Arminius, Episcopius and Wesley reinvigorated an aspect of Christian teaching long hidden, in the dark recesses of theological dissertations and disquisitions, for fear it might flourish in daylight. Theology Corner addresses the issue of Christian Perfection – Entire Sanctification, in many Sections, by focusing primarily on the possibilities. (See Sections 3.6, 3.15, 3.17, 3.19 and 10.14 of Theology Corner) But it deserves a deeper look.
Scripture suggests the possibility of Christian Perfection at least for a time. (Oden, v3, p 241-244)
- God would not command the impossible. A mature, complete, continuing response to grace is enjoined repeatedly in Scripture (Ex 19:6; John 5:14; 2 Cor 7:1, 13:1; Heb 6:1, 12:14; 1 Pet 1:15-16). God would not require holiness in this life (Deut 6:5; Luke 10:27; Rom 6:11) if it were intrinsically impossible.
- God would not promise complete responsiveness to grace if it were intrinsically unattainable. A complete and mature life of loving holiness is clearly promised in scripture (Deut 30:6; Psalm 119:1-3; Isa 1:18; Jer 33:8; Ezek 36:25; Mat 5:6; 1 Thes 5:23, 24; Heb 7:25; 1 John 1:7-9).
- The apostles repeatedly prayed for the full and complete life of holiness and perfect love (John 17:20-23; 2 Cor 13:9-11; Eph 3:14-21; Col 4:12; Heb 13:20-21; 1 Pet 5:10). Were they deluded?
- Scripture identifies a few entirely sanctified persons (Gen 5:18-24; Gen 6:9; Job 1:8; Acts 11:24). A single instance establishes attainability.
- Certain texts that appear to argue for un-attainability can be explained on different grounds (Eccles 7:20; 2 Chron 6:36; Job 25:4; 1 John 1:8-10).
But what does this mean for the ordinary Christian who claims, for himself, no special peerage higher than ‘just in time’ salvation. The deeper connections are best explained by a theologian. The following excerpts are taken from Volume 3 of William Burt Pope’s ‘Compendium of Christian Theology’ published in 1879.
- [Christian perfection] is not absolute perfection; nor the perfection of Adam’s estate, who had not fallen; nor the perfection of sinlessness, which can never be predicated of those who will bear in them the consequences of sin until the end. Those who are un-sinning in the gracious estimate of God, neither think themselves, nor desire to be thought, sinless in the utmost meaning of the word. (p 57)
- Christian perfection is relative and probationary, and therefore in a certain perhaps indefinable sense limited. (p 58)
- Christian perfection at the best is that of a probationary estate. There is no reason therefore why it may not be lost again, and utterly lost, even after the fruition of the result of long years of heavenly blessing on earthly diligence. The principle of sin extinct in the soul may be kindled into life as it was kindled in Eve. There is no reason why it should not; but there is every reason why it need not and ought not. Such a second fall would be a fall indeed. It is not probable that it was ever witnessed. It is only our theory that demands the admission of its possibility. (p 59) (See Section 13.10 of Theology Corner)
- The early Arminians wrote much on Christian Perfection: but laid down no very determinate principles on this subject. Their statements, however, contain the germ of the doctrine which Methodism has developed. They were led by their theological convictions to the truth that such holiness as God reputes perfect may be attained in the present life…Episcopius says: “The commandments of God may be kept with what He regards as a perfect fulfilment, in the supreme love which the Gospel requires according to the covenant of grace, and in the utmost exertion of human strength assisted by Divine help. This consummation includes two things, (1) A perfection proportioned to the powers of each individual; (2) A pursuit of always higher perfection.” (p 84)
The Methodist modification of Arminian doctrine may be gathered from the Writings of John Wesley. A few passages from ‘A Plain Account of Christian Perfection,’ found in the 11th volume of Wesley’s Works, give a fair presentation of Methodist doctrine. Excerpts are given in Volume 3 of William Burt Pope’s ‘Compendium of Christian Theology.’ In essence, entire sanctification was regarded, by Wesley, as the perfection of the regenerate state.
- When may a person judge himself to have attained Christian perfection? When, after having been fully convinced of inbred sin, by a far deeper and clearer conviction than that he experienced before justification, and after having experienced a gradual mortification of it, he experiences a total death to sin, and an entire renewal in the love and image of God, so as to rejoice evermore, to pray without ceasing, and in everything to give thanks. (p 89)
- Is this death to sin and renewal in love, gradual or instantaneous? A man may be dying for some time; yet he does not, properly speaking, die, till the instant the soul is separated from the body; and in that instant he lives the life of eternity. In like manner, he may be dying to sin for some time; yet he is not dead to sin, till sin is separated from his soul; and in that instant he lives the full life of love. And as the change undergone, when the body dies, is of a different kind, and infinitely greater than any we had known before, yea, such as till then it is impossible to conceive; so the change wrought, when the soul dies to sin, is of a different kind and infinitely greater than before, and than any can conceive till he experiences it. Yet he still grows in grace, in the knowledge of Christ, in the love and image of God; and will do so, not only till death, but to all eternity. (p 90)
- As to the time [of Christian Perfection], I believe this instant generally is the instant of death, the moment before the soul leaves the body. But I believe it may be ten, twenty, or forty years before. (p 92)
- The original teaching of Methodism was peculiar also in its remarkable blending of the Divine and human elements in the process of entire sanctification. It invariably did justice both to the supreme Divine efficiency and to the co-operation of man. The charge brought against it, sometimes malevolently, sometimes thoughtlessly, that it stimulates believers to expect this supreme and most sacred blessing at any time, irrespective of their preparatory discipline, is contradicted by the whole tenor of the authoritative standards of this doctrine. Wesley’s Sermon on ‘The Scripture Way of Salvation’ contains an elaborate discussion of this point; and it must be taken as a whole by those who would understand the subject. (p 97-98)
The substitutionary atonement marked the instant when God the Son offered redemption from the bondage of sin to all mankind and began the process of setting redeemed souls free from the influence of sin itself. In other words, by the substitutionary atonement, Jesus Christ offered salvation to all mankind and began the process of entirely sanctifying the souls of the saved. Entire Sanctification or Christian Perfection, in this life, is neither impossible nor intrinsically unattainable. But it is sufficiently elusive to usually remain just beyond our grasp…somewhat like the Golden Snitch in Quidditch.
