Holiness is...

[JM]

"...the sum of a million little things — the avoidance of little evils and little foibles, the setting aside of little bits of worldliness and little acts of compromise, the putting to death of little inconsistencies and little indiscretions, the attention to little duties and little dealings, the hard work of little self-denials and little self-restraints, the cultivation of little benevolences and little forbearances." - Kevin DeYoung

Do you agree?

 

[motherprayer]

AND faith in God. But yea. You covered almost all of it

 

[JM]

Gospel Standard Article XIX We believe in the sanctification of God's people, the term sanctification signifying a separation and setting apart by and for God. This, in the child of God, is three-fold: i, by election by God the Father (Jude I); ii, by redemption by God the Son (John 17:19); and iii, by the almighty regenerating operation of God the Holy Ghost (Rom. 15:16.) We believe that the blessed Spirit is the Author of what is styled in Scripture the new creature, or creation (2 Cor. 5:17, Eph. 4:24), or new heart (Ezek. 36:26); being, in truth, an implantation of the Divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4), through which the child of God would, according to the inner man (Rom. 7:22), be holy as God is holy, and perfectly fulfil all the good pleasure of the Father's will; but groans being burdened, being constantly opposed by the contrary workings of the old man. (Rom. 7, Gal. 5:17.) We reject the doctrine of progressive sanctification, or that a child of God experiences such a gradual weakening, subduing, or rectification of the old nature, called in Scripture the old man (Eph. 4:22, Col. 3:9), or such a continued general improvement as shall make him at any time less dependent upon the communications of the Spirit and grace of Christ for all goodness, or less a poor, vile, wretched, helpless sinner in himself, and in his own estimation. (John 15art of 5, 2 Cor. 3:5, Rev. 3:17.)

I thought it was pretty good as well and wanted to add the above article from the Gospel Standard Baptists. This article states that sanctification is not progressive if progressive means you become "at any time less dependent upon the communications of the Spirit and grace of Christ..." This is why I enjoy Pink's work on the subject. He seems to contradict himself because he does say sanctification is progressive, as DeYoung did in the op, but he never allows the idea of progressive sanctification to mean we are free from sin or that we are getting "better" apart from the work of God's grace in us. Pink acknowledges our positional sanctification (like the Gospel Standard's do) and the work of God the Holy Spirit in our lives (like DeYoung points out).

jm

 

[JustAsIam77]

Gospel Standard Article XIX

Thanks for posting this.

 

[JM]

Just we are clear, the Reformed doctrine or understanding of sanctification at no time teaches the Christian to be "less dependent upon the communications of the Spirit and grace of Christ for all goodness..."

JustAs, have you read A. W. Pink's work on the subject?

 

[motherprayer]

How can one be "holy" without faith?

 

[JM]

How can one be "holy" without faith?

Who wants to be "holy" but the faithful? It is an underlying presupposition. Those who believe long to be holy.

 

[JM]

How can one be "holy" without faith?

Let me also add that sanctification is not something we do, neither is faith something we do, both are the gift and work of God in the life of believers. We are justified by grace through faith and are sanctified by grace through faith. From beginning to end the work belongs to God.

Can I get an AMEN!

 

[JustAsIam77]

Just we are clear, the Reformed doctrine or understanding of sanctification at no time teaches the Christian to be "less dependent upon the communications of the Spirit and grace of Christ for all goodness..."

JustAs, have you read A. W. Pink's work on the subject?

I've read The Sovereignty of God by Pink. I especially like the chapter regarding God's Sovereignty and the human will where he talks about the erroneous views held by many of God's children and preached from the pulpit, i.e. "free will", even among those who profess to be orthodox. "It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy". Rom 9:16

As Pink states, which shall we believe: God, or the preachers?

 

[Apologetic_Warrior]

"...the sum of a million little things — the avoidance of little evils and little foibles, the setting aside of little bits of worldliness and little acts of compromise, the putting to death of little inconsistencies and little indiscretions, the attention to little duties and little dealings, the hard work of little self-denials and little self-restraints, the cultivation of little benevolences and little forbearances." - Kevin DeYoung

Do you agree?

I disagree, IMO, brother Kevin need to take a step back and re-think. Honestly sounds like the words of a Christian living in their own little Christianized bubble world, surrounded only by Christians, with the almost perfect life, trying in their own strength to crucify "little" imperfections. How different a message it is than the Apostle Paul in Romans 7:18 "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells".

God is Holy, Holiness is one of His divine attributes. The works of God the Holy Spirit are Holy and come from His Holiness, the co-equal Holiness of the co-equal three persons of our Triune God. Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD our God, He alone is worthy.

 

[JustAsIam77]

I disagree, IMO, brother Kevin need to take a step back and re-think. Honestly sounds like the words of a Christian living in their own little Christianized bubble world, surrounded only by Christians, with the almost perfect life, trying in their own strength to crucify "little" imperfections. How different a message it is than the Apostle Paul in Romans 7:18 "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells".

God is Holy, Holiness is one of His divine attributes. The works of God the Holy Spirit are Holy and come from His Holiness, the co-equal Holiness of the co-equal three persons of our Triune God. Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD our God, He alone is worthy.

Yes, He alone is worthy. Thanks for the scripture reference, (Rom 7:18). I can relate to that!

 

[JM]

We are Saints and Saints will desire to live like Saints...even if the old nature is there and we battle it.

Pink writes,

"We do not become saints by holy actions—that is the fundamental error of all false religions. No, we must first be saints before there can be any holy actions, as the fountain must be pure before its stream can be, the tree good if its fruit is to be wholesome. The order of Scripture is "Let it not be once named among you, as becometh Saints" (Eph. 5:3), and "but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light" (Eph. 5 8); "in behavior as becometh holiness" (Titus 2:3). God first sets our hearts at rest, before He bids our hands engage in His service. He gives life, that we may be capacitated to render love. He creates in us a sanctified nature, that there may be sanctified conduct. God presents us spotless in the Holiest of all according to the blood of sprinkling, that, coming forth with a conscience purged from dead works, we may seek to please and glorify Him. "
​

"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." Phil. 2.13

Noticed that it is not in our will to do the will of God but he "worketh in" us.

"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." 2 Cor. 7.1

Now back to the point in Philippians, "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thess. 5.23

Consider Romans 7.18 in the context of the chapter, "But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members." Romans 7.18-23

Pink again,

"Yet let it be pointed out that, though the whole of the Christian’s person is renewed by the Spirit, and all the faculties of his soul are renovated, nevertheless, there is no operation of grace upon his old nature, so that its evil is expelled: the "flesh" or principle of indwelling sin is neither eradicated nor purified nor made good. Our "old man" (which must be distinguished from the soul and its faculties) is "corrupt according to the deceitful lusts," and remains so till the end of our earthly pilgrimage, ever striving against the "spirit" or principle of holiness or "new man." As the soul at the very first moment of its union with the body (in the womb) became sinful, so it is not until the moment of its dissolution from the body that the soul becomes inherently sinless. As an old divine quaintly said, "Sin brought death into the world, and God, in a way of holy resentment, makes use of death to put an end to the very being of sin in His saints."
​

The covenant promise is as follows:

"For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:" Heb. 8.10 see also Ezek. 36.27
​

Pink, one more time,

"The fruit of the Spirit’s sanctification of us experimentally, appears in our separation from evil and the world. But because of the flesh within, our walk is not perfect. Oftentimes there is little for the eye of sense to distinguish in those in whom the Spirit dwells from the moral and respectable wordlings; yea, often they put us to shame. "It doth not yet appear what we shall be." "The world knoweth us not." But the heart is washed from the prevailing love of sin by the tears of repentance which the Christian is moved to frequently shed. Every new act of faith upon the cleansing blood of Christ carries forward the work of experimental sanctification to a further degree. As Naaman was required to dip in the Jordan again and again, yea, seven times, till he was wholly purged of his bodily leprosy; so the soul of the Christian—conscious of so much of the filth of sin still defiling him—continues to dip in that "fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness." Thank God, one day Christ will "present to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing" (Eph. 5:27)."​

 

[JM]

Would you folks, Reformed folks as you are, agree with the Reformed doctrine presented in the confessions?

J. I. Packer on the Priority of Union with Christ in Sanctification on Vimeohttp://vimeo.com/43985793

 

[JustAsIam77]

"Yet let it be pointed out that, though the whole of the Christian’s person is renewed by the Spirit, and all the faculties of his soul are renovated, nevertheless, there is no operation of grace upon his old nature, so that its evil is expelled: the "flesh" or principle of indwelling sin is neither eradicated nor purified nor made good. Our "old man" (which must be distinguished from the soul and its faculties) is "corrupt according to the deceitful lusts," and remains so till the end of our earthly pilgrimage, ever striving against the "spirit" or principle of holiness or "new man." As the soul at the very first moment of its union with the body (in the womb) became sinful, so it is not until the moment of its dissolution from the body that the soul becomes inherently sinless. As an old divine quaintly said, "Sin brought death into the world, and God, in a way of holy resentment, makes use of death to put an end to the very being of sin in His saints."
​

I look forward to that day!

 

[JustAsIam77]

Would you folks, Reformed folks as you are, agree with the Reformed doctrine presented in the confessions?

J. I. Packer on the Priority of Union with Christ in Sanctification on Vimeo

I agree with the Westminster Confession of Faith.

 

[twin1954]

"...the sum of a million little things — the avoidance of little evils and little foibles, the setting aside of little bits of worldliness and little acts of compromise, the putting to death of little inconsistencies and little indiscretions, the attention to little duties and little dealings, the hard work of little self-denials and little self-restraints, the cultivation of little benevolences and little forbearances." - Kevin DeYoung

Do you agree?

No I don't. But you already knew that didn't you. I have no personal holiness but Christ. Holiness is perfection and the best you can do is sin. What he is saying is natural religion at it most subtle. It points you to what you can or must do and glosses ove the only hope we have of true holiness which is Christ in you the hope of glory. His perfect holiness is all the holiness I need. I don't want anything to do with what men, religious men especially, call holiness because it is not worth spit. Does anyone here really think that God looks on their personal consecration and blesses them because of it?

Remember that there simply are no degrees to holiness. You can't be almost holy. You are either perfectly holy or you are unholy. There is no in between. Christ's perfect holiness is enough for me.

 

[bricklayer]

Holy equates to inviolate.
The bible holds out the inviolate balance of God's infinite perfections as His glory.

To be holy is to be set apart from violation.

When I see "holy" I think "wholey", complete, unchanging, inviolate.

 

[JM]

twin, I knew you didn't agree with the Reformed view and I think the Reformed view is often just one half of what the Bible teaches. I think the Gospel Standard Baptist articles and the Reformed confession are correct when read and understood together. I hope to post something latter but man, I've been reading a lot lately and really enjoy it.

 

[Orange_County_Chopper]

There is a fine line with personal Holiness, and becoming like the Pharisee in the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican in Luke Ch.18. I know that teetotalers do this with the drinking issue often.

 

[Clare73]

"...the sum of a million little things — the avoidance of little evils and little foibles, the setting aside of little bits of worldliness and little acts of compromise, the putting to death of little inconsistencies and little indiscretions, the attention to little duties and little dealings, the hard work of little self-denials and little self-restraints, the cultivation of little benevolences and little forbearances." - Kevin DeYoung

Do you agree?

Holiness is set apart--from sin, and to God.