Theology of Holiness: Part 6a: Sanctification

The next three entries are going to deal with the subject of sanctification. This is a subject that doesn't get discussed very often. In short, to be sanctified means to be changed. It is literally the life evidence of salvation. Your life will no longer be characterized by sin and doing your own thing. It will be characterized by becoming more Christlike and less sinful. You can have freedom from willful sin in your life. The ways in which sanctification comes about is open for conjecture, hence the length of this discussion. Is one way more correct than the others? For me, yes, but that is a decision that you will have to make for yourself. Enjoy and thanks for reading!

Sanctification
If any of the concepts mentioned in this paper could be considered to be foundational, it would be the concept of sanctification. "The idea of holiness is virtually everywhere in the Bible and in Christian history" appearing "in one form or another, more than six hundred times" (Drury, 2004, p.33 & 40). "Sanctification has been called "the goal of salvation" (Schenck, 2006, MIN543 lecture), which would justify the claim of being a foundational concept. It also "applies to believers who have received the Holy Spirit, as in II Thess. 2:13 and it involves the cleansing of past sins, as in I Cor. 6:11" (Schenck, 2006, MIN543 lecture). By the same token, if any concept in this paper could be considered to be controversial, it would be the concept of sanctification. From a theological perspective, sanctification is viewed through a variety of extremes. These extremes range from believing that sanctification is an instantaneous work of God upon conversion and the belief that sanctification can't exist in this life at all.
In a similar fashion, there are almost as many synonyms for sanctification as there are views. "Perfection of love, Christian perfection, Christian maturity, second working of the Holy Spirit, second blessing, second work of grace, full salvation and circumcision of the heart" (Schenck, 2006, MIN543 lecture) are the most popular synonyms. However, sanctification is "less about what we call it and how it happens but that it does" in the first place (Schenck, 2006, MIN543 lecture). As I could easily write an entire paper on the concept of sanctification alone, I am going to treat this section as an overview. In my personal ordo salutis, sanctification comes after regeneration and justification. I will elaborate upon my own personal view of sanctification as is warranted.
The doctrine of sanctification may be described as "liberation from the inherent power of the root of sin, as well the restoration of the imago dei" (Schenck, 2006, MIN543 lecture). It is a freedom from conscious, willful sin. The word, sanctification, arrives to us from "the Latin, "sanctus" (holy) and "facere" (to make), as well as the Greek word, "hagiadzo" (to make holy)" (Wiley, 1946, p.320). While sanctification in its most complete sense is a Wesleyan distinctive, other Protestant denominations have tackled the subject. In fact, even the Catholic tradition has addressed the topic. Sanctification, as a development, may be viewed as starting "at conversion with initial sanctification, continuing gradually in progressive sanctification, leading to entire sanctification, progressing in continual sanctification until the believer dies" (Drury, 2004, p.186). This is a rough outline that demonstrates that sanctification is a "gradual development" (Lindstrom, 1980, p.116) rather than a static endeavor.
Before digging any deeper into what sanctification looks like, I would like to examine the various debates about the nature and existence of sanctification in this life. The Lutheran tradition contends that "sanctification is the business of making progress in cutting down on sin according to the scheme" (Forde as cited in Alexander, 1988, p.23). Further, sanctification is viewed not as a second act of grace, but as a continuation of the first. Therefore, Lutheran doctrine proposes that sanctification is "simply the art of getting used to justification. It is not something added to justification" (Forde as cited in Alexander, 1988, p.13). This would then put the Lutheran understanding of sanctification at odds with the Wesleyan understanding and mine, as well. That stated, Lutheran doctrine contends that "God is always the acting subject, even in sanctification" (Forde as cited in Alexander, 1988, p.15). "The distinction serves only to leave the old being in control of things under the guise of pious talk…we attempt to combine the unconditional grace of God with our notions of continuously existing and acting under the law" (Forde as cited in Alexander, 1988, p.15). For Lutherans, the emphasis of salvation doctrine is on justification by faith. However, this doesn't mean that Lutherans have no desire to overcome sin. Forde states that "sin is to be conquered and expelled" (Forde as cited in Alexander, 1988, p.27). However, sin is something that a human deals with as "simul justus et peccator, simultaneously just and sinner" (Forde as cited in Alexander, 1988, p.23). In another way of stating the Lutheran position, sanctification is viewed as a "momentary but unsustainable experience" (Schenck, 2006, MIN543 lecture). This is in opposition to the Wesleyan doctrine, which may be summed up as being able to have "victory over sin in this life and being able to like it" (Schenck, 2006, MIN543 lecture).
The Reformed view of sanctification differs from the Wesleyan experience as well. The Reformed doctrine on sanctification states that "Jesus Christ himself is our sanctification or holiness; and it is through union with Christ that sanctification is accomplished in us" (Ferguson as cited in Alexander, 1988, p.48). In other words, sanctification is dependent upon union with Christ only. Yet, it has been stated that "the Christian life will be marked by human activity" (Schenck, 2006, MIN543 lecture), which are most strongly evidenced by the actions of consecration and faith (Drury, 2004). Christ's sanctification and humanity's need for it are combined by the "ministry of God's Spirit and the exercise of the believer's faith" (Ferguson as cited in Alexander, 1988, p.51). Further, the Reformed tradition holds that sanctification is "an impossible dream" (Schenck, 2006, MIN543 lecture) and "salvific gradualism" (Spittler as cited in Alexander, 1988, p.127) at least in this life. To believe that sanctification is an unachievable goal in this lifetime is to make light of scriptures such as I Peter 1:15, "Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct" (NRSV). Would we be given an impossible imperative from God? While our holiness is based in Christ, it more about being renewed in the image of Christ rather than basking in the glow of his holiness.
This freedom from sin is expressed as a "mystic interiority found by a few" (Spittler as cited in Alexander, 1988, p.127), in regards to the contemplative view. For the Pentecostals, sanctification, as an experience, is of great value. Yet, the Pentecostals "seek the baptism in the Holy Spirit" (Spittler as cited in Alexander, 1988, p.127) to a higher degree than they seek sanctification. The two views are united in their quest for experiencing a life of holiness rather than working towards one and relying upon the Holy Spirit to provide one, according to the will and timing of God. In other words, experiences are more valued than is the life of holiness itself. For me, that is an oxymoron. To seek the experience over the life is to have the wrong perspective on sanctification.
According to the Wesleyan perspective, "holiness is a process of becoming in reality what already is ours in Christ through the new birth" (Schenck, 2006, MIN543 lecture). The emphasis here is on a process of becoming. "(Sanctification) is first a process, and later a crisis, and finally a process again" (DeNeff, 2004, p.90-1). This can best be described by using the terms initial sanctification, progressive sanctification, entire sanctification and continuing sanctification. "There is no perfection which does not admit of a continual increase" (Wesley as cited in Lindstrom, 1980, p.118), as "it is impossible for the Christian, even if fully sanctified, to stand still" (Lindstrom, 1980, p.118).