Key to Sanctification

Chapter 9: The Key to Sanctification: Keeping a Fine Balance between Standing and State (Part A)

Recall that “standing” refers to permanent spiritual state wrought by the work of Christ while “state” alludes to current spiritual state that fluctuates depending on one’s effort to separate oneself from the pattern of this world, devil’s schemes, and a hurtful past that enslaves the present.

A correct understanding of believers’ legal position, on the one hand, and their effort to distance themselves from major obstacles to sanctification, on the other, must be held in a fine balance. If not, it would lead to undesirable and detrimental spiritual conditions such as, licentiousness, legalism, or delusion.

I. When the Legal Position is Emphasized Disproportionally

When the believer’s legal position in Christ is emphasized at the expense of actively participating in progressive sanctification, this may result in spiritual laziness or licentiousness.

A. When the filling of the Holy Spirit in a positional sense is overemphasized

In a positional sense, the filling of the Spirit occurs at the very outset of salvation, as apostle Paul states in Titus 3:5-6:

[God] saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior.

This indicates that the believers are already abundantly filled with the Holy Spirit since he has been “richly” (NASB) poured out on them .

1. A danger is relishing in this spiritual position while not participating in activities that would lead to actually experiencing the filling of the Holy Spirit.

   The pastor of Brooklyn Tabernacle, Jim Cymbala, writes:

   “Positional theology is good as far as it goes, such as ‘I am God’s child regardless of how I feel at the moment and what I have done.’ But if we stretch this idea to make statements such as ‘I’m categorically OK with God no matter what I do’ or ‘I am Spirit-filled for the rest of my life,’ we deceive ourselves.”

2. Thus, Paul commanded the Ephesian believers, “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18).

   • Was the apostle merely reminding them that the Holy Spirit lives in them? No.

     While positionally, the “body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in “the believers” (1 Cor. 6:19), the Spirit, who is a person, can be grieved (Eph. 4:30) as well as be quenched (1 Thess. 5:19) when sins are committed and then harbored.

   • In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul tells them to “speak[] to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord,…” (Eph. 5:19), in order to be filled by the Holy Spirit.

   • Luke points to prayer as being a key to being filled.

     Regarding the early believers in Jerusalem, he said, “After they prayed …they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly” (Acts 4:31).

B. When the believer’s legal position (i.e., standing) is overemphasized

1. The Israelites, as the only people chosen by God, always enjoyed a unique standing before Him; in the midst of them stood the glorious temple that reminded the Jews of their special status before the LORD.

2. So, they couldn’t believe that God might use the Babylonians to punish them for their continuous and blatant idolatry; in other words, the Israelites, regardless of their unfaithfulness, were banking on their legal position before God to avoid punishment.

3. However, God, through Jeremiah, reminded them that nothing was going to stop His impending judgment against the rebellious house of Israel.

   Jer. 7:4-7 (NASB):

   Do not trust in deceptive words, saying, ‘This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.’ 5 For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly practice justice between a man and his neighbor, 6 if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your own ruin, 7 then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.

   This is to say, when their actual righteousness lagged tremendously behind their positional (covenantal) righteousness, God disciplined the Israelites.

## Discussion:

Having the right/biblical self-identify from the standpoint of how God sees us in Christ is very important. Is that something we have to earn or that which has already been granted to us?

What are some situations in life where we need to remember our permanent identity and standing in Christ? Why is that important? What can be a drawback when our secure position in Christ is privileged without any follow-up work on our part?

Homework 11

Read over the material covered in the last class and the additional Bible reading (if any). If you have any questions, please note them here and ask me later.

1. What are the three main means of sanctification?

   • Give at least one reference for each.

   • Also share a story in which one of these means was used by the Lord to sanctify you from the ways of the world.

2. What is the difference between position (i.e., standing) and state?

3. Why is it so important to maintain the balance between positional theology and our own efforts (aided, of course, by the Holy Spirit) to be sanctified?

4. What are some dangers when one is emphasized over the other?