Spirituality expressed in obedience
John Gill sought to show his people a piety connected to and yet born out of the Spirit’s work in salvation. Such a piety would enable a fixed assurance, yet not contradictory to the work of sovereign grace. Of this Christian growth, Gill remarks: “I believe that an outward conformity to Christ in conversation, or active holiness, external holiness of life, is absolutely necessary to evidence the truth of holiness of heart in all that are saved, who are either capable, or have an opportunity of performing it, and showing it forth.”[1] Gill even says quite concisely, “Sanctification is absolutely necessary to salvation.”[2] Note, he both denounces antinomianism with this remark while preaching on the need of a declarative spirituality—an experiential and evangelistic spirituality.
Gill explains his perspective on the spiritual life as issuing forth in evidences and exercises of religion. The Christian life bears out these characteristics as found treasure possessed in those born again into graces of the Spirit—as we relish and abound in hope, faith, and increased knowledge of divine things, we will necessarily see the outworking in our experiential religion. It was not that he challenged Christians to simply show outward signs of being good church members. Rather, Gill was concerned that Christians understand the present warming, sanctifying grace given in regeneration. Joyful prudence ought to evidence the life of the church; prudence to take hold and relish the fatherly gifts newly embraced in the ever-present work of the Covenant-keeper. Gill stressed an affected ecclesiology; even in disciplining his own church, he notes the Holy Spirit conforms a covenant people to Christ—a good, brilliant, wonderful thing. Therefore, Christians uniquely hunger for the outworking and demonstration of God’s Spirit within them individually and corporately.[3]
Obedience compelled by affection
The pilgrim pursues the perpetual affections of Christ. Christians are invigorated by these affections through ordained means of grace—not means for salvation, but exercises wherein they can enjoy the work of the Spirit within them. Gill would argue that we must pursue these graces, not out of a necessity to work and achieve them on their own, but because they are the evidence from within us which proves our eternal glorious state.[4] The hunger for spiritual growth is truly a hunger for the love of God, and the assurances already attained for us by Christ. Each of the expressions of virtue, or spiritual characteristics, is eclipsed by the light of God’s love for his chosen ones. Gill wrote to this point, “To have our hearts directed into the love of God, is so to be led into it, as to have our hearts affected with it; and influenced by it.”[5] The more we exercise our faith by examining these virtues, the more attuned we will be to healthy chastisements and blessings. Do we desire to exercise more the mercy and grace of God whenever we taste chastisement and sin? If we are struggling and doubting, the exercise of virtue will lead us to be strengthened and comforted amidst sorrow and woe. The virtues demonstrated are not works to be completed for the continued earning or meriting of grace, but demonstrations of grace at work in restoring our Christian countenance.
Virtues and good works
Gill goes on to consider this spiritual hunger under the banner of “good works.” The demonstrations of piety, as the outworking of love, reveal and satisfy the believer’s spiritual hunger. He writes of the command to be courageous, to be joyful, to be zealous, as biblical affectionate responses of obedience we pursue—these are part of our “good works” as Christians. We serve not merely as good stewards who give alms, who fast, or who show patience and courteousness to the otherwise unbecoming, but rather actively seek to stir ourselves and others in affections for Christ which give way to a reformed character.
Gill says, these works, “are useful to evidence the truth of our faith to the world, and discover to them the certainty of our election and vocation, who have no other way of judging of either, but by our outward conversation; hereby we adorn the profession we make of Christ and his gospel.”[6] The actions we perform cannot be divorced from the internal transformation in our affections—finding distinctions in the first work of regeneration and then the tempering orchestrated through our sanctification. Herein we find Gill asserting his view of the pure church, against the antinomian sentiment that our internal salvation has no relevance to our immediate personhood under Christ’s lordship—that grace would not be demonstrably proven in conforming the believer. It is this language of good works that is used against the antinomian, not in advocation of meritorious grace, but evangelical Calvinism. The virtues which should be pursued and exercised are similar to Abraham’s faith. Yes, God has taken notice of our demonstration, is well-pleased, and simultaneously “renews to us the promise, which of his own grace and good will he had made,” and so by our own hunger for spiritual growth, the Lord strengthens our faith and encourages us to continue in obedience—as it is steadfast in us from His gifting to our glorification.[7]
We are called to embrace this good news for the Christian experience: the Lord desires to strengthen and satisfy the weary pilgrim and supplies her or him with the compulsion to fight doubt, the tenderness to savor mercy, and the stamina to keep fighting into hope is proven triumphant on the day of judgment.
About the Author
Christopher Ellis Osterbrock (DEdMin. in Biblical Spirituality, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; PhD Student in Historical Theology, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary) is senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Wellsboro, PA. He is the author of What is Saving Faith? (March, 2022), as well as editor of several reprints
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[1] John Gill, “The Necessity of Good Works unto Salvation Considered,” in Sermon and Tracts, 6:160.
[2] John Gill, A Body of Doctrinal Divinity; or, a System of Evangelical Truths, Deduced from the Sacred Scriptures, vol. 2 (London: George Keith, 1769), 883.
[3] John Rippon, A Brief Memoir of the Life and Writings of the Late Rev. John Gill, D.D. (1838; repr., Harrisonburg, VA: Sprinkle, 2006), 125.
[4] Gill, “The Glorious State of the Saints in Heaven,” in Sermons and Tracts, 1:175.
[5] Gill, “The Love of God Considered,” in Sermons and Tracts, 4:30.
[6] Gill, “The Doctrines of God’s Everlasting Love to His Elect,” in Sermons and Tracts, 5:56.
[7] John Gill, An Exposition of the First Book of Moses Called Genesis (1810; repr., Springfield, MO: Particular Baptist Press, 2010), 390.
This blog post is authored by a student of Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary.
