With this post
on a sanctification view, I will reach the half way point. That is, I expect to do about eight of them. This one has a distinctive doctrine that if I don't mention it, it won't be complete, and if I do, you should be able to identify its label easily. (But maybe not).

Here goes:

- Positional sanctification, also referred to as instantaneous sanctification. At the time we are born again, we are set apart from the world to follow Jesus and so become saints. Our life of holiness is possible only because of Christ's work. This initial step is necessary before we can begin to live a sanctified life. Heb. 10:10 is a key as it is for most all of these views: "And by that will [of God] we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."
- Progressive sanctification - an obvious necessity since the Bible describe the Corinthian church members as saints in the same breath it describes them as utter failures.

Our part (from verses with which you are all familiar) a. "grow in grace" b. "each of you should learn to control his own body" c. "put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature" d. you have been "taught with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self". And others.

God's part. His appointed means to make this feasible. His blood ("and the blood of Jesus purifies us from every sin" 1 John 1:7), the Holy Spirit ("through the sanctifying work of the Spirit" 2 Thess 2:13) and the Word ("Sanctify them by the truth, your word is truth" John 17:17).

There is, then, a cooperation between us and God in achieving the progress toward sanctification.

- Entire sanctification - a life of victory over temptations to sin. The power of sin is a dominating force no longer. Through the Holy Spirit we are able not to sin even though we never come to a place where we are not able to sin.

- The Spirit's role - There must be a true reliance on the Holy Spirit to make one holy. Holiness is the result of an indwelling, living Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit must do the whole work or none of it. He will not share the work with man. The Holy Spirit serves as the agent to make Christ our sanctification by seeking to bring about a complete and perfect union of Christ and the believer.

- Distinctive - Recognizes that it is the Spirit's work not only to give us life but also to baptize us into the body of Christ. That is, after the Holy Spirit baptizes us into the body of Christ, we are then saturated or filled with the Spirit; the baptism of the Spirit is thus a distinct experience after conversion.

- Comment - Quite orthodox until the distinctive arrives on the scene. Hard to substantiate from scripture, though they obviously make a concerted attempt to do so. Resolving this distinctive hinges on what many would think is elementary exegesis of scripture along with some fairly basic Greek knowledge.