16; 1 Peter 1:1-2).
One of the most important ways that
the Holy Spirit helps sanctify Christians is by helping them to
understand and benefit from the Word of God. The Word itself is
the Spirit's primary tool in accomplishing our growth and maturity.
The Spirit teaches us the Word, guides us to the truth (John 14:17,26;
15:26; 16:12-13; 1 John 4:6) and uses the Word to "give us
a clear vision of Jesus and inspire us with a deep desire to be
like him."[41]
Of course, Christians must cooperate with the Spirit's work in
their lives by depending on his Word for guidance and being willing
to obey it.
Baptism of the Holy Spirit
Perhaps the most unique feature of Pentecostal theology, and the
one that distinguishes it from other views on sanctification, is
the emphasis placed on the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This event
occurs in the life of a Christian after their salvation and "empowers
(them) through the filling of the Spirit."[42]
Those who receive this baptism initially speak in tongues (Acts
10:46) and go on to lead lives of service "marked by gifts
of the Spirit that bring power and wisdom for the spread of the
Gospel and the growth of the church."[43]
Horton is quick to dispel misconceptions
about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. He agrees that it is not necessary
for salvation and that those who receive it may never have a continuing
ministry of speaking tongues in the church. But he warns that "rejection
of the Pentecostal position and the evidence of other tongues often
leads to a downward trend that ends in the neglect of the Spirit's
work in the believer's life." In other words, it is hard to
experience the full life we were meant to have as Christians without
undergoing this baptism.
Having said that, Horton admits that
being baptized in the Holy Spirit is not a sanctifying experience
in and of itself. It doesn't elevate one to a higher level of sanctification
like Wesley's entire sanctification. Christians still need to deepen
in maturity and grow as they become more involved in selfless ministry
to other people.
Horton studiously avoids the overemphasis
on tongues often associated with the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
He says that Christians should strive for the "greater gifts"
mentioned in 1 Cor. 12:31, and believes gifts in general are most
likely to be discovered in the context of active service to God.
Horton also points out that love is "necessary to make (spiritual)
gifts effective to the highest degree and to bring the proper reward."[44]
Summary
Holiness and Assemblies of God Pentecostals agree that justification
and positional sanctification occur at the same time. They also
agree that both man and God play a role in Christian growth. They
differ as to the definition of entire sanctification and whether
it is possible to live a life free from sin. The Assemblies of God
maintain that sin is not entirely removed in the life of a believer
and that sanctification is a long process of growth and change.
Holiness Pentecostals tend to view sanctification as a defining,
post-conversion event in the life of a Christian.
Reaction
to the Pentecostal View
Horton believes that Christians are indwelled by the Spirit
when they are converted. In addition to the Spirit's indwelling,
Horton claims that Christians receive a second blessing called the
baptism of the Holy Spirit. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a
post-conversion[45]
experience in which a Christian enjoys the true fullness of the
Spirit. It results in a higher level of devotion and increased ability
to evangelize and worship. This life-defining event is evidenced
by speaking in tongues, and enables believers "to respond to
the full working of the Spirit."[46]
I find no biblical basis for the existence
of an additional work of the Spirit as described by Horton. His
belief that such an experience exists relies on (1) his interpretation
of 1 Cor. 12:13 and (2) a distinction he makes between baptism by
the Spirit and baptism in the Holy Spirit.
1 Cor. 12:13
The first part of 1 Cor. 12:13 says that Christians are baptized
by the Spirit and put into Christ. The second part says that Christians
are made to drink of one Spirit. Horton teaches the baptism and
the drinking describe two distinct events; being baptized into Christ
occurs at conversion and drinking of the Spirit (baptism of the
Holy Spirit) happens later. Refuting this claim, Hoekema says, "the
second clause of (1 Cor. 12:13) is clearly parallel to the first
clause, since both clauses stress the oneness of all believers."
In other words, the second clause does not describe a new event,
but provides more information about what is being discussed. Verse
13 describes two aspects of one event: when we were baptized by
the Spirit, we were (1) put in the body of Christ and (2) indwelled
by the Holy Spirit. This interpretation is preferable, because it
takes into account Paul's repeated use of "one" throughout
the verse.
"by" and "in"
According to Horton, the phrase "baptized by the Spirit"
(1 Cor. 12:13a) refers to our being placed in Christ at conversion;
the phrase "baptized in the Spirit" refers to the second
blessing of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This second baptism,
he claims, is described in several passages, including Luke 24:49,
Acts 1:8, and Acts 2:4. Remarkably, however, none of these passages
contain the phrase "baptism in the Spirit."
A survey of passages where baptism
in, with, or by the Holy Spirit is used shows that in every case,
being indwelled with the Spirit is in view. In Matt 3:11, Mark 1:8,
Luke 3:16, and John 1:33, for example, Jesus is identified as one
who will baptize with/in the Holy Spirit. This baptism is described
as a future event. In Acts 1:5, Jesus reminds the disciples of this
baptism and says, "John baptized with water, but you shall
be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." Jesus
is clearly associating the baptism with the Holy Spirit promised
in the gospels with the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of
Pentecost. At Pentecost, followers of Christ were indwelled by the
Spirit for the first time.[47]
In Acts 11, Peter recounts how God
arranged a meeting between him and Cornelius. God told Peter to
visit Cornelius' household and preach the gospel. Before Peter came,
his audience was not saved (see verse 14 and 18) and therefore not
indwelled by the Spirit. After Peter preached the gospel to them,
they believed and were saved. Luke says the Holy Spirit came upon
them while they listened to Peter. He also associates the experience
with the baptism of the Spirit promised by John the Baptist. In
this passage, then, the baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs simultaneously
with salvation and involves the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
In 1 Corinthians 12:13, which we have
already discussed, Paul tells us that when we were put into Christ
we were made to drink of (were indwelled by) one Spirit.
So when the New Testament discusses
the baptism of the Holy Spirit, it refers to an event in which the
Spirit comes to indwell a new believer. There is no reason to assume
that a second post-conversion event is in view.
Acts 2, Acts 8, Acts 19
In a few passages in Acts, we find believers receiving the Spirit
well after they are converted. Doesn't this imply that a post-conversion
blessing of the Spirit is possible? I would say it's unlikely for
the following reasons:
(1) In Acts 2 and 19, old covenant
Christians are being indwelled by the Spirit for the first time.
Tongues and other miraculous signs help to confirm that God's promise
to pour out the Spirit is being fulfilled and that the new covenant
is in effect. Peter calls the crowd's attention to this very fact
in his speech in Acts 2:17-21.
(2) Acts is a historical narrative
of an extraordinary time and, as such, should not be taken to record
normative Christian experiences. One would expect a doctrine as
important as the Pentecostal understanding of baptism of the Holy
Spirit to be explicitly taught elsewhere in scripture. But when
we look to the epistles, we search in vain for a single command
to seek a second, definitive baptism of the Spirit after our conversion.
(3) In Acts 8:14-17, the coming of
the Holy Spirit may have been delayed to allow Peter to be the one
who opened the door of the gospel to the Gentiles. This is consistent
with Matt 16:19, where Jesus gives Peter the keys to the kingdom.
The outward sign of tongues also helped to confirm to Jewish Christians
that Gentiles could be included in the kingdom of God.
Finally, a word should be said about
the notion that the tongues must accompany the baptism of the Holy
Spirit. This assertion is flawed for several reasons:
(1) Episodes in Acts during which tongues
are spoken at the coming of the Holy Spirit are unique historical
situations. In these instances, tongues provide confirmation that
a new covenant is in effect (Acts 2, 19) and proof that those previously
viewed as not being God's people can now be included in the kingdom
(Acts 8, 10). There was a lot of resistance in the early church
to including Gentiles in the movement; tongues helped to prove to
Jews that Samaritans and Gentiles were also able to receive the
indwelling Spirit.
(2) Acts 2, 8, 10, and 19 are the only
places in scripture in which tongue-speaking is associated with
the baptism of the Holy Spirit. In other passages, the baptism of
the Holy Spirit occurs but no mention is made of tongues.[48]
(3) In 1 Corinthians 12:30, Paul asks,
"all do not speak with tongues, do they?" The required
answer is: "No, they don't." Yet despite this verse, Horton
maintains that everyone should receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit
and upon receiving it, everyone will speak in tongues. How is this
possible when Paul clearly says not every Christian can speak in
tongues?[49]
The
Keswick Perspective - presented by J. Robertson McQuilkin
According to J. Robertson McQuilkin, and those who hold the
Keswick view, the normal Christian life should be one of progress
and victory: victory over temptation, growth in obedience, improving
in self-control, and increasing in joy. Unfortunately, the average
Christian experience is far from normal. Church-goers are adept
at moving through the routines of the Christian life, yet they show
no excitement or evidence that anything supernatural is going on.
What can Christians do to break out
of this malaise? The Keswick view offers a message of hope to defeated
and backslidden Christians. Since 1875, proponents of this view
have offered four- and five-day conferences focusing on the spiritual
renewal of those who attend. These conferences expose those attending
to the depth of their sin, teach them a way to live a victorious
life, and challenge them to fully commit their lives to God and
to His service. A typical conference schedule includes:
Day 1: Sin - understanding
the gravity of our shortcomings before God.
Day 2: Victorious Christian living - the power of the Holy
Spirit and the finished work of Christ to bring "consistent
success in resisting the temptation to violate deliberately the
known will of God."[50]
Day 3: Consecration - the full surrender of one's life
to God to be used by Him.
Day 4: Life in the Spirit - Being filled with the Spirit
- the key to effectiveness in our life and service for God.
Day 5: Service - Missions, the Great Commission and other
outward ways to serve God.
Keswick theology
Since Keswick organizers and attendees have come from a variety
of theological persuasions, the Keswick view has no official or
well-defined statement on sanctification. Despite this, the core
values and emphases of the Keswick movement are well summarized
in the following quote from Steven Barabas:
"From the beginning
until the very present (the Keswick Movement) has taught that a
life of faith and victory, of peace and rest, are the rightful heritage
of every child of God, and that he may step into it ..., 'not by
long prayers and laborious effort, but by a deliberate and decisive
act of faith.' It teaches that 'the normal experience of the child
of God should be one of victory instead of constant defeat, one
of liberty instead of grinding bondage, one of 'perfect peace' instead
of restless worry.'"[51]
The Keswick view and perfectionism
The Keswick movement has no clear stance on perfectionism. McQuilkin
claims that the Spirit makes it possible for Christians to consistently
avoid deliberate violations of God's will. And, like the Wesleyans,
McQuilkin believes there is a biblical basis for making a distinction
between willful, deliberate sin and unwitting sin. He claims a distinction
is clearly made in the Old Testament (see Exod. 21:12-14; Num. 15:27-31)
and is implied in several New Testament passages (see 1 John 1:8-10
and 1 John 3:6,8-10). In day to day life, however, McQuilkin concedes
that distinguishing between volitional and involuntary sin is difficult.
Departing from the Wesleyan view, he concludes that a definition
of sin should include all types (deliberate and accidental) and
expectations of perfection in this life are more frustrating for
sincere Christians than helpful.
Even though McQuilkin believes everyone
sins (1 John 1:8-10), he takes a dim view of Christians who continue
in a pattern of sinful activity. He suggests that they are probably
not Christians (1 John 3:6;8-10). In other words, everyone sins
unintentionally but ongoing deliberate sin is evidence that someone
is not genuinely converted. He goes as far as to say, "(Christians)
need never - and should never - deliberately violate the known will
of God."[52]
Although he never says it directly, the implication is that if a
pattern of sin is established in the life of a Christian, part of
the healing process is reconsidering the validity of one's original
conversion experience.
However, McQuilkin does concede that
believers still have a tendency to sin and must constantly rely
on the Holy Spirit to lean against this tendency. He attributes
this attraction to sin to the "old nature" and affirms
that our old nature remains in conflict with the indwelling Holy
Spirit even after conversion. It is because of their old nature
that committed Christians still commit unintentional sins. Growth
in the Christian life, then, is focused on minimizing the damage
caused by the sin nature in the area of involuntary sin. As McQuilkin
puts it, "... much of our behavior falls short of Christ likeness
involuntarily and even unconsciously. It is in this area that the
normal Christian grows steadily to reflect more and more accurately
the likeness of Christ."[53]
The Keswick definition of sanctification
Like most of the theologians in Five Views of Sanctification,
McQuilkin defines sanctification as a setting apart for service
to God. And, like the others, he says a moral dimension is involved:
those who are sanctified are set apart from sin and consecrated
to God.
McQuilkin then breaks sanctification
down into three main types: positional, experiential, and permanent
sanctification. Positional sanctification occurs at conversion and
results in our forgiveness, justification in God's eyes and regeneration.
The new life of the Spirit indwells new believers and makes it possible
for righteousness to prevail over sin in their lives. This is the
sanctification spoken of in Heb. 10:10, Eph. 4:24, and 1 Cor. 1:2;
6:11.
Experiential sanctification is very
similar to the reformed idea of progressive sanctification. McQuilkin
defines it as "the outworking of one's official position in
daily life."[54]
When we are given our new bodies and transformed to be like Christ,
permanent sanctification occurs. It results in the complete removal
of sin.
In parts of his essay, McQuilkin describes
sanctification as a process of growth that occurs over time in the
life of a Christian (2 Cor. 3:18, Col. 3:10, Eph. 4:15,16, 1 Thes.
4:1,10)[55] .
However, he also believes the process is aided by a crisis experience
in which a Christian is profoundly struck by the depth of his sin,
made aware of God's provision for victorious living, challenged
to commit his whole person to Him, and taught to serve out of the
fullness of the Holy Spirit. McQuilkin says, for the backslidden
Christian, "reentry into normal, supernatural Christian living
is through the gate of surrender."[56] He
adds, "for such a person, a normal, successful Christian experience
is not the product of a gradual process of spiritual development,
let alone automatic progress. A decisive turning point is needed."[57]
Like the other four views of sanctification,
McQuilkin believes sanctification brings about changes in the way
we act (1 Cor. 6:9-10) and the way we think (Rom. 12:1,2). The overall
effect is that our lives more and more approximate the likeness
of Christ.
Ignorance and unbelief: the cause
of spiritual failure
More than other the other views we have studied so far, the Keswick
view of sanctification seeks to address the problem of the stumbling
or back-sliding Christian. According to McQuilkin, spiritual failure
results from two main causes: ignorance and unbelief.
Some Christians are ignorant of their
ability to live victorious lives. They are not aware of the provisions
God has made to enable them to conduct a vital walk with Him. Usually,
though, struggling Christians are defeated by unbelief. According
to McQuilkin, unbelief is the root cause of disobedience and lack
of faith. Disobedient Christians, for example, often are afraid
to trust God because they do not believe what He says. For some,
this leads to outward rebellion, but most drift away from God through
sins of omission and a failure to pursue Him. Christians who lack
faith are reluctant to depend on God's power for ministry. Their
fundamental unbelief and distrust of God leads them to rely on themselves
in an attempt to attain godliness through their own power.
The cure for spiritual failure
Whatever the cause, McQuilkin's solution to a subnormal Christian
experience is faith. "Simple faith is the secret."[58]
Faith is the ultimate answer to the question of sin in the
life of the believer. No one can bring about his own sanctification.
It is only as we place our faith in God and His resources that we
can experience a victorious Christian life.
McQuilkin defines simple faith as "a
choice to commit all of oneself unconditionally to the person of
God, who is revealed in the Bible and witnessed to by the Holy Spirit."[59]
This is in contrast to "false faith," which occurs when
the object of faith is someone or something other than God, or when
faith is not a commitment of the whole person. The commitment inherent
in sanctifying faith is demonstrated by a willingness to step out,
in obedience to the truth, to do God's will. This commitment to
do God's will, is, according to McQuilkin, "the most important
evidence of faith."[60]
Those who continue in deliberate violation
of God's will are not exercising faith and for them, no growth is
possible. They must first surrender to God and obey him. This need
for surrender often results in a crisis in the life of Christians.
Accustomed to living as they see fit, they are forced to decide
if they will abandon rebellion and make a decision to wholly commit
to God. This crisis does not arise in the life of every Christian,
but from McQuilkin's experience it does more often than not.
Filling of the Spirit
When someone becomes a Christian, Christ gives them the indwelling
presence of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As a result, a process
of change is initiated with a view to the renewal of the person
in the image of God. Now, for the first time, they have the ability
to choose against sin. With God's power they are able to follow
Him. This new power, mediated through the Spirit, is available to
Christians through a process called "filling." McQuilkin
explores the meaning of the phrase "filling of the Spirit"
and advances a definition centered around the concept of control:
"Filled with the Spirit
is a figurative, poetic expression that refers primarily to the
relationship between two persons in which one is in charge."[61]
"(filled with the Spirit)
means that the Holy Spirit dominates, has full control, possesses...
though the dominion (is) gracious, by invitation only, and does
not... override one's personal choice."[62]
McQuilkin is not clear in his essay
as to the duration of this experience. He says that the expression
"filled with the Spirit" refers to a "state or condition"
and that "we are commanded to be filled continually."[63]
McQuilkin concludes that being filled
with the Spirit is the key to living an effective and victorious
Christian life. Additionally, there may be times of special empowering
that go above and beyond normal filling. These special empowerings
enable Christians to serve effectively in more challenging situations.
The means of growth
According to the Keswick view, sanctification is facilitated by
the means of growth: prayer, learning the scripture, fellowship
and suffering. Each of these avenues are used by God to bring us
into conformity with Him. In the midst of suffering, for example,
Christians are presented with an opportunity to look to God for
the good he can perform and to grow in dependence on Him. McQuilkin
also points out that the means of growth should be pursued aggressively
and with the realization that God is the one bringing about change.
The impact of the means of growth on
individuals varies widely. As a result, Christians should resist
the temptation to measure their own growth in comparison with others
and should instead keep before them the example of Christ.
Summary
Over the years, the Keswick movement has drawn inspiration from
leaders of a variety of theological perspectives. For this reason,
McQuilkin sees the Keswick view as a mediating position on sanctification
that avoids the extremes of some views. He concludes that it has
a balanced perspective on the Biblical data and much to contribute
to the discussion on sanctification.
Reaction
to the Keswick View
I agree with McQuilkin's statement that "sin according
to the Bible is defined as any falling short of the glorious moral
perfection of God himself."[64]
But like Wesley, McQuilkin muddies the definition of sin by introducing
a distinction between sins that are deliberate and those that are
"unconscious" or "unwitting." In my reaction
to the Wesleyan view, I argued that the New Testament does not make
such a distinction.
Assuming a distinction can be made
between deliberate and unwitting sin, McQuilkin asserts that sanctification
is only concerned with the latter area. He says,
"Growth into more Christlike
behavior is in areas of unconscious sin or sins of omission, falling
short of Godlike qualities. In deliberate sin, there is no pattern
of gradual growth." [65]
For McQuilkin, Christian growth is
restricted to improving on godlike qualities that are yet to be
fully developed. Christians don't sin less; they become more godly.
Certainly, developing Godlike qualities
is an important part of sanctification. These qualities are the
fruit of the spirit and every Christian should pursue them. However,
the renewal of our new man into Christ's image (Col. 3:10) is not
enough. Our old man must also be put off (Eph. 4:22). While character
is being developed, sin must also be dealt with. In Gal. 5:16-6:10,
Paul portrays Christians engaged in a struggle between the flesh
and the Spirit (5:17). Sometimes they lose this struggle and fall
into sin (6:1). If this occurs, members of the body should recognize
their own vulnerability to temptation and restore the fallen brother
(6:2,3). Christians should not lose heart in this war over the flesh;
they should strive to continue doing good (6:9,10). We don't know
the nature of the trespass mentioned in verse 1 or whether the act
was deliberate or unconscious, ongoing or isolated. We are not given
information about the severity of the sin or the nature of the consequences.
We are simply told that sinning Christians need to be restored and
that everyone should strive to continue doing good. Christian growth
is not limited in this passage to the developing of Godly qualities.
Sin is a reality that must be faced and overcome in the life of
a Christian.
Instead of taking the redemptive approach
suggested by Paul, McQuilkin claims that real Christians "need
never - and should never - deliberately violate the known will of
God." To McQuilkin, the issue is settled by passages like 1
John 3:4-10. In verse 9, John says, "no one who is born of
God practices sin." Here, McQuilkin infers that if someone
sins deliberately, his salvation is called into question. I believe
this is a misunderstanding of what John is trying to say. Earlier
in the same letter (1:8-10), John tells those who say they don't
sin that they deceive themselves. In the next chapter (2:1,2), he
implies that Christians can and do sin and affirms that Jesus' death
covers their sins. John also says those who focus on the hope of
their future conformity to Christ "purify themselves."
(1 John 3:3) John clearly assumes that there is sin in the life
of a Christian to be purified from.
What then is the meaning of 1 John
3:4-10? We've seen above that Christians sin, but John seems to
rule out the possibility of sin in this passage. The problem is
resolved when we consider the language John uses and the situation
he is addressing.
Language: The present tense
of the verbs for sin and repeated use of "practice" in
1 John 3:4,8a,9a suggest that an ongoing lifestyle of sin is being
addressed.
Situation: Most commentators
agree that John's readers were influenced by Gnostic teachers who
advocated throwing off moral restraints. John's warning in 1 John
3:8, "let no one deceive you; the one who practices righteousness
is righteous," indicates that he has these teachers primarily
in mind.
When we understand the language and
the situation, John's message becomes clear: false teachers who
claim to be Christians betray their true identity by their ongoing
sin and disregard for God's will. John is not saying, however, that
someone who sins deliberately is not a Christian. That interpretation
adds a distinction to the definition of sin that John never makes,
and it also completely contradicts the tone of 1 John 2:2.
Christian growth, therefore, involves
a combination of laying aside our old sinful habits and embracing
the positive character qualities God wants to bring about in our
lives. The Keswick view misses this balance.
McQuilkin's description of being filled
with the Spirit is helpful. It is, indeed, the key to living an
effective Christian life. The reader is left wondering, though,
how this "filling" is obtained. As John Walvoord comments,
"it would be helpful... if the means by which one may be filled
with the spirit would be more carefully delineated."[66]
It is also difficult to determine the
importance and nature of the crisis experience that McQuilkin discusses
on page 171. He suggests that there comes a point in the life of
most Christians when they must decisively surrender their own self-will
and place themselves under the authority of Christ. This crisis
experience is a turning point in their lives and is very important
to their growth. McQuilkin doesn't tell us, however, whether the
experience is a one time event or repeated at regular intervals.
A single, definitive event seems to be in view.
Certainly, the New Testament narrates
important crises in the life of Christians that play a major role
in their sanctification. Paul, for example, indicates that on at
least two occasions, adverse circumstances helped him to gain deeper
insight into God's character. In 2 Cor. 1:8,9, he says, "we
had the sentence of death within ourselves in order that we should
not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead." And
when suffering from his famous "thorn in the flesh," God
was able to teach him, "my grace is sufficient for you, for
power is perfected in weakness." (2 Cor. 12) The call for total
surrender to God in passages like Rom. 12:1,2 has no doubt produced
a crisis in the life of many Christians. But the New Testament does
not urge Christians to seek or to expect life-defining post conversion
crisis experiences. These times may come for some, but our challenge
is instead to "not lose heart," to "not growing weary"
(Gal. 6:9-10) and to "press on" (Phil. 3:12,14) knowing
all the while we are far from perfect (Phil. 3:12-14). Hoekema adds,
"I agree... that some, possibly many, Christians need to surrender
their wills in total commitment to the Lord sometime after their
conversion... I disagree, however that a specific post-conversion
crisis experience needs to be programmed into the lives of most
Christians."[67]
The
Augustinian-Dispensational View - presented by John Walvoord
According to John Walvoord, differences in the various approaches
to sanctification center mainly on the degree to which a person
is transformed after becoming a Christian. Some say that at conversion
people are completely changed. Others argue that vestiges of their
old life remain. At the center of the debate is the term "nature"
and, more specifically, "sin nature." Walvoord maintains
that differences of opinion can be resolved if these terms are more
carefully defined.
In contrast to a substantive use of
the word "nature,"[68]
Walvoord's definition of "sin nature" focuses more on
a Christian's capacity for or inclination towards sin. This can
be seen in Walvoord's definition: "The concept of a sin nature
can probably best be summarized as a complex of human attributes
that demonstrate a desire and predisposition to sin."[69]
Walvoord also discusses the relationship
between the sin nature and the terms "flesh" and "old
man/ new man." He believes that Augustine's concept of the
flesh is synonymous with the biblical use of sin nature. Here, the
flesh is seen as that which remains in a person following his conversion.
Walvoord takes a different approach with the old man/ new man language
used in Colossians 3 and Ephesians 4. He says these terms shouldn't
be confused with the sinful nature and the new nature inside a Christian.
Old man/ new man instead refers to the change of lifestyle that
occurs when someone is saved; Christians lay aside their old manner
of life and put on a new one. Sin nature and new nature, by contrast,
refer to a state of being, not just a lifestyle. Walvoord points
out:
"Once a person is saved,
the spiritual state of that person includes a new nature and an
old nature... The believer still has an old nature - a complex of
attributes with an inclination and disposition to sin; and the new
nature... a complex of attributes... (that) incline and dispose
the Christian to a new manner of life, one that is holy in the sight
of God."[70]
Like proponents of the Reformed view,
Augustinian-Dispensationalists affirm that a sin nature, or sinful
tendency, exists in the life of every Christian (see Rom. 7:14-25
and Gal. 5:16-17). Because Walvoord maintains that an old nature
is still present, he believes that Christians may progress in their
sanctification, but that they will never be free from sin in this
life.
Regeneration and the baptism of
the Holy Spirit
Walvoord says that two things occur at conversion: regeneration
and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Regeneration occurs at the point
of conversion, involves the granting of eternal life and the new
nature, and moves a Christian from spiritual death to life. It does
not, as some suggest, "bring perfection of character or freedom
from a sin nature."[71]
The baptism of the Holy Spirit, spoken of in 1 Corinthians 12:13,
is the placement, at the moment of conversion, of the convert into
the body of Christ. When we are identified with Christ in this way,
we share in his death, burial, and resurrection (Rom. 6:1-4; Col.
2:12). As a result, we can utilize God's power and guidance for
our lives. This experience was inaugurated on the day of Pentecost
and occurs to anyone the moment they repent and turn to Christ.
The indwelling and filling of the
Holy Spirit
All Christians, at the point of conversion, are indwelled by the
Holy Spirit. The Spirit's indwelling is God's first phase in His
plan to conform us to His image. It is also the basis for our sanctification,
because through the Spirit we receive spiritual gifts and the power
to live effective Christian lives. This indwelling ministry of the
Holy Spirit is unique to the church age (the period of time following
the day of Pentecost) and is qualitatively different than the pre-Pentecost
ministry of the Spirit (see John 7:37-39).
While all Christians can be said to
be indwelled by the Holy Spirit, not all have been filled by the
Spirit. Walvoord defines the filling of the Spirit as "the
unhindered ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian."[72]
Unlike the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which is a one-time event
that permanently places us in Christ, filling is a temporary state,
an experience that Christians should regularly seek to have. This
is implied by the present continuous tense of Ephesians 5:18: "Don't
be drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled (or,
'go on being filled') with the Holy Spirit."
When someone is filled with the Spirit,
they are empowered to carry out the will of God. This is evident
from numerous passages that describe the Spirit's filling (including
Acts 2:4; 4:8,31; 6:3,5; 7:55; 9:17; 11:24). Much in the same way
that alcohol permeates our body and effects the way we act, when
one is filled with the Spirit, the Spirit is in control. Walvoord
writes that being filled by the Spirit "brings for the time
being a control of a believer's life by the Holy Spirit and the
infusion of spiritual power, enabling a Christian to do far more
than he or she could do naturally."[73]
Becoming filled by the Holy Spirit
is a matter of yielding oneself wholly to God. This yielding must
occur both in the area of God's revealed will and in accepting the
life circumstances that God has placed us in. According to Paul,
in Romans 6, believers must choose whether they will yield themselves
to God or to sin. When someone fully places his life under God's
control (e.g. Rom. 12:1-2) the Spirit is given free reign to empower
him. A good example of this attitude can be seen in Philippians
2:5-11 when Jesus completely submits in obedience to God and places
all trust in Him.
When Christians stumble and sin, the
indwelling Spirit is grieved (Ephesians 4:30) and is hindered in
His ability to minister to them. But there is no danger of loss
of salvation; the person still remains indwelled by the Spirit.
Instead, Christians should confess their sins to God and appropriate
the forgiveness that Jesus obtained for them on the cross.
According to Walvoord, living an effective
Christian life requires that we cultivate an attitude of continuous
dependence on the power of the Spirit to energize us and make us
effective for service. When we turn from God and continue in sin,
we won't be filled with the Spirit. Instead of experiencing power,
we will experience God's corrective discipline (1 Cor. 11:31-32;
Heb. 12:5-6). But if we yield our selves fully to him, he will fill
us with the Holy Spirit, and do things through us we could never
do on our own.
The resulting experience of progressive
sanctification
Christians who put their full trust in God and walk in dependence
on the Spirit's power may never attain to God's standard of perfection
in this life, but they can expect to steadily grow in sanctification.
The Holy Spirit makes this possible by giving us increasing assurance
of our salvation, providing insight into God's will for our lives,
helping us to worship and pray, and using us as a channel of His
life in our service to others. The fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23)
is evidence that this process is occurring and the result is that
"a mighty work for God can be accomplished"[74]
in the life of the believer.
God and man's role in sanctification
Walvoord maintains that some Calvinists have overemphasized God's
sovereignty, not just in relation to conversion but also in their
view of sanctification. He claims that this imbalance has had detrimental
effect, making some Calvinists reluctant to carry out the great
commission. This reluctance, Walvoord says, stems from a belief
that minimizes human responsibility (e.g. "If God has elected
some to salvation, they will surely be saved regardless of our efforts.").[75]
A Calvinist himself, Walvoord sees a need to balance an emphasis
on God's sovereignty with the awareness that human choices have
a critical impact on Christian growth. Walvoord writes, "God
is the sanctifier... however... people are responsible for responding
to the truth of God and to the work of the Holy Spirit."[76]
Ultimate perfection
Walvoord says we are destined, eventually, to be conformed to the
image of Christ and perfectly sanctified, regardless of our present
shortcomings. Sanctification in this life is shaped by our choices
and will never be complete, but scripture promises the full removal
of sin and imperfection from our lives when we stand before God
(Eph. 5:25-27; 1 John 3:2). In light of this, Walvoord concludes
that "sanctification is the work of God for human beings rather
than our work for him." In the future, we will be conformed
to the image of Christ and reflect His glory. Then, all of the credit
for that work will go to God.
Reaction
to the Augustinian-Dispensational View
I agree with Walvoord's definition of the filling of the Holy
Spirit and his recognition that it is a repeated occurrence in the
Christian life. I believe his description of how to be filled with
the Spirit, however, to be focused too narrowly on submission and
obedience. Walvoord suggests that total surrender to Christ and
avoiding actions that might grieve the Spirit are the keys to being
filled by the Spirit. While surrender to Christ allows the Spirit
to characterize our actions, this is only one of many ways that
Christians can facilitate their being filled by the Holy Spirit.
More insight into how to be filled
by the Holy Spirit can be found when we realize how similar the
concept is to walking according to the Spirit (e.g. Rom. 8:1-11).
Both are temporary states that Christians must choose to enter into[77] .
Both involve being empowered by the Spirit to live effective Christian
lives (Acts 4:8; Acts 7:55ff; Gal. 5:22-23). Once this connection
is established between walking and filling, several suggestions
can be made about how to enjoy the full power of the Spirit:
(1) Develop the correct mental outlook.
Paul urges the Romans to set their minds on the things of the Spirit
(see Rom. 8:5-7).
(2) Cultivate an attitude of dependence on the Spirit (Rom. 8:3-4)
through the regular expression of gratitude and recognition of what
God has done for you (Eph. 5:18-20).
(3) Respond to God's personal leading. Gal. 5:18 and Rom. 8:14 suggest
that being led by the Spirit and walking by the Spirit are virtually
synonymous.
(4) Realize that engaging in bitter disputes and sinning against
others will grieve the Spirit and minimize His ability to work through
you (Eph. 4:30).
My
View of Sanctification
The key components of my view of sanctification have been suggested
in my comments on the other views. I will present my view, then,
in summary form:
Definition
- Sanctify comes from the Greek word hagiadzo, meaning
to be set apart or made fit for service (2 Timothy 2:19-22).
- Sanctification has a moral dimension (1 Thes. 4:3-7). It involves
turning away from immorality and turning towards God (Eph. 4:22-24;
Gal. 5:16-6:5).
- Sanctification is spoken of as an accomplished event (1 Cor. 1:30,31;1
Cor. 6:11;Col. 3:9-10) and as an ongoing process (Eph.
4:15-16,23). We are sanctified in our position in Christ but our
condition is far from perfect. We still sin and won't be perfected
until Jesus returns (1 Thes. 5:23-24).
Sin
- Sin is any word, thought or action that that falls short of God's
perfect character (Rom. 3:23; Matt. 5; Rom. 14:23). Distinctions
between "deliberate" and "unconscious" sins,
or "willful" sins and "mistakes," are not made
in the New Testament.
- No Christian is without sin (1 John 2:2; James 3:2; Phil. 3).
- There is a struggle between the flesh and the Spirit inside every
Christian (Gal. 5:17). Sometimes Christians lose this struggle and
fall into sin (Gal. 6:1). If this occurs, other Christians should
recognize their own vulnerability to temptation and restore the
fallen brother (Gal. 6:2,3). Christians should not lose heart in
this process, but continue doing good (Gal. 6:9,10).
Sin nature/ old man
- Christians are new creatures (2 Cor. 5:21) who have been freed
from sin (Rom. 6:6-7).
- The old self is laid aside when a Christian is put into Christ
(Col. 3:9-11; Rom. 6:6), but our habits and ways of thinking still
present problems (Eph. 4:22-24).
- We still have our body of sin to reckon with (Eph. 4:22-24; Gal.
5:16-17).
- As a result, the habits of the old self need to be put aside daily
as we learn to act consistently with our new identity in Christ
(Eph. 4:22-24).
Perfection
- Christians will never reach a sinless state on this side
of the grave (Phil. 3:12-16; James 3:2; 1 John 1:8-10). I reject
the Wesleyan notion of freedom from known sin and the Keswick teaching
on freedom from deliberate sin. Claims to perfection are fertile
ground for self-deception and rationalization.
Process/ Crisis
- Numerous passages teach that sanctification is an ongoing
process (Gal. 3:3; Eph. 4:15-16; 1 Thes. 4:1,10; 2 Peter 1:3-8).
During this process, the new man is transformed into Christ's image
(2 Cor. 3:18; Eph. 4:23; Col. 3:10) and increased victory is won
over sin (Eph. 4:22-24; Gal. 5:16-6:5; 1 Thes. 4:3-7).
- Crises that promote growth can and do occur in the life of a Christian
(2 Cor. 1:8-11; 2 Cor. 12:1-10). The New Testament teaches nowhere,
however, that crises such as surrender (Keswick), entire sanctification
(Wesley), or the Baptism of the Holy Spirit are normative experiences
that should be sought by all Christians. Christians are never urged
to seek life-defining post-conversion crisis experiences. Instead
we hear more about not losing heart, not growing weary (Gal. 6:9-10)
and pressing on with the acknowledgment we have not become perfect
(Phil. 3:12-16; Gal. 5:16-6:10).
God's role and man's role
- God accomplishes our sanctification (1 Thes. 5:24;Phil.
1:6; Hebrews 13:20-21) through the agency of the Holy Spirit (1
Peter 1:2). He causes us to grow and change, and we cooperate (Phil.
2:12-13). We pursue our sanctification (1 Tim. 6:11; Heb. 12:14),
trust God that we are free from sin (Rom. 6:11) and that he can
renew us (Col. 3:1-11), and participate in the means of grace: learning
the Word of God (1 Peter 2:2), participating in fellowship (Eph.
4:15-16), responding to God's discipline (Heb. 12:11), praying (Rom.
8:26; James 5:16), and giving our lives away to serve others (John
13:17).
Maturity
- The Bible does make distinctions between the maturity
level of different Christians (Heb. 5:11-14; Gal. 5:13-15; 1 Cor.
2:6). But this distinction is based on knowledge of the Word of
God, not on whether or not someone has had an experience such as
entire sanctification.
Baptism of Holy Spirit
- The Baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs at conversion and
involves the placement of a new convert into the body of Christ
and the receiving of the indwelling presence of the Spirit (1 Cor.
12:13). Nowhere does the Bible urge Christians to seek a second
baptism of, in, by, or with the Holy Spirit after their conversion.
Role of the Holy Spirit in sanctification
- The Spirit fills believers and empowers Christians for
service (Eph. 5:18; Acts 4:8; Acts 7:55) and is responsible for
transforming them into conformity with Christ (Rom. 8:4,11).
- The filling of the Holy Spirit is a temporary experience that
Christians must repeatedly seek. Through this filling, the Holy
Spirit empowers Christians to serve God more effectively (Acts 4:8,31;
6:3,5; 7:55; 9:17; 11:24).
- The filling of the Holy Spirit is similar if not identical to
Paul's notion of "walking according to the Spirit" in
Rom. 8:1-11.
- The Spirit also helps Christians to understand the meaning of
scripture (1 Cor. 2:12; I John 2:27), assures believers they are
God's children (Rom. 8:16), and distributes gifts to help Christians
serve more effectively (1 Cor. 12:7; 1 Peter 4:10).
A Final Word About Crisis Experiences
In this paper, I have been critical of two crisis experiences:
the Keswick notion of surrender and the Pentecostal description
of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. If someone is urged to pursue
one of these experiences or is told that these experiences are normative
for Christians, I believe damage can result. He or she may become
unnecessarily disappointed that the experience never comes, or they
may be tempted to fake the experience in order to be viewed as spiritual.
This is not to say that life-changing
post-conversion experiences never happen to Christians. The Keswick
experience of surrender no doubt occurs in the lives of some Christians
(although it does not result in freedom from deliberate sin). Other
life-defining post-conversion experiences occur as well. But we
are never told in the Bible that Christians should seek out these
experiences or that they are normative for all believers.
Despite potential for excesses and
potential for problems, Christians should not avoid spiritual or
crisis experiences altogether. Francis Schaeffer points out, "Christianity
is not only intellectual...Christianity is the reality of communion
with God in the present life; it is the understanding that there
is the indwelling Spirit; it is the understanding that there is
the moment by moment empowering of the Holy Spirit... It is the
understanding that the fruit of the Spirit is something real to
all Christians. It is the understanding that prayer is real and
not just a devotional exercise. Indeed we must not overreact to...
super-spirituality, but we must stress that Christ... means us to
affirm life and not negate life. Such is the ideal. May God show
us the living balance and help us to live, by his grace, in that
balance."[78]
Altogether rejecting crisis experiences
would strip our Christian lives of some of the most profound and
rewarding events that occur in our lives. The result would be a
dead and lifeless orthodoxy that is just as destructive as overemphasizing
experience. We should be grateful, as Paul was, when, through adversity
or the overflow of the Spirit, we are granted accelerated growth
or deeper insight into God's character. But we can't expect that
these events will always occur in the life of every
Christian.
While affirming healthy spiritual experiences,
we should teach people to view sanctification as a process. During
this process, Christians enjoy the power and presence of the Holy
Spirit as He helps them to live in dependence on Him, have victory
over sin, and serve effectively.
NOTES:
[1]
Melvin E. Dieter, Anthony A. Hoekema, Stanley M. Horton, J. Robertson
McQuilkin, John F. Walvoord, Five Views on Sanctification
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1987). Return to Text
[2]
Ibid., p. 15. Return to Text
[3]
Ibid., p. 12. Return to Text
[4]
Ibid., p. 21. Return to Text
[5]
Ibid., p. 25. Return to Text
[6]
See, for example, Matt 5:48,6:13; Rom. 8:3-4, 2 Cor. 7:1. In Matthew
5:48 Jesus admonishes his listeners to be perfect as their heavenly
father is perfect. Paul says that Christians can fulfill the righteous
requirement of the law because Jesus condemned sin in the flesh.
Paul challenges the Corinthians to cleanse themselves from "all
defilement of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear
of God." Return to Text
[7]
Luke 1:69-75, Titus 2:11-14; 1 John 4:17 Return to Text
[8]
Melvin E. Dieter, Anthony A. Hoekema, Stanley M. Horton, J. Robertson
McQuilkin, John F. Walvoord, Five Views on Sanctification
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1987), p. 13. Return to Text
[9]
Ibid., p. 17. Return to Text
[ Return
to Text
[]] 11
Ibid., p. 19. Return to Text
[12]
Rom. 6:12. All scripture references are to the New American Standard
Bible Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975,
1977 by the Lockman Foundation. Return to Text
[13]
Rom. 6:22 Return to Text
[14]
Melvin E. Dieter, Anthony A. Hoekema, Stanley M. Horton, J. Robertson
McQuilkin, John F. Walvoord, Five Views on Sanctification
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1987), p. 26. Return to Text
[15]
Dieter in Five Views on Sanctification, p. 27. Return
to Text
[16]
Ibid., p. 29. Return to Text
[17]
Ibid., p. 35. Return to Text
[18]
Ibid., p. 35, italics mine. Return to Text
[19]
Melvin E. Dieter, Anthony A. Hoekema, Stanley M. Horton, J. Robertson
McQuilkin, John F. Walvoord, Five Views on Sanctification
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1987), p. 226. Return to Text
[20]
Hoekema makes a strong case that this is essentially how
Dieter defines entire sanctification. For more on this see Melvin
E. Dieter, Anthony A. Hoekema, Stanley M. Horton, J. Robertson McQuilkin,
John F. Walvoord, Five Views on Sanctification (Grand Rapids,
Mich.: Zondervan, 1987), p. 48. Return to Text
[21]
The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology points
out that "teleios occurs five times meaning mature, fully grown:
1 Cor. 2:6; 14:20; Phil. 3:15, ... and Col. 1:28." Colin Brown,
ed. The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology,
Vol. 1 (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1976), p. 62. Return
to Text
[22]
The late Oswald Sanders was the consulting director for Overseas
Missionary Fellowship, a well known speaker, and a prolific author.
Return to Text
[23]
Melvin E. Dieter, Anthony A. Hoekema, Stanley M. Horton, J. Robertson
McQuilkin, John F. Walvoord, Five Views on Sanctification
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1987), p. 27. Return to Text
[24]
Ibid., p. 14, 23. Return to Text
[25]
Ibid., p 23. Return to Text
[26]
Melvin E. Dieter, Anthony A. Hoekema, Stanley M. Horton, J. Robertson
McQuilkin, John F. Walvoord, Five Views on Sanctification
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1987), p. 61. Return to Text
[27]
Ibid., p. 64. Return to Text
[28]
Ibid., p. 69-70. Return to Text
[29]
Ibid., p. 71-72. Return to Text
[30]
Ibid., p. 74. Return to Text
[31]
Ibid., p. 77. Return to Text
[32]
Ibid., p. 81. Return to Text
[33]
Ibid., p. 79. Return to Text
[34]
Ibid., p. 81. Return to Text
[35]
Ibid., p. 85 Return to Text
[36]
Ibid., p. 85. Return to Text
[37]
Ibid., p. 87. Return to Text
[38]
A permanent empowering of the Holy Spirit often evidenced by speaking
in tongues that Christians typically receive sometime after conversion.
Return to Text
[39]
Melvin E. Dieter, Anthony A. Hoekema, Stanley M. Horton, J. Robertson
McQuilkin, John F. Walvoord, Five Views on Sanctification
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1987), p. 118. Return to Text
[40]
Ibid., p. 118. Return to Text
[41]
Ibid., p. 127. Return to Text
[42]
Ibid., p. 130. Return to Text
[43]
Ibid., p. 131. Return to Text
[44]
Ibid., p. 133. Return to Text
[45]
Many Pentecostals believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit typically
follows conversion but can at times coincide with it. Return
to Text
[46]
Melvin E. Dieter, Anthony A. Hoekema, Stanley M. Horton, J. Robertson
McQuilkin, John F. Walvoord, Five Views on Sanctification
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1987), p. 131. Return to Text
[47]
I believe that John 7:39 ("the Spirit had not been given, since
Jesus had not yet been glorified") and John 17:1 ("Father,
the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you")
imply that the disciples were not indwelled by the Holy Spirit prior
to Jesus' glorification. Most theologians believe Jesus was glorified
in his crucifixion, resurrection and exaltation (John 13:31-32).
So the disciples could not have been indwelled by the Spirit prior
to Jesus' resurrection. In John 20:22, during a post resurrection
appearance, Jesus breathes on the disciples and says, "receive
the Holy Spirit." Does this mean they were indwelled by the
Spirit? That is a possible interpretation. If true, at Pentecost
the disciples were given a special filling to be effective witnesses
while everyone else was being Indwelled for the first time. Another
possible interpretation of John 20:22 recognizes that Jesus breathed
the spirit on them in connection with his sending them out to witness
(20:21) and that this act anticipated the future indwelling of the
Holy Spirit to empower them to witness (Acts 1:7). Admittedly there
are some difficulties with either view. Return to Text
[48]
Baptism of the Holy Spirit, as I have defined it, occurs
at conversion. Luke records several conversions (Acts 8, 16) where
no mention is made of tongues. Return to Text
[49]
Hoekema's claim that 1 Cor. 12:30 specifically refers to
a "continuing ministry to the church of speaking in tongues
in the assembly" is unconvincing. See Melvin E. Dieter, Anthony
A. Hoekema, Stanley M. Horton, J. Robertson McQuilkin, John F. Walvoord,
Five Views on Sanctification (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan,
1987), p. 131. Return to Text
[50]
Melvin E. Dieter, Anthony A. Hoekema, Stanley M. Horton, J. Robertson
McQuilkin, John F. Walvoord, Five Views on Sanctification
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1987), p. 155. Return to Text
[51]
Melvin E. Dieter, Anthony A. Hoekema, Stanley M. Horton, J. Robertson
McQuilkin, John F. Walvoord, Five Views on Sanctification
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1987), p. 153-154. Return to
Text
[52]
Melvin E. Dieter, Anthony A. Hoekema, Stanley M. Horton, J. Robertson
McQuilkin, John F. Walvoord, Five Views on Sanctification
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1987),p. 178. Return to Text
[53]
Ibid., p. 180. Return to Text
[54]
Ibid., p. 153-154. Return to Text
[55]
Ibid., p. 159, 178-179. Return to Text
[56]
Ibid., p. 171. Return to Text
[57]
Ibid., p. 171. Return to Text
[58]
Ibid., p. 166. Return to Text
[59]
Ibid., p. 169. Return to Text
[60]
Ibid., p. 170. Return to Text
[61]
Ibid., p. 177. Return to Text
[62]
Ibid., p. 176-177. Return to Text
[63]
Ibid., p. 176. Return to Text
[64]
Ibid., p. 173. Return to Text
[65]
Ibid., p. 180. Return to Text
[66]
Ibid., p. 195. Return to Text
[67]
Ibid., p. 187. Return to Text
[68]
Used by some, for example, to describe Jesus' human and divine nature.
See Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, 3 vols. (New York:
Scribner, 1899), 2:387, 389. Return to Text
[69]
Melvin E. Dieter, Anthony A. Hoekema, Stanley M. Horton, J. Robertson
McQuilkin, John F. Walvoord, Five Views on Sanctification
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1987), p. 206. Return to Text
[70]
Ibid., p. 208. Return to Text
[71]
Ibid., p. 210. Return to Text
[72]
Ibid., p. 215. Return to Text
[73]
Ibid., p. 215. Return to Text
[74]
Ibid., p. 222. Return to Text
[75]
I think Walvoord is on shaky ground here. Some groups with a Calvinist
perspective are aggressive in their outreach. Return to Text
[76]
Melvin E. Dieter, Anthony A. Hoekema, Stanley M. Horton, J. Robertson
McQuilkin, John F. Walvoord, Five Views on Sanctification
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1987), p. 225. Return to Text
[77]
Note these imperatives: "Be filled with the Holy Spirit"
(Eph. 5:18), "walk by the Spirit" (Gal. 5:16). Return
to Text
[78]
Francis A. Schaeffer, The New Superspirituality, The Complete
Works of Francis A. Schaeffer (Westchester, Illinois: Crossway
Books, 1982), Vol. 3, pp. 399-401. Return to Text
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