BLJ: I speak much about taking the death route. However, at the end of the death route, faith still must be exercised to be sanctified wholly. The below is an excellent reading on eradication through faith. Remember, the old man must be eradicated, that is removed, not simply suppressed.
THE ERADICATION OF THE OLD MAN THROUGH FAITH
God's plan provides for the eradication of the old man from the heart. After the great battle of consecrating to God, or a complete dying out, comes the all-important battle of faith. If Satan and the old man can defeat the believer here, the battle for holiness is lost. At this point they do their most shrewd, cunning, and successful work in many lives. Only by faith can a soul be delivered from carnality. Some one has said: "Your faith is the king bolt; let it join you to Christ."
What is sanctifying faith? It is a simple act of venturing trust, a wholehearted confidence, a restful reliance on the Word of God which enables one to say from the heart, "The precious blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God, does now cleanse me from all inward sin." "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." In the Word, we find that God is a Father to His children. He has the great, loving Father-heart. He has given us the Atonement at the greatest sacrifice ever made. Jesus loves the Church, and has given Himself that He might sanctify it. Our God has all wisdom, love and power. As our Father, He is using all these attributes for our highest good and for His supreme glory. It is our highest good and for His greatest glory to eradicate the old man out of our hearts.
Remembering that God is our Father, that He seeks our highest good and His greatest glory, that He has made full provision for our entire sanctification, that we can glorify Him supremely only when we are perfected in love -- remembering this gives us faith to seek Him for the cleansing of our hearts. Faith is generated in his heart, as the seeking, abandoned believer goes to the Word. Seeking only the glory of God, the heart is in a receptive state to receive the Word. There is, perhaps, no promise more precious to the seeking believer than this: "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" -- Luke 11: 13.
It is God's will that we be sanctified, that the old man be rooted out of our hearts -- Eph. 1:4. He commands us to be holy. -- l Pet. 1:15, 16. He promises to make us holy. -- l Thess. 5:23, 24. Jesus prayed that we might have this experience. -- John 17. He died to sanctify us -- Heb. 13:12. It is necessary for the greatest glory of God. -- John 15:8. Entire sanctification gives us a holy heart now in this present life. -- Gal. 2:20. "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." There is no more needy time than when a believer is seeking to have the old man eradicated. Go to the Word. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal it to your heart, so that faith may be generated to take hold upon God
Many stumble over the very simplicity of faith. Turning aside from all theological definitions of faith, the definition of the poor washerwoman is simplicity itself: "Faith is taking God at His word, and asking no questions." There are, usually, two classes of seekers. (1) Those who have the great fight in consecrating or dying out. As a rule these have little conflict with faith. They seem to believe automatically. There is not the mighty conflict with faith that the other class has. (2) Those who readily and quickly consecrate or die out, but have their battle when it comes to exercising faith. Often those who have strong reasoning power, who like to study things out, to see through things with their powers of intellect, have a great battle in believing. Also those who have had their faith more or less paralyzed because they have professed several times, and yet have not obtained the experience. Satan fights with all his fiendish and hellish power to defeat these souls. Added to this is the power of the old man, who does not want to die. If faith can be defeated, these souls will never get through. All the powers of darkness and hell are turned loose to defeat the exercise of faith. A perfect consecration, or dying out, does not sanctify the heart. Never! Never! Never! Only the blood of Jesus can do this. Such souls need encouragement, need to let the Word take root in their hearts. Often they go round and round over their consecration until they have a well-beaten path around the ground of abandonment. But they will never get the experience of holiness till they advance from the ground of dying out to the ground of faith. They must deliberately choose to believe. They must run every lying witness Out of their hearts, and honor God by a simplicity of faith. Such faith is great because of its simplicity. God is love. He is just and holy. To His hungry child, He will not give a stone for bread. Never! Press through! Faith is not a struggle, though a struggle may come first. Faith is a rest. It is not straining every muscle to try to reach a rope about two inches above our reach. No! It is a rest. A sweet rest! A glorious rest!
THE ERADICATION OF THE OLD MAN THROUGH FAITH
God's plan provides for the eradication of the old man from the heart. After the great battle of consecrating to God, or a complete dying out, comes the all-important battle of faith. If Satan and the old man can defeat the believer here, the battle for holiness is lost. At this point they do their most shrewd, cunning, and successful work in many lives. Only by faith can a soul be delivered from carnality. Some one has said: "Your faith is the king bolt; let it join you to Christ."
What is sanctifying faith? It is a simple act of venturing trust, a wholehearted confidence, a restful reliance on the Word of God which enables one to say from the heart, "The precious blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God, does now cleanse me from all inward sin." "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." In the Word, we find that God is a Father to His children. He has the great, loving Father-heart. He has given us the Atonement at the greatest sacrifice ever made. Jesus loves the Church, and has given Himself that He might sanctify it. Our God has all wisdom, love and power. As our Father, He is using all these attributes for our highest good and for His supreme glory. It is our highest good and for His greatest glory to eradicate the old man out of our hearts.
Remembering that God is our Father, that He seeks our highest good and His greatest glory, that He has made full provision for our entire sanctification, that we can glorify Him supremely only when we are perfected in love -- remembering this gives us faith to seek Him for the cleansing of our hearts. Faith is generated in his heart, as the seeking, abandoned believer goes to the Word. Seeking only the glory of God, the heart is in a receptive state to receive the Word. There is, perhaps, no promise more precious to the seeking believer than this: "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" -- Luke 11: 13.
It is God's will that we be sanctified, that the old man be rooted out of our hearts -- Eph. 1:4. He commands us to be holy. -- l Pet. 1:15, 16. He promises to make us holy. -- l Thess. 5:23, 24. Jesus prayed that we might have this experience. -- John 17. He died to sanctify us -- Heb. 13:12. It is necessary for the greatest glory of God. -- John 15:8. Entire sanctification gives us a holy heart now in this present life. -- Gal. 2:20. "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." There is no more needy time than when a believer is seeking to have the old man eradicated. Go to the Word. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal it to your heart, so that faith may be generated to take hold upon God
Many stumble over the very simplicity of faith. Turning aside from all theological definitions of faith, the definition of the poor washerwoman is simplicity itself: "Faith is taking God at His word, and asking no questions." There are, usually, two classes of seekers. (1) Those who have the great fight in consecrating or dying out. As a rule these have little conflict with faith. They seem to believe automatically. There is not the mighty conflict with faith that the other class has. (2) Those who readily and quickly consecrate or die out, but have their battle when it comes to exercising faith. Often those who have strong reasoning power, who like to study things out, to see through things with their powers of intellect, have a great battle in believing. Also those who have had their faith more or less paralyzed because they have professed several times, and yet have not obtained the experience. Satan fights with all his fiendish and hellish power to defeat these souls. Added to this is the power of the old man, who does not want to die. If faith can be defeated, these souls will never get through. All the powers of darkness and hell are turned loose to defeat the exercise of faith. A perfect consecration, or dying out, does not sanctify the heart. Never! Never! Never! Only the blood of Jesus can do this. Such souls need encouragement, need to let the Word take root in their hearts. Often they go round and round over their consecration until they have a well-beaten path around the ground of abandonment. But they will never get the experience of holiness till they advance from the ground of dying out to the ground of faith. They must deliberately choose to believe. They must run every lying witness Out of their hearts, and honor God by a simplicity of faith. Such faith is great because of its simplicity. God is love. He is just and holy. To His hungry child, He will not give a stone for bread. Never! Press through! Faith is not a struggle, though a struggle may come first. Faith is a rest. It is not straining every muscle to try to reach a rope about two inches above our reach. No! It is a rest. A sweet rest! A glorious rest!
"Faith being the exercise of the power we possess to believe God's Word, it is a voluntary act. The soul must recognize that it can believe; must choose to believe; must say, 'I will believe,' and persistently reckon pardon or purity its own on God's word, in the face of every temptation of doubt, arising from any source whatever . . . . At every stage in seeking the Lord there is either defeat in believing Satan or victory in believing Jesus."
A great soul-winner has said: "Doubling souls awaken the deepest sympathy in me, having myself long suffered from this cause until Jesus wrought a complete cure. To such, I have a special mission. 'I know not what it is to doubt; my heart is ever gay.' This assurance has not been interrupted for one moment for five years."
One describes his battle of faith thus: "I had expected that some wonderful manifestation would follow. But I was shut up to faith -- naked faith in a naked promise. I then took the advanced ground of confession. Giving God the glory due to his name I exclaimed: 'Through thy grace alone I have been enabled to give myself wholly and forever to thee. Thou hast given thy word, assuring me that thou dost receive. I believe that word! Alleluia! Glory be to the Holy Spirit forever!' Oh, into what a region of light, glory and purity was my soul at this moment ushered! I felt that I was but as a drop in the ocean of infinite love, and Christ was all in all."
Another had been having a great struggle in the battle of faith. His heart was set to believe God. The struggle did not end the first day. He walked about saying, "I will believe!" "I will believe!" He says, "With such a persistent determination of faith I retired. The next morning before I arose it occurred to me to thank God for the blessing as a thing received. I began to do it, when speedily the Spirit came to bring the witness that God is true. A tide of joy swept through my soul and I cried out, 'O bless the Lord! Praise the Lord! He does come and fill my soul!' From that hour my life has been consciously changed."
The only way to receive the experience of Entire Sanctification is to have the old man eradicated by exercising a simple faith in the Atonement.
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