The two works of grace are very generally misunderstood, especially the grace of sanctification. We believe God will help us here to make it clear to many a reader. Justification, the first work of grace, is a full pardon of every transgression, a removal of guilt. A justified life is one wholly free from transgression. The justified do not commit sin. Sanctification is a destruction of the depraved nature, or a cleansing of inherited sin from the soul. This grace fully prepares the soul for heaven. The soul is as pure in this grace as it will be in heaven. All elements and dispositions contrary to the nature of heaven are dethroned. All pride, levity, lust, and impatience proceeding from an evil nature are perfectly cleansed away. To have pride in a pure heart is impossible. To have lust or lightness or impatience in a pure heart is equally impossible.
We might ask the question, Will not the sanctified under any circumstance have the slightest yieldings to exaltation, levity and impatience? and, if the sanctified speak a word in lightness or impatience does he forfeit the experience? We will answer these questions in the fear of God. Many who have claimed the experience of sanctification have found discouraging [pg 118] trouble at this point. In the company of flatterers they yielded to the spirit of exaltation. In the company of the frivolous they have yielded to the spirit of levity. Under a severe trial they have spoken words of impatience, and are then almost in despair.
Man is a twofold being, an inward spiritual man, and an outward physical man. In sanctification the inward man is possessed only by God. The physical members are to be used by the soul to the praise of God. Satan will bring his force to bear against the outward man to influence to evil and thus destroy the life of the soul. Thus the physical being becomes the battle ground between God in the soul and Satan. Early in the experience of sanctification when there has been but little time for development there may be slight triumphs of Satan without forfeiting the experience of sanctification, but the soul is awakened to greater activity and earnestness to control every action and word to the praise of God. The Lord is sought in earnest prayer for more of his power, for more of his grace, that they may be more deeply fortified in the life divine. The slight victories of the evil one become slighter and less frequent. The individual thus increases in faith, in humility, in gentleness, in kindness, in love according to the additions required to make our calling and election sure. 2 Pet. 1. By giving diligence the soul ere long will gain such power in God as to authoritatively command the perfect obedience of every member of the physical being. The [pg 119] body will be kept under subjection and every member used as an instrument of righteousness unto God.
Any diseased condition of the outward man is an advantage to Satan. Shattered nerves strengthen his temptations to impatience and discouragements. That Satan may have no advantage over us, God in his plan of redemption made provision for the healing of the body. If the soul through prosperity or otherwise becomes slothful, disease may be permitted to attack the body, or other afflictions may come to awaken to greater watchfulness. To become more hasty of speech, to become less grave, to become less humble and meek, less patient, is to be correspondingly losing the power of God, and is called backsliding. There are those to-day who have been claiming to be sanctified for some years, and they are no more patient nor sober-minded nor sound in speech, no more humble, nor have more faith than they had the first year of their experience. In all probability they are backslidden and have naught but an empty form. By diligence, careful watching and incessant prayer, the soul can reign triumphant. Every look, every action, every word, and thought will be under the direct influence of the divine life, and soul, body, and spirit be preserved blameless until the coming of the Lord.
We wish to give in parallel columns nine scriptures, describing man raised to the plane of justification, and nine describing the state of the wholly sanctified. Also a few texts expressing God's will to the sinner, [pg 120] and parallel texts to the justified. And in conclusion a few texts showing the provisions God has made for the justification of the sinner and the sanctification of the justified.
| State Of The Justified. | State Of The Sanctified. |
| 1. In Christ. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Eph. 2:10. | 1. Perfect in Christ. “Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” Col. 1:28. |
| 2. Obtained grace. “For by grace are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” Eph. 2:8. | 2. Abundance of grace. “Much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.” Rom. 5:17. |
| 3. Justified. “And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.” Acts 13:39. | 3. Sanctified. “For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us.” Heb. 10:14, 15. |
| 4. Have light. “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12. “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” Eph. 5:14. | 4. Full of light. “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.” Mat. 6:22. |
| 5. Have peace. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Rom. 5:1. | 5. Have perfect peace. “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” Isa. 26:3. |
| 6. Have life. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” John 5:24. | 6. Have abundant life. “The thief cometh not, but for to steal and to kill and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10. |
| 7. Have faith. “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” Gal. 3:26. | 7. Full of faith. “For he was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.” Acts 11:24. |
| 8. Love God. “Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee.” John 21:17. | 8. Perfect in love. “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.” 1 John 4:17. |
| 9. Babes in Christ. “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.” 1 Cor. 3:1. | 9. Men in Christ. “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” Eph. 4:13. |
| God's Will To The Sinner. | God's Will To The Justified. |
| Repentance. “The Lord is ... not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Pet. 3:9. | Sanctification. “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification.” 1 Thes. 4:3. |
| Called to repentance. “I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Mat. 9:13. | Called to sanctification. “For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.” 1 Thes. 4:7. |
| Commands repentance. “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent.” Acts 17:30. | Commands sanctification. “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. |
| The reason for repentance. “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” Luke 13:3. | The reason for sanctification. “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” Heb. 12:14. |
| Provisions Made For The Justification Of The Sinner. | Provisions Made For The Sanctification Of The Believer. |
| 1. The Word. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.” Rom. 1:16. | 1. The Word. “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” John 17:17 |
| 2. The Spirit. “Jesus answered Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he can not enter into the kingdom of God.” John 3:5. | 2. The Spirit. “That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.” Rom. 15:16. |
| 3. The Blood. “Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.” Rev. 1:5. | 3. The Blood. “Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.” Heb. 13:12. |
| 4. Jesus. “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 2:2. | 4. Jesus. “And inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me [Jesus].” Acts 26:18. |
| 5. God. “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:13. | 5. God. “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; ... faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” 1 Thes. 5:23, 24. |
Being Like Jesus.
Holiness is the image of God. A holy seer, in a vision, saw the Lord and his high throne. He saw the angels hovering over and heard one shouting, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.” Isa. 6:1-3. Nothing in earth or in heaven is so beautiful as holiness. The Scriptures are [pg 125] sublime in their description of the loveliness of the celestial world. Poets have sung of the exquisite delights of that better land. The crowning feature of attractiveness is holiness. Should the despiser of holiness be permitted to stroll through the fields of heaven he would find no object of beauty there. The rose of Sharon would be but a faded flower, “no beauty that we should desire him.” Isa. 53:2.