Friday, July 28, 2006

on sanctification

I'm aware of two different doctrines of sanctification. The first, found in some Pentecostal and Holiness denominations like the Nazarenes, holds that Sanctification is a moment when the Holy Spirit removes a Christian's sinful nature. From that point on you are in lockstep with God, and anything he wants is your desire also. (And with that comes the flipside: Anything you want is God's desire also, so that anyone who opposes is resisting the will of God.)

Aside from being merely dangerous, I would tag this doctrine unbiblical, considering Paul's words on the subject of sin nature: "So I find this law at work in me: WHat I want to do, I do not do; and the things that I do not want to do, I find myself doing" and "Here is a trustworthy saying: Of all sinners, I am the worst."

The other doctrine of sanctification I know is one that holds that over time we become more and more like Christ, that as we grow closer to him and serve him longer, our desires gradually become more like his, and we become more like Christ in character and holiness.

I don't really hold with this one either, for much of the same reasons as above. I can't find any evidence that we "get better" in terms of sin. The psalmists regularly lament the sinfulness of the assembly; the Apostles kept quarreling with one another long after the Ascension; and so on.

What I have found myself is that I become more aware of my own sin as time goes on, and I return to the Cross for forgiveness for the same old sins time and time again, and for other sins that had never even crossed my mind before, even though I'd been guilty of them. Generally I think we become more aware of the sin in our lives as time goes on, rather than seeing a triumph over it; with the result that we seek forgiveness more, and pray for grace increasingly just for that day, that hour, that moment.

But of course, it doesn't provide as great a sound bite to say, "I'm still gay, and every day I ask God to give me peace with being homosexual, to help me stay celibate, not to get too rough on myself when I fall, and to forgive the people who just want to lecture me" as it does to say "Jesus healed me of being gay!"

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