Expert: Dr Don Howe - 11/15/2011

Question
We all know even Christians are not perfect and have struggles. We also know that Sanctification should be occurring and a Christian has conduct. My question is when does sin become a serious problem in a Christians life? When does a christian become a lukewarm christian? And after receiving Christ in your life, can Christians backslide or sin enough to loose there salvation?

Answer
Thanks Josh for your question. I hope you had a good Thanksgiving. The answer of all your questions comes from your statement “we also know that sanctification should be occurring and a Christian has conduct.” So let’s look what sanctification really is entails.

  Sanctification involves more than a mere moral reformation of character, brought about by the power of the truth: it is the work of the Holy Spirit bringing the whole nature more and more under the influences of the new gracious principles implanted in the soul in regeneration. In other words, sanctification is the carrying on to perfection the work begun in regeneration, and it extends to the whole man.
  Unger tell us that “the N.T. presents the doctrine of sanctification in three aspects: positional, experiential, and ultimate. Positional sanctification is the possession of everyone “in Christ.” The great doctrinal epistles of the N.T. first present the marvels of saving grace manifested in the believer’s position and close with an appeal for life constant with this divinely wrought position (Roman. 12:1); Eph. 4:1; Col 3:1). Positional sanctification is  just as complete for the weakest and youngest believer as it is for the strongest and  oldest. It depends only upon one’s union with and position “in Christ.” All believers are “saints” and are “sanctified” (Acts 20:32; 1 Cor. 1:2: 1 Cor. 6:11; Heb. 10:10, 14: Jude 1:1). First Corinthians presents proof that imperfect believers are nevertheless positionally sanctified and therefore “saints.” The Corinthian Christians were carnal in life (1 Cor. 5:1, 2: 5:1-8) but hey are twice said to have “sanctified” (1 Cor. 1:2 and 6:11). Thus this positional aspect of sanctification is absolutely esential if the doctine as a whole is to be clearly understood.
    Experiential. The basis of experiential sanctification, or actual holiness of life, is positional sanctification or what one is in Christ. Only those “in Christ,” that is, regenerate and thus concomitantly sanctified, are candidates for experiential sanctifications. This phase of sanctification is effected by faith which reckons upon one’s position in Christ (Rom.6:1-10). One’s position is true whether or not he reckons or counts it as true. But it becomes experientially real only in proportion as one reckons it to be true (Rom. 6:11).
     Ultimate. This is glorification or complete conformity to Christ at His coming (1 John 3:1-3; Rom. 8:29, 30: Jude 1:24-25).”

  Paul tells us what sanctification is and how it we  “ought to be.” 1 Thess. 4:1 states “Finally then, brethren, we beseech and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that, as ye received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, even as ye do walk, --that ye abound more and more.”  Paul is telling the Thessalonians he beseech or request and exhort them in the Lord Jesus, that they should walk and please God in their walk. This is positional sanctification. Paul took it for granted that the Thessalonians understood that the purpose of their walk – their manner of living – was to please God and not themselves. When the Christian has this basic understanding, the following instruction regarding Biblical morality makes sense.

  1 Thess. 4:2-5 states “For ye know what charge we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
For this is the will of God, [even] your sanctification, that ye abstain from fornication;
that each one of you know how to possess himself of his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who know not God.” Paul gave these commands to a first-century Roman culture that was marked by sexual immorality. At this time in the Roman Empire, chastity and sexual purity were almost unknown virtues. Nevertheless, Christians were to take their standards of sexual morality from God and not from the culture.

  “The will of God, [even] your sanctification, that ye abstain from fornication,” This idea  behind sanctification is to be set apart, and God wants us set apart from a godless culture and their sexual immorality. If our sexual behavior is no different than the Gentiles who do not know God, then we are not sanctified – set apart – in the way God wants us to be.

  Josh this answers your question “when does sin become a serious problem in a Christians life?” When our behavior is not sanctified in Christ and we act just like the rest of the ungodly world and Paul calls this “even as the Gentiles who know not God,” but also Christian who do know God, but their behavior is also ungodly.

  I work with people who have addictions of all types of drugs and alcohol. Some of my patients say they are believers, saved in Christ, and say their faith gives them hope and strength. But I will ask them if they go to Church on Sunday morning and  commune with God and then Sunday or Monday morning they are using drugs again. Nominal Christian addicts do not see a connection between their statement about their faith on Sunday morning and using drugs on Sunday. They worship their idol of drugs more than God, but this the power of the disease of ADDICTIONS. I have some patients who are strong believers in Christ but their OCD behavior of addictions dominates their life and not God. This causes a large amount of guilt. Either one are not positionally sanctified.

  Many Christian act like they see the Savior on Sunday but act like the devil on Monday thru Saturday. Why is that? People are keeping their mind and eye on their situation and not the Savior and are not sanctified.

  Peter gave us a good example of this. In Matt. Chapter 14, Jesus  is walking on the water in Sea of Galiee and walks upon the boat where the disciples are rowing for their life and trying to stay afloat. The sea is very rough and having large waves rolling in. Jesus is walking on the this rough water like it was nothing and came toward the boat. The disciples thought Jesus was a  ghost at first and He told them not to fear. In Matt. 14:27 states “But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. “

  Matt.14:28-29 states “And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.” Peter got out of the boat and he started walking on the water keeping his eyes on Jesus.

  Matt 14: 30 states “But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.” Peter saw the fury of the water, became fearful, and started sinking.

  Christians do the same thing every Sunday that Peter did. On Sunday, Christians go to Church and their eyes upon the  Savior and have a good worship experience. But on Monday, the world brings about the fury of their particular situation (whatever that maybe) and the same Christians take their off the Savior and place their attention on their situation and start  sinking or not sanctified.  

We have to  keep our  eyes upon the Savior everyday and be sanctified.

I hope  this helps. Keep your eyes upon the Savor.

Blessings,

Dr Don Howe,  RN, PhD, ThD