CHAPTER IV – Procurement of Sanctification and Faith
CHAPTER IV – Procurement of Sanctification and Faith On sanctification, the cause of faith, and its procurement by the death of Christ.
ARGUMENT VIII.
Christ's blood is effectual to wash, purge, and sanctify.
Another argument may be taken from the effect and fruit of the death of Christ in our sanctification. If the blood of Jesus Christ does wash, purge, cleanse, and sanctify those for whom it was shed, or for whom he was a sacrifice, then certainly he died, shed his blood, or was a sacrifice, only for those who are washed, purged, cleansed, and sanctified through the event.
This should all be quite apparent. Faith is the first principle of the heart's purification, Acts 15:9, 121 and "all men do not have faith," 2Thes.3:2. Faith is "of the elect of God," Tit. 1:1. The consequence, I think, is undeniable, and not to be avoided with any distinctions. But we will now make it evident that the blood of Christ is effectual for all those ends of washing, purging, and sanctifying, which we recounted before. And we will do this first, from its types, and second, by plain expressions concerning the shedding of blood itself:
First, the Scriptural type of sacrifice legally sanctifies.
For the type, we will now consider the sacrifice of atonement, which the apostle so expressly compares with the sacrifice and oblation of Christ. He affirms, in Heb. 9:13, that it legally sanctified those for whom it was a sacrifice. "The blood of bulls and goats, and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkled on the unclean, sanctifies to purify the flesh." Now, what was done physically and legally, typified by that bloody sacrifice of beasts, must be spiritually effected in the antitype, which is the sacrifice of Christ.
The apostle asserts this in the verse following. "How much more," he says, "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?" If I know anything, the answer that Arminius and some others will give to this, is that the sacrifice did sanctify – not as offered but as sprinkled. And the blood of Christ, did not sanctify with regard to the oblation, with regard to its application. This is weak and unsatisfactory; for it only asserts a separation between his oblation and the application of his blood. While we admit they may be distinguished, such a separation is what we are now disproving. We grant that the blood of Christ sanctifies with regard to the application of the good things it procured. But it must still be proved that it is applied to all for whom it was an oblation. That is because it is said to sanctify and purge, and so Christ's blood must correspond to the type, which was said to sanctify to purify the flesh.
Secondly, Scripture says blood sacrifices are intended to sanctify.
It is expressly affirmed in various passages concerning blood-shedding and the death of our Savior, that it does effect these things, and that it was intended for that purpose. Many passages were given before. I will now repeat a number of them to strengthen the argument in hand, considering only those passages which point out the purpose of the death of Christ to establish the truth of this argument.
Scripture Proofs Rom. 6:5, 6, "For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall also be raised in the likeness of his resurrection: knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and that here forward we should not serve sin." The words in the latter verse give a reason for the assertion in verse 5 that participating in the death of Christ will certainly be accompanied by conformity to him in his resurrection. That is, it refers to both the spiritual life, and the eternal life:
"our old man is crucified with him, so that the body of sin might be destroyed." That is, our sinful corruption and depraved nature are effectually and meritoriously slain by his death and crucifixion. They are disabled from such a rule and dominion over us that we will no longer be servants to them. This is apparently the sense of the passage, seeing that it
is laid as a foundation to drive home all the decrees of sanctification and freedom from the power of sin that we have.
122 also tells us in 2Cor. 1:20, that "all the promises of God are in him indeed, and in him Amen, to the glory of God by us." "Indeed, and Amen," means the promises are confirmed, ratified, unchangeably established, and irrevocably made over to us. Now, this was done "in him," that is, in his death and blood-shedding, which confirm the testament in which these promises convey the legacies to us. They are confirmed by the "death of him, the testator," Heb. 9:16: for he was "the surety of this better testament," Heb. 7:22. This testament or "covenant he confirmed with many," by his being "cut off" for them, Dan. 9:26, 27.
The same apostle Now, what are the promises that are confirmed to us, and established by the blood of Christ? You have a summary of them in Jer. 31:33,34,
123 which is repeated by the apostle in Heb. 8:10-12. It sets out the nature of the covenant that was ratified in the blood of Jesus. You have a summary description of all the free grace there is towards us, both in sanctification
(verses 10-11), and in justification (verse 12). Among these promises is the famous one of circumcising our hearts, and putting new hearts and spirits into us, Deut. 30:6; Ezek. 36:26. Our sanctification, holiness, justification, and reconciliation with God are procured by, and established with, unchangeable promises in the death and blood-shedding of Christ. The heavenly or spiritual things are purified with his sacrifice, Heb. 9:23. "For we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins," Col
1:14; "By death, he destroyed the one who had the power of death, that is, the devil," that he might "deliver those who, through fear of death, were subject to bondage all their lives," Heb. 2:14, 15.
124 Eph. 5:25, 26.
Just take notice of these two clearest passages, Tit. 2:14, In both, our cleansing and sanctification is assigned to the purpose and intent of Christ, who was the worker. Therefore the certain effect of his death and oblation was the work, as proved before.
126 And I will add only one place more to prove that the blood of Christ purges us from all our sin, and it is, 1Cor. 1:30, "Who by God is made wisdom to us, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption." Because it is clear enough, I need not spend time to prove that he was made these things to us by God. God sent him to be "a propitiation through faith in his blood;" Rom. 3:25. Our
sanctification, along with all the other effects of free grace, are immediately procured by the death of Christ.
The sum of what has been said is this: sanctification and holiness are the certain fruit and effect of the death of Christ in all those for whom he died; but not everyone is made a partaker of this sanctification and holiness.
Therefore, Christ did not die for everyone.
The Death of Christ is the sole cause of Redemption It is altogether in vain to make the exception, as some do, that the death of Christ is not the sole cause of these things. They cannot actually be worked in anyone unless the Spirit works them, and faith apprehends the death of Christ:
First, the paid ransom is the sole cause of redemption.
The Spirit of God is the cause of sanctification and holiness; but what kind of cause? One that immediately, really, and efficiently produces the effect. Faith is the cause for pardoning sin; but what kind of cause? It is merely an instrumental cause. It apprehends the righteousness of Christ.
Now, do these causes, efficient and instrumental, hinder the fact that the blood of Christ not only coincides with them, but is the sole cause of these things, morally and meritoriously? Doubtless, they do not, or else they would be neither instrumental nor efficient. His blood is the sole foundation of the Spirit's operation and efficiency, and the sole cause of faith's existence.
Say a man is held captive by his enemy. Someone goes to the one who holds him, and makes an agreement to pay a ransom for his delivery. The one who holds the captive grants a warrant to the keepers of the prison to knock off his shackles, take away his rags, and let him have new clothes, according to the agreement. He says, "Deliver him, for I have found a ransom." Because the jailer knocks off his shackles, and the warrant of the judge is brought for his discharge, would we deny that the ransom which was paid was the sole cause of his delivery? If the ransom had not been paid, then the issue of the warrant, and the removal of the shackles, would never have happened. They are no less the effect of that ransom than the captive's own delivery.
In our delivery from the bondage of sin, it is true that there are other kinds of things involved besides the death of Christ. There is the operation of the Spirit, and the grace of God. But these are no less the fruit and effect of the death of Christ than our deliverance. It is clear that his death is the only cause of our redemption.
Secondly, faith itself is procured by Christ's death We affirm that faith itself was procured by Christ's death. It is a proper and immediate fruit of his death in all those for whom he died. If this is true, it utterly overthrows the general ransom, or universal redemption.
And if it is not true, then I will willingly concede. Whichever way it goes, free will must be established. I will prove the procurement of faith in the next argument.
ARGUMENT IX. Faith is procured by Christ's Death Before I press the argument, I must establish a few premises.
Premises:
1. Nothing is bestowed on us that was not purchased by Christ's Death Whatever is freely bestowed on us through Christ, is completely procured and merited by the death of Christ. Nothing is bestowed on his people that he has not purchased. The price he paid for this purchase is his own blood,
1Pet. 1:18,19. For the covenant between his Father and him, of bestowing all spiritual blessings on those who were given to him, was expressly founded on the condition that, "he would make his soul an offering for sin,"
Isa. 53:10.
2. Faith is indispensable to our salvation Everyone agrees that faith is an absolutely indispensable necessity for salvation. There is no acceptable sacrifice to replace it under the new covenant. Whatever God has done in his love by sending his Son, and whatever Christ has done in his oblation, or does in his intercession
(whether for all or some), has no value, worth, or profit to us without our
faith. These things would only serve to increase and aggravate our condemnation. Whatever else may be accomplished apart from faith, it remains true that "The one who does not believe shall be damned," Mark
16:16.
127 Faith is so absolutely necessary, it seems to me that whatever causes our faith, must be the primary and principal cause of our salvation.
Without faith, none of this would happen, and with it, all of it is effectual.
3. The question is whether faith is a fruit and effect of Christ's death?
I will give those who are contrary-minded a clear choice, so that they may answer directly, categorically, and without vague distinctions. "Did our savior merit or procure faith for us by his death and intercession?" Or, to ask it another way, "Is faith a fruit and effect of the death of Christ?"
First, if it is, then was it absolute or conditional?
If Christ did procure our faith by his death, then I demand to know whether Christ procured faith for all for whom he died absolutely, or on some condition to be fulfilled on their part?
If absolutely, then surely, if he died for all, they must all believe.
For what is absolutely procured for someone is absolutely his. If someone has absolutely procured an inheritance, by whatever means, who can say that it is not his? But the apostle denies that all men have faith, "All men do not have faith," 2 Thess 3:2; and, "Faith is of the elect of God," Tit.
1:1.
If conditionally, and the condition is our faith, then this faith is of ourselves and not of Christ.
If they say that he procured it for them, that is, to be bestowed on them conditionally, then I desire an unequivocal answer, without distinctions.
Give us that condition, so that we may know what it is. It is of infinite concern to all of us. Let me know this condition, and the cause is yours. Is it, as some say, that they not resist the grace of God? What does it mean to not resist the grace of God? Is it not to obey it? And what is it to obey the grace of God? Is it not to believe? And so the condition of faith is faith itself. Christ procured faith so that they would believe, on the condition that they believe! Are these things so?
Can they assign a condition of faith, required on our part, that is not faith itself? Let us hear it, then, and we will renew our inquiry whether that condition is procured by Christ or not. If it is not, then the cause of faith is still found in ourselves. Christ would not be the author and finisher of it.
If it is procured by him, then we are right where we were before. We must follow with our queries whether that condition was procured absolutely or on some condition.
Secondly, if it is not, then it is an act of will and we save ourselves If our faith is not procured by Christ's death, then,
1. It must be an act of our own will Our adversaries must maintain that it is an act of our own wills, to ensure it is not worked in us by grace; and that it is completely within our power to perform. To support their argument, nothing could be bestowed on us by free grace through Christ except what was procured by him in his death and oblation. This is contrary to the following things:
(1.) It contradicts express Scripture in a number of places, which I will not recount.
(2.) It contradicts the very nature of the new covenant, which does not require a condition, but effectually works its promises in all the covenantees, Jer. 31:33, 34; Ezek. 36:26; Heb. 8:10, 11:
(3.) It contradicts the advancement of the free grace of God by setting up the power of free-will in our corrupted nature, slighting and undervaluing God's grace.
(4.) It contradicts the received doctrine of our natural depravity and inability to do anything good; indeed, it will lead to overthrowing the fundamental article of original sin.
(5.) It is contrary to right reason, which will never grant that this natural faculty is capable of producing a purely spiritual act without some kind of spiritual elevation; see 1Cor. 2:14.
2. We are the cause of our salvation and Christ's death has no value The cause of our salvation will ultimately resolve into ourselves. It would be in our own power to make what God and Christ have done effectual, or to frustrate their endeavors. For all that is done will not profit us unless we
believe; and if Christ has not effected or procured that belief by his death, then the Lord cannot work salvation in us. The deciding vote, whether we will believe or not, is left to ourselves. Now, judge for yourself whether this makes us the cause of our own happiness, and the main builders of our own glory.
These things having been premised, I will briefly prove what others deny, namely, that faith is procured for us by the death of Christ. And consequently, if he procured it for us, and "all men do not have faith," then he did not die for everyone. This is proved by the following reasons:
Proofs:
1. Faith is part of our sanctification and holiness purchased by Christ The death of Jesus Christ purchased holiness and sanctification for us. This was proved at large in Arg. VIII. But faith, because it is a grace of the Spirit inherent in us, is a formal part of our sanctification and holiness. Therefore, he procured faith for us as well. The assumption is certain and undeniable; the proposition was sufficiently confirmed in Argument VIII, and I cannot see what exception may be taken against the truth of it. If anyone does object, and says that Christ might have procured only part but not all of holiness for us, the parts being hope, love, meekness, and the like,
131 then I ask, First, what warrant do we have to make such a distinction between the graces of the Spirit, so that some are purchased by Christ, while others come from our own store?
Secondly, are we are more prone or able to believe on our own, than we are to love and to hope? And what basis do we have for that distinction?
2. All the fruits of election are purchased by Christ All the fruits of election are purchased for us by Jesus Christ. For "we are chosen in him," Eph. 1:4, and that is the only cause and source of all those good things which the Lord chooses us to. This is for the praise of his glorious grace, that in all things he might have the preeminence. I hope I
need not prove that the Lord Jesus is the only means by which, and for whom, the Lord will certainly and actually bestow on his elect all the fruits and effects of the love he intended for them, and for which he chose them.
Now, faith is a fruit, a principal fruit, of our election. For the apostle says,
"We are chosen in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy," Eph. 1:4. And so holiness, faith, purifying the heart, is a principal share of our election. "Moreover, those he predestined, he also called,"
Rom. 8:30. That is, having called us according to his purpose, he effectually works faith in us by the mighty operation of his Spirit, "according to the exceeding greatness of his power," Eph.1:9. And so those who "were ordained to eternal life believed," Acts 13:48. God has made them differ from others in the enjoyment of the means of grace, 1Cor. 4:7.
132 Being ordained to eternal life was the fountain from which their faith flowed. And so the elect obtained it, and the rest were blinded, Rom. 11:7.
3. All the blessings of the Covenant are purchased by Christ All the blessings of the new covenant are procured and purchased by the one in whom the promises of that covenant are ratified, and to whom the promises are made. For all the good things of that covenant are contained in and exhibited by those promises, through the working of the Spirit of God.
It was declared before what the promises of the covenant are, that they are confirmed in Christ, and they are made to his seed, Gal. 3:16. Therefore, all the good things of the covenant are the effects, fruits, and purchase of the death of Christ. Furthermore, faith is part of the good things of the new covenant. This is apparent from the description of them in Jer. 31:33, 34;
Heb. 8:10-12; Ezek. 36:25-27, and various other passages.
4. Everything necessary to be saved must be purchased by Christ If it is utterly impossible to be saved without faith, then faith must be procured by the one who fully and effectually saves us. How can Christ fully and effectually save us, without purchasing what is indispensible to our salvation? Without faith it is utterly impossible to attain salvation, Heb.
11:6, 135 Mark 16:16; 136 and yet Jesus Christ, according to his name, does
137 He procures "eternal redemption" for us, Heb. 9:12. He is "able to completely save those who come to God by him,"
Heb. 7:25. Therefore, faith must be included in the things that he procured.
5. Faith is a gift, a blessing, procured for us by Christ perfectly save us, Matt. 1:21.
The Scripture is clear that faith, or belief, is the gift and Christ is its procurer. Take for example, "It is given to us on the behalf of Christ (huper christos NT:5228), for Christ's sake, to believe on him," Phil. 1:29. "God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in him in heavenly places," Eph.
1:3. If faith is a spiritual blessing, then it is bestowed on us "in him," and for his sake. If it is not, then it is not worth arguing about what that means, or in what way it is procured. So look at it however you will, I desire to look to Jesus as the "author and finisher of our faith," Heb. 12:2. Various other reasons, arguments, and passages of Scripture might be added to confirm this truth, but I hope I have said enough.
Conclusion: If what he procured is not common to all, he did not die for all The sum of what has been said is this: if the fruit and effect of the death of Christ is not common to all, and it is absolutely procured for us rather than conditioned on some act to be fulfilled by us, then Christ did not die for all.
It is evident that the grace of faith is not common to all. It is absolutely procured by the death of Christ. And it is bestowed on those for whom he died. Therefore, our Savior did not die for all.
ARGUMENT X. The Antitype of the People of Israel as God's Elect We argue from the type to the antitype, from what stands for something to what it stands for. This will clearly restrict the oblation of Christ to God's elect. The people of Israel were certainly typical of the church of God in all the remarkable things that happened to them, as declared in 1Cor. 10:11.
Their institutions and ordinances were especially representative of the spiritual things of the gospel. Their priests, altar, and sacrifices, were all
shadows of the good things to come in Jesus Christ. Their Canaan was a type of heaven, Heb. 4:3, 9, 139 as was Jerusalem or Zion, Gal. 4:26,
140 Heb.
12:22.
141 The people of Israel as a whole were a type of God's church, his elect, his chosen and called people. That is why believers are called a "holy people, a royal priesthood," alluding to the people of Israel, 1Pet. 2:5, 9.
In fact, God's people are called his "Israel" in countless places, as further expounded in Heb. 8:8.
143 A true Israelite is the same as a true believer, John 1:47; 144 One is a Jew who is so in his heart. I hope it does not need not be proved that the people delivered from bondage, preserved, taken near to God, and brought into Canaan, are typical of God's spiritual church, of elect believers. From this type of Israel, we argue the following for the church:
Only those who are really and spiritually redeemed by Jesus Christ are typified by the physical redemption of the people of Israel. Only the elect, the church of God, was typified by the Jewish people being delivered from Egypt and brought into Canaan with their ordinances and institutions. It is senseless to imagine that the Jews were a type for the whole world, or for any but God's chosen ones, as proven in Heb. 9,10.
145 Were the Jews and their ordinances types for the seven nations whom they destroyed and supplanted in Canaan? Were they types for the Egyptians, or for those who were infidels and haters of God and his Christ? We conclude, then, from the types and the things which they typify, that only the elect of God, his church and chosen ones, are redeemed by Jesus Christ.