Entire Sanctification

[Guest]

Steve,

I was listening to your answer to a question regarding entire sanctification and appreciated your approach. I grew up a Wesleyan, went to a Wesleyan Bible College, and am now an ordained Wesleyan Minister and yet I am not sure I've ever had this doctrine explained to me the same way twice

But I wanted to convey to you the general sense in which the term is being used in the Wesleyan Church today. It has become synonymous with 'fully-devoted/consecrated/committed'. It has, therefore, been watered-down (perhaps rightfully) to the point where we are expected to be 'entirely-sanctified' as a condition to continue as ministers each year.

When a Wesleyan pastor preaches on entire sanctification, it is almost always (in my observation) a straight-forward sermon on Romans 12:1-2. If you are interested, here is the current wesleyan statement on the issue.

We believe that sanctification is that work of the Holy Spirit by which the child of God is separated from sin unto God and is enabled to love God with all the heart and to walk in all His holy commandments blameless. Sanctification is initiated at the moment of justification and regeneration. From that moment there is a gradual or progressive sanctification as the believer walks with God and daily grows in grace and in a more perfect obedience to God. This prepares for the crisis of entire sanctification which is wrought instantaneously when believers present themselves as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, through faith in Jesus Christ, being effected by the baptism with the Holy Spirit who cleanses the heart from all inbred sin. The crisis of entire sanctification perfects the believer in love and empowers that person for effective service. It is followed by lifelong growth in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The life of holiness continues through faith in the sanctifying blood of Christ and evidences itself by loving obedience to God's revealed will.

[Guest]

Thanks for that clarification, Matt. I think the doctrine has, in fact, undergone needed modification since Wesley's time, and even since a generation ago. Most of the holiness writers a generation or two ago laid their emphasis on Romans 6:6--"our old man was crucified with Him"--and similar passages. The doctrine was also called "eradicationism," referring to the eradication of the sin nature, or inbred sin.

I have always appreciated the sentiment of those who taught and cherished this doctrine, because I have always wanted to be holy and can sympathize with those who want it all at once. The restatement of the doctrine, as you have presented it, is considerably more balanced than the way it was presented to me in earlier literature.

I still am not sure that the crisis moment of sanctification is clearly taught in any scriptural passage, but I certainly agree with every other part of the statement. Equating sanctification with total commitment or consecration resonates well enough even with one, like myself, outside the Wesleyan tradition.

Thanks again for your clarification.