7. The Bible positively affirms that provision is made in the gospel for our sanctification. "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, might live unto righteousness." (1 Pet. ii. 24.) "Who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." (1 Cor. i. 30.) "Wherefore Jesus, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate." (Heb. xiii. 12.) We have the same Scripture evidence precisely that provision is made for the entire sanctification of Christians, that we have that provision is made for the pardon and regeneration of sinners.
8. It is the declared object for which the Holy Ghost dwells in the heart of the Christian. "To be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge; that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God." (Eph. iii. 14.)
9. Sanctification is attainable from the fact that God has given us The Word as the instrumental means of effecting it. "Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth." (John xvii. 17.) "Ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." (John xv. 3.) All scripture is given by inspiration of God ... that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Tim. iii. 16.) The Word declares its necessity, points to the cleansing blood, and to the Holy Ghost as the efficient agent; "Through the sanctification of the Spirit, and the belief of the truth." (2 Thess. ii. 13.)
10. It is the grand object of an established ministry. "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." (Eph. iv. 11.)
11. That holiness is attainable is seen in the fact that its attainability lays the only adequate foundation for vigorous and prayerful efforts to be holy. All admit that we are bound to aim at holiness. To aim at a state, without the expectation of reaching it, is a hard task, and must render our efforts powerless. If holiness is not attainable in this life, to seek it is to act in opposition to a principle that is considered necessary to efficient action on every other subject. No one ever strives to secure or to accomplish what he knows to be impossible. The full salvation, or holiness of the child of God, is the grand fact running through the whole book of God. In the Bible figure of refining gold, it is, "I will purely purge away all thy dross." If water be the figure, it is, "Ye shall be clean," or "Ye shall be whiter than snow." If it be the working of leaven, it is, "Till the whole is leavened." If it be death to sin by crucifixion, it is, "He that is dead is freed from sin." If cleansing the leper be the figure, it is, "Ye shall be clean," or, " I will, be thou clean." If it be a creation, it is, "Create in me clean heart," If it be a renewal, it is, "In righteousness and true holiness."
If it has respect to the priesthood of Christ, it is "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost." Is it a state described? It is, "Blessed are the pure in heart." Is depravity represented as deep and indelible as scarlet and crimson? It is, "They shall be as white as snow." Does it present a Divine Prototype? It is, "As He (Christ) is, so are we in this world." Does it present the instrumental cause? It is,"Sanctify them through thy truth." Does it present the meritorious cause? It is, "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son," who "gave himself a ransom for all." Is human agency involved in the work? It is, "He purifieth himself, even as he is pure." Is the proximate conditional cause stated? It is, "Sanctified by faith that is in me," and, "Purifying their hearts by faith." Is the grand efficient agent referred to? It is, "Through sanctification of the Spirit." Is the time stated? It is, "Behold, now is the accepted time," and, "Come, for all things are now ready." Does it declare who shall enter heaven? It is, "he that hath clean lands and a pure heart."
No comments:
Post a Comment