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Well, you can turn with me in 
your confession to chapter 13. Chapter 13 of sanctification. I'll read the chapter, and then 
we'll look at the description of sanctification in paragraph 
1, and then the distinctives of sanctification in paragraphs 
2 and 3. So beginning in paragraph 1 in 
chapter 13, they who are united to Christ, affectionately called 
and regenerated, having a new heart and new spirit created 
in them through the virtue of Christ's death and resurrection, 
are also farther sanctified, really and personally, through 
the same virtue, 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 all true holiness, without which 
no man shall see the Lord. The 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, 
pressing after an heavenly life, and evangelical obedience to 
all the commands which Christ, as head and king, in his word 
hath prescribed to them." Amen. Well, a good summary statement 
is found in Westminster Shorter Catechism, number 35. What is sanctification? In the 
brief answer, sanctification is the work of God's free grace, 
whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of 
God and are enabled more and more to die unto sin and live 
unto righteousness. Now the broader general meaning 
of sanctify in scripture is to set something apart. To sanctify 
in the Bible is to set apart from common use to God, or what 
we might call profane use. Profane takes on a negative connotation 
today, usually bad speech or things that are wicked. But profane 
simply means outside of the sacred. And so in common and popular 
theological usage, the term sanctification is used of being set apart in 
one's practical conduct from sin to righteousness in a progressive 
manner in the Christian life. So I think that's a good sort 
of overarching definition or description of what we find here 
in the three paragraphs in chapter 13. So we'll look first at the 
description of sanctification. in paragraph 1, and then distinctives 
of sanctification in paragraphs 2 and 3. And it's important for 
us to remember that this is, in fact, a grace given by God. If you turn in your Bibles to 
the book of Ephesians, in Ephesians chapter 2, One of the arguments 
against our good works as being that which achieves acceptance 
by God is the fact that good works are given by God for us 
to do. So if you look at Ephesians chapter 
2, specifically in verses 8 to 10, I don't think Paul is here 
going off on, you know, an emphasis on sanctification. He will do 
that in chapters 4 to 6. But again, I think specifically 
what he says in verse 10 is to argue that it's not our works 
that commend us to God, but rather it is God's grace alone. So notice 
in verse 8, for by grace you have been saved through faith, 
and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. So faith 
itself is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should 
boast. And then the reason why it's 
not of works, lest anyone should boast, is given in verse 10. 
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, 
which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. 
So anything good that we do, anything that is approved by 
God, is given to us by God to do. So, therefore, it cannot 
be the case that we are saved based on the good works that 
we perform. And then in Philippians 2, verses 
12 and 13, Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not 
as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work 
out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God 
who works in you both to will and to do for his good pleasure. 
So sanctification is not our response to the gospel in the 
sense that this is what we need to do in order to be accepted 
by God. Sanctification is the reflex 
or the consequence of us having been justified freely by God's 
grace. In other words, we're saved by 
grace through faith, and as a result of that, now we have been enabled 
by the power of the Holy Spirit to do those things that are pleasing 
in the sight of God. Go back to 1 Corinthians 1. to 
see as our confession stipulates or states that it's through the 
same virtue. Sanctification is connected to 
the work of Christ on the cross for us men and for our salvation. Notice in 1 Corinthians 1, specifically 
at verse 20, I'm sorry, verse 30, but of him you are in Christ 
Jesus. So it's not you that put yourself 
in Christ, it's God who put you in Christ. As Gill says, election 
doesn't find men in Christ, but election puts men in Christ. 
So in verse 30, but of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became 
for us wisdom from God. So the larger context, Paul is 
contrasting the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God. 
And so then he goes on to describe what this wisdom from God looks 
like. So we might translate that and 
in verse 30 as that is. So if we read it this way in 
verse 30, but of him you are in Christ Jesus who became for 
us wisdom from God, that is righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 
that as it is written, he who glories, let him glory in the 
Lord. So that broadly corresponds to 
the order of salvation in Romans chapter 8. So we have this emphasis 
on justification, which here is righteousness, sanctification, 
which is that progressive living in a manner consistent with our 
justification, and then redemption probably envisages glorification, 
or when we enter into that final state. So notice that sanctification 
is as much a gift given by God as is justification and glorification. So when we come to sanctification, 
we don't celebrate the works of God's people. We rather celebrate 
the glory of God's grace. And that's the emphasis that 
we find in this particular section. So notice in terms of the description 
of sanctification, the ones sanctified. Paragraph 1, they who are united 
to Christ, affectionately called, and regenerated, having a new 
heart and a new spirit created in them through the virtue of 
Christ's death and resurrection. So it's not, again, just this 
emphasis on a general do-goodery among men. It is what happens 
to the people of God, those people who now, by grace, are united 
to Christ, they've been effectually called, they've been regenerated, 
they now have a new heart and a new spirit created in them 
through the virtue of Christ's death and resurrection. So everything 
that we have. Everything that we engage in 
as God's people is by His grace and for His glory. And that's 
always a good reminder. So the doctrine of sanctification 
is not a universal development of mankind. In other words, if 
you look at the world around us, you would argue just the 
opposite. Man isn't getting better. Man isn't developing in terms 
of more likeness or conformity unto the Lord Jesus Christ, but 
rather the doctrine of sanctification applies to those who are saved, 
those united to Christ, affectionately called, regenerated, having a 
new heart and a new spirit created in them through the virtue of 
Christ's death and resurrection. So we need to make sure that 
we get away from this idea that if we just contribute a bit, 
and we have a bit of faith, and God will accept us in that final 
day. No, it's by God's grace alone, 
through faith alone, and Christ alone, that we are accepted in 
the Beloved. And you can turn to Romans chapter 
8 to see that ordo salutis, or order of salvation. Romans chapter 
8, specifically at verse 28, as Raymond says, this is a skeletal 
order of salvation. It doesn't sort of give every 
emphasis, or every doctrine, or every jot and tittle, but 
it provides the broad framework. So, notice in 828, we know that 
all things work together for good to those who love God, to 
those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, 
He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that 
He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom 
He predestined, these He also called. Whom He called, these 
He also justified. And whom He justified, these 
He also glorified. So it doesn't mention sanctification, 
but from a reading of scripture elsewhere, we know that sanctification 
falls between justification and glorification. And the confession 
of faith travels in that particular route. When it deals with the 
order of salvation, you see how it works. Go back to chapter 
10. You have effectual calling. Chapter 11, justification. Chapter 
12, adoption, chapter 13, sanctification. Chapter 14 doesn't mean that 
then saving faith comes, but it's an explanation of the saving 
faith that has already been emphasized in chapter 11. So it's by faith 
in Christ that we are justified freely by His grace. So chapter 
14 just goes on to explain more about faith, and then chapter 
15 is repentance, and then chapter 16, good works. And then as we've 
looked at on our Wednesday night studies, perseverance and assurance. So this is what we call the order 
of salvation, those components that we find in Scripture that 
describe the work of God in terms of the saving of sinners. So 
back to the confession, we notice the nature of sanctification 
in paragraph 1. It's after connecting it to Christ's 
death and resurrection and applying it only to the people of God 
who are called and regenerated and have a new heart and a new 
spirit. It says, through the same virtue, by His Word and 
Spirit dwelling in that. Again, those are the instrumental 
means by which we are sanctified. Jesus prays in the high priestly 
prayer in John 17, sanctify them by thy truth, thy word is truth. We know it's by the power of 
the Holy Spirit indwelling us. Now again, the inseparable operations, 
everything external to God is done by the one true and living 
God. that there are things appropriated to the persons, and the Spirit 
is the Spirit of holiness, the Spirit who works in us, the Spirit 
who dwells in us. That's the means by which Christ 
comes to His people and does not leave them as orphans. So 
it is by His Word in spirit. So I think that offers a very 
practical observation. If we're not growing in the grace 
and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, it oftentimes 
is a result that we're not utilizing the means that God has given 
to us. Now, the Spirit of God indwells 
the people of God. So it's not like we have to beckon 
the Lord for the provision of the Spirit. We have that according 
to Ephesians 1, 13 and 14. The Spirit indwells the people 
of God. But if there's a laziness in appropriating the Word, if 
there is a lack of of attendance upon the public means of grace, 
there's not going to be that commensurate growth in grace 
and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So it's 
not magic, it's not a mystical connection to the Lord apart 
from the means that He's ordained. Rather, it is a due use of the 
ordinary means that God's ordained for us to grow in sanctification. So again, oftentimes when we're 
not making progress, I think the temptation is there to sort 
of throw up our hands and say, I'm not sure why God isn't blessing 
me with growth and holiness, or I'm not sure why everybody 
around me keeps pulling me down. It may just be the case that 
you're not using the means. And I loved when Dr. Renahan 
was here. He mentioned about church. We 
can never secure the salvation of our children, but we can certainly 
open the window, as it were, to the Spirit who blows, and 
bringing them to church, putting them under the means. Faith comes 
by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. The same thing holds 
true in terms of sanctification. Every sermon that you miss, every 
Bible study that you skip, every time that you neglect Scripture, 
this is not going on by His Word and Spirit dwelling in them. 
And then notice the character of sanctification. It's a real 
thing. It may not always feel like it, 
but it's a real thing. Notice, it says, 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 all 
true holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. So justification is an act of 
God's free grace wherein we are forgiven of our sins and we receive 
the righteousness of Christ, imputed to us and received by 
faith alone. We emphasize that's a forensic 
act. It's a declaration by God. There's no moral transformation 
when it comes to justification. Paul is no more justified than 
you and I. Spurgeon, no more justified than 
you and I. When it comes to justification, 
it's God's legal declaration, by virtue of the work of the 
last Adam, that we are forgiven of our sins and we receive His 
righteousness. So it's forensic, it's legal 
in nature. But when it comes to sanctification, there is a 
real transformation. We are seeking, by God's grace, 
further conformity unto the Lord Jesus Christ. So the sanctification 
of sinners is a real and personal moral transformation by the power 
of the Holy Spirit through the instrumentality of the Word, 
the means that God's ordained. So again, it may not always seem 
like that. There may be a step forward and a few steps back. 
There's the ebb and flow that the confession is going to address 
in terms of remaining corruption. and even a may much prevailing 
of remaining corruption. But for the general statement, 
there is this real and personal moral transformation. The things 
that we once loved, we don't love the way we did at one time. The things that we once did, 
we don't practice those things. There is, again, remaining corruption. 
There are those struggles that the Bible certainly acknowledges. 
But the overarching theme in the people of God is they want 
to be like Jesus. So notice, as well, we've got 
this emphasis on the work of Christ. And I think that a good 
way to understand a distinction between justification and sanctification, 
they're very intimately related. We're going to end this morning 
with Westminster Larger Catechism on how they relate, but also 
how they differ. The work of justification is 
Christ's work for us. It's objective. It's his life. It's his death. It's his resurrection. 
It's Christ's work for us. With sanctification, it's the 
Spirit's work in us. He is applying truth. He is shaping 
us. He is molding us. He is convicting 
us. He is guiding and leading and 
directing us, both to will and to do according to his good pleasure. 
So you've got the work of Christ for us in justification, and 
then you've got the work of the Holy Spirit in us in the work 
of sanctification. And as we see here, we see a 
progressiveness about it. We've got the dominion of the 
whole body of sin is destroyed, and the several lusts thereof 
are more and more weakened and mortified. So that dominion of 
the whole body of sin is destroyed. I take that in reference to what 
Jesus does for us in terms of justification. There's some debate 
over the old man imagery that the Apostle Paul utilizes in 
his epistles. I don't want to get into that 
debate, but suffice to say some treat it as if the old man is 
still alive. He remains and don't feed the 
old man. That's certainly a common view. 
I take it the other way. The old man is dead. The problem 
is the new man. You're not living in the way 
that you're supposed to be living. Don't blame the old man, but 
rather, by God's grace, seek further conformity unto Jesus 
in the new man. Again, that's a debatable topic. I don't want to enter into that 
now. If you think that the old man is still alive, I'm not going 
to spend the next, what would Cam say, 13 minutes in 40 seconds, 
trying to argue that out of you. But the confession understands 
the dominion of the whole body of sin is destroyed. In other 
words, the dominion, the power, the reign. We have remaining 
corruption, but we don't have reigning corruption like we once 
had. And then the several lusts thereof are more and more weakened 
and mortified. Again, we should see that in 
our growth in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. 
We probably look back at, you know, the history of our Christian 
life, and we see, you know, ups and downs, and I think that's 
common. Well, I don't think it is. I know it is, and I wish 
it wasn't. I wish it was just a steady increase 
all the time, but you've got the dips along the way. And the 
Confession again recognizes that. But it says, "...and they more 
and more quickened and strengthened in all saving graces to the practice 
of all true holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." 
So we have that blessed reality that based on Christ's work for 
us, we now have the Spirit's work in us. And I think that 
Gordon Clark makes a good observation in his commentary on the pastoral 
epistles. He says, what passes so apparently as good works are 
not good unless preceded by justification. In other words, how do we define 
a good work? It's not just the doing of something 
positive. A good work, biblically defined, 
is something done out of love and obedience to God that benefits 
the person we're serving, and ultimately, again, to the glory 
of God. Now, pagans can do the good thing. 
Pagans can engage in nice deeds, but it's not for the glory of 
God, and it's not usually or constantly from this love of 
neighbor. It might be love of self, it 
might be promotion, pride, or it might just be a general benevolence 
that remains in the image of God in certain sinners. But it's 
not a good work. So Clark again, what passes so 
apparently as good works are not good unless preceded by justification. But then he goes on to say, and 
if a claimed justification does not inevitably produce good works, 
it simply was not justification. Again, we need to make sure we're 
mindful of the thief on the cross. He didn't have a lot of time 
to go out and do beneficial things to neighbors around him. But 
with reference to the general overarching pattern in life, 
justification, God's free grace received by a needy sinner, will 
result in some degree of sanctification and good works. And again, it's 
not the sanctification and good works added to the work of Christ 
that gets us to heaven. Justification by grace through 
faith in Christ. Now, that brings us then to the 
distinctives of sanctification in paragraphs two and three. 
Notice first, in paragraph two, the struggle with sin. The confession 
doesn't just give you the definition in chapter one and say, okay, 
go do it. It acknowledges the heartaches 
or the hardships, the difficulties involved in paragraph one, right? You get this general statement 
typically in the first paragraph in whatever chapter it is, definitionally, 
what the doctrine is that the divines are dealing with. And 
then challenges or helps or whatever are given so that we're not left 
just wondering, well, OK, what now? So notice in paragraph two. The sanctification is throughout 
in the whole man, yet imperfect in this life. And that's important. 
We're never going to be what we ought to be on this side of 
heaven. There is some difference of opinion 
in that. Wesleyanism, certain types of 
Wesleyan Arminianism teach perfectionism. The idea that man on this side 
of glory can reach perfection. Now, a simple reading of scripture 
ought to demonstrate that that's not the case, but you'll see 
that emphasis throughout the various chapters in our confession 
of faith because they did not operate according to that principle 
of Christian perfectionism. So, this sanctification is throughout 
in the whole man, yet imperfect in this life. So that's not to 
discourage you. I think, rather, it's to encourage 
you. Because coming out of paragraph 
one, we might think, well, that's just not true of me. That's just 
not what I see when I look at the continuum of my life. It 
seems to be more downtime than uptime, less conformity to Jesus 
than more conformity to Jesus. So the divines come here with 
this particular emphasis not to discourage you, yet imperfect 
in this life, so don't even try and go sin. That's not the way 
you're supposed to read that. You're supposed to understand 
that you're not alone when it comes to the implementation of 
what we find here in chapter or in paragraph one. So what 
may appear to be a discouraging statement is actually a very 
encouraging statement, yet imperfect in this life. I'm not suggesting 
we therefore revel in our sin. Well, you know, Paul struggled, 
and Spurgeon struggled, and everybody struggled. It's okay that I struggle. No, but there is some degree 
of comfort in knowing that these are the things that the people 
of God have faced ever since the beginning. So it goes on 
to say, 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." So you can turn to Romans chapter 
7. Again, a bit of overlap with what we've looked at in the last 
few weeks in our Wednesday night studies, but an overlap that 
I hope is beneficial to us. in terms of the doctrines we 
find here in the Confession of Faith, and just again to underscore 
that the doctrines in the Confession of Faith are very practical. 
They're very sort of realistic. They don't just present the definition 
and then say, go out and work it out. Notice in chapter 7 of 
the book of Romans, verse 13, has then what is good become 
death to me. Certainly not, but sin that it 
might appear sin was producing death in me through what is good 
so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. 
Now, in verses 14 and following, there's some debate as to whether 
Paul is describing himself prior to his conversion, or Paul is 
describing himself as a converted man. There's good men on both 
sides of the debate. I take the position that Paul 
is describing himself as a converted man. So notice what he says in 
verse 14. And again, there's some difficulties 
here. It's very dense. It's very tightly 
argued. I think to understand Romans 
7, you need to see it in light of Romans 6 and 8, and that it's 
a package deal in terms of exposition. And it's a very, as I said, densely 
packed theological argument. But I think the main point is 
pretty obvious here. He is dealing with remaining 
corruption in his heart as a believer. He says in verse 15, for what 
I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I 
do not practice. But what I hate, that I do. If 
then I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that 
it is good. But now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that 
dwells in me. And again, I don't think he's 
blaming. I don't think that he's shifting. I don't think that 
he's saying, oh, poor me. I still have this principle in 
me, so I'm not responsible. That's not his point. He is highlighting 
the reality of what goes on in the lives of God's people. Verse 
18, For I know that in me, that is in my flesh, nothing good 
dwells. For to will is present with me, but how to perform what 
is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, 
I do not do, but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now 
if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, 
but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil 
is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight 
in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another 
law in my members, warring against the law of my mind and bringing 
me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 
O wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body 
of death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then 
with the mind, I myself serve the law of God, but with the 
flesh, the law of sin. And then over in Galatians 5, 
passages that the confession refers to with reference to this 
statement concerning remaining corruption. Galatians chapter 
5 at verse 7, well, verse 16. I say then, walk in the spirit 
and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh 
lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. 
And these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do 
the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, 
you are not under the law." Again, there's a lot going on in Paul's 
argument here in Galatians concerning being under the law or not under 
the law. The precise thing I want us to 
appreciate is what he says there in verse 17. These are contrary 
to one another so that you do not do the things that you wish. 
And then over in 1 Peter chapter 2. 1 Peter chapter 2. Another proof text that the confession 
affords here. 1 Peter chapter 2, specifically 
at verse 11. Beloved, I beg you as sojourners 
and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul. Now, that's in a particular context. Notice that you have in the previous 
section that these are a people that have come to the Lord Jesus 
Christ. They have been born again. Notice 
in chapter 1, specifically at verse 23, having been born again, 
not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible through the word 
of God who lives and abides forever. So, these are people born again 
by God's grace. They are people who have, by 
grace, believed on Jesus. Notice in verse 4, coming to 
Him, in chapter 2, as a living stone, rejected indeed by men, 
but chosen by God and precious. You also, as living stones, are 
being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up 
spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 
Therefore, it is also contained in the Scripture. Behold, I lay 
in Zion, a chief cornerstone, elect, precious. And he who believes 
on him will by no means be put to shame. Therefore, to you who 
believe, he is precious. But to those who are disobedient, 
the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief 
cornerstone and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. They stumble 
being disobedient to the word to which they also were appointed. 
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, 
His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises 
of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light, 
who once were not a people, but are now the people of God, who 
had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." So again, 
he's not dealing with the progress of man in general. He's dealing 
with the sanctification of the people of God who have been born 
again by the Spirit, they have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, 
Positionally, all that is stipulated, a set of them, is in verses 9 
and 10. But in verse 11, there's this 
ongoing struggle. There's still the battle. It's 
not like you've been elevated out of the world, and you now 
live in sort of the clouds, and you just pluck harps. No, you've 
still got real sin to battle. That's why He says in verse 11, 
I beg you, as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly 
lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable 
among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, 
they may by your good works, which they observe, glorify God 
in the day of visitation. So the confession acknowledges 
and recognizes the struggle with sin that believers experience. Those justified are not liberated 
completely in terms of the practical realities of life in this present 
evil age. But then notice in paragraph 
three it speaks of the progress in grace. In which war, although 
the remaining corruption for a time may much prevail? Scripture gives us that in the 
life of David. It much prevailed upon him for 
a time. He wasn't an unsaved man and 
then got converted when Nathan the prophet rebuked him. He was 
a saved man who sinned grievously against God, and he would affirm 
that this remaining corruption for a time much prevailed in 
him. There are certain Psalms that 
speak of him. When he says, you know, when 
I kept silent about my sin, my bones ached, they groaned. There 
was a psychosomatic effect upon him as a result of this much-prevailing 
remaining corruption. In Psalm 51, restore unto me 
the joy of thy salvation. Not give me brand new the joy 
of thy salvation. Restore unto me the joy of thy 
salvation. What are we supposed to glean? 
For that period of gestation, David did not have joy in the 
Lord as his strength. That's why when he repents, he 
says, restore unto me the joy of your salvation. We've got 
the much prevailing situation with Simon Peter as 
well. He's warned that he's going to 
deny Jesus. I mean, Jesus tells him, you're 
going to deny me. Oh, no, no. Even if everybody 
else does, Lord, I'm not going to do it. Well, what happens? 
The remaining corruption much prevailed upon him such that 
he didn't deny the Lord to the emperor. He didn't deny the Lord 
to the soldiers. He denied the Lord to a servant 
girl. And so the confession recognizes that at times the genuine people 
of God may engage in some things that are very unsavory. Now again, 
that's never to be a commendation to go out and engage in unsavory 
things. When we read that situation with 
David, we're not supposed to internalize it in the sense that, 
well, God's grace is sufficient even if I go out and commit adultery 
and murder. No, no, no, no. No, no, no. John tells us, my 
little children, I write these things so that you may not sin. 
But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, 
even Jesus Christ the righteous. It's not to encourage sin, but 
it is rather to bring encouragement that when we do sin, we do have 
an advocate with the Father, even Jesus Christ the righteous. 
So notice, 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. So this speaks to what we've 
seen in assurance and in perseverance in our studies in the Confession. 
It speaks to the reality that if God begins a good work in 
us, he will complete it unto the day of Christ. The believer 
may fall, but by God's grace he gets up. And there are times, 
I think, in the mercy of God where he may just take people 
out because they struggle so badly with sin. That may seem 
callous, it may seem unkind, but I really believe that. Brothers 
that have suffered in resisting temptation and sin, there are 
times in the mercy of God he takes them out. so that they 
can go to their rest. But the confession, again, operating 
in the context of what we find in the beginning of paragraph 
1. Those who are united to Christ. They are effectually called. 
They are regenerated. They've been justified freely 
by God's grace. They have the Holy Spirit indwelling 
them. So we have this commendation, that though the remaining corruption 
for a time may much prevail yet, this is the blessedness of God's 
yet, through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying 
Spirit of Christ, the regenerate part doth overcome. Now brethren, 
there are a whole host of questions that this particular section 
suggests. What about so-and-so who didn't 
seem to end very well? You know, the man that wrote 
the hymn, Prone to Wander, Prone to Leave, The God That I Love? 
He wrote that earlier in his career. By the end of his life, 
he wasn't doing as well. Somebody had commended him on 
that hymn. He said, I wish I knew the grace and comfort that I 
had at the time that I wrote that particular hymn. So this 
is not going to solve all our problems. It's not going to answer 
all our questions. Well, what about so-and-so who, 
you know, he didn't sing hymns and psalms, you know, in the 
11th hour and just rejoice in his God? Again, we don't have 
all the answers to all the questions, but we do know this, that those 
who are united to Christ, effectually called, regenerated, those who 
have a new heart, those who have been justified by God's grace 
through faith, they will make it to the very end. And we bless 
God for that. So the regenerate part doth overcome, 
and then it goes on to say, and so the saints grow in grace, 
perfecting holiness in the fear of God, pressing after an heavenly 
life in evangelical obedience to all the commands which Christ 
has had, and King, in his word hath prescribed to them. So that 
language of evangelical obedience, that's a good phrase. Not legal 
obedience. Legal obedience is when we do 
what God commands in order to be saved or get things. That's 
the language of the covenant of works. Do this and live. In the covenant of grace, there's 
obedience. Christ fulfills it for us. We 
are given his righteousness. But in terms of our sanctification, 
but it's an evangelical obedience. It flows out of the grace of 
God. It's a gift given by God. But it's the desire of the heart 
of the people of God. Again, this is the whole point 
if you turn to Ephesians chapter 4 and passages similar to that. We spent some time going through 
that in our studies in Ephesians. Notice in Ephesians 4.1, I therefore, 
the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling 
with which you were called. So it's not that, you know, he's 
saying in chapters 4 to 6, do this in order to complete your 
salvation. Do this in order to be commended 
by God. No, do this because you have 
been saved. Do this because you have been 
commended by God. You are therefore to walk worthy 
of the calling with which you were called. And then Philippians 
chapter 1, same sort of a thing in chapter 1, specifically at 
verse 27. Only let your conduct be worthy 
of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or 
am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast 
in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith 
of the gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, 
which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and 
that from God. For to you it has been granted 
on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to 
suffer for his sake, having the same conflict which you saw in 
me, and now here is in me." So this upward trajectory on the 
part of the people of God. Not a perfect one, but an upward 
one. And again, ebbs and flows are 
consistent in the people of God. It's consistent in the life of 
the saints of Christ. The confession acknowledges that. Well, I just want to conclude 
with a couple of thoughts. First, the relationship to justification. Again, the two are inextricably 
connected. You don't have justification 
without sanctification. You don't have sanctification 
without justification. you know, a married couple. You 
don't get rid of them. What God has joined together, 
you can't rent asunder. But there are differences in 
justification and sanctification. And one of the things that we 
need to do is make sure that we recognize those differences 
and those distinctions so that we don't collapse them together. 
And this is pretty much what the Roman Catholic Church does. 
They get rid of any distinction. And they just say that justification 
includes sanctification for our final acceptance with God. That's 
faulty. Our acceptance with God is predicated 
upon Jesus alone, his work for us. Then people would say, well, 
then that makes the sanctification null and void. No, it doesn't. Again, it's the reflex of those 
conquered by God's sovereign grace. They want to let their 
conduct be worthy of the gospel. They want to live in a manner 
that is pleasing to their Heavenly Father. They enjoy the joy of 
their salvation and seek faithful communion with God. But in the 
final analysis, when we are accepted on that day, it's not because 
of our faithfulness to some covenant. It's because of Christ's faithfulness 
to that covenant. It's His doing, His dying, His 
resurrection that alone is the basis for our acceptance with 
God. So we need to make sure we understand the differences 
between justification and sanctification. Ryle, in his book Holiness, has 
a great essay on the subject, and then he shows the way that 
they relate to one another and the way that they differ. The 
Westminster Larger Catechism has that also. In question 77, 
it says, wherein do justification and sanctification differ? It 
says, although sanctification be inseparably joined with justification, 
yet they differ in that God in justification imputes the righteousness 
of Christ. In sanctification, His Spirit 
infuses grace and enables to the exercise thereof. In the 
former, sin is pardoned. In the other, it is subdued. 
The one does equally free all believers from the revenging 
wrath of God, and that perfectly in this life, that they never 
fall into condemnation. The other is neither equal in 
all nor in this life, perfect in any, but growing up to perfection. So there are some real differences 
that we need to appreciate. Don't collapse the two into one 
and make that the means of acceptance by God, but as well recognize 
that in justification we have that declaration that is forensic, 
that is no more better in Paul than it is in us, but in sanctification 
there's differences, there's degrees. And not everybody's 
holy like Paul. Not everybody has the same sort 
of a commitment to the things of God. Again, that doesn't mean, 
OK, I can just be a slob for Jesus. No, I mean, Paul's a good 
model. Imitate me as I imitate Christ, 
he says in 1 Corinthians 11 and verse 1. I would suggest, secondly, 
that this chapter's emphasis on remaining corruption is a 
helpful corrective not only to prevent against perfectionism, 
Already mentioned that, right? We're not going to be perfect 
in this life. But it's a helpful corrective against pharisaism. Maybe I'm speaking here too autobiographically, 
but I find myself able to be a lot harder on others than myself. 
You know, I understand the proneness to wander, the proneness to leave 
the God I love for me. But boy, if somebody sins against 
me, what's the matter with you? How dare you? We need to guard 
against a Pharisaism that doesn't recognize that the people of 
God are going through the same trials and difficulties we are. 
In other words, they're not arrived, they're not completely conformed 
to the image of Christ, they're not perfect, they're not gonna 
be perfect. So it's a helpful corrective 
against perfectionism on the one hand, but against a pharisaism 
on the other hand. Now that doesn't mean we let, 
you know, your wife, your husband comes home, honey, I committed 
adultery. Well, yeah, I get that, you know, 
remaining corruption. Yeah, I mean, we deal with sins to be sure. 
But we need to understand that other people struggle too. And 
so this pharisaic attitude where we bring the law of God to bear 
upon everybody that ever sins against us in a way that thunders 
Sinai upon them, again, there might be times and seasons for 
that, but not all the time and not every season. And then I 
would recommend that we recognize the differences in God's people. There is a folly involved in 
expecting everyone to be the exact same. I think this applies 
to children and their confession of faith. The 10-year-old or 
15-year-old confesses faith in Jesus, they don't become a 30-year-old 
overnight. There's still an immaturity by nature that they possess, 
and they're not going to be Paul. And at times with parents, we 
can have this position where they say, well, how can you call 
yourself a Christian and live like that? Again, that might 
be warranted in certain circumstances, but not in every circumstance. 
You don't want everybody to be doing that to you every time 
you sin. How could you call yourself a 
Christian and, you know, not read your Bible, not come to 
church, not do the things that God says? So there is a folly 
involved of expecting all persons to be the same. And then as well 
a wretchedness involved of expecting perfection from our fellows. 
You know, I mean, people are going to sin against us. I've 
often thought that's one of the best helps to church life is 
just know everybody's going to sin against you. I'm going to 
sin against you. I think in a smaller church, 
you get to know the pastors a little bit better and you realize, man, 
that guy sins. Yeah, that's right. That guy 
sins. Hopefully that guy's repenting 
and seeking forgiveness and that sort of thing. But in the context 
of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, how many times have your 
people, I'm not going there, those people are messed up. Well 
I'm sure glad messed up people found their way into a church, 
just like I'm glad sick people find their way into the hospital. 
No better place for messed up people to be than in the church 
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Or, the church is full of hypocrites. Of course, we're all hypocrites 
to one degree or other. But this confessing of our hypocrisy 
before our God is a little bit different than the person out 
there who says one thing and does completely contrary and 
never once thinks twice about it. Of course there's hypocrisy 
in the Church. Of course there's sin in the 
Church. And I would suggest, lastly, 
the futility of trusting in our sanctification for our acceptance 
with God. Our hope is built on nothing 
less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. We dare not trust the sweetest 
frame, but we wholly lean on Jesus' name. Christ is the solid 
rock of our foundation and acceptance with God. Ian Murray says, there 
was the strongest biblical reason for the urgency with which the 
Reformed divines have always distinguished the act of justification 
from the process of sanctification. We surely need Christ for us 
and Christ in us. But the two things are not to 
be confused as the ground of our acceptance before God." I 
think that's a helpful statement and a good corrective as we consider 
the doctrine of sanctification. Well, I'll pray, and then if 
there's any questions, we've got a few minutes. Our Father 
in heaven, thank you again for this time that we can gather 
together on the Lord's Day. We pray for your blessing as 
we move into worship. We pray that you would be glorified. 
We pray as well for other churches in our community and throughout 
this nation, that you would bless them and cause your word to go 
forth powerfully. And we ask in Jesus' name, amen. All right, any questions or comments 
on any of that? Yeah. Okay. I love that, the 
wording of the confession, having a new heart and new spirit created 
in them, made up of nothing. Yeah. Oh yeah. That's awesome. Oh, I think that was very awesome. Yeah. That's what I hope. Yeah. So, Pastor, did the Lord 
just not get smoked me from my sinful thoughts? It means that, But again, I think as we move 
and progress, and I think that's why contact with the scriptures 
is a helpful thing. You know, when Paul speaks of 
the utility of the Bible, he says, you know, all scripture 
is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for 
instruction in righteousness. The Word of God functions in 
such a way, you know, we're reading our Bibles on a Monday morning, 
we're having a coffee, and we go, wait, whoa, that's, I'm not, 
you know, that's not a good description of me. So correction, that is, 
God forgive me, help me, and fill me with your spirit. So 
that's just, you know, it's not read your Bible, you know, Ruth, 
because that's what's required of you. Read your Bible because 
it helps you to grow and to understand and to see the realities that 
you face aren't new. God's been dealing with people 
like us for millennia. And he has prescribed the means 
that we need for our growth and our health. All right.