Scriptural Sanctification - Media Sabda Org

SCRIPTURAL SANCTIFICATION:
An
Attempted Solution of the Holiness Problem
By The
Rev. John R. Brooks, D.D.
Chapter 5
THREE TYPES OF PIETY EXIST UNDER THE PRESENT DISPENSATION
1. Because of different degrees of light and grace they existed in different parts of the world in
the apostolic age, and do today. The same material sun, during the same year, develops the dwarfed
and almost fruitless plant of the frigid zone, the larger, more comely, and more fruitful one of the
temperate zone, and the towering, mammoth, and still more fruitful one of the torrid zone. So with
the plant of faith and the fruit of righteousness, growing thereon, under the influence of the "Sun of
righteousness" in different parts of the world then and now. Under the slanting rays of that Sun, in
the dark parts of the earth, the dwarfed plant of faith, that bears the fruit of fear and obedience up to
creed, is developed today. Under His directer rays, in more enlightened lands, the larger plant of faith
that bears, to some extent, the sweeter fruit of love and peace and joy, is developed. And under the
perfectly direct and fructifying rays of that Sun, where a full gospel is preached, the still more
vigorous and fruitful plant of faith, on which the rich fruit of love and peace and joy grows to
perfection, is developed. Because of the unequal distribution of knowledge and grace, these three
spiritual zones, like their natural analogues, may exist and produce this variety of plant and fruit in
our day; and for the same reasons they are believed to have existed after Pentecost in different parts
of the earth during the apostolic age.
2. For certain reasons these different types of piety are believed to exist in the same country,
community, congregation, and family today.
(1) Because of wrong or deficient instruction, defective consecration, or weak faith, many
professed Christians are to all intents and purposes living today under the dispensation of the Father.
They have been taught, both by precept and example, to serve God chiefly if not solely from the
motive of fear. They have not been encouraged to expect the Spirit of adoption and assurance, and
His fruit of peace and love and joy. Indeed, they have been led to decry experimental godliness and
despise "heart religion." They have been more concerned about the "form" than they have about the
power of godliness. As a consequence, the ethical predominates over the spiritual -- the moral over
the experimental --in their experience and lives. They are dominated by the "spirit of bondage to
fear," and look more carefully to works than to faith -- to the external than to the internal life. The
better and more conscientious of this class "fear God and work righteousness." Like Cornelius, they
are devout, prayerful, and charitable. And if no better training or fuller light has come to them -- if
they have diligently sought the light and faithfully lived up to what they received -- we dare not deny
that they are, like Cornelius, "accepted" with God. There may be many of this class in all Churches,
Romish and Protestant, but, for obvious reasons, there are probably more in ritualistic Churches than
in others. The earnest, ill-instructed, and fearful penitent, outside the Church, may fall into this class.
He is a "servant of God," under the influence of the law, who falls short of gospel light and faith. His
experience seems recorded in the seventh chapter of Romans.