|
|
|
|
Sections:
1.
2.
Commentary on justification, sanctification, and chastisement / by Tom Gaston
3. First Corinthians 5:1-5 (sexual
immorality/ One had his Fathers wife) commentary by Tom Gaston
Easton’s
Bible Dictionary listing for justification.
“A forensic
term, opposed
to condemnation. As
regards its nature, it is the judicial act of God, by which He pardons ALL the sins of those who believe in
Christ, and accounts, accepts, and treats them as righteous in the eye
of the Law, i.e., as conformed to all
its demands.
In addition
to the pardon of sin,
Justification declares that ALL the claims of the LAW are satisfied in respect of
the justified. It is the act of the judge and NOT of the sovereign. The Law is NOT relaxed or set aside, BUT is declared to be fulfilled in the strictest
sense; (Jesus fulfilled the Law Matthew 5:17 emphasis mine) and so the person
justified is declared to be entitled to ALL the advantages and rewards arising from perfect obedience to the law
(Romans 5:1-10) it proceeds on the Imputing
or crediting to the believer by God himself of the perfect righteousness, active and passive, of his representative
and surety, Jesus Christ (Romans 10:3-9)
Justification is NOT the forgiveness of a man without
righteousness, BUT
a declaration that he possesses a righteousness which
perfectly and for ever satisfies the Law, namely, Christ’s righteousness (2 Cor.5:21;
Rom. 4:6-8.)The sole condition on which this righteousness is imputed or credited to the
believer is faith in or
on the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith is
called a Condition, NOT because it possesses any merit,
but ONLY because it is the
instrument, the ONLY instrument by which the soul
appropriates or apprehends (receives) Christ and his righteousness (Romans
1:17; 3:25, 26; 4:20-22) (Philippians 3:8-11; Gal 2:16).
3:8-11;
Galatians 2:16)
The act of faith
which thus secures
our justification
secures also at the same time our
sanctification (q.v.) and thus the doctrine of
justification by faith does not lead to licentiousness (Romans 6:2-7).....(end
quote).
Therefore good works are NOT the grounds for justification of
the believer, BUT "good works" are the
"natural results and consequences" of justification
which the believer has already received through faith
in Christ. Paul says: "For we are HIS workmanship (God's) created
"in Christ Jesus" UNTO
good works" (Eph. 2:10). Good deeds "Follow" salvation", BUT good deeds do NOT "provide nor produce
salvation for those who would seek to be"forgiven and
justified" by the works themselves (emphasis mine).
“
Sanctification: “Involves more than a mere moral reformation of
character, brought about by the power of the truth: it is the work of the Holy Spirit bringing
the whole nature and more
under the influences of the new gracious principles implanted in the soul in
regeneration. In other words, sanctification
is the “carrying ON TO
PERFECTION the work begun in regeneration” (Phil.
1:6), and it extends to the whole
man.” (Rom.6:13) (2Cor.4:6; Col.3:10; 1 John4:7;
1Cor.6:19) it is the special office of the Holy Spirit in the plan of Redemption to carry on this work
(Phil.1:6; 1Cor.6:11; 2 Thess.2:13) Faith is the instrumental in
securing sanctification,
in as much as it.
1. Secures union to Christ (Galatians
2:20) (Romans 8:35-36)
2. Brings the believer into living
contact with the truth, whereby he is led to yield obedience “to
the commands, trembling at the threatenings, and embracing the promises of God
for this life and that which is to come.
Perfect sanctification is NOT attainable in this life
(1 Kings 8:46) (Proverbs 20:9;
Ecclesiastes 7:20; James
3:2; 1 John 1:8) See Paul’s account of himself in Rom.7:14-25;
Philippians 3:12-14;
1Timothy 1:15) also the confessions of David (Psalms19:12, 13;
51:1) of Moses (Psalms 90:8)
of Job (42:5, 6) and of Dan. (Daniel 9:3-20)
The more Holy a man is, the more humble,
self-renouncing, self-abhorring, and the more sensitive to every sin he
becomes, and the more closely he clings to Christ. The more real imperfections which cling to
him he feels to be sins, which he laments and strives to overcome. Believers find that their life is a constant
warfare, and they need to take the Kingdom of heaven by storm.
They are always subject to the constant chastisement of their
Father’s loving hand, which can only be designed to correct their imperfections
and to confirm their graces. And it has been notoriously the fact that “the
best Christians have been those
who have been the least prone
to claim the attainment of perfection for themselves.” (Hodge’s outlines.) End quote:
commentary
on "Justification, Sanctification, and
Chastisement"
by Tom
Gaston
So we can see here from the Biblical
definition of "Sanctification and
Justification"
that a believer is not perfect in his or her walk in Christ, but that their
walk in Christ as a believer is “progressive through sanctification” by
the work of the Holy Spirit who has sealed them (Eph.1:13; 4:30.)
The soul/spirit of the believer is secure in Christ by their
position and right standing before God that they possess through the
righteousness of Christ which has been imputed to them by God through faith in
Christ (1Cor.1:30.)
I would like to say something here.
God’s chastisment is really His love being demonstrated toward the believer
(His child ) who belongs to Him (Heb.12:5-8.)
It is the correction that comes from the divine parental hand of God in
order to confront the improper Christian character or attitude of the believer
who is misrepresenting Christ (Gal.5:16-24.) The apostle Paul says
“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating
through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (1Cor.
5:20).
As children of God we representing Christ. God’s chastisement is NOT a statement of the
condemnation of the believer because of sin in their lives. The
penalty for sin
was paid in full
by Christ on the cross which was death (Rom. 6:23). Jesus has paid the full penalty for “all
our transgressions” (Col.2:13, 14.) The judgment pronounced upon sin (Is.53:4,
5), and the chastisement
of the believer
who is in Christ (Heb.12:5-8) are two different subjects, with different
applications.
Chastisement is for the believer only, and not the unsaved. The writer of Hebrews makes this very clear
that if one who claims to be a Christian is NOT chastised by God, then they are NOT one of His (Heb.12:5-8).
Therefore God’s chastisement is NOT
God’s divine penalty for sin which is eternal death, since Christ has already
paid for ALL sin.
But chastisment is God’s divine loving hand of
correction toward the child of God.
The believer’s
security and position in Christ is not in view here, but only their walk before God.
It is very clear from Heb.12:5-8 that God is NOT calling a believer back into the family of God
through chastisement, for chastisement in this text shows clearly that those
who are chastised of God are "already His child." If one is NOT child of God, then there is NO need for chastisement, since they
are found to be "illegitimate
children" as the texts states. In other words, they are NOT God's child. One is either a child of God through faith in
Christ, OR they are a
child of the devil
through disobedience and unbelief in the gospel of Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:1-3; 1John 3:8, 3:10, 5:19).
This is why I
believe that the doctrine of “justification and sanctification” is
essential and vitally important for the believer who is in Christ to
understand. The believer who is ignorant of this doctrine, and who does not
understand their position in Christ, will always feel rejected and unworthy
when they fail through disobedience towards God. Thus there are those who
fall into the devils "Trap" of self condemnation because they do NOT understand their "secure divine position in Christ."
At that moment when one is “born again,” God begins a progressive work of sanctification
in that new child of God (2 Cor.5:17) that continues all through their
life until it is consummated at the time of "death", or at the appearing
of Christ resurrection/rapture (1 Cor.1:8, 9) (Phil.1:6; and Eph.4:30), which
ever comes first.
If the believer in Christ does not feel
secure, then he or she will perform like they are not secure.
One who is unstable in their Christian walk due to the "weakness of the flesh"
continually focuses on their weaknesses and not on Christ who has already
conquered death and the grave, and who has already given them power within in
order to be victorious over temptation and sin through the indwelling
power and presence of God's Holy Spirit (1 Cor.6:19,20.). Once an individual receives this "new life" by faith in Christ
(2Cor. 5:17), they then begin a life long adventure of "progressive sanctification"
with the living God who is living inside them through the indwelling presence
of the Holy Spirit who has sealed them (Eph.1:13, 4:30) This life
consists of joys, sufferings, failures and disappointments, hardship, and
sometimes painful and difficult circumstances, but as the apostle Paul states
in Rom.8:18
“For I consider that
the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the
glory that is to be revealed to us.”
We can choose to walk
in obedience as a believer in Christ, and thus reap God’s peace. OR, we
can walk in disobedience, and feel His hand of correction. The choice is ours, but if we walk in
disobedience, we can be sure that we will be met with chastisement from God who
loves his children and divinely corrects them (Heb.12:5-8.) I know from
experience, for I have been their many times!
Commentary on First Corinthians 5:1-5 (sexual immorality / one had his fathers wife).
By Tom Gaston
Paul
in 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 says this: “It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and
immorality of such a kind as does
not exist among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife. And you have become arrogant, and have not mourned
instead, in order that the one who had done this deed might be removed from your midst. For I, on my part, though absent in body but
present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though
I were present. In the name of our Lord
Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our
Lord Jesus. 5. I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh that his spirit may be saved in
the day of our Lord Jesus Christ (resurrection/Rap).
This scripture is very important to this
subject of the security of the believer. Paul had prayed to deliver this
one over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh. In other words, Paul was praying
that this saint would be removed
through death. The assembly at
Then Paul says something totally "contrary" to what people are
trying to teach today concerning the believer losing God's salvation due
to some sin, or sins in their life. He then says in the last
part “that his spirit may
be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” I
would have to say that this sin of "having your fathers wife" (sexual immorality)
is a pretty serious sin for a believer in Christ to be participating in wouldn't you say! And YET! Paul the apostle states and
teaches clearly here by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that
this immoral Christians "spirit will still be saved"
in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ (resurrection/Rapture), even
despite this Christians involvement in this gross
sin. Paul condemned this sin and pronounced "Judgment"
upon this disobedient Christians "Flesh", and NOT his "spirit" which was
"secure in
Christ", and which was confirmed by Paul's
own words "that his spirit
may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Paul's statement
which was directed by,
and inspired by
God's Holy Spirit is
emphatically fool proof, doctrinally sound, and has NO loop holes for their to be
any "error"
whatsoever in what its interpretation means! And it is so
powerful in that it destroys "Any and ALL teaching" which would suggest or teach that a believer in
Christ can lose God's salvation
due to sin or sins in their life.
Paul
can accurately declare and state what he said in 1Cor. 5:5 above
because of what he already understood concerning the teaching of
“justification, sanctification, and the sealing of the believer by the
Holy Spirit which he had already been teaching to the body of
Christ (Rom. 5:1; 1Cor.6:9-11; Eph.1:13, 4:30;
2Cor.1:22). These important major doctrines are all part of the
gospel of Jesus Christ which Paul received personally through a "revelation of Jesus Christ", and NOT
by man (1:11,12).
What Paul the apostle is showing clearly here
is that even if this Saint
was given over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh due to this his
involvement in this gross sin, Yet his spirit would still be saved in the
day of Christ (resurrection/Rapture Eph.4:3). The flesh will not be made
"glorified" until the resurrection/Rapture of the
Church. Therefore the Christian will battle the flesh as long as
they live in this corrupt body of death (Rom.7:24). This is
one of the greatest examples we have in scripture that shows clearly without a
"Shadow of a doubt"
that the believer is absolutely
secure in Christ..
Now
you would think that if the apostle Paul who had been called by God to preach
the gospel, and who was writing and addressing this matter here in 1 Cor.5:1-5,
believed that one could lose God's
salvation or miss the resurrection/Rapture due to
such sin. then
right here in this text would have been the perfect spot to take hold of
the opportunity to drive home this false teaching. But HE DIDN’T. Paul spoke NOT ONE WORD concerning such a
teaching. And if there was such a teaching that God wanted the
Church to know, then the Holy Spirit would have "most assuredly" inspired
Paul to write at least one chapter, if not an epistle on such a serious
subject as this! BUT
HE DIDN'T ! NOT ONE WORD!
What the apostle Paul
has written through inspiration of the Holy Sprit cannot be changed, altered,
twisted, nor perverted in any way, shape, or form as to what he has
already stated. It cannot be
done so with honesty, nor in good steward ship of the word, nor with a good
Godly conscience. Anything less than what Paul has already
taught, penned, and stated here is nothing more than trickery, lies,
deception, haughtiness, and an un-teachable
spirit that brings nothing but confusion, division, unnecessary fear, and worry to the weak saint
within the body of Christ. The devil loves to take away
the believers feeling of security, joy, peace, and assurance which God
intended for the believer to have and experience through the work of the
cross of Christ.
For those who have
been reading my material on this subject, and who have trouble with believing
what God has so clearly expounded upon through the apostle Paul. Then let
me encourage you to pray and ask God to "set you free" this false
teaching of being able to "lose
God's salvation." Ask Him to help you turn
away from "yourselves
and your hopeless ability" in trying to keep
yourself in Christ. And then finally once and for all trust in
Christ who "Has
reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in ORDER to PRESENT YOU
before Him Holy and blameless and beyond reproach" (Col.1:22).
This concludes this article. I hope I have
helped someone within the body of Christ to see once again that they are secure
in Christ WITHOUT QUESTION! I
will be writing more on this subject since it is so desperately needed today
within the Church today. Lord willing I will be writing on Romans
chapter 7 where it speak about Paul battling the flesh.
this is a very very important text which should be understood by the saints of
God. With the lord's help I will address those scriptures also.
In the mean time "keep looking for the blessed hope!"
In Christ, Tom Gaston
bravenet.com
