《简明神学》Concise Theology: A Guide to
Historic Christian Beliefs，巴刻（J. I. Packer）著/張麟至译，更新传道会，2007年。
63 成圣——基督徒在恩典中成长
Sanctification - The Christian grows in grace
你们岂不知不义的人不能承受神的国度？.......你们中间也有人从前是这样；但如今你们奉主耶稣基督的名，并籍着我们神的灵，已经洗净、成圣、称义了。（林前6:9,11）
《西敏斯特小要理问答》第三十五问论成圣时如此说：成圣是[神白白恩典的工作；我们的全人因此得以按着神的形象更新，并能愈过愈向罪死、向义而活。]此观念不是指罪被完全除去（这是说过头了），也不是仅仅抵制罪而已（又说得过轻了），而是指信徒有了被神改变的性格，将我们从罪癖中释放出来，并在我们里面形成了肖乎基督的感情、个性和品德。
成圣是在分别为圣的架构下，产生出真正的公义来。关系上的成圣是由十字架产生出来的，它是指为着神而永远被分别出来的一种地位。神籍着基督在十字架上将我们买赎回来，并宣告我们是属于祂的（徒20:28；26:18；来10:10）。属灵的更新来自内住之圣灵的运作，使我们因而愈来愈转离我们以往的形象（罗8:13；12:1-2；林前6:11,19-20；林后3:18；弗4:22-24；帖前5:23；帖后2:13；来13:20-21）。神呼召祂的儿女要将自己分别为圣，又满有恩惠地赐予他们祂所命令他们去行的（帖前4:4；5:23）。
重生是出生，成圣则是成长。神籍着使人重生，将人从前没有的渴求种在人心里；使人渴求神，渴求圣洁，渴求在这个世界上尊崇并荣耀神的名，渴求祷告、敬拜、爱慕、侍奉、尊荣、取悦神，渴求爱人、助人。圣灵籍着使人成圣在人心里运行，使人按着神的旨意立志、行事；祂所做的是激励你们，籍着实践这些新的渴求，以[作成你们的得救功夫]（亦即在行动表达救恩；腓2:12-13）。当耶稣属灵的形象（即[圣灵的果子]）逐渐地成形在基督徒里面时，他们就会变得愈来愈像基督（林后3:18；加4:19；5:22-23）。保罗在哥林多后书3:18使用荣耀一词，这显示出对保罗而言，人性格的成圣是得荣的开始。然后肉身的变化要带给我们一个像基督的身体，这个身体将要配合我们全然变化了的性格，它也是表达着新性格最完美的的器皿。身体的变化是得荣的完成（腓3:20-21；林前15:49-53）。
重生是神瞬间独力完成、甦醒属灵死人的作为。这么说来，它是神独自所作成的工作。然而成圣就某一方面来说，是神人协力同做的工作——它是一串不断进行的程序，神人彼此合作；重生的人既从罪的权势下得释放，并向神而活（罗6:11,14-18），就在此过程中蒙神要求，要使自己持续地顺服神。神使人成圣的方法既不是叫人依靠自己主动的作为，也不是叫人漠不关心，只全然被动依靠神来动工。它乃是依靠神而努力（林后7:1；腓3:10-14；来12:14）。从属灵上来说，既然知道，没有基督加力，我们什么该做的都不能做；又知道主在我们当做的凡事上，都准备加力量给我们（腓4:13），那么我们就该[住在]基督里，不断地寻求祂的帮助——我们也必会得着主的帮助（西1:11；提后1:7；2:1）。
神按什么标准来圣化祂的圣徒呢？乃是根据祂自己所启示的道德律，正如基督自己曾阐释过这些律法，并按之而行，为我们立下榜样。基督的爱心、谦卑、在压力之下所表现的忍耐，都是我们应当刻意效仿的（弗5:2；腓2:5-11；彼前2:21），因为一个肖乎基督的精神和心态，正是遵守律法的一部分。
信徒会发现在他们表面有相对的驱策里存在——圣灵保守他们由重生而有的渴望和目的；但他们原先那堕落的、老亚当的本性（[肉体]），其王权虽被推翻了，却尚未被摧毁，仍常常骚扰他们，不要他们行神的旨意，并引诱他们走上死亡之路（加5:16-17；雅1:14-15）。为了澄清律法与罪恶的关系，保罗现身说法，分析圣灵与肉体相争的经历；人要行全律法却有无力感，反被掳去做自己所不喜欢的事（罗7:14-25）。只要基督徒活在肉身里，这里争战与挫折感就不可能消失。然而籍着警醒、祷告，防备试探，并培养与之相对的属灵美德，基督徒就有可能籍着圣灵的帮助，治死特定的恶习，亦即将其生命力抽去，使它变弱好置之于死地。这样他们就愈来愈向罪死了（罗8:13；西3:5）。他们要在不停与罪的争战中，经历许多特定的释放与得胜，却不会遇见他们力不能胜的试探（林前10:13）。
SANCTIFICATION
THE CHRISTIAN GROWS IN GRACE
Do
you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God?.... And that
is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were
justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1
CORINTHIANS 6:9, 11
Sanctification,
says the Westminster Shorter Catechism (Q.35), is “the work of God’s free
grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are
enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.” The
concept is not of sin being totally eradicated (that is to claim too much) or
merely counteracted (that is to say too little), but of a divinely wrought character
change freeing us from sinful habits and forming in us Christlike affections,
dispositions, and virtues.
Sanctification
is an ongoing transformation within a maintained consecration, and it engenders
real righteousness within the frame of relational holiness. Relational
sanctification, the state of being permanently set apart for God, flows from
the cross, where God through Christ purchased and claimed us for himself (Acts
20:28; 26:18; Heb. 10:10). Moral renovation, whereby we are increasingly changed
from what we once were, flows from the agency of the indwelling Holy Spirit
(Rom. 8:13; 12:1-2; 1 Cor. 6:11, 19-20; 2 Cor. 3:18; Eph. 4:22-24; 1 Thess.
5:23; 2 Thess. 2:13; Heb. 13:20-21). God calls his children to sanctity and
graciously gives what he commands (1 Thess. 4:4; 5:23).
Regeneration
is birth; sanctification is growth. In regeneration, God implants desires that
were not there before: desire for God, for holiness, and for the hallowing and
glorifying of God’s name in this world; desire to pray, worship, love, serve,
honor, and please God; desire to show love and bring benefit to others. In
sanctification, the Holy Spirit “works in you to will and to act” according to
God’s purpose; what he does is prompt you to “work out your salvation” (i.e.,
express it in action) by fulfilling these new desires (Phil. 2:12-13).
Christians become increasingly Christlike as the moral profile of Jesus (the
“fruit of the Spirit”) is progressively formed in them (2 Cor. 3:18; Gal. 4:19;
5:22-25). Paul’s use of glory in 2 Corinthians 3:18 shows that for him
sanctification of character is glorification begun. Then the physical
transformation that gives us a body like Christ’s, one that will match our
totally transformed character and be a perfect means of expressing it, will be
glorification completed (Phil. 3:20-21; 1 Cor. 15:49-53).
Regeneration
was a momentary monergistic act of quickening the spiritually dead. As such, it
was God’s work alone. Sanctification, however, is in one sense synergistic—it
is an ongoing cooperative process in which regenerate persons, alive to God and
freed from sin’s dominion (Rom. 6:11, 14-18), are required to exert themselves
in sustained obedience. God’s method of sanctification is neither activism
(self-reliant activity) nor apathy (God-reliant passivity), but God-dependent
effort (2 Cor. 7:1; Phil. 3:10-14; Heb. 12:14). Knowing that without Christ’s
enabling we can do nothing, morally speaking, as we should, and that he is
ready to strengthen us for all that we have to do (Phil. 4:13), we “stay put”
(remain, abide) in Christ, asking for his help constantly—and we receive it
(Col. 1:11; 1 Tim. 1:12; 2 Tim. 1:7; 2:1).
The
standard to which God’s work of sanctifying his saints is directed is his own
revealed moral law, as expounded and modeled by Christ himself. Christ’s love,
humility, and patience under pressure are to be consciously imitated (Eph. 5:2;
Phil. 2:5-11; 1 Pet. 2:21), for a Christlike spirit and attitude are part of
what law-keeping involves.
Believers
find within themselves contrary urgings. The Spirit sustains their regenerate
desires and purposes; their fallen, Adamic instincts (the “flesh”) which, though
dethroned, are not yet destroyed, constantly distract them from doing God’s
will and allure them along paths that lead to death (Gal. 5:16-17; James
1:14-15). To clarify the relationship between the law and sin, Paul analyzes in
a personal and dramatic way the sense of impotence for complete law-keeping,
and the enslavement to behavior one dislikes, that the Spirit-flesh tension
produces (Rom. 7:14-25). This conflict and frustration will be with Christians
as long as they are in the body. Yet by watching and praying against
temptation, and cultivating opposite virtues, they may through the Spirit’s
help “mortify” (i.e., drain the life out of, weaken as a means of killing)
particular bad habits, and in that sense more and more die unto sin (Rom. 8:13;
Col. 3:5). They will experience many particular deliverances and victories in
their unending battle with sin, while never being exposed to temptations that
are impossible to resist (1 Cor. 10:13).
