Common Errors in Sanctification (Part 3)

Welcome to No Compromise Radio, a ministry coming to you from Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. No Compromise Radio is a program dedicated to the ongoing proclamation of Jesus Christ based on the theme in Galatians 2, verse 5, where the Apostle Paul said, "'But we did not yield in subjection to them "'for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel "'would remain with you.'".

In short, if you like smooth, watered down words to make you simply feel good, this show isn't for you. By purpose, we are first biblical, but we can also be controversial. Stay tuned for the next 25 minutes as we're called by the divine trumpet to summon the troops for the honor and glory of her King.

Here's our host, Pastor Mike Abendroth.

Announcements and Reflections on Ministry, Outreach, and Preaching

Welcome to No Compromise Radio ministry. My name is Michael Lee Abendroth. I have announcements. What might those announcements be? Thepactum .org is my brother's podcast. I think you'll like that. Israel, February 22.

Next year, February 22nd, 2022. So 2022, 20. Oh, hey, that's interesting. 222, February 22nd, 2022. What if it was in the year 2222, if man was still alive? And what else do we have? AGTV, my friend Brandon Kimber there at American Gospel.

We have five parts on law gospel. I think the first two are up and going. You can usually get deals to watch something for free for a day or a two-day pass or something like that. If not, you have to watch that.

I've been asked lots of times, could I give like a little sneak preview or something? Maybe I'll do my own version of law gospel, five-part series, but that one's proprietary. I was paid to do it. He owns it.

Great editing. I mean, I give a quote and it's just great the way it looks. Ben's, you know, he films things well. Hopefully my information that I gave the data is as good as the editing and as good as the filming.

That's agtv .something. I think that's about it. I try not to post on Twitter anymore with the exception of radio things, right? There's a new video or there's a show or something like that. I did a show a couple of weeks ago, if you remember, a friendly open podcast to Paul Washer.

And I'm not trying to correct everybody in the world, but Paul has a pretty big platform. And I think if he could just go through a few theological alterations, it would affect his homiletics. And I think it would really be good for him.

Some have said to me in light of that show that I wasn't hard enough on him. Others, most people have said, you know, you were nice about it and kind. It was done in love, one brother to another. I think somebody did ask me, did I talk to Paul first before I gave the open podcast?

And really, truth be told, that's why I did the open podcast is because Paul preached a sermon at the Master's University. My daughters were there. I tried to contact Paul to say, I'd like to talk to him about his message.

And I was told he would contact me. And I guess that's a year and a half ago, right? It just never happened. I pushed back on social media when I was on Twitter and said, you know, why aren't you responding to me?

Or please respond or something. But anyway, all that to say, I try to be nice about it. I stand by what I believe to be true. I know these theological things that people taught me really revolutionized my preaching.

It's nothing that I think that's new with me or anything else, but the gospel tincture is important. Assurance for Christians is important. Encouragement is important. Smiling is important. Teaching me actually the Bible passage that you're going through, so I know more about the Bible verses than I did before you got up to speak and preach is important.

And I think following up with people is important. If you, no compromise radio listener, have questions for me, many of you, I just said, I don't really wanna type these questions back. I just call you, and if I say I'll call you, or my people say that I'm going to call you, I mean, if I forget, then shame on me, I'll just say sorry, but I'm gonna try to do what I say.

The Lord has given me, for whatever reason, a public ministry, and therefore, I think that's trust. And if I preach a message and any parent has an issue with what I say, I would take the call and just listen.

I might not agree, but I would just listen. Therefore, so far, no response by Paul Washer. I did try to reach out for him for the people that somehow think that's what you have to do with public ministries.

Did you call him? Did you try to work it out? I don't have any, you know, there's not some kind of issue between Christian brothers. I just think he, I mean, let's face it, I don't know, but I don't think he's had many homiletics classes, and the Lord is using him anyway.

What if he had some homiletics classes? And I won't even charge him the $99 on preaching, no co-preaching, APXP. Here's a free one for Paul Washer. And by the way, last thing about this, if Paul Washer wants to watch some of my sermons in 2 Peter and critique them and do an open podcast, I'd listen, I'd listen.

I would probably say to myself, well, yeah, you were harder on me, or easier on me than I am on myself, right? It's brutal to watch yourself preach. I mean, this is a brutal, brutal thing, and it's so hard.

I don't know how people can watch themselves preach and think that they're the, you know, the bee's knees. It is very, very difficult, very humbling, and the Lord would use any of us is amazing. It's the word of God, it's the power of God.

Law-Gospel Categories, the Third Use of the Law, and the Response to the Gospel

But people need to know law gospel categories, and people ought not to be functional Methodists and Wesleyans with law only in sanctification category. We need to understand the third use of the law. We need to understand that a drive to get unbelievers to respond with submission and commitment and surrender and treasuring and desiring is Arminian.

You might call it lordship, but it's called Arminianism because response to the gospel is sola fide, rest, receive, trust. It is a fiducia category, not a volition category. And when people are in the volition category, they say they're five-pointers, and they are.

They say they believe in the five solas, and they do. But they don't understand the response to the gospel in an Arminian fashion is commit, surrender, submit. That's Arminianism. So that's that. I'm thinking about sanctification a lot.

We've been talking about common errors of sanctification, and we've been dealing with the one about having your eyes off of Jesus. And a very practical thing you can do is read the gospels regularly, right?

The gospel or good news of Jesus Christ according to Matthew, according to Luke, according to Mark, according to John, right? Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. That shorthand for the gospel of Jesus according to each one of those.

Four great pictures, I think, 89 chapters total about the gospel of good news about the Lord Jesus Christ. John Owen said, while by faith we contemplate the glory of Christ as revealed in the gospel, all grace will thrive and flourish in us toward a perfect conformity unto him.

Technically, he said towards, but that's English. And in America, I mean, we speak English too, but English-English, British-English is towards, and American-English is toward. Right? Well, that's true.

I'm trying to think of other words that are like that in, oh, I used to know those words that in regards to, in regard to, maybe that might be another one. Moving toward, moving towards, irregardless, fail.

I think I do fail in things, but not that often. I hear one, one of my favorite radio shows, Christian podcast, the announcer, my friend doesn't do it, but the announcer, my friend who preaches doesn't do it, but the announcer who does, he always says, you know, and these good truths are for you and I.

I'm thinking, no, no, they're for you and me. And he says it all the time. I don't want to be that guy though, that has to call up and say, it's not you and me in English and you and I here, it's you and me both places.

In sanctification, I mean, if I ask the question, who will deliver me from this body of death? What's the answer going to be? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Let's make sure we have a biblical viewpoint when it comes to a holy living.

And we don't just turn it into a private or self-centered thing. No, no, we have to be thinking about the implications of what God has done in Christ Jesus. One writer said this, I often fear that those who are the most skillful at diagnosing the complexity and atrocity of sin in themselves, and in pointing it out to others or in others, are the least skillful in pointing themselves and others to the Savior.

It's far easier to fixate on the problems than to focus on the solution. It's actually quite easy to focus on sin and quite difficult to keep your eyes or our eyes steadfastly fixed on Jesus. Consequently, it often seems expedient to offer pragmatic, dare I say it, even biblical advice that doesn't actually give the power to overcome sin.

In order to progress in Christian living, we must remember that sin's domination was broken when Christ died for us at the cross. And that goes back to my introduction in terms of people who are preaching the law, and they're really good at convicting you of sin.

That's easy. It's harder to make sure we point them to the solution. And that's what we need to make sure that we do. We are people. I don't know why today on No Compromise Radio, several times I've been interrupted by phones and phone calls and all that.

That's my friend. If it was my kid, I'd take it, but it's my friend. And so I'll have to do something else. Brethren, look to Jesus, one man said. This sight will fill you with the greatest consolation and delight.

Look to him on the cross. So great is his love that if he had 1 ,000 lives, he would lay them all down for your redemption. Look to him on the throne. His blessed countenance fills all heaven with delight and felicity.

Look to him in affliction. He will help you. Look to him in death. He will sustain you. Look to him in judgment. He will save you. Adoniram Judson, speaking to students. That's really good. That is so good.

My name's Mike Ebenroth. This is No Compromise Radio Ministry. Error number seven in the term, in the category of sanctification, is that we somehow think the response to sanctification is external only.

That is right actions without right attitudes. Many of us think that we do the right thing, therefore, we're everything set, externals. And you know, back here, I've heard the phrase before, no devo, no breakfast.

And that was short for no devotions, no breakfast. You couldn't have your breakfast without having a devotion. But I thought it was, if I didn't listen to devo, we are devo, you know, whip it good, then I didn't get breakfast.

That was kind of interesting. No devo, no breakfast. I thought this is the most ungodly group of people I've ever come across. What's the motivation to do these things? And remember Jesus in Psalm 40, that's quoted of Jesus saying that, the quote is found in Hebrews 10.

I delight to do your will. It's not just checking a box off and putting what we do in a self-righteous stew. I'm not trying to rhyme things. We wanna obey for the right reasons. We wanna obey, let me just write this down here, Psalm 40.

Marshall said there are four qualifications for living a godly life. Your heart has to be freely willing to live a godly life. You have to be assured that you're forgiven and reconciled to God. You have to be sure of a happy eternal future with the Lord and you have to have sufficient strength both to do and to will what God calls you to do.

These are attitudes, right? These are attitudes of how are we gonna obey and keep that going. Number eight for errors and sanctification. They do, I think, get faster maybe now. We're saved, we don't need any law.

This is technically for the Christian. If we say there's no law, no third use of the law that guides and norms and directs, that we would say these people are antinomians. They're free from the law and they don't have to do anything.

Remember the first use of the law, that they may be led to the knowledge of their sins. The second use of the law is a civil use. It restrains wild men. And then the third use is, according to the formula of Concord, after they are regenerate, they might have a fixed rule to which they are to regulate and direct their whole life.

That's called the third use of the law. And so for Christians with holy living, there's the law. We need to be guided by the law. We have been saved, but we're not like people named Agricola. Icola, Ricola.

Ricola. No, we don't deny the use of God's law. It guides, right? It's a mirror, shows us our sin. It's a restrainer, it curbs sin, and then it's a guide. And it helps us. And of course, the spirit of God does the work in us so we can obey, et cetera.

Some antinomians like to sing this. Free from the law, oh, blessed condition. I can sin as I please and still have what? Remission. We're free from the law, first use, but not third use. The law never changes.

It reflects God's holy character and nature. Calvin, nor can anyone rightly infer from this that the law is superfluous for believers since it does not stop teaching and exhorting and urging them to good, even though before God's judgment seat, it has no place in their consciences.

That's right. We're not under the law for standing before God. That's the ground of salvation is Christ's work. He kept the law. But the law still is the law. We're just not under the law, first use. Thomas Boston, this antinomian principle that it is needless for a man perfectly justified by faith to endeavor to keep the law and to do good works is a glaring evidence that legality is so ingrained in man's corrupt nature that until a man truly come to Christ by faith, the legal disposition will still be reigning in him.

Let him turn himself into what shape or be of what principles he will be in religion. Though he run into antinomianism, he will carry along with him his legal spirit, which will also be a slavish and unholy spirit.

He is constrained as the author observes to do all that he does for fear of punishment and hope of reward. And it is once fixed in his mind that these are ceased in his case. He stands like a clock when the weights that made her go are removed or like a slave when he is in no hazard of whip, then which they cannot bear by greater evidence of loathsome legality.

This antinomian principle that is needless for man perfectly justified. Really, if you think about it, what Boston is saying, it has a lot to do with legalism, not antinomianism. Error number nine, related that the laws from the judge for the Christian.

So God gives you a law, don't commit adultery. And if you do, you're gonna get whacked. I hear a lot of preaching these days that basically we better do things or else we're gonna really get it. And what they don't mean is you're gonna get disciplined.

They mean you're gonna be judged, condemned. They use language like that. The law comes from the judged and it goes to the unbeliever and it says, do this and live. It shows sin, it's a mirror. Now, after we're saved, we have a different relationship to the judge.

It's called father. He is now called father. And the law doesn't change because God doesn't change. God's holy and just and righteous. His law is always holy, just and righteous. And thou shall not commit adultery always means thou shall not commit adultery.

But for the unbeliever, if you've ever looked at a woman with lust, you stand condemned, you need a savior. For the believer, you know what's good for you and what gives God the most glory and good for other people is if you don't commit adultery.

Now, Christians do sin, that's true. Christians actually have committed adultery. That doesn't unsave them, but that law guides because the father knows what's best. The law is holy and the commandment is holy and righteous and good, Romans 7.

The law is good, Romans 7 .16, 1 Timothy 1 .8. So the law is good, but we remember we have a different relationship to the law giver. Easy bake ovens. I've talked about easy bake ovens many times before, so I won't do it right now.

You can go online, Easy Bake Ovens, God and Easy Bake Ovens. Error number 10, God accepts me because of my personal holiness. Sinclair Ferguson, the moment I think as a Christian believer that God accepts me because of my level of sanctification, that's the moment I begin to destroy the gospel.

Very, very convicting. Walter Marshall, they think that even though they have been justified by a righteousness produced totally by Christ, they must be sanctified by a holiness produced totally by themselves.

And I think that's the Gratian problem. That's the Galatian problem, is it not? That's the Galatian problem. Heidelberg Catechism 114. Can we be honest? Let's be honest. Can those converted to God keep these commandments perfectly?

I mean, if you wanna stand before God based on your performance, even as a Christian, how do you think you're gonna do? Let me ask your wife, by the way. Let me ask your husband. The answer to Heidelberg 114.

No. In this life, even the holiest of Christians make only a small beginning in obedience in this life. Nevertheless, they begin with serious purpose to conform not only to some, but to all the commands of God.

That gives me so much hope. I don't have to be self-righteous. And I also don't have to be depressed. Write that down. Self-righteous, depressed. Heidelberg 115. If in this case, no one can keep the 10 commandments perfectly, why does God have them preached so strictly?

Answer, so that throughout our life, we may more and more become aware of our sinful nature and therefore seek more eagerly the forgiveness of sins and righteousness in Christ. Second, so that while praying to God, for by the grace of the Holy Spirit, we may never stop striving to be renewed more and more after God's image until after this life, we reach the goal of perfection.

Westminster Confession. Even our best works, as they are wrought by us, are defiled and mixed with so much weakness and imperfection that they cannot endure the severity of God's judgment. Uh-oh. Uh-oh.

Uh-oh. Here's what we have is somebody just sent me an email. It's a long email. Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh. This is somebody that wrote me an email, a long email about Paul Washer.

All right. Well, I'll go ahead and read it another day. St. Clair Ferguson. The determining factor of my existence is no longer my past, it is Christ's past. God accepts you, therefore he accepts your works.

That is the issue, right? And therefore, one man said, gratitude is the essence of ethics. Error number 11. No assurance needed for sanctification. That you can keep people on edge, scold them, motivate them for obedience by always questioning their assurance.

Hmm. What do you think of that? What do you think of that? In the idea of holy living, should we just push people toward, you know what? I don't know if you're saved or not. Test of saving faith always.

Test, I'm gonna write that down. Saving faith. Hmm. It was Rome, was it not? That took away assurance? I think it's St. Clair Ferguson who said one of the issues that was recovered, a theological issue that was recovered in the Reformation time was the doctrine of assurance.

Remember, the Catholics said, this is a sin of presumption. How can you do good works if you don't think you have an eternal future with the Lord? Marshall said, assurance of justification and reconciliation with God is the foundation for holiness.

Jerry Bridges, in times of adversity, Satan will seek to plant the thought in our minds that God is angry with us and is disciplining us out of wrath. Here's another instance where we need to preach the gospel to ourselves.

It is the gospel that will reassure that the penalty of our sins have been paid, that God's justice has been fully satisfied. It is the gospel that supplies a good part of the armor of God with which we are to stand against the accusing attacks of the devil.

Now, that is good news. Jerry Bridges also says, if we are going to persevere as committed disciples of Jesus Christ over the course of our lives, we must always keep the gospel of God's forgiveness through Christ before us.

I mean, do you wanna keep the guys on thin ice? When I used to skate on the pond here, thin ice, if you stopped, you'd go through. So you had to keep going early on in the season here in New England, like July 5th.

I liked that kind of ice though in the winter, the first ice, because you'd have to keep going, but you could see through the ice and then you could see fish and stuff like that. But we only did it like in one foot of water because if we broke through, we didn't wanna drown.

So that always seemed like a good idea. Oh, we better keep skating on thin ice. You gotta keep going or you're gonna fall through. Is that how we do things? I don't think that's what we do. Anyway, my name's Mike Ebendroth.

It just started to pour. I mean, pouring outside. I just need to go outside like in two minutes. And now what am I gonna do? Well, I'm probably gonna just say, hmm, time to keep recording more shows. Wow, it is just coming down.

I can't believe I said to my wife, oh honey, I'll go to the grocery store and pick up what you need tonight for the ladies coming over for the Bible study. If I turn this hot mic up, you could probably hear it even.

Well, a little rain didn't hurt anybody, did it? Mike Ebendroth, No Compromise Radio Ministry, Common Errors of Sanctification Part Three. We'll do part four next time. Stay tuned.

No Compromise Radio with Pastor Mike Ebendroth is a production of Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. Bethlehem Bible Church is a Bible teaching church firmly committed to unleashing the life-transforming power of God's word through verse-by-verse exposition of the sacred text.

Please come and join us. Our service times are Sunday morning at 1015 and in the evening at six. We're right on route 110 in West Boylston. You can check us out online at bbchurch .org or by phone at 508 -835 -3400.