The Puritans & Progress

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” - 2 Corinthians 3:18

I have often been amazed how quickly people write off the Puritans. Their reputation takes on a life of its own. Their works, shot through with the bright hope of glory, are commonly quoted to the effect of, “I’m more wretched than you can imagine.” Evidently, some believe this to be a faithful summary of the Puritan outlook on the Christian life—but they are mistaken. Take in the warmth of the English Puritan Richard Sibbes, who preached and pastored at Gray’s Inn in London the early 17th century, who wrote: “There is more mercy in Christ than sin in us.” I can’t think of a more hopeful thing to ponder this morning.

These misunderstood servants of Christ from centuries past raise an important question for us today. How should the redeemed talk about ourselves with regard to sanctification? Taking the risk of generalizing a bit, I would argue that we ought to take a Puritan outlook. We ought to acknowledge our depravity, as all good Puritans do, but we ought to embrace hope. As the Apostle wrote to an imperfect church, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you, will bring it to completion on the day of Jesus Christ.” We know that the work of Christ in us isn’t yet complete. But it will be.

The Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians gives us a hopeful picture of sanctification, that as time passes, our transformation into the image and likeness of Jesus is incremental—from one degree of glory to the next. How does this change the way we talk about ourselves? It means that the goal for today isn’t perfection but progress. If perfection today is our aim, our joy will be sapped due to our inadequacy. But if the goal is a half-step towards holiness, there’ll be room for joy.

The wonderful thing about Paul’s description of sanctification is how the verse ends: “For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” As you seek to make progress—to take one more step forward in faithfulness, you do so by the grace and power of the Holy Spirit. God is behind our progress, whether it’s a leap forward, or a half-step, which is what it is most days. Even if on a given day, we seem to take one step backwards, our outlook is comprehensive. We mourn our sin, repent, and rise in hope, because we wake up to new mercies every morning. (Lam. 3:22-24)

Would you ask yourself this morning, “What is one step I could take today to honor Jesus more?” My friend, pray and pursue progress in the Christian life. The Spirit and the Word are your helpers, and one step towards Jesus is cause for great joy. And always remember, “There is more mercy in Christ than sin in us.”