Wesley Wednesday: Is Sanctification a Process or Instantaneous?

 It is sometimes debated in Wesleyan circles as to whether sanctification is a process or an instantaneous crisis.  John Wesley takes up this very issue in his A Plain Account of Christian Perfection.  Here is
what he says about the subject:

17: Questions and Answers on the Doctrine of Sanctification

    "When does inward sanctification begin?
    "In the moment a man is justified.  (Yet sin remains in him, yea, the seed of all sin, till he is sanctified throughout).  From that time a believer gradually dies to sin, and grows in grace."

19: Thoughts on Christian Perfection

    "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 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 any 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."

25: "Farther Thoughts on Christian Perfection"

    "25. But is not this the case of all that are justified?  Do they not gradually die to sin and grow in grace, till at, or perhaps a little before, death, God perfects them in love?
    "I believe this is the case of most, but not all. God usually gives a considerable time for men to receive light, to grow in grace, to do and suffer His will, before they are either justified or sanctified; but He does not invariably adhere to this; sometimes He 'cuts short His work'; He does the work of many years in a few weeks; perhaps in a week, a day, an hour.  He justifies or sanctifies both those who have done or suffered nothing, and who have not had time for a gradual growth either in light or grace.  And 'may He not do what He will with His own?  Is thine eye evil, because He is good?'
    "It need not, therefore, be affirmed over and over, and proved by forty texts of Scripture, either that most men are perfected in love at last, that there is a gradual work of God in the soul, or that, generally speaking, it is a long time, even many ears, before sin is destroyed.  All this we know; but we know likewise, that God may, with man's good leave, 'cut short His work,' in whatever degree He pleases, and do the usual work of many years in a moment.  He does so in many instances; and yet there is a gradual work, both before and after that moment; so that one may affirm the work is gradual; another, it is instantaneous, without any manner of contradiction."

26: Brief Summation of Wesley's Views

    "(10) It [Christian Perfection] is constantly both preceded and followed by a gradual work.
    "(11) But is it in itself instantaneous or not?  In examining this, let us go on step by step.
    "An instantaneous change has been wrought in some believers.  None can deny this.
    "Since that change, they enjoy perfect love; they feel this, and this alone; they 'rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks.'  Now this is all that I mean by perfection; therefore, these are witnesses of the perfection which I preach.
    "But in some, this change was not instantaneous.'  They did not perceive the instant when it was wrought.  It is often difficult to perceive the instant when a man dies; yet there is an instant in which life ceases.  And if ever sin ceases, there must be a last moment of its existence, and a first moment of our deliverance from it.

____________

In addition to the quotes, above, Wesley takes up this same issue in his sermon, (54) The Scripture Way of Salvation.  In that sermon he says:

    "18.  'But does God work this great work [of Entire Sanctification / Christian Perfection] in the soul gradually or instantaneously?'  Perhaps it may be gradually wrought in some.  I mean in this sense - they do not advert to the particular moment wherein sin ceases to be.  But it is infinitely desirable, were it the will of God, that it should be done instantaneously; that the Lord should destroy sin 'by the breath of his mouth' in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.  And so he generally does, a plain fact of which there is evidence enough to satisfy any unprejudiced person.  Thou therefore look for it every moment.  Look for it in the way above described; in all those 'good works' whereunto thou art 'created anew in Christ Jesus'.  . . . Look for it then every day, every hour, every moment.  Why not this hour, this moment?  Certainly you may look for it now, if you believe it is by faith.  And by this token may you surely know whether you seek it by faith or by works.  If by works, you want something to be done first, before you are sanctified.  You think, 'I must first be or do thus or thus.'  Then you are seeking it by works unto this day.  If you seek it by faith, you may expect it as you are: and if as you are, then expect it now.  It is of importance to observe that there is an inseparable connection between these three points - expect it by faith, expect it as you are, and expect it now!  . . .

__________

From the above quotes, it should be clear that, for Wesley, sanctification includes both, a process and an instantaneous crisis moment.  It seems that the issue that many stumble over is a lack of clear distinction between the larger process of sanctification and the more specific moment (instantaneous crisis) of entire sanctification, which takes place within that larger process.  It has been the case that many within the Holiness tradition, the larger Wesleyan/Methodist tradition, and John Wesley, himself, have fallen into the trap of failing to be precise in their language.  Very often "sanctification" (without any qualification) is used when specifically meaning "entire sanctification."  Nevertheless, for Wesley, sanctification is a process in which the crisis moment of entire sanctification takes place.  And, indeed, God may "cut short" the process that leads up to entire sanctification when we seek it by faith.  Further, even after the experience of entire sanctification, we continue to grow in grace.  -  Thanks be to God for His sanctifying grace!

Misunderstandings of Perfection

I have been using The Wesley Study Bible during my devotional reading.  The Old Testament reading for Morning Prayer (according to the 2019 BCP) was Deuteronomy 9.  Turning the page to chapter 10, I noticed that the notes contained one of the "Wesleyan Core Term" articles.  (This, along with "Life Application Topic" articles, are features of The Wesley Study Bible.)  This particular article was on "Misunderstandings of Perfection."

The doctrines of Christian Perfection and Entire Sanctification are a distinctive emphasis within the Wesleyan tradition, and especially within the Wesleyan-holiness wing of Methodism where my own denomination, the Church of the Nazarene, is situated.

I thought that it was a good and helpful article for those who might not understand clearly what the doctrine teaches and what it doesn't teach.  And so, I thought I would reproduce it for the readers of this blog (as well as commend The Wesley Study Bible to anyone looking for a new study Bible):

     The terminology Christian perfection, or entire sanctification, is easily misunderstood in the
     following ways. First, purity of heart does not entail perfection in knowledge.  Even the entirely
     sanctified must continue to study and prosper.  Second, Christian perfection does not issue in
     freedom from infirmities, that is, from slowness of understanding, confusion in thought, or 
     mistakes in judgment.  Third, Christian perfection should not be described as "sinless perfection,"
     lest the pure in heart conclude that they can be free from any violation of the perfect law of God,
     voluntary or not.  Fourth, perfect love does not eliminate temptation.  Fifth, there is no state of
     grace so lofty that one cannot fall from it; that is, heart purity can be lost.  And finally, Wesley
     rejected the idea of static perfection that did not increase in love and grace; he cautioned that a
     pure heart increasingly grows in the love of God.

Christian Perfection - The Doctrine of the Church of England

I was reading, today, in the 10th Volume of Wesley's Works (Jackson edition), and I came across a passage that says it so well!  -  It is found on page 450, in Wesley's "An Answer to Mr. Rowland Hill's Tract, Entitled, 'Imposture Detected.'"  -  It is a position that has long been held, but it was really nice to find it so explicitly stated by John Wesley, himself.

The quote is as follows:

The perfection I hold is so far from being contrary to the doctrine of our Church, that it is exactly the same which every Clergyman prays for every Sunday: "Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy name."  I mean neither more nor less than this.  In doctrine, therefore, I do not dissent from the Church of England.

There is a further story about Phineas Bresee (primary founder of the Church of the Nazarene) and this very thing.  It seems that an Episcopal priest was criticizing the Nazarenes for their claim of Entire Sanctification.  Bresee responded by asking why he thought it so amazing that God would answer the very prayer that the Episcopalians prayed every Sunday.

Yes, indeed, the Collect of Purity encapsulates the essence of Christian Perfection.  May it be that Almighty God would cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that we might perfectly love God, and worthily magnify God's holy name, through Christ our Lord!  Amen!

A Few Quotes from Tom Noble

I just finished reading Holy Trinity: Holy People: The Theology of Christian Perfecting by T. A. Noble, Cascade Books, Eugene, Oregon.  -  Thomas Noble is Professor of Theology at Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City, MO (where I did my M.Div., though he was not teaching there when I attended).  He is also Senior Research Fellow in Theology at Nazarene Theological College, Manchester, UK, and recently served as the president of the Wesleyan Theological Society.

The book is a part of the Didsbury Lecture Series.  These lectures are given annually at the Nazarene Theological College in Manchester.  Dr. Noble notes, at the beginning, that "since the Church of the Nazarene stands in the Wesleyan tradition, and is . . . a member of the World Methodist Council, we decided to call the series the 'Didsbury Lectures' to commemorate the former Methodist Didsbury College.  -  Five of the first ten Didsbury lecturers were Methodists" (xi).  (Incidentally, as I look back through the list of lecturers, I note that two of my former seminary professors were included in the list, as were some other well known names like I. Howard Marshall, C.K. Barrett, J.D.G. Dunn, and then there was the Rt. Rev'd N.T. Wright in 2005.)

In the book, Noble grounds the doctrine of Christian Perfection in the Holy Trinity, and he clearly shows how Wesley inherited the doctrine from the Church Fathers.

But, for the purpose of the is post, I simply wanted to highlight a few quotes found in the last few pages of the book; quotes that focus us on worship, liturgy and the sacraments.

In talking about the essential nature of corporate holiness Noble says:
    
     Even Wesley's preaching on Christian holiness concentrates on the individual, but it was the warm fellowship of what were significantly called Methodist "Societies" that were the matrix of holy love which produced genuine Methodist saints.  And his revival of the ancient "love feast" (the agape), along with his strong emphasis on the importance of the Lord's Supper, which is after all not just a "Eucharist" (Thanksgiving), but "Holy Communion" (hagia koinonia), was at the heart of his creative organization of the Methodist Societies.  Too many of Wesley's heirs have lost that focus, being influenced by a "low church" suspicion of liturgy, but a recovery of the church as the matrix for Christian holiness will necessarily include a rediscovery of the centrality of the sacraments (221).

(To which I give a hearty, "Amen!")

Speaking of the mission of God and the Church, Noble says:

     The missio Dei is not the End.  Or to put that another way, the End will end the mission.  Continuing the missio Dei is not the ultimate purpose of God and so mission is not the ultimate purpose of the church.  At the End, the eschaton, the end of "the present evil age" (Galatians 1:4), the mission Dei will end.  It will be completed.  That is vitally important because it means that while mission is an integral and essential part of the nature of the church in this age, it is not what ultimately makes the church to be the church.  The church will still be the church, the body of Christ, in the age to come.  The salvation of the world through the missio Dei is therefore the penultimate purpose of the church, but the ultimate purpose of the church is the glory of God (222).

He goes on to say, "That implies then that the ultimate purpose of the church - the one, holy, catholic, apostolic church - is the worship of the Triune God.  That will be the life of the church in the age to come, and that is the heart of the raison d'eter of the church today" (222).

A little later, Noble, thinking of Marva Dawns work in A Royal "Waste" of Time, says that worship "is done not to gain anything, or achieve anything, or win anything, or produce anything.  It is simply the sheer joy of participating in the loving relationship between the Persons of the Holy Trinity, knowing that in doing so, we are united with all the human persons redeemed to be part of that eternal joyous fellowship" (223).

It is exciting to see how Noble demonstrates the essential nature of our sacramental worship for the doctrine of Christian Perfection.  This is yet another positive sign of liturgical/sacramental awakening and renewal for those who stand in the Wesleyan-holiness tradition!

Noble concludes his book by quoting Charles Wesley's hymn of "ecstatic Trinitarian worship":

 

Father of everlasting grace,

Thy goodness and Thy truth we praise;

Thy goodness and Thy truth we prove;

Thou has, in honour of Thy Son,

The gift unspeakable sent down,

The Spirit of life, and power, and love.

 

Send us the Spirit of Thy Son,

To make the depths of Godhead known,

To make us share the life divine;

Send Him the sprinkled blood to apply,

Send him our souls to sanctify,

And show and seal us ever Thine.

 

So shall we pray, and never cease,

So shall we thankfully confess,

Thy wisdom, truth, and power, and love;

With joy unspeakable adore,

And bless and praise Thee evermore,

And serve Thee with Thy hosts above.

 

Till, added to that heavenly choir,

We raise our songs of triumph higher,

And praise Thee in a bolder strain,

Out-soar the first-born seraph's flight,

And sing, with all our friends in light,

Thy everlasting love to man.
(223-24).

The Problem of Perfectionism?

Earlier this month, I read an article on Anglican Mainstream entitled The Problem of Perfectionism.  It was written by Michael Jensen and originally appeared at Sydney Anglicans.  -  I regularly read Anglican Mainstream and, as one ordained in the Church of the Nazarene (a Wesleyan-holiness expression of Methodism), this article caught my attention.

However, as I read the article, and then especially as I read the comments on the Sydney site, I must say that I was quite disappointed.  Both, the article, itself, and the comments demonstrated only a cursory (mis)understanding of Wesley's teachings.

(I should say, before I go any further, this post is not a defence of the group at Sydney University.  If the understanding of the group put forth in the article is correct [and there is a question, here, because it is clear that Wesley is misunderstood], then they, too, strayed from Wesley's teaching of Scripture.  -  And now, to continue . . .)

It was even more amazing how Jensen identified, "among the descendants of perfectionist teaching," only two, viz., the Keswick Movement and Pentecostalism.  Neither of these two movements, as movements, have followed Wesley's teachings (though there are certain of the Pentecostal-Holiness denominations that have, indeed, sought to stay true to Wesley on perfectionist issues.).  It is quite reasonable to include in such an article various expressions of perfectionist groups, but if one wishes to invoke John Wesley's teachings, one would expect some mention of the Wesleyan-Holiness Movement within the larger Methodist tradition.

Beyond the absence of Wesley's descendants in the article are the misunderstandings found in the article, as well as (and especially) in the comments.  Many of these comments are the very kind of things that Wesley spent much of his life correcting.

For example, Wesley never argued for a "sinless" perfection.  Also, though Wesley did talk of a willful transgression of a known law of God being the definition of sin "properly so called," he also taught that those "sins improperly so called," nevertheless still remained in need of the atoning work of the blood of Christ.  He retained in the liturgies sent to the Methodists in North America the corporate confessions of sins, as well as the Lord's Prayer with it's petition for forgiveness.  Still, he felt that there is Scriptural warrant for talking about a difference between such  "involuntary transgressions" or "sins of ignorance" and those that are willful transgressions of a known law of God.

What, I suppose, was most disappointing was the implication of the posting of this article on Anglican Mainstream.  That implication is that the Conservative/Orthodox Anglican movement (as represented by Anglican Mainstream) has rejected Wesleyanism as a viable expression of Conservative/Orthodox Anglicanism.

Let me simply express that what Wesley talked about as Christian Perfection is nothing other than the "perfection" to which we are called in Matthew 5:48.  Read in its context, it becomes clear that it is a call to love our neighbors, even those who are enemies, even as God loves.  In other words, the perfectionism that Wesley spoke of was a fulfilment of the Great Commandment; to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind; and to love your neighbor as yourself.   It is the "perfect love that drives out fear," which St. John talks about in 1 John 4:18. 

It is not the absolute or angelic perfection that St. Paul denies having attained in Philippians 3:12, but it is the "perfection" or "maturity" (same Greek root word in verse 12 & 15) that St. Paul does claim in verse 15. 

Let me be clear.  It is NOT a love or "maturity" or "perfection" which we can attain on our own, but it only comes to us as a gift of the grace of God. 

It is, as St. Paul prays in 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13, "And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints."  And, again, in his benediction, "May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The one who calls you is faithful, and HE will do this" (1 Thessalonians 5:23-4, NRSV, emphasis mine).

It is nothing more than the love of God so filling us.

And, if my reading of the implications of this post appearing on Anglican Mainstream is correct, it is especially disappointing, because the essence of Wesley's teaching on Christian Perfection is the very thing found in prayer prayed by every faithful Anglican as they gather each Lord's Day:

"Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid; Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy Name; through Christ our Lord.  Amen."

I believe it was Phineas Bresee, primary founder of the Church of the Nazarene, who asked the Episcopalians why it should seem strange that the Nazarenes claimed that God answers the very prayer that they pray each week.

It seems to me that, contrary to the implications found on Anglican Mainstream, Wesley was quite true to his Anglicanism in his teaching about the Scriptural doctrine of Christian Perfection.