Practical Problems in Pastoral Ministry – Reflections on “Justification” and “Sanctification” in the Reformation

Editor’s note: As the Chinese house church engages the question, “What is the church?” it recognizes the all-important preceding question, “What is the gospel?” The result is that the house church finds itself contemplating what can be gleaned from the depths of church history. The following is Part 3 of a lengthy paper written by a Chinese pastor on the topic of reformed soteriology and its pastoral implications. The paper hopes to train and encourage other urban Chinese house church pastors, and as such is an interesting insight to the theology shaping portions of the house church. It was originally published in Kosmos, an online and print magazine focusing on theological and cultural issues in mainland China. If you missed them, make sure to catch up with Part 1 and Part 2 from last week and come back to read Part 4 next week.

If the fathers of the Reformation strove so vigorously to construct a comprehensive soteriology, why do we often find unhealthy imbalances in our lives and pastoral ministries? Either we base justification on sanctification and turn into practical legalists, living with a saved-by-Jesus-yet-sanctified-by-me mentality in which we use our sanctification to measures God’s pleasure in us and even our justification, or, in order to avoid practical legalism, we exalt grace and emphasize the sufficiency of justification by faith while dismissing all human action and effort, eventually becoming fearful of mentioning sanctification or demanding works of the saints – even becoming antinomian and completely disregarding sanctification. 

There are many reasons for this, but I think the most basic reason is our vague understanding of the gospel (or of salvation). And this is due to a number of factors. 

As finite creatures, our epistemological categories determine the limits of our field of vision and shape the patterns of our lives. The pre-Fall Adam, by relying on God’s revelation, knew God, knew himself, and knew the world. All of his epistemological categories were personal and tied to worship and to the God who reveals. But in a post-Fall world, men are waiting for salvation in darkness. In matters of salvation, God’s own revelation (the revelation which we now have is the Bible) is the source and cause of the breakthrough in our limitations. The entire revelation of the Bibleitself is God’s salvation.What kind of cognitive framework, therefore, must we use to understand the salvation revealed in the Bible? Only by the illumination of the Holy Spirit, by interpreting spiritual truths through his spiritual words and continually overcoming the defects and limitations of our categories, perspectives, and frameworks, can we understand salvation more clearly.

In this sense, the development of theology and its related practices throughout church history is the history of the development of categories, perspectives, and frameworks – and we, too, are continuing down this path. Our categories, perspectives, and frameworks determine the questions that we ask, and the questions that we ask will limit the answers and practical applications that we derive from them. Therefore, elevating simple questions and viewing them as questions proceeding from biblical revelation is a sign of maturity and growth


Never miss a story

Sign up to receive our weekly email with our original articles.

Regardless of how diligently the Reformers strove in constructing a comprehensive soteriology, regardless of what kind of comprehensive soteriology a person was taught in his formal theological education, and regardless of how complete the teaching is in a person’s church, everyone will directly or indirectly, consciously or subconsciously have his own instinctive, general understanding of the question “What is the salvation of God?” (or “What is the core issue in soteriology?”). This simple, intuitive understanding is internally present in our lives and is commonly at odds with what we learned in our formal education, but it exerts a greater influence on our reactions, behaviors, and lives. And behind this simple, intuitive knowledge are categories, perspectives, and frameworks. It is often not our formal theological education and doctrinal systems that dictate how we deal with justification and sanctification in our pastoring but rather our categories, perspectives, and frameworks. They also influence how each of us lives his life. Thus, our simple, instinctive answer to the question “What is the salvation of God?” (or “What is the core issue in soteriology?”) can help us to understand our true selves even better than deep theological reflections, even though the latter can greatly help us to grow. 

I will now attempt to analyze an example in hopes of exploring the root problems of justification and sanctification in the context of pastoral ministry. 

A very common and simple question that attempts to encompass the entirety of soteriology is “How is man saved?” This small question is actually a very large and complicated one because it involves theology proper, anthropology, and the sovereign acts of God throughout all of history. 

The focal point of this question is the means of salvation, and it also assumes that the inquirer has a sufficient understanding of the one who saves, God, and of the one who is saved, man. But perhaps it should be precisely the other way around. Perhaps our focus should be on the God who saves and on man, who needs saving. Our knowledge of God and man, as well as of their relationship with each other, will determine the categories and scope of our soteriology. Not properly knowing God and man will often lead to two problems. 

The first is that we may have a comprehensive understanding of orthodox theology proper (even this is a rarity), but because of our indwelling sin and immaturity, we will inadvertently depersonalize God and make him a means and a tool of salvation. The focus of salvation will become man’s escaping hell and obtaining heaven and eternal life, and we will lose that which is most important, a personal salvation – a salvation where God gives himself to us; where salvation exists within a covenant; where salvation consists of a personal relationship marked by union with Christ and communion with God; and where God’s gory is the goal of all of this. If this is our cognitive framework, regardless of how comprehensive our churches’ teachings are, it will be difficult for us not to consider salvation from only a moral, legal, or doctrinal perspective (the inevitable result not of moralism or legalism but of depersonalizing the gracious God). 

Within this framework, people often oscillate between legalism and antinomianism based on the degree to which grace is emphasized. The reason why grace and law do not “kiss” is not because we cannot balance them, but because we have lost the personal Savior and his cross. Another form this takes is when we try to avoid both legalism and antinomianism and stray down the path of doctrinalism, where the focus of salvation becomes grasping orthodox soteriological doctrines (even though this is very important, it is not justification by faith itself). We think this is gospel-centeredness, and we work very hard at pursuing this (this is also important, but it is not sanctification). And yet there is a lack of intimate worship, desire, rest, and joy within a personal communion with Christ and God (the true nature of salvation). In essence, this is a kind of legalism disguised with correct doctrine.  

The second problem is that men have a misperception about how well they know themselves and others. In reality, they do not have an orthodox anthropology based on biblical revelation, and therefore they do not have a correct, comprehensive understanding of man. They are sure of themselves, and they have many assumptions they believe to be self-evident. 

Anthropology is deeply connected to soteriology because it determines the structure, depth, and breadth of soteriology. From the goal of salvation, we can ask these questions: 

1.    What kind of person does one who is saved become? What kind of transformation will this saved person undergo in himself, in his ethics, and in personal relationships? 

2.    What is man? What is the relationship between an individual man and his nature? Is human nature static or does it have the potential to become more perfect and more like the triune God according to his plan? Between Adam and Jesus (the second Adam), who is more perfect (or most perfect)? Should a biblical anthropology include Christ? If this is so, does soteriology imply the theory of re-creation (or continual creation)?  

3.    What exactly is the image of God? Does this image only include attributes or does it include personhood? Does this image include the mutual relationships between the three persons of the Godhead? To what degree does anthropology presuppose the Trinity?

4.    Is man essentially an individual or a corporate being? Is the triune existence of the Trinity part of the image? Is the perfect man both many and one, with Christ as the head? If this is so, what is the relationship of this “man” with the invisible and eternal church? Is the church that has Christ as her head the perfect man whom God envisions? Should anthropology include ecclesiology? 

In an emaciated anthropology, emphasizing justification by faith, or even attempting to construct an entire identity on the doctrine of justification by faith, can very easily reduce soteriology to “justification by faith” while losing the motivation for sanctification. Sanctification becomes merely an adornment or addition to justification, no more than a proof that man has been justified. [1]

 

English translation provided by Moses, Brent, and the China Partnership translation team. Please refer to our reposting guidelines for permission to share on your blog or website.

[1] This is similar to treatment of the resurrection of Christ as merely a proof or addition to the substitutionary work of Christ on the cross. Even though the cross is indeed important, the resurrection is not merely an adornment. In the work of Christ, the cross points to the resurrection, and in the resurrection of this second Adam, God accomplishes the new creation. 

Share This Story

Further Reading

winter-sun-Op0kemnmDYA-unsplash
The J-Curve: Suffering Because Of Sin
Read More
manoj-kumar-kasirajan-fAZEw6xPhz8-unsplash
Xi'an: Rich Cultural Heritage
Read More
hieu-do-quang-3A5qSh1KOM8-unsplash
The J-Curve: Suffering with Jesus
Read More

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN CHINA

With rising pressure and persecution in China, there are two challenges imperative for church leaders. The first challenge is for current leaders to love Christ above all else, and not to stray into legalism or love of the world. The second challenge is to raise up the next generation of leaders, who will humbly model Jesus even if current leaders are arrested.

WILL YOU JOIN US IN PRAYING FOR LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN CHINA? PRAY FOR:

  1. Current leaders to grow in their daily walks with Christ
  2. Current leaders to shepherd and raise up new leaders
  3. New leaders who love Christ and will model him to the world
  4. New leaders to love and care for the church

Videos

ABOUT LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

About Shenyang

Shenyang is a city located in northeastern China and is the capital of Liaoning Province. It is known for its rich history and cultural heritage, including the Shenyang Imperial Palace, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Shenyang is also a hub for China’s heavy industry, with companies such as the China First Automobile Group and the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation having their headquarters in the city.

Videos

Stories from Shenyang

About Qingdao

Qingdao is a city located in eastern China and is famous for its beaches, beer, and seafood. The city is home to several landmarks, including the Zhanqiao Pier and the Badaguan Scenic Area. Qingdao is also a major port and has a thriving economy, with industries such as electronics, petrochemicals, and machinery.

Videos

Stories from Qingdao

About Xiamen

Xiamen is a city located in southeastern China and is a popular tourist destination known for its beautiful coastal scenery, including Gulangyu Island, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city is also a hub for China’s high-tech industry, with companies such as Huawei and ZTE having research and development centers in Xiamen.

Videos

Stories from Xiamen

About Chongqing

Chongqing is a city located in southwestern China and is a major economic center in the region. The city is known for its spicy cuisine, especially its hot pot dishes, and is also famous for the Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest hydroelectric dam. Chongqing is also home to several historic sites, including the Dazu Rock Carvings, which are UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Videos

Stories from Chongqing

About Nanjing

Nanjing is a city located in eastern China and is the capital of Jiangsu Province. It is one of China’s ancient capitals and has a rich cultural history, including the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, the Nanjing City Wall, and the Confucius Temple. Nanjing is also a modern city with a thriving economy and is home to several universities, including Nanjing University and Southeast University.

Videos

Stories from Nanjing

About Changchun

Changchun is a city located in northeastern China and is the capital of Jilin Province. It is known for its rich cultural heritage and is home to several historical landmarks such as the Puppet Emperor’s Palace and the Jingyuetan National Forest Park. Changchun is also a hub for China’s automotive industry, with several major automobile manufacturers having their headquarters in the city.

Videos

Stories from Changchun

About Guangzhou

Guangzhou, also known as Canton, is a city located in southern China and is the capital of Guangdong Province. It is one of the country’s largest and most prosperous cities, serving as a major transportation and trading hub for the region. Guangzhou is renowned for its modern architecture, including the Canton Tower and the Guangzhou Opera House, as well as its Cantonese cuisine, which is famous for its variety and bold flavors. The city also has a rich history, with landmarks such as the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, and the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees. Additionally, Guangzhou hosts the annual Canton Fair, the largest trade fair in China.

Videos

Stories from Guangzhou

About Kunming

Kunming is a city located in southwest China and is the capital of Yunnan Province. Known as the “City of Eternal Spring” for its mild climate, Kunming is a popular tourist destination due to its natural beauty and cultural diversity. The city is home to several scenic spots, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Stone Forest, Dian Lake, and the Western Hills. Kunming is also famous for its unique cuisine, which features a mix of Han, Yi, and Bai ethnic flavors. The city has a rich cultural history, with ancient temples and shrines like the Yuantong Temple and the Golden Temple, and it’s also a hub for Yunnan’s ethnic minority cultures, such as the Yi and Bai peoples.

Videos

Stories from Kunming

About Shenzhen

Shenzhen is a city located in southeastern China and is one of the country’s fastest-growing metropolises. The city is renowned for its thriving tech industry, with companies such as Huawei, Tencent, and DJI having their headquarters in Shenzhen. The city also has a vibrant cultural scene, with numerous museums, art galleries, and parks. Shenzhen is also known for its modern architecture, such as the Ping An Finance Center and the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center. Despite its modernization, Shenzhen also has a rich history and cultural heritage, with landmarks such as the Dapeng Fortress and the Chiwan Tin Hau Temple.

Videos

Stories from Shenzhen

About Chengdu

Chengdu is a city located in the southwestern region of China, and the capital of Sichuan province. It has a population of over 18 million people, and it is famous for its spicy Sichuan cuisine, laid-back lifestyle, and its cute and cuddly residents – the giant pandas. Chengdu is home to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, where visitors can observe these adorable creatures in their natural habitat. The city also boasts a rich cultural heritage, with numerous temples, museums, and historical sites scattered throughout its boundaries. Chengdu is a city of contrasts, with ancient traditions coexisting alongside modern developments, making it an intriguing and fascinating destination for visitors to China. 

Videos

Stories from Chengdu

About Beijing

Beijing is the capital city of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of over 21 million people. The city has a rich history that spans over 3,000 years, and it has served as the capital of various dynasties throughout China’s history. Beijing is home to some of the most iconic landmarks in China, including the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and the Temple of Heaven. The city is also a hub for political, cultural, and educational activities, with numerous universities and research institutions located within its boundaries. Beijing is renowned for its traditional architecture, rich cuisine, and vibrant cultural scene, making it a must-visit destination for travelers to China.

Videos

Stories from Beijing

About Shanghai

Shanghai is a vibrant and dynamic city located on the eastern coast of China. It is the largest city in China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of over 24 million people. Shanghai is a global financial hub and a major center for international trade, with a rich history and culture that spans over 1,000 years. The city is famous for its iconic skyline, which features towering skyscrapers such as the Oriental Pearl Tower and the Shanghai Tower. Shanghai is also home to a diverse culinary scene, world-class museums and art galleries, and numerous shopping districts. It is a city that is constantly evolving and reinventing itself, making it a fascinating destination for visitors from around the world.

Videos

Stories from Shanghai

give

A short message about partnering with us.