HOLY SPIRIT: Adoption, Sanctification, and Perseverance

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HOLY SPIRITAdoption, Sanctification, and
Perseverance
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ADOPTION Definition

• S.C. 34, Adoption is an act of Gods free
  grace, whereby we are received into the number,
  and have a right to all the privileges of the
  sons of God. Also see WCF 12, L.C. 74
• WCF is the only symbol that gives a complete
  chapter to the biblical teaching on adoption!
• Adoption
• is an immediate act
• is instantaneous with justification
• places us in a relationship with God as son or
  daughter.

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ADOPTION

• Only one specific term for adoption used in the
  Bible, huiothesia. This term is found five times,
  all in Paul
• Rom. 815, Spirit of adoption
• Rom. 823, adoption of the body
• Rom. 94, to whom is the adoption
• Gal. 45, receive the adoption
• Eph. 15, predestined us to be adopted

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ADOPTION

• Adoption is referred to indirectly, however
• Davids sons in Davidic covenant, II Sam. 714
• Israel as Gods children, Ex. 422 Jer. 319,20
  Hosea 111
• God as Israels father, Deut. 326 Jer. 34,14
  (husband)
• Adoption related to covenant, Isa. 436 see II
  Cor. 616-8
• See also John 112 Rom. 816-7 I John 31
• Adoption is sometimes linked to marriage, Hosea
  1-3 Ezek. 16 Jer. 34,14

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ADOPTION

• There are varied benefits of Adoption, WCF, 12
• Liberty of children of God (see WCF, 20 Rom
  815). Liberty from
• Sin
• Death
• Wrath of God
• Law
• Other people! (Spiritual Tyranny, or Binding of
  the Conscience)

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ADOPTION

• The Privileges of the children of God
• Gods name is on us, Jer. 149 Acts 1126,
  2628 I Peter 416 Rev. 312
• We have the Spirit of Adoption, Rom. 815
• We have access to God in prayer, Matt. 69 Rom.
  52 Eph. 312
• We call God Father, Matt. 69 Rom. 815 Gal.
  46 (Abba is Aramaic for Father)

• We are pitied, Psalm 10313 (compassion)
  protected, Prov. 1426 provided for, Matt.
  630-32 I Peter 57 and chastened, Prov.
  311-2 Heb. 127-10
• We are secure as children, never cast off, Lam.
  331 John 1027-30
• We are sealed by the Holy Spirit, Eph. 430
• We are heirs to inherit the promise, Heb. 114
  1036 139-40 I Peter 13-4

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SANCTIFICATION Definition

• S.C. 35, Sanctification is a work of Gods
  free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole
  man after the image of God, and are enabled more
  and more to die unto sin, and live unto
  righteousness.
• In the Westminster Standards, sanctification
  includes all divine increase in holiness, even
  including what later theologians distinguished to
  be regeneration Cf. WCF 131, further
  sanctified, and L.C. 75, having seeds . . .
  put into their hearts.
• Normally, however, sanctification refers to the
  process of increasing holiness after conversion.

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SANCTIFICATION/JUSTIFICATION

• JUSTIFICATION
• Imputes Christs righteousness
• Sin is pardoned
• Total, equal, complete

• SANCTIFICATION
• Infuses grace to exercise personal holiness
• Sin is subdued
• Partial, different, increasing

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SANCTIFICATION

• qadash, Piel and Hiphil, Set apart, consecrate,
  sanctify
• The Verb is related further to
• qodesh, 469x, apartness, sacredness, holiness
• qadesh, qadeshah, temple prostitute, harlot
• miqdash, 74x, holy place, sanctuary
• qadosh, adj. holy
• The primary meaning of this word is to set apart,
  separate but it does not require a good moral
  purpose (e.g., term for temple prostitute).
  Normally the verb is associated w/sacred
  purposes, w/ a correspondingly good moral flavor.

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SANCTIFICATION

• hagiazo 29x make holy, consecrate, sanctify,
  set apart and is related to other words
• hagios 164x, adj. holy, sacred, dedicated
• hagia 11x, sanctuary
• hagios 65x, saint, holy one
• hagistes 1x, holiness
• hagiosune 3x, holiness

• hagiazo is applied to various subjects
• Things
• Gold on temple, Matt. 2317
• Sacrifice, Matt. 2319
• Food, I Tim. 45
• People
• The church, Eph. 526
• Children, I Cor. 714
• Christians, I Thess. 523
• God himself, Matt. 69, I Peter 315

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SANCTIFICATION

• hagiasmos 10x, holiness, consecration,
  sanctification This noun, related to hagiazo
  seems to emphasize a condition which results from
  a practice, e.g., Rom. 619,22 I Thess. 43-7
• Conclusion The term sanctify is used in the
  Bible in a general sense, to set apart for some
  (usually sacred) purpose, and in a theological
  sense to describe personal growth in holiness.
  This growth is seen in four stages
• Preparation to Conversion, I Cor. 611 714 I
  Peter 12
• Conversion and Justification, Heb. 1014, 1312
• Growth in Grace during the Christian life, I
  Thess. 523 (the most common theological usage)
• Final Perfection, Eph. 526

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SANCTIFICATION

• The verb qadash is applied to various subjects
• Things
• Sabbath, Gen. 23
• Houses and fields, Lev. 2714,16
• Firstling beasts, Lev. 2726
• Tabernacle and its furniture, Lev. 810-1

• People
• firstborn, Ex. 132
• Priests, Ex. 2841
• Nation of Israel, Ex. 194
• Prophet Jeremiah, Jer. 15
• God himself, Ezek. 3823

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SANCTIFICATION Three Categories

• Definitive Sanctification-
• at the moment of union with Christ
• A complete break with the power of sin and the
  implantation of a new principle of life. Rom.
  61-76, dead to sin I Peter 224, having
  died to sins I John 18, 36-9
• Progressive Sanctification-
• a continuous process, beginning at conversion and
  continuing throughout the Christian life
• Negatively Sanctification is a turning away from
  sin Rom. 65-6, 14 813 Gal. 524
• Positively Sanctification is a turning unto God
  II Cor. 71 Eph. 316-19 414-15 Col. 111
• Final Sanctification-Glorification,
• Rom. 817, 29,30

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SANCTIFICATION

• Sanctification
• Affects every part of the believer (I Thess.
  523)
• But is never complete in this life, WCF 132
  L.C. 78 Ecc. 720 Philip. 312 James 32 I
  John 18-10
• Pauls witness in Rom. 714-25 is the testimony
  of a spiritual Christian
• Cf. vs. 22 and the present tenses beginning at
  vs. 14. See Cranfield, Romans, ad loc. See also
  Warfield, Works, vol. 7,8, Perfectionism
• Sanctification is incomplete in this life
• The Christian must make progress in
  sanctification
• This requires effort
• The Christian life often warfare, WCF 132-3.

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SANCTIFICATION Its Means

• The weapons of spiritual warfare are the various
  means of grace Gal. 516-25 32-3 Eph.
  610-18. The Westminster Standards name three
  means of grace, L.C. 154, S.C. 88
• The Word of God is a means of grace
• It examines hearts, II Cor. 318 Heb. 412-3
  James 123-4
• Cleanses us, John 153 1717 Eph. 526
• Shows us Christ, II Cor. 318
• Prayer is a means of grace
• It brings Grace for ourselves, Luke 2240
  1813-4
• Grace for others, Eph. 116-9 314-6 518-9
• The Sacraments are a means of grace, I Cor. 1128

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SANCTIFICATION Its Fruits

• Assurance of Gods love
• Peace of Conscience
• Joy in the Holy Spirit
• Increase of Grace
• Perseverance to the end

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PERSEVERANCE

• WCF 171, They whom God hath accepted in his
  Beloved, effectually called and sanctified by his
  Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away
  from the state of grace but shall certainly
  persevere therein to the end, and be eternally
  saved.

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PERSEVERANCE

• Perseverance applies only to those who are elect,
  justified, and now in the process of being
  sanctified it does not apply to all professing
  Christians
• Perseverance refers to the state of grace, not to
  the attainments of grace backsliding is
  possible, WCF 173
• Perseverance of the saints is better than
  eternal security for it emphasizes the
  necessary human effort and responsibility.
  Eternal security often places undue dependence
  on the initial experience of salvation, instead
  of the continuing life of saving faith.

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PERSEVERANCE Scripture

• The Father sets us free and places his
  unchangeable love on us, Jer. 313, II Tim.
  218-9
• The Son paid for us to save us, and now prays for
  us, Luke 2232 John 1028 1724 Rom. 833-9
  Heb. 725
• The Holy Spirit abides in us, John 1416-7 I
  John 227
• Additional Scriptural affirmations Rom. 829-30
  Phil.16 II Tim. 112 I Peter 15,9 I John 39
• The terms of the Covenant of Grace, sealed with
  Christs blood, assure us of final salvation.
  WCF 172 Jer. 3240 Heb. 912-15 Heb. 1014
  Heb.1320-1

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PERSEVERANCE and Backsliding

• Based on our experience and the teachings of the
  standards (WCF, 173) and Scripture, we must
  recognize that Christians can to a large degree
  fall away from the pattern of Christian life and
  sanctification. See II Sam 1127 (David) and
  Matt. 2670,72,74 (Peter)
• The WCF lists four possible causes of backsliding
• Temptation of Satan
• Temptation of the World
• Remaining Corruption in us
• Neglect of Means of Grace

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PERSEVERANCE and Backsliding

• The WCF lists seven results of backsliding
• Gods displeasure, II Sam. 1127 Isa. 645,7,9
• Holy Spirit grieved, Eph. 430
• Loss of grace and comfort, Psalm 323-4
  518,10,12
• Heart hardened, Isa. 6317
• Conscience wounded, Psalm 323-4
• Others hurt, scandalized, II Sam. 1214 I Cor.
  51
• Temporal judgments, II Sam. 1214 Psalm 8931-2
  I Cor. 1132

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PERSEVERANCE Objections

• There are passages that apparently introduce a
  condition in perseverance Col. 123 I Thess.
  38 Heb. 36,14 Rev. 210
• However, the Calvinist recognizes in these verses
  the doctrine of human responsibility- just as we
  are responsible to believe and are commanded to
  believe, so are we responsible to persevere and
  therefore are so commanded
• This truth does not contradict the truth that God
  alone causes us to believe and to persevere
• Indeed, it is merely the way of salvation

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PERSEVERANCE Objections

• There are passages that state a possibility of
  falling Ezek. 1824 I Tim. 119 II Peter
  220-2 Rev. 35
• There are passages that warn against final
  apostasy Heb. 64-6 1026-29 II Peter 317
• The verses in Hebrews 63 and 4 are clearly given
  to the covenant community. While it is possible
  for the professing Christian, the member of the
  covenant community to fall away, it is not
  possible for those who are truly elect and
  redeemed ever to do so.
• The warnings are real and should be preached,
  however, since no pastor has access to what truly
  happens in the heart of any parishioner.

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HOLY SPIRIT Part 6, end