I once read that Martyn Lloyd-Jones would not start preaching through the book of Romans before he first came to understand Romans 6. One presumes, since he produced many volumes of sermons on Romans, that he must have come to understand Romans 6 quite well.
I don’t have the mind of Dr. Lloyd-Jones, and I know that I do not understand this section of Romans as well as I would like. Probably one of the most misunderstood doctrines is the doctrine of sanctification, and yet it is the doctrine that has clear application every day of our lives! It is something we should wrestle, if necessary, to understand.
I encourage all to do some further reading on the subject. Come to understand it as much as possible. Reflect carefully upon your life and practice. We all should long to learn more and more what it means to live our lives by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave his life for us.
Where to read? Here is a list of books off my shelves to get you started. I am not at all sure if all of these books are still in print! Some, I know, certainly are.
Holiness by Grace by Bryan Chapell — a good, clear, well-illustrated overview of the whole subject.
The Enemy Within by Kris Lundgaard — few reflected more deeply upon the Christian life than the Puritans, and few Puritans grappled with as much insight as John Owen. Lundgaard’s book is a retelling of the insights Owen recorded in his classic On the Mortification of Sin.
True Spirituality by Francis Schaeffer — a classic on the subject. Very helpful in enabling the Christian to set realistic expectations.
Keep in Step with the Spirit by J. I. Packer — Packer, another student of the Puritans, gives a very helpful and practical overview of sanctification in the middle chapters of this book.
The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification by Walter Marshall — this is a 300 year old classic statement of the subject, modernized for current readers. One friend says that this is the best thing ever written on the subject.
Let me know what you think.