Sanctification By Works In Colossians 3

Justification is by faith alone.  Scripture teaches that in many places.  Sanctification, however, is not by faith alone.  Sanctification comes also by works.  You've got to do something and keep doing things to be sanctified.  When you don't do those things, that is not being sanctified.  This is biblical and historical teaching.  You can see this in the section on sanctification in the London Baptist Confession of Faith (1689)  [see underlined portions]:

1. They who are united to Christ, effectually called, and regenerated, having a new heart and a new spirit created in them through the virtue of Christ's death and resurrection, are also farther sanctified, really and personally, through the same virtue, by His Word and Spirit dwelling in them; the dominion of the whole body of sin is destroyed, and the several lusts thereof are more and more weakened and mortified, and they more and more quickened and strengthened in all saving graces, to the practice of all true holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. (Acts 20:32; Romans 6:5, 6; John 17:17; Ephesians 3:16-19; 1 Thessalonians 5:21-23; Romans 6:14; Galatians 5:24; Colossians 1:11; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Hebrews 12:14)

2. This sanctification is throughout the whole man, yet imperfect in this life; there abideth still some remnants of corruption in every part, whence ariseth a continual and irreconcilable war; the flesh lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. (1 Thessalonians 5:23; Romans 7:18, 23; Galatians 5:17; 1 Peter 2:11)

3. In which war, although the remaining corruption for a time may much prevail, yet through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ, the regenerate part doth overcome; and so the saints grow in grace, perfecting holiness in the fear of God, pressing after an heavenly life, in evangelical obedience to all the commands which Christ as Head and King, in His Word hath prescribed them. (Romans 7:23; Romans 6:14; Ephesians 4:15, 16; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 2 Corinthians 7:1)

To some of you reading, what I've written so far might seem like a no-brainer.  However, churches are in a major way buying into an idea expressed by words such as these:  "sanctification is the daily hard work of going back to the reality of our justification."  Timothy Kauffman writes about this in Sanctification, Half Full: The Myopic Hermeneutic of the “Grace” Movement:

[T]he new view (occasionally called the “Grace movement”) appears to allege that justification completes our sanctification; that is, the holiness of sanctification is that same righteousness that was already secured for believers via Christ’s substitutionary atonement, and is obtained by the same instrumental means of faith alone.

The Bible nor the history of Christianity says sanctification is by faith alone, but by faith plus works.  Read Colossians 3:1-5:

1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. 5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth.

The first half of verse one describes the reality of justification or salvation, if you will:  "ye then be risen with Christ."  It is a first class condition, so it is a condition of reality.  If someone is really justified, he will do things.  He will do good works.  That is how he is sanctified.  And they are all commands:  Seek (v. 1), Set (v. 2), Mortify (v. 5).  People who are truly justified are commanded to do good works, not preach the gospel to themselves.

If someone truly saved were to preach the gospel to himself, he might do it in a few words, and I'm going to use my own name:  "You are risen with Christ, Kent."  Alright done preaching the gospel to myself, and now I, me, am commanded to do these things.  Your affections are not just going to be set on things above.  You've got to set them.

Many, many professing Christians today are not seeking, not setting their affections on, and not mortifying.  They are not.  After reminding themselves that they are risen with Christ, they need to obey those commands.