Holiness Attainable Part 6

56. Can a state of entire sanctification be secured by ordinary growth in grace?

It cannot; for the following reasons:--

1. Growth in grace is neither a destroying, nor a washing, nor a crucifying, nor a cleansing process. Entire sanctification is a death, a washing, a purification. "The blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin."

2. Growth in grace has respect to addition, to enlargement and development, and belongs entirely to the positive in Christian life -- the graces of the spirit. Growth is an increase or development of some living force: not a destroyer or transformer of any living force. The idea of entire sanctification is that of justification, i. e., the removal of an impurity or defilement. One is a destruction, the other is an enlargement.

3. Growth in grace is a natural process, involving culture and discipline, and appertains to spiritual life. Sanctification is a supernatural and divine work wrought in the soul. Growth, the natural, gradual process of development, should not be mixed with the instantaneous, supernatural work of purgation and purification.

4. In growth in grace, the soul is active and co-operative. Entire sanctification is something experienced, and not something done. The soul is passive, is the subject, and not the agent of the cleansing, the same as it was in regeneration. Before and after both regeneration and entire sanctification the soul is active and co-operative.

5. Growth never changes the nature of any thing; hence, a believer cannot grow pure, for the same reason that a sinner cannot grow into a saint -- growth not changing the nature of things. A pure nature may grow, and an impure one may grow, and mere growth does not change the one or the other.

6. Growth and development have no fixed relations to purity in any way. They have respect to size, or enlargement, and not to quality or purity; and hence, all changes by growth, or gradual processes, are in size or quantity, and not in kind or quality. Purity or holiness has respect to quality and not to quantity.

7. Growth in grace is the same after entire sanctification as before. If growth in grace is a cleansing process, and is growth in purity, it must follow, that when the soul is entirely sanctified, there can be no further growth, since what is wholly pure can never become more pure.

8. Dr. F. G. Hibbard says: "It has long appeared to us that any who are seeking after entire holiness mistake the duty of gradual growth in grace, and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, for a gradual growing out of sin. They seem to think that the two mutually involve each other, and that as they must always grow up into Christ in all things, so they must by degrees grow out of the bondage, guilt, and pollution of sin." Now, to all such we would say one word of admonition. There is no gradual growing out of sin. All that partakes of the proper nature of sin in you must be forgiven and washed way through faith in the blood of the Lamb. WHEN THIS IS DONE, IT IS AN INSTANTANEOUS WORK."

Sin is not a thing to be grown out of, but a thing to be forgiven and to be cleansed away." -- "In this view of perfection [the improvement and maturity of the graces of the Spirit], there are degrees and progressive stages but in the work of simply cleansing from all sin, both of flesh and spirit, inbred and overt sin, there are no degrees, no progressive stages, -- the work is complete at the first, and instantaneous as to time, performed by the Holy Ghost just at the moment when the burdened soul has faith to be made every whit whole." -- N. C. Advocate.

The idea that deliverance from indwelling sin, and a state of entire sanctification may be secured by the ordinary process of growth, we regard as a serious mistake and productive of much evil. The reader will find this question treated with special attention in Purity and Maturity, pp. 128-185.

57. In what sense is entire sanctification instantaneous?

1. If, by entire sanctification be intended the act of cleansing the justified believer from inbred sin, it is instantaneous in the same sense as regeneration. Not necessarily in the "twinkling of an eye," at least so far as our perceptions are concerned, but is a short, quick, rapid work, the same as the new birth. It is instantaneous as a death or a birth, as a washing or refining. Note the imagery -- (question 54.)

2. The preparatory process is usually more or less gradual hence, Bishop Hamline says: "It is gradually approached, but instantaneously bestowed." Before regeneration, there was a gradual process of conviction, repentance, humiliation, consecration, and faith; but they did not regenerate the soul in part, or in whole, they preceded it. Preceding entire sanctification there is a gradual process of obtaining light, receiving conviction, hungering after purity, confession, prayer, and faith. These do not gradually sanctify the soul, but precede that work.

3. The approach to entire sanctification -- the life of righteousness, and the growth of the Christian virtues received in regeneration, are gradual, and not instantaneous. This is the sense that some writers mean who maintain that sanctification is only gradual in this life. Others claim that it is both gradual and instantaneous, gradual as to the growth of the Christian virtues, and instantaneous in heart purification.

Making this plain distinction between the death of sin and the life of righteousness, relieves this subject of much confusion, and many writers of contradiction regarding instantaneous and gradual sanctification.

4. The death of sin is made instantaneous, and the life of righteousness gradual, by Dr. George Peck, one of the purest and ablest theologians of his day:

"It will be remembered that we have found sanctification to imply both the death of sin, and the life of righteousness. and when we speak of entire sanctification, as to the former part of it, we say it may be attained at once -- it is an instantaneous work." ... But in relation to the latter part of this great work, viz., the life of righteousness embracing all holy affections, and pious efforts, it is regarded as entirely progressive. The destruction of sin in the soul, and the growth of holiness, are two distinct things The one is instantaneous, the other gradual and hence it is that we sometimes say, with propriety that the work of entire sanctification is both gradual and instantaneous." -- Peck's Christian Perfection, p. 212.

5. Dr. Raymond says: In this view it is obvious that the work of complete sanctification is both progressive and instantaneous progressive as to the acquisition of knowledge and ability to know, and instantaneous as to the appropriation of he blessing apprehended." -- Vol. ii. p. 393.