What does it mean to be entirely sanctified thus Christian perfect? Christians cringe at the very word “perfect” simply by its connotation. Mainline denominations that accept the Wesleyan theology of entire sanctification have even reframed from its teaching by way of its lack of acceptance. This possibly is attributed to its abuse in the holiness tradition which is clearly a result of a lack of understanding.
First we should separate worldly perfection from Christian perfection. The human mindset sees perfection systematically as being free from mistakes, and following a set of rules hence, making you sin free. Christian perfection is quite the contrary. It does not at all imply one will not stumble under the curse of imperfection. Christian perfection is walking in the commandments of the Lord to the fullest ability. It is meeting the measure in which God has allowed the believer to achieve at the given time. It is to love the Lord with all our heart, mind, and strength, and your neighbor as yourself. It is a perfect love and desire to walk as Christ walk to the extent of a crisis point in which good out ways the bad. When we reach this point we then walk in Christian perfection.
Second one should understand sin. Wesley himself reframed from using the word “sinless,” although he believed the christian could live a life without sin. The sin that Wesley states as being eradicated from the life of the believer is sin in the since of worshiping self rather than God. Self-will, pride, inappropriate desires, etc. can be applied to this category. Although at conversion the power of sin is broken, the results of a life of sin still remains. Therefore, one must work out their salvation. When one is entirely sanctified or made Christian perfect, they come to a place where they experience freedom from the bondage of such sin. This does not at all mean that one will not fall under the human curse of imperfection. Rather, the heart pledges to walk in obedience with God to its fullest, eradicating the will of sin and self pride by the power of the Holy Spirit thus, allowing the person to grow in grace at the fullest extent. Sin fades from the believer’s spiritual existence allowing them to love the Lord with all heart, mind, and strength.
With this being said, we cannot be perfect but we can be Christian perfect. We cannot be sinless, but we can be without sin. There must come a place in our Christian walk where we begin to grow in grace rather than grow away from sin in that sin is fading. There must come a place where there is a difference that is noticeable and evident, an awe consuming passion, and an overwhelming love for the Father that labels sin inoperable in our lives by the power of the Holy Spirit. This, my friend, is Christian Perfection (entire sanctification, perfect love, saved from all).
“Perhaps the general prejudice against Christian perfection may chiefly arise from a misapprehension of the nature of it. We willingly allow, and continually declare, there is no such perfection in this life, as implies either a dispensation from doing good, and attending all the ordinances of God, or a freedom from ignorance, mistake, temptation, and a thousand infirmities necessarily connected with flesh and blood”…..“But whom then do you mean by ‘one that is perfect? We mean one in whom is ‘the mind which was in Christ,’ and who so ‘walketh as Christ also walked;’ a man ‘that hath clean hands and a pure heart,’ or that is ‘cleansed from all filthiness of flesh and spirit;’ one in whom is ‘no occasion of stumbling,’ and who, accordingly, ‘does not commit sin.”
((John Wesley (A Short Explanation of Christian Perfection))
