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- Preaching the Living WORD through
the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4;:2 - |
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I. KESWICK VIEW ON SANCTIFICATION A. Introduction 1. It must be stated
that many notable stalwart theologians have been associated with the Keswick
Movement to one degree or another. In addition, this Movement vigorously
denies “sinless perfection” (though challenged by B.B. Warfield in his work
called, “Perfectionism”) and asserts being misunderstood. Furthermore, there
would be fewer doctrinal differences with orthodox doctrines, compared to the
other views in this study. 2. The origins of the “Higher Life” view of
Progressive Sanctification are equated with a book written by William Edwin
Boardman called, The Higher Life in 1858. Under its teaching, Robert
Pearsall Smith influenced not only Great Britain and Germany, but also
America. In Germany, his concepts paralleled the Die Heiligungsbewegung, the “Sanctification Movement.”
In America, his teaching founded the Keswick (keh-zik,
the “w” is silent) Movement (or Higher Life, Exchanged Life, Victorious
Life). B. The Normal Obedient Christian is not the
NT Christian 1. Satirically, when we think of the term
“normal Christian,” it is in a negative sense as one who does not attain
maturity and service to the Lord. 2. McQuilkin, in his Keswick Perspective, appears to exalt the normal Christian to a
Spirit-controlled obedient Christian, but states that that is not enough, nor
is it the perceived idea of the New Testament. a) The normal Christian overcomes in the
battle with temptation, consistently obeys the laws of God, and grows in
self-control, contentment, humility, and courage. Thought processes are so
under the control of the Holy Spirit and instructed by Scripture that the
normal Christian authentically reflects the
attitudes and behavior of Jesus Christ. God has first place in life, and the
welfare of others takes precedence over personal desires. The normal
Christian has power not only for godly living but
for effective service in the church. Above all, he or she has the joy of
constant companionship with the Lord …
(J. Robertson McQuilkin, Keswick Perspective, Five Views of Sanctification) b) The average experience of church members is
far different from New Testament norms for the Christian life… They are decent
enough, but there is nothing supernatural about them. (McQuilkin, Keswick Perspective, pg. 51) C. The Normal Christian is Non-Growing and
Non-Victorious 1. There seems to be a distorted, if not a
contradictory, view of those obedient Christians mentioned above. 2. Though overcoming, they yield to
temptation. Though obedient, they fall. Though God has first place, they do
not give Him the credit. Though joyful in “constant companionship with the
Lord,” they do not have a “constant, personal companionship with the Lord.” a) Their behavior is quite explainable in
terms of heredity, early environment, and present circumstances. They yield
to temptation more often than not, lusting when their body demands it,
coveting what they do not have, and taking credit for their accomplishments.
The touchstone for their choices is self-interest, and though they have a
love for God and others, it does not control their life. There is little
change for the better; in fact, most church members do not expect much
improvement and are little concerned by that
prospect. Scripture is not exciting, prayer is perfunctory, and service in
the church demonstrates little touch of the supernatural. Above all, their
life seems to have an empty core, for it does not center around
a constant, personal companionship with the Lord. (McQuilkin, Keswick Perspective, pg. 52) 3. Our job is not to read between the lines of a major
theological treatise (“Five Views of Sanctification” totaling 246 pages). The responsibility lies upon the author to articulate
his view with understandable language. Having said that, we our left with
trying to make some sense of what has been stated.
The author might be trying to say that the normal Christian goes through the
motions, but his heart is far from the Him. Having said that, there appears
to be a judgmental view of other Christians who “do not have what ‘we’ have
in the Lord.” There appears to be, at the heart of this “higher life,” a
plateau that unfortunate Christians have not obtained. D. The Higher Life is Sustained Victory Without Struggle 1. No evangelical perspective on
Sanctification holds a defeatist view. The Scriptures teach that a believer
has been given everything for “life and godliness” (2Pe 1:3), is “not to let
sin reign” (Ro 6:12), and should walk in “newness of life” by union with
Christ (Ro 6:4). 2. But to suggest long-term sustained victory,
struggle-free, and a restful normal experience is a mystical plateau not
taught in Scripture. a) [Keswick] teaches that
"the normal experience of the child of God should be one of victory
instead of constant defeat, one of liberty instead of grinding bondage, one
of "perfect peace” instead of restless worry. It shows that in Christ
there is provided for every believer victory,
liberty, and rest, and that this may be obtained not by a life-long struggle
after an impossible ideal but by the surrender of the individual to God, and
the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
(McQuilkin, Keswick Perspective) b) At one of the meetings of the 1890
Convention, H. W. Webb-Peploe put the difference
between the ordinary teaching and [Keswick’s teaching] in a crisp sentence.
“Before I expected failure, and was astonished at deliverance; now I expect
deliverance, and am astonished at failure.” (McQuilkin, Keswick Perspective) E. The Higher Life is Gained by a Decisive Act (Sanctification by
Faith) 1. As was outlined in the beginning of this
study on Sanctification, the Bible does maintain that the believer must “work out [his] salvation [sanctification]” (Php 2:12). This is an act of the will on the basis of faith on what God has worked in (Php
2:13). But nothing suggests a one-time act of faith
for sustained victory. a) From the beginning until the present it
has taught that a life of faith and victory, of peace and rest, are the
rightful heritage of every child of God,
and that he may step into it... , "not by long prayers and
laborious effort, but by a deliberate
and decisive act of faith.
(McQuilkin, Keswick Perspective) 2. In fact, the Keswick View has been known
to promote not only a correct “salvation by faith” doctrine, but an incorrect subsequent “sanctification by faith”
doctrine bringing immediate sanctification. a) [Smith’s] whole gospel consists
essentially, therefore, in the proclamation of what they speak of as sanctification
by faith, by which they mean immediate sanctification by a special
exercise of faith directed to that particular end. (B.B. Warfield, Perfectionism, bold mine) F. The Higher Life is Precipitated by a Crisis of Faith (or
Experience) 1. If one should attend a traditional
Keswick week-long Convention, the purpose on the
third day is to bring the believer to a crisis of faith. It is a necessary
crisis that will open the door for consecration and a decisive act of faith
that will bring him to sanctification 2. Keswick Spiritual Week Conference a) The Keswick maxim, "No crisis before
Wednesday," derives from the conviction that individuals must clearly see their own
bankruptcy and God's abundant provision before they can adequately respond to the challenge of unconditional
surrender. (McQuilkin, Keswick
Perspective) b) Depending on the intensity of conflict,
the length of time out of fellowship, and one’s personality, this decision
may be a major emotional crisis. But even without
any emotion, in the sense of a turning point or a decisive event, this
decision is rightly called a crisis. For such a person, a normal, successful
Christian experience is not the product of a gradual process of spiritual
development, let alone automatic progress. A decisive turning point is needed.
(McQuilkin, Keswick Perspective) G. The Higher Life is Able Not to Sin 1. B.B. Warfield does assert in his treatise
on Perfectionism (“The Victorious Christian Life”) that Keswick does
hold to “perfectionism.” We are once again faced
with naming a belief, even if a particular group will not. Once again, it
will come down to redefining sin. a) Some Keswick speakers have spoken of a
spiritual condition in which one is able not to sin, which is
normally considered a "perfectionist" position. The problem
seems to lie in the definition of sin, as is so often the case in differences
among theologians on the subject of human perfectibility. Is
sin defined as the deliberate violation of the known will of God? Then
the ability not to sin in that sense is available to every Christian, not as
the extraordinary capacity of some supersaint, but
as the normal expectation- indeed, the indispensable evidence-of genuine
Christianity. Keswick clearly teaches that Christians, by the power of the
indwelling Spirit, have the ability to choose consistently not to violate
deliberately the known will of God.
(McQuilkin, Keswick Perspective) b) But does sin also mean any falling short
of the glory of God? Is it wrong to fall short in disposition and attitude of
the glorious character of Christ? Do I sin when I
fail to love as God loves, to be as self-controlled, contented, humble, and
courageous as Jesus was? If Jesus’ life is the standard of Christian living,
who can attain it, even for a moment? If sin is defined
to include this falling short unwittingly, Keswick does not teach that a
person ever in this life has the ability not to sin. (McQuilkin, Keswick Perspective) 2. McQuilkin, at the risk of supporting
Warfield’s assessment, does admit that some in the Keswick Movement teach
that Christians have the ability not to sin even over falling short in
unconscious attitudes. a) Yet, since so much of the emphasis of "victory"
centers in the very area of disposition, spokesmen have often given the impression that
consistent victory is possible, not only over
temptation to conscious, deliberate acts of sin, but also over falling
short in unconscious attitudes as well.
But the "official" teaching has consistently been that every believer
in this life is left with the natural proclivity to sin and will do so without the countervailing influence of the
Holy Spirit. (McQuilkin, Keswick
Perspective) 3. Perhaps the true problem is that there is
no official theological statement by the Keswick Movement. As difficult as
this is for anyone to understand Kewsick’s official
position, it appears even more difficult for McQuilkin to delineate one a) Because Keswick is a broad fellowship
encompassing those of varying theological convictions, it should not be
surprising that differences would arise among the leaders, even on doctrines
relating to the Christian life. But in comparison
with the major platform emphases outlined above, these differences have been
minor. In these areas of ambiguity one should not
seek to establish an official Keswick position, for there is none. (McQuilkin, Keswick Perspective) b) Though Keswick does not have an officially
articulated theology of sanctification, the doctrinal statement I have presented here is fully compatible with the Keswick
message. (McQuilkin, Keswick
Perspective) |
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