Justification and sanctification - the lecturing confusion of the credentialed unregenerate

Oh, is union with Christ prior and foundational to justification?

No, regeneration by the word and the Spirit is prior, and the righteousness of Christ is the ground of justification.

Oh, my, do I give my sheep laws to follow, or do I just make sure they know Jesus accepts them?

No, 'pastor', you give them the actual word of God, undiluted, boldly, and complete. That is the environment and the territory where regeneration happens when it happens.

Listen up, Reformed academics (the stealth and/or unconscious liberals and the so-called confessional, hold-the-line types) --- progressive sanctification is god-reliant effort. (That's a J. I. Packer phrase, and it's a good one.) Here's what you don't know and nobody teaching you knows: it's not about works at that point. I.e. at that point where regeneration and justification by faith alone has occured. Listen closely: apple trees produce apples. Before glorification the apple tree might commit adultery or some other sin, but it won't stay in the sin. It will not like the sin. God (the Father) will discipline the apple tree, but never cut it off. Meanwhile, pretty much, regarding good works, the apple tree will produce apples. Without having to think about it or constantly consciously will it. It has to do with having a new heart.

What requires God-reliant effort is *increasing* our union with Christ. You may be a sacraments type and so be it. I won't bother you. But some of you feel more of a motivation and inspiration to practically increase that union with Christ. The Spirit guides. I'm not going to direct you to any schools. If you want it you'll find it.

Final point you really have to listen closely to: in all the current debate regarding justification and sanctification and union with Christ there is the usual attempt to downgrade the doctrine of justification by faith alone. 'Union with Christ' as a doctrine is a mushy doctrine, more in the realm of biblical theology than systematic theology, hence it is being used by the usual liberal types and the out and out false teachers to make a breach and to downgrade the main doctrine they always attempt to downgrade, the aforementioned justification by faith alone. And of course 'biblical theology' has been commandeered by the false teachers of our day to cloak their false doctrine in. Notice they never want to produce a systematic theology and thus put their cards on the table because they know that will expose them, so they stay within the realm of biblical theology to ground/cloak their false doctrine and pretend or assert that the false theology is actually in harmony with the historic confessions and so forth. Why do I have to explain this to you?

(They are also interested in satisfying the demand of their fallen natures to belittle any notion of God proclaiming them innocent. In their precious self-image they already are innocent, and who is God to proclaim them something they already are? Hence the imputation of the active obedience of Christ is, of course, the usual target of their resentment and hate as well.)

WE ARE ONLY IN UNION WITH THE KINGDOM OF SATAN PRIOR TO JUSTIFICATION. ***THE HOLY SPIRIT IS NOT JESUS.*** WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THE HOLY SPIRIT MAY INDEED BE WORKING IN US PRIOR TO OUR ACTUALLY CONSCIOUSLY HAVING SAVING FAITH, BUT THAT IS NOT UNION WITH CHRIST. UNION WITH CHRIST REQUIRES US BEING OUTSIDE THE COURTROOM WITH NO SHACKLES ON OUR HANDS AND LEGS AND NO POLICE ESCORTING US ANYWHERE. BECAUSE WHEN YOU WERE IN THAT JAIL CELL WAITING FOR YOUR COURT APPEARANCE AND YOUR BEING DECLARED INNOCENT YOU SAID YOU HAVE FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST AND HIS WORK IN HIS LIFE AND ON THE CROSS. YES THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST, BUT LET'S ALLOW AN ORTHODOX DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY TO GUIDE OUR UNDERSTANDING HERE. THE HOLY SPIRIT WORKS REGENERATION IN US, AND THAT IS PRIOR TO OUR HAVING SAVING FAITH AND HENCE JUSTIFICATION. UNION WITH CHRIST FOLLOWS JUSTIFICATION. WHY DOES A STREET CALVINIST UNDERSTAND THIS, ACCEPT THIS, PROCLAIM THIS, WHILE ALL YOU SEMINARY MORONS ONLY TRY TO DOWNGRADE IT OR FOLLOW THOSE WHO WOULD DOWNGRADE IT? WHY AM I ABLE TO ARTICULATE IT IN A SHORT BLOG POST WHEN YOU WASTE WHOLE ARTICLES AND BOOKS TAP DANCING AROUND EVERY ASPECT OF IT? WHY ARE YOU TAKEN SERIOUSLY BY ANYBODY?