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October 19, 2012 by Jason Hood

Sanctification Debates All Over Again

Nothing is new under the Sun. Kenneth Stewart, professor of theology at Covenant College, is one of the Reformed theologians who are rightly concerned about some contemporary views of sanctification among the YRR. He has recommended the sixth chapter of his book, Ten Myths About Calvinism.

Throughout the Reformation and post-Reformation era, a wide variety of beliefs and practices arose that could be construed as leaning toward legalism or antinomianism. Such errors were not a uniquely Reformed problem. They can be found among anabaptists, Lutherans, and in Roman Catholic and medieval Christianity. If you don’t believe me, I can produce examples faster than you can say “the illegitimate children of his holiness the Pope.”

Stewart cites John Flavel (A Succinct and Seasonable Discourse on the Occasions of Mental Errors, 1691) and other Reformed theologians who addressed and critiqued the following antinomian beliefs as they appeared in Reformed circles:

“It is wrong for Christians to examine themselves as to whether they are in the faith.”

“God never sees the sin in believers.”

“At no time does God ever punish the elect.”

“Christians should not worry about sin in their lives, for these can do them no harm.” (He sums this up a few pages later as belief in “the inconsequentiality of sin in the life of the Christian,” 164).

“Christians are not to rely on signs and marks of grace in their lives as helps to an assurance of salvation.”

Stewart is summarizing Toon, Emergence of Hyper-Calvinism, 30, but he could well have been summarizing some contemporary YRR slogans. Stewart has noted the relevance of the past debate for the current debates over sanctification. He also notes that while these antinomian leanings may arise in the so-called Reformed world, they in fact signal a departure from Reformed (and biblical) Christianity.

As a side note, Carl Trueman will be soon be addressing one important facet of this debate: the misuse of Luther in contemporary discussions about sanctification.

Categories: General | sanctification
Recent Comments
- Jake Belder said...
  
  Fascinating. Do you think the whole “I’m a sinful wretch” self-loathing mentality relates to this at all?
  
  10/19/12 8:02 AM | Comment Link
- Gerald Hiestand said...
  
  Jake,
  
  I think you’re probably right. If grace is primarily construed as “acceptance”, than the rottener I see myself, the more God’s grace is magnified. But a room full of people working too hard to convince themselves that they are the most rotten of sinners, seems, in a weird way, to be its own form of reverse pride. I don’t mean that as sweeping critique of everyone on the other side of this issue. There are pitfalls on both sides. But I recall someone once saying something to the effect, “There’s a lot of pride that can hide in the doctrine of total depravity”. As a Calvinist myself, that gave me pause.
  
  Gerald
  
  10/19/12 8:59 AM | Comment Link
- Jeff said...
  
  To me, this underlines two fundamental errors (not just of ‘Calvinists’ but of ‘libertines’ across all confessional camps): (1) the objectification of salvation and (2) the misunderstanding of the nature of grace (charis) in the NT.
  
  Re: (1) – is ‘salvation’ some object that one possesses, like a trophy we put on a shelf? As long as we ‘have it’, we’re all good? I suggest this is to miss the point. Rather, if (since) it is a definition of a relationship with God, then these ideas seem nonsensical. Am I not to apologize to my wife after offending her because we are in a covenant marriage? God forbid it.
  
  Re: (2) – the word charis in the NT does not simply refer to the initial extension of forgiveness and reconciliation at the ‘point of conversion.’ In fact, more often than this, it refers to a present reality governing a believer’s life (Romans 6), or the ongoing extension of power (a form of ‘favor’) enabling the believer’s obedience and participation in the Spirit (Acts 6:8; Romans 12:6; Titus 2:11-14).
  
  Thoughts?
  
  10/19/12 11:12 AM | Comment Link
- Jason Hood said...
  
  Thanks all for comments.
  
  Jake, I think there’s a refusal by some (Mark Galli, among others) to see any change in humans after conversion/regeneration. I remember in seminary (Reformed Seminary, no less) hearing warnings about overdoing “worm theology.”
  
  Jeff, lots to say here. One thing to point out is that charis is a gift in the ancient world, and that those gifts create new relationships and realities. This is true of God’s gifts as well human gifts; those new relationships and realities create obligation (John Barclay is going to have some great material on this on his new book on Paul).
  
  10/19/12 5:40 PM | Comment Link
- Jeff said...
  
  Jason, sweet. Is his book coming out this year?
  
  10/22/12 11:36 AM | Comment Link
- Jason Hood said...
  
  Jeff, I’m not sure. Here’s the preview material I’ve seen: http://rbecs.org/2011/11/11/prof-john-barclay-“paul-and-the-gift”-book-preview/
  and
  http://www.odt.co.nz/print/99966
  
  There’s also some audio of a lecture he did at Durham…let me know if you’re interested and I’ll try to find it.
  
  10/22/12 1:29 PM | Comment Link
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About the SAET Blog

Welcome to the SAET blog. Herein you will find the theological/pastoral ramblings of the Rev. Matthew Mason, the good Doctor Jason Hood, and Pastor Gerald Hiestand. All three write under the premise that theology and the pastorate belong together, and that (at least some) pastors must once again function as writing theologians for the wider church, for the ecclesial renewal of theology and the theological renewal of the church.

Contributors

Gerald Hiestand
Gerald has served as the SAET board president since 2006. He has been in pastoral ministry since 1999, and serves currently as the Senior Associate Pastor of Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park, IL. He is pursuing a PhD in Classical Studies from the University of Kent, Canterbury.

Jason Hood
Jason is a graduate of Rhodes College, Reformed Theological Seminary, Highland Theological College and the Univ. of Aberdeen. Jason works as Scholar-in-Residence and director of Christ College Residency Program at Christ UMC. He's trying to figure out the twitter thing, @jasonbhood, and sometimes writes for ChristianityToday.com.

Matthew Mason
Matthew earned an MTh at Oak Hill College, London. He is an Assistant Pastor at Church of the Resurrection, Washington D. C. (Anglican Province of Rwanda).

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