The Continuation of Salvation

Deep Dive into Christian Theology by Millard J. Erickson - The Continuation of SalvationSanctification is the continuing, supernatural work of God in the life of a believer, making them actually holy by bringing their moral condition into conformity with their legal standing before God. The primary aim of this divine activity is the believer's likeness to Christ, meaning they are to be conformed to the image of his Son. The ultimate, final goal is leading a sinless life, although this standard is generally not realized in this life.Sanctification is accomplished by the Triune God, but primarily through the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit’s specific work to apply Christ’s saving work to the believer, continuously bringing about likeness to Christ. God the Father also works in believers to fulfill his good purpose, and the process is dependent on the believer’s vital union with Christ, which is the key to fruit-bearing and the entire Christian walk.While God provides all the power, sanctification requires the active participation of the believer, who is constantly exhorted to work and grow. This role involves both the removal of sinfulness and the development of holiness, including putting to death the deeds of the body and striving for separation from the world. Furthermore, the biblically revealed Law retains a significant role as the expression of God’s will for conduct, guiding the believer's obedience.Sanctification is distinguished from justification based on three key factors:Duration: Justification is an instantaneous occurrence, complete in a moment, while sanctification is a progressive process requiring an entire lifetime for completion.Nature of Work: Justification is an objective, forensic declaration affecting one's standing before God, whereas sanctification is a subjective transformation affecting one's inner character.Degree: Justification has no degrees (one is either justified or not), but one may be more or less sanctified.The concept of "deification" or theosis, used by some to describe this profound participation in God's life, is generally avoided by evangelicals. They consider the terminology unwise and misleading in a contemporary context due to the risk of being misunderstood as endorsing pantheistic views. Instead, evangelicals prefer to articulate this transformation through the established doctrine of the union with Christ.Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologianhttps://buymeacoffee.com/edi2730