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"And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,"
- 1 Corinthians 1:30 ESV
Below is a great commentary by Calvin on this passage. Basically, don't confuse justification (a judiciously declared right standing with God) with sanctification (holy living/set-apartness), but just as importantly, don't separate them either! What God declares, he absolutely brings out in our lives.
Calvin writes:
"...he (Paul) says that he is made unto us righteousness, by which he means that we are on his account acceptable to God, inasmuch as he expiated our sins by his death, and his obedience is imputed to us for righteousness. For as the righteousness of faith consists in remission of sins and a gracious acceptance, we obtain both through Christ.
Thirdly, he calls him our sanctification, by which he means, that we who are otherwise unholy by nature, are by his Spirit renewed unto holiness, that we may serve God. From this, also, we infer, that we cannot be justified freely through faith alone without at the same time living holily. For these fruits of grace are connected together, as it were, by an indissoluble tie, so that he who attempts to sever them does in a manner tear Christ in pieces. Let therefore the man who seeks to be justified through Christ, by God’s unmerited goodness, consider that this cannot be attained without his taking him at the same time for sanctification, or, in other words, being renewed to innocence and purity of life. Those, however, that slander us, as if by preaching a free justification through faith we called men off from good works, are amply refuted from this passage, which intimates that faith apprehends in Christ regeneration equally with forgiveness of sins."
2 comments:
I think that the Westminster Confession does a very important thing in that it separates the section headings of sanctification and good works. That is, holy lving and sanctification are not the same thing.
Sanctificaiton is the cleansing of our hearts by the Holy Spirit, which then results in good works (holy living). That is, we live holy lives because we are actually being made holy.
Good works are the result of a miracle!
I'd never noticed that before about the section division. Good observation.
"Their ability to do good works is not at all of themselves, but wholly from the Spirit of Christ. And that they may be enabled thereunto, beside the graces they have already received, there is required an actual influence of the same Holy Spirit, to work in them to will, and to do, of his good pleasure: yet are they not hereupon to grow negligent, as if they were not bound to perform any duty unless upon a special motion of the Spirit; but they ought to be diligent in stirring up the grace of God that is in them."
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