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  RETROCESSION A PREREQUISITE OF SANCTIFICATION
  by Daniel Steele
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Summary: The sermon argues that the theory of successive partial
sanctifications is flawed and that entire sanctification requires a
live, growing, and intensely earnest Christian.

Topics: "Christian Perfection", "Sanctification"
Scripture References: Proverbs 4:18, 1 Corinthians 9:24, Philippians 3:12, Hebrews 6:1, 2 Peter 3:18

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DESCRIPTION
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Daniel Steele discusses the theory of successive partial
sanctifications, highlighting the misconception of implying backslidings
after every cleansing and the confusion between entire sanctification
and being reclaimed from spiritual decline. He emphasizes that true
inward purity is grasped by live, growing, and intensely earnest
Christians, discouraging the preaching of Christian perfection to those
who have retrograded or are indifferent to spiritual advancement.

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CONTENT
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THE theory of successive partial sanctifications it up to light," but
never reaching the extinction of depravity, seems to imply successive
backslidings after every cleansing:

When justified, every person is, in the relative or comparative sense,
entirely justified. And whenever, at any subsequent point, after a
season of retrocession, he comes fully up to his light and once more
walks in unclouded communion he becomes again entirely sanctified, in
this lower sense.

Thus our author confounds entire sanctification with what has been
called being reclaimed from spiritual decline. Any acquaintance with the
law of spiritual progress shows that only live, growing, and intensely
earnest Christians grasp the prize of inward purity.

In fact, Wesley discourages preaching Christian perfection to those who
have retrograded and are indifferent to spiritual advancement. This is
his answer to the question, "In what manner should we preach
sanctification?" "Scarce at all to those who are not pressing forward,"
or "to those who are always drawing rather than driving." The good sense
of Wesley in this matter is in striking contrast with the crudity of our
author, who would make "a season of retrocession" a preparation for
entire sanctification "in the relative sense."

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/daniel-steele/retrocession-a-prerequisite-of-sanctification/
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