According to the Church of God Declaration of Faith the work of sanctification is subsequent to the new birth. It is altogether a different doctrine to say that sanctification is simultaneous with the new birth.
When will the Declaration of Faith be changed to reflect the practice of “sanctification simultaneous with the new birth”?
Can the COG remain Wesleyan with the change in belief?
Would you explain your meaning of the word “practice” as it relates to the rest of your statement in this post?
In 1988 the CoG dropped most of the practice of being sanctified and maintained a minimal moderation in practice. The coincides with the change in sanctification. Subsequent sanctification naturally demands a noticeable change in behavior and adornment. Simultaneous sanctification/progressive demands no initial change in behavior or adornment.
This change in practice reflected what is being taught at the COG schools in Cleveland.
I understand what you are saying; but, I just wonder how you think anyone can “practice” (in the actual meaning of the word) “sanctification simultaneous with the new birth” when you believe (as the Church of God Declaration of Faith states) that sanctification is subsequent to the new birth? It appears that you are saying that people are doing/practicing something that you don’t believe can be done. That seems rather confusing. By the way, “progressive sanctification”, obviously, occurs subsequent to the new birth — just as the teaching of “instantaneous sanctification”. The Bible speaks of being sanctified by various agents — the Word, the Spirit, and the blood. All of these need to be taken in their proper context to fully understand the doctrine/teaching of “sanctification”!
The GA decision of 1988 actually did away with the belief of sanctification subsequent to the new birth. It was an alignment of the practice of the Church with sanctification simultaneous with the new birth. In practice they stated that there was no difference between the saints and the appearance of the world.
Could you offer some type of documentation that would clearly state the General Assembly’s decision of 1988 to do “away with the belief of sanctification subsequent to the new birth”? Also, what do you mean by “In practice they stated….”. What you said is contrary to the information given in the official Church of God publication, “Our Statements of Faith”!
the natural outcome of a sanctification that is a work subsequent and separate from the new birth is a noticeable change in the unsanctified Christian. There are external changes that reflect a changed heart in the unsanctified Christian.
The sanctification that is instantaneous with the new birth NATURALLY will not demonstrate any change of behavior. The belief is that a change of behavior is the outcome of regeneration. This teaching is wholly Baptistic and Calvinistic, certainly not Wesleyan.
the information provided by the Declaration of faith is reliable the statements in the “Our statements of Faith” are interpretative for the purpose of placating the progressive sanctification. They want to save the denomination rather than lose a greater crowd.
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