Book Review/Summary - Sanctification (Harold Senkbeil)

This book was good, but was more about the American Evangelical movement than sanctification as a theological topic.

One major topic was the confusion between the left and the right hand kingdoms. Senkbeil states, "Whenever the church has allied itself too closely with the cultural establishment, it has become corrupt and its Gospel has been secularized." He then points out that

1. Liberals try to make the secular sacred by adopting societal ethics and norms
2. Evangelicals try to makes the sacred secular by promoting "Christian" music, books, money management, etc..

Modern Evangelicalism is not really a theological system, but more of a mood, a perspective, and an experience. It focuses on a personal decision in conversion, while putting a spotlight on human experience instead of God's action.  However, the link between God and believer should never be our feelings but the person and work of Jesus Christ, who comes to us in his Gospel, not in our hearts. They teach that the wrath of God poured out on Jesus, so we receive God's Mercy, but then Grace comes from the individuals sanctified will and works. Thus we are partly forgiven because of our decision. Evangelicalism is:

1. more form than substance
2. more style than content
3. more mind-set than dogma
4. teaching replaced by lifestyle

It also picked the "selfish" or individualistic pieces of different traditions:

1. Calvinism: individualism, but destiny
2. Revival Arminisanism: Free Will in Conversion
3. European pietist: spirituality and obedience
4. Modernists: Focus on human achievement. more interested in that than Gods salvation

Most of their teaching revolves around "sanctification" as they call it, which is really "Christian" self help, a practical/pragmatic religion. In this system of thought Biblical figures, including Christ, become examples for us, instead of the story of how God saves us.