For hundreds of years the church has preached a gospel of grace but has typically limited it to conversion and the forgiveness of sins. In the 18th century, God raised up John Wesley and the people called Methodists who experienced and preached the penetrating character of the gospel as the powerful work of God to overcome sin and radically transform lives. This is what John Wesley meant by Christian perfection, or entire sanctification. Christian perfection, then, is the work of God in the heart of a person that actually makes it possible to genuinely love God and love neighbor, no longer being captive to sin. Not only is there evidence for this doctrine in Scripture, it also provides a more holistic and mature understanding of the work that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are doing in the world.
Watch this Seven Minute Seminary by Ryan Danker as he describes John Wesley’s doctrine of perfection and explains why its so critical of a vision for the church.
4 Responses
Beautiful
Thank you! Very well explained!
Our church does not believe any Christian perfection. While scripture says” you are gods” we do not believe that this means a person can’t escape sin altogether. Instead, it means that we have Jesus Christ in our hearts and minds and his Word cleanses us from all sin when we sin. The only reach so-called perfection once we die and are judge perfect by God and allowed into his community in Heaven.
Men do not believe in perfection because they cannot hear the testimony of God that He has breathed into the world by the mouth of His Son. As Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness, God also imputes His righteousness to them that believe the testimony that He has prepared for them by His Son. A previously unrighteous man enters into God’s righteousness upon belief in His promises He has intentionally hidden from man in the testimony of His Son. Perfection is an existing state of completion that they who, through faith, learn to completely trust God and therefore no longer deviate from the trajectory of the Spirit. They overcome deviation and the resultant sin by continuing in His Word, holding onto His initially revealed promise of the divine nature; believing God. When a man presumptuously speaks contrary to this righteousness, he presently crucifies it and condemns himself. For every tree that does not continue in the righteousness of God and claims allegiance to the son of perdition falls from God’s grace by means of vilification; for the spirit that dwells in man hates God. And they desperately want you to deliver Him up as they did to inadvertently rationalize their lack of faith in God. A stubborn house cannot be shook. To them that can hear these words; He is faithful. Amen.