Holiness Attainable Part 5

54. Does the Scripture imagery employed to illustrate the work of entire sanctification imply rapidity and dispatch?

It does. The imagery employed is that of death by mortification, death by crucifixion, the refining of metals, working of leaven, creation, ablution, and the cleansing of the leper.

1. Death by mortification. "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth." (Col. iii. 5.) Let mortification set in, and its victim is soon laid in the dust.

2. Death by crucifixion. "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed." (Rom. vi. 6.) Mr. Benson says: "Our old man, signifies our entire depravity and corruption, which by nature spreads itself over the whole man, leaving no part uninfected." Crucifixion is a short process.

3. The process of creation. "Create in me a clean heart, O God." (Ps. li. 10.) " Which after (the image of) God is created in righteousness and true holiness." (Eph. iv. 24.) The process of creation, so far as we know, is instantaneous.

4. The cleansing of the leper. "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean." (Ps. li.) Leprosy was incurable by human means, was cured only by a special work of God, and was effected in a moment. The cleansing of the leper was an emblem of the removal of sin. The whole process was short. Christ said: "I will, be thou clean, and immediately his leprosy was cleansed." (Matt. viii. 3.)

5. The refinement of silver and gold. "I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin." (Isa. i. 25.) "And he shall sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver." (Mal. iii. 3.) This is another short process.

6. The working of leaven. "The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal until the whole was leavened." (Matt. xiii. 33.) This parable is plain, and adapted to the weakest capacity, and indicates a short process.

7. As an ablution. "Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." (Ps. li.) " Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean." (Ezek. xxxvi. 25.)

The process in each of these cases is rapid and soon accomplished. Mortification, crucifixion, creation, refining metals, ablution, and the working of leaven are accomplished in a few hours, and never extend through series of years. In neither of them is it continued through even a week. "Behold, now is the day of salvation."

55. Is it not objected that the terms "corruption," "defilement," and the like, are too physical to be asserted of the soul?

It is; and is a result of efforts to be wise "above what is written." These terms are given in the Bible; they are very numerous, are in both Testaments, and are more used than any others. The philosophy of human depravity God has not revealed. The fact he reveals and amply illustrates, and uses the figures in question to do it.

The Bible clearly teaches, that the soul in its fallen, depraved state is "diseased," "defiled," and "polluted," and needs "washing," "purging," "cleansing," and "healing." It is both scriptural and reasonable to believe that human depravity is a corrupt, diseased condition of soul, analogous to a diseased, polluted human body. The predisposing evil tendency in the heart is the exponent of an underlying, radical evil, or corrupt nature. Teaching that "indwelling sin," "inbred sin," "sin in believers," and "the evil treasure," and the like, mean only "predisposing tendencies," conflicts with the whole tenor of the Scriptures. To assert that defilement and pollution are too physical to be predicated of spirit, when we do not even know what spirit is, is to draw conclusions from premises which we do not understand, and our conclusions in the nature of the case must be as uncertain as our knowledge of the premise is uncertain. A false method always leads to a false conclusion.

We may inter moral condition from moral phenomena just as we do physical condition from physical phenomena. See Matt. xii. 35; Luke vi. 45. To assert that "the evil man" has no "evil treasure" in "his heart," because we cannot analyze, explain it and tell what it is, is to contradict the Bible because of our ignorance. It is reasonable to suppose that the Holy Ghost has selected the best and most appropriate terms significant of human depravity.