Holiness and Sanctification part 2

photo - Eric Wing

One term that holds as much tension as any other when we speak of holiness and sanctification is the term Wesley used, Christian perfection. Just the word perfection can cause reactionary definitions to flow freely. Wesley describes Christian Perfection this way, “The loving God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. This implies, that no wrong temper, none contrary to love, remains in the soul; and that all the thoughts, words and actions, are governed by pure love.”. Christian perfection is a descriptor of the possibility that our intention to love God and others could be made perfect by God's grace. Christian perfection is about our intent to love, it is not at all about being a superior Christian, or in claiming spiritual infallibility. “Christian perfection is not immunity from life's problems. . . Christian perfection is not a vaccination against reality.” (Dr. Steve Harper). Christian perfection speaks of a persons single intention and purpose in life being, to love God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength and to love their neighbor as themselves. (Matthew 22).

How we come to define sin, purity, and every other term attached to holiness will be directly impacted with how we come to define the term Christian perfection. We need to teach and preach in this tension between the words that describe holiness so that others may know the fullness of a holy life beyond the cultural definition of a few words. This hard work in redefining our thoughts and expectations of what a holy life could and should be on both a personal and a corporate level are not only worth the effort and struggle, they are indeed the goal of God for all of His children. After the topic of salvation few others hold as much possibility for life altering transformation than the topic and teaching of holiness and sanctification. I used to think holiness was an unpopular subject due to the tension and conflict of the terminology, but as God has been growing me, I now believe it to be an unpopular subject because many do not know the astounding blessings that are made available in all of our lives if we would partner with the amazing work of God's grace in our personal sanctification.