Not an iota of human works is involved in justification by faith. And of course it would be criminal to try to distort faith so one could talk about "salvation by faith," when in reality he means salvation by works.
We are not saved by faith and works, but by faith that works. And it is not exaggeration to say that we are saved by faith alone; that is simple, pure New Testament teaching. Only it is not a "dead" faith. So long as God's love is seen clearly, undistorted by pagan-papal falsehood, the resultant faith will "work" and in genuine love will produce everlasting obedience to all of God's commandments. This is how the gospel "is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes." Romans 1:16, NIV.
But the question now is this: After one has been justified by faith, is he then on his own? Is he like a plane that, having become airborne, must keep up its speed or crash? This idea has struck fear to many. Is God standing back in the shadows with His divine arms folded, saying something like this? "I got you started with justification; now it's up to you to keep going with your own sanctification. I hope you make it, but most people don't. Good luck!"
Where does one draw that hairline distinction between justification by faith and sanctification? Is sanctification by works, by our own hard, agonizing effort? Or is it partly by faith and partly by works?
Since commentators and theologians have sometimes seen justification by faith out of focus, it is reasonable to assume that it is equally possible for them to misunderstand sanctification. If we can search the New Testament to discover its idea of justification, perhaps we can also find there what sanctification is. The two may be distinct, but they are never separate.
Sanctification Is God's Work
Anybody who is justified by New Testament faith is automatically in the process of sanctification. He never has to change gears from salvation by faith to salvation by works. "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him, ... stablished in the faith." Colossians 2:6, 7. By his expression "the faith" Paul does not mean a creed or a set of doctrines, but the phenomenon of a heart-appreciation of Christ's cross. The method remains the same: by faith.
"Being justified by faith, ... we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand." Or perhaps the same passage can be rendered more clearly: "Now that we have been put right with God through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. He has brought us by faith into this experience of God's grace, in which we now live." Romans 5:1, 2, TEV. In sanctification, it is the Lord who brings us along our way, as He did in justification. Faith keeps on working by love, always in the present tense.
In no way does the Lord leave us to fly on our own, to keep up our speed or crash. Sanctification is never by works; neither is it a mixture of faith and works in the sense of self-motivated efforts to chalk up merit so we can earn a reward. Clearly, Christ told Paul that He was sending him to open people's eyes and "turn them from darkness to light, ... so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me." Acts 26:18, NIV. We do not read anywhere in the New Testament that it is our job to sanctify ourselves. Instead, we are "sanctified by the Holy Spirit." Romans 5:16, NIV. Jesus prays the Father to sanctify us (see John 17:17); and Christ also sanctifies and cleanses His church (see Ephesians 5:26).
It is all summed up in Paul's comprehensive statement: "May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through, ... blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it." 1 Thessalonians 5:23, NIV.
The Lord doesn't give up easily. "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.'' Philippians 1:6, NIV. This work that He does is sanctification.
Part of the Galatian error was that some supposed that they had to keep up their speed themselves, or crash: "O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? ... Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of law, or by hearing with faith?" Galatians 3:1-3, RSV. (Please note: "Works of law," or ritual works, is a correct translation here, and is not the same as true obedience to the law. "Works" are self-centered efforts to win a reward.)
Human effort is not the means of sanctification. Christ justifies us, and the Holy Spirit sanctifies us; but that which arouses faith in the beginning—Christ crucified—keeps faith active throughout. It is the "believing" that enables the Holy Spirit to do the work, all the way along.
Does this mean that we do nothing? Is this "quietism," the heresy of letting the Lord do everything while we virtually slide into heaven free of effort? While it is true that the Lord does the sanctifying as long as we do the believing, we do have a part, and a very important one.
As in justification, our part is to have faith and such faith is not self-centered "works of law." It is a continuing sense of the constraint of the love of Christ that motivates us to live not for ourselves but for Him who died for us and rose again. This is how we are "sanctified by faith" in Christ. Acts 26:18.
What Makes Our Battle an Easy One
While the Holy Spirit indeed does the work, our part is to "let" Him do it, and that is important. Our "carnal mind" is constantly fighting Him. If we don't consent for Him to sanctify us, He is blocked and frustrated. "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." Philippians 2:5. "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts." "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly." Colossians 3:15, 16, NIV. The power of choice is ours, and what the Lord does in us is always contingent on our choice to let Him do it. It was a wise writer who said this: "What you need to understand is the true force of the will. This is the governing power in the nature of man, the power of decision, or of choice. Everything depends on the right action of the will. The power of choice God has given to men; it is theirs to exercise. You cannot change your hearts, you cannot of yourself give to God its affections; but you can choose to serve Him. You can give Him your will; He will then work in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure."—Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, p. 47.
In Rwanda near what is now Mugonero, a man-eating lion had been troubling the African villagers. This was terrible; no one felt secure. The villagers came to Dr. John Sturgess to ask him to bring his gun and shoot the offender.
Dr. Sturgess took his 7 mm. Mauser with the hair trigger and went with the guide. They walked a long distance, when finally the guide said, "Here is where we last saw the lion."
The missionary reached in his pocket for some bullets, and discovered to his horror that he had left them at the mission.
"Quick," he urged the guide, "hurry back and fetch the ammunition for me. I'll wait for you here."
There was a log nearby, and he sat down to wait, then dozed off. He was awakened by a rustling noise in the grass just in time to see the lion facing him.
He realized that his gun was useless. To run would be sure suicide. As the lion took a step toward him, the missionary took a trembling step toward him. The lion got into springing position, ready.
Dr. Sturgess realized in a flash that he must do something quickly. Throwing down his useless gun, he took another step toward his enemy. Seeing the beast hesitate for a fraction of a second, he decided to turn things right around backward from usual, and charge the lion. On he came, shouting, waving his arms wildly, looking the lion in the eye and yelling, "Go away, GO! GO!"
The beast was taken completely by surprise. How dare this puny, two-legged creature come at him, yelling and screaming as if he were the king of the forest? He was so shocked that he turned tail and ran.
Our "enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion" (1 Peter 5:8, NIV), but we are the boss. We have been given the power of choice, and Christ has given "all men" liberty to exercise it. A firm, decided choice makes us indeed king of Satan's forest, for if we "resist the devil, ... he will flee." James 4:7, NIV. By "the right action of the will," exercising this God-given authority, "you will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent." Psalm 91:13, NIV.
"I Choose to Say No!"
Thousands of people have quit smoking through accepting the simple formula, "I choose not to smoke." When temptation assails us, our part is to choose not to yield. Then the Holy Spirit is free to go into action. No matter if your will is weak, you are still the boss. The tempter can never force you to do wrong against your will.
"No man can be forced to transgress. His own consent must be first gained; the soul must purpose the sinful act before passion can dominate over reason or iniquity triumph over conscience. Temptation, however strong, is never an excuse for sin."—Ellen G. White, Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 177.
The "good news" of sanctification by faith is beautifully expressed in the New International Version's rendering of Paul's letter to Titus: "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good." Titus 2:11-14.
Do you know how to pronounce that word "No!" to temptation? "The grace of God" will teach you! It teaches us to be the boss, the king; and none of the enemy's most alluring temptations can stand up against that word "No!" which expresses our "right action of the will."
And how does "the grace of God" succeed in teaching us backward mortals such a marvelous skill? By providing the dual motivation of (a) an appreciation of how Christ "gave himself for us," and (b) the delightful anticipation of letting Him "purify for Himself a people" ready to honor Him at His "glorious appearing." It works!
Is choosing hard? When you fall in love with someone, is it hard to "forsake all others" and "cleave" to that loved one? The constraint of the love of Christ makes all the allurements of the world seem as pale as a street light glowing in comparison with the pure brilliance of the sun. Also when we are yoked up with Christ, we find that He bears the weight.
This is what it means to "live by the Spirit" or to "walk in the Spirit," It is a constant choosing to say "No!" to temptation, and "Yes!" to the Holy Spirit. He never forsakes us, night or day, twenty-four hours a day. He is the One called to come and sit down beside us; He is with us constantly. "Whether you turn to the right or to the left," it is His voice that you hear "behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.' "Isaiah 30:21, NIV.
This response of faith is not salvation by works, not even one percent; "we walk by faith." 2 Corinthians 5:7. As we respond by faith to the good news of justification, so we now respond by the same faith to the prompting of the Spirit. See Colossians 2:6. We let this mind be in us which was in Christ Jesus. See Philippians 2:5. When sorely tempted, He cried out, "Not as I will, but as thou wilt... Thy will be done." Matthew 26:39-42. Thus He exercised His own power of choice. "I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me." John 6:38. Oh, it was indeed a terrible struggle; but He gained the victory as we are to gain it—by "the right action of the will."
He will never will for us or excuse us from exercising our own power of choice, even though we read that "it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." Philippians 2:13, NIV. Since the Lord gives the Holy Spirit to tell us, "This is the way," and also gives us the power of response, He works "in" us "to will." But this never bypasses our own volition, nor does He overwhelm it. Not all the angels in heaven tugging together in our behalf can release us from making our choice pro or con, nor can all the fallen angels in hell force us to make a wrong choice.
Since we can choose to "let this mind be in [us], which was also in Christ Jesus," does this mean that the believer is now saving himself by his own efforts? Is surrendering to the guidance of the Holy Spirit a do-it-yourself religion in which we pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps? Never! Although we cannot save ourselves even one percent, we can let our Lord save us 100 percent!
Power Steering Illustrates the Gospel
If we make the right choices, we "walk in the Spirit." We "let" Christ's "mind" be in us, in the sense of motivation. It's like using power steering to drive a huge truck. No way can you turn those great front wheels yourself; but if the engine is running, your choice to turn right or left is all that is needed—the slightest pressure on the steering wheel activates the power-steering pump to do all the work. Paul didn't have power steering in his day, but he understood the secret of sanctification by faith: "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit [desires] what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not [cannot] do what you want." Galatians 5:16, NIV.
So, it's "good news" again! The "power source" is the Holy Spirit. Give Him your will, make your choice to walk in His way, and (according to Paul's Greek) you cannot be overcome by the desires of your "sinful nature," however strong they may be or however long you have walked in evil habits. The reason is simple enough: the Holy Spirit is stronger than the flesh, just as light is stronger than darkness and love is stronger than hate.
It seems hard for us humans to grasp the truth that we have such a Saviour! He is real! We are not left on our own! He gives us our wings, and if we believe with New Testament faith, we cannot crash.