Book Review "The World-Tilting Gospel" part 6

Continuing in our review of Dan Phillips' "The World-Tilting Gospel" (Kregel Publications, 2011) leads us to part 4, "How Do We Get Going?"  This is by far the largest section of Phillips book (6 chapters).  Here we find the author addressing the matter of growth in the Christian life.  Phillips weaves through the mine-field of Christian "solutions" to the perpetual battle between the flesh and the Spirit.  He acknowledges both the struggle and the imperative (grow in holiness).  Phillips repeats the traditional 3-fold aspect of Christian sanctification: positional, progressive, and perfect.  He also helpfully reminds the reader of the distinction between justification and sanctification.

He is not justified because he grows in holiness; and when his growth has a setback, his justification is completely unaffected. But he will grow in holiness, because he has been justified. (p. 192)

Phillips next 2 chapters (10-11) cover his evaluation of 3 misguided approaches to sanctification that have dogged believers over the past 2 centuries: Gutless Gracers (no-lordship/free grace), Crisis Upgraders (2nd blessing/Keswick movement), Muzzy Mystics (Keswick movement/"Let God and Let God").

Concerning Gutless Gracers he writes: Grace is God’s dynamic, free, flowing gift of Himself that delivers us from the guilt and domain of sin (justification), and enables us to live lives that please Him (progressive sanctification). After we become recipients of justifying grace, we become participants in sanctifying grace. If the latter is not happening, then the former never happened. (p. 204)

 Concerning Crisis Upgraders he writes: The Crisis Upgrader fails to see that when we encounter Christ, we come to possess all of God’s riches and wonders in Him. (p. 212)

Concerning Muzzy Mystics he writes: This teaching does not truly call me to look away from myself to Christ and His Word. Instead, it calls me to look within myself for Christ, apart from His Word, so I can hear His holy whispers in the stillness. (p. 222)

Chapters 12-13 address the problem of the Flesh and the God-ordained solution of walking in the Spirit.  Phillips cogently handles the various nuances of the Greek term sarx as found throughout the New Testament.  Consider his 4 key points on the Holy Spirit:

1. First, we must thank God for the sweeping and extraordinary work of the Spirit in us. (p. 268)
2. Second, we should trust—not seek—what God has given us in the Spirit. (p. 269)
3. Third, we must target the glory of Christ, not the Spirit Himself. (p. 271)
4. Fourthly, we need to toil in the Spirit’s power. The Spirit has given us much, and continues to give us much. We must do something with it. (p. 273)

My one complaint with Phillips in this section is that he wrote the book so long after I had to walk through this minefield myself in my early Christian walk.  It would have been extremely helpful to have had such a resource in those early days to guide me through these dangers.  Yet again, God is sovereign and brings us through in His time in spite of ourselves.