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Stanger, Frank Bateman

English

Asbury Theological Seminary

What Does It Meanto be Sanctified?by Frank Bateman StangerI have some deep concerns about the doctrine of the Holy Spirit inits relationship to the deeper life of the Christian. One ofmy concernsabout the sanctified life is in the area of communication. Themeaning of the Spirit-filled life needs to be communicated to each ofus accurately and meaningfully, and then we need to communicate itto others persuasively.There is a lot of confusion about what it means to be sanctified. Letus not condemn one another because of such theological confusion.We need light, not judgment. We must seek sincerely to learn what ismeant by "a second work of grace subsequent to regeneration."Whydo we speak of sanctification as "entire" sanctification?What are theinvolvements of the Spirit-filled life?I am also concerned about centralities in relation to the Spirit-filled life. I am concerned that when we talk about the Spirit-filledlife, the sanctified life, we focus upon the centrality of "the Gift" ofthe Spirit. We must beware of overemphasizing peripheral thingssuch as "gifts." Let our focus be first on the central thing.I am also concerned about the content of the Spirit-filled life. Wemust understand what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Tobe filled with the Holy Spirit means to be filled with Jesus Christ. Wewill never know what it means to be entirely sanctified unless weunderstand what it means to have the mind of Christ, the love ofChrist, the desires of Christ, the volitions of Christ and theconsecration of Christ. The Spirit-filled life means to model thebalanced life of Christ. Such a balance manifests itself in wholenessin every part of one's being. It means a continuing spiritualmaturity.It means sensitivity to sin in every form. It means a concern aboutinjustice and falsehood wherever they rear their ugly heads. TheA message delivered by President Frank Bateman Stanger,Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, Kentucky, during theannual tioliness Emphasis Conference, October 26, 1977.5The Asbury Seminariancontent of being filled with the Spirit includes the continuity ofSpirit-filled living in all of its manifestations, in all situations.I am also concerned about the context of the Spirit-filled life. Iwant us to see the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit-filled lifewithin the parameters of the Church of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spiritwas given to the Church. He was not given to individuals to run awayfrom the Church. The Holy Spirit is a gift to be used within theparameters of the Church, to make it possible for the Church to fulfillits divinely appointed and redemptive ministries. The Holy Spiritbelongs to the Church for which Jesus shed His precious blood, theChurch which Jesus loves and the Church which someday He willpresent to the Father without a spot or wrinkle.A final concern which I mention relates to the correlation of theministry of the Holy Spirit in personal sanctification with all theother ministries of the Spirit both within the person and the Church.The Spirit-filled life is never an end in itself Being filled with theSpirit makes possible full-orbed Christian experience and unceasingcontributions to the Church in the various outreaches of itsredemptive functions.Against the background of these concerns I want to talk with youon the topic "what does it mean to be sanctified?" I am focusing on"sanctification" in the traditional Wesleyan sense of "entiresanctification." I am referring to entire sanctification as a definiteexperience of God's grace through the ministry of the Holy Spirit,which is available for the Christianwho has already been "born of theSpirit." Perhaps you have heard of this experience under othernames � "the baptism of the Holy Spirit," "the deeper life,""Christian holiness," "Christian perfection," "the abundant life,""the victorious life," "the fullness of the Spirit."I am talking about something that is for Christians. We must keepthat clearly in mind. If you are an unregenerate sinner, if you havenever experienced the forgiveness of your sins, if the Spirit does notbear witness with your spirit that you are a redeemed child ofGod, 1am really not talking to you in this particular message. However, Iam praying for you that you will experience initial salvation. Mayyou pray, "God be merciful to me a sinner." This message isconcerned about something which is for those who have already metChrist and received His forgiveness for sins.Now before I get into the heart of my message, let me share a fewselected verses of Scripture from the writing of St. Paul as recorded6What Does It Mean to be Sanctified?in the eighth chapter of Romans:For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of theflesh, but they that are after the Spirit, the things of theSpirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to bespiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mindis enmity against God, it is not subject to the law of Godneither indeed can be. So they that are in the flesh do notplease God, but you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, ifso be that Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man doesnot have the Spirit ofChrist, he is none of his. If Christ be inyou, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is lifebecause of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him who raisedup Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christfrom the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by hisSpirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we aredebtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if you liveafter the flesh, you shall die; but if you through the Spiritmortify the deeds of the body, you shall live. For as many asare led by the Spirit ofGod, they are the sons ofGod. Amen.In trying to answer the question "what does it mean to besanctified?" I want to share seven things it does not mean, and seventhings it does mean.What Entire Sanctification Is NotFirst, let's consider what it does not mean to be sanctified.1) It is not initial salvation. It is not the same as "regeneration,""justification," the "new birth." The disciples of Jesus wereregenerated and justified persons before the Day of Pentecost. Atthat time they received a new experience in divine grace � they werefilled with the Holy Spirit.That entire sanctification is different from, and subsequent toinitial salvation, is the testimony of the saints across the Christiancenturies. John Wesley wrote: "We do not know a single instance, inany place, of a person's receiving in one and the same moment,remission of sins, the abiding witness of the Spirit, and a new, cleanheart."2) It is not any kind of mortal perfection. It does not restore7The Asbury SeminarianAdamic perfection � the perfection of man before the fall. It is notangelic perfection which is reserved for heavenly beings. It is notphilosophical perfection which strives for a perfect human existence.It is not resurrection-life perfection ofwhich Christians will partakeafter they experience the resurrection of the body.3) It is not exemption from temptation nor freedom fromignorance, mistakes and infirmities. Temptation is an inescapablepart of the moral probation of our mortal existence. It will not ceaseuntil death.Nor can we expect freedom from ignorance, mistakes andinfirmities. Wesley wrote: "A man may be filled with pure love, andstill be liable to mistake." Again he said: "The mind itself may bedeeply distressed, may be exceedingly sorrowful, may be perplexed . . . while the heart cleaves to God by perfect love, and the willis wholly resigned to Him."In this regard Wesley offers a very meaningful insight into thenature of sin for which a person is accountable. He distinguishesbetween sin as "the voluntary transgression of a known law ofGod,"and "involuntary transgression" which is the unintentionaltransgression of a law ofGod, presumably unknown. Because no oneis free from "involuntary transgressions," Wesley said that he neverwould use the phrase "sinless perfection." However, he declared that"involuntary transgressions cannot properly be classified as sin, sincethe absence of intention carries with it no personal guilt."4) It is not an experience in which it is impossible to sin. Theremoval of the possibility of sinning would dehumanize a finiteperson. Only God exists in such absolute impeccability. There is aradical difference between non posse peccare (not possible to sin),and posse non peccare (possible not to sin).Therefore, entire sanctification is not an experience from which aperson cannot lapse. We hear Wesley again: "There is no such heightor strength of holiness as is impossible to fall from." Robert Barclaywrote: "And there remaineth always in some part a possibility ofsinning where the mind doth not most diligently and watchfullyattend unto the Lord."5) It is not necessarily the repossession of the outward phenomenaof the first Day of Pentecost. Those phenomena were three innumber: the sound of a rushing, mighty wind which filled the entireroom; the distribution of a tongue of fire to each person in the room;and the abihty to bear witness to Christ in languages which those8What Does It Mean to be Sanctified?receiving the Spirit had not known previously (see Acts 2:1-6).Some people through the years have made the mistake of thinkingthat we never enter the Spirit-filled life, that we are never entirelysanctified, unless certain of these phenomena, or all of them, becomea part of our own spiritual experience. This is a grossly mistakennotion. E. Stanley Jones reminds us that these outward phenomenawere but the scaffolding of the first Pentecost. The scaffolding hasbeen taken down, but the spiritual principle of Pentecost abides. Godoffers to Christians the fullness of His Holy Spirit.6) It is not an unbalanced, eccentric kind of spiritual experience.The Spirit-filled life is not fanaticism. It is not sentimental weakness.It is not religious exclusiveness. It is not melancholy. It is notemaciation. It is not asceticism. God never called us to be holy in a"hole.""Eccentric" means "off-center." Some persons seem to think � atleast they act that way � that the more off-centered, unbalanced,and abnormal they are, the more deeply spiritual they are. I recallvisiting a church which had a large sign over the pulpit which read:"Jesus Christ is here. Don't be surprised at anything." But I mustconfess that if Jesus Christ were truly there, I might be surprised atsome things if they should occur. Jesus had the Holy Spirit withoutmeasure, and He was the most balanced personality who ever lived.Spirit-filled Christianity is normal spiritual experience and activity.7) It is not maturity of life. The crisis of being filled with the HolySpirit is an experience of purity. The life which follows such apurifying experience is one of maturity. Spiritual maturity is theever-beckoning goal of the pure heart.I like John Wesley's use of the phrase "going on unto perfection."To me, having one's heart made pure in love is but the beginning of acontinuing life of "going on unto perfection." Purity leads tomaturity. The late Archbishop William Temple spoke of thedeveloping degrees of perfection. He illustrated by noting thedifference between the perfection of the immature child and theperfection of the more mature adult. But he pointed out that each istruly perfection at its own particular level of development.What Entire Sanctification IsSo much then for what sanctification is not. We now deal with theother aspect ofour subject: what is it?What happens when a person is9The Asbury Seminarian"entirely sanctified"? Again I am pointing out seven things.1) It is the crucifixion of the carnal mind. The carnal mindis the sin nature within us as the result of the fall. It is inheritedfrom generation to generation. It must be "crucified" if the Christianis to live victoriously over sin.The carnal mind is not the self viewed as the essence of thehuman creation. Rather, it is the identification of the self with thesinful and ungodly perversions of the subconscious mind. Theself is to be crucified in the sense that sinful and sensate self-centeredness is destroyed, and the basic desires and attachments of the self are cleansed through the indwelling of the HolySpirit.St. Paul testified to such an experience: "I am crucified withChrist: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me . . ." (Gal.2:20). Centuries later Robert Barclay wrote: ". . . The body of deathand sin comes to be crucified and renewed ... so as not to obey anysuggestions or temptations of the evil one . . . ."2) It is the discipHned control, under the influence of the HolySpirit, of the human personality. It is the giving of ourselves untoGod, as those who are alive from the dead, and the yielding ofall ourmembers to God as instruments of righteousness (Rom. 6:13).The sanctified life does not rob us of our individual and differinghuman personalities. It does not mean exemption from constantChristian discipHne. Rather, it does mean that the Holy Spirit who isin complete control ofour hearts and lives directs and assists us in thenecessary discipUning of every area of human personality.3) It is the habitation of the Holy Spirit within us and our abidingin the Holy Spirit. It is reciprocal abiding: the Spirit in us and we inthe Spirit. The blacksmith thrusts his iron into the fire. After a whileit becomes red hot. Then it is difficult to tell whether the iron is in thefire or the fire is in the iron.Such is the Spirit-filled Hfe of the Christian. And such abiding inthe Spirit brings new dimensions to the Christian life � thedimension of purity and the dimension of power. The Spirit-filledindividual is made adequate by the Holy Spirit both to be and to dowhat God intends.4) It is perfect love. This is the term which perhaps best describeswhat Wesley had in mind when he enjoined such an experience upon"the people called Methodists." Wesley's own descriptions of theexperience are illuminating and deeply meaningful:10What Does It Mean to be Sanctified?This it is to be a perfect man . . . even to have a heart so all-flaming with the love of God ... as continually to offer upevery thought, word, and work, as a spiritual sacrifice,acceptable to God through Christ.It is to be inwardly and outwardly devoted to God. It isloving God with all the heart, mind, soul, and strength. Thisimplies that no wrong temper, none contrary to love remainsin the soul; and that all the thoughts, words, and actions aregoverned by pure love.It is pure love reigning alone in the heart and life.5) It means to be filled with Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "I will sendanother comforter." Who was the first comforter? He was. He wasgoing to send another Person just Uke Himself� the Holy Spirit. Weread: "If any man have not the Spirit ofChrist, he is none of his." Ifwe are possessed by the Holy Spirit, we will be like Christ. We need tokeep in mind that it is possible to be under the influence of a spiritwhich isn't the Holy Spirit, even though we are tempted to think thatall "spirit experiences" are holy ones.When we are under the influence of the Holy Spirit, we arebecoming hke Christ. Sanctification means Christ-likeness. A youngartist tried to duplicate the masterpiece of his master. He usedeverything that was his master's � his studio, his canvas, his brushes,his paints, his model. However, upon viewing the young artist'swork, a fellow artist responded: "You have everything that is yourmaster's except his spirit."6) It 15 the manifestation of "the fruit of the Spirit" in one's life. InGalatians 5:22, 23, St. Paul identifies "the fruit of the Spirit" as love,joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, truth, meekness, self-control. There are three fruits for God to feed on � love, goodness,faith. There are three fruits for others to feed on � joy, gentleness,meekness. There are three fruits for one's self to feed on � peace,longsuffering, self-control.7) The Spirit-filled life is the Christian's daily life lived under theinfluence of the active ministry of the Holy Spirit. One of the bestways I know to confirm this truth is to discover in the Scriptures whatare the ministries of the Holy Spirit promised to the Spirit-filledperson.11Let me illustrate by referring to one chapter in Holy Scripture �Romans 8. In that passage Paul delineates at least 13 ministries of theHoly Spirit to those in whom He dwells: liberation (v. 2), indweUing(v. 9), identification (v. 9), resurrection (v. 11), heaHng (v. 11),crucifixion (v. 13), guidance (v. 14), acceptance (v. 15), assurance (v.16), warranty (v. 23), enabling (v. 26), intercession (v. 26, 27),revelation (v. 28-39).It is glorious to try to contemplate themighty spiritual influence ofall these personal ministries of the Holy Spirit. All of them areoffered to us if we will let the Holy Spirit possess us fully.Holy Spirit, faithful Guide,Ever near the Christian's side;Gently lead us by the hand.Pilgrims in a desert land ....Ever present, truest Friend,Ever near Thine aid to lend ....� Marcus M. WellsDo we need any further incentive to Spirit-filled living?There may be some who know enough about the sanctified life,who are walking in the light concerning it, who are hungry enoughfor it, and who are saying, "I want to receive. I want to enter in."God's good news is that you may enter in now. Once a man waslooking for the Master's garden. He had been told how beautiful itwas. He said to a passerby: "Do you know where the Master's gardenis?" The person rephed: "Walk up the road, keep on it until the roadnarrows into a path. Follow the path until it leads to a gate. Thenopen the gate, step in, and you are there."Prayer: O Thou, Holy Spirit, do for us what we need to have donefor us most in relation to the marvelous experience of this Spirit-filled life. Ifwe need to dialog, then be with us as we dialog. Ifwe needto enter in, then help us to receive Thy Spirit in all of His fullness.And Father, we want to thank Thee again for Thy gift of Christ andfor Christ's gift of the Spirit. Amen. �12

What Does It Mean to be Sanctified?

What does it mean to be sanctified?

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What Does It Mean to be Sanctified?

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