The Doctrine of Sanctification - Part Six

Extract

The Doctrine of Sanctification – Part Six
A. W. Pink

10. Its Rule

Having considered the distinct acts of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in the sanctification of the Church, we must now carefully inquire as to the Rule by which all true holiness is determined, the Standard by which it is weighed and to which it must be conformed. This also is of deep importance, for if we mistake the line and plummet of holiness, then all our efforts after it will be wide of the mark. On this aspect of our subject there also prevails widespread ignorance and confusion today, so that we are obliged to proceed slowly and enter rather lengthily into it. If one class of our readers sorely needed—for the strengthening of their faith and the comfort of their hearts— a somewhat full setting forth of the perfect sanctification which believers have in Christ, another class of our readers certainly require—for the illumination of their minds and the searching of their conscience—a setting forth in detail of the Divinely- provided “Rule.”

In previous chapters we have shown that holiness is the antithesis of sin, and therefore as “sin is the transgression (a deviation from or violation of) the Law” (1 John 3:4), holiness must be a conformity to the Law. As “sin” is a general term to connote all that is evil, foul, and morally loathsome, so holiness is a general term to signify all that is good, pure, and morally virtuous or vicious, praiseworthy or blameworthy, as they express the desires, designs, and choices of the heart. As all sin is a species of self-love—self-will, self-pleasing, self- gratification—so all holiness consists of disinterested or unselfish love—to God and our neighbour: 1 Corinthians 13 supplies a full and beautiful delineation of the nature of holiness: substitute the term “holiness” for “love” all through …