The thing that most causes me to doubt the Christian faith is the slowness of sanctification. In one sense, I agree with the atheists, pointing to the hypocrisy of Christians and the rather mixed results of church community.
Sanctification, as it is used in theological discussion (though not generally the New Testament usage) means the process of being made holy, the process of heart, mind and body being brought to be like Jesus. Justification is the instant declaration of a righteous or holy status when we trust Jesus. It means we can be sure of God’s love and welcome, despite our sin, which is the foundation of assurance. Justification is by faith in Jesus alone not by works. But justification is never left alone, because the relationship with God that Jesus gives us changes us- sanctifies us. We know that we will be made like Jesus when we see him face to face (1 John 3:1-3).
But here and now Christians are meant to be becoming more like Jesus. Which makes the slowness of sanctification a problem. It is not so much of a problem for the new Christian or the young Christian. They may have overcome some specific sins quite quickly and been encouraged. They may assume that the Christian journey will lead to plenty more victories over sin such that the struggle becomes easier.
But in practice, many Christians fail to make much progress in Christlikeness. They trust Jesus. They are saved. But they keep falling back into the same obvious and foolish sins. Others seem to have settled at a respectable level- until the pressures of life or a rare deeper conversation show deep sins and brokenness. If you had asked 20 year old me what I expected of 40 something year old me, I think I would have expected more wisdom, deeper delight in God, and far more advance in godliness. The majority of Christians are some combination of walking the Christian life with deep struggles and doubts, ok but because of apathy/ low expectations, or have enthusiasm but evident lack of wisdom.
And churches are also institutions full of sinful people. So many of the church scandals have shown both leaders and church systems that are far from what Jesus taught. If leaders are meant to be shaped by God’s word, and yet are so often selfish and unwise, then is there hope for anyone.
The slowness of sanctification, the process of Christians becoming more like Jesus in enjoying God, growing to be like God, and sharing God’s love and truth with others, troubles me. I can see the atheist logic- if knowing God does not change Christians more, if churches aren’t better than the society around them, then that points to Christianity being false.
But the Bible gives us another and deeper reasons for the slowness of sanctification. Sin is a far deeper and more complex problem than we humans normally think. It has infected every part of the human person and human society. Sin entangles itself in our thoughts and affections (and so will entangle any Artificial Intelligence we humans create). Sin is deeply rooted, not easy to pull out. Jeremiahs 17 puts it like this:
‘Judah’s sin is engraved with an iron tool,
inscribed with a flint point,
on the tablets of their hearts
and on the horns of their altars. 17:1
This is what the Lord says:
‘Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
who draws strength from mere flesh
and whose heart turns away from the Lord. 17:5
The heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it? 17:9
The reason why slow sanctification dismays us is that we think sin is a shallow thing easily uprooted. We think it is like chickweed that is easy to pull up but it is like dock leaves, with deep roots. It is like bindweed that can regrow from tiny bits of root left behind. We think sin is small problem that a simple pill (or Bible verse) should dispel. But sin, the turning away from the Lord, is deceitful, uncurable, and deeply engraved on our hearts. It has profoundly wrecked us as humans.
And so God’s rescue mission and transforming work is more like a long and delicate surgery. That any rescue is possible is amazing. That any change in Christians happens is a miracle.
‘I the Lord search the heart
and examine the mind,
to reward each person according to their conduct,
according to what their deeds deserve.’ 17:10
It might seem our case is hopeless, since God sees the sin everywhere entangling us. But Jeremiah points us to the one who can heal and save the human heart.
Heal me, Lord, and I shall be healed;
save me and I shall be saved,
for you are the one I praise. 17:14
The slowness of sanctification does not have to drive us away from the good news of Jesus. Instead, the slowness of sanctification can force us to confront the wickedness and power of sin. And so it magnifies the grace and power and wisdom and patience of God. God is working out a slow plan to make people like Jesus. He is present and holy and eager to make a people with him and like him. He is determined to complete the work he has begun. Every Christian will be gloriously like Jesus in the end. The church will be a glorious bride worthy of Christ in the end.
None of that is meant to make us shrug our shoulders at our slow sanctification. It is right to press on eagerly to know more of God’s presence and power in our lives now, to put to death sin and put on Christ, to keep in step with the Spirit instead of grieving him. Seeing the wickedness and power and destructiveness of sin should make us long to be free of it, as we would long to be free of a horrible viral infection. But the long slow sin recovery program, the slow sanctification of Christians, shouldn’t actually surprise us or cause us to doubt God. Instead, it should make us wonder at his grace to us sinners and rely wholly on him.
Jots and Scribbles 