Be Ye Holy

CONTENTS

Foreword

Part 1
1. The Divine Work of Sanctification
2. Justification and Sanctification: Their Differences and Their Relation to Each Other
3. The Role of the Law in Sanctification
4. The Imperfection of Sanctification in This Life
5. “A Faire and Easie Way to Heaven:” The Threat to Sanctification of Antinomianism
6. The Victorious Christian

Part 2
7. Only the Holy Inherit the Kingdom
8. Our Calling to Work Out Our Own Salvation

Part 3
9. Zealous for Good Works
10. A Scottish Classic on Sanctification: James Fraser of Alness’s “Explication” of Romans 6:1-8:4

Appendix
About the British Reformed Fellowship

Foreword

“Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.” This is the admirable, succinct definition of sanctification given in the Westminster Shorter Catechism (Q. & A. 35).

The truth of God’s definitive and progressive work of making us holy, beautifully summarized in the sentence above by the Westminster divines, is explained, illustrated, defended and applied in great depth and length in the ten chapters of this book. In this little volume, the orthodox teaching of sanctification is set forth over against various heresies, especially antinomianism or antinomism. Here Scripture (and its exegesis), the Reformed confessions (both the Three Forms of Unity and the Westminster Standards) and church history are all brought to bear on the glorious subject of the believer’s conformity to Christ in sanctification.

The goal is that we might know the truth of sanctification—which biblical doctrine, like all other aspects of God’s truth, makes us free (John 8:32)—and obey the gospel call to holiness in heart and life, by God’s grace. Some 2,000 years ago, on the day before His crucifixion for us, our Saviour prayed, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17). Christ’s prayer on that momentous night and His continuous intercession for His church embraces not only the billions of God’s elect over the millennia and the innumerable occasions whereby He uses His truth in various ways; it also includes this humble book and all the saints who shall read it.

The two main authors of this work are Profs. David J. Engelsma and Herman Hanko, who are responsible for the first eight chapters which are contained in the first two parts of the book. Part 1 embraces, in written form, the six main speeches at the 2014 British Reformed Fellowship (BRF) Family Conference at Gartmore House, near Loch Lomond in the southern part of the Scottish Highlands (26 July – 2 August). Part 2 consists of the Sunday sermons at that Conference by our two chief speakers; they supplement the six core lectures by developing various aspects of the doctrine of sanctification. Part 3 begins with the introductory speech at the 2014 BRF Conference by Rev. Martyn McGeown, editor of the British Reformed Journal (BRJ) and missionary-pastor of the Limerick Reformed Fellowship (LRF) in the Republic of Ireland, and concludes with the special lecture on James Fraser of Alness and his famous “explication” of Romans 6:1-8:4 by Rev. Angus Stewart, the minister of the Covenant Protestant Reformed Church (CPRC) in Ballymena, N. Ireland.

Be Ye Holy is the sixth BRF book co-authored by Profs. Hanko and Engelsma, the others being Keeping God’s Covenant (2006), The Five Points of Calvinism (2008), The Work of the Holy Spirit (2010), The Reformed Worldview (2012) and Ye Are My Witnesses (2014).

As you read this book, heed the biblical commandment: “Be ye holy; for I am holy” (I Pet. 1:16; cf. Lev. 11:44, 45; 19:2; 20:7, 26)!

Rev. Angus Stewart
BRF Chairman

This book can also be read on-line.

To read this book in Polish, click here.
To read all this book in Russian, click here.
All 10 main chapters of this book can be read in Spanish.

“Be Ye Holy is the best book I have ever read on sanctification and is as confessional as you could get.” – Republic of Ireland

“Be Ye Holy has been a great resource to pass out to visitors, and to mail to prisoners and others who are eager for doctrinal dispute, but need better to understand the calling to holiness.” – USA



The Prayer of the Church in Babylon

11 sermons on Isaiah 63:7-64:12 on CD or DVD

The church today dwells in the midst of the Babylon of this world (a dominant,
ungodly and hostile culture), as did the Israel addressed by the evangelical
prophet in Isaiah 63:7-64:12. Both then and now, the church is, from an
outward perspective, small and weak. These 11 sermons from Isaiah are
designed to comfort the people of God as we pray to our Father for divine help.

(1) Mentioning Jehovah’s Lovingkindness (Isa. 63:7-8)
(2) Jehovah Afflicted With His People (Isa. 63:9)
(3) Vexing God’s Holy Spirit (Isa. 63:10)
(4) God’s Remembering the Days of Old (Isa. 63:11-14)
(5) The Desolate Church Appeals to Father (Isa. 63:15-16)
(6) Jehovah’s Hardening His Church’s Heart (Isa. 63:17-19)
(7) Rend the Heavens and Come Down! (Isa. 64:1-3)
(8) The God Who Acts for Those Who Wait for Him (Isa. 64:4)
(9) The Church’s Moving Confession (Isa. 64:5-6)
(10) The Prayerless Church Appeals to Father (Isa. 64:7-8)
(11) Spreading Out Our Miseries Before the Lord (Isa. 64:9-12)



When You Pray

How many Christians can confidently say that they have “mastered” the art of prayer?

Probably no one.

What is blessedly refreshing about Professor Hanko’s work, When You Pray, is his admission that none of us is good at prayer—including himself—yet over the years of one’s life, the author assures us, a person can make progress in praying.

Professor Hanko shares with his readers homely yet highly meaningful lessons he learned from growing up in a covenant family and covenantal church community. He also tells the specific benefits of praying to the sovereign God of the universe, who knows our sins and weaknesses but love us still. Valuable is the professor’s clear explanation of how God can be likened to the father of an earthly family, loving and caring for his own dear children.

An eye-opening and very helpful part of his book is the author’s pinpointing of misconceptions people have about God and prayer that bar them from praying in a God-honouring way.

Prayer that does not clash with Scripture is of prime importance for the author, whose sensitivity to scriptural truths has been honed in more than thirty years of study and teaching as professor of New Testament and church history in the Theological School of the Protestant Reformed Churches in America. Professor Hanko is a down-to-earth writer, one who very much feels with his readers the struggle that it sometimes is to take the time to engage in heartfelt, sincere prayer. His apt illustrations from everyday life make the underlying theology of prayer vividly understandable.

If you have found your devotional life to be frequently barren, reading what the author has learned the hard way—over fifty years in the ministry—will not discourage you further, but will give you a renewed desire to fellowship with your Father in prayer.

“This book helped me more than anything else I have heard or read on prayer.” – S. Wales

“I have a copy. Recommended reading.” – Philippines

“I’ve been benefitting from reading Prof. Hanko’s book on prayer at the minute [i.e., during the days of restrictions due to COVID-19].” – Co. Antrim

“Thank you so much for continuing to send me your C. R. News and the other supporting leaflets … I have just received my copy of When You Pray by Prof. Hanko—being a member of the Book Club—and have only just peered inside for a foretaste! The standard of the book’s format and binding is excellent (I do much prefer ‘hard cover’ productions!) and I am sure that its contents will be even greater. Please arrange to forward me a set of the tapes ‘Covenant with Adam’…” – South Wales

Click here to read a review of this book published in the Beacon Lights.

To watch the video of the author interview concerning this book, click here.