The (personal) mortification of sin - "Doctrine to continue mortification knowing we are not legalists"

The (personal) mortification of sin

Romans 8:13

For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the

Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Colossians 3:1-5

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are

above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your

minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For

you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ

who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in

glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual

immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which

is idolatry.

Romans 9:31-32a

...but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to

righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. Why? Because

they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works.

Matthew 7:17

So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.

"Doctrine to continue mortification knowing we are not legalists"

In the Problem of pain, C.S. Lewis says, “To ask that God’s love should be content with us as we are is to ask that God should cease to be God: because He is what He is, His love must, in the nature of things, be impeded and repelled, by certain stains in our present character, and because He already loves us He must labor to make us lovable.“

Legalism. A scary thing when we know that you cannot approach God by works. There are several types of people when it comes to the topic of obedience, works, law and grace. First, there are those who say that salvation comes through Christ as well as something else, say keeping of law…legalists. Second, there are those who say that salvation comes through Christ and nothing else, and live that way…antinomians. Third, there are those who know that Christ is the only way that salvation comes, not by works, and don’t really know how works fit in…confused. Fourth, there are those who know that Christ is the only way that salvation comes, not by works, and they know that works naturally attends this salvation. Fifth, there are those who know that Christ is the only way that salvation comes, not by works, and they know that works naturally attend this salvation, but they know that they should be doing a better job. Sixth, there are those who know that Christ is the only way that salvation comes, not by works, but when salvation comes, a new heart comes with it, and a new step to obedience, and this obedience is something that they not only desire, but strive for. Seventh, and finally, there are those just live the sixth point, but they also realize that there is a battle that they need to fight, and are actively engaged in it.

Which category are you in?

Time: less than 30-45 minutes
Aim: to make sure that we are on the proper grounding when it comes to our salvation and our progression towards heaven

Before I begin, I must say that I most of this material to J.C. Ryle and his book on Holiness, John Owen, and his book the Mortification of Sin, and Dr. John W.P. Oliver and his lectures on Sanctification.

An opening thought

If you have children you know this to be true...they do some pretty unlovable things. But the loving thing to do is to train them such that these unlovable things are not allowed to make it into their adulthood This is just a natural thing, and since God is the very best Father, he does the same with us.

Some doctrinal basics

Hebrews 12:14 – “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”

The four states of man

There are four things that we generally think of when we think of being a Christian. First, we think of the original state of man in Adam before he rebelled against God and ate the forbidden fruit. In this case, Adam was free to eat or not eat. He had a choice, and could choose either good or evil (Gen. 2:15-17). He chose evil (Gen. 3:1-7). Second, we think of what happened after the fall of mankind in Adam, and we know that at that point man and all the thoughts and intentions of his heart were evil (Gen. 6:5; Psalm 51:5). In this state, which is where everyone conceived as a son of Adam is, there is nothing good that man does. All are dead in their sins, and like the picture of the valley of bones in Ezekiel 37, and the new birth of John 3, nothing good can come of man. Man only chooses evil. Third, we think of what happens to us after we have been born again. We are born again not of the flesh, but of the Spirit. Actually, we are killed, our old man, with Christ, then we are resurrected with Christ. We now have a new nature, and suddenly, we are in a state again of being free to choose good or evil. But this state is better than Adam’s. It is worse because we do sin, and that stinks. Yet, it is much better, because we don’t have to live in a perpetual state of fear of breaking the law and being cursed to die. We have grace and mercy in Christ. Yet, this state is imperfect, because we do have the ability to choose evil (Rom. 6:1-14). Fourth, and finally, there is the state of perfection, when we can sin no longer. Our wills our completely changed, and we can no longer sin. Our wills our in bondage to the love of Christ, and we will only do good and think good and be good forever. This happens at the beatific vision when we see Christ face to face (1 Cor. 13:12; 1 John 3:2).

This is called the fourfold state of man: innocence, fall, grace and glory.

The Big Problem

So the second state, the state of the fall is where all men are apart from Christ. This is a big problem. It is such because:

Man sinned against God. God required death and separation from him for it. Why? Because the real problem is that the seriousness of a sin is determined by the greatness of the person sinned against. God is infinitely great, he is unlimited, and therefore, sin against Him is an infinite sin.

This is a real big problem because finite creatures cannot bear infinite guilt and infinite punishment. There is nothing that they could do to take it away. All the sufferings of a finite creature would be finite and so it could never satisfy.

The Great Solution

The beauty is that the Father and Son agreed in the bonds of love with the Spirit, that the Son who is an infinite Person, and able to bear an infinite guilt, would come to earth and become a man. This is because sin must be punished in the nature where it was committed.

Jesus becomes Adamic, except sin. At the same time God and man in one person. His death has the infinite value to take our sins and so Jesus’ precious blood redeems us from all our guilt. He represents God by his infinity, transcendence. He represents man by being one of us.

Made Right Before God

This very act of coming to earth, and dying on the cross for our sins, being a substitute on our behalf to bear the infinite punishment, God putting our sin upon him is what theologians call justification. In asking what justification is, a document called the shorter catechism says: “Justification is the act of God’s free grace by which He pardons all our sins and accepts us as righteous in His sight. He does so only because He counts the righteousness of Christ as ours. Justification is received by faith alone.”

The Scriptures that speak of this are:

Romans 3:21-25 – “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.”

Romans 4:6-8 – “just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”

2 Corinthians 5:19-21 – “that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Romans 5:19 – “For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.”

Galatians 2:16 – “yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.”

Philippians 3:9 – “and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith”

These are but to show a few. There are countless passages that show that Jesus Christ is the only way to God through His body being broken and his blood being shed.

Justification is not infusion, but imputation, putting on, applying. Not the imputation of faith or anything else, but the imputation of the obedience and satisfaction of Christ.

Thus, justification as a cardinal doctrine of the faith is sure. This great exchange, our sin for His righteousness is why Paul says in Romans 5:19-21, “Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

And this is the major reason why many people try to avoid legalism and end up falling in the trap of lawlessness and antionamianism. Which is why in Romans 6 Paul continues, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” And in Romans 8:12-17 – “So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”

Getting ready for Heaven

This very thing the theologians have labeled sanctification. In asking what sanctification is, a document called the shorter catechism says: “Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace by which our whole person is made new in the image of God, and we are made more and more able to become dead to sin and alive to righteousness.”

The Scriptural basis for this is the passages above and the following passages.

Galatians 5:16-26 – “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”

Philippians 2:13 – “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

2 Thessalonians 2:13 – “But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Ephesians 4:23-24 – “and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

1 Thessalonians 5:23 – “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Ezekiel 36:25-27 –“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.”

Romans 6:4 – “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

Romans 6:6 – “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.”

2 Corinthians 7:1 – “Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.”

1 Peter 2:24 – “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”

Really, just being like Christ, part of the family

So sanctification is the work of us becoming more and more like Christ. Basically, it is us being prepared to enter heaven and be transformed completely into the image of Christ. Think of it this way: Justification legally allows you to enter heaven, but sanctification helps you want to be in heaven and look more like you belong there.

Just Happy

You may have heard the saying that God cannot be any more pleased with you than he is. While this is true judicially, it is not true filially.

In justification we have a legal bond. We are legally justified. It is a judicial act. Yet it creates a second bond, a filial bond. Where God becomes our father.

Legally it is true that God cannot be any more pleased with us than he is. We have the perfect obedience of Jesus Christ. The active and passive payment for our sins. He chooses to look at us through his Son Jesus Christ. However, filially it is not true and it is misleading that God cannot be any more pleased with us than he is. When we see him at the second advent. God won’t be any more pleased with us ever, because we will be completely transformed into the image of Christ. But while we are his children here on earth, as a Father is displeased with his son’s bad behavior, so God is displeased with us when we do not conform to the “family standards.”

Justification and sanctification cannot be separated. They cannot be blurred together. They have an order. We are justification and then we are sanctified. Yet, they begin at the same time.

From J.C. Ryle’s book on Holiness, the following is a chart on how justification and sanctification are alike and are different:

The Distinction Between Justification & Sanctification

Justification and sanctification are alike in these ways:

1.  Both are a gift from the free grace of God.

2.  Both are part of the great work of salvation, at which, the root is Christ.

3.  Both are found in the same persons and cannot be separated.

4.  Both begin at the same time even though a person may not feel it.

5.  Both are necessary for salvation.

Justification and sanctification differ in these ways:

1. Justification is the reckoning and counting a man to be righteous for the sake of another (judicial)	1. Sanctification is the actual making a man inwardly righteous (experiential)
2. The righteousness we have by our justification is not our own but the perfect righteousness of Christ imputed to us by faith. (imputation -> irrevocable)	2. The righteousness we have by sanctification is our own, imparted, inherent and wrought in us by the Holy Spirit (on the basis of grace), although filled with much infirmity and imperfection. (inevitable)
3. In justification, our own works have no place of importance at all. Faith in Christ is all important [it is everything]. (passive)	3. In sanctification, our own works are of vast importance as God actually commands us to fight, watch and pray, strive and take pains and labour. (active)
4. Justification is a finished and complete work, and a man is perfectly justified the moment he believes [moment our souls depart from our bodies we are perfect]. (singular)	4. Sanctification is an imperfect work, comparatively, and will never be perfected until we reach heaven. (continual)
5. Justification in a man’s life does not grow or increase. (declaration - “he is righteous”)	5. Sanctification is a progressive work and grows continually as long a as man lives. (degrees)
6. Justification has special reference to our persons and our standing in God’s sight as well as our deliverance from guilt. (ready)	6. Sanctification has special reference to our natures and the moral renewal of our hearts. (renewal)
7. Justification gives us access to heaven and the boldness to enter it. (reward)	7. Sanctification gives us our desire for heaven and prepares us to enjoy it when we dwell there. (readiness - getting us ready for our reward)
8. Justification is the act of God about us, and is not easily discerned by others. (internal)	8. Sanctification is the work of God within us, and cannot be hid in its outward manifestation from the eyes of men. (external)

Who is the operator?

So who does this work of sanctification? For some it may be no one. But for others, the question is: Is it God alone? Is it us alone? Or is it both God and us?

So, is it monergistic, only one person acting? Is it synergistic, two parties acting? Or is it phantismic, no one acting?

Wayne Grudem, a famous modern theologian believes that sanctification is synergistic, both God and man acting for our growth. He says, “It is important that we continue to grow in our passive trust in God to sanctify us and in our active striving for holiness and greater obedience in our lives. If we neglect active striving to obey God, we become passive, lazy Christians. If we neglect the passive role of trusting God and yielding to him, we become proud and overly confident in ourselves. In either case, our sanctification will be greatly deficient. We must maintain faith and diligence to obey at the same time.”

The best way to understand sanctification is that it is a passive yielding and an active striving at the same time.

Grammar is helpful

But how do we know that this is synergistic and not monergistic, or that it is phantismic? The answer is gospel grammar.

The imperatives, commands in Scripture, always flow from the indicatives, what God has already done. A clear example of this is Exodus chapter 20 and the 10 commandments. God begins with the indicative of what he has done. “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” This guards us from a bootstrap theology. After this he gives us the law, the imperative, “You shall have no other gods before me. …”. The imperative flows from the indicative.

You can see the same thing in almost every epistle in the New Testament. Ephesians speaks of election, redemption, regeneration, and then urges us to walk in a manner worthy of our calling.

The new heart spoken of in Ezekiel 36, is given to us by Christ and enables us to obey. This obedience and mortification of sin to which God calls us is a necessity in the life of the believer. This duty of the Christian is a necessity not to merit salvation, but to manifest salvation.

Examples of imperatives are Ephesians 4:17 and Ephesians 5:3…you must.

Mortification of sin, and obedience to God is a necessity.  Where there is a true connection to Jesus Christ, true saving faith, these will be manifested. No manifestation, no hatred of sin, no pursuit to destroy sin, no duty to God, you may be a professor, but there is no saving faith.

There are works in sanctification, but it doesn’t earn us anything, but it manifests what is a reality of our justification. People I love I like to see. It is a matter of manifesting that Jesus is the lover of my soul. I love to be with Christ alone, quietly. No work is meritorious. The works in sanctification are a manifestation of our justification.

The new birth is a work of God alone. God alone worked to make you a new creation. Yet, in sanctification, Scripture is absolutely clear that there are two parties that are involved.

Philippians 2:12-13 – “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, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

In chapter 1 of Philippians, it says that he who began a good work in you will finish what he starts. Yet, in chapter 2 Paul calls the believer to work out their salvation with fear and trembling.

Spiritual Couch Potatoes

John Murray says that “The sanctified are not passive in this process. God’s work isn’t suspended because we work, nor our work suspended because he works.”

God is the primary worker. We work out our salvation because of what God has done in us. It is clearly God who is working. Because God has worked, we can work with confidence. Because of God we have both the confidence and the ability.

Phil. 3:9-16 speaks of not having a righteousness of our own, of straining forward. It speaks of sanctified exertion. 1 Cor. 9:24-27 speaks of running so that you can attain the prize. He disciplines his body and keeps it under control.

It is clear that we should not sit as spiritual couch potatoes because God is working.

The Westminster Confession of Faith in chapter 16 section 3 says, “Their ability to do good works is not at all of themselves, but wholly from the Spirit of Christ. And that they may be enabled thereunto, beside the graces they have already received, there is required an actual influence of the same Holy Spirit, to work in them to will, and to do, of His good pleasure: yet are they not hereupon to grow negligent, as if they were not bound to perform any duty unless upon a special motion of the Spirit; but they ought to be diligent in stirring up the grace of God that is in them.”

Whether you feel the power at work in you or not, press on. Battle sin. Battle lust in your heart. Battle the wandering eyes, the wandering heart, pride etc. Battle. Strive. Keep marching forward.

So Mortify!

So what is the conclusion: sanctification is a synergistic work between you and the Holy Spirit. If you don’t work, you won’t grow. If you never grow, then you should seriously question whether or not you have been given the new birth, whether you are now part of God’s family. Christ came and died to put to death sin. This he did so that we could be conformed to His image and bring glory to God. Sin is a deadly thing, for it cost Christ his life. If Christ had to die, it is something that we should avoid like the plague.

You cannot play with fire and expect not to be burnt. Nor can you continue sinning and not expect dire consequences.

John Owen in his book, The Mortification of Sin, which I highly recommend, said the following: “Do you mortify? Do you make it your daily work? Be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you.”

Jesus says in John 15: “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

If you want to mortify you must abide in Christ. Jesus calls us to have his word abiding in us. We must stop and seek to hear the voice of the Savior speak to us in order to correct and to encourage us. Are you listening to God in His word? Are you talking to Him in prayer?

Come to the word with the expectation that God will meet me by his Word and Spirit and change me. Seek to meet the Savior. Enjoy communion with him. Lift up your heart to him in prayer.

God initiates, but we are called to obedience, work and striving.

I end with a quote from John Murray: “Sanctification involves the concentration of thought, of interest, of heart, mind, will, and purpose upon the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus and the engagement of our whole being with those means which God has instituted for the attainment of that destination.  Sanctification is the sanctification of persons…not machines; it is the sanctification of persons renewed after the image of God in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness.  The prospect it offers is to know even as we are known and to be holy as God is holy.”