What is the best book on Sanctification.

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Saiph

Puritan Board Junior
I am looking for a book that explains the doctrine, and the practical aspect of working out your salvation.

Evidentally, I confuse justification and sanctification quite often in my thinking. Need to understand how sanctification changes us.
 
Justification is a judicial act of God which, by declaration, frees us from the guilt of sin; sanctification is a spiritual-ethical operation of God's Spirit in us which delivers us from the pollution of sin (mortification).

I'd not look to a book that simply looks at the differecne between the two, but books ON justification and sanctification.

Here are a few of my favorites:

JUSTIFICATION:

Justification by Faith Alone By Jonathan Edwards Outstanding

Faith and Justification By Thomas Halyburton

Justification and the New Perspective on Paul By Guy Prentiss Waters

Justification by Faith Alone By Charles Hodge Outstanding

Justification of a Sinner By William Pemble Outstanding

The Justified Believer By MacKenzie Hart

The Lord Our Righteousness: The Old Perspective on Paul
By Obadiah Grew Outstanding

The Object and Acts of Justifying Faith By Thomas Goodwin

Sermons on Melchizedek and Abraham: Justification, Faith and Obedience By John Calvin

SANCTIFICATION

A Treatise of Satan's Temptations By Richard Gilpin

A Treatise on Sanctification (Rom. 6,7 and 8:1-4) By James Fraser

Christ's Counsel to a Languishing Church By Obadiah Sedgwick

Communion with God By John Owen Outstanding

The Mortification of Sin By John Owen Outstanding

Glorious Freedom By Richard Sibbes

Gospel Remission By Jeremiah Burroughs

Grace: Truth, Growth, and Degrees By Christopher Love

Heaven Taken By Storm By Thomas Watson Outstanding

Holiness, By JC Ryle

Michael and the Dragon, or Christ Tempted and Satan Foiled By Daniel Dyke Outstanding

Practical Religion By J.C. Ryle

Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices By Thomas Brooks Outstanding

Spiritual Refining: The Anatomy of True and False Conversion, Vol. 1 & 2 By Anthony Burgess Outstanding

Temptation of Christ: A Puritan's View of the Temptation By Thomas Manton

The Christian By William S. Plumer Outstanding

The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification By Walter Marshall

The Life of God in the Soul of Man, and Leighton's Rules and Instructions for a Holy Life By Henry Scougal

The Marks of God's Children By Jean Taffin

Vital Godliness: A Treatise on Experimental and Practical Piety By William S. Plumer Outstanding
 
Originally posted by fredtgreco
The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification by Walter Marshall

http://www.sovgracepub.com/upcoming/SGPMARSHAL01.htm

:up: Excellent book. Heavy but excellent.

I would also include J.C. Ryle's, Holiness. It is a classic.

For a good introduction to sanctification and the practice of pursuing it I recommend Sinclair Ferguson's, Grow in Grace. It's a short book, very readable, yet deep and thought provoking, and saturated with Reformed Theology.

So read them in this order (ordered by readability):
Ferguson
Ryle
Marshall

This will give you a good introduction to the Reformed idea of sanctification.
 
I have read a handful of those books and they are good. I guess my confusion comes in what is the "new man" ? If, in the end, all my good works are Christ working through me, and not really a part of me that has been changed and renewed by Christ, then what is transformed ?

Gal 2:19-21
for I through law, did die, that to God I may live;
with Christ I have been crucified, and live no more do I, and Christ doth live in me; and that which I now live in the flesh--in the faith I live of the Son of God, who did love me and did give himself for me;
I do not make void the grace of God, for if righteousness be through law--then Christ died in vain.

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.

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.

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.


Am I becoming a better man ? Or is Christ simply working through me like a hand-puppet more and more by the word and the Spirit ?
 
Originally posted by Saiph
I have read a handful of those books and they are good. I guess my confusion comes in what is the "new man" ? If, in the end, all my good works are Christ working through me, and not really a part of me that has been changed and renewed by Christ, then what is transformed ?

Gal 2:19-21
for I through law, did die, that to God I may live;
with Christ I have been crucified, and live no more do I, and Christ doth live in me; and that which I now live in the flesh--in the faith I live of the Son of God, who did love me and did give himself for me;
I do not make void the grace of God, for if righteousness be through law--then Christ died in vain.

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.

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.

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.


Am I becoming a better man ? Or is Christ simply working through me like a hand-puppet more and more by the word and the Spirit ?

Christ, working through you, is making YOU a better man.

For example, the Spirit has made His mark on us. Our hearts have been changed. Cut me open, though, and you still see the same heart. Its a spiritual principle that has been changed. The more the affects of the Spirit enliven me (the new man) the more the remnant of remaining sin is mortified. The old man is dead. He does not exist. but his affects of sin still remain in me. It tries to revivie the old man and can't. The new man, however, is fighting a ferocious dying lion (for lack of a better analogy). It wants to bite, and it can hurt, but ultimately it will die. Killing it, though, is where I come in.

If this was true: Or is Christ simply working through me like a hand-puppet more and more by the word and the Spirit ?"
Would you see this as a problem?

This falls under under the compound / divided sense idea.

Our sanctification is wholly from Christ (decree) but worked through us (divided sense or us working).

I don't feel manipulated so I don't have a problem with the robot idea. However, I am at fault for not being sanctifed because the Bible tell me that God's will for me is my sanctification. I am to walk in the Spirit, mortify the deeds of the felsh, etc. If don't do that, then i am walking in the flesh not the Spirit. But i do need the Spirit's help to accomplish it and without His help i will never be sanctified.
 
Originally posted by Saiph
I have read a handful of those books and they are good. I guess my confusion comes in what is the "new man" ? If, in the end, all my good works are Christ working through me, and not really a part of me that has been changed and renewed by Christ, then what is transformed ?

Mark,

Read Romans chapter 6 -- 8 without stopping....

Here is the explanation.

We are BOTH completely sanctified (at the moment of justification) AND are gradually being transformed in our thinking.

However, the "new man" is reference to the "new society" God is calling to Himself. Christ is the first-fruit of that harvest; His resurrection is the sign that the "new creation" has already begun!

Calvin describes this well....but his studies are based on Paul's writings.

Another superb source is: "Calvin's Doctrine of the Christian Life" by Ronald S. Wallace

(Matt has some excellent points, btw.)

Robin :)



[Edited on 11-2-2005 by Robin]
 
Here is why I struggle with the justification/sanctification ideas:

Read DTK's post here:
http://www.puritanboard.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=14604

Augustine is almost all I read in theology anymore outside of the Bible.

Now I need to go back and read Ryle/Calvin etc . . .

Robin,


We are BOTH completely sanctified (at the moment of justification) AND are gradually being transformed in our thinking.

Interesting.

[Edited on 11-2-2005 by Saiph]
 
Originally posted by Saiph

Am I becoming a better man ? Or is Christ simply working through me like a hand-puppet more and more by the word and the Spirit ?

Here is a quote from Jonathan Edwards;

"It is very true that all grace and goodness in the hearts of the saints is entirely from God; and they are universally and immediately dependent on him for it. But yet these persons are mistaken, as to the manner of God's communicating himself and his Holy Spirit, in imparting saving grace to the soul. He gives his Spirit to be united to the faculties of the soul, and to dwell there after the principle of nature; so that the soul,in being endued with grace, is endued with a new nature: but nature is an abiding thing. All the excercises of grace are entirely from Christ: but are not from him as a living agent moves and stirs what is without life, and which yet remains lifeless. The soul has life communicated to it, so that through Christ's power, it has inherent in itself a vital nature."

This is from page 269 in The religious Affections.

[Edited on 11-2-2005 by turmeric]
 
Originally posted by Saiph


We are BOTH completely sanctified (at the moment of justification) AND are gradually being transformed in our thinking.

Interesting.

[Edited on 11-2-2005 by Saiph]

Mark, the Reformers termed it "simultaneously sinner and saint" ...don't ask me to spell the Latin, OK?

But this is precisely Paul's point as he explains his own struggle with sin while he is regenerate. (Romans 6-8.)

In a nutshell....the church of Rome confuses the order and syntax of the Book of Romans. (irony) Hold-tight to the progressive unfolding of Paul's arguments in Romans and the truth emerges. Mix it up and we always get some form of RC works/righteousness.

:cool:

r.

PS. Btw, this is why Paul says what he does in Romans 12. He's already taken chapters 1-11 to develop the propositions of reprobation; justification/sanctification. The imperative language in chpt. 12 utterly hinges on what he's already taught in the former chapters. (important)

[Edited on 11-2-2005 by Robin]
 
Mark-

I would like to recommend the book, "Christian Spirituality: Five Views of Sanctification", ed. by Donald L. Alexander. Sometimes it is helpful for us to learn what something is not, to clarify what it actually is. I think this book does that well as Sinclair Ferguson explains the reformed view.
 
Thank you all for the recommendations.

Hopefully, I can reach a better understanding of how we are Simul Iustus et Peccator . . .


John Knox, Scots Confession 15

"We confess and acknowledge that the law of God is most just, equal, holy, and perfect, commanding those things which, when perfectly done, can give life and bring man to eternal felicity; but our nature is so corrupt, weak, and imperfect, that we are never able perfectly to fulfill the works of the law. Even after we are reborn, if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth of God is not in us. It is therefore essential for us to lay hold on Christ Jesus, in his righteousness and his atonement, since he is the end and consummation of the Law and since it is by him that we are set at liberty so that the curse of God may not fall upon us, even though we do not fulfill the Law in all points. For as God the Father beholds us in the body of his Son Christ Jesus, he accepts our imperfect obedience as if it were perfect, and covers our works, which are defiled with many stains, with the righteousness of his Son. We do not mean that we are so set at liberty that we owe no obedience to the Law--for we have already acknowledged its place--but we affirm that no man on earth, with the sole exception of Christ Jesus, has given, gives, or shall give in action that obedience to the Law which the Law requires. When we have done all things we must fall down and unfeignedly confess that we are unprofitable servants. Therefore, whoever boasts of the merits of his own works or puts his trust in works of supererogation, boasts of what does not exist, and puts his trust in damnable idolatry."
 
My favorites are Owen's On the Mortification of Sin and Ryle's Holiness. I have also read Owen's On Temptation which is another very good work. He has a treatise dealing with the indwelling sin of believers, spiritual-mindedness, and other works relating to sanctification. Owen on moritification has so many great insights . . I've read this book numerous times.

A few quotes from the Christian Heritage paperback reprint, just from Chapter 2:
The first is, that the choicest believers, who are assuredly freed from the condemning power of sin, ought yet to make it their business, all their days, to mortify the indwelling power of sin. (p. 27)
Do you mortify; do you make it your daily work; be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin, or it will be killing you. (p. 28)
Sin doth not only still abide in us, but is still acting, still labouring to bring forth the deeds of the flesh. When sin lets us alone, we may let sin alone: but as sin is never less quiet than when it seems to be most quiet, and its waters are for the most part deep when they are still, so ought our contrivances against it to be vigorous at all times, in all conditions, even where there is least suspicion. (p. 30)
Sin aims always at the utmost: every time it rises up to tempt or entice, might it have its own course, it would go out to the utmost sin of that kind. Every unclean thought or glance would be adultery, if it could; every covetous desire would be oppression; every thought of unbelief would be atheism, might it grow to its head. Men may come to that, that sin may not be heard speaking a scandalous word in their hearts; that is, provoking to any great sin with scandal in its mouth: but every rise of lust, might it have its course, would come to the height of villainy. It is like the grave, that is never satisfied. (pp. 32-33)
Where sin, through the neglect of mortification, gets a considerable victory, it breaks the bones of the soul (Ps. 31:10; 51:8); and makes a man weak, sick, and ready to die (Ps. 38-3-5), so that he cannot look up (Ps. 40:12; Isa. 33:24). And when poor creatures will take blow after blow, wound after wound, foil after foil, and never rouse up themselves to a vigorous opposition, can they expect any thing but to be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin, and that their souls should bleed to death? (2 John 8). (p. 35)
Let not that man think he makes any progress in holiness, who walks not over the neck of his lusts. He, who doth not kill sin in his way, takes no steps towards his journey's end. He, who finds not opposition from it, and who sets not himself in every particular to its mortification, is at peace with it, not dying to it. (p. 36)
The root of an unmortified course is the digestion of sin, without bitterness in the heart. When a man hath fixed his imagination to such an apprehension of grace and mercy, as to be able without bitterness to swallow and digest daily sins, that man is at the very brink of turning the grace of God into lasciviousness, and being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. (p. 38)
And these golden nuggets are taken merely from one of fourteen chapters!
 
Originally posted by StaunchPresbyterian
My favorites are Owen's On the Mortification of Sin and Ryle's Holiness. I have also read Owen's On Temptation which is another very good work. He has a treatise dealing with the indwelling sin of believers, spiritual-mindedness, and other works relating to sanctification. Owen on moritification has so many great insights . . I've read this book numerous times.

:ditto:

Both of these are required reading in my current Sanctification class at RTS Charlotte.
 
Hi all,
Currently I am reading "The doctrine of Sanctification" by A.W. Pink. I ordered it from a reformed site but am wondering now if he was more of a baptist. Anyway, in my experience as of late I have been concerned about sanctification. Specifically how I am seeming to go backwards so to speak. This Christian life/walk/journey has been interesting to say the least. With all the struggles in my life and home lately my heart has been a very dark place. I lost my 11 yr job in the factory as they are closing down. I am trying to get $$ for nursing schooling, my wife has a job with only a few hours (I don't like the idea of forcing her out into the 'work' world but am grateful that she is willing to so that I can go to school full time). The whole factory scenario has been building up for 3+ years now...it was awful. So many stressed people! The final 3-5 months really broke me down. Anger started to well up in me, frustration, anxiety like never before...not anger over what was happening though, I am more at the point of anger that I am only in control of 'some' things. I am not an indecisive person so it has been real heavy. I am doing all that I can to be responsible for my life and have forgotten how to give the rest to the Lord.
Also, having just been studying justification I now need to get on with sanctification. I LOVE justification!! I love the jurisprudence of Heaven and I desparately want more and more to be sanctified.
I really need to dig in and read on spiritual warfare...I have been exposed to so many differing views on warfare. I do agree that most of the time I am my own worst enemy. But I want to grow in this area also.
Thanks for listening
Pilgrim
 
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