Sanctification is a cooperative effort between man and God.

[Puritanhead]

Sanctification is a cooperative effort between man and God.

Well I interrupt my imaginary break from the Puritanboard to probe this query.

 

[Ambrose]

I suppose it depends on how it is meant. But it seems to imply that we could take credit for our sanctification and pat ourselves on the back for how much we cooperated with God. It also seems to imply that God is not capable of sanctifitying us without our help.

Yet sanctification requires our involvement, and is not passive on our part. But our part in the process is no less a result of GOd's grace and working in us than it is in justification, in my opinion.

 

[Puritanhead]

I grant untold doctrinal problems and confusion have emerged because people fail to draw a distinction between justification and sanctification. Justification is not the infusion of righteousness but rather a forensic declaration, a verdict, a ruling by a judge. Every misconstrued notion of justification emanates from a denial of the nature and totality of sin in man´s life.

Everyone can presume a distinction between justification and sanctification.

 

[panta dokimazete]

agree, although it is unequal cooperation - much the same way that my fish remains healthy or gets better - I supply all the means - he exercises his desire to eat. Were I to withold the means, the fish, no matter how he wanted to exercise his desire to eat, could not.

Thus without God supplying the means, santification is impossible - our cooperation stems from our desire to become more holy, but the means (and the desire!) is wholly supplied by God.

(I really hope that made sense...)

[Edited on 5-13-2006 by jdlongmire]

 

[Puritanhead]

for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Sometimes Phillipians 2:13, makes me want to throw in towel, because I almost say sanctification is cooperative grudgingly, yet my intuitive sense tells me its cooperative... Though I know that apart from the Holy Spirit we can do no good works and its God's enabling that allows us to progress in sanctification. But going back to 2:12, we're reminded:

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...

Thus, we're called to examine our faith, and that call involves work on our part. Likewise, we're called to "Be Holy, for I am holy."

I guess it comes down to this, man's problem is not the lack of will per se but rather he is in bondage to his will, and nothing save the free and unmerited grace of God can break him of that bondage. And as though man's will can avail nothing for His salvation, after he is regenerated, man begins to cooperate in the work of sanctification as God works in us. Likewise, man can grieve the Spirit and resist sanctification. It's all very confusing.

But Soli Deo Gloria. God is sovereign. Salvation is all of God! God is the author and perfector of our faith. Amen!

[Edited on 5-13-2006 by Puritanhead]

 

[JOwen]

"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."

Westminster Shorter Catechism

 

[beej6]

A proper Reformed answer to this question is "agree." A proper non-Reformed answer to this question is "agree with qualification." The question assumes an understanding of the difference between justification and sanctification, which difference is important to understand not just salvation but growing in grace.

 

[turmeric]

I disagree. I agree with Jlongmire. Sanctification is something I would never even want to cooperate with if left to my own devices.

 

[beej6]

Meg, if I through the grace of God recognize that I had formerly been in error by attending Sunday worship only once a month, and now make every effort to attend service every week, is that not cooperating with God? We would understand that it is only through God's power that we understand that and perform it, and that we depend on God for that power and grace. (That's why I qualified my answer above in a somewhat tricky way. If we believe we *don't* depend on God for everything, then sanctification ultimately becomes man-centered autonomy.)

 

[turmeric]

Originally posted by beej6
Meg, if I through the grace of God recognize that I had formerly been in error by attending Sunday worship only once a month, and now make every effort to attend service every week, is that not cooperating with God? We would understand that it is only through God's power that we understand that and perform it, and that we depend on God for that power and grace. (That's why I qualified my answer above in a somewhat tricky way. If we believe we *don't* depend on God for everything, then sanctification ultimately becomes man-centered autonomy.)

I agree with you, too. It's just that too often I've seen people pose this "cooperation" as if we have to do certain things or we will derail Goc's work in our lives. I'm not trying to negate efforts to follow God's will. If that's what you mean by cooperation, then yes, hopefully we do cooperate with Him.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

I agree with the qualification that man does not cooperate with Grace in the way that Roman Catholics and others describe it.

Imperatives would be meaningless if it was not actually we who were obeying God's commands. God gives us Grace to accomplish His holy ends.

Grace, which renews our hearts in justification, causes us to answer love with love. Justification is monergistic in that we were dead in our sins and unable to act. Life had to be given to us so that we saw our sins, were horrified by them, and trusted in Christ alone as our righteousness. We are alive now to Christ and it is we who act. It is we who either resist the Devil or give into temptation.

Dead people cannot cooperate but live people do cooperate with God in His Grace. We are alive.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

and...

Phil 2:12-13
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.

 

[Puritanhead]

"Fight the good fight of faith, and God will give you spiritual mercies."
"”George Whitefield