The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification
A short story about a man who has impacted Christianity for almost 400 years
Walter Marshall (1628-1680) was a man who struggled greatly with doubts and shame. It was because of his poor views of the gospel and the Christian life that led Walter to experience little joy from Christianity.
It is strange to think that this man wrote one of the most important books on sanctification in the history of the church. How did that come to be? Were there life events that brought about change? Were there influential people who counseled Marshall to think differently about the gospel?
As with all of God’s people, the gospel is best preached to others whenever it is first preached to ourselves. Marshall was not immune from this truth. And here is a moment in his life where it seems he was impacted most to think more biblically about his relationship with Christ:
“His religion only caused him affliction and heartache. He had been very distressed about the state of his soul for many years, and he had tried to put his sins to death with many different methods. He had tried to gain peace of conscience by his own efforts, but his mental anguish only increased. He went around mourning in his soul most of the day, because his conscience felt so guilty all the time. He always thought that God was displeased and angry with him. [Finally] he began to consult some of his friends to try to obtain relief from his own guilt…He [went to consult] Dr. Thomas Goodwin, a very eminent Puritan theologian.1 Marshall opened up his heart to Dr. Goodwin. He mentioned several of his sins that were weighing heavily upon his conscience. After he had finished describing his sins, Dr. Goodwin replied in this way: ‘You have forgotten to mention the greatest sin of all: the sin of unbelief. You do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive your sins, and to sanctify your nature.’”
Faith is the act of looking away from ourselves and unto Christ. Therefore, faith is strengthened when we look away from ourselves and unto Christ. When God wants to strengthen our faith He often brings us through times of suffering or shows us our sins in order that we might run to the Rock of Ages.
We are called to examine ourselves (2 Cor. 13:5) but we are called to examine Christ even more (2 Cor. 3:18; Heb. 12:2). We must remember that Satan has only two main temptations:
To have us think Christ won’t satisfy us enough and, therefore, we need to indulge in sin.
To have us think Christ isn’t enough to be forgiven and cleansed of our sins.
Both temptations have this in common: Look away from Christ!
If that is our Enemy’s greatest temptation then wouldn’t you think that we should do the opposite of his advice? We should make sure we look all the more to Jesus! This is what Marshall had to learn.
Goodwin’s sound advice changed Marshall’s life. And that is what inspired Marshall to not only relate to Christ differently but also to change the way he ministered to others—even through writing.
Marshall wrote one of the best books on sanctification from a Reformed viewpoint. His work entitled The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification still remains one of the most uplifting, informing, applicatory, and biblically sound works on the Christian life over the last 350 or so years.
Take up and read!
Thomas Goodwin is who inspired Dane Ortlund to write his book Gentle and Lowly.