Lately I have had a few conversations around moral betterment and the transformative effects of the gospel. I have found myself coming under fire a few times. So I want to articulate my position. This is largely informed by T.F Torrance’s doctrine of Vicarious Humanity. To read more see ‘The Mediation of Christ‘, particularly chapter 4 ‘The Vicarious Humanity of Christ and Human Response‘.
It seems to me that often Christians get human response and divine grace the wrong way around. Let me expand. The work of Christ, by virtue of the homoousion, is a work on behalf of all humanity. As Christ assumes a fallen human condition he becomes the representatve human, the second Adam. Where this leads me is to say not only has Christ died for me in atoning sacrifice, but Christ plunged into the depths of my sinful human condition (into the far country if you like) and lived a life which redeemed my condition as a human. As such, the incarnation is inherently redemptive and redemption is inherently incarnational. So as Christ was baptised I was baptised, as Christ had faith I have faith, etc. My human response then becomes a participation in what Christ has already done on my behalf.
So when I come to think of the process of sanctification, I cannot think of it in terms of me picking myself up by my bootstraps to improve my condition. Christ has already done that! I participate in Christ! I no longer have confidence in the ‘flesh’. Sanctification then, I believe, becomes a process of coming to know Christ. As I come to know Christ, I come to be. Knowledge, in the biblical sense of the word, entails more than an intellectual knowing, but a whole human engagement with an other, in this case the Triune God of grace. So sanctification is a ‘byproduct’ of my coming to know Christ in the Spirit.
This is where I have gotten into trouble. It seems that people like to see themselves in a process of moral improvement. We are, but only as far as we know Christ. While you may read this and think, duh! I would suggest that this is the most incredibly freeing way of thinking about life and faith. It allows me the freedom to say, Christ has accomplished absolutely everything on my behalf, I no longer need to improve myself in order to gain entrance into the Kingdom. However, as I am invited by the Spirit to share in Christ, to come to know him, I am transformed by this relationship. My being cannot help but be transformed by this knowledge which I am given.
Scott Kirkland
