I think there might be more cures for hiccups than there are Baptist churches. If you’ve ever had hiccups while around a bunch of people you know this. Everybody has a different solution for curing the hiccups. This is likely because at some point in time one of these crazy suggestions actually worked for someone. As for me, I swear by taking a drink of water while someone pulls down on your ear lobes. Works every time.
Except when it doesn’t.
Sanctification is a bit like this. What some people swear by as a certain way to experience growth in Christ just simply doesn’t work for somebody else, at least not in quite the same way. It was a bit of a fad a couple years ago to subscribe preaching the gospel to yourself as the talisman for sanctification. If you simply recite your justification and remind yourself of the precious truths of the gospel, then sanctification is going to happen.
This is one of the reasons How Does Sanctification Work? was written by experienced counselor David Powlison. Powlison argues that “the process of the Christian life is greatly enriched by considering multiple mundane examples, both in Scripture and in our lives.” The process of sanctification is multi-faceted and not something which is easily traced. As Powlison says:
In the long run, a single truth harped on will disappoint even its devotees. In another season of life, facing a different struggle, they too will need the other kinds of help. What once sizzled becomes boring, a repetitive pat answer that no longer delivers. (Powlison, 43)
It is true that God uses focusing on the indicatives of the gospel to change us. Thinking through what Christ has done on our behalf can be incredibly helpful for rooting out worldly thinking which stunts our growth in Christ. But this is not the only means that God uses to help us grow. What Powlison outlines are five factors in our sanctification. Underneath everything is the work of God on our behalf. This is the foundational factor. Another key factor is truth coming to bear upon our lives. This happens through not only the word but also two other factors in our growth; namely, wise counsel and suffering. The last factor in our sanctification is the individual. All of these work together to bring about sanctification.
This is the gist of Powlison’s book. Truthfully it’s a book unlike anything I’ve ever read. It really only has one major point and it makes that point in a variety of ways. That point is that sanctification is messy and varied but it’s something that God will ultimately accomplish in us as he meets us where we are. The title of the book is a question. How does sanctification work? After reading the book I’m not sure I have a definitive answer. And I think that’s Powlison’s point.
I found this book to be incredibly helpful in giving voices and stories to something I have been thinking for awhile. A couple years ago I wrote an article attempting to make a point similar to Powlison’s point in this book (here). So Powlison’s point isn’t a new concept to me but he says things in a way that I found immensely helpful. This statement might be the most helpful to me:
Ministry “unbalances’ truth for the sake of relevance; theology ‘rebalances’ truth for the sake of comprehensiveness. Put another way, because you can only say one thing at a time, a timely word must be a selective word focusing on the need of the moment. (Powlison, 33)
This helps me in thinking through counseling and meeting people where they are. We cannot say everything. And just like with hiccups what works for me might not work for somebody else. I shouldn’t be surprised or offended if that life changing Scripture doesn’t have the same impact on someone else. Sanctification works different for everyone.
I’ve thought a healthy doctrine of sanctification and discussion on our union with Christ are helpful points for this stage in the history of our gospel-centered movement. I think this little book by Powlison is a helpful corrective. It should be read and used to get conversations started. It models for us what sanctification looks like. It’s format is messy. And I love it. Because the whole thing models the messiness of sanctification. I’m not really sure how this book has impacted and shaped me but I know it has. Sounds a bit like God’s work in sanctification, eh?
You can purchase the book here.
