By Richard Sibbes
The life of faith in sanctification, springs from these grounds:
Faith lays hold on Christ, as God offers him. How is this? See 1st Corinthians 1:30—”Because of him, you are in Christ Jesus, who was made to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.” God gives Christ, not only for justification, but also for sanctification: and therefore faith must apprehend him.
Faith receives him as whole Christ in all his offices; not as a priest to save only, but as a king to rule; as a wife receives her husband, to be ruled and governed by him.
Again, Christ came not only to take away the guilt of sin, but the dominion of sin also. He came as John speaks, to destroy the whole work of the devil; as it is said in Ephesians 5:25-27—” …as Christ also loved the assembly, and gave himself up for it; that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word, that he might present the assembly to himself gloriously, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without defect.” Christ purges his church not only from the guilt of sin, but also from the meddling and polluting of itself in the world with filthy things. So in Romans 8:3, the apostle shows, that “God did, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh; that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” He came as well by water as by the blood. Therefore faith puts him on, not only by justification, but also in sanctification.
This common domain work’s language has been modernized in places by this site.
Mercy Triumphs! 