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Liberty University Baptist Theological Seminary LIBERTY UNIVERSITY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY JUSTIFICATION AND SANCTIFICATION IN THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CHURCH IN WEST VIRGINIA; IMPLICATIONS IN WORSHIP AND PRACTICE OF FAITH. A Thesis Project Submitted to Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree DOCTOR OF MINISTRY By Todd E. Hill Lynchburg, Virginia © Copyright 2014 by Todd E. Hill All rights reserved. LIBERTY UNIVERSITY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY THESIS PROJECT APPROVAL SHEET ______________________________ GRADE ______________________________ MENTOR Dr. Charlie Davidson Director, Doctor of Ministry Program Associate Professor of Chaplaincy _____________________________ READER Dr. David Hirschman Acting Dean Assistant Professor of Religion ABSTRACT JUSTIFICATION AND SANCTIFICATION IN THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CHURCH IN WEST VIRGINIA; IMPLICATIONS IN WORSHIP AND PRACTICE OF FAITH. Todd E. Hill Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary Mentor: Dr. Charlie Davidson The purpose of this project is to investigate the doctrines of justification and progressive sanctification and its implications in the Southern Baptist Churches in West Virginia. In the Southern Baptist Churches in West Virginia, there seems to be much confusion concerning the subject of justification and sanctification in the life of the believer. This confusion appears to grow out of a misunderstanding of sanctification and its relationship to justification from the error of Roman Catholic doctrine of blending justification and sanctification. The result of this study will expose the disparity of understanding concerning these doctrines and produce a teaching resource for a deeper understanding and stronger walk of faith in the church. Through an online survey of church leadership and the survey of theological studies, the various understandings to be presented are analyzed, compared and evaluated, on the basis of the relationship of justification and sanctification. Abstract length: 146 Words iv CONTENTS ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................... iv ILLUSTRATIONS .......................................................................................................... vii CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................1 Statement of Problem ..................................................................................................2 Special Terminology………………………………………………………………….3 The Theoretical Basis for the Project ..........................................................................4 The Statement of Limitations………………………………………………………...5 Statement of Methodology…………………………………………………………..5 The Review of Literature…………………………………………………………….7 Books ..................................................................................................................7 Pamphlet ............................................................................................................18 Journals .............................................................................................................18 Scripture……………………………………………………………………….19 CHAPTER TWO UNDERSTANDING THE ERROR: THE ROMAN CATHOLIC FORMULATION OF JUSTIFICATION AND SANCTIFICATION…………………..23 The Scholastics ..........................................................................................................23 The Tridentine Formulation ......................................................................................27 CHAPTER THREE THE CLASSICAL PROTESTANT FORMULATION ..................33 The Views of Martin Luther and John Calvin ...........................................................33 Martin Luther ....................................................................................................33 v John Calvin .......................................................................................................41 The Baptist Faith and Message ..................................................................................44 Select Southern Baptist Theologies ...........................................................................50 Manual of Theology and Church Order ............................................................50 Abstract of Systematic Theology by James P. Boyce ........................................52 The Christian Religion In Its Doctrinal Expression ........................................56 The Relationship Between Imputed and Infused Righteousness Summarized .........60 CHAPTER FOUR FOUR CONTEMPORARY UNDERSTANDINGS OF JUSTIFICATION AND SANCTIFICATION ...........................................................................................66 The Dispensational View ..........................................................................................66 The Deeper Life View ...............................................................................................81 Potential Perfectionism View ....................................................................................91 The Classical View ....................................................................................................99 CHAPTER FIVE ANALYSIS OF SURVEY OF SOUTHERN BAPTIST LEADERSHIP IN WEST VIRGINIA .....................................................................................................108 Observations on Survey Questions ..........................................................................108 Summary Thoughts on Survey ................................................................................125 CHAPTER SIX CONCLUSION ....................................................................................131 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................133 APPENDIX A ..................................................................................................................139 APPENDIX B ................................................................................................................162 VITA ................................................................................................................................163 vi ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1 – What Theological Training?..............................................…....……………108 Figure 2 – What Systematic Theology?............................................................………..109 Firgure 3 – How often do you study theology?………………………………………..110 Figure 4 – Is theology a part of your spiritual growth?.................................................111 Figure 5 – Doctrine and sermon preparation…………………………………………..112 Figure 6 – How important is doctrine in your preaching?……………………………..112 Figure 7 – How does your understanding influence?.....................................................113 Figure 8 – Are there two separate doctrines?.................................................................114 Figure 9 – Understanding the difference………………………………………………115 Figure 10 – Infused or imputed righteousness?..............................................................116 Figure 11 – Understanding holiness...............................................................................117 Figure 12 – What influence does effect?........................................................................117 Figure 13 – Understanding sanctification………………………………………….......118 Figure 14 – What description do you use?.....................................................................119 Figure 15 – Understanding Progressive Sanctification………………………………..120 Figure 16 – Preaching Progressive Sanctification..........................................................121 Figure 17 – The understanding sanctification in worship……………………………..122 Figure 18 – The influence of holiness in worship……………………………………..123 Figure 19 – The congregation’s understanding of justification and sanctification……124 vii Figure 20 – The need for continual education…………………………………………125 viii CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION In the vast beauty of the mountains and across the state of West Virginia, there is great confusion in thought among the Southern Baptist pastors of West Virginia regarding the theological thought of justification and sanctification. It appears to this writer that many Southern Baptists in West Virginia are embracing, to differing degrees, a non-classical Protestant understanding of the doctrine of sanctification and its relationship to the doctrine of justification. The end result is problems expressed in the error filled views of perfectionism, the infusion of righteousness, and wrong understandings of the nature of the Christian. This has led some to deny the principle of sin within the believer and even to rationalize sin with a practical license to sin more by counting it less. This was made very evident one day as this writer sat in the living room of a man who claimed to be a Christian. His life and lifestyle showed no evidence of a true walk with Jesus, it was a life filled with open sin and a total disregard for the church. When I inquired about his spiritual condition, he responded by telling me that he was ok with Jesus, he was just one of those “carnal” Christians. Imprecise theology has led to spurious teaching and practice among many Southern Baptists in West Virginia. There is a need to understand the doctrine of justification and sanctification in its theological context and to correct the doctrinal imprecision which has worked its way into the Southern Baptist church of
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