Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Oh That God Would Grant Us the Grace to Stop Laboring!

“This mystery [Gospel sanctification] is so great, that, notwithstanding all the light of the Gospel, we commonly think that we must get a holy frame by producing it anew in ourselves, and by forming and working it out of our own hearts. Therefore many that are seriously devout, take a great deal of pains to mortify their corrupt nature, and beget a holy frame of heart in themselves,
by striving earnestly to master their sinful lusts, and by pressing vehemently upon their hearts many motives to godliness, labouring importunately to squeeze good qualifications out of them, as oil out of flint. They account, that though they be justified by a righteousness
wrought out by Christ, yet they must be sanctified by a holiness, wrought out by themselves.”  Walter Marshall, Gospel Mystery of Sanctification , ed. By Dr. Bruce McRae

1 comment:

Laurie M. said...

Amen, amen, amen! I so needed to hear this from another soul today! I keep hearing people say salvation is monergistic, but sanctification is synergistic, and I think NO! because in both it is God at work in us both to will and to do according to His good purpose. We do not grow Christlike by staring at tablets of stone, but by looking at the glory of God which is in Christ Jesus and letting Him transform us.