More from J. C. Ryle, this time from his chapter on Sanctification:
1. Sanctification is the invariable result of that vital union with Christ which true faith gives to a Christian. "He who abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit" (John 15:5). The branch which bears no fruit is no living branch of the vine. The union with Christ which produces no effect on heart and life is a mere formal union, which is worthless before God. The faith which has not a sanctifying influence on the character is no better than the faith of devils. It is a "dead faith, because it is alone." It is not the gift of God. It is not the faith of God’s elect. In short, where there is no sanctification of life, there is no real faith in Christ. True faith works by love. It constrains a man to live unto the Lord from a deep sense of gratitude for redemption. It makes him feel that he can never do too much for Him that died for him. Being much forgiven, he loves much. He whom the blood cleanses walks in the light. He who has real lively hope in Christ purifies himself even as He is pure (James 2:17–20; Titus 1:1; Gal. 5:6; 1 John 1:7; 3:3).2. Sanctification is the outcome and inseparable consequence of regeneration. He who is born again and made a new creature receives a new nature and a new principle and always lives a new life. A regeneration, which a man can have and yet live carelessly in sin or worldliness, is a regeneration invented by uninspired theologians, but never mentioned in Scripture. On the contrary, St. John expressly says that "He who is born of God does not commit sin," "does righteousness," "loves the brethren," "keeps himself" and "overcomes the world" (1 John 2:29; 3:9–14; 5:4–18). Simply put, the lack of sanctification is a sign of non–regeneration. Where there is no holy life, there has been no holy birth. This is a hard saying, but a Biblical truth; whomever is born of God, it is written, "cannot sin, because he is born of God" (1 John 3:9).
3. Sanctification is the only certain evidence of that indwelling of the Holy Spirit which is essential to salvation. "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His" (Rom. 8:9). The Spirit never lies dormant and idle within the soul: He always makes His presence known by the fruit He causes to be borne in heart, character and life. "The fruit of the Spirit," says St. Paul, "is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance" and such like (Gal. 5:22). Where these things are to be found, there is the Spirit; where these things are wanting, men are dead before God. The Spirit is compared to the wind; and, like the wind, He cannot be seen by our bodily eyes. But, just as we know there is a wind by the effect it produces on waves and trees and smoke, so we may know the Spirit is in a man by the effects He produces in the man’s conduct. It is nonsense to suppose that we have the Spirit if we do not also "walk in the Spirit" (Gal. 5:25). We may depend on it as a positive certainty that, where there is no holy living, there is no Holy Spirit. The seal that the Spirit stamps on Christ’s people is sanctification. As many as are actually "led by the Spirit of God, they," and they only, "are the sons of God" (Rom. 8:14).
Sanctification of the regenerate is a certainty... he that is justified, Paul says in Romans 8, is surely to be sanctified... but as the Reformed confessions rightly point out: justification is a once and for all declaration of righteousness. Sanctification is a process of "holy-fying" the sinner... it is progressive. As the Christian matures in faith, he matures in works of righteousness. Never perfect on this side of heaven, but he does indeed progress. One thing is sure though - these works ARE NEVER THE GROUND, in ANY WAY, of the believer's JUSTIFICATION. The New Perspective / Auburn Four confound this issue, making murky what is made clear in the Scriptures.
Their claim that works play a role in the believer's justification is simply Romanism warmed over. It denies the veracity of Christ's blood atonement - and the sole sufficiency of HIS works. The fact that they claim "oh, we would never claim MERIT of our works" is, to put it bluntly, a pile of manure. If they posit that our works are a CONDITION of our justification, then they can use any word they like to describe those works... the fact of the matter is, they carry MERIT. If they are required, and are a ground of our justification, then they MERIT it. If justification is a right reward for those works, then those works are MERITORIOUS, no matter what spin they'd like to put on their doctrine.
I ask them, as I've asked proponents of this error in the past, how is ANYONE to believe that they are safe in Christ, if they honestly look at their sin, and the DEmerit of their works? What kind of comfort can they POSSIBLY offer? Do you know the answer I get? "I'D TELL HIM OR HER TO LOOK TO THEIR BAPTISM." Oh, now THAT's helpful! How much more WORKS oriented do you want to become? Why not go the whole route and put on the Papist vestments?
Let us pray that their confusion spread no further than it already has, and that the truths that the Reformation divines rediscovered in the Scriptures be broadly displayed in the light of day.