Progressive sanctification teaches that our Christian growth and maturity take place over time, progressively. Sometimes this growth is loud (i.e. very evident) and sometimes this growth is almost crickets (i.e. barely evident). The Christian hopes for the former and not the latter, but the average Christian knows what it’s like to experience both.
The Bible clearly teaches us that the Christian life in this present age is one in which we are enabled more and more to die to sin and live to righteousness, which is the wording of the Westminster Shorter Catechism (35). See Romans 6.1-4, Philippians 3.12-21, Colossians 1.9-14, and 3.1-17.
In the history of Protestant theology, progressive sanctification has been understood in a variety of ways. For a picture of the various views on sanctification that we see in the Protestant church today, take a look at Andy Naselli’s article, Models of Sanctification. This is a fantastic summary. If you’ve been a Christian for more than a couple years, you are sure to have seen (or lived under) one or two of the views in this article. You may even see views you have heard of, but never understood.
I hope you will be compelled to see the Reformed view as the biblical view and, therefore, your own view.
