Human Role in Sanctification

[tdrew777]

Man has a role in sanctification, and so does God. What is man's role?
There is a popular doctrine that says that man should bring what he finds in his incorruptible spirit to bear on his soul (thoughts, emotions and will). This will eventually work it's way out into his very body. It is based on a three-fold division of man.

Every scripture I find THAT ADDRESSES MAN"S ROLE IN THE PROCESS OF SANCTIFICATION divides man into only two parts.
Gal 5 walk in spirit vs walk in flesh.
Eph 4:20-32 put off old self vs. put on new self.
Rom 6 Consider (Reckon) yourselves dead to sin and alive to God, Present yourselves to God, not to sin
Rom 7 The law of my mind, vs the law of sin in my members
Rom 8 law of spirit vs law of sin and of death
These passages are not comprehensive - there are more. Man's role in sanctification's important - it is what we are doing on earth.

From scriptures, I now conclude that a man's role in sanctification is a RECKONING, i.e. by faith. He must consider, or reckon that what God has said about him (when He spoke our justification) is true. Obedience comes as a result of the reckoning that we are innocent and full of the righteousness of Christ. Just as in salvation, obedience is a result, not a strategy. In order to sin, he must forget, fail to reckon, what God said about who he is. As long as he "reckons", a Christian will live according to his regenerated nature and will not succumb to his corrupt, birth nature and sin. This is "put off and put on". This is "walking in the spirit not in the flesh".

In Paul's prayers, he mentions this reckoning:
Eph 1:15-19 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might.

When considering the three-fold division, there are only a few scattered verses to consider. Together, they DO NOT form a coherent system.

Hebrews 4:12. The division between soul and spirit is not given as a formula for man's role in sanctification, but to show how sharp the word of GOd is. If the Word of God cut, say, between body and soul it would not be shown as sharp, since these are clearly distinct substances. Since it separates what is essentially one substance (soul and spirit) it is shown to be sharp. Nowhere in the context of Romans 12 are we told to bring the incorruptible contents of our spirit to bear on our souls - SOMEONE MADE THAT UP.

In I thes 5:23 Paul mentions three parts of men being sanctified. God is the one sanctifying. There is not an active verb, but a passive one. Nowhere in the context of I Thes 5:23 are we told to bring the incorruptible contents of our spirit to bear on our souls - SOMEONE MADE THAT UP.

Luke 1:47 mentions soul and spirit in the form of Hebrew poetry - likely repeating the same thing twice; therefore it supports the soul and spirit are synonyms.


We should love the Lord our God in four parts. This is restatement of law, the holy standard we are to live up to. It is not a strategy for man's role in sanctification. Nowhere in the context of the gospels are we told to bring the incorruptible contents of our spirit to bear on our souls - SOMEONE MADE THAT UP.

I believe the verses listed above ARE comprehensive, concerning a tri-fold division of man. If you would quote them, please reference the comments about them in the OP.

No one, in a scriptural prayer for the church, mentions bringing an incorruptible spirit to bear on our soul.

Is there anything, besides this "reckoning", that man must do to cooperate with God in the process of sanctification?

 

[evi]

Yes, u're right.

We need to keep ourselves walking through the spirit
and leave a side our flesh desires. The Bible states we have to die to the world
and live to Christ but the only way we can do so is being daily submitted to his word
and being fully committed to his words and having fellowship with him daily.

That's the way we can keep ouserves away from sin. I hold on to the verse wich says I can do everything through Christ
who strengthens me.

 

[Gjolll]

Is there anything, besides this "reckoning", that man must do to cooperate with God in the process of sanctification?

Submission to the law of God is absolutely essential, and associated with that is discovering the law of God. Many people think that the law of God is only about ritual and the ten commandments. It is much more and the ten commandments remains an integral part of the law. Yet the law of God is spiritual (Roms 7;14) and spiritual submission to it prerequisite.

Rom 9;7 makes the need for submission crystal clear: "The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so."

I believe that the spirit [Heb ruach]operates on the higher intellectual plane and is derived from God, whereas the soul is the lower plane [Heb nephesh] associated with consciousness and bodily life. When the spirit is dead, the soul remains accursed and unclean. When the spirit is made alive to God, the soul is purified, saved, sanctified.

For sanctification, it is necessary for the Spirit to remain in communion with God by submission to his law.

 

[evi]

Amen, bro

I strongly agree with u. !

 

[daughteroflight]

The Father's Spirit sanctified them, caused obedience in them that resulted in sprinkling.

1 Pet.1
[2] Elect according to the foreknowledge of GOD the Father,
through sanctification {separation from the general population} by the Spirit,
unto obedience {of the Apostles} and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.. {their incarnated God}
Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

The Christians by obeying the rules of faith, love and benevolence kept them sanctified from the norm.

 

[HeRoseFromTheDead]

Submission to the law of God is absolutely essential, and associated with that is discovering the law of God. Many people think that the law of God is only about ritual and the ten commandments. It is much more and the ten commandments remains an integral part of the law. Yet the law of God is spiritual (Roms 7;14) and spiritual submission to it prerequisite.

Rom 9;7 makes the need for submission crystal clear: "The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so."

I believe that the spirit [Heb ruach]operates on the higher intellectual plane and is derived from God, whereas the soul is the lower plane [Heb nephesh] associated with consciousness and bodily life. When the spirit is dead, the soul remains accursed and unclean. When the spirit is made alive to God, the soul is purified, saved, sanctified.

For sanctification, it is necessary for the Spirit to remain in communion with God by submission to his law.

The 10 commandments only remain an integral part of the law as a means of instruction and edification. They are no different than the rest of the bible in that regard. The 10 commandments are letters; they are not the law itself. They are clothes (so to speak) that the law of GOD wore at one time. The law of GOD is an invisible will that is, and always has been, defined by two things: faith in GOD and love of man.

 

[Gjolll]

The 10 commandments only remain an integral part of the law as a means of instruction and edification. They are no different than the rest of the bible in that regard. The 10 commandments are letters; they are not the law itself. They are clothes (so to speak) that the law of GOD wore at one time. The law of GOD is an invisible will that is, and always has been, defined by two things: faith in GOD and love of man.

Love of man is displayed by not breaking the 10 commandments. They are commandments for love. Just a different way of looking at them. Their authority remains intact, just as Christ himself said.

 

[HeRoseFromTheDead]

Love of man is displayed by not breaking the 10 commandments. They are commandments for love. Just a different way of looking at them. Their authority remains intact, just as Christ himself said.

That's putting the cart before the horse, or the tail wagging the dog. If the 10 commandments have authority over us, then Paul wasn't speaking the truth when he said those in Christ are not under the law('s authority). Those manifestations of GOD's law (the letters) only had dominion over those under the old covenant. The spirit has dominion over us in the new covenant.

 

[Gjolll]

That's putting the cart before the horse, or the tail wagging the dog. If the 10 commandments have authority over us, then Paul wasn't speaking the truth when he said those in Christ are not under the law('s authority). Those manifestations of GOD's law (the letters) only had dominion over those under the old covenant. The spirit has dominion over us in the new covenant.

I did not say they had authority "over us." I said they had authority. That is to say, they are authoritative as given by God but their application is qualified by the Spirit. just as Jesus showed when he picked the ears of wheat on the Sabbath. Yet the law always was qualified by the Spirit. It's just that the Jews of the 1st and 2nd centuries BC did not think so and made it all legalistic. Paul showed that the law was always in his mind, just as King David the author of the Psalms also claims. The law is really the only way we get to understand what God wants from us. Neglect of the law leads to pagans pretending to be Christians - see Jude.

1 Cor 9;21 "To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law."

 

[HeRoseFromTheDead]

I did not say they had authority "over us." I said they had authority. That is to say, they are authoritative as given by God but their application is qualified by the Spirit. just as Jesus showed when he picked the ears of wheat on the Sabbath. Yet the law always was qualified by the Spirit. It's just that the Jews of the 1st and 2nd centuries BC did not think so and made it all legalistic. Paul showed that the law was always in his mind, just as King David the author of the Psalms also claims. The law is really the only way we get to understand what God wants from us. Neglect of the law leads to pagans pretending to be Christians - see Jude.

1 Cor 9;21 "To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law."

The law of Moses is definitely authoritative as to the nature of what GOD requires.

I would disagree, though, that the law of Moses is the only way we get to understand what GOD wants from us. There are abundant teachings in the NT writings that go far beyond what the law states, and are in fact not in the law except as defined by the two greatest commandments therein. So I would say that deviation from, and neglect of, sound apostolic doctrine leads to pagans pretending to be Christians. Christ and the apostles are the foundation of the kingdom, not the law of Moses.

 

[ThomistColin]

Simply put, man has one role in sanctification, to submit his own free will to the Will of God. Do whatever the Lord calls you to do. Do the works and live by the will of God, and you will become sanctified.

 

[tdrew777]

Not a jot or tittle expires from the law. Most of us understand that you do not tell an unbeliever to obey, but rather to repent and believe. He is not able to obey until he repents and believes. Telling him to obey the law is like telling a dead man to straighten his tie.

But the believer is in a similar situation. Obedience is not within his capability. Reckoning is. If he will consider himself dead to sin and alive to God, he will present his members as instruments of righteousness to God, he will put off the old man and put on the new, he will walk in the spirit and not in the flesh. If you focus on obedience, you will find that you can not. If you consider who God said that you are, obedience to the law will come with no effort.

In that sense, we are not under the law, though the law is our standard. It does not help us obey, it does not give us life, but it rather is a guidepost that shows us that our new nature is, indeed, alive in us. We obey from the spirit, not from the letter. Yet the spirit comes to fulfill the letter effortlessly.

 

[HeRoseFromTheDead]

If you focus on obedience, you will find that you can not. If you consider who God said that you are, obedience to the law will come with no effort.

Most excellent. Aptly described distinction between works of law and works of faith.

Let's take our eyes off of ourselves (works of law) and place them on Christ (works of faith).

 

[evi]

The word holiness, means to be set apart and it means to be different as well.
so we were called to be God's servant a servant is somebody who's committed to his Lord
and it implies fully obedience to him.
If the holy Spirit is truly working in us, there must be a diffrence between worldly plp and us..
this is in everything the way we speak, behave,act our personality changes too.
But we have to keep this in mind that he works from the inside to the outside, what you are inside is reflected out side.
It isn't about us but it is about him about he living in us. we don't govern ourselves.
In Matthew 7.21. on Jesus states that there will be a day where many plp will be claiming him, Lord, lord..
This are the plp who are not fully submitted to him on earth, plp who are lowless.
If we really want to be acknowledged by him on that day, we'd better be holy and do the father's will..
wich is to keep his comandments and follow Jesus's steps.

 

[Gjolll]

So I would say that deviation from, and neglect of, sound apostolic doctrine leads to pagans pretending to be Christians. Christ and the apostles are the foundation of the kingdom, not the law of Moses.

Christ claimed the law of Moses as his own, so you're just splitting hairs.Mat 5:18. Luk 16:17. The only issue is that we are no longer in debt to the law for our justification (Gal 5;3) but its authority remains. The law is far more important than modern protestants make out. That is why so many protestant churches have a distinctly antinomian character. Calvinists have disparaged the law for far too long. Many Calvinist churches are apostate and can only be regarded as temples of paganism, with homosexuality prevalent and women usurping the place of men. Check out this article on some gay Methodist ministers.
Picture exclusive: Three hours before police swoop, Flowers on late-night cinema outing with ex-drug addict Methodist minister | Mail Online

 

[HeRoseFromTheDead]

Christ claimed the law of Moses as his own, so you're just splitting hairs.Mat 5:18. Luk 16:17. The only issue is that we are no longer in debt to the law for our justification (Gal 5;3) but its authority remains. The law is far more important than modern protestants make out. That is why so many protestant churches have a distinctly antinomian character. Calvinists have disparaged the law for far too long. Many Calvinist churches are apostate and can only be regarded as temples of paganism, with homosexuality prevalent and women usurping the place of men. Check out this article on some gay Methodist ministers.

No he didn't claim the law of Moses as his own. He called it 'your law' when addressing the pharisees. He had every opportunity to call it 'My law', but didn't.

Jesus answered [the pharisees], Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? John 10:34

Even in your law it is written that the witness of two men is valid. John 8:17​

Love and faith are not antinomian; they are laws; in fact they are the ultimate laws. To say they are against law is to disbelieve GOD's witness:

And this is [GOD's] commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. 1 John 3:23​

 

[Isdaniel]

No he didn't claim the law of Moses as his own. He called it 'your law' when addressing the pharisees. He had every opportunity to call it 'My law', but didn't.

Jesus answered [the pharisees], Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? John 10:34

Even in your law it is written that the witness of two men is valid. John 8:17​

Love and faith are not antinomian; they are laws; in fact they are the ultimate laws. To say they are against law is to disbelieve GOD's witness:

And this is [GOD's] commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. 1 John 3:23​

I wonder if the that was taken from a psalm and if the psamls are for us today

Psalm 82:6I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.

 

[tdrew777]

I wonder if the that was taken from a psalm and if the psamls are for us today

Psalm 82:6I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.

If the Psalms were not for us today (in particular Psalm 82:6), why is it quoted by Jesus in John? Would you tear Psalms out of the bible?

 

[konroh]

I'm pretty sure IsDaniel's being sarcastic. Sometimes the word Law refers to the whole OT, sometimes to the Pentateuch, sometimes to just the commandments, sometimes even laws of the land are referred to. It's a diverse word.

 

[Gjolll]

No he didn't claim the law of Moses as his own. He called it 'your law' when addressing the pharisees. He had every opportunity to call it 'My law', but didn't.

Jesus answered [the pharisees], Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? John 10:34

Even in your law it is written that the witness of two men is valid. John 8:17​

He was just emphasizing the point that the Pharisees claimed the law as their own, which he does many times, and uses the fact against them to show they will be judged under it for not obeying it. By stating that the law could not fail, he showed it was divine, and anyway it was given by angels who were servants of God.

Love and faith are not antinomian; they are laws; in fact they are the ultimate laws. To say they are against law is to disbelieve GOD's witness:

And this is [GOD's] commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. 1 John 3:23​

I did not say that love and faith are antinomian but they are merely delusional where the law is not adhered to. It is you who are claiming that they are against the law of Moses by seeking to distinguish the law of God from the law of Moses. There is only one law. To propose two separate laws is pure gnosticism and heresy, equivalent to proposing two separate gods, and a relapse into those who say that the Old Testament was written by an inferior god - Marcionism. Marcionism is typically what many churches are today, which is antinomian. Marcion was condemned by the orthodox church as a heretic. Paul shows that good deeds are a law unto themselves, and conform with the conscience. Thus there is only one law.
Rom 2;14,15

For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:

Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another