9–Progressive Sanctification, pt2

In his book FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, evangelical theologian, D.A. Carson, addresses the unfortunate error of believers slouching toward holiness. "People do not drift toward holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated." With so many books and blogs out there about law and gospel, about grace & effort, it's clear that Christians are still wrestling with the doctrine of progressive sanctification. Can Christians do anything truly good? Can we please God? Should we try to? Is there a place for striving in the Christian life? Can God be disappointed with the Christian? Does the gospel make any demands? If sanctification is a work of divine grace in our lives, does it involve our effort? Absolutely and unequivocally, yes! On the one hand, we are absolutely indebted to God for the good works we do. And He is the one at work in us both to will and to do according to His good pleasure. Yet, on the other hand, faith working through love leads a man to do by himself the works that God has commanded in His Word. Our ability to do good works is not at all in ourselves, but we still ought to be diligent in stirring up the grace of God that is in us. Progressive change and conformity to Christ in holiness comes not by chance but by choice. This week in our ongoing study of "The Doctrine of Salvation" we will continue to look at "Progressive Sanctification",pt2.