Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Sanctification: Questions and Answers

What is the ultimate purpose of God in salvation according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, sanctification is God's ultimate purpose in salvation. He states, "The ultimate purpose which God has in doing everything that he's done for us is our sanctification." He emphasizes that everything God has done in the Old Testament, sending His Son, Christ's death on the cross, and giving the Holy Spirit all have our sanctification as their end goal. This is supported by 1 Thessalonians 4:3, "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification," which Lloyd-Jones calls "the starting point" for understanding this doctrine.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones define sanctification?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones defines sanctification in two aspects: "It means that we are separated unto God, separated from the world, separated from all defilement, set apart for God and for God's service." He explains that sanctification has both an external dimension (being set apart for God's use) and an internal dimension (inner cleansing from the pollution of sin). While the external aspect is important, he focuses primarily on the internal work of cleansing and purifying that the Holy Spirit does within believers.

What are the three main schools of thought on sanctification that Lloyd-Jones identifies?

The three main schools of thought on sanctification that Lloyd-Jones identifies are:

1. The perfectionist schools - which teach that believers can attain sinless perfection in this life
2. The counteraction school - which teaches that sin remains in believers but is counteracted by "the law of the liberty of life in Christ Jesus"
3. The process view - which teaches that sanctification is a process beginning at regeneration, continuing throughout life, and only completed beyond the grave

Lloyd-Jones appears to align most with the third view, emphasizing that sanctification is a progressive work that begins at conversion.

Why does Lloyd-Jones believe it's wrong to separate justification from sanctification?

Lloyd-Jones argues that separating justification from sanctification is wrong for several reasons:

1. All biblical doctrines belong together and have vital connections
2. You can't divide Christ - "If you're in Christ, you're in Christ, and he is made unto us not justification only, but sanctification also"
3. True forgiveness already includes the beginning of sanctification - when someone truly seeks forgiveness, they must hate sin and desire to be delivered from it
4. The whole process of salvation is one - he cites Romans 8, where Paul moves directly from justification to glorification

He states that "there can be no gaps" in salvation, which is "something that started by God, continued by God, and is perfected by God himself."

Who is the primary agent in sanctification according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that sanctification is primarily the work of God through the Holy Spirit, though it involves our cooperation. He states, "Sanctification is first of all and primal, the work of God in us through and by the Holy Spirit." He notes that Scripture attributes sanctification to all three persons of the Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - but especially to the Holy Spirit as the one who "mediates Christ to us" and "applies the work of Christ to us."

What is the believer's role in sanctification according to Lloyd-Jones?

While emphasizing that sanctification is primarily God's work, Lloyd-Jones insists that believers have an active role to play. Using Philippians 2:13 as his key text, he explains, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do of his own good pleasure." He rejects the passive view that believers have nothing to do but "look to Jesus."

He lists numerous scriptural commands that demonstrate our active role: reckon yourselves dead to sin, don't let sin reign, yield yourselves to God, mortify the deeds of the body, put off the old man, put on the new man, and "cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit" (2 Corinthians 7:1).

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the vine and branches illustration from John 15?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones challenges the interpretation that the vine and branches illustration teaches complete passivity. He argues this is "a profound misunderstanding of our Lord's picture." He explains: "A branch in a tree is not inactive. A branch in a tree is not like a hollow tube which is inert and has no life in it. A branch is full of life."

While acknowledging that the branch can do nothing without receiving sap from the vine, he points out that "given the SAP, the branch is full of activity. It's drawing things from the air. It's sending things back into the air. Every leaf on the branch is very active." He concludes that sanctification is "a vital process and not a mechanical process."

What danger does Lloyd-Jones identify in modern evangelism regarding sanctification?

Lloyd-Jones identifies "the danger of a false evangelism, which is concerned only about giving people some kind of temporary relief and release and does not press upon them the vital importance of sanctification." He states clearly that "an evangelism which stops at forgiveness, is not biblical evangelism."

He argues that true evangelism must address the essence of sin as separation from God, and must preach reconciliation which includes sanctification. He states that "the end of all evangelism should be to reconcile men unto God and to separate them unto him," and that "sanctification, in a sense, is a part of the message of evangelism."