§30. RENOVATION. The life of the regenerated Christian must grow and develop. It is not sufficient that a man has been born into the spiritual world, thereby coming into possession of spiritual life, but as a child of God he must grow and develop under the fostering care of the Spirit. Man begins his walk […]
One of the figures that is essential to examine in the ongoing debates over sanctification and good works is Francis Pieper. If one studies Pieper’s Dogmatics, it becomes immediately apparent that he is not afraid of emphasizing the importance of justification and good works. He writes:“The fact that sanctification in this life will always be […]
People have often attacked the utilization of the term “progressive sanctification,” as a strictly reformed or Wesleyan view. I have shown in the past that this concept is clearly taught in the Lutheran Confessions and the Pauline epistles. This teaching is also one that is taught in various Lutheran theologians throughout the centuries. It really […]
The subject of sanctification, good works, and antinomianism has once again come to prominence in the blogosphere, and Gottesdienst has had a number of recent posts on this subject, utilizing quotes from the Lutheran fathers over against what are perceived antinomian tendencies in certain realms of Lutheranism. One of the things I have noticed in these debates […]
“For a Christ who died for sinners who, after receiving forgiveness, will not quit their sin nor lead a new life, is worthless and does not exist…. There is nothing in their preaching concerning sanctification of the Holy Ghost and about being quickened into a new life. They preach only about the redemption of Christ. […]
Much of the contemporary debate on sanctification stems from Gerhard Forde’s essay “the Lutheran View of Sanctification”, published in the volume Five Views on Sanctification, and republished in The Preached God (these are the page numbers I will be referencing). This article has not only influenced the liberal to moderate circles of which Forde himself was involved, but […]
There are two senses in which Paul speaks of sanctification. Often it is used in the past tense, referring to the fact that God has made us completely holy in Christ:“And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” (1 Corinthians 1:30)“And such […]
As a follow up to my previous posts, here is the Formula of Concord’s teaching on sanctification:“These words say absolutely nothing about our will, nor do they say that it effects something, even in the newborn human being, of itself, but they ascribe that to the Holy Spirit, which cleanses human beings and daily makes them […]
Contemporary Lutherans seem almost afraid of the word “sanctification” or of the concept of the third use of the Law. It is feared that any talk of progress in the Christian life leads into Evangelicalism, Reformed Theology, or even Pietism. Preaching must always utilize a Law-Gospel paradigm without any exhortation unto good works. Remind the […]
On the recent Christ the Center podcast, the subject of Lutheranism again came up. This time the subject at hand is that of the third use of the Law. Rev. Nick Batzig rightly showed that the discussions of the three uses of the Law came from Melancthon and were subsequently popularized by Calvin. However, Rev. […]
