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Article IV, Part 4: Sanctification, Perseverance, Glorification, the Work of Christ

July 25, 2011 by Dr. Jeff Robinson

Editor's note: Below is my full outline from Sunday night's teaching on Article IV (Salvation) from PBC's confession of faith. This is the fourth and final part on this multi-faceted article. Next week, we will examine Article V, the Gospel--CJR]

I.                   Sanctification
A.    Definition (Anthony Hoekema). That gracious operation of the Holy Spirit, involving our responsible participation, by which he delivers us 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.
1.      Classic text: 2 Cor. 3:18, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
2.      It is a work of the Holy Spirit and a work in which we participate. Eph. 2:10, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
--2 Peter 1:3-11.
B.     A two-fold reality. (which our confession speaks of) Toplady sings of this in “Rock of Ages,” verse 1, “Let the water and the blood, from thy riven side which flowed, be of sin the double cure, cleanse me from its guilt and power.” Justification cleanses us from unrighteousness and breaks the power of canceled sin and in the same way our sanctification has two sides:
1.      Growing in Christ likeness-the pattern of sanctification. We were created in his image and likeness (Gen. 1:26-27); Rom. 8:29, “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”
2.      Putting sin to death. Breaking the strongholds of sin, etc. We are delivered from the pollution of sin. We are made holy. The Bible, throughout, admonishes God’s people, “Be holy, for I am holy.
--Rom 8:13: “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” Gal. 5:24, “And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
C.    A lifelong reality. Phil. 1: 24-45, “But to remain in the flesh is necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith.”
D.    It is a work of all three persons of the Trinity.
1.      The Father: John 17:17, “Sanctify them in truth, your word is truth.”
2.      The Son: Eph. 5:25-27.
3.      The Holy Spirit: Rom. 15:16.
E.     It is an ongoing war between the flesh and the Spirit. J.C. Ryle, Holiness.
F.     Sanctification and the Law. In one sense, the Christian is free from the law: Rom. 6:14, “For sin shall not be your master, for you are not under the law, but under grace.” Some interpret this an antinomian fashion. Paul here means that the believer is free from the curse of the law. But he is not free from living out the law.
--Calvin’s third use of the law: a guide to sanctification. (a mirror). For Calvin, thi was the most important function of the law for a believer. Psalm 19:7-8; Christ commanded it in the Sermon on the Mount in Matt. 5:19, “Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
G.    Good works. (this is a separate paragraph under salvation in our confession).
1.      James 2:14-26. Kennedy and others: “Justification by faith is our being justified before God. Works is our being justified before man.”
II.                Perseverance
J.C. Ryle: “There are two points in religion which the teaching of the Bible is very plain and distinct. One of these points is the fearful danger of the ungodly. The other is the perfect safety of the righteous. One is the happiness of those who are converted; the other is the misery of those who are unconverted. One is the blessedness of being in the way to heaven; the other is the wretchedness of being in the way to hell.” (Old Paths, p. 476)
A.    See all three chapters of the SLC.
B.     Two aspects: 1 Peter 1:3-5.
1.      Preservation. John 10:27-30, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. [28] I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. [29] My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. [30] I and the Father are one.” Phil. 1:6, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion on the day of Jesus Christ.”
2.      Perseverance. Though tempted by the world, the flesh and the devil, sinners, though they may fall into a backslidden condition for a time and even sin grievously, genuine believers will not fall away. Peter is an excellent illustration of this.
i.                    What of those who fall away and never return? 1 John 2:19; Matthew 13:1-9; Heb. 6.
ii.                  Part of the golden chain of salvation: Rom. 8:28-30.
iii.                Unforgettable promise: Rom. 8:31-39.
The result: glorification
 
III.             Glorification
A.    Rom. 8:28-30.
IV.             The work of Christ.
A.    For whom did Christ die? Christ died for His people.
B.     Issue: sixth sentence. “[Jesus] suffered the punishment every human being deserves.” A slight revision might be: “Jesus suffered the punishment for everyone who believes” or “every one of the elect.”