A Thumbnail Theology – Peter Lundell, D.Miss.
Entire sanctification may be defined as
>setting apart our lives and completely surrendering to God and his will.
>perfect (fully mature and complete) in our relationship with Christ.
>having a completely cleansed heart and mind with freedom from the power of sin.
>loving the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, and strength.
Entire sanctification can thus be seen as being set apart and totally dedicated to God, with a cleansed heart and mind, and loving the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, and strength.
Christian perfection does not mean that we are sinlessly or absolutely perfect.
The biblical word means completeness and fullness of maturity and Christian character.
From there we continue to “grow in grace” in our walk with Christ such that beyond sanctification, we grow toward union with God, in which his thoughts and ways become ours.
Gradual and instantaneous works both operate and vary with a) individuals, b) the work of the Holy Spirit, c) historical time and place. There is no single way to be sanctified.
Crisis experience—in which a believer experiences a significant, life-altering encounter with God resulting in a significant step into or toward entire sanctification—is an important part of the process of sanctification.
Some will have one crisis experience. Others may have numerous crisis experiences at different stages of their faith development.
Compassionate ministry, what Wesley calls “social holiness,” is not a definition of what holiness is. It’s a ramification of holiness—what holy, or sanctified, people do.
Wesley holds a higher standard on what entire sanctification and Christian perfection mean than does the Nineteenth Century American Holiness view. And he allows no excuses, like the redefining of “infirmities,” as the Nineteenth Century view does.
Wesley emphasizes process and stages more than does the Nineteenth Century view, which was more defined by revival experience.
Yet Wesley also emphasizes the crisis experience, whether once or numerous times.
The Church of the Nazarene embraces both Wesleyan and 19th Century views.
All approaches to holiness, if biblical, are both substantive and relational.
They are two sides of the greater whole.
By substantive, we view sin as an act and as a condition (depravity). Paul speaks of sin as a
power. Christian life is substantive because we are each a new creation. Sin is forgiven. We are
cleansed. God does a work in us.
By relational, we view sin as brokenness, or a violation of a relationship, and the condition that
results: separation from God. Christian life is relational because we are adopted as children of
God. We grow in this relationship. We do well or badly. We surrender, love, follow, and mature.
