 |
| Definitive sanctification - once for all effectually called out of the native state of sin and death into that state of grace and salvation in Jesus Christ. |
#definitive_sanctification
#ongoing_sanctification
LeongSy
1 Peter 1:2 "Elect according to the
foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto
obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and
peace, be multiplied."
Is sanctification of the Spirit the same as regeneration?
--------
sing
God PURPOSED eternal redemption for His
elect;
Christ ACCOMPLISHED the redemption for the
exact same people;
The Spirit of God/Christ APPLIES the
redemption to each of the elect personally, thus separating him from his native
state of sin, condemnation, and death to that state of grace and salvation in
Jesus Christ.
This is also known as the DEFINITIVE (once
for all) sanctification, in distinction from the PRACTICAL sanctification which
is lifelong. The definitive sanctification happens at the effectual call.
The effectual calling of an elect out of his NATIVE state of sin, condemnation, and death in Adam into that SPIRITUAL state of righteousness, justification and eternal life in Jesus Christ describes the Divine act of SETTING APART an elect to Christ, i.e. it is UNITING him to Christ and Christ unto him.
The effectual call EMBRACES these divine
acts:
- justification, i.e. applying the
righteousness of Christ to an elect personally (to deal with condemnation),
- regeneration (to deal with spiritual
deadness),
- adoption (to deal with alienation).and
- bestowal of the Spirit of adoption to dwell
within the child of God.
WITHOUT any of these free and sovereign activities of God, an elect IS NOT brought out of his native state in Adam into the spiritual state in Christ, an elect IS NOT united to Christ.
In the effectual call, the eternal salvation
PURPOSED by God and ACCOMPLISHED by Christ is freely APPLIED to an elect
personally by the Holy Spirit. The three Persons of the Triune God are in
PERFECT UNITY and HARMONY of PURPOSE in the redemption of God's elect.
Salvation APPLIED to an elect personally
makes it possible for him to hear and respond to the gospel, leading to
salvation EXPERIENCED (temporal salvation)
Please read the above slowly and grasp the
things said. If you understand the above, you are ahead of many theologians on
the doctrine of salvation.
LeongSy
So the effectual calling can take place when
we are not yet born? But what we are able to experience (obviously after we
have been born) is when we hear and respond to the gospel (aka temporal
salvation)?
sing
Effectual calling takes place when an elect ALREADY has personal being, i.e.
conceived.
The effectual call of an elect can happen any
time between his conception and death - the old school Baptists put it this way
"... Those whom God hath predestinated unto life, He is pleased in His
appointed, and accepted time, effectually to call,"
The imputation of Christ's righteousness to
the elect at the cross, just as the imputation of Adam's sin to the human race
in the garden of Eden - being LEGAL TRANSACTIONS - does not need our personal
existence.
What was IMPUTED legally to the elect is then
APPLIED vitally to each elect personally at the effectual call. Even so, what was
IMPUTED legally to Adam's race is applied to each one personally at conception;
thus, each is conceived in sin.
The effectual call (completely, wholly,
solely by the sovereign and gracious activities of God) enables a child of God
(an elect that has been effectually called) to hear the gospel; spiritual
things are spiritually discerned; except a man be born again, he cannot. Period. Spiritual life MUST PRECEDE spiritual activities.
May our Lord grant you understanding. Amen.
