Refreshing may not the first thought that typically comes to mind when the word sanctification is broached, but that’s exactly what the panel presentation on sanctification by Dr. Bryan Chapell and Dr. Mike Ross at the PCA General Assembly was!

Rather than sanctification being presented as a dull rote repetition of familiar doctrinal passages and truths either denied, misapplied or left unapplied; sanctification was presented as inspiring in the context of the hope and solution that both we and our world need today in leading to personal understanding, motivation and holiness; corporate faithfulness and effectiveness; and the advancement of the gospel and Christ’s kingdom in keeping with God’s glory, which manifests itself through the preaching and communication of grace which is existent and God’s love which is preeminent.

Grace when properly understood and applied was shown to be a key to engaging lost souls as well as our culture in providing hope and showing that change is possible where there is hopelessness and despair is both present and prevalent.

For a quick summary of their teaching:

Chapell declared that sanctification is motivated and enabled rather than diminished by grace. Stating first that sanctification is synergistic and involves both divine enabling and human responsibility, Chapell showed how grace, which is declared throughout Scripture and culminated in Christ, distinguishes the Christian gospel from legalistic directives, provides the power for the fulfillment of our responsibilities before God and keeps us from the chief errors of our day regarding sanctification.

According to Chapell, our love of sin will only be overcome if our love for God is greater. Our love for God will only be greater and fill our hearts when we understand and embrace God’s grace. As Paul states “the grace of God teaches us to say ‘no’ to ungodliness and worldly passions…” In this light, the love of Christ controls us and while the warnings of Scripture may be good, they in and of themselves are not the ultimate power which enables sanctification.

Therefore, our message as preachers and pastors is not to just harangue people by constantly holding the law before them (though that has its place) but to “fill people up with God’s grace.” In Chapell’s view, we are “aligning” grace and obedience not balancing them. A chief error of our day involving sanctification includes failing to see that love for God must be the primary motivator while recognizing there are multiple motivators.

After affirming his agreement with Chapell’s doctrinal declarations, Ross stated the church struggles with sanctification because of our times, particularly because people are living with the fallout of our culture. Because people have adopted and lived by the mindset we can do what we want and not experience consequences, people are carrying if not loaded with guilt and shame. In this condition, simply conveying “redemption applied” without spending time communicating “redemption accomplished” is not easy for them to hear or respond to (and therefore most simply want to receive a “pass” and avoid or try to dismiss the requirements of God’s Word.

We must help them to see that the gospel is not just a set of rules for them to try (however unsuccessfully to follow) but that while can’t and haven’t lived up to God’s righteousness, redemption has been accomplished and is available for us. God not only accomplished our redemption and provides for our justification by grace but He grants us confidence of victory in regard to the battle and overcoming sin in our lives through grace which he commits and freely will give us.

In this light, the third use of the law becomes the believer’s friend as we move from indicative to imperative beginning with what God has done for us followed by what God would have us now do.

Ross applied these truths by stating we must preach redemption accomplished as well as redemption applied; we must point those to Christ (because the grace is found in Him) who are coming from broken down homes looking to celebrity pastors because they are starving for heroes; and we must encourage people by helping them see that though sanctification is the hardest thing they will go through in their lives, victory has been secured and is ultimately guaranteed through Christ, for while we do not hold to perfectionism, our generation needs to hear the hope which the gospel holds out to us!

Several points were considered in the Q & A:

1. People err by tending to emphasize EITHER divine enabling OR human responsibility.

2. Difficulty today arises since we are generationally divided.

3. There’s suspicion that sometimes it’s what we are NOT saying that is more troublesome that what is being said from our pulpits.

4. Loss of a sense of human design and purpose affects our communicating the value of obedience a. We can help those who struggle having lived as though there is no purpose or design for man by communicating that (a) we are not living according to Christ’s purpose, (b) Asking “what will enable us to live this way?”, (c) Enabling them to see that grace will even enable us to want to live this way!

5. The law of God which reflects God’s character and care is good for all mankind. Since this is true, we must uphold and set before our hearers all the proper uses of the law including in addition to the first use bringing sinners under conviction and pointing them to the mercy and grace found in Christ as well as setting before the regenerated believer a pattern of sanctification or else we fail to set before them that which is good for them. IOW, we must preach both redemption accomplished and redemption applied. Redemption accomplished may not be emphasized in the church as much today as it should be given the guilt and shame many are carrying.

6. We must recognize various subcultures as we minister.

7. It’s possible to be doctrinally faithful but ministerially ineffective if we don’t address the truths needed by our culture or the people we seek to lead to Christ.

8. We must help people see that calling people to Christ and to repentance and faith gives hope!

Questions for further reflection:

1. Does your thinking on the gospel and grace as well as your lifestyle and ministry reflect this hope and to this degree? If not, what changes are needed in your life and ministry?

2. How might communication of hope through grace and sanctification change your church, your community, the witness of Christ’s glory where you serve?

3. How can this understanding of sanctification and grace be spread and adopted by the many churches and professing Christians whose lives, outlook and message do not reflect it?

4. Which is lacking at the various levels and places of your life and ministry – emphasis on divine enablement or human responsibility?

5. Do you see the difference in motivation between simply calling people to obey and showing them how the gospel provides hope which encourages them toward embracing Christ for salvation including justification and sanctification?

Timothy G. Muse is a Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church in America and serves as Senior Pastor of Brandon Presbyterian Church in Brandon, Miss. This article first appeared on his blog, All Things Reformed, and is used with permission. 

[Editor’s note: the original URL (link) referenced in this article is no longer valid, so the link has been removed.]