I've been involved in a lively debate recently on an internet forum recently.In the end I had to withdraw because I've was being accused of arrogance and even rudeness by some of my potractors.
It is very difficult to debate when you possess the truth and it is impossible to sound anything other than arrogant when that is the case!
However, on this occasion I was right and everyone else was wrong!
The debate was whether holiness is conditional or not. I stated that it was. Others argued that it was all the work of grace and that no contribution from us was required. Although I chose my words very carefully I was accused of saying that consecration is holiness whereas what I actualluy said was that holiness is conditional upon consecration.
The 1923 Doctrine Book (the whole chapter on sanctification can be found at bloodandfire.org.uk) says the following:
CHAPTER X
ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION
Section III.-ITS ATTAINMENT
1. THE BESTOWAL OF ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION, as with every other gift of God’s grace, IS CONDITIONAL — it depends upon the whole-hearted co-operation of the person to be benefited.
Assuming that conversion has already taken place, the necessary conditions are: Conviction, Renunciation, Consecration, Faith.
ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION
Section III.-ITS ATTAINMENT
1. THE BESTOWAL OF ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION, as with every other gift of God’s grace, IS CONDITIONAL — it depends upon the whole-hearted co-operation of the person to be benefited.
Assuming that conversion has already taken place, the necessary conditions are: Conviction, Renunciation, Consecration, Faith.
7. SANCTIFICATION IS THE WORK OF GOD. Man’s consecration and faith do not sanctify; they are simply conditions upon which God’s sanctifying grace is given.
I think the phrase is QED!
I am deeply worried that covenanted Officers in The Salvation Army do not understand this most basic of doctrines!
Love and prayers
A
3 comments:
I suppose in some ways its not necessarily their fault. They may not have heard it preached in their home corps, they may not have learned it at soldiership. They most definetely won't have heard it at training college (!!) and they may never have read about it since.
You've done well to bring the teaching to the fore. People will at least be aware of it and be provoked to explore it. Meanwhile, we hope God will do his work as they do!
Let me remind you or words of SL Brengle:
"When Officers lose the experience, the Holiness Meetings languish, and when the Holiness Meetings languish the spiritual life of the Corps droops and fails, and all manner of substitutes and expedients are introduced to cover up the ghastly facts of spiritual loss, disease, and death."
The prophet speaks again!
blessings,
under the flag,
Andrew C
I agree wholeheartedly with what you are saying. Without our co-operation and consecration and acceptance of the Holy Spirit into our lives (there are a lot who are doing good works in the name of consecration but have not sought the actual blessing of Holiness) there is no Holiness. I too feel that in recent years this most precious part of our Christian teaching has been sadly neglected and this is why so many have no understanding of what true Holiness is about. God bless you
You write: "However, on this occasion I was right and everyone else was wrong!"
I will quote a line of a song that you seem content to quote on the "other" forum you are referring to "'Tis true I have no room to boast", but why the boast above?
Nonetheless, I too participated on that internet forum, and do not remember arguing that holiness was not conditional - "everyone else was wrong", misleading to say the least!
In fact, in your blog you quote the very sentence I supplied to that discussion: "SANCTIFICATION IS THE WORK OF GOD. Man’s consecration and faith do not sanctify; they are simply conditions upon which God’s sanctifying grace is given".
Our doctrine clearly speaks of conditions and grace. Not one in exclusion to the other, which seems to have been the slant you yourself pursued! I, for one, wanted to highlight the fact that even when the conditions are met, the experience comes only through his grace - God's work, and not ours. A point that, until that interjection, seemed somewhat lacking from the discussion.
As you are aware from our personal emails, it is my view that it is the Holy Spirit that leads us to meet these very conditions, and this in itself is an act of God's grace.
"'Tis true I have no room to boast" - about my salvation and my sanctification!
Of course, this is your blog and you are free to write what you will. I would simply say that for someone who claims to have the blessing of holiness (which incidentally is usually referred to as being "received" and not "earned"), I would have hoped that you would be more accurate in your postings of the represented views and statements of others.
David Ellison
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