Holiness Part 3

5. ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION DOES NOT INCLUDE CERTAIN EXPERIENCES WITH WHICH IT IS SOMETIMES CONFUSED.

In particular—

(a) It is not Absolute Perfection, or the perfection which belongs to God only, and which can never be increased or diminished. Jesus referred to this when He said: ‘There is none good but one, that is, God’ (Matthew xix. 17).

(b) It is not Adamic perfection (sometimes called’ sin less perfection’), or the perfection enjoyed by Adam before he fell, when he, having powers uninjured by sin, could perfectly obey God’s perfect law. Such perfection is impossible to us, for the Fall has rendered us imperfect both in mind and body. God does not require what is impossible, but expects us simply to keep His law of love; in other words, to love and serve Him to the best of our knowledge and ability. Our best service is imperfect, but God is pleased provided it is prompted by pure love.

‘Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind .... Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself’ (Matthew xxii. 37, 39).

(c) It is ‘/lot infallibility, or freedom from mistakes in judgement. This would require perfect knowledge, which no one but God possesses. Entire Sanctification does, however render people less likely to err in judgment, because they have the guidance of the Holy Spirit; they acknowledge God in all their ways, and He directs their paths.

‘The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you’ (John xiv. 26).

(d) it is not freedom from bodily or mental infirmities.

Many of God’s choicest saints have been great sufferers. The blessing of holiness does, however, lead to a fuller sanctification of the afflictions and infirmities from which God’s people suffer, and often to the exercise of faith for their deliverance.

‘He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me’ (2 Corinthians xii. 9).

(e) It is not freedom from temptation. Jesus, although ‘without sin,’ was sorely tempted, and our First Parents were tempted when holy. The more advanced a man becomes in the life of holiness, the more likely it is that Satan will attack him. Entire Sanctification does not bring freedom from temptation, but victory over it.

‘Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him’ (James i. 12).
(f) It is not a state of grace from which it is impossible to fall. Satan fell from Heaven, and Adam from Paradise, and they were both perfect in a sense in which we never can be here. Entire Sanctification renders falling less probable, but the Bible reveals no state of grace attainable in this life from which we cannot fall.

‘What I say unto you I say unto all, Watch’ (Mark xiii. 37).

‘Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall’ (I Corinthians x. 12).

(g) It is not a state where further advance is impossible.

On the contrary, Entire Sanctification, by removing all the evils from the heart, makes growth in grace more certain and rapid than it would otherwise be. Clearing a garden of weeds is favourable to the growth of the plants. Curing a child of disease is helpful to his future growth and development. Entire Sanctification is purity — not maturity of Christian experience, but the way to it.

‘Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ’
(2 Peter iii. 18).

‘Perfecting holiness in the fear of God’ (2 Corinthians vii. I).

‘The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day’ (Proverbs iv. 18).

6. WHEN IN THE ARMY WE SPEAK OF SANCTIFICATION WE USUALLY MEAN ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION, AND THE EXPERIENCE IS ALSO KNOWN BY OTHER NAMES, such as: Holiness, a Clean Heart, Perfect Love, Christian Perfection, Full Salvation, The Blessing.

Section II. ITS POSSIBILITY

1. WE BELIEVE THAT GOD’S PEOPLE MAY BE DELIVERED FROM ALL SIN AND ENABLED TO DO GOD’S WILL CONTINUALLY IN THIS LIFE. Many people do not agree with this, but maintain that they must go on sinning and repenting until death, although all admit that they must be made holy before they can enter Heaven.

2. THERE ARE MANY REASONS FOR BELIEVING THAT ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION IS POSSIBLE IN THIS LIFE :—

(a) Complete deliverance from sin seems probable. Inward sin is always harmful and a serious drawback to God’s people, if only because it often shows itself outwardly in manner, conversation, arid action. Moreover, it brings condemnation and unhappiness; it damages influence; it renders very difficult the reproving of sin in others; it grieves and dishonours God. Hence God’s love would naturally cause Him to seek to remove sin entirely from His people, just as a father’s love would make him want to remove, from his child’s body, the whole — and not only part — of any poison that had entered it.

God does not always deliver His people from trouble, because trouble may often bring them great blessing, where as sin is never anything but harmful

(b) The Bible promises Holiness to those who seek it, and God would never promise what it
was impossible for us to receive.

‘The very God of peace sanctify you wholly .... Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it’ (I Thessalonians v. 23, 24).

‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness ‘ (I John i. 9).

‘Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean; from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you’ (Ezekiel xxxvi. 25).

(c) The Bible commands and exhorts God’s people to be holy, and a God of love would never
command what is impossible.

‘Be ye therefore perfect, even’ as your Father which is in heaven is perfect’
(Matthew v. 48).

‘As He which called you is holy, be ye yourselves also holy in all manner of living; because it is written, Ye shall be holy; for I am holy’
(I Peter i. IS, 16, R.V.).

‘Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord’ (Hebrews xii. 14).

‘Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord’ (Romans vi. ii).

(d) The Bible records and encourages prayer for Holiness and we know that Christ and the
inspired writers would not have prayed for what is impossible. For example:—

i. Jesus taught us to pray —
‘Deliver us from evil’ (Matthew vi.13).

ii. Jesus prayed for His disciples —
‘Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth’ (John xvii. 17).

iii. Paul prayed for the Thessalonians —
‘The very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (I Thessalonians v. 23).
(e) The Bible declares that to save His people from sin was the purpose of the life and death of Jesus Christ.

‘For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil’ (I John iii. 8).

‘Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins’ (Matthew i. 21).
‘Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works’ (Titus ii. 14).

‘Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it ; that He might sanctify and cleanse it
with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish’ (Ephesians v. 25-27).

(f) Many Bible saints undoubtedly enjoyed the experience. For example:—
Enoch, who ‘walked with God,’ and ‘before his translation ... had this testimony, that he pleased God’ (Genesis v. 24; Hebrews xi. 5).

Moses, with whom God spoke ‘face to face’ (Exodus xxxiii.11).

Job, who was ‘perfect and upright’ (Job i.1).

Stephen, who was ‘full of faith and of the Holy Ghost’ (Acts vi. 5).

Paul, who said ‘Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe’
(1 Thessalonians ii. 10).

(g) Many Christians since Bible days have experienced and testified to the enjoyment of Full Salvation.

Among such may be named Madame Guyon, a Roman Catholic; Charles Finney, a Presbyterian; John Fletcher, of the English Church ; John Wesley, William Bramwell, and other Methodists; The Army Founder, The Army Mother, and thousands of Salvationists.

(h) All truly converted persons desire Holiness, and feel that they ought to be holy. If Holiness were impossible the Holy Spirit would not create such desires, nor would Jesus Christ have promised, as He did, that they should be satisfied.

‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be
filled’ (Matthew v. 6).