“Sin Remains in Believers” -- Article One, The Fifth Point of Doctrine, Canons of Dort

Article 1: The Regenerate Not Entirely Free from Sin

Those people whom God according to his purpose calls into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord and regenerates by the Holy Spirit, he also sets free from the reign and slavery of sin, though in this life not entirely from the flesh and from the body of sin.

______________________________________

The fifth and final head of doctrine as framed by the Canons of Dort deals with challenges raised by the Arminians to the Reformed doctrine of the perseverance of the saints. The focus in article one is upon the presence of indwelling sin in all regenerate believers. The Reformed reject all forms of Christian perfectionism–the erroneous view that it is possible for Christians to attain a state of sinless perfection in this life. This view was held by the fourth century heretic Pelegius and has resurfaced in the evangelical bloodstream periodically through works such as John Wesley’s A Plain Account of Christian Perfection and later through the revivalistic efforts of Charles Finney.

American evangelicals–many of whom understand the idea of the perseverance of the saints through the lens of decisional regeneration, will find the Reformed view of perseverance quite foreign. Decisional regeneration (“once saved always saved”) is a popular view that once someone “accepts” Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior, their salvation is eternally secured and they cannot lose their salvation, although they will lose rewards if they do not live a godly life post-conversion.

As indicated in the first four heads of doctrine, the Reformed see things quite differently. God sovereignly regenerates his elect through the preaching of the gospel (the effectual call), that they believe and are justified (declared righteous) and are set apart for God’s purposes (sanctification). All those justified and definitively sanctified (i.e., “saints”) will begin the lifelong process of progressive sanctification, wherein the power of sin over them is steadily broken and they begin to live godly and holy lives (e.g., Romans 8:28-30; 1 Corinthians 1:30). Yet, the Christian life is characterized by the struggle with indwelling sin. According to Galatians 5:17, the Christian life is, and remains until death, a struggle between the flesh and the Spirit. Likewise in Romans 7:7-13, Paul speaks of the power of the law to condemn as no longer in effect for believers, although he goes on to describe the intense struggle with indwelling sin in Romans 7:14-25.

This basis for the struggle with sin is set forth succinctly in article one on remaining sin (or indwelling sin, or the habitus of sin) which remains within us after coming to faith in Christ. But the elect will persevere to the end in faith (Matthew 24:13) because Jesus presently intercedes for us as we struggle with sin (cf. 1 John 1:5-2:2), and because we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit who is the down-payment ensuring the redemption of our bodies (Ephesians 1:13-14). Believers in Jesus cannot fall away because he will not let us, despite the presence and struggle of indwelling sin.

This has been explained by recent Reformed writers using illustrations such as D-Day. Once the allies establish a beachhead at Normandy in June of 1944, Germany cannot possibly win World War 2, even though fighting lasted for almost another year (May of 1945). So too, for believers, the power of sin is broken, but the struggle against it continues on until death. Another popular illustration is when a court condemns a building squatters move in and refuse to leave. Sin has been condemned and paid for by Christ. But the squatter won’t leave until the building is demolished. After calling and justification take place, the process of sanctification immediately begins and continues until we enter the presence of the Lord.