Sanctification and Holiness
As taught in the Baptist tradition
Teaching the lifelong process of becoming more like Christ in character and conduct.
The question of how a person, once declared righteous by God through faith, actually becomes holy in their daily conduct is perhaps the most practical and persistent inquiry in the Christian life. In the Baptist tradition—a tradition characterized by its emphasis on the "believer’s church," the necessity of a regenerate membership, and the authority of Scripture—this subtopic of sanctification and holiness is not merely a theological abstraction. It is the vital evidence of a true conversion.
By the end of this lesson
- **Define** the difference between positional and progressive sanctification according to the Baptist tradition.
- **Distinguish** between the work of the Holy Spirit and the responsibility of the believer in the process of becoming holy.
- **Explain** how the Baptist "believer's church" model necessitates a high view of personal and corporate holiness.
- **Articulate** the relationship between justification (being declared righteous) and sanctification (becoming righteous in practice).
- **Trace** the historical development of the doctrine from the 1689 London Baptist Confession to the Baptist Faith and Message 2000.
- **Defend** the necessity of holiness as the essential evidence of a genuine saving faith against antinomian interpretations.
- **Apply** the biblical commands for mortification (putting sin to death) and vivification (living unto righteousness) in daily life.
- **Compare** the Baptist view of sanctification with alternative views, such as Wesleyan perfectionism or Roman Catholic merit-based systems.
Scripture
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