10 - Chapter 10
CHAPTER X.
NATURE SANCTIFICATION A PROCESS.
Psychological facts make it clear that some experiences and phenomena of the mind are necessarily instantaneous. There are others which involve a process. The latter we shall find to be true touching the experience of sanctification. Our discussion of the next topic will make this evident, to wit:
NATURE-SANCTIFICATION A PROCESS.
1. A process is a progressive course, a proceeding or moving forward, a gradual progress. Such is not the nature of the sanctification of the personality. That is in an instant. But the post-regeneration sanctification is not instantaneous. It is not, and it cannot be, a single act. Bishop Martensen says it "is the process by which human nature is set free from its unhallowed character." Ralph Wardlow defines it as a "mortification of sin and the cultivation of practical holiness [sanctification]: the mortification of sin in thought, in desire, in word, in action; and the cultivation of holiness [a state of sanctification] in the same way, in thought, in desire and affection, in word, in action, by the diligent and persevering use of all prescribed means of spiritual improvement." But this is a process, and not an instantaneous act. W. Clarkson says: "Holiness [sanctification], we are told, is to be obtained by faith. Yes, I reply, by faith, if you take that word in all its meaning. Not the faith which by one act appropriates the blessing, and receives in an hour, in an instant, all the fulness of the heritage; but the faith which accepts and applies the word and the work of Christ day by day, year after year, through all the life." Dr. Harris says, "Sanctification is a process." Thus we could confirm our position by scores of quotations from as many different authors; but no amount of human testimony is final, though the faith of the Christian church creates a presumption in favor of the truthfulness of a position.
2. But a contrary doctrine cannot be true of nature-sanctification. This sanctification is not of man’s moral nature. That is past. It is of that part of his being which is under physical law; the law, that is, of necessity; those powers, capacities and susceptibilities over which he has only an indirect control. These are depraved. Sin dwells here. In regeneration there is no change here. There never is, this side of the resurrection, any constitutional change wrought in man. Sanctification of nature consists in extending the dominion of the renewed spiritual man over the involuntary powers, appetites, propensities and passions. As they remain in our nature after conversion, we being "men of like passions" after and before regeneration, they cannot be subdued and mortified in an instant. The work must be a process.
3. This sanctification is effected through knowledge and faith, and so requires to be a process a process both in that our knowledge, and so our faith, is not at any time complete and perfect; and also in that we are almost without exception too weak in some point for "the motions of sin . . . that dwelleth in us" (Romans 6:5Romans 7:17, Romans 7:20), and are led into evil. As Paul says of himself, we do the evil which we would not [Romans 7:19]. One by one, to some extent, though perhaps many times in an instant, each of these powers is subdued and brought under sanctified control.
4. The great question is, Does this doctrine of nature-sanctification as a process find support in Scripture? We have no doubt it does. Thence we got it. Romans 6:1-23; Romans 7:1-25; Romans 8:1-39, as also Romans 12:1-21; Romans 13:1-14; Romans 14:1-23; Romans 15:1-33 are fall of this doctrine. First, Paul asserts that the old man is "dead"; that we are "dead indeed unto sin" [Romans 6:1], that we "walk after the Spirit" [Romans 8:1, Romans 8:4], are "spiritually minded" [Romans 8:6]; that we are free from all charges and cannot be condemned; that we are justified. This is one view. Then Paul as clearly shows that he is sold under sin, carnal, so far as the flesh is concerned; that he, or rather sin dwelling in him, does what he would not, what he hates, and that a process of mortification must ensue that the antagonism which was manifested in him and the Roman brethren may cease. And the third and final fact is, that this would require time; cannot be, and is not, done in a moment. This is the going on to perfection to which we are exhorted. For this perfecting the agencies, ordinances and means of the gospel are given us. As significant of this process we have these numerous texts exhorting Christians, believers, sanctified ones, to cleanse themselves from all "defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting sanctification in the fear of God" (2 Corinthians 7:1). This is the process which Christ has given himself to accomplish in the church, "that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present the church to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be sanctified and without blemish" (Ephesians 5:26-27).
5. And this process as a rule continues through the entire life of the Christian. Paul does not hesitate to say that somewhat late in his life he was still engaged in this struggle, and was not perfect, though he was sanctified in his personality. And even when just ready to be offered up he had not yet fully "attained" to what he was striving for (Php 3:12-14); while Romans 7:1-25 leaves him only anticipating final and full deliverance. In Galatians he recognizes the fact that these Christians, though sanctified as to the "I," were still imperfectly sanctified as to the flesh; that in them the renewed man was in conflict with the flesh, the nature as corrupt and the seat of indwelling sin.
If sanctification, then, is ever perfected in this life--and to perfect sanctification is our work--it is the exception. The doctrine of the word of God is in complete harmony with the facts of experience. The theory of sanctification which we have deduced alone from the Scriptures is illustrated and verified by the facts of experience.