Hands-free narration of this study — good for the car.
Synopsis
Having established justification, Sequeira turns to the transformed life. Sanctification, he argues, is as much by faith as justification, and for the same reason: the flesh can produce nothing acceptable to God. Sanctification is not self-improvement assisted by grace; it is the outworking in daily experience of a life that is already ours in Christ. Its mechanism is union with Christ by faith and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who makes real in us what is true of us. Sequeira insists the believer remains simultaneously perfect in Christ and imperfect in himself, and that this tension explains Romans 7 and Galatians 5. He is careful to say that sanctification never becomes the ground of acceptance; the moment it does, the gospel is lost. Growth is real, obedience is real, victory is real — but they are evidences of salvation, never its price. The chapter also warns against both antinomian carelessness and perfectionist anxiety.
Key points
- Sanctification is by faith, on the same principle as justification.
- It is Christ's life reproduced, not human character improved.
- It is the fruit and evidence of salvation, never its ground.
- Growth is genuine but never the basis of acceptance with God.
Key passages
- Galatians 2:20
- Romans 6:1-14
- Galatians 5:16-25
- Philippians 2:12-13
- 2 Corinthians 3:18
Study questions12 total
- 1.Comprehension
How does Sequeira define sanctification, and how does he keep it distinct from justification?
- 2.Scripture
Read Romans 6:1-14. On what fact does Paul base the call to holy living? What is the order of indicative and imperative?
- 3.Scripture
Explain Philippians 2:12-13. Who is working, and what is being worked out rather than worked for?
- 4.Contrast
Contrast 'sanctification by effort with God's help' with 'sanctification by faith in Christ's indwelling life.' What behaviours differ?
- 5.Scripture
What is the role of the Holy Spirit in sanctification, according to Galatians 5:16-25?
- 6.Doctrinal Clarity
How does Sequeira explain the ongoing conflict in the believer's experience without teaching defeat as normal?
- 7.Doctrinal Clarity
Why is it fatal to the gospel to make sanctification any part of the ground of acceptance?
- 8.Scripture
How does 2 Corinthians 3:18 describe the method of transformation? What are we told to do?
- 9.Doctrinal Clarity
What is the difference between fighting sin from victory and fighting sin for victory?
- 10.Application
Identify one spiritual discipline you have been using as leverage with God. How should it be re-founded?
- 11.Application
How would you help a discouraged believer distinguish between falling and falling away?
- 12.Application
Describe what a sanctified home, workplace, or church board meeting would actually look like.