Kevin DeYoung's Blog, page 191

Ryle: The Nature of Sanctification

On the list of my top ten Christian books of all time is Holiness by J.C. Ryle (1816-1900). The book, a collection of twenty papers on the subject of holiness first published in 1879, is pungent, practical, and, after more than a century, still wonderfully readable. Martyn Lloyd-Jones was right: "[Ryle] is preeminently and always scriptural and expository…It is exposition at its very best and highest. It is always clear and logical and invariably leads to a clear enunciation of doctrine. It is strong and virile and entirely free from the sentimentality that is often described as 'devotional.'"

Chapter 2 on sanctification is one of many great chapters in the book. In the background for this chapter (and for many others) is Ryle's desire to counter the "higher life" theology popular in revival meetings and Keswick circles at the time. Having no patience for quietist methods of sanctification, Ryle found "let go and let God" theology thoroughly unbiblical and argued strenuously that the life of the believer requires strenuous effort.

Ryle is clear and organized in this chapter. First, he explains the true nature of sanctification. Next, he looks at the visible signs of sanctification. Third, he explores how justification and sanctification are alike and how they are different. Finally, he provides some concluding pastoral reflections. Over the next few days I'll provide Ryle's main points, directly quoting from him for the most part. Wherever you see italics, those are in the original (or at least the version I have).

The True Nature of Sanctification

Sanctification, as a New Testament term, refers more to our position in holiness than our progressive growth in holiness. But as a common theological category, sanctification almost always means the latter. That's how Ryle understands the term.

Sanctification is that inward spiritual work which the Lord Jesus Christ works in a man by the Holy Ghost, when He calls him to be a true believer. He not only washes him from his sins in His own blood, but He also separates him from his natural love of sin and the world, puts a new principle in his heart, and makes him practically godly in life. (p. 19)

With this broad definition in place, Ryle lists twelve further statements on sanctification (all emphasis is in the original).

Sanctification, then, is the invariable result of that vital union with Christ which true faith gives to a Christian.
Sanctification, again, is the outcome and inseparable consequence of regeneration.
Sanctification, again, is the only certain evidence of that indwelling of the Holy Spirit which is essential to salvation.
Sanctification, again, is the only sure mark of God's election.
Sanctification, again, is a thing that will always be seen. (p. 23)
Sanctification, again, is a thing for which every believer is responsible.
Sanctification, again, is a thing which admits of growth and degrees.
Sanctification, again, is a thing which depends greatly on a diligent use of scriptural means.
Sanctification, again, is a thing which does not prevent a man having a great deal of inward spiritual conflict.
Sanctification, again, is a thing which cannot justify a man, and yet it pleases God.
Sanctification, again, is a thing which will be found absolutely necessary as a witness to our character in the great day of judgment.
Sanctification, in the last place, is absolutely necessary, in order to train and prepare us for heaven.

Tomorrow: The visible signs of sanctification.

Finding God's Will Conference

Have you ever wondered, "What is God's will for my life?" The answer may be surprisingly simple. Come and hear why.

Riverview Church, an Acts 29 congregation in Holt, Michigan (just south of Lansing), is hosting the Finding God's Will Conference.  Speakers are: Dr. Garry Friesen (professor at Multnomah Bible College and author of Decision Making and the Will of God), Noel Heikkinen (pastor at Riverview), and me.

The conference is at Riverview on Saturday, January 22 from 9:00am-4:00pm. The cost of registration includes lunch and ranges from $10 to $30. Conference partners include Acts 29, The Gospel Coalition, and Logos.

If you liked Just Do Something (or the theme piques your curiosity), this may be a good conference for you. Registration is open now through January 17.

Monday Morning Humor

Well, I said no Monday Morning Humor. But then I saw this clip on ESPN's list for worst sports plays of the year. It's too good not to share.

And here's the same thing with a little mood music. Very funny.

Even Bloggers Take Breaks

I've been speaking at the Campus Outreach Christmas Conference in Milwaukee this week. So I've not had any Christmas vacation yet. That comes next week. So enjoy your parties, your football, and your friends over the next few days. I'll see you on the other side (2011 I mean, not heaven). I'll throw in some good stuff from J.C. Ryle Tuesday-Friday next week (no MMH!), but mostly I hope to ignore the blog until the second week of January. Have a happy New Year.

The Cosmic Gospel and the Cross Gospel

Both Ephesians 1:10 and Colossians 1:20 speak of God's work to unite all things, or reconcile all things, in Christ. And both epistles link this final work of cosmic restoration to the "blood of his cross." In other words, the re-creation of all things is made possible by the atoning work of Christ.

But how? What does the blood have to do with the uniting of all things?

Consider the logic of the gospel. It's because Jesus' death on the cross was a means of expiating our sin and propitiating the wrath of God that we can be adopted into God's family and have fellowship with him. And it's because sin has been conquered that Christ can be appointed head over all things and the devil, a liar and an accuser, can have no hold over us. And because sin and the devil have been vanquished death has no sting. And because sin, death, and the devil have been defeated all things can now be brought under the Lordship of Christ, and one day everything can be brought back together in Christ.

Do not think that salvation comes to sinners because God has a cosmic purpose for the universe and individual sinners happen to be a part of that universe. The movement of salvation is not from everything to individuals, but from individuals to everything. Don't mistake regeneration, redemption, and adoption as byproducts of the larger work God is doing to restore creation. That logic is backwards. Biblically, it's the renewal of all things that rides in on the coattails of the salvation of sinners. "For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God" (Rom. 8:19-21). The creation is waiting to experience the freedom and glory we already experience as the children of God. The next time you are tempted to feel sorry for yourself, or feel unappreciated, or imagine yourself ignored by God, remember: In Christ, you have what the universe is after.

So yes, the good news of the gospel involves more than the forgiveness of sin and the turning away of the wrath of God. Praise God for the grand scope of his glorious purposes. Sometimes "soul winners" and "disciplemakers" neglect this final chapter of the story. But make no mistake: every bit of good news in the gospel flows from the work Jesus accomplished to save his people from their sins. No propitiation, no restoration. This gospel of atonement and forgiveness of sins must never be derided as a half gospel, an incomplete gospel, or a stepping-stone-to-bigger-and-better-things gospel. Everything about the "cosmic gospel" is made possible because of the "cross gospel."

If You Don't Want to Do This Often, Then Learn to Do It Well

Earlier this year I was asked to write an endorsement for Chris Brauns' book When the Word Lead Your Pastoral Search: Biblical Principles & Practices to Guide Your Search (Moody 2o11). I can't do many blurbs (fewer and fewer all the time), but I really liked Chris' last book (Unpacking Forgiveness) and the topic for this new book sounded interesting.

Obviously, this book will not scratch everyone's itch. In fact, if everyone in the congregation starts reading this book, the pastor is bound to get anxious. And the board will get antsy if your pastor starts passing out the book at the next leaders retreat. So this is not a must read for everyone.

But it is for anyone on a search committee. Most Christians will have a pastoral search process take place in their church at some point. And from the stories I hear, many search committees have no idea what they're doing. So read this book. (More information on the book, including suggested resources and a sample chapter can be found here.)

Here's my blurb:

Chris Brauns' book is the only resource of its kind that I have ever seen. If your church is searching for a pastor, or if you are a pastor seeking to equip your congregation to follow biblical guidelines when that day comes, I highly recommend this thoughtful, practical, biblical work to you.

This is a quick read, full of biblical principles and practical suggestions. For example, what are common mistakes that churches make looking for a pastor? Brauns gives you answers.

1. Not choosing the right people for the pastoral search committee

2. Prayerlessness

3. Being people-centered rather than Word-centered

4. Lack of follow-through and due-diligence by the pastoral search committee

5. Impatience that leads to the wrong decision

6. Failure to properly administrate the pastoral search

7. Inadequate communication

8. Failure to adequately budget for the pastoral search

9. Allowing the experience with the previous pastor to direct the calling of the next pastor

10. Spending too much time trying to call pastors who are not "reasonably gettable"

Let me say it again: this is an extremely helpful book. There's information on everything from evaluating sermons to setting compensation packages to suggested interview questions. If you are in a pastoral search this book will save you a lot of headaches. When you think about it, there are few decisions more significant in life than picking your pastor. You can do the process well or you can do it often. This book gives you the tools to opt for the former.

Some Friendly Advice for Church Boards: Give Your Pastor a Break

This is the sort of post I can write only because my church doesn't need to read it. My church pays me well and allows ample vacation time and more study leave than most pastors could dream of. I'm blessed and extremely thankful.

But many pastors are not so fortunate.

The point of my plea is simple. For any elders, deacons, trustees, committee chairs–to anyone with authority over the fringe benefits for your pastor in 2011–please make sure there is enough time for a real vacation and some kind of study leave.

One of the benefits of being ordained in an old mainline denomination is that the stipulations for this kind of stuff are fairly generous. There are minimum pay guidelines for pastors based on years of experience and the size of the church. We also get insurance (though it costs extra to get out of the inferior overpriced denominational plan). Churches must pay into a retirement account for their pastors. Congregations are also strongly encouraged to provide a sabbatical every seven years, plus professional development money and at least a week of study leave. When I started out as an associate pastor in Iowa at the ripe old age of 25 I was given (in memory serves) 4 weeks of vacation and 1 week of study leave (in addition to a short conference here or there). I'm embarrassed to say this is more than most ordained pastors of any age receive regardless of their years of service or the demands of their position.

I understand that some churches can't pay their pastors as much as they would like to offer. We'll save that for another post. But here's the wonderful thing about vacation and study leave–it adds almost nothing to the church budget. At most it may cost an extra thousand dollars to pay for a few more weeks of pulpit supply. But what you'll gain is worth so much more.

Your pastor will have more time away from the pressures of ministry. This will be good for the long term health of his marriage and family.


Your pastor will have time to think through that thorny congregational issues or complex theological conundrums. He may be able to hone his writing skills. He'll have the energy to dream again. Or he may just have free time to read a book and go on a long walk with his wife. All these will benefit your pastor and your church.


Your pastor will come back rejuvenated. I'm told my best sermons are usually the first ones after I get back from a break.


You'll get to hear other men preach. Even if you have John Piper or Tim Keller preaching to you, you'll gain by hearing the same gospel message from other messengers.


A few extra Sundays without your pastor will allow other men in your church to exercise their teaching gifts. It might also give you the chance to hear from other pastors laboring in your city.

There are other benefits too, but I'll stop here. The point is if you want your pastor to make it not just a year or two or five, but twenty or thirty he needs more than 2 weeks vacation. I preach 40-42 Sunday mornings a year (plus more in the evenings) and it feels like a whole lot. I really can't fathom how some pastors preach 48-50 weeks a year.

You may be thinking as a layperson, "Well, I don't get four weeks off a year." True, but maybe you should. Maybe you wouldn't be the grumpiest member on the finance committee if you did! And maybe pastoral ministry is a little different. There's no reason for a pastors pity party. But the fact of the matter is pastors don't have weekends like everyone else. Most pastors work six days a week. They never have two days off in a row except on vacation. Pastors can't leave early on Friday, head for the lake, and stroll back into town Sunday evening. I'm not faulting families who do that sort of thing and I'm not asking anyone to feel sorry for pastors, I'm just asking boards to understand that the life of a pastor is different. Plus, you have to remember ministry is not a 9-5 job. There are evening meetings, morning meetings, lunch meetings, and special events along the way. The times where a pastor can let his graying hair down are few and far between.

I'd be remiss if I didn't also challenge my fellow pastors. Let's be honest men, sometimes we are the problem. We are too scared to let anyone know that 10 days off each year is not enough. We fear what people will say if we ask for two weeks each year just to read books or go to a couple conferences. More than anything, our pride holds us back. We hate being so needed, but also love feeling so needed. We worry what will happen at the church without us. How will they manage. Or the opposite: we may secretly wonder if they'll like the guest preachers better. On top of all this, we fear letting people down or being perceived as soft. Yes men, we have a tendency to be yes men. But we need to take care of our families, our souls, our hearts, and our brains even more than we need to take care of people's expectations.

Again, let me repeat: I can write this blog because I have it so much better than I deserve. My elders don't need to do anything more for me. But some elder boards have work to do to make sure their pastor is going to survive and thrive for many years. It won't cost much money, if any. So do yourselves a favor: give your pastor a break in 2011.

Monday Morning Humor

Most of you have seen this before, but hey, it's two days after Christmas and you and I are both a little busy. So enjoy the silent singing monks one more time.

O Come All Ye Faithful

O Holy Night