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and of Gods positional sanctification of all believers. At this point, several things Demarest
stresses are very helpful including his emphasis on the goal of intimacy in a believers
relationship with the Lord, his emphasis on being as opposed to a frenzy of doing, his emphasis
on the value of silence and solitude in Christian spirituality, and the need and the ways to quiet
our hearts that we may meditate on his Word and engage in contemplative prayer.
53
In addition,
Willards emphasis on "resting our souls in God" in response to the invitation of Jesus in Matt
11:28-30
54
can help to counter this overly activistic tendency in Reformed circles.
Secondly, the Reformed model of sanctification can tend to become very
intellectual and cognitive. In considering means of grace, Reformed theologians heavily
emphasize the Word of God.
55
John 17:17, Rom 12:2 and 2 Tim 3:16-17 are frequently and
53
Demarest says that quieting the heart "is necessary for the life of the soul. The inner
man needs to breathe in stillness" [BD, 126]. "Quietness creates a context in which our deepest
self comes to the fore, where it may be yielded to the Lord of all" [BD, 127]. "By quieting our
souls, we create an empty space in our busy lives for God" [BDD, 129].
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Willard says that "rest to our soul is rest in God" [DW, 209]. "We simply have to rest
in [Jesus] life as he gives it to us. Knowledge, from Christ, that he is good and great, enables us
to cast outcomes on him. We find this knowledge in the yoke of Christ. Resting in God, we can
be free from all anxiety which means deep soul rest." [DW, 210.]
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In speaking of means of grace, "areas in which the grace and duties of sanctification
coincide," Sinclair Ferguson says that the Word of God "in the primary means." ("The Reformed