I was listening to some people discussing sanctification. Here is the gist of the conversation: Yes, we are to obey the law. The Holy Spirit empowers us with grace to be able to follow the commandments of God. When we sin, we just need to resist harder. We are to mortify our flesh.
Do you hear Roman Catholicism in those ideas?
The penance there is all the things we must do. "We must mortify our flesh. We must obey the law." How do we mortify the flesh? The answer was that we are to crucify our flesh. More things we must do, more penance.
Scripture says in Romans 6, But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.
and in 1 Corinthians 1, But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,
Our sanctification is Jesus Christ. We don't do the best we can, and then God finishes what we cannot do.
Why can I call Roman Catholics brethren? Because they err the same way the Calvinists do, going back under the law after salvation. And not only do the Calvinists make this grave error, but so do all her step-children, the Arminians.
Paul warns us about returning to the law this way in Galatians 4, Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
Dear Reader, did you hear the idea of penance in that conversation? Did it sound like Roman Catholicism to you, too? Self-flagellation was equated to sanctification. The conversation was amongst Calvinists, not Roman Catholics; but to my ears they sound the same.
6 comments:
Man oh man - as an ex-PCA pastor, yet who has always held to a more Lutheran view of sanctification, this critique is spot on for the vast majority of Calvinistic churches. They cannot handle pure grace - law, law, law thunders from their pulpits (well, sometimes its more subtle than that)even as they claim to be grace-centered. Most Calvinists, I have found, really don't believe in a monergistic view of sanctification, but rather a synergistic one: God does His part and we do our part. What bondage! Thank you for this (and all) your article.
I think its one thing to point out that some Calvinists believe that sanctification is synergistic, and its another to say that Calvinist sanctificatoin parallels Romanist justification/sanctification. Romanism has no separate category for sanctification, so that its the same thing justificatoin/sanctification. Calvinists on the other hand, are consistent with what they profess in regards to sanctification, but its one thing to say we sound like Catholics, thats a stretch. Where does a Calvinist profess justification by faith alone, and sanctification by works? I'm sure you're aware the WCF, and the Larger Catechism teach;
Question 77: Wherein do justification and sanctification differ?
Answer: Although sanctification be inseparably joined with justification, yet they differ, in that God in justification imputes the righteousness of Christ;in sanctification his Spirit infuses grace, and enables to the exercise thereof; in the former, sin is pardoned; in the other, it is subdued:the one does equally free all believers from the revenging wrath of God, and that perfectly in this life, that they never fall into condemnation; the other is neither equal in all, nor in this life perfect in any, but growing up to perfection.
As opposed;
CHAPTER X.
On the increase of Justification received.
Having, therefore, been thus justified, and made the friends and domestics of God, advancing from virtue to virtue, they are renewed, as the Apostle says, day by day; that is, by mortifying the members of their own flesh, and by presenting them as instruments of justice unto sanctification, they, through the observance of the commandments of God and of the Church, faith co-operating with good works, increase in that justice which they have received through the grace of Christ, and are still further justified, as it is written; He that is just, let him be justified still; and again, Be not afraid to be justified even to death; and also, Do you see that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. And this increase of justification holy Church begs, when she prays, "Give unto us, O Lord, increase of faith, hope, and charity."
-Council of Trent, sixth session, ch. 10
Aversebaptist,
They differ only in the use of the word Justification. However, the calvinst so links them so that if you are not increasing in sanctification you may not be justified. In addition both the calvinists and the RCC teach that grace is an infused substance to use toward holy living.
Both justification and sanctification were accomplished by Jesus. They continue as God's work. The only thing we possibly contribute is not resisting his work.
Great post Julie!
Here is where I see works in sanctification from the WCF, aversebaptist: in sanctification his Spirit infuses grace, and enables to the exercise thereof
Enables means we do it.
In Trent: faith co-operating with good works
Thank you for the compliments Bryan and Dave.
For all of us readers and writers, Peace of Christ be with you.
They differ only in the use of the word Justification.
Yes, thats correct becuase a Calvinist view of justification is distinguished from sanctification. This is a given, as much as it is in Lutheran theology. The word is used differently and its an equivocation to say its used any other way.
Also, what this entire blogpost is saying is; *Gasp* Lutherans are not Calvinists... and my response is; well...duh.
We are no more similar to Rome because we believe in infused grace for sanctification than you are for believing in Trintarian theology, or the filioque clause. Overall it seems Julie's 'recovery' from Calvinism has turned her from stage cage Calvinist to stage cage Lutheran.
Finally, Romanists receive Pauls anathema and gave it to themselves at Trent so are you really willing to call them brothers simply because they believe in sanctification by infused grace, like Calvinists? Is the WCF as wrong as the Council of Trent?
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