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Galatians 5:16-23 teaches that at any moment we are either walking by the Holy Spirit or according to the sin nature. Walking by the Spirit, enjoying fellowship with God, walking in the light are virtually synonymous. During these times, the Holy Spirit is working in us to illuminate our minds to the truth of Scripture and to challenge us to apply what we learn. But when we sin, we begin to live based on the sin nature. Our works do not count for eternity. The only way to recover is to confess (admit, acknowledge) our sin to God the Father and we are instantly forgiven, cleansed, and recover our spiritual walk (1 John 1:9). Please make sure you are walking by the Spirit before you begin your Bible study, so it will be spiritually profitable.

2011 Chafer Theological Seminary Bible Conference

2011 Chafer Theological Seminary Bible Conference

March 2011

Sanctification

The Chafer Theological Seminary annual Pastors' Conference, hosted by West Houston Bible Church. The 2011 conference was held March 7th through 9th, 2011. This year's theme was Sanctification.

Dr. Dean has spent much time in the past 30 years researching the differences between the different basic approaches or models to sanctification. Each model—Reformed, Lutheran, Pentecostal, Keswick, or Chaferian—reflects the theological presuppositions each system has in each area of theology. Most Christians are confused by teaching on the spiritual life because much that is taught in this area is an eclectic stew of inconsistent interpretations.

Each night of this conference Dr. Dean focused on the implications of Jesus’ command to “Abide in Me” (John 15:1–7) for understanding the central sanctification passages in Romans, Ephesians, Galatians, and 1 John. The daytime presentations formed the backdrop for understanding these passages. In these three evening messages, Dr. Dean brought together the results of these presentations to present a view of the spiritual life that is internally consistent and which most accurately fits a free grace gospel and a dispensational view of God the Holy Spirit.

Keynote Speaker was Dr. Robert L. Dean. Other speakers included Bruce Bumgardner, Charlie Clough, David Dunn, Dan Inghram, George Meisinger, Jim Myers, Mark Perkins, David Roseland, Paul Schmidtbleicher, Clay Ward, and Andy Woods.

To view all video Bible studies in the 2011 Chafer Theological Seminary Bible Conference series, click here (Vimeo) or here (YouTube).

1 - What is Spirituality?
Sun, Mar 06, 2011
by Robert Dean
Series: 2011 Chafer Theological Seminary Bible Conference
Duration: 1 hr 6 mins 57 secs
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2 - Orientation to Sanctification: Terminology, Critical Issues, Various Views
Mon, Mar 07, 2011
by Paul Schmidtbleicher
Series: 2011 Chafer Theological Seminary Bible Conference
Duration: 1 hr 13 mins 33 secs
The scriptures teach that the purpose of God’s plan is to conform the believer “to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Rom.8:29)1 The theological term that describes this is sanctification. This term might be confusing to new believers and to some who may not be acquainted with the term, but are more familiar with similar concepts such as the spiritual life or spirituality. The Bible uses this term to describe the work of God in setting a person or object apart to the service of God. A formal and detailed definition states, “Sanctification means to be set apart, classified, and qualified toward some particular end. It translates the Greek word group (hagiasmos; hagiázō) which means “to set apart to the service of God.”2 The believer is set apart from that which is not associated with God. ...
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3 - Contrasts Between the Reformed and Chaferian Models of Sanctification
Mon, Mar 07, 2011
by Jim Myers
Series: 2011 Chafer Theological Seminary Bible Conference
Duration: 1 hr 22 mins 50 secs
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4 - How Does a Christian Grow? Part One: Abiding in Christ
Mon, Mar 07, 2011
by Robert Dean
Series: 2011 Chafer Theological Seminary Bible Conference
Duration: 1 hr 32 mins 8 secs
Thomas Sowell begins his book, The Conflict of Visions, with the following observation and explanation for why the same people consistently group together on seemingly unrelated political opinions.

One of the curious things about political opinions is how often the same people line up on opposite sides of different issues. The issues themselves may have no intrinsic connection with each other. They may range from military spending to drug laws to monetary policy to education. Yet the same familiar faces can be found glaring at each other from opposite sides of the political fence, again and again. ..."

The field of theology is no different. Frequently, the same theologians line up on opposite sides of different, seemingly unrelated theological issues. Whether one is discussing eschatology or soteriology, Romans 9 or Revelation 20, there is a certain consistent grouping. Now and then we discover certain anomalies, but among trained, knowledgeable Bible students we discover that birds of a theological feather, generally, also flock together. And when we do have major anomalies, perhaps it is because some subgroups either fail to fully grasp the hidden, subterranean presuppositions affecting these groupings or they are at some level, willingly inconsistent. In theology, like politics, Bible students often have different visions of how God works in history, salvation, and eschatology. This is certainly true in the field of sanctification and spiritual growth. ...

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5 - Not Warfield or Scofield: Chafer’s Biblical Model of Sanctification
Tue, Mar 08, 2011
by David Roseland
Series: 2011 Chafer Theological Seminary Bible Conference
Duration: 1 hr 24 mins 8 secs
To the historically-informed theologian steeped in the traditions of his forbears, novelty in theological discourse is generally unwelcome. Systematic ideologies develop in the studies and writings of pastor-scholars, but they tend to assume a fortress-like resilience in the theoretical realm of academe. Proponents of such a system can at times find their schoolhouse to be a fortress under perpetual siege. Any refinements or changes, often proposed as improvements on the traditional system, are met quickly and summarily as though they were the attacks of the Vandal hordes on the bastions of orthodoxy. As the ministry of the Apostle Paul demonstrates, we are indeed responsible to defend the Faith against destructive, false teaching if we would equip others to "hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering. …"
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6 - Sanctification Under the Old Testament Theocracy
Tue, Mar 08, 2011
by Charles Clough
Series: 2011 Chafer Theological Seminary Bible Conference
Duration: 1 hr 12 mins 47 secs
To understand sanctification prior to the Church age requires consideration of the degrees of continuity and discontinuity between the Old and New Testaments (hereinafter I use the abbreviations OT and NT, respectively). Should we take NT revelation regarding sanctification and project that back into the OT? Or shall we attempt to understand OT sanctification on its own terms? This decision requires consideration of the dynamics of progressive revelation: is the “progress” mainly a progress in understanding God’s virtually unchanging work, or is it a sequential progress in that work itself? How one answers this question largely determines how one views OT positional sanctification.1 For example, were OT saints justified and regenerated in the same sense as NT saints, or were those divine acts that occurred earlier in progressive revelation different? ...
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7 - Sanctification in 1 John: Key Terms and Doctrines in Light of the Argument of 1 John
Tue, Mar 08, 2011
by David Dunn
Series: 2011 Chafer Theological Seminary Bible Conference
Duration: 1 hr 9 mins 50 secs
In the discussion of the spiritual life of the Christian, the epistle of 1 John is instrumental. It is not only an important book because it is part of God’s inspired word (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:21), but also because of the statements contained in the text related to the believer’s walk with God. However, not all interpreters are in agreement as to how the reader is to apply the words of the text. Even though the different interpretations are affected by issues related to translation, many of the difficulties and differences in interpretation stem from passages in which opposing parties often agree in terms of translation. Two central views have emerged in the interpretation of 1 John that will be discussed in this paper. Is 1 John presenting the tests of whether or not one is truly born again, or tests as to whether the one who is born again is walking in fellowship with God? As Dillow stated, “In a word, are they tests of regenerate life, or are they tests of abundant life?” ...
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8 - Does New Creature Status Guarantee Experiential Sanctification?
Tue, Mar 08, 2011
by Clay Ward
Series: 2011 Chafer Theological Seminary Bible Conference
Duration: 1 hr 7 mins 41 secs
The connection between justification salvation and experiential sanctification cannot be denied. No one can be experientially sanctified apart from first being legally justified before God by faith in Christ. However, the fact of justification does not imply the certainty of experiential sanctification, which is a central tenet of the Reformed view of sanctification. It will be seen that the Reformed model does not adequately handle the details of Scripture, resulting in inconsistencies and vague explanations regarding experiential sanctification. These problems can be solved by abandoning philosophical presuppositions in favor of exegetical analysis of the Scripture. The incorrect connection of inevitable experiential sanctification to the new creature status (justification) demonstrates the Reformed model’s failure to consistently explain the relationship between these two spiritual realities. ...
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9 - The Underpinning of Experiential Sanctification
Tue, Mar 08, 2011
by George Meisinger
Passage: Romans 6:1-23
Series: 2011 Chafer Theological Seminary Bible Conference
Duration: 1 hr 17 mins 14 secs

Words such as “sanctification” and “holy” translate the Greek word group (see below) that means “to set apart,” with different nuances depending on context. To be sanctified or holy is to be set apart either from evil, or set apart to do good works.1 Speaking of believers in the Church dispensation, the New Testament uses sanctification three ways:

1) Positional, which speaks of how God, by the baptism of the Spirit, sets apart each born again person into Union with Christ (1 Corinthians 1:2, 30; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2; Hebrews 10:10).

2) Experiential sanctification [aka progressive], which addresses how a believer becomes more-and-more set apart to doing God’s will (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4; Hebrews 12:14; 2 Corinthians 7:1).

3) Ultimate or final sanctification that speaks of when a believer is set-apart from mortality to immortality, which is to resurrected life in heaven (Ephesians 1:4; 5:27; Jude 24; cf., Romans 8:29; 1 John 3:1-3; Revelation 22:11). ...

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10 - How Does a Christian Grow? Part Two: Walking by the Spirit
Tue, Mar 08, 2011
by Robert Dean
Series: 2011 Chafer Theological Seminary Bible Conference
Duration: 1 hr 30 mins 9 secs
The previous article in this three-part series posed the question, “Why do the same people always seem to line up together on opposite sides even when interpreting different Scripture passages?” The verses themselves might appear to have little intrinsic relationship, yet the same theologians and the same commentators consistently gather together on the same sides of theological issues when facing off in doctrinal and hermeneutical debates. The reality of this conundrum is never more apparent than in disagreements between Calvinists and Arminians, dispensationalists and nondispensationalists, lordship and free grace advocates. ...
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