R C’s 24-minute lecture provides a thorough understanding of ‘sanctification.’ Biblical doctrines, such as sanctification, should be understood by Christians so they are able to think about their walk of faith by examining the various aspects of it from a biblical perspective.
During his lecture, R C briefly discussed several other doctrines, such as ‘imputation,’ ‘justification,’ etc. Those terms are defined below the video for Christians who aren’t clear about their meanings.
Highlights of Sproul teaching on SANCTIFICATION [bracketed statements, underscoring and emboldening are mine]:
- R C opened with a story about sanctification
- The good news of the Christian life is that we are Justified by the righteousness of another
- [The following terms are partially defined at the end of post, to read full explanation, click the appropriate link: sanctification; justification; imputation; and faith]
- Because Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us at conversion, we may have fellowship with God prior to complete sanctification
- Sanctification is a process wherein a born-again Christian becomes more holy in this life; it is not completed until glorification [at the time of death, God finishes the task]
- God gives faith when He justifies a person; fruit of that faith will be evident thereafter
- Although all Christians remain carnal to some degree
- If a Christian shows NO evidence of being changed, then he is likely not converted
- A person is NOT justified by profession of faith, but by possession of faith
- True faith begins to show fruit immediately
- R C drew a graph showing progress in sanctification; see the graph below the video to get an a fuller explanation if you are unfamiliar with graphs about behavioral progress [he did not label either axis which might be confusing to some]
- Progress in sanctification [and any graphed behavior] will show peaks and valleys, those represent success and failures
- Heretical views of progress in sanctification: the second work or blessing would be graphed with a sudden and major burst of progress towards perfection, he noted that such progress is not biblical
- R C discussed the following relevant verse: Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,
- That is, a Christian must be active in his sanctification
- Heresies discussed: activism, quietism, antinomianism, and legalism
- Activism is the belief that one can achieve sanctification on his own, achieving self-righteousness
- Quietism, the false belief indicated by the following: ‘let go and let God’
- Legalism: one adds laws to God’s law, such as “no dancing,” or “no drinking alcohol;” where God has left one free
- Antinomianism: abounds in our day, indicated by such statements as the following: “New Testament Christians are under grace, not law.” Suggesting that they need not be concerned with God’s law
- A true Christian knows he is not under law, but respects and meditates upon God’s law as he learns from Bible study that God is pleased with such conduct
Graph that represents progress in an activity:
R C drew a graph on his green board like the one above, on the left side, actual progress in sanctification would be measured; the bottom line represents the time involved in achieving the results the graph depicts. He noted that we never reach sanctification in our earthly life; also, that the green line can have major dips (which represent set backs – as in king David’s life regarding Bathsheba). He also explained a couple of heresies about sanctification via drawing other graphs like the one above.
The following definitions of terms that were used by R C Sproul in his discussion are from Got Questions dot org: a link to each is provided so one can read the balance of the articles:
- Justification, a term used in the Bible forensically/legally, is defined as “an act of God by which those who are unrighteous in themselves are nevertheless declared righteous before God while still in the sinning state.” Justification is a deliverance from the penalty of sin and is a past action for all believers, accomplished by Christ at the cross. To read more: https://www.gotquestions.org/justification-vs-sanctification.html
- By contrast, sanctification is not the act of God declaring a person righteous; rather, it is the continual process by which God is actually making a person righteous. Sanctification is the deliverance from the power of sin and is a present and continuous process of believers becoming Christlike, accomplished by the Holy Spirit’s power and presence. Sanctification represents a believer’s victory over the flesh (Romans 7:24–25), the world (1 John 5:4), and the devil (James 4:7). [same link as the above word]
- God’s requirement for salvation is faith in His Son. One of the grand themes of the Bible is that we are justified, or declared righteous, by faith (Genesis 15:6). Faith is the only means of making sinful human beings able to stand before a holy God. No amount of law-keeping or good works can accomplish it (Titus 3:5). If our works could save us, then Christ died for nothing (Galatians 2:21). [This definition is one of several in the article at God Questions: grace, works and faith https://www.gotquestions.org/faith-vs-works.html ]
- We need the righteousness of Christ imputed to us because we have no righteousness of our own. We are sinners by nature, and we cannot make ourselves righteous—we cannot place ourselves in right standing with God. We need Christ’s righteousness imputed to us—meaning, we need His holiness before God credited to our account.
- In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus makes our need for imputed righteousness plain. He says, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). This comes after Jesus had just corrected His listeners’ misunderstanding of the law. In Matthew 5:20, Jesus says that, if His hearers want to enter into the kingdom of heaven, their righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees, who were the experts in the knowledge of the law. [To read further, click the following link: https://www.gotquestions.org/imputed-righteousness.html ]
- Another word for regeneration is rebirth, related to the biblical phrase “born again.” Our rebirth is distinguished from our first birth, when we were conceived physically and inherited our sin nature. The new birth is a spiritual, holy, and heavenly birth that results in our being made alive spiritually. Man in his natural state is “dead in trespasses and sins” until he is “made alive” (regenerated) by Christ. This happens when he places his faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:1).
- Regeneration is a radical change. Just as our physical birth resulted in a new individual entering the earthly realm, our spiritual birth results in a new person entering the heavenly realm (Ephesians 2:6). After regeneration, we begin to see and hear and seek after divine things; we begin to live a life of faith and holiness. Now Christ is formed in the hearts; now we are partakers of the divine nature, having been made new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17). God, not man, is the source of this transformation (Ephesians 2:1, 8). God’s great love and free gift, His rich grace and abundant mercy, are the cause of the rebirth. The mighty power of God—the power that raised Christ from the dead—is displayed in the regeneration and conversion of sinners (Ephesians 1:19–20). [To read the rest of the article: https://www.gotquestions.org/regeneration-Bible.html there are links on this article for various types of regeneration]
- [On the following linked page, there are articles about regeneration, number 5 is the false regeneration called decisional regeneration. It is practiced widely in our day, especially during the latter part of the 20th century: https://www.gotquestions.org/search.php?zoom_sort=0&zoom_query=regeneration ]
- Ordo Salutis is the Latin for “the order of salvation,” which deals with the steps or stages in the salvation of a believer (e.g., election, foreknowledge, predestination, redemption, regeneration, justification, sanctification, glorification—see especially Romans 8:29-30). There is disagreement within the church concerning this order and about the causal connections among them. Before discussion, it might be helpful to provide some basic definitions of many of the terms involved: [to read the complete article: https://www.gotquestions.org/ordo-salutis.html ]
From the YouTube site, Ligonier Ministries
There is no fast track for growing in holiness. Sanctification is a daily, long-term process that takes place in the life of every Christian. In this message, R.C. Sproul explores the doctrine of sanctification, warning against four false teachings that can distract believers from diligently pursuing righteousness.
This message is from Dr. Sproul’s 60-part teaching series Foundations: An Overview of Systematic Theology. Learn more: https://www.ligonier.org/learn/series…
Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mP8ZCayUAs
[The progress graph which is part of this post is from: Expectations of constant progress can stop us achieving our goals | The …themoodlab.ie ]