作者： Kim Riddlebarger 译/校对者：寇正华/王一
我们必须先明白称义是什么意思，才有可能讨论成圣。成圣是罪的旧习（我们所说的“残留的罪”）逐渐衰弱，以及新的本性（通过重生给了我们）逐渐加强的一生的过程。为什么会这样？这同样的信心行动不仅使我们与基督联合，使得他的善功归算给我们，并且因此提供了上帝宣判我们“无罪”的基础，而且开始了一生的成圣过程。在这过程中，我们的罪习开始衰弱，新的神圣情感开始增长，并且我们开始遵守（但是微弱地）不是一些而是上帝诫命的全部。换句话说，每一个称义的罪人也是成圣的。
事实上，我们将我们的信心投靠基督的时候，我们所有的罪（过去、现在和未来）都被赦免了。通过使我们称义的相同的信心行动，基督的义变成我们的，使得我们现在依靠被钉十字架的耶稣基督的顺服，这顺服在我们信他时也成了我们的。由于我们通过信心的工具（并且不是通过我们自己的好行为）而接收的基督的善功，我们被称义，因此我们的良心脱离了害怕、恐怖和畏惧。既然我们不会因为害怕当我们失败时上帝会惩罚我们而无力，我们发现我们自己自由地遵守上帝的律法，不是为了赚得更大的义，也不是要变得“更圣洁”。而是因为我们已经被算为“义”，并且我们在上帝面前的永恒地位已经被基督的主动和被动顺服解决了，所以我们遵守上帝律法并且行善。在某种程度上，这就是成圣的意思。
圣经关于成圣的教导是相当广泛的。根据保罗，与罪恶争战是正常的基督徒生活（罗7:14-25）。事实上，我们当中最圣洁的可能是那些最与罪恶争战的人。肉体的果实（如保罗在加5:19-21中描述的）渐渐开始减少，同时圣灵的果实（v22-23）自发地开始出现在我们的生命中。不是与罪恶的争战，而是对上帝的事情的冷淡以及对我们个人罪恶的漠视是出问题的真正标记。
新人（曾在罪中死去，但如今在基督里活着）不再是罪的奴隶。旧的本性（肉体）已经与基督同钉十字架并且在洗礼中与他同埋（参见罗6:1-7）。新人（重生的本性）通过基督复活的能力而活着，并且具有与肉体完全不同的方向。新的本性相信上帝的应许，它通过信来拥抱基督，它恨恶罪，而且它渴望取悦神。这就是为什么通过福音宣讲而被召并且开始相信基督（通过圣灵的工作）的每一个人不仅通过信心的工具而被称义，而且具有反映新本性的新的欲望和情感。
这就是为什么成圣是“我们已经被称义”这一次而完全的宣告的必然结果。无论何时一个人唯独本乎恩典、唯独藉着信心并且唯独因着基督而被宣称为义但之后继续活在对罪的漠视而不与之争战时，某些地方出问题了。没有一个称义的罪人会仍旧漠视他们的行为，也没有一个称义的罪人会继续在罪中，如同他们在被称义之前所行的。
在新生中，我们与基督一同活着，并且先前罪恶掌控我们的权势已经被打破。但是残余的罪（我们的神学家称为罪习）留在我们里面，直到我们死去。关于这个事实，罗马书7:14-25和加拉太书5:17是非常清楚的。新的本性必须与每个基督徒的三大仇敌争战：世界（非基督徒的思想和行动方式）、肉体（在我们之内的罪恶欲望）和魔鬼（关于上帝的谎言和假话）。这就是为什么与罪恶争战是称义和新生的必然结果。可悲的是，这样的争战已经导致许多人质疑他们与上帝的关系，事实上，与罪恶争战是上帝在工作、塑造我们并且使我们效法他爱子的模样的确切的标记。
在罗马书6:6中，保罗将我们说成是先前作罪恶奴仆的人。但是一旦脱离我们的奴役，我们就挣扎着停止像奴隶一样思考和行动，并且我们挣扎着开始活像我们所是的自由的人。这挣扎将不会产生像基督徒完美主义者所教导的胜过生活中所有罪恶的胜利。但是罪恶的权势被打破就使得成圣和转变必然开始。然而，罪习（残余的罪）将随着我们，直到我们死去或我们的主再来（无论哪个先来）。
这就是为什么你不能成功地像某些基督徒试图所做的那样争辩说，一个人可以“接受基督为他们的救主”，但在一个较晚的时间（所谓的“主权争论”）之前却不以他为他们生命中的主。如果你凭着信心信靠耶稣基督，你就已经与基督同钉十字架，与基督同埋葬，并且现在与基督一同活着。在新约中没有双重基督徒这样的事情，就是有些人接受基督为救主但不以他为主，也没有被圣灵内住却不受圣灵的洗的人，也没有得救但尚未成圣的人。
因此，当我们每天向罪死并且活出一个全新的生命时，我们将与罪恶争战。然而，尽管这争战造成了一些困难，我们的成圣是确切和确实的标记，表明我们是属基督的，他已经在我们里面开始动了善工，就一定会看到成全的日子（腓1:6）。这就是成圣的意思。
Basics
of the Reformed Faith: Sanctification
Kim
Riddlebarger
It is
not until we understand what it means to be justified, that we are in any
position to discuss sanctification, which is that life-long process through
which the old habit of sin (what we call “indwelling sin”) is progressively
weakened and the new nature (given us by virtue of regeneration) is
progressively strengthened. Why is this the case? The same act of faith which
unites us to Christ so that his merits are imputed to us and thereby provides
the basis upon which God pronounces us “not guilty,” also begins the life-long
process of sanctification, in which our sinful habits begin to weaken, new
Godly affections begin to grow, and we begin to obey (however, feebly), not
some, but all of God’s commandments. To put it yet another way, every justified
sinner is also being sanctified.
In
fact, the moment we place our trust in Jesus Christ, all of our sins (past,
present, and future) are forgiven. Through that same act of faith which
justifies us, Christ’s righteousness becomes ours so that we now rely on the
obedience of Jesus Christ crucified which is ours when we believe in him.
Because we are justified by the merits of Jesus Christ which we receive through
the means of faith (and not through our own good works), our consciences are
freed from fear, terror, and dread. Since we are not paralyzed by the fear that
God will punish us when we fail, we find ourselves free to obey the law of God,
not to earn greater righteousness, nor to become “holier.” Rather, we obey the
law of God and do good works because we have already been reckoned as
“righteous” and our eternal standing before God has already been settled by the
active and passive obedience of Jesus Christ. This is what it means, in part,
to be sanctified.
The
biblical teaching about sanctification is quite extensive. According to Paul,
this struggle with sin is the normal Christian life (Romans 7:14-25). In fact,
the holiest among us may be those struggling with sin the most. The fruit of
the flesh (as depicted by Paul in Galatians 5:19-21) gradually begin to
diminish, while the fruit of the Spirit (v. 22-23) spontaneously begin to
appear in our lives. It is not the struggle with sin, but apathy to the things
of God and indifference to our personal sins which are the real signs of
trouble.
The
new man (who was dead in sin, but is now alive in Christ) is no longer a slave
to sin. The old nature (the flesh) has been crucified with Christ and buried
with him in baptism (cf. Romans 6:1-7). The new man (the regenerate nature)
comes alive through the resurrection power of Christ and has an entirely
different orientation than the flesh. The new nature believes God’s promises,
it embraces Christ through faith, it hates sin, and it desires to please God.
This is why everyone who is called through the preaching of the gospel and who
then comes to faith in Christ (through the operations of the Holy Spirit) is
not only justified through the means of faith, but also has a new set of
desires and affections which reflect the new nature.
This
is why sanctification is the necessary consequence of the once-and-for-all
declaration that we have been justified. Whenever someone claims to be
justified by grace alone, through faith alone, on account of Christ alone but
then continues to live in indifference to sin without struggling against it,
something is wrong. No justified sinner can remain indifferent about their
conduct nor continue on in sin as they did before they were justified.
In
the new birth we are made alive with Christ and the power which sin formerly
held over us is broken. But indwelling sin (what our theologians call the
habitus of sin) remains in us until we die. Romans 7:14-25 and Galatians 5:17
are very clear about this fact. The new nature must struggle against the three
enemies of every Christian: the world (the non-Christian way of thinking and
doing), the flesh (the sinful desires within us) and the devil (lies and
falsehoods about God). This is why the struggle with sin is the necessary fruit
of justification and the new birth. Sadly, this struggle has led many to
question their relationship with God, when, in fact, the struggle with sin is
the sure sign that God is at work, molding us, and conforming us into the image
of his dear son.
In
Romans 6:6, Paul speaks of us as people who were formerly slaves to sin. But
once freed from our slavery, we struggle to stop thinking and acting as slaves,
and we struggle to start living like the free men and women that we are. The
struggle will not produce victory over all sin in this life as Christian
perfectionists teach. But the power of sin is broken so that sanctification and
transformation necessarily begin. And yet, the habit of sin (indwelling sin)
will remain with us until we die or our Lord returns, whichever comes first.
This
is why you cannot successfully argue, as certain Christians attempt to do, that
someone can “accept Jesus as their Savior,” but not make him Lord over their
lives until a later time (the so-called “Lordship controversy”). If you trust
in Jesus Christ through faith, you have been crucified with Christ, buried with
Christ, and are now alive with Christ. There is no such thing in the New
Testament as a two-tiered Christian life, in which there are people who accept
Christ as Savior but have not yet made him Lord, nor are there people who are
indwelt by the Holy Spirit but not yet baptized by the Spirit, nor are there
people who are saved, but not yet sanctified.
Therefore,
as we die to sin and rise to newness of life on a daily basis, we will struggle
with sin. But despite the difficulties which this struggle creates, our
sanctification is a sure and certain sign that we are Christ’s and that he who
has begun a good work in us, will indeed see it through to the day of
completion (Philippians 1:6). And this is what it means to be sanctified.
