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I surveyed in the first post, Occasional Christianity, that the root of inconsistent discipleship to the Lord is a result of false ideas about the doctrine of sanctification. Out of these false notions are borne the occasional Christians, functional atheists, hypocrites, and stunted believers. By way of contrast, I hope to shed some light on true sanctification from these false notions. The following are from my observations:
False Notion 1: The doctrine of "sinless perfection" or "full sanctification".
Now, I am not an expert on theology. But I presume that this doctrine presents that a person who has come to faith in Christ has become perfectly sinless. There is no other way to think about this doctrine. It follows that there is no need for a striving for holiness (Heb. 12:14) or a working out of salvation (for it is God who is working in us, Phil. 2:13). This is troubling if there are those who actually believe this. This doctrine is a license for Christians to live according to what they want. If they are perfect, they can and should do what is right in their own eyes. This is not merely a false notion, but a false teaching and a heresy.
The great Reformer Martin Luther refuted this doctrine with: simul justus et peccator or the true Christian is simultaneously just/righteous and a sinner. In one sense righteous, in another a sinner. This is one of the great confessions of the Reformation. Historically, this refuted the Catholic doctrine that baptism washes away original sin and that only the inclination to sin remains. However, this inclination to sin is also sin. RC Sproul explains that "in one sense, we are just. In another sense, from a different perspective, we are sinners; and how he defines that is simple. In and of ourselves, under the analysis of God’s scrutiny, we still have sin; we’re still sinners. But, by imputation and by faith in Jesus Christ, whose righteousness is now transferred to our account, then we are considered just or righteous. This is the very heart of the gospel."
There's a ton of verses in the New Testament exhorting Christians how to live. We are given also the warning to not live according to the flesh, since we are very much capable of sin. We are called to be transformed by a renewing of our mind. There should be an active resentment of the old sinning nature and an active obedience according to the new nature by grace. If the Spirit is at work within us, if we are truly Christians, we are to do and see and talk and think things differently. (Rom. 12:1-2) We are also to grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Pet. 3:18)
False Notion 2: Sanctification waits for the opportune moment or event.
I am not particularly sure if the recent fad of some people of"good vibes" applies to this false notion, but I am not discounting that possibility. If it means that people are waiting for "good vibes" before they act Christian, then I have problem with the good vibes fascination. That and teaching that the Christian life is to be all "good vibes".
It is a dangerous idea that Christians should wait for profitable moments to show that they are Christian. Some wait for a specific role or an event in church or specific circumstances to live as Christians should. They seem to think that without a sort of "Christian" stage, they can do what they want. I don't know what they are waiting for but it is safe to say that in their private lives, Christ is not Lord. They have no desire for private meditation on the Word. People call this "quiet time". And if ever they do so, it is for show.
I have been to many Christian camps ever since coming to faith in the Lord. I have been a camper and a camp staff/counselor. We are always given a Quiet Time guide, where we are given a passage of Scripture and some questions to help us reflect. It's a great and necessary discipline in order to grow in grace and knowledge. But there are some who do it only when they are in the confines of the camp site. How do I know? Well, by asking people and observing their lives. It is coherent, but also very sad.
I think they know this Proverb (3:5): Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not in your own understanding... but only during camps or church gatherings.
The Bible presents proper Christian behavior in all sorts of situation. The Apostle Paul calls for submission to authorities (Rom. 13), the proper use of spiritual gifts to edify the church (1 Cor. 12-14), bearing with the burdened (Gal. 6), being warriors for God every moment as we are in spiritual warfare (Eph. 6), contentment whether in need or in abundance (Phil. 4), discerning all the time against empty deceit and hollow philosophy. The Apostle Peter calls for standing firm despite persecution and suffering (1 and 2 Peter). These are mere samples. There is no suitable excuse to not live according to the gospel. Christianity is a daily faith. Daily we should draw from the deep wells of the Bible. We are given the Word, for instruction. We are given the Spirit, as our Instructor. The only people excused--allow me this foolishness--in living according to Christianity are unbelievers.
False Notion 3: Fear of being labeled or viewed as a Legalist/Pharisee.
I am most familiar with being labeled as a legalistic person. At times, I deserved it. Those were the times when I was not living according to what I adhere to or teach. In a shared setting, people generally have a sort of resentment against people who do better than they. The character of a "know-it-all" or a moral compass in movies usually get humiliated. It is easier to criticize someone else than acknowledge your own shortcomings. The easiest way of bringing them down to your level is to have some dirt on them. They can't be all to perfect, right?
It is no fun being called names. People who regard the biblical call to living according to its principles of holiness can be called legalists or worse, Pharisees. They are the antagonists in the gospel accounts. They are rebuked harshly by Jesus, and they deserved it. They preach wise principles but they do not live according to it. Christians are not to be like them. But that does not mean we should not speak out against plain wickedness and persuading people of doing the right thing, especially to our brethren. Problem is, you might be labeled as a nit-picker. The Bible never nit-picks. When something is called a sin against God, it is indeed sin. We should stay away from such things. We should also do our part of calling out sin, for it is always destructive. It destroys people. It destroys fellowship with God. Healthy rebuke should be done in a spirit of truth and love.
To end, an unsanctified person (the occasional Christian) may for a time be excited about Christian ideas but like seed growing on the stony ground, it flourishes quickly then dies for it has no root. In time, his true nature will be visibly discerned. He may be friendly to truth at present, but eventually he will come to despise it when a season of testing and trouble arrives. The excitement he felt for Christianity was superficial; the truth never pierced his heart, mind and will. He desired Christianity when the spiritual climate was suitable, and quickly fades when it is not. He never came to believing the truth that he knew. He never applied it for he never believed the Truth. After the taste of Christianity has become bitter to his liking he will fall back to his old ways, to his true love: sin.
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