27
experiences in Christ in this life, while qualitatively real,
48
is nonetheless not total and complete.
Anthony Hoekema writes that the "new self," that is, the believer in Christ as opposed to being
in Adam (= the old self) is "genuinely new, though not totally new."
49
He continues,
We may say that believers are no longer old persons but new persons who are being
progressively renewed. They must still battle sin and will sometimes fall into sin, but
they are no longer its slaves. In the strength of the spirit, they are now able to resist sin,
since for every temptation God will provide a way of escape (1 Cor 10:13).
50
And finally, the synergistic understanding that Willard and Demarest develop of
the relationship of the believers role in spiritual formation and the working of Gods grace puts
their views in the largely Reformed camp. They both affirm what Hoekema calls "the
responsible participation" of the believer,
51
though with the clear emphasis that Gods grace is
continue to live in the flesh." ("The Reformed View," in Christian Spirituality, 62.) Thus
mortification of sin is necessary on an on-going basis (Rom 8:13).
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Demarest says, "Our spiritual restoration, then, is all about allowing Gods Holy Spirit
to be joined to our human spirits. When the Spirit inhabits the sanctuary of our hearts, we
experience a gradual transformation from within. . . . The Spirit makes us qualitatively new in
holiness and godliness" [BD, 291].
49
Hoekema, "The Reformed Perspective," in Five Views on Sanctification, 78.
50
Ibid., 81.
51
Hoekema defines sanctification as "that gracious operation of the Holy Spirit, involving
our responsible participation, by which He delivers us as justified sinners from the pollution of