Scriptural Sanctification - Media Sabda Org

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SCRIPTURAL SANCTIFICATION: An Attempted Solution of the Holiness Problem By The Rev. John R. Brooks, D.D. Chapter 22 SOME OBJECTIONS CONSIDERED 1. It is urged that God never does an imperfect work, and that, hence, his work of salvation or cleansing is perfect in regeneration. This objection once had weight with us, and we have, hence, tried to consider it calmly and fully, and offer the following solution of the question: (1) A perfect regeneration may not imply a perfect purification, just as a perfect awakening is not a perfect regeneration, or a perfect sanctification is not a perfect glorification. The ante-natal life of the soul may be perfect of its kind, the post-natal of its kind, the post-Pentecostal of its kind, and the post-resurrection of its kind; but there are, nevertheless, great differences between these different kinds of life. (2) God's work maybe perfect when the human expression of that work may be very imperfect. The defective mirror gives us imperfect reflection of the sun's perfect rays; and an inferior or poorly cultivated soil responds to his life-giving influences with imperfect fruit. Hence Dr. Steele well says: "Look abroad through nature and you will find many imperfections -- deformed animals, trees gnarled and twisted, in high latitudes pines dwarfed to mere ferns, in all climes abortive blossoms and wind-fall fruits, and children born with poisonous humors in their blood, or incipient tubercles in their lungs. God's works are always perfect when the conditions are perfect ... He does not produce perfect oranges in Alaska, nor perfect apples in Florida, nor models in human statue in Lapland, or Caucasian fairness of complexion in Africa. It is thus in his spiritual kingdom. Perfect saints are developed only under appropriate conditions -- perfect faith in Jesus Christ, evinced by an entire surrender to his will. But, as the wonderful creative tendency of God waits not for perfect conditions, but breaks forth into forms of weakness and depravity in the natural world, so the amazing love of God does not wait for perfect spiritual conditions, but puts forth its beneficent activities, resulting in a prodigal wastefulness in its wayside sowings." Dr. Steele says again: "When faith in Christ Jesus is weak, a feeble spiritual life is the inevitable result. But when faith grasps him as an omnipotent Saviour, the uttermost salvation from sin is the consequence, and Christian manhood walks forth upon the earth in the statue of the fullness of Christ. All spiritual transformations result from the combination of two forces, the divine and the human. Where the human is defective the resultant will be imperfect, for the divine agency will not compensate the defects of the human cooperation. Hence the weakness of man is reflected upon the almightiness of
God. Sons are born into his family having still the taint of depravity lurking in their blood, to be purged away by the cathartic of a mighty faith in the all-cleansing blood of 'the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.'" Are we not clearly taught this lesson in the parable of the sower? The work which God has provided for -- the sowing of good seed -- is the same with all four kinds of soil or classes of hearers. But, because of the differences between the various soils -- representing the differences between the several classes of bearers there is perfect fruit produced by only one soil -- only one class bring forth fruit to perfection. And the sole reason given for such result is the difference between the condition and work of these several classes -- the purely human conditions of salvation. Take the class represented by the "thorny ground." Here was a mixed state of experience, represented by the which sprang up in the soil, and the "cares and riches and pleasures of this life," which spring up in the heart. Here is a mixture of, and a struggle between, the new life of faith, which comes from the seed of truth, and the desires and tendencies of the old life, still in the heart -- the "old man" that is not thoroughly crucified, eradicated, or dominated by the new life or "new man." It is bare assumption to say that the hearers of this class were not regenerated. The record indicates the contrary" he becometh unfruitful," ceases to bear fruit. He must certainly then once have borne it. And the plant of faith did spring up, but it was and unfavorable and hurtful surroundings. There must as really have been spiritual life in this case as there was in the one the different stages of whose development is represented by the "blade," the "ear," the "full corn in the ear." Is there no life till the "full corn in the ear ripens? If one should die during the time of this struggle, before the "choking" process is complete, would he not as certainly be saved as would the one who dies before his "blade" of faith is developed into the "ear, or the "full corn" of faithfulness? Then he must have been regenerated. Nor was this condition of conflict in the heart the result of backsliding; for the good and evil plants "sprang up together," not the evil after the good. Nor was it caused by the pressure on the will of innocent desires or appetites, constituting simply a condition of temptation in a thoroughly renewed heart, as Dr. Boland suggests. Else the "good-ground" hearers would have had the same experience. These evils in the heart were not only human in their origin not part of "perfect" work but, with proper human effort, before, at, or after conversion, they might have been prevented or removed. Hence our Lord's exhortation -- the lesson or moral of the parable -- to "take heed how we hear" the gospel, lest we fall into or remain in one of the unfruitful classes. They evidently resulted from a lack of proper instruction, knowledge of their condition, intelligent consecration, or of faith before or at the time of hearing. Possibly the force of bad habits of thought and action constituted a part of the unfavorable human conditions which prevented a perfect work. Regeneration, then, may be perfect on the divine side, but defective on the human. May we not get away from our preconceived views long enough to look about us and see that the teaching of this parable and the theory based on it find illustration in the facts of nearly or quite every revival and its results? Do we not know that hardly one in a hundred of the converts of ordinary revivals fails, after the subsidence of his emotional fullness, to give signs of remaining carnality in
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WESLEYAN HERITAGE Library Holiness
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were hostile to the "second blessin
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SCRIPTURAL SANCTIFICATION: An Attem
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9 Sanctification Subsequent to Rege
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the gospel was first preached. Rede
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with tongue and pen as if in the gr
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extravagances of some unbalanced mi
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all depravity in this life, and tha
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elief of the truth." Peter tells th
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"separate and consecrate," and to h
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"Strengthened with might by His Spi
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mind" -- are removed and nothing is
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Job was one of the finest character
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Peacemaker. Hence, probably, peace
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given before. And yet, as all admit
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(2) There seems to be today a large
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It is believed, however, that there
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The ignorant and captious part of t
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to what Joel prophesied about. The
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the Spirit that had been promised b
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"An influential and constantly incr
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pollution, and weakness, as well as
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Now, with these concessions and exp
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a fuller measure of the Spirit when
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Dr. Mudge would explain the case of
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Truth and candor require admissions
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his theory and ours seems to be tha
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that time. In a letter to the write
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Dr. Steele continues: "That the Eng
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these Paul is believed to teach tha
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prayers; remembering without ceasin
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3. The use of the aorist indicates
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in their history, indicated by the
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then adds, "that we might receive t
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We have purposely omitted many pass
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In controverting the above, Dr. Gor
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It would seem from the foregoing th
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this "renewal," "sanctification," o
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standards on this subject." And we
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Bishop Ninde comes the nearest to t
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the man whom the Rev. Dr. D. C. Kel
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Peter's case illustrates the meanin
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consciousness of repentance; (3) co
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Let the doubting reader weigh well
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We are profoundly convinced that th
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witnesses, to testify, not merely f
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divinely inspired, is but the Bible
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give many passages of his writings
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The same test was applied to regene
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Again he says: "Not trusting to the
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As late as 1768 he writes a friend,
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I now obey it, and tell you all, to
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We, for a time, turn from Methodist
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"Since that resignation spoken of b
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ethren of the High Life -- all thes
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Kirk, in his lectures on Revivals,
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"It was on the 23d of April, 1822,
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Page 145 and 146: purpose than I did ... For eighteen
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Page 149 and 150: We note the usual expressions of th
Page 151 and 152: "Never shall I forget the astonishm
Page 153 and 154: "And now, if I am asked what is my
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Page 157 and 158: 7. That she was not backslidden whe
Page 159 and 160: We only stress certain points: 1. H
Page 161 and 162: unbroken communion with him that th
Page 163 and 164: "The weary burden grew heavier with
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Page 167 and 168: "I do not find this life -- what in
Page 171 and 172: In commenting on the foregoing expe
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Page 177 and 178: After telling of his going to a cam
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Page 181 and 182: "I have said enough; the half I hav
Page 183 and 184: "A meeting commenced in my church.
Page 185 and 186: itter opposition on the part of oth
Page 187: But other physicians and patients a
Page 191 and 192: "What is meant and what is true is
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Page 197 and 198: Before leaving this point we would
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Page 207 and 208: supposed. I was conscious of feelin
Page 209 and 210: In speaking of the love which resul
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Page 215 and 216: 2. Does sanctification eradicate or
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Page 227 and 228: Pentecost came after our Lord's ful
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whole spirit, and soul, and body be
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filth" -- hence that it needs no fo
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