Resistible grace.

[Semper Fidelis]

It is my hope that the phrase "irresistible grace" be maintained for its rightful purpose, to describe the role of God's Spirit upon our hearts

The term arises from an acrostic to help, in shorthand, describe the responses of the Council of Dordt to the Remonstrants. I hardly consider it to be something that has to be maintained when the Scriptures don't speak in such terms unilaterally. The Scriptures speak plainly of the people of God giving battle to indwelling sin. Our is not an a-historical faith where we only dwell upon the hidden work of God in regeneration but is a revealed religion where we're called, Today, to hear His voice and harden not our hearts.

Grace, in the sense that it has been understood by Reformed theologians, is not resistible--as it is tied to salvation in particular.

If one conflates Jusitication with the term salvation then this is true but it is not habitual for the Reformed to speak of salvation solely in terms of the work of the Spirit in regeneration and justification. Salvation encompasses sanctification ("being saved") as well as future glorification. A study of the Confessions (which is what defines what is Reformed after all) notes what the means of grace are and how it is the saints' duty to avail themselves of them. A study of the Confessions also notes that we advance and falter in sanctification.

For example, the preaching of the Word is a means of grace. Why would the Confessions (and Directory) encourage us to prepare our hearts for the receiving of the Word if our sloth and indwelling sin was not something that may lead to some want?

In the section I quoted on Sanctification, it is quite clear that there is an irreconcilable war between the Spirit and our indwelling sin. That's the strongest possible language to note that our indwelling sin not only resists but is in complete rebellion against the work of the Spirit through the means of grace. It is a struggle that our union with Christ enables but let us not ignore the clear statements of our Confession that clearly state that a war is ongoing in our sanctification.

 

[moral necessity]

It is my hope that the phrase "irresistible grace" be maintained for its rightful purpose, to describe the role of God's Spirit upon our hearts

The term arises from an acrostic to help, in shorthand, describe the responses of the Council of Dordt to the Remonstrants. I hardly consider it to be something that has to be maintained when the Scriptures don't speak in such terms unilaterally. The Scriptures speak plainly of the people of God giving battle to indwelling sin. Our is not an a-historical faith where we only dwell upon the hidden work of God in regeneration but is a revealed religion where we're called, Today, to hear His voice and harden not our hearts.

Blessings to you, Rich!

Thank you for your input. I agree as well that Scripture doesn't use the term specifically. I suppose I was referring more to the primary causes of behavior instead of secondary causes and their motivations, when I wrote my post. irresistible grace, in my mind, seems to describe well the work of the Spirit in regeneration, as well as his irresistible work in Sanctification too.

Thanks again for your thoughts...

Blessings and fellowship...

 

[Semper Fidelis]

I suppose I was referring more to the primary causes of behavior instead of secondary causes and their motivations, when I wrote my post.

Thank you for the irenic reply. I wholly agree we need to maintain the Scriptural testimony that our justification is grounded in a grace that raises dead sinners to life that they might embrace the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I simply want us to consider that part of our definitive sanctification is a battle. In one sense, it's a resolve (born by the Spirit) that is evidence of evangelical life. The battle is certain because we have the earnest of the Spirit but we are called to abide and that's such a desperate battle that we're called to close ranks upon one another in the Church and encourage one another daily in that struggle. It's the means God has granted to ensure that His Bride will be presented to Him on that glorious day!

 

[Deleted member 6112]

Grace, in the sense that it has been understood by Reformed theologians, is not resistible--as it is tied to salvation in particular.

If one conflates Jusitication with the term salvation then this is true but it is not habitual for the Reformed to speak of salvation solely in terms of the work of the Spirit in regeneration and justification. Salvation encompasses sanctification ("being saved") as well as future glorification. A study of the Confessions (which is what defines what is Reformed after all) notes what the means of grace are and how it is the saints' duty to avail themselves of them. A study of the Confessions also notes that we advance and falter in sanctification.

For example, the preaching of the Word is a means of grace. Why would the Confessions (and Directory) encourage us to prepare our hearts for the receiving of the Word if our sloth and indwelling sin was not something that may lead to some want?

In the section I quoted on Sanctification, it is quite clear that there is an irreconcilable war between the Spirit and our indwelling sin. That's the strongest possible language to note that our indwelling sin not only resists but is in complete rebellion against the work of the Spirit through the means of grace. It is a struggle that our union with Christ enables but let us not ignore the clear statements of our Confession that clearly state that a war is ongoing in our sanctification.

The Word is, indeed, a means of grace; but it is not grace itself. The means can be ignored, twisted, and resisted. The grace that is received through the means of the word by the instrumentality of God-born faith, however, is irresistible. God gives sanctification. Christ purchased the right to our sanctification from the Father, as well as the right to send the Spirit, who applies that gift which Christ merited, our sanctification (the fruit of the Spirit).

That's my understanding, anyhow. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on where I'm wrong, if I am.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

That's my understanding, anyhow.

Your understanding is incorrect. Yes, sanctification is a fruit of our union with Christ and it is definitive but let me quote again the Westminster Standards on Sanctification:

CHAPTER XIII.

Of Sanctification.

I. They who are effectually called and regenerated, having a new heart and a new spirit created in them, are further sanctified, really and personally, through the virtue of Christ's death and resurrection, by his Word and Spirit dwelling in them; the dominion of the whole body of sin is destroyed, and the several lusts thereof are more and more weakened and mortified, and they more and more quickened and strengthened, in all saving graces, to the practice of true holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.

II. This sanctification is throughout in the whole man, yet imperfect in this life: there abideth still some remnants of corruption in every part, whence ariseth a continual and irreconcilable war, the flesh lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.

III. In which war, although the remaining corruption for a time may much prevail, yet, through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ, the regenerate part doth overcome: and so the saints grow in grace, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

From the WLC

Q. 75. What is sanctification?
A. Sanctification is a work of God’s grace, whereby they whom God hath, before the foundation of the world, chosen to be holy, are in time, through the powerful operation of his Spirit314 applying the death and resurrection of Christ unto them,315 renewed in their whole man after the image of God;316 having the seeds of repentance unto life, and all other saving graces, put into their hearts,317 and those graces so stirred up, increased, and strengthened,318 as that they more and more die unto sin, and rise unto newness of life.319

Q. 77. Wherein do justification and sanctification differ?
A. Although sanctification be inseparably joined with justification,330 yet they differ, in that God in justification imputeth the righteousness of Christ;331 in sanctification of his Spirit infuseth grace, and enableth to the exercise thereof;332 in the former, sin is pardoned;333 in the other, it is subdued:334 the one doth equally free all believers from the revenging wrath of God, and that perfectly in this life, that they never fall into condemnation335 the other is neither equal in all,336 nor in this life perfect in any,337 but growing up to perfection.338

Q. 78. Whence ariseth the imperfection of sanctification in believers?
A. The imperfection of sanctification in believers ariseth from the remnants of sin abiding in every part of them, and the perpetual lustings of the flesh against the spirit; whereby they are often foiled with temptations, and fall into many sins,339 are hindered in all their spiritual services,340 and their best works are imperfect and defiled in the sight of God.341

 

[Deleted member 6112]

Rich, I still don't see how my view contradicts the Standards on these things. Our failings are because of our sin. Our victories, in so much as they are victories, are entirely the result of His grace; we cannot claim them. We battle, but He is the one who give the strength to overcome. Sanctification, in my view, is monergistic.

We receive sanctification in different amounts at different times, according to God's good purposes. But, in the great mystery of it, we are driven to Christ (by grace) to seek sanctification, and we find it in Him, through His ordinances (we abide in Him, and so bear fruit). But He sees fit to allow us to sin and to backslide, and He renews us again to repentance by grace.

Can you show me exactly how my view is at odds with the confession?

 

[Semper Fidelis]

Rich, I still don't see how my view contradicts the Standards on these things. Our failings are because of our sin. Our victories, in so much as they are victories, are entirely the result of His grace; we cannot claim them. We battle, but He is the one who give the strength to overcome. Sanctification, in my view, is monergistic.

We receive sanctification in different amounts at different times, according to God's good purposes. But, in the great mystery of it, we are driven to Christ (by grace) to seek sanctification, and we find it in Him, through His ordinances (we abide in Him, and so bear fruit). But He sees fit to allow us to sin and to backslide, and He renews us again to repentance by grace.

Can you show me exactly how my view is at odds with the confession?

Tyler,

When you state:

The Word is, indeed, a means of grace; but it is not grace itself. The means can be ignored, twisted, and resisted. The grace that is received through the means of the word by the instrumentality of God-born faith, however, is irresistible.

This is simply not the case. In fact, the very statement that the means themselves are somehow divorced from the graces they signify is counter-confessional on the point, for instance, that the Sacraments are said to really convey the graces signified them by the Holy Spirit.

You also have a faulty understanding of the term monergistic as it is properly understood. All of salvation is assured, of course, because God's decree ensures that it happens but what we're dealing with here in sanctification is the historical application of God's grace in history as revealed in the Scriptures. Regeneration is said to be monergistic because the will of the unredeemed sinner is incapable of responding to the command of the Gospel altogether. It cannot be stated, in any way, that the person has any power within him to accomplish the command. Consequently, the notion of monergism is to uphold the idea that man plays no part in the electing and regenerating work of God by which the man becomes alive, sees his sin, repents, and turns to and is united to Christ.

Note that the reason why ideas of eternal justification are condemned by the Reformed traditions is that, once a man is regenerated by God (monergistically), he now has life within him to obey the call of the Gospel and the Scriptures declare that he must and will repent and turn to Christ. It is his will, not God's, that turns from sin and embraces Christ. It is not the mind of God repenting and turning in faith for us. It really does matter that the person turned and believed but God granted the condition by which it was enabled.

It should also be said, then, that the man now united to Christ has been set free to obey. When he does obey, then, it is really his will obeying as he resists temptation (in the strength of Christ). Yes that obedience is out of the fount of Christ's indestructible life, through the Spirit, but it is still the believer's will obeying. It should not be implied that the believer can only sin and that sanctification therefore only means that, in spite of man only sinning, God obeyed for the person.

You seem to be treating grace as some sort of force or object divorced from its means. Secondly, you seem to also want to divorce our wills from any part of salvation and so, when the Confessions speak of our wills being involved or giving battle to the Spirit, you want to speak as if God has somehow been the one obeying for us in sanctification and that our wills are not engaged. Somehow, then, you are missing the clear language about this irreconcilable war in our members as if it is not our will that is making the choice to either sin or obey.

Let us examine again the differences between justification and sanctification to see if you might notice:

Although sanctification be inseparably joined with justification,330 yet they differ, in that God in justification imputeth the righteousness of Christ;331 in sanctification of his Spirit infuseth grace, and enableth to the exercise thereof;332 in the former, sin is pardoned;333 in the other, it is subdued:334 the one doth equally free all believers from the revenging wrath of God, and that perfectly in this life, that they never fall into condemnation335 the other is neither equal in all,336 nor in this life perfect in any,337 but growing up to perfection.338

Note that:

Justification
1. imputeth the righteousness of Christ
2. sin is pardoned
3. equally free all believers from the revenging wrath of God and that perfectly in this life, that they never fall into condemnation

Sanctification
1. infuseth grace and enableth the exercise therof
2. sin is subdued
3. neither equal in all, nor in this life perfect in any, but growing up to perfection.

Let us consider for a moment your notion that sanctification is "monergistic". Is God the one in sanctification that is enabled to exercise grace? Why, if monergistic, is sanctification not perfect in all or equal in all as it is with justification? Where, in God's "monergistic" work, would there be any lack of perfection?

Perhaps you are stuck on thinking that monergism somehow means that God's grace is present from beginning to end. The fact that grace is present from beginning to end is not in dispute. The fact that union with Christ produces sanctification is not in dispute. But this is not what "monergism" means.

As I noted (and you may have missed it) I stated that sanctification is definitive. That is to say that it is certain because the believer is united to Christ. This is what grace means after all - being united to Christ where sin as power is put to death on the Cross and we are united to His indestructible life in the resurrection.

All evangelical fruit springs from the fact that the sinner is united to Christ. He abides with and bears fruit in the Vine. All life and holiness springs forth from that.

That said, however, the Scriptures don't simply reveal union with Christ but they also reveal how, historically, the believer is strengthened and what it means to abide in Christ. The means of grace are given because the Spirit works through those means to strengthen us in Christ. When we pray, we are promised that we are transported by the Spirit into the very throneroom of grace. When we neglect those means due to indwelling sin then this has real consequences. We are not to, at that point, simply opine that sanctification continues to progress because God, after all, doesn't really care whether or not we sinned in the moment because we were made more holy by God whether we prayed or not.

 

[Zach]

Thanks, Rich. That was a really helpful delineation of the differences between justification and sanctification. The more and more I read discussions within the Reformed community about sanctification it seems that the most essential doctrine to our understanding of the Christian life is the union with Christ.

 

[earl40]

Thanks, Rich. That was a really helpful delineation of the differences between justification and sanctification. The more and more I read discussions within the Reformed community about sanctification it seems that the most essential doctrine to our understanding of the Christian life is the union with Christ.

Indeed Rich was and is a most treasured resourse here. As a former RC I have and am learning that without the correct understanding of Justification one can never be sure of one is a child of God. I also find this one of the most important lessons that leads to the understanding how santification is defined as synergistic and regeneration is monoginistic.

 

[Cymro]

Turretin wrote--"the expressions,"resistibility" and "irresistibility" of grace, are both barbarous."
He also penned,"God gave Adam the power not to sin,but He did not on that account give
him the act of not sinning."
The fact that Christians sin,reveals that sin in our members (or in the flesh),often conquers the law in our
minds,and brings us into captivity to sin in our flesh. Paul does not teach that we are free from sin, but
from "the law of sin." A law governs and condemns. But through Christ its tyrannical power and dominion
is broken and made us free. Yet sin still lurks in the labyrinthian recesses of our being,and continually seeks
to rise and revolt against the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
Because of our continuing imperfections in this life, then disobedience always remains a probability. Would
it not be better that instead of speaking of resisting grace, we ought to speak of disobedience?
Christ has given us the power not to sin, but He did not on that account give us the act of not sinning.

 

[Deleted member 6112]

Rich, I still don't see how my view contradicts the Standards on these things. Our failings are because of our sin. Our victories, in so much as they are victories, are entirely the result of His grace; we cannot claim them. We battle, but He is the one who give the strength to overcome. Sanctification, in my view, is monergistic.

We receive sanctification in different amounts at different times, according to God's good purposes. But, in the great mystery of it, we are driven to Christ (by grace) to seek sanctification, and we find it in Him, through His ordinances (we abide in Him, and so bear fruit). But He sees fit to allow us to sin and to backslide, and He renews us again to repentance by grace.

Can you show me exactly how my view is at odds with the confession?

Tyler,

When you state:

The Word is, indeed, a means of grace; but it is not grace itself. The means can be ignored, twisted, and resisted. The grace that is received through the means of the word by the instrumentality of God-born faith, however, is irresistible.

This is simply not the case. In fact, the very statement that the means themselves are somehow divorced from the graces they signify is counter-confessional on the point, for instance, that the Sacraments are said to really convey the graces signified them by the Holy Spirit.

You have misunderstood me. God makes his means of grace efficacious as He sees fit. Therefore, we can have the Word and twist or ignore it, and not receive any grace in the hearing of it, if God chooses not to bless it. Or, God can bless the Word and make it effectual for our good. That is what I meant.

You also have a faulty understanding of the term monergistic as it is properly understood. All of salvation is assured, of course, because God's decree ensures that it happens but what we're dealing with here in sanctification is the historical application of God's grace in history as revealed in the Scriptures. Regeneration is said to be monergistic because the will of the unredeemed sinner is incapable of responding to the command of the Gospel altogether. It cannot be stated, in any way, that the person has any power within him to accomplish the command. Consequently, the notion of monergism is to uphold the idea that man plays no part in the electing and regenerating work of God by which the man becomes alive, sees his sin, repents, and turns to and is united to Christ.

Thank you very much for clearing the meaning of the term. I was using it wrongly.

Note that the reason why ideas of eternal justification are condemned by the Reformed traditions is that, once a man is regenerated by God (monergistically), he now has life within him to obey the call of the Gospel and the Scriptures declare that he must and will repent and turn to Christ. It is his will, not God's, that turns from sin and embraces Christ. It is not the mind of God repenting and turning in faith for us. It really does matter that the person turned and believed but God granted the condition by which it was enabled.

It should also be said, then, that the man now united to Christ has been set free to obey. When he does obey, then, it is really his will obeying as he resists temptation (in the strength of Christ). Yes that obedience is out of the fount of Christ's indestructible life, through the Spirit, but it is still the believer's will obeying. It should not be implied that the believer can only sin and that sanctification therefore only means that, in spite of man only sinning, God obeyed for the person.

But without the work of God in regeneration, and then the grace of God upholding the believer, he will not obey.

You seem to be treating grace as some sort of force or object divorced from its means. Secondly, you seem to also want to divorce our wills from any part of salvation and so, when the Confessions speak of our wills being involved or giving battle to the Spirit, you want to speak as if God has somehow been the one obeying for us in sanctification and that our wills are not engaged. Somehow, then, you are missing the clear language about this irreconcilable war in our members as if it is not our will that is making the choice to either sin or obey.

I hope that I have cleared these issues up. This is not representative of my position at all.

Let us examine again the differences between justification and sanctification to see if you might notice:

Although sanctification be inseparably joined with justification,330 yet they differ, in that God in justification imputeth the righteousness of Christ;331 in sanctification of his Spirit infuseth grace, and enableth to the exercise thereof;332 in the former, sin is pardoned;333 in the other, it is subdued:334 the one doth equally free all believers from the revenging wrath of God, and that perfectly in this life, that they never fall into condemnation335 the other is neither equal in all,336 nor in this life perfect in any,337 but growing up to perfection.338

Note that:

Justification
1. imputeth the righteousness of Christ
2. sin is pardoned
3. equally free all believers from the revenging wrath of God and that perfectly in this life, that they never fall into condemnation

Sanctification
1. infuseth grace and enableth the exercise therof
2. sin is subdued
3. neither equal in all, nor in this life perfect in any, but growing up to perfection.

Let us consider for a moment your notion that sanctification is "monergistic". Is God the one in sanctification that is enabled to exercise grace? Why, if monergistic, is sanctification not perfect in all or equal in all as it is with justification? Where, in God's "monergistic" work, would there be any lack of perfection?

Perhaps you are stuck on thinking that monergism somehow means that God's grace is present from beginning to end. The fact that grace is present from beginning to end is not in dispute. The fact that union with Christ produces sanctification is not in dispute. But this is not what "monergism" means.

As I noted, I was misusing the term "monergism." What I meant was that our growth in grace (sanctification) is produced by God alone, so that the resulting good works are good works done by us that He alone gets glory for. Why is it not equal in all? Because God does not give to all equally (remember, though--our sin is still our sin).

 

[Semper Fidelis]

You have misunderstood me. God makes his means of grace efficacious as He sees fit. Therefore, we can have the Word and twist or ignore it, and not receive any grace in the hearing of it, if God chooses not to bless it. Or, God can bless the Word and make it effectual for our good. That is what I meant.

Thank you for the clarification. As I noted in my first response, I don't typically speak in terms of whether or not grace is resistable. Suffice to say, from the standpoint of our response, we either give attention to the Word in our wills or we disobey. Insofar as we choose to disobey, we don't then turn back to God and say: "Had you enabled this means of grace to be irresistible in this case, I may have not been slothful today in the hearing of the Word."

God's ways are inscrutable so it is best to simply note that we disobeyed and leave the speculation about how God's increase works in some cases and it doesn't in others.

But without the work of God in regeneration, and then the grace of God upholding the believer, he will not obey.

It is axiomatic that, if a believer has never been born from above, he cannot even respond to the Word. I never stated otherwise. Sanctification implies that the person has been united to Christ and there is no such thing as growing in grace without first having repented and believed by God's power.

What I meant was that our growth in grace (sanctification) is produced by God alone, so that the resulting good works are good works done by us that He alone gets glory for. Why is it not equal in all? Because God does not give to all equally (remember, though--our sin is still our sin).

Again, however, we speak according to things revealed and the reason for increase is not ours to know. I nowhere claimed that there is any room for boasting as if the fruit can boast of its increase apart from the Vine. I'm simply trying to underline the Biblical testimony that we are to abide and, by abiding, we must exercise our wills in the resistance against sin and temptation and obey by the power Christ gives us. We can safely state that, from the creaturely standpoint, that we may not expect any increase if we disobey. If I do not pray, then I am not availing myself of the bounties of grace as I'm transported into the very throneroom of God. The Word declares: You have not because you ask not.... Viewed rightly, there is a responsibility inherent in obeying that Word and not speculating as to why God has ordained that we sometimes ask not.

Just to make clear, however, all glory belongs to God for any increase and nothing I have written ought to have been interpreted otherwise.

 

[Deleted member 6112]

Rich, I think we're saying much of the same things. The one place where we seem to be disagreeing is on the subject of whether there is real grace that God would give the believer, if only the believer will choose to receive it--and that the believer can resist God's would-be work.

what I have been arguing is that when there is grace that God intends to show toward the believer, He (graciously) subdues the will of the believer, so that the believer does choose to receive it.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

Rich, I think we're saying much of the same things. The one place where we seem to be disagreeing is on the subject of whether there is real grace that God would give the believer, if only the believer will choose to receive it--and that the believer can resist God's would-be work.

what I have been arguing is that when there is grace that God intends to show toward the believer, He (graciously) subdues the will of the believer, so that the believer does choose to receive it.

Nowhere are we given warrant from the Scriptures to claim that a believer's disobedience is the result of Christ withholding the power of His indwelling Spirit to resist a particular temptation.

[3]Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? [4]We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
[5]For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. [6]We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. [7]For one who has died has been set free from sin. [8]Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. [9]We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. [10]For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. [11]So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

[12]Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. [13]Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. [14]For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

[15]What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! [16]Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? [17]But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, [18]and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. [19]I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.

[20]For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. [21]But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. [22]But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. [23]For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(Romans 6:3-23 ESV)

Paul speaks in "human terms" because we are not the Creator. From our perspective, we are to definitively understand ourselves as set free from the bondage to sin and consider ourselves slaves to righteousness. We are to consider ourselves able to resist in the time of temptation. Any speculation about how God operates that directly contradicts the notion that we are, indicatively, set free from sin by our union with Christ is a violation of Deuteronomy 29:29. We live by the things revealed. Your speculative notions would have us, at the times of our failure, not united to Christ and devoid of this grace.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

Owen on the Necessity of Mortification:

If the Spirit Alone Mortifies Sin, Why Are We Exhorted to Mortify It?

Secondly, if this be the work of the Spirit alone, how is it that we are exhorted to it?—seeing the Spirit of God only can do it, let the work be left wholly to him.
It is no otherwise the work of the Spirit but as all graces and good works which are in us are his. He “works in us to will and to do of his own good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13); he works “all our works in us” (Isa. 26:12)—“the work of faith with power” (2 Thess. 1:11; Col. 2:12); he causes us to pray, and is a “spirit of supplication” (Rom. 8:26; Zech. 12:10); and yet we are exhorted, and are to be exhorted, to all these.

He does not so work our mortification in us as not to keep it still an act of our obedience. The Holy Ghost works in us and upon us, as we are fit to be wrought in and upon; that is, so as to preserve our own liberty and free obedience. He works upon our understandings, wills, consciences, and affections, agreeably to their own natures; he works in us and with us, not against us or without50 us; so that his assistance is an encouragement as to the facilitating of the work, and no occasion of neglect as to the work itself.

From OF THE MORTIFICATION OF SIN IN BELIEVERS​, Chapter 3