But before leaving entirely the subject of growth in grace, having
demonstrated, as we trust, that we can never grow into entire
sanctification, we ought, perhaps, to explain what we mean by the
statement that we can grow indefinitely in that precious grace after,
and not before, we receive it. Entire sanctification has two sides or
aspects. It has a positive side and a negative side. Its negative side
is the removal of inbred sin, and is, therefore, a matter of
subtraction. And herein, we may remark in passing, is a characteristic
difference between entire sanctification and regeneration. The latter
is a matter of addition, because it implies the impartation of a new
life to the soul which has hitherto been "dead in trespasses and sins."
Now in this negative aspect of entire sanctification there can be no
growth. If a heart is pure it cannot be more pure. If it is free from
sin it cannot be more free from sin. An empty vessel, as some one has
said, cannot be more empty. There can be no increase in purity.
But the positive side of entire sanctification is perfect love, and
this is a relative expression. It does not mean that all who possess it
must have an equal amount of love. Perfect love to each individual is
just his own heart--not some one else's heart--being filled with love.
One individual may have a greater capacity of loving than another, just
as he may have a greater capacity of seeing or of working. Perfect love
in a child would not be perfect love in a man; and perfect love in a
man would not be perfect love in an angel. And perfect love may
increase in the same individual so that what is perfect love today may
not be perfect love to-morrow. As we commune with God and work with
Him, as we get more and more acquainted with Christ and With the Holy
Spirit, and see more of the infinite attractions of the Triune God, how
is it possible that we should not love Him more and more? "There will
never be a time in earth nor in Heaven," says the late Dr. Upham, "when
there may not be an increase of holy love." On the positive side of
entire sanctification, then, there may be and will be growth
indefinitely and everlastingly. And this is the true growth in grace,
about which much more could be said, but we leave it for the present,
to resume our main theme of the necessity of entire sanctification in
this life as well as the life to come.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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