BY GEORGE P. KEELING.
WHOM IT IS FOR.
Who is entitled to this experience? or, To whom does God teach sanctification will be the next point of inquiry. In the beginning we will affirm that it is always for the children of God and never for sinners. If we succeed in proving this point, we will have overthrown one of the most prevalent heresies in the land at the present day; namely, that people are sanctified when they are converted. Observe this point. If the word of God always teaches and enjoins sanctification upon children of God, this proves that they are not yet sanctified, otherwise God would not teach them to be so.
People are not sanctified when they are converted. But to the proof. We will notice the case of the first disciples. Were they converted before they were sanctified? Were they converted before the day of Pentecost? We affirm both, and will handle both mainly together. Any persons who have read the New Testament with any care know that there was a great work performed in the case of the first disciples on the day of Pentecost. Hence, to escape the force of argument here in favor of sanctification being a separate experience, subsequent to regeneration, some take the position that the disciples were not converted until that time. We will show that this is contrary to the word of God. In John 1: 11 we read: "He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh; nor of the will of man, but of God." This is very definite and to the point. Did these disciples believe on him, and did they receive him before the day of Pentecost? If they did, then they were born of God before. For he says as many as believed on him were born of God. This is not a stretch in the way of an interpretation to bolster up a cherished theory, but is just what the word of God says. Turn next to John 6: 66 to 69. Here, on account of the close teaching of Jesus, there were many turned away from him. "Then said Jesus unto the twelve, will ye also go away?"— Verse 67. "Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life."-- Verse 68. "And we believe and are sure that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."-- Verse 69. Here Peter answers for himself and for the rest also, saying, "We believe and are sure that thou art the Christ." But the first chapter says that as many as believed were born of God, and this verse says they did believe on him. Therefore they were born of God.
Next we will observe Luke 10: 17 to 20. — "And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."
Here it is clearly taught that these persons' names were written in heaven. But God does not write sinners' names in heaven. Therefore these persons were converted. They were born of God. We will now turn to John 17. Any one who will carefully read this chapter through, and then say that these persons were not converted, is too ignorant to be taught or too dishonest to be listened to. "I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word." — Verse 6. "I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them."— Verses 9, 10.
These verses alone are enough to convince any person that these were real children of God. But if we take them in connection with the second and third verses, it becomes more clear. "As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is eternal life, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."
Here Jesus repeats it over and over that the Father had given them to him out of the world. But he says in verse 2 that he gave eternal life to as many as the Father gave him; and the Father gave these disciples to him. Therefore they had eternal life, and their names were written in heaven and they were but of God. If these scriptures will not convince a person that these disciples were saved, it will be impossible to convince him. I will quote at length from the eleventh to the sixteenth verses; for it is so clear. "Now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. And now come I to thee; and these things speak I in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world; even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world; but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world even as I am not of the world."
But some may say, "Yes, I know these people were converted: but they were sanctified also. Hence your argument amounts to nothing." Let us notice verse 17.—" Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." Sanctify whom? Those persons whom he was praying for. Those whom the Father had given him out of the world, to whom he said in verse 2 that he had given eternal life. Does not this prove that these persons were not sanctified when they were saved? If it does not, I do not know how it would be possible to prove it.
Let us now turn to the epistle to the Thessalonians. "Paul and Sylvanus and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; knowing, brethren, beloved, your election of God."- 1st Thessalonians 1: 1 to 4.
Here he addresses these persons as the church of God, and as in God and Christ, and as beloved brethren of the Lord, reminding them that they knew their election of God. "And ye became followers' of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: so that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia."— Verses 6, 7. Here he stated that they turned to the Lord and became followers of him and of the Lord, and that they were ensamples to all that believed in Macedonia and Achaia. "For from you sounded out the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak anything. For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God." This is conclusive. Any one who will not receive this as a description of saved persons is incapable of being taught anything, either from lack of honesty or from lack of capacity to understand. Follow him on into the third chapter. Paul had been at this place and preached to this people and a great many had been saved (See first verse of Acts 17.), but, on account of the persecution of the Jews, he had to leave. However, he did not forget them. He himself could not go to see them, but he was so interested that he sent Timothy to see how they were getting along." (See 1st Thessalonians 3.) When Timothy returned with a good report it greatly rejoiced Paul. So he wrote this epistle to them, and says, "We are praying night and day for you that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith."
You may say, "Yes, but these persons were sanctified also. Hence what is the use of all this argument to prove that sanctification is subsequent to regeneration?" But let us see if they were yet sanctified. Notice the last verse quoted. "Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith. Then he continues, "Now God himself, and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you. And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you. To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints." And he still continues in the next chapter. "Furthermore then we beseech you brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more, for ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus." Well, what were they to say? Here they are. "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification."— Verse 3. ["For this is the pleasure of God, your sanctification: and that ye be separated from all whoredom."— Syriac Version.] What? These persons not sanctified? These persons who have a work of faith, a labor of love, and a patience of hope, whose faith had sounded out far and near, and who were ensamples to all that believe, and yet not sanctified? No, they were not, else he could not have said it was the will of God that they should be.
He has here brought out a number of things he desires them to reach; such as to abound in love one toward another, and to increase more and more in the things he sets before them. Then he comes down to this third verse of the fourth chapter, and says, "You know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification."
You may ask, "If these people were not sanctified, what does it mean to be sanctified?" That is what we will proceed to show you further on. But before we do so let us follow him a little further. He goes on to the fifth chapter and says (verses 16 to 24): "Rejoice ever more. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings, prove all things: hold fast that which is good, abstain from all appearance of evil, and the very God of peace sanctify you wholly: and I pray God your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it." Here we see the faithful apostle following in the footsteps of his Master's teaching. After the disciples had followed the Savior in regeneration, after the Father had given them to him and he had given them eternal life, we find him in John 17, just before he was crucified, praying God for their sanctification. And in 1st Thessalonians 5 we hear the apostle offering this prayer in behalf of this faithful church: "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ." And then to cut off all who might rise up and say it could not be in this world, he ends by saying, "Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it." These scriptures clearly teach two things. First, that they were not sanctified when they were converted; for if they were, how could the apostle be commanding them to be sanctified, and praying God to sanctify them? And he does both of these in this epistle. Secondly, they teach that it is possible for them to be sanctified in this life: yea, "This is the will of God, even your sanctification," and, "Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it."
Some one may say, "Yes, I see by these scriptures that a person is not sanctified when he is converted, and that people are to be sanctified in this world, but I think they grow into it. This is another position that can not be sustained by the word of God, as we will proceed to show, as our third point in this subject.
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