Sanctification is synergistic

[civic]

RC Sproul on synergistic sanctification

We’re saved by grace alone and justified by faith alone, but having been saved, we don’t just wait around to die. Christianity is about spiritual growth as well, and spiritual growth involves effort—the hard work of sanctification. Sanctification, however, includes our efforts. We say it is synergistic because both God and we are doing something. Yet, we aren’t equal partners. God wills and works in us according to His good pleasure so that we progress in holiness (Phil. 2:12–13). But as God works in us, we work as well, pursuing Him in prayer, relying on the means of grace—the preached Word and the sacraments—seeking to be reconciled to those we have offended. There’s no shortcut for sanctification. It’s a process, and one that all too often seems overly plodding, with progress taking years to discern.

God’s work is easy for Him. He doesn't look for shortcuts because He never grows weary. We get tired and frustrated, however. We’re tempted to look for the simple path, the quick answer, the effortless way forward. But there is none. Sanctification requires diligently attending to the means God has given us. The growth may be slow, almost imperceptible at times, but it is sure.

No technique of the devil’s can stop the process of Christ making us into His image. Those whom He calls He sanctifies.

Casually attending to the things of the Lord will not result in our nurture. Visualizing or seeking a secret formula won‘t help. We must work out our salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that Christ, by His Spirit, is working in us. ligioner.org

1 Corinthians 1:30
“From him [God] we are in Christ Jesus, who has become wisdom to us from God, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption.”

Hebrews 12:14
Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.

Ephesians 5:25-27
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.

1 Thessalonians 3:12
to the establishing your hearts blameless in sanctification before our God and Father, in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

Strong's Concordance

hagiasmos: consecration, sanctification

Original Word: ἁγιασμός, οῦ, ὁ

Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine

Transliteration: hagiasmos

Phonetic Spelling: (hag-ee-as-mos')

Definition: consecration, sanctification

Usage: the process of making or becoming holy, set apart, sanctification, holiness, consecration.

HELPS Word-studies

Cognate: 38 hagiasmós (a masculine noun derived from 40 /hágios, "holy") – sanctification (the process of advancing in holiness); use of the believer being progressively transformed by the Lord into His likeness (similarity of nature). See 40 /hagios ("holy").

We are to live holy in this present life and below we read there is a past, present and future aspect to our sanctification.

Below are all the uses of the word in the N.T.


1 Thessalonians 4:3 N-NMS

GRK: θεοῦ ὁ ἁγιασμὸς ὑμῶν ἀπέχεσθαι

NAS: of God, your sanctification; [that is], that you abstain

KJV: [even] your sanctification, that ye

INT: of God the sanctification of you to abstain


1 Thessalonians 4:4 N-DMS

GRK: κτᾶσθαι ἐν ἁγιασμῷ καὶ τιμῇ

NAS: vessel in sanctification and honor,

KJV: vessel in sanctification and honour;

INT: to possess in holiness and honor


1 Thessalonians 4:7 N-DMS

GRK: ἀλλ' ἐν ἁγιασμῷ

NAS: us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification.

KJV: but unto holiness.

INT: but in sanctification


2 Thessalonians 2:13 N-DMS

GRK: σωτηρίαν ἐν ἁγιασμῷ πνεύματος καὶ

NAS: through sanctification by the Spirit

KJV: through sanctification of the Spirit

INT: salvation in sanctification of [the] Spirit and


1 Timothy 2:15 N-DMS

GRK: ἀγάπῃ καὶ ἁγιασμῷ μετὰ σωφροσύνης

NAS: and love and sanctity with self-restraint.

KJV: charity and holiness with sobriety.

INT: love and sanctification with self-restraint


Hebrews 12:14 N-AMS

GRK: καὶ τὸν ἁγιασμόν οὗ χωρὶς

NAS: with all men, and the sanctification without

KJV: all [men], and holiness, without which

INT: and the holiness which apart from


1 Peter 1:2 N-DMS

GRK: πατρός ἐν ἁγιασμῷ πνεύματος εἰς

NAS: the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit,

KJV: through sanctification of the Spirit,

INT: [the] Father by sanctification of [the] Spirit unto


hope this helps !!!

 

[Dizerner]

Pretty self-contradictory when Calvinists claim this.

 

[David]

I have been taught believers are responsible for personal holiness. It is our duty to be faithful and obey Gods commands. We have many commands we are responsible to obey in the new testament.

 

[civic]

I have been taught believers are responsible for personal holiness. It is our duty to be faithful and obey Gods commands. We have many commands we are responsible to obey in the new testament.

Exactly my friend its synergistic- we are to obey the teaching of Jesus and the Apostles with many imperative commands that we are to follow.

 

[David]

Exactly my friend its synergistic- we are to obey the teaching of Jesus and the Apostles with many imperative commands that we are to follow.

They would not ask us or command us if we were incapable of obeying.

 

[civic]

They would not ask us or command us if we were incapable of obeying.

ditto

 

[civic]

RC Sproul on synergistic sanctification

We’re saved by grace alone and justified by faith alone, but having been saved, we don’t just wait around to die. Christianity is about spiritual growth as well, and spiritual growth involves effort—the hard work of sanctification. Sanctification, however, includes our efforts. We say it is synergistic because both God and we are doing something. Yet, we aren’t equal partners. God wills and works in us according to His good pleasure so that we progress in holiness (Phil. 2:12–13). But as God works in us, we work as well, pursuing Him in prayer, relying on the means of grace—the preached Word and the sacraments—seeking to be reconciled to those we have offended. There’s no shortcut for sanctification. It’s a process, and one that all too often seems overly plodding, with progress taking years to discern.

God’s work is easy for Him. He doesn't look for shortcuts because He never grows weary. We get tired and frustrated, however. We’re tempted to look for the simple path, the quick answer, the effortless way forward. But there is none. Sanctification requires diligently attending to the means God has given us. The growth may be slow, almost imperceptible at times, but it is sure.

No technique of the devil’s can stop the process of Christ making us into His image. Those whom He calls He sanctifies.

Casually attending to the things of the Lord will not result in our nurture. Visualizing or seeking a secret formula won‘t help. We must work out our salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that Christ, by His Spirit, is working in us. ligioner.org

1 Corinthians 1:30
“From him [God] we are in Christ Jesus, who has become wisdom to us from God, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption.”

Hebrews 12:14
Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.

Ephesians 5:25-27
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.

1 Thessalonians 3:12
to the establishing your hearts blameless in sanctification before our God and Father, in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

Strong's Concordance

hagiasmos: consecration, sanctification

Original Word: ἁγιασμός, οῦ, ὁ

Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine

Transliteration: hagiasmos

Phonetic Spelling: (hag-ee-as-mos')

Definition: consecration, sanctification

Usage: the process of making or becoming holy, set apart, sanctification, holiness, consecration.

HELPS Word-studies

Cognate: 38 hagiasmós (a masculine noun derived from 40 /hágios, "holy") – sanctification (the process of advancing in holiness); use of the believer being progressively transformed by the Lord into His likeness (similarity of nature). See 40 /hagios ("holy").

We are to live holy in this present life and below we read there is a past, present and future aspect to our sanctification.

Below are all the uses of the word in the N.T.


1 Thessalonians 4:3 N-NMS

GRK: θεοῦ ὁ ἁγιασμὸς ὑμῶν ἀπέχεσθαι

NAS: of God, your sanctification; [that is], that you abstain

KJV: [even] your sanctification, that ye

INT: of God the sanctification of you to abstain


1 Thessalonians 4:4 N-DMS

GRK: κτᾶσθαι ἐν ἁγιασμῷ καὶ τιμῇ

NAS: vessel in sanctification and honor,

KJV: vessel in sanctification and honour;

INT: to possess in holiness and honor


1 Thessalonians 4:7 N-DMS

GRK: ἀλλ' ἐν ἁγιασμῷ

NAS: us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification.

KJV: but unto holiness.

INT: but in sanctification


2 Thessalonians 2:13 N-DMS

GRK: σωτηρίαν ἐν ἁγιασμῷ πνεύματος καὶ

NAS: through sanctification by the Spirit

KJV: through sanctification of the Spirit

INT: salvation in sanctification of [the] Spirit and


1 Timothy 2:15 N-DMS

GRK: ἀγάπῃ καὶ ἁγιασμῷ μετὰ σωφροσύνης

NAS: and love and sanctity with self-restraint.

KJV: charity and holiness with sobriety.

INT: love and sanctification with self-restraint


Hebrews 12:14 N-AMS

GRK: καὶ τὸν ἁγιασμόν οὗ χωρὶς

NAS: with all men, and the sanctification without

KJV: all [men], and holiness, without which

INT: and the holiness which apart from


1 Peter 1:2 N-DMS

GRK: πατρός ἐν ἁγιασμῷ πνεύματος εἰς

NAS: the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit,

KJV: through sanctification of the Spirit,

INT: [the] Father by sanctification of [the] Spirit unto


hope this helps !!!

@makesends do you agree with RC above ?

 

[makesends]

@makesends do you agree with RC above ?

Where does his quote begin and end? Does it end before the verses and references or does it include them? Is this one of his one-page articles or just an excerpt? Can you cite the rest of it?

I agree with the whole statement, but not with the sound of some of the individual sentences and phrases within it OF THEMSELVES and OUT OF CONTEXT.

The use of some of the verses seems to me to refer to something other than the usual meaning of "sanctification" as meant in common theological terminology. That is, "sanctification", in it's one (and simplest) use means (A) no more in itself than "making holy" or "making righteous" or "consecrating (setting aside, for eg) something for special use/purpose". It may be that last, the consecrating for special purpose, may be why what is also called sanctification in scripture refers not only to the ever increasing righteousness of the believer, but (B) what I think of as the "character/member-building/shaping/improving" of the individual members of the Body/Bride of Christ and the Dwelling Place of God.

But if the two are one and the same thing, then righteousness necessarily includes that construction piece being "shaped to character". And there's something to that notion too.

I do not believe that there are generic members. Nor random choices as to who is a member.


Occurs to me to ask, since I have not reviewed the context to find why you asked: Is there something specific you had in mind to ask about? Perhaps the word "synergistic" as he uses it there? My thinking is very close to his, there. 'Sanctification' may be called synergistic, only in that the human person does indeed work, as opposed to the monergism of Salvation, in which the human person is not even consulted nor asked permission before the Spirit of God takes up residence within him, transforming him. It is not synergistic in the common sense in which our efforts are complementary to God's, as though he could not do his will within us apart from our completing his efforts. As Sproul alluded to, it is God who works in us, both to will and to do of his good pleasure. God is not merely trying, but rather he is doing all he set out to accomplish. And the accomplishing of his plan is his.

 

[civic]

Where does his quote begin and end? Does it end before the verses and references or does it include them? Is this one of his one-page articles or just an excerpt? Can you cite the rest of it?

I agree with the whole statement, but not with the sound of some of the individual sentences and phrases within it OF THEMSELVES and OUT OF CONTEXT.

The use of some of the verses seems to me to refer to something other than the usual meaning of "sanctification" as meant in common theological terminology. That is, "sanctification", in it's one (and simplest) use means (A) no more in itself than "making holy" or "making righteous" or "consecrating (setting aside, for eg) something for special use/purpose". It may be that last, the consecrating for special purpose, may be why what is also called sanctification in scripture refers not only to the ever increasing righteousness of the believer, but (B) what I think of as the "character/member-building/shaping/improving" of the individual members of the Body/Bride of Christ and the Dwelling Place of God.

But if the two are one and the same thing, then righteousness necessarily includes that construction piece being "shaped to character". And there's something to that notion too.

I do not believe that there are generic members. Nor random choices as to who is a member.

Here is RC from Ligoneer

No Shortcuts to Growth by R.C. Sproul

I’m still amazed whenever I see the bumper sticker that reads, “Visualize world peace.” The idea is that if I, and enough other people, create the right mental

www.ligonier.org