Justification: All God. Sanctification: God and?
CHAPTER 13: Of Sanctification
(Parts One through Three)
Sanctification is the life-long process by which believers are made increasingly holy. Remember, when we are justified we are declared holy, even though we are not holy in practice (Romans 3:23-24). Christ’s righteousness is imputed into our spiritual accounts so that we are deemed righteous by God; again, even though we are not holy in practice (Romans 4:3, 2 Corinthians 5:21).
All who are effectually called are regenerated (born again) by the Holy Spirit. All who are regenerated are given the gifts of faith (1 Timothy 1:14) and repentance (Acts 11:18), which they willingly exercise. Believing in Christ, they are justified. All who are justified are sanctified and are being sanctified throughout their lives (Romans 6:18).
They are sanctified, because God has pledged to sanctify His people, so while the process is still ongoing, from God’s perspective it is as good as done. They are being sanctified because it is a life-long process (Philippians 1:6).
(Part Two)
Sanctification is the life-long process by which believers grow in holiness. While regeneration is monergistic (completed by only one party: God), sanctification is synergistic (completed by two parties working together: God and the believer). Let us be quick to say that though sanctification is synergistic, there could be no progress in sanctification apart from the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. However, the believer must cooperate, which he can do only because he is filled with the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:2-8).
God supplies believers with both the desire and the ability to cooperate in the sanctification process, but cooperate we must (Philippians 2:12-13). We cooperate by applying the means of grace that God supplies such as attending to the scriptures, prayer, fellowship in Christ’s Church, and by receiving the sacraments (Acts 2:42-47). We cooperate by denying the flesh, and saying “No” to the world (Matthew 16:24-26). We cooperate by confessing our sins when we fail (1 John 1:8-9) and by sharing our faith (Acts 1:8), among other disciplines of the faith. These are biblical examples of how believers must cooperate with the Holy Spirit in sanctification.
(Part Three)
Though we are responsible to cooperate with the Holy Spirit’s work of sanctification in our lives, in the end, all progress and any success in one’s growth in holiness will be by the grace of God and for the glory of God. It is for this reason that we must be guarded not to become prideful over any progress we may enjoy, or unduly discouraged over the failures we must endure (Matthew 5:16).
Our sanctification affects the entire person, body, and soul.
There are times, because of the sinful corruption that remains in us even after being saved, that the remaining corruption may seem to be prevailing. The good news is that God will see that there is progress in the process of sanctification—even when it seems imperceptibly slow. We have God’s Word that all who are justified are being sanctified, and will be glorified (Romans 8:30, Philippians 1:6).
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