# Perfecting the flesh



## nwink (Mar 23, 2011)

I have recently been reading Walter Marshall's book "The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification," and in it he speaks of how we grow in sanctification through our union with Christ, not in trying to perfect the flesh in legalism.

I am trying to think of common practical examples of how we as Christians attempt to perfect the flesh and pursue holiness in a legalistic manner. Could you provide some examples? (I am wanting to really see even clearer these issues at hand in my own life) Any related discussion on this topic would be helpful, too. Thank you!


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## BobVigneault (Mar 23, 2011)

Here's an analogy regarding sanctification themed on today's headlines.

Our progress in sanctification is a function of this idea - God's holiness is radioactive to us. I say it this way because very few fear God's holiness but everyone fears radiation and yet what is the effect of God's holiness on us? Look to Isaiah 6:5. Isaiah had a vision of God in the temple and he saw his holiness and he pronounced a very shocking curse upon himself, he said, "Woe is me, I am undone." The words literally mean "I am disintegrated". God's holiness rips us apart at a cellular level. There is nothing good in us, not one cell and when we come in contact with God's holiness we realize the horrible danger we are in. The seraph flew to Isaiah and touch his lips with a cleansing hot coal. Of course the cleansing is the application of the Gospel. Because of the blood of Christ, the Gospel, we may stand in the presence of God's holiness, we come together enough to stand.

But what happens if we hunger to know God more and so we read the Word, we hear it preached, we hide it in our hearts? We begin to draw closer to God, we apprehend more of the knowledge of God but in doing so we come closer to his holiness and once again we begin to disintegrate. We turn again to the Gospel for cleansing and the power to stand in His presence and draw closer still.

This is sanctification, the constant tension of the Gospel enabling us to move closer to the Holy One to be stopped by our sinfulness and knocked back to rely on the Gospel to enable and it continues until we stand before His throne. The unsaved man understands neither the Holiness of God nor the utter destructiveness of sin and the inability for the two to be reconciled. But the one in Christ is in a constant state of transforming as we learn to rely on the Gospel to allow to withstand more of the Holiness of God.

This is Law and Gospel, the Holiness of God is revealed in the Law and legalism only clarifies the fact that God is holy and we are not. It's like putting on a hat made of cessium to protect us from uranium. The Gospel is our protection that allows to move closer - in Him we live and move and have our being.


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## Jack K (Mar 23, 2011)

nwink said:


> I am trying to think of common practical examples of how we as Christians attempt to perfect the flesh and pursue holiness in a legalistic manner. Could you provide some examples?



The first one that comes to mind is the "chastity pledge" movement that was popular among Christian high schoolers a few years back (and still lives on here and there). The idea of pledging chastity until marriage is a noble one, and it seems to have helped a few kids. But at its core it is about trying to avoid sin through willpower and religious pride. That's legalism. And the research done with kids who took the pledge shows it had little staying power. At best, it tended to delay sin but did not stop it.

The secular media had a field day with this research, claiming it shows Christianity doesn't work. Many youth workers were likewise shaken. But those of us who read our Bibles or Marshall's book could have predicted such results.

Sin's power is not broken by determined effort, but rather when hearts are changed by Christ's gospel—through union with Christ. What those kids really needed was not a dose of willpower but huge spoonfuls of gospel, by which comes true conversion and growth in Christ and an increasing love for the Savior. Those who deeply love Jesus are able to resist sin in a way those who're just trying to be good cannot.


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## sevenzedek (Mar 23, 2011)

> I am trying to think of common practical examples of how we as Christians attempt to perfect the flesh and pursue holiness in a legalistic manner. Could you provide some examples?



--how about praying, Bible reading, witnessing, going to church, fasting, journal keeping and other pious acts?
I mention these only because these very pious acts can be turned into legalistic acts The legalism of God ordained means of grace is subtle.

As far as some other legalistic practices, let me mention a few that have troubled me:
not coming to God when I feel guilty (as though I would make myself worthy of God's forgiveness), kneeling when praying (as though this would give me favor with God)

In my mind, there are several kind of legalism. The kind that turns God ordained means of grace into a way of earning grace and the kind that invents man made means of grace as a way of earning favor with God.

I identify with your issue. It is difficult to discern the different ways in which I do legalistic acts.


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