Stirred by Paul Tripp’s teaching on sanctification—one area of critique
About three-four weeks ago, our congregation was very blessed to sit under the DVD teaching ministry of Dr. Paul Tripp, a minister at Tenth Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia (of the PCA), and a teacher at Westminster Theological Seminary/PA.
He presented material on his DVD series on marriage, What Did You Expect? No question, Paul is a gifted, gifted man—witty, super funny and well-versed in Bible and theology. He’s a colorful, winsome feather in the cap of the current stream of reformed piety and mentorship.
His presentation has prompted me to reflect on the doctrine of our union with Christ for salvation and the role of the law in the believer’s life and Christian growth (i.e. sanctification). I am wondering here, pondering things, about the one area of the classic difference between Lutheranism and Calvinism on justification and sanctification.
Here’s the one area of classic, historic difference, summarized by Dick Gaffin: “sometimes…in the Reformation tradition…a tendency is observable to conceive of justification as a stand-alone imputative act, without reference to union with Christ…this is more the case in the Lutheran tradition, where, in the ordo salutis, union is regularly sequenced following justification, as a fruit or consequence of justification. The Reformed tradition has recognized better or more clearly that, as answer 69 of the Westminster Larger Catechism puts it, justification is among the realities that ‘manifest’ that union.”
What is a possible Sumpterian paraphrase of Gaffin’s note? The Bible teaches about the gifts of God that tell of the acts and works of our salvation. There is an order about these gifts and how the Lord bestows these gifts on His children.
Romans 8:29, for example, talks about the list of the gifts—whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, He also glorified.
Gaffin is urging us to see these gifts as a whole package, and not to chop them up, dividing them apart.
Therefore, what God hath joined together, let not man separate.
We have to be careful not to chop up the acts and work of God’s gifts of salvation. Gaffin says we have a tendency to pull apart the doctrine of justification by faith from the doctrine of the believer’s life being united to Jesus Christ. All the gifts—God calling the sinner, then, justifying the sinner, next, sanctifying him, and more, should be kept together as a package.
What holds them together as a package? It’s the doctrine of our union with Jesus Christ. The believer being IN CHRIST is the umbrella over all the gifts of salvation.
Like all biblical and theological points, in times of having a discussion, little words are HUGE.
Classic Lutheranism: Emphasize justification! God’s work on behalf of the believer by Jesus Christ is for us and does not include Christ’s work in us.
Classic Calvinism (Reformed): Emphasize union with Christ! God’s work on behalf of the believer by Jesus Christ is for us and does include Christ’s work in us.
What is it that’s so important on this? It’s how we teach on the practicalities of salvation and the Christian walk. Is the believer IN CHRIST for all teaching points regarding justification but not sanctification? That would seem awkward. Is the believer IN CHRIST for certain points of emphasis in sanctification, but not for all points? It’s one thing to give solid ground hope to the believer for justification, but what about sanctification? What is the best, biblical motive for stirring up Christian growth—for making Christians hungry for growth in holiness—and to have hope in pursing that godliness?
This is where Paul Tripp’s teaching on Christian growth for marriage, even for all interpersonal relationships, comes in.
If you’re interested in tracking down more of this, read Professor Dick Gaffin’s material in his book, By Faith, Not By Sight, pages 18-52. It’s heady stuff—it’s some tough sledding, but worth the read.
There’ll be another post soon on this discussion bringing our author and teacher’s, Tripp’s, material into the conversation.
G. Mark Sumpter
1 comment:
On target, Mark! It might be of interest that John Murray recommended as the best book on sanctification Walter Marshall's Gospel Mystery of Sanctification. I used this as a source in my presently ongoing Sunday School class on True Spirituality. Marshall, being a Puritan, is expansive, although the book is not large. Reformed pastor Andrew Murray produced an abridged version of Marshall's book in Marshall's own words, entitled: Sanctification or The High Road to Holiness. You can download that as a free pdf from googlebooks.
Blessings,
Dan
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