Untitled article by M. E. S.

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 3, 1859

CONSECRATION NO. 7—SANCTIFICATION.

By M. E. S.

(Concluded.) "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 Jno. i, 9. In our last, we noticed the first promise here brought to view. We would now call attention to the latter clause, "to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Here is something made distinct from forgiveness. What shall we understand by being cleansed from all unrighteousness? It is a privilege, and oftentimes a duty to understand all God has promised, that we may know how to exercise faith. We will compare Scripture with Scripture a little, endeavoring to learn the will of God on this question.

Says Paul [Rom. viii, 7], "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then, they that are in the flesh (i. e., possessed of the carnal mind) cannot please God." The apostle is here speaking of the natural man. Does he speak of another state attainable in this life? Verse 9. "But ye are not in the flesh (i. e., possessed of the carnal mind), but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you." Then we may get rid of the carnal mind, and not walk in the flesh, but in the Spirit. What shall we understand by the "carnal mind"? It is that part of our nature that is alienated from the Lord by wicked works, which, of itself, in other words, "is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Verse 7. All our affections that oppose the holiness of God, and run out after sin, constitute the carnal mind.

Two states are here contrasted; the carnal and spiritual. Of which does the apostle speak in the previous chapter, when he says, "that which I do, I allow not; for what I would, that I do not; but what I hate, that do I?" Let the preceding verse tell us: "I am carnal, sold under sin." Then Paul was speaking of himself or of some other person while walking in the flesh. Hear the conclusion [verse 24]: "O wretched man that I am: who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Important inquiry! Paul could command his volitions. He could will to do perfectly right; but how to perform that which was good, he found not. Verse 18. For when he would do good, evil was present with him. Verse 21. How many times have you and I, dear reader, mourned over like failures, and then with renewed courage, with our eye on the prize, resolved and re-resolved to try again: warring, falling, mourning, and pressing on, a perpetual round. Is there any escape? The question comes right home, an all important one to us. Must we forever bear the chains that link us to the putrefying, polluting carcass of this body of death, our sinful nature? Or may we burst the bonds and rise above our carnal minds, free not only to will, but to do just right? Says Paul, "I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord." Paul found a way of escape, not in himself, or by his own strength, but "through Jesus Christ our Lord." The Saviour delivers from the carnal mind. Thus John says, "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 Jno. i, 7.

Paul could be free; cannot we? Says he, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (This class must live without sin, for every transgression of the law, which is sin [1 Jno. iii, 4] brings upon the transgressor the condemnation of the law.)

But now we would ask, How can one walk after the Spirit, while in possession of the carnal mind, whose law is sin, and which continually leads him into it? He cannot; he must first be free from the carnal mind. But the apostle writes (Rom. viii, 2), "The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, hath made me free from the law of sin and death." And now, "If Christ be in you, the body is dead (mortal, verse 11), because of sin (original sin made it mortal); but the Spirit is life because of righteousness." Also 1 Pet. ii, 24: "Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins [what is it to be dead to sins, but to be free from them], should live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed" (from the malady of sin.)

But says one, Paul thought he could serve the law of God, and the law of sin at the same time; for he said, "So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." Notice now, all of, "I myself" serve the law of God. Was the flesh no part of "I myself"? If so Paul, i. e., "I myself," could not be responsible for the deeds of the flesh.

But reflect a moment. Did Jesus only deliver the mind from the service of sin, while the flesh was left as it was? Paul delighted in the law of God after the inner man before, but he now thanked God for deliverance. From what could he have been freed, if the flesh remained sinful, and hence still at war with the Spirit? Certainly nothing. Of what bondage had he just complained? Verse 23. "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." Then Paul was held in bondage to the law of sin by the carnal mind, and Jesus delivers him from his bondage; consequently when delivered, he must have been free from serving with the flesh the law of sin, and could with his whole being serve the law of God. He could now say, "So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with (or while in) the flesh the law of sin."

Again hear the inspired teacher, 2 Cor. vii, 1, "Having these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit (notice, these compose the entire man), perfecting holiness in the fear of God." I would here make one suggestion to those who are in the habit of defiling the temple of God ("which temple ye are") by the use of tobacco or in any other way. Says Paul, "If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy." You own tobacco is filthy. What will you do in the day when it shall be said "he which is filthy, let him be filthy still." Come, ere that day shall dawn, cleanse yourself from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, remembering that "God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness." 1 Thess. And now, let us "follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." Heb. xii, 14. Yes, we must be holy before we can see Jesus in peace. Before the time of his coming (for it is added, "behold I come quickly," hence he had not yet come) the mandate goes forth, "He that is holy, let him be holy still." When did this class become holy? They are found so just before his advent and consequently he does not make them such at his coming. Do the Scriptures anywhere promise that God will at any future time cleanse us? The promise is, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Are we taught that we should wait any longer for the cleansing than for the forgiveness? I cannot find it; but, "Behold now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation." 2 Cor. vi, 2. Salvation from what? Certainly from sin, and from its penalty—death. Why not then come just now, and claim the promise? Eze. xxxvi, 25, 26. "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you," &c. You remember David prayed [Ps. li, 10], "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." Come, let us follow the example of the man after God's own heart; then can we "draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water." What a precious privilege, in Jesus to "have boldness and access with confidence."

But in order to this we must live in such a way that our heart condemn us not; then have we confidence towards God. 1 Jno. We can be brought into the position where we may live in just this way. Listen to Paul again. Heb. ix, 13, 14. "For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God." Do not understand that the Lord changes our constitution. A heart that is purified has natural susceptibilities; otherwise it could not be tempted. It loves; but it no longer loves sin in any form. God is the chief object of its affections. It can obey perfectly the two great commandments. It can love God with all the soul, and its neighbor as itself. It hates; but it only hates sin. It covets; but it no longer covets a neighbor's goods, for that neighbor's interests are as sacred as its own. It covets only the "best gifts" which are spiritual; and the possession of such does not deprive any one else of possessing them at the same time. In short, I understand its nature is not changed, but simply its affections brought back and placed upon holy objects. It still loves self; God has placed self love within us, and without it what should we care to secure salvation for self? It is only when our love for ourselves becomes stronger than our love for our fellow beings, in any sense, that it is wrong and makes way for envy, wrath, pride, &c. Do you not see there can be no room for these feelings, these fruits of the flesh, when we love every one else just as well as we love ourselves, and we love the Lord supremely, i. e., above and more than them all? Let me ask, How can we render perfect obedience to God's ten commandments, until we are brought to comply with the two upon which they hang? and that will be when cleansed from all unrighteousness.

Having lain all upon the altar in consecration to God, and taken hold of the promise (not basing our faith, remember, upon evidences of our cleansing that we immediately see, but because God has promised), then it is we can "present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God" [Rom. xii, 1]. God having cleansed our entire being. The work is all the Lord's. Glory, praise, and blessing for ever and ever to his matchless love, his adorable condescension! All that is within me blesses his holy name. His name is a strong tower into which we may run and be safe. Prov. 18. I would here ask, as I once heard another, How can we be safe in any place with our strongest enemy (and such the wicked heart is represented as being) within us? But let the carnal heart be taken from us, and, oh, how safely, confidingly, we may rest in our strong tower. The world and the Devil, our two remaining enemies (oh, is it not a peculiar privilege to be delivered from the greatest of our three great enemies?) may assault us with all their batteries, but while we stay in our hiding place, while we cling to the strong arm of our Deliverer, our tender-hearted, faithful Protector we are safe, and are kept "by the power of God, through faith (and shall continue to be) unto salvation." But let us trust continually, and "cast not away therefore our confidence, which hath great recompense of reward." The fiercest storm our enemies can bring upon us, cannot cause us to commit one sin, except with our consent, while hiding in God.

Oh, then let us be perfect "even as our Father which is in heaven is perfect." Matt. v, 48. Do you think this is impossible? Then why did Jesus command it? Was he not too wise and too good to require of his followers a thing they could not perform? Perhaps you think he meant, strive to be perfect. Why did he not then say so? Our Redeemer does not mock our weakness; oh, no; he knew our capabilities, and he is perfectly just; consequently he cannot require an impossibility of us. But we may ask in what sense would Christ have us perfect as our heavenly Father is? He had just been speaking of the second great commandment, love for our neighbor, and concludes his discourse on this point with the above command. It were impossible for us to be perfect in every sense as God is, with our present constitution; for he is perfect in wisdom, in power, &c.; but we can keep the two great commandments, and all that hang upon them, without possessing these attributes. We can be perfect in purity (our love perfect, our motives perfect) but only, if you please, relatively so, until we come to perfect judgment; but since sin is not imputed when there is no law, that sin which has been committed through an ignorance that was not willful, is not laid to our charge. It is the consent of an enlightened mind that constitutes sin to us. I believe we can be perfect as far as our knowledge goes, continually, i. e., keep the law perfectly as far as we understand it; till, when we come to a perfect understanding of it, our purity will be perfect absolutely.

That our judgment is not perfected at once is evident from the fact that Peter told his brethren to "grow in grace and in knowledge." 2 Pet. iii, 18. We can now understand why it was that Paul said [Phil. iii, 12] "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect." Paul was speaking of the resurrection, which he says he had not already attained, neither was he perfect in every sense as he would then be; for, says he, We know in part (here is an imperfect judgment, but there is no reference to holiness) and we prophesy in part; but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 1 Cor. xiii, 9, 10.

"This is the will of God, even your sanctification." 1 Thess. iv, 3. We have refrained from introducing this term before, fearing it would not be so readily understood as those we have used. Sanctify first means to set apart for any particular purpose—which is done in consecration,—second "to cleanse, purify, or make holy." Web. In this sense the Bible also uses the word. This is our great privilege, and it seems to me the great truth that is to prepare us to stand the testing trials that are coming upon the people of God, and fit us for a place with the Lamb on the Mt. Zion. But remember, God will not, after sanctifying us, preserve us in this state except as we trust in him. Let go our faith and we have not power sufficient to resist temptation. Thus we may fail from a state of purity at any time, and "of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?" Heb. x, 29.

But oh, let us claim and live up to our highest privilege as our highest duty. It is our duty to be where we can best glorify God, secure our own salvation, and promote the welfare of our fellow creatures. Shall we be content to always struggle on with sin within us as well as without, year in and out, as we have always done, and others have done before us. Let me ask what great attainments you have made, dear brother or sister, in this warfare, towards removing the fountain of sin within? We are trying to prepare for translation. Those gone before us had not this object in view. We expect soon to stand as mortals without a mediator. Shall we be triumphant then, with our carnal hearts within, while one sin would cause our fall? And what is to subdue them previously? Oh come, wash and be clean. "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." There is a fountain opened for sin and uncleanness; and blood has been spilled that is able to take away the sin of the world. Then surely it is sufficient to cleanse you and me. God has promised; his promises are all yea and amen. Will we not then take him at his word? In the language of Paul, may "the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit, and soul, and body, be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it." M. E. S.