ellauri092.html on line 281: Biblically speaking, sanctification is the process the Christian goes through that ultimately makes him/her perfect in Christ. This is not only begun by God at our conversion, but finished by Him as well when we reach the eternal realm (Hebrews 12:2; Philippians 1:6). In sanctification, Christians are both passive and active. We are passively trusting in God’s ability to fully sanctify us and we are active because we are to choose to do what is right, in thought, word, and deed (Romans 12:1-2; 1 Thessalonians 4:4; Hebrews 12:14, etc).
ellauri092.html on line 283: Adherents of Keswickianism would agree with the above regarding justification. However, when it comes to sanctification, they move off in a different direction. They generally do not believe the Holy Mackerel comes into the person and takes up residence at salvation, but that the Holy Mackerel simply comes upon the person to seal them with salvation. It is later, at a time they refer to variously as the “second blessing,” or “higher living,” when they say sanctification occurs. Ultimately, their view of sanctification is flat out mysticism akin to New Age’s goal of an altered state of consciousness. This is all based on a strong (and seemingly biblical), desire to emotionally “know” God. The person turns inward to meet the felt needs of self.
ellauri092.html on line 289: …the problems in the Keswick theology are severe. Because of its corrupt roots, Keswick errs seriously in its ecumenical tendencies, theological shallowness or even incomprehensibility, neglect of the role of the Word of God in sanctification, shallow views of sin and perfectionism, support of some tenants of Pelagianism and semi-Pelagianism, improper divorce of justification and sanctification, confusion about the nature of saving repentance, denial that God’s sanctifying grace always frees Christians from bondage to sin and changes them, failure to warn strongly about the possibility of those who are professedly Christians being unregenerate, support for an unbiblical pneumatology, belief in the continuation of the sign gifts, maintenance of significant exegetical errors, distortion of the positions and critiques of opponents of the errors of Keswick, misrepresentation of the nature of faith in sanctification, support for a kind of Quietism, and denial that God actually renews the nature of the believer to make him more personally holy. Keswick theology differs in important ways from the Biblical doctrine of sanctification. It should be rejected.
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