Is Sanctification Monergistic, Synergistic, or Neither: A Friendly Inquiry

If you have been in the Reformed world long, you have probably been strongly conditioned to think of the word “monergism” as good and the word “synergism” as bad. Respectively, they simply mean “one working” or “working together.” However, in the last generation or two, there are some prominent Reformed voices that would caution us to not be so quick. They would say monergism is good only in reference to regeneration and justification, but when it comes to sanctification, we should embrace synergism, for in sanctification we cooperate with God in doing good works. Others have concluded that neither the Bible nor the Reformed tradition are very clear on the issue, so perhaps we should just drop the terminology altogether.

Though I greatly respect and have learned a great deal from the voices just mentioned, I strongly disagree. At first, I intended to write a full argument for why I disagree and why it is important to affirm a monergistic sanctification, but perhaps it is wiser to start by simply asking a few questions of those of a different mind. I have a suspicion that they do not really mean that we are synergistically sanctified, but simply mean that we are to strive for holiness by utilizing the means of grace that God has given us. If so, then I would be last to disagree.

I will split my line of questions into two parts. First, as we should, let us ask what the Scriptures say on the matter. However, since we are not the first Christians to grapple with questions like these, let us also ask what our own tradition has concluded from Scripture on the matter at hand.

1. What does the Bible say?

For these questions, I suggest you have your Bible at the ready.

1. When the Bible speaks of our salvation, does it not sometimes mean justification, sometimes sanctification, sometimes glorification and sometimes all three together?
2. Is the work of salvation synergistic or monergistic?
3. Who saves?
4. Who sanctifies according to 1 Thes. 5:23?
5. Who sanctifies according to Eph. 5:25-27?
6. Who sanctifies according to 1 Pet. 1:2?
7. When Scripture uses the same word, is it always used in the same sense?
8. Is “sanctification/holiness” used in the same sense in all of the following passages: 1 Thes. 5:23; Eph. 5:25-27, 1 Cor. 1:30, Rom 15:16, 1 Pet. 1:2, 2 Tim. 2:21; 1 Pet. 3:15; Heb. 12:14, etc?
9. Is it proper to motivate Christians to do good works (as defined by His law)?
10. Are the following motivations insufficient to produce good works in Christians: we have been baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection, we have been bought with a price, we are not our own, we are God’s children, good works honor our Father, they do us good, they do our neighbor good, our Father will lovingly discipline us in order to produce them, our Savior suffered on account of our bad works etc? Or must we add that the work of our salvation is incomplete without it? [Note, this is not to suggest that Christians can in fact be without good works, but suggests that the work of our salvation is complete apart from our good works.]
11. If love is the fulfilling of the law (holiness), can fear produce love/law keeping? (1 John 4:18,19)
12. If sanctification were synergistic, would the more sanctified saint have something to boast about? See 1 Cor. 1:29-31.

2. What does the Reformed tradition say?

The first two questions below are in reference to Is Sanctification Monergistic or Synergistic: A Reformed Survey by Kevin DeYoung.

1. In determining what the historic reformed position is on this question, is it better to evaluate a handful of passages from select theologians or to look at how the widely accepted catechisms answer the question, “what is sanctification”?
2. Since the catechisms describe sanctification as a work, is it not proper to ask who does it (just God or God and us)? See Westminster Shorter Catechism Q&A 35, Westminster Larger Catechism Q&A 75, Baptist (Keach’s) Catechism Q&A 38, or Spurgeon’s (Puritan) Catechism Q&A 34.
3. When the reformed argue that synergistic justification derogates from God’s glory, why would this not obtain for sanctification as well? (See 1 Cor. 1:18-31 esp. 30 and 31).
4. When the reformed say that our faith is our own, yet it is produced by regeneration that is not our own (monergistic), why couldn’t we say that our good works our our own, but it is produced by a sanctification that is not our own (monergistic)?
5. Is sanctification equivalent to good works?
6. Is sanctification equivalent to dying to sin and living to righteousness? See Catechism Q&As listed in question 2.
7. If the answer to the preceding is in the affirmative, would this not make the catechisms to say “Sanctification is a work of God’s free grace… where we are enabled more and more to work our own sanctification”, which would make the definition circular?

In theological conversations, it is easy to talk past one another, so I hope these pointed questions will lay a solid foundation for a constructive discussion. I will likely be adding posts on this topic in the future, but I believe this is good a way to start, since I honestly do not know how those of a different mind would answer these questions. Perhaps I am over simplifying things.

It bears repeating that in defending God’s glory in working our salvation completely, including in sanctification, I do not endorse a “let go and let God” mentality. With the Apostle, I think every one who is in Christ should “make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, …” and if you do not you are blind and have forgotten that you were “… cleansed from your former sins.” (1 Pet. 1:5-9). I think the implication here is that if we remember that we have been cleansed from our former sins, it leads us to “make every effort…”. Let us remember that with saving faith we have accepted, received, and rested “…upon [Christ] alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life, by virtue of the covenant of grace” (2nd London Baptist and Westminster Confession of Faith, 14.2) [emphasis mine], so let us make every effort to die to sin and live to righteousness.