Once a man was bored as he listened to an astronomer lecture about the names of the stars, the action of fusion that produces their light, and the movements of the constellations; but then he was refreshed by walking under the night sky, gazing up at the stars. It seemed to him that there was no connection between the astronomer's lecture about the stars and his enjoyment of the stars' beauty. However, shouldnt a persons enjoyment of the starry view be enhanced when he knows the great size, number, and distance of the stars? Surely there is a relationship between knowledge and experience, though the astronomer failed to communicate it.

Another analogy is the relationship between the recipe for a cake and the enjoyment of the cake. It is true that many people enjoy cake without knowing the recipe, but if nobody knew the recipe, there would soon be no cake. Enjoyment of the cake depends on the knowledge of how to make the cake.

Some people believe that all we need is to experience God and His grace; they consider theology unimportant. But since Christian theology is the systematic study and presentation of divinely-revealed truth, a Christian should never consider theology to be separate from real life and the experience of Gods grace.

It could be observed that theology (knowledge of divinely-revealed truth) serves the believers experience of Gods grace in at least six ways.

First, theology explains experience. A spiritual experience cannot be understood unless it is explained by biblical doctrine. Theology identifies the desire for God that the unsaved person feels. It explains the feeling of guilt. It predicts and explains the experiences of forgiveness and cleansing.

Secondly, theology leads us to the experience of grace. The gospel itself is information. If the messenger of the gospel has defective theology, he may mislead his hearers and fail to lead them into the experience of grace.

Thirdly, theology sets our expectations of the experience of grace. What can God's grace accomplish in us? What benefits of grace can be received now, and which ones come only in time or in heaven? We cannot pray in faith for something we do not believe God will give. If a gift of grace is received only by faith, then we must hear of it and believe God wants to give it before we can have faith to receive it. Our expectation must be instructed. On the other hand, if a person seeks to receive by faith what God has not promised to give, he will become discouraged.

Fourthly, theology tells us how to maintain the experience of grace. We need to know what state of Christian experience is normal and to distinguish it from temporary and subnormal conditions.

Fifthly, theology tells us how to grow in our Christian experience. Theology includes our understanding of the means of grace that God has ordained. Discipleship includes gaining further information about how to retain and develop our experience of grace.

Sixthly, theology enables the ministry of leading others into an experience of grace. Without being able to explain Gods expectation for the believer and His ways of giving the grace that fulfills His expectation, we cannot guide others. Personal experience is not enough for us to guarantee an experience to someone else.

The Necessity of Biblical Theology

The theology that serves our experience of grace in the ways listed above must be based on the clear teachings of the Bible. The Bible is the absolutely final authority in all matters of Christian doctrine.

The tradition that a believer receives shapes many of his assumptions about Christian experience, even if he comes from a church that claims to put a low value on tradition. Most believers have unconscious presuppositions that affect their approach to biblical passages. It is necessary that tradition be continually evaluated by the Bible.

Let us resolve to seek the biblical theology that shows us what God expects of the believer, shows us how to receive the grace that fulfills His expectations, and enables us to lead others into the experience of this grace.

1

"Who Shall Stand":

The Requirement of the Holy God

The World Scene

The people of the world follow an endless variety of religion, secularism, and materialism. Absolute truth often seems hidden from them. We have the truth that God has revealed in the Bible and by His grace in our hearts, and we want to share this truth with them, but where do we start? What they need to see first is the truth about God Himself. So how does God want to reveal Himself to them? What does He want to show them about Himself?

The modern situation is not new. In Bible history we see that after the great flood people were scattered across the earth and were losing the knowledge of God. They could not find God on their own, but God in mercy came to man to reveal Himself and show man how to be reconciled to God.

Gods Holiness: His Primary Revelation of Himself

When God began to reveal Himself, the first purpose of His revelation was to show what kind of God He is. God described Himself primarily as holy. The Hebrew word for holiness (kadosh) occurs more than 800 times in the Old Testament. For example, Isaiah repeatedly referred to God as "The Holy One of Israel."

The holiness of God was the theme of worship:

"Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy." "Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at his footstool, for he is holy." (Psalm 99:3, 5).

Gods holiness showed mans inadequacy to serve and worship without being transformed by grace:

"Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts." (Isaiah 6:3)

"Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone [literally, unmade, or destroyed]; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts." (Isaiah 6:5)

Isaiah saw that he had something in common with the sinners he had been preaching to. He had sin in his heart that showed up in his words and actions. This impurity made him unfit to be in the presence of God. Isaiah did not try to justify his condition, nor did God. God responded to the prophet's confession with grace; not tolerating grace, but cleansing and transforming grace.

Isaiah saw God as he had never seen Him before. He then saw himself as he had never seen himself before. Then, after his cleansing, he heard the call to ministry like he had not heard it before.

Gods Holiness: The Basis of His Requirement for Man

The Israelites were surrounded by people who thought their gods demanded submission and sacrifice but did not care about the character of the worshippers. As long as the worshipper met his gods demands, he could be as wicked in heart and behavior as his society would allow. He could leave the idol's temple and go beat his wife or steal from his neighbor without affecting his relationship to his god. In many religions, even the worship itself was depraved, involving prostitution or human sacrifice.

Today it is the same for the followers of many religions, even for some who claim to be Christians. Their wrong concept of God has led to misguided worship and a tolerant view of sin. Their worship style is not fit for a holy God, and their lifestyle is not pleasing to Him.

The God of Israel was different from the false gods of the heathen and required a different kind of worship.

"Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully" (Psalm 24:3-4). Obviously, not everyone is accepted as a worshipper of God. A worshipper is not just a person who can lift his hands and feel religious emotions. A sinful person does not qualify.

This standard is reaffirmed in the New Testament.

"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14).

God referred to His own holiness as the basis for His requirement that His worshippers be holy. "Ye shall be holy; for I am holy" (Leviticus 11:44-45, 19:2, 20:26, 21:8). He was not a god like the ancient eastern deities or the gods of later Greek and Roman mythology. The stories about those gods showed them to be corrupt, deceitful, and cruel. They had all the faults of humanity magnified. They were gods made in the imagination of fallen man. The God of Israel was different, and that is why His worshippers were to be different.

The standard of holiness for God's worshippers is derived from the holiness of God, and is repeated in the New Testament: "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy" (1 Peter 1:15-16). "Conversation" is a word that refers to behavior, conduct, the total lifestyle. God does not ask only that His worshippers be ceremonially holy, or called holy when they really are not. He expects His worshippers to live holy lives.

But what is the holiness God expects of us?

The Bibles Use of the Term

The term for holiness, kadosh, is always used to describe God Himself or something that is reserved for God. Therefore, something that is holy is something that is reserved for God. Whenever something is to be set apart by some means other than relationship to God, other terms are used in Scripture. Holiness refers to something that is set apart by devotion to Gods use.

Both living and nonliving things can be called holy if they are devoted to God. The temple, altar, and altar utensils were called holy. They were not to be used for anything but the use for which they were dedicated.

What would it mean for a man to be holy? Man has motives and a will. Those are so important that a person could not be considered completely devoted to God if his motives and will were not devoted.

Imagine a man who tells his wife, "I will stay with you and be faithful to you, but I would really rather be married to someone else." Would that wife be satisfied with that relationship? Of course not! She knows that if her husband's will and motives are not devoted to the relationship, he really is not devoted at all. Likewise, we cannot truly be holy - devoted to God - unless our wills and motives are devoted.

Some people think they are meeting God's requirements if they are trying to keep His rules, even though they wish they could commit sin. God is not satisfied with a relationship with someone who really does not value Him more than everything else.

If a person is not holy, how can he become holy? In the Old Testament, when things were sanctified (set apart for total devotion to God), some ceremony was performed to symbolize purification of the item. When individuals were set apart occupationally for the priesthood, there was also a symbolic purification. God was teaching them that total devotion cannot exist until there has been a purification. Since total devotion of a person would include his motives and will, there must be a complete purification of the heart (The heart is spoken of metaphorically in Scripture as the ruler of the motives and will.) before a person can be considered fully sanctified.

Scripture tells us that this total devotion (including the motives and will) is what God requires.

"If any man come to me, and hate not his father and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, [not allowing them to his limit his loyalty to Jesus] yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26-27).

"And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again" (2 Corinthians 5:15). This calls us to a living commitment equivalent to martyrdom.

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service" (Romans 12:1). Notice that the body is called holy; it is not a place for sin to remain. We are to be living sacrifices, living out a devotion that is as complete as if we were called to die for Him.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal" (John 12:24-25). As long as a grain of wheat retains its own identity, it does nothing worthwhile. Buried, it loses its original identity but fulfills a great purpose. If a person tries to fulfil his own ambitions for his own name, his life ultimately is wasted. If he yields up his life for God's glory, the greater purpose of his life will be fulfilled - his life will be "saved."

"And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment" (Mark 12:30). Everything a person is comprised of is to be devoted to God.

"But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation" (1 Peter 1:15). The word conversation does not refer only to our speech. It originally meant lifestyle - behavior - conduct. The holiness God requires of us is not merely ceremonial or imputed holiness. It is not a holiness that God pretends we have while we really do not. It is more than just a profession of loyalty to God. It is a holy heart expressed in a holy life.

"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world . . . 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 2:12, 14). Holy living does not begin when we get to heaven, but "in this present world." Any definition of grace that emphasizes only unmerited favor from God has neglected the instruction that grace gives us. Grace brings not only forgiveness but also transformation and power for victorious living.

"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world" (James 1:27). Some people emphasize separation from sin but never do anything worthwhile. Others work to help people but do not stay free from sin themselves. Two sides of the religion that God accepts are good works and purity.

No scripture indicates that Gods standard is only an ideal that He does not expect us to reach. God requires a holy heart and life.

Worship is Linked to Imitation of God's Holiness

Holiness is not just a requirement; it is a privilege, because it makes possible our enjoyment of communion with God. Isaiah (see Isaiah 6) did not enjoy the presence of God until God cleansed him. Until then he was conscious of his own unworthiness.

Why is holiness necessary for our enjoyment of God?

We worship God because of who He is. Included in worship are the concepts of respect, honor, admiration, and awe. If we really worship God we want to be like Him as far as possible. Sin is not only rejection of God's will; it is rejection of God Himself, because the sinner is choosing not to be like God. That is one reason that our relationship with God must begin with repentance and separation from sin.

Holiness imparted to man makes worship and communion with God possible. How could we claim to love God, yet hold on to the things that He hates? If we love Him we desire to imitate Him. We maintain our relationship with continued obedience, and when holiness is made complete in the heart, fuller worship and enjoyment of God is possible.

Holiness is not just a matter of submission to God, but worship of God. If we think of it only terms of submisssion and requirement, we will define it with questions like, "Does the Bible specifically forbid this?," and "What is wrong with this?". If we define it in terms of love and worship, we will consider, "Is this something that would please God?"; "What would God be most pleased with?"; and the question, "What would Jesus do?"

2

The Start of the Quest:

Genuine Conversion

Many people consider themselves Christians because they were born in a nation where Christian churches are common, or because they observe Christian religious customs, or because they have certain beliefs. But it is impossible for any person to become a Christian by these means because of the natural condition that he is in before he is transformed by God.

The Unconverted Condition

The condition of the unconverted person is described in Ephesians 2:2-3:

According to this verse, "we all" once lived under the control of fleshly desires, which would be to live a sinful lifestyle. We were among the "children of disobedience," who are directed by Satan. "By nature" we lived in a way that made us "children of wrath" with only a matter of time until we received the wrath of God that we deserved.

There are some unconverted people whose lives do not seem to display extreme wickedness. They may think that they are not sinners, yet they have lived their own way instead of submitting to God. "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:6). For man to claim the right to choose his own way and to deny his Creator the right to direct him is the essence of sin. It is rebellion against the authority of God. It was the essence of the first sin of man, when he was tempted to be his own god, trying to be independent of God.

A person may appear to be good, but if he is not serving God, he is breaking God's first commandment, that we have no gods before Him. This person does not live each day with concern for God's commandments; instead he sets his own goals and lives his own way. Like the pagans (Rom. 1:20-21), he knows about God, but has not glorified Him as God [That is, he has not made Him truly God of his life.]; therefore, he is without excuse.

Gods Intervening Grace

The Bible describes the unconverted person as blind, in darkness, in slavery, driven by corrupt desires, and even dead.

The condition of fallen man would be hopeless if God did not intervene. His grace reaches into the heart of the sinner, creating a desire for salvation and enabling a response to God. Without this work of grace, a sinner could not come to God. This grace comes to every person before he begins to seek for God, even though he has not done anything to deserve it. The passage in Ephesians which gives such a hopeless description of the sinner continues with these words: "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace are ye saved)" (Ephesians 2:4-5).

Jesus is described as the light that reaches to every person, even to those who have not yet heard the gospel: "That was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world" (John 1:7). This is a grace that precedes any human response to God. If a person is not saved, it is not because he never had grace, but because he would not respond to the grace he had.

The Conversion Event

A Christian is a person who has experienced a sudden transformation. There may be a process as a person begins to understand the gospel and becomes willing to repent. But a person becomes a Christian in a climactic moment of conversion. At that time, through faith in Christ he receives forgiveness and transforming grace. Conversion is the time of gaining sight, coming into the light, being redeemed from slavery, release from evil desires, and resurrection into life. This conversion occurs as a great event. The transformation is demonstrated in the convert's subsequent lifestyle.

There is a type of person who quickly persuades himself that he is saved when he hears that salvation is received by faith. He has not truly repented, because he did not see the need of it for himself. Because he acknowledges the truth of Christianity and considers himself to be a good person, he considers himself a Christian, though he has had no transformation. He never saw himself as a sinner deserving God's judgment. He never renounced his own self will; instead, he merely accepted God as a part of his life, and still lives mostly according to his own will. He may have made some minor changes in his behavior, as long as they did not go strongly against his own inclinations. This is not conversion, according to the scriptural description.

Acts 26:18 describes the change that the gospel makes in a sinner. Paul was sent "To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me." This would surely be a radical and climactic change.

So a definition of a Christian must include a conversion, because at conversion a sinner is changed into a Christian. We say that he becomes a Christian then because a Christian is one who has the forgiveness that is granted at conversion, and because at conversion a believer receives the transforming grace that turns him into the person described in the Bible as a child of God.

So a Christian is not merely a person who was born into a Christian family or nation, accepted certain religious customs or beliefs, or consented to let God have a place in his life.

A real Christian has had a genuine conversion. A Christian has repented of his sins (Luke 13:5), by faith has received forgiveness (Ephesians 2:8), has begun a personal relationship with God (1 John 1:3), and lives a life of obedience to Gods Word (1 John 3:6).

James said that pure religion consists of assisting those in need and keeping unspotted from the world. You could summarize his definition of pure religion this way, it is (1) Active love for others, (2) Holy living in contrast to the world (James 1:27).

If a person finds that his personal religion does not match the biblical description of true Christianity, he should repent of his sins and by faith receive Gods forgiveness and transforming grace.

3

"That You May Know":

Immediate Assurance of Salvation

How can a person know for sure that he is saved? Some people depend entirely on inner feelings, but feelings do not stay constant, and it is possible for a person to be deceived by his feelings. On this journey in God's grace, it is important for a person to know both that he has started properly and that he is still on the route. Surely the way to be certain of personal salvation is to compare ones own experience to the Biblical description.

The Bible assures us that we can live in confidence of God's acceptance. In Romans 8:14-16 we are told that we do not need to live in fear, because God's Spirit assures us that we are adopted children of God. This assurance is so complete, according to 1 John 4:17, that we can have boldness in the day of judgment, not wondering whether or not we will pass God's evaluation.

A changed life is evidence of conversion, but that evidence does not exist at the moment a person gets saved. Fruits of salvation have not had time to appear. Therefore, at the moment of conversion, a changed life is not the basis of assurance. The believer can be sure of his salvation by knowing that he has followed the scriptural way to salvation.

The way to salvation starts with repentance. Repentance means that a sinner sees himself as guilty and deserving punishment (1 John 1:9), and that he is willing to quit his sins (Isaiah 55:7, Luke 24:47). If a person has not seen himself as truly guilty, without excuse, and deserving punishment, he has not truly repented. If he acknowledges that he is a sinner but wants a religion that will allow him to continue sinning, he has not truly repented. Repentance does not mean that a person must correct his life and make himself righteous before God will forgive him, for that is impossible and would not be salvation by grace, but the sinner must be willing for God to deliver him from his sins.

The faith that is necessary for salvation comes after or with repentance. If a person has this faith:

1. He sees that he can do nothing to justify himself (Eph. 2:8-9).

2. He believes that the sacrifice of Christ is sufficient for his forgiveness (1 John 2:2).

3. He believes that God promises to forgive him on the mere condition of faith (1 John 1:9). Then his faith comes to the point that -

4. He believes that God does forgive him for the sins that he has committed (Hebrews 10:15-22).

If he has truly repented and has saving faith, he has the right to believe that God forgives him personally.

Why do we say that repentance is necessary if faith alone is the requirement? Because the gospel is offered to sinners. A person cannot believe the gospel without seeing himself as he is and being willing to be saved from his sins. Therefore, repentance is an essential prerequisite for saving faith. If a person is not really repentant, then he does not have saving faith, and it is not really salvation that he wants.

There is a divine witness that God gives to the repentant believer at the time that he repents and believes. "Ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God" (Romans 8:15-16).

If a person follows the scriptural way of salvation and depends on the scriptural means of immediate assurance, rather than some other kind of assurance, he is unlikely to be deceived.

4

Life After Birth: Victory Over Sin

George Washington was once born, but he is not still alive. Previous birth does not prove present life. The same is true of spiritual birth. A moment of genuine conversion in the past does not prove that a person is still a Christian today.

Sometimes believers have doubts about their salvation. They may be sure that they were once saved, but they doubt that they are still in a saving relationship with God. The Bible does not leave us in doubt on this important question. It is Gods will that the believer be so sure of his salvation that he would have "boldness in the day of judgment" (1 John 4:17), not wondering whether or not he will pass Gods examination.

When a believer has doubts, he should not simply ignore them because he is certain that he was once saved. It is appropriate to "examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith" (2 Cor. 13:5). If a person is a true believer, there should be evidence. Of course an examination must be done according to the right criteria, and the Bible provides us with the criteria for this examination.

The epistle of 1 John is written for the purpose of showing believers how to know that they have been saved. John stated his purpose: "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life" (5:13).

The apostle assumed that there will be times when a believer needs assurance. He also assumes that it is proper for a believer to look for evidence on which to base his assurance, because after giving some evidence for that purpose, he says this is how we can assure our hearts.

"And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him" (3:19).

John gives many criteria for this purpose - he shows that he is giving criteria for examination by repeatedly saying "This is how we know." Here are some examples.

"We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death" (3:14). A person that does not love the people he can see does not love God either.

"My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and truth. And hereby we know . . ." (3:18-19). Love is more than words; love is lived.

And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us" (3:24b). Every true Christian has the Holy Spirit.

"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God" (4:7).

"Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him" (5:1). A person who rejects the basic doctrines of Christ is not a Christian.

The Most-Emphasized Criterion

There is another criterion that is emphasized throughout this epistle. The Bible describes the normal state of a believer as living in freedom from at least willful sin.

"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not." Here the apostle shows that the believer should live without willful sin, and he is writing to show them the importance of victorious living (1 John 2:1-2). It is evident that John is not talking about human mistakes or inner sins such as pride and envy. He refers to actions that the person does purposely even though he knows it is wrong. Throughout this epistle, sin is spoken of as though it is a willful action.

"And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the whole world." Here he recognizes that sin may occur, though it is not necessary. He assures us that if a believer sins, the propitiation by Christ can atone for that sin. We should not assume that this propitiation automatically atones for a former believer when he commits sin. The verse simply says that the propitiation is available, as it is for the whole world. We know that the whole world is not automatically saved. Repentance is necessary before any sin can be forgiven, whether the sinner was once a believer or not.

The following verses from 1 John show his emphasis that the great distinction of a believer is victory over willful sin.

"And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (2:3-4).

"Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." (3:4-9)

"And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight" (3:22).

"And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him" (3:24).

"By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" (5:2-4).

"We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not" (5:18).

From these verses, it seems obvious that the distinctive characteristic of the believer is that he lives in obedience to God. This obedience excludes at least willful sin.

Sometimes people who deny that a believer can live in victory over willful sin quote 1 John 1:8: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." But what does it mean to "have sin." Does it mean that even believers are continuing to commit willful sin? That could not be consistent with the statements in chapter three that are quoted above. How could John have made those statements in chapter three after saying, "Every person continues to commit sin"? That would not make sense.

The meaning is shown by the context. In verse seven, a cleansing for sin is promised. This cleansing is for those who "walk in the light," which means to walk according to truth, in obedience to God. Those who are now living in obedience to God are cleansed of their past sins by the blood of Christ. That doesn't mean that they earned such cleansing by right living; but it does imply that right living is a condition of remaining clean. The continual cleansing shows that the believer is kept clean.

But there may be some people who deny that they have sinned and need cleansing. Those are the ones who say they "have no sin," and "deceive" themselves. They are claiming that they never sinned, or that they solved their sin problem without Christ.

Again in verse nine, forgiveness and cleansing are promised. In verse ten he again says that the ones who say they "have not sinned" are contradicting God Himself.

It is evident that John here addressed the error of those who did not think they needed the cleansing and forgiveness provided by Christ - those who thought they did not need to be saved. He was not saying that even believers continue to commit sin, for that would contradict his main emphasis and direct statements in this letter.

The Necessity of Victory Over Sin

If a person claims to be a believer, but continues to commit willful sin, he does not match the most emphasized characteristic of a believer, according to John. John gave this description so that the believer would have evidence that he is saved. Therefore, if a person lacks this evidence, he has insufficient reason for believing that he is saved.

If a person is not obeying God, he is not dwelling in Christ: "He that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him (1 John 3:24). What does it mean to stop "dwelling" in Christ, and what happens if a person stops?

In John 15:2-10 is the famous metaphor of the vine and branches. It answers some important questions.

How do we abide in Christ? "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love" (v. 10). To stop abiding in Christ would mean that a person stopped obeying Him.

"If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned" (v. 6). If a person stops obeying, and thereby stops abiding in Christ, he is rejected. The illustration of branches falling off of the vine and being gathered for the fire shows as complete a rejection as we can imagine.

"Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me" (v. 4). "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away" (v. 2). If we do not abide in Christ by obedience, we cannot bear fruit. If we do not bear fruit we are rejected.

We must not think of salvation as a gift that is possessed apart from relationship with the giver.

Willy's possession of Sally's gift is not like we possess salvation. The Bible nowhere tells us that we will possess salvation no matter what we do. Continual grace for Christian living comes through our relationship with God through Christ. Christ is like a vine from which we must continually draw life (John 15:6). The metaphor of the vine shows that the gift of salvation is possessed by means of relationship. To be separated from Him is to be separated from salvation. We maintain this saving relationship by always obeying God (John 15:10).

A modern illustration could be a light bulb and electricity. The bulb has light while the power of electricity is flowing into it. The bulb cannot keep its light if it is detached from its power source. Likewise, we have eternal life by our relationship with Christ. His life flows into us. We do not retain that life if we disconnect from Him.

Some people say that there is no way that a name can be taken from the book of life after it has been written there. But Rev. 22:19 shows that there is at least one way that a name can be removed: "But if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life. . ."

Scripture also warns us that a believer can lose salvation by being defeated by sin.

"He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life" (Revelation 3:5). Many promises are given to the churches in Revelation, and many of them refer to salvation itself (see 2:11), yet all of the promises depend on the believer's overcoming. These were saved people, yet their salvation would be lost if they were overcome by sin.

In 1 Thessalonians 3:5, Paul was worried that the believers there might have given up their faith. He says that if that had happened, his labor of evangelizing them would be wasted. This shows that it is possible for a believer to fall from his faith so completely that his original conversion is worthless.

In 2 Peter 2:18-21 we find that there are false teachers who deceive some believers who had "escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." These believers had "known the way of righteousness" but left it. This text says that they would have been better off never to have known the way than to return to a sinful lifestyle. This shows that it is possible for a person to lose his salvation by going back into sin. If it were not possible for a person to lose his salvation, it could never be said that a person would be better off not to have been saved.

Even the right of sonship that we receive at salvation can be cancelled. After all, we were once the child of the devil (John 8:44) and children of wrath (Eph 2:2) but that sonship is changed when we are adopted by God. The benefits of sonship were worthless to the prodigal son while he was alienated from his father. When he returned, his father referred to him as having been dead.

God does want believers to feel safe and secure, but not by basing their feelings on a false assurance that makes them put themselves in real danger. We must not promise believers something God has not promised. He does not promise that we will be safe from losing our salvation no matter what we do. He does promise to guide us and enable us to live in victory over sin. That is enough assurance for us to be free from fear.

A believer must maintain victory over sin or break his saving relationship with God. In addition, there are other immediate results of willful sin that many believers have observed. When a believer commits a willful sin,

1 He loses his joy because of guilt. (The joy of the Lord is our strength; a person without joy is without strength.)

2 He becomes fearful of Christs return, the judgment, and hell (see Heb 10:26-27).

3 He breaks his prayer habits, which will be difficult to rebuild.

4 He reverses the process of spiritual growth. (Like a person who waters a fruit tree on some days and whacks it with an ax on others.)

5 He becomes dissatisfied with life and resentful of the people in his life. (He may start looking for ways to change his circumstances instead of coming back into obedience to God.)

6 He weakens his will by breaking his earlier resolutions to obey God.

7 He begins to have behavior that harms his testimony.

8 He cannot see himself as others do because his perception is distorted.

So we see the necessity of living in victory over sin. Victory is the strongest ongoing assurance that we are saved, and prevents the damage of sin in our lives.

How to Maintain Victory Over Sin

This standard is impossible by mere human strength, but God has promised enabling grace.

"There is no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:13).

God knows our limits. When a person decides to give up, it is not because what he has been through was really too much, but because he thinks he cannot endure what is coming. That is why a person says, "I can't take any more," or "I can't go any farther." He is not giving in to change the past, but to avert something he thinks is coming. If we trust God's knowledge of our capacity and His enabling grace, we can face whatever comes, knowing that God will give us victory.

Grace for victorious living is given in response to faith, for John said, "Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world; and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" (1 John 5:4). The believer who maintains this faith "keepeth himself" (1 John 5:18).

If we understand how it can happen that a believer is defeated by temptation, maybe we can understand how to prevent it. It is useful to analyze the process that a person goes through in falling to temptation.

The process is described in James 1:14-15: "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it brings forth sin."

John Wesley observed that the steps to willful sin usually occur as follows.

1 A temptation arises.

2 The Spirit warns the believer to be watchful.

3 The person gives attention to the temptation, and it becomes more attractive to him.

4 The Spirit is grieved, the person's faith is weakened, and his love for God grows cold.

5 The Spirit reproves sharply.

6 The person turns from the painful voice of the Spirit, and listens to the attractive voice of the tempter.

7 Evil desire begins and fills his heart; faith and love vanish; he is ready to commit outward sin.

Since temptation increases its power while holding our attention, the believer who is serious about maintaining victory over sin must have his heart established so that he can reject temptation immediately. The person who takes time to decide whether or not to yield puts himself in greater danger. By hesitating, he demonstrates that his heart is not fully determined to please God.

If a believer cannot seem to live in victory over sin, it is probably because of one or more of the following problems.

1 He does not see that God requires obedience.

2 He does not see or believe Gods promise of enabling grace.

3 He does not depend on Gods enabling grace instead of personal strength.

4 He serves God with selective obedience, instead of complete, unconditional obedience.

5 He has not sought by grace to have a single motive to do the will of God (Phil 3:13-15).

6 He does not maintain spiritual disciplines.

If a believer does commit a willful sin, he should repent immediately, and he can be restored through our advocate, Jesus Christ (1 John 2:1-2). He should not wait for any future time that he considers more convenient. If he desires to be restored, the Holy Spirit is giving him that desire and drawing him back to his relationship with God. If his repentance his real, he can be restored immediately.

"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" (Rom 8:32). God has already made the supreme investment for our salvation. He is not going to let that investment be wasted by failing to give us the grace we need to continue.

"Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen." (Jude 24-25).

5

Careful Distinctions: The Definition of Sin

It is because of man's sin that he needs grace and salvation. Sin is the problem that God responds to with salvation. That is why sin must be carefully defined. If we misunderstand what sin is, we will probably misunderstand salvation.

Sinfulness is the opposite of holiness, and opposed to devotion to God. Therefore, for a person to be holy means that he must be separated from sin and devoted to God. To understand how grace deals with the sin problem and brings holiness, we must have a scriptural understanding of sin.

Sin is often defined as any action that violates the law of God. However, that definition does not explain the difference between a willful violation and an unknown or accidental violation. It also does not include pride, though pride is a sin. For practical Christian living, a more comprehensive definition with some distinctions is necessary.

Four Categories in the Doctrine of Sin

The first three are categories of sin described in Scripture. The fourth is not sin, but must be discussed in order to distinguish it from sin.

1 Willful Sin (1 Jn 3:4-9, Jam 4:17)

Definition: Purposeful violation of the known will of God.

This is the sin that a sinner repents of in order to be forgiven. A believer does not commit willful sin without damaging his relationship with God, for if we love God we will do what we know pleases Him.

2 Sins of Ignorance (Lev 4:13-14)

Definition: Unconscious violation of the law of God.

These are inevitable as long as our understanding is limited. They are sin in the sense that they fall short of Gods absolute standard, but they do not break our relationship with God because they do not conflict with our love for God. God said that complete love for Him fulfills what He requires of us (Matthew 22:37-40, Romans 13:8-10).

Because the Old Testament sacrifices pointed to the atonement completed by Christ, we know that the benefits of the atonement include redemption from sins of ignorance. We are not accountable for what we do not know. As we walk in the light [according to the truth we know], we are cleansed from all sin (1 John 1:7), and do not need to be in fear of unknown violations. However, as we grow in our understanding of God's will, we will occasionally recognize wrongdoing in our lives. When we recognize that something we are doing is wrong, then it is no longer a sin of ignorance. If we refuse to change, that wrongdoing becomes a willful sin.

3 Inherited Depravity (Ps 58:3, Ps 51:5, Jer 13:23)

Definition: The corruption of mans moral nature that inclines him toward sin from birth.

This depravity of the moral nature causes inward sins such as pride, envy, malice, and unforgiveness. This condition is not willful, for every person is born with it. Since man is not in this condition willfully, he is not personally guilty for it. However, he is in a condition that is offensive to God. Since God in mercy offers grace for cleansing of inherited depravity, to reject that grace and retain inward sin becomes a personal choice and shows a defect in our love for God.

4 Infirmity (2 Cor 12:9-10, Heb 4:15, 1 Cor 6:18-19)

Definition: Physical or mental limitations or deficiencies.

We will have infirmity as long as we are in the mortal body. Infirmity is not sin, for even Jesus took on limitations of humanity in the incarnation. The Scripture tells us that He hungered, grew tired, and suffered pain. The limitations of our understanding make mistakes of opinion and practice inevitable. These are sins of ignorance in an absolute sense, but are not sins in the sense that they violate the law of love. Though Jesus took on infirmity in the incarnation, He was free from sins of ignorance, for He was guided perfectly by the Holy Spirit.

A Timeline

1 3

-----------------------------------------+-----------------\/-------------------------------/\

>--------->------------>-------------->---------/\

2 & 4

1 Willful sin is forsaken at conversion.

That is not to say that willful sin cannot possibly occur after conversion, but it is never normal or tolerable in the life of a Christian. At conversion the believer is delivered from the power of sin and receives the grace he needs to live in victory.

2 Sins of ignorance are removed in spiritual growth in a process that will not be completed in this life.

3 Inherited depravity is cleansed at entire sanctification.

4 Infirmity is assisted by the Holy Spirit now and removed at glorification.

Further Biblical Support for These Categories

Though the Bible does not list these categories of sin with their distinctions, we can distinguish them by the various ways the Bible describes sin. The references given above with each category could not reasonably be confused with another category. For example, in 1 John, sin is usually spoken of in terms of action that a believer does not do. Clearly, this must refer to willful sin, for not every believer could be said to be free from inherited depravity, and no believer could be said to be free from infirmity and sins of ignorance.

The Bible does not speak of the condition of ignorance and infirmity the same way that it speaks of willful sin. Willful sin is always to be confessed and forsaken immediately. In contrast, the Spirit "helps us" with our infirmities (Rom 8:26), and Paul could glory in his infirmities because the power of God could be seen compensating for them (2 Cor 12:9). He would not have said that he gloried in sin.

There are many places in Scripture that refer to sin in more than one category. For example, the one who is accepted by God is the one who has clean hands and a pure heart (Ps 24:4). This person must be one who is cleansed from sinful actions and inner sins.

In Jeremiah 33:8, God promised to cleanse Israel from their iniquity (singular), and to pardon their iniquities (plural). Here there is a two-fold salvation implied, including cleansing and pardon. There may also be significance in the fact that the sinfulness they are to be cleansed of is spoken of in the singular, as though it is a condition, and the sins they are to be forgiven of are plural, as though they were actions.

In Ezekiel 36:25-27 is a promise that the Jewish rabbis took to be a promise of the end of all sin. We can at least see it as a promise that goes beyond the forgiveness of sinful actions. God would give them a new heart. Would He give them a heart with sinful motives of pride and envy? If not, this promise speaks of a cleansing of inherited depravity.

In Psalm 51:5-7 (in Russian Bible 50:7-9) the Psalmist in his prayer of repentance acknowledges that he needs a salvation beyond forgiveness of his sinful acts. He sees that his very nature is sinful, and that God wants truth on the inside instead. He then prays for a thorough cleansing. Can this prayer be for anything but cleansing of inherited depravity?

Why Distinctions Matter

First, these distinctions are necessary for a proper view of guilt. Failure to distinguish willful sins from infirmity and sins of ignorance causes some to identify sinfulness with being human. This logically takes away real guilt, since one is not truly guilty of something he could not have prevented. He cannot really be sorry if he could not have done differently.

Secondly, distinctions allow a proper definition of repentance. Repentance means that a person is sorry enough for his sins to be willing to quit them, but a person cannot commit to change something that cannot change as long as he is human. Therefore, if infirmity and sins of ignorance are to be repented of, repentance is mere acknowledgment of ones human condition. A proper distinction between willful sin and mans natural condition allows a concept of repentance of willful sin.

Thirdly, they are necessary for us to understand forgiveness. If we are not truly not to blame for being sinners, then forgiveness is only Gods excusing our humanity. A person then sees God's grace as toleration of his condition, and he cannot maintain genuine concern about the ongoing sin in his life.

Fourthly, they are necessary if we are to understand the sense in which every believer has victory over sin. If all categories of sin are viewed as a whole with no distinctions, then it is impossible for a person to be free from sin in this life. To understand victory over sin we must distinguish willful sin from the other categories.

These aspects all affect our view of salvation. Without the distinctions, salvation becomes only deliverance from the plight of being born into fallen humanity. If we cannot really be free from sin's bondage, the only deliverance we can have now is from sin's penalty. Scriptural descriptions of salvation only make sense with some distinction between categories of sin.

6

Holy and Human

Some people seem to consider humanness and holiness to be incompatible, yet God calls us to be holy in this life. To understand the holiness that is possible in humanity we must distinguish sin from temptation and from the natural human desires that God created.

Jesus was tempted, yet without sin. Therefore we know that temptation is possible for a holy person, and that it is not sinful in itself.

Jesus possessed a complete human nature, including whatever natural desires are part of humanity. Therefore we know that it is possible for natural human desires to be distinguished from sin.

We also see that temptation must be attractive to some natural desire. If there were no attraction, there would be no temptation.

God created natural desires. These desires are part of what it means to be human. They are not sinful in themselves, but they make temptation possible, for temptation is an attraction to satisfy a natural desire in a way that God is not pleased with. Every believer should expect to have natural desires and to experience temptation because of them. Grace does not usually remove natural desires, but it does give a person the power to control them and to direct them to legitimate objects. Natural desires, properly controlled, are not inconsistent with a holy heart.

The following chart is not thorough, but provides some examples.

Categories of Natural Desires Proper Expressions Potential Sins

Self-preservation Safety precautions Cowardice

Human Approval Careful dress, courtesy Pride, envy

Physical Satisfactions Desires for food, sleep, sex Sinful indulgence

Social Enjoyments Fellowship, friendship Gossip, snobbishness

Comfort and Painlessness Preference of ease Laziness, materialism

Financial Security Thriftiness, investment Greed, dishonesty

Every person responds to these desires in some way, and these responses become habitual. Bad habits may not automatically cease when a person receives grace in the heart. Before a person will change a habit, he must see that it is inconsistent with love and see what behavior should replace it. Therefore, the correction of some habits occurs over time. A believer should be careful not to accuse another of sin because of some habit that needs improvement. Some areas in which a believer should improve are carefulness of his influence, temperance, care of health, manners, business ethics, punctuality, dress, language, promise keeping, and stewardship.

Because of natural desires, spiritual disciplines are necessary for maintaining holiness in humanity. Grace does not free a person from the necessity of obeying the instructions of Scripture, practicing the means of grace, keeping the body in subjection, and disciplining oneself in prayer and Bible study. A believer who is serious about maintaining spiritual victory may also develop some personal restrictions to protect his areas of weakness.

Holiness of heart "Offers a constant incentive to apply more and more the implanted inward principle of holiness to the details of life and to the perfection of character." The doctrine of entire sanctification does not mean mean outward perfection of life. Holiness is perfect love in the heart with which the person gradually makes his life consistent, as his understanding increases.

Not only do natural desires allow temptation, but it is possible for a natural desire to be out of control or directed selfishly so that it is a sinful desire. It is important for a believer to know whether or not his natural desires are in a sinful form. God will give cleansing and deliverance from sinful desires, and power for controlling natural desires.

A person may discover a sinful desire if he considers these questions:

1 Am I hospitable to temptation in my mind because of a sense of satisfaction that I gain from it?

2 Though I refrain from the sinful action, do I find myself unable to truly reject the temptation from the heart, because of a desire for sin?

3 Do I seek for opportunities to bring myself into temptation?

4 What would I like to do if I could do it without anyone knowing?

5 Does anything I do conflict with my love for God?

6 Do I sometimes conceal from others my real reasons for an action?

The holy heart has made a complete choice for what pleases God. Temptation will appear attractive, but if the heart is established to desire Gods will, the person can truly reject temptation from the heart. He will not think that he is giving up what would really make him happy. By faith he knows that his satisfaction is in God, and that nothing contrary to Gods will would really satisfy him. By faith he knows that God does not forbid anything that is harmless, even if he does not see the harmfulness of something that is forbidden. He rejects the temptation to think that a particular sin would be the best option if he would not be punished for it.

God is able to cleanse the heart of sinful desires and enable the believer to control natural desires so that he is free from sin. Holiness and redeemed humanity are not incompatible. Grace can restore fallen humanity to holiness.

7

Establishing Grace: The Thessalonians Need

The Thessalonians were a group of believers that were ready for an important step in God's grace. First we will consider their circumstances, then the need that Paul addressed in his letter.

The Thessalonians were a group of ideal converts.

They did not have every quality that comes with maturity, but chapter 1 shows that they had every quality that comes with conversion.

They became followers of the Lord. They received the Word. They had joy in the Holy Spirit. They were examples to other churches. They spread the gospel. They turned from idols to serve God. They anticipated the return of Christ.

Paul had a great concern that these believers would not stand in persecution.

Paul knew that they were being persecuted (2:14) and tried to return for a visit several times (2:17-18). His sense of urgency was so great that he sent Timothy to encourage them (3:1-2). He could not wait because he was afraid that they would be tempted and give up their faith (3:5). The reason for Timothys visit was to keep them from moving away from their faith because of persecution (3:3).

Why did Paul have such a strong concern?

Why did he not have better confidence that they could endure persecution? In 3:10 we see why he was concerned, and why he was so intent on getting back to them.

Something was still missing in their faith.

This was not something that should have been received at conversion, for their conversion was complete, and Paul found no fault with it. That implies that it is normal for a newly converted believer to have this lack. A person may be thoroughly converted yet have the same need the Thessalonians had.

The fact that Paul expected this need to be met during his visit shows that it was not a need to be met at death or through a long process.

What they needed was for their hearts to be blameless in holiness.

In 3:13 we see that the ultimate purpose of ("to the end") both Pauls visit (3:11) and the abounding love that God would produce in them (3:12) was that their hearts would be permanently established in holiness at the return of Christ. However, the issue Paul was concerned about was how they could endure in their faith until the return of Christ.

The way to endure until this ultimate establishment is to allow God's work of grace in the heart that produces abounding love ("the Lord make you to increase and abound in love . . . to the end [or, "so that"] he may stablish your hearts unblamable"). Paul implied that he had this abounding love already and that they needed it ("you . . . even as we," 3:12). This complete love makes the heart blameless and holy, which was the condition they needed to be found in at the return of Christ. This holy blamelessness would be accomplished in their hearts so that it could be accepted and confirmed by Christ at His return. They were not to be made holy at the return of Christ, but found holy at that time.

The work of grace that produces this holiness is sanctification. Their need for this was the cause of Pauls sense of urgency. Because they lacked this blameless holiness of the heart, they were vulnerable to temptation caused by persecution. A modern believer who lacks this establishing grace is similarly vulnerable, not only in times of persecution, but in any time of great trials.

Paul expected what was lacking in their faith to be provided at his visit (3:10). Evidently he would lead them into this blameless holiness which they would maintain until the return of Christ.

This grace is not optional.

Chapter 4 describes the requirement of holiness, accomplished by sanctification. Sanctification means to be made holy. Sanctification begins when a repentant believer separates from willful sin. A further sanctification deals with the need the Thessalonians had - the need to have their hearts made holy, cleansed from inward sins like pride, envy, and malice. Sanctification is the will of God (4:3).

Fornication is mentioned here in contrast to holiness. We know that they were not still committing this sin, for Paul said they were examples of believers (1:7); he had taught them how to live pleasing to God, and they were doing it (4:1); and they had been warned of these things already (4:6). Therefore, the holiness they still needed was something beyond mere separation from sinful actions. They had already repented of willful sins, and holiness had begun, but it still needed to be completed in their hearts.

God is the one that calls us to holiness (4:7); therefore, if a person despises or undervalues this offer of sanctifying grace, he is not rejecting only the human messenger, but God (4:8). Holiness is not just an option on a spiritual buffet.

God promised to sanctify completely and to keep them in that grace.

In 5:23, Paul prayed for this complete sanctification to happen. At the coming of the Lord they were to be preserved in a blameless condition that would first be accomplished by their sanctification. The fact that they would be found blameless at the coming of the Lord shows that they would receive this sanctifying grace before that event. Sanctification is for this life, not for the time of death or at the coming of the Lord, and not at the end of a life-long process. Both Pauls original concern that they would fall and the purpose of his visit climax in this promise that God would sanctify them completely and keep them in that grace. The fact that the body, soul, and spirit are all to be found blameless shows that no place is left for sin. That means that the inherited depravity that causes inward sinfulness would be cleansed in the grace of sanctification before the coming of the Lord.

There is a special significance in the Greek tenses used in this passage. The commands in 5:14-22 are all in the present tense, which refers to ongoing action. Exhortations to pray, to maintain spiritual efforts, and to resist temptation are usually in the present tense in the New Testament, which implies ongoing action. But the word sanctify in 5:23 is in the aorist tense, which can be used to refer to action completed in a moment. It seems that Paul deliberately switched tenses there to show that he is not referring to a sanctification that is a lifelong process, but to a sanctification that is to happen at a point in time, so that they could be kept blameless as they waited for the coming of the Lord.

"Faithful is he that calls you, who also will do it" (5:24). This grace is received as a work of God. Therefore, if a person considers it unrealistic to expect to actually receive this grace, he limits the power and faithfulness of God. The doubtful person may be thinking of sanctification as something to be accomplished by human effort, but it can be received only by faith.

This verse (5:24) is practically Pauls last words in the epistle, except for his goodbye and his command for everyone to read the letter. This verse and the preceding one seem to summarize the epistle by creating expectation that God would actually give them the establishing grace they needed.

How can a believer receive this work of grace? He must be willing (4:8). He must see his need and have faith that God will meet the need, for the purpose of this epistle is to show the need and to show Gods promise. The believer who has a scriptural confidence that he is walking in obedience to God should receive by faith this grace that sanctifies the heart and keeps it blameless in love until it is eternally established at the return of Christ..

8

The Promise of the Father: The Disciples Need

The event on the day of Pentecost (recorded in Acts 2) launched the church into an era of powerful evangelism. But what actually happened to the 120 who were gathered there? To understand the significance of Pentecost, we must examine the case of the disciples.

The disciples were already saved before the day of Pentecost.

Jesus said that they were not of the world, even as He was not of the world (John 17:14). Would he have said this about unregenerated men? He told them to rejoice because their names were written in heaven (Luke 10:20). They belonged to Christ and to God (John 17:9-10). They were ordained and commissioned for ministry (Matthew 28:19). They spent 10 days praising God and waiting in prayer (Luke 24:53). It does not say that they spent this time repenting and confessing sins, as it should if they were seeking to be saved. Therefore, these were regenerated men who received some further work of grace on the day of Pentecost.

The disciples still had a specific inner need.

Even though the disciples had been saved, they had an inner need that had to be met before they would be ready for independent ministry. Even three years of training by the greatest Teacher had not fully prepared them, for this inner problem remained.

The problem had shown itself on various occasions during the three years. They were sometimes vindictive in attitude (Luke 9:54-55). They were sometimes pridefully sectarian (Mark 9:38). They were selfish and pridefully ambitious (Mark 10:35-41). They argued about which of them was the greatest, though they were ashamed of it afterward (Mark 9:33-34).

At their last meal together, Jesus washed the disciples feet, and told them to have this attitude of servanthood (John 13:14). However, this humility did not yet exist in their hearts, for they had previously refused to serve one another. This problem was not based on a lack of knowledge, but on a problem in the heart.

Jesus told them that they should have love that would be strong enough for them to give their lives for one another (John 15:12-13). They thought they had this love, but did not, for they fled at the arrest of Jesus, even though they had claimed that they would face death with Him (Mark 14:31, 50).

Jesus told them they would have the courage to face persecutors (John 15:19-20, 27), but during the arrest and trial of Jesus they lacked that courage.

These were the men who would have the responsibility of leading and expanding the church without the physical presence of Christ. Jesus knew that they were not ready for this ministry until their internal need was met, so He told them to wait in Jerusalem until they received the "Promise of the Father" (Acts 1:4-5). This promise is identified with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It was so necessary that they were not to try to advance the church without it.

The Holy Spirit was active before Pentecost.

In John 7:37-39 we find the statement that "The Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." However, the following examples in Scripture show that the Holy Spirit was active in the hearts of individuals before the day of Pentecost.

When Jesus was talking to Nicodemus, He gave a description of those that are born of the Spirit (John 3:8). This implies that such people existed already. Jesus told Nicodemus that he needed the new birth, which implies that this work of the Spirit was available then. Jesus also implied that Nicodemus, being a teacher in Israel, should already have known about these things. That would not be possible unless the Holy Spirit were already active in bringing people into this experience.

Jesus told the woman at the well that she could ask and receive living water that would satisfy her spiritually. Surely this would be a work of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:9 says that any person who belongs to Christ has the Spirit of Christ. The context shows that the Holy Spirit is referred to. We know that the disciples belonged to Christ (John 17:9-10).

Therefore, to say that the Holy Spirit was not given before Pentecost (as in John 7:37-39) would mean only that He was not active in some sense. This is not to say that the Holy Spirit can be partially given or measured out, but it means that His manifestation and activity could take on new dimensions.

Jesus created an expectation for a greater work of the Holy Spirit.

During one of the Jewish feasts, there was a ceremony in which the high priest poured out a container of water, symbolizing Gods blessings, and possibly commemorating the mention of the wells of salvation in Isaiah 12:2-3. On this occasion Jesus called to the crowd with an invitation (John 7:37-39). He said that the one who believes on Him could have an abundant inner source of this water. He was speaking of the Holy Spirit.

In dealing with the disciples directly, Jesus began developing their expectation by describing activities of the Holy Spirit that they had not yet experienced.

The following quotations are from the Gospel of John.

"You know him, for he is with you and shall be in you" (14:17). Of course, the Holy Spirit is everywhere, and believers are the temples of the Holy Spirit, but He would dwell in them in some greater way.

Several activities of the Holy Spirit were that He would remind them of what Jesus had taught (14:26), He would witness with them in persecution (15:26-27), and He would guide them into all truth (16:13).

Jesus prayed that they would be sanctified (17:17). Surely they were already sanctified in the sense that they belonged to Christ and were obeying Him, but some further sanctification was needed.

At a meeting after the resurrection, Jesus breathed on them, and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit" (20:22). The breath was symbolic of the Spirit. No climactic event is described as happening at that time, so Jesus was again pointing to a future work of the Spirit. He wanted them to realize their need and have an expectation.

The most explicit promise of a special work of the Spirit is in Acts 1:4-5. There Jesus told them to wait for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which He called the "Promise of the Father." This event would include an endowment of power that would make them worldwide witnesses (Acts 1:8).

The special, promised work of the Holy Spirit occurred at Pentecost.

The experience of the disciples on the day of Pentecost is described as a filling of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4). Although many things happened at that event, Peter later indicated that the essential work of the Spirit was that He purified their hearts (Acts 15:8-9). This was the need of the disciples. All of the evidences of their inner need pointed to a problem in the heart, inherited depravity, of which they needed to be purified. When this purification occurred by the baptism (or filling) of the Holy Spirit, they no longer considered their own safety or promotion to be the main goal. They became a united, anointed team of powerful witnesses, depending on the power of God and working for the glory of God.

Conclusions

A believer may have the same need that the disciples had. This need can be met by an infilling of the Holy Spirit.

That is not to say:

1 That a believer does not have the Holy Spirit until he receives this special filling.

2 That none of the works of the Holy Spirit occur in the believer until this filling occurs.

3 That there is no type of filling of the Spirit besides this one that cleanses the heart.

4 That every person who has this filling of the Spirit will have an apostolic ministry.

Maybe there are some uniquenesses in the case of the disciples. We should not assume that our experience will parallel theirs identically. However, the essential need of cleansing of the heart and establishment of pure motives parallels the need of the Thessalonians. Therefore, it seems that in some sense the disciples experienced the same step of grace to which Paul was calling the Thessalonians.

From the example of the disciples we can see:

1 That if a person has this need in the heart, he is not fully prepared for ministry.

2 That God does not want to leave a person in this condition.

3 That it is possible for this need to be met in a moment, after proper seeking.

How can a believer receive this work of the Holy Spirit?

Peter said that it was received by faith (Acts 15:8-9). Jesus prepared the disciples to have faith by giving them a promise and creating expectation.

Therefore, if a person sees his need and sees Gods willingness to meet it, he can receive this grace by faith.

9

Perfect Love: The Corinthians Need

Introduction: Love fulfils what God requires of us.

1 All the law (speaking not just of the Mosaic system, but of what God actually requires of His people) is simply expression of complete love in the heart (Matthew 22:37-40).

2 The purpose of Gods commandments is to show the need for love from a pure heart, good conscience, and genuine faith (1 Timothy 1:5). If a person tries to keep God's commandments but does not have love, he is missing the purpose.

3 The person with this love fulfills the whole law; that is, he fully meets what God requires of him (Romans 13:8-10). It does not say that love replaces the law, but that the person with love fulfils the law. Therefore, to have complete love is to be in complete obedience.

4 Love for God is expressed in obedience, so the person with love obeys God (1 John 5:2-3). Love is not simply a feeling or nominal loyalty to God. Love does not replace obedience but motivates obedience.

The best description of perfect love is in 1 Corinthians 13. Paul showed this group of believers that they needed this love. In order to understand who should seek it today, we will first consider the circumstances of the Corinthians.

The Corinthians were Believers

We know that the Corinthians were believers because of the statements made about them in this epistle. They had spiritual gifts (1:7). The Spirit of God dwelled in them (3:16). They were holy (3:17). They belonged to Christ (3:23). They were washed, sanctified, and justified (6:11). They were the body of Christ (12:27). They had received the gospel and were still standing in it; they were saved (15:1-2).

The Corinthians Lacked the Love that Fulfills Gods Requirements

Various details about the Corinthians problems show us that they did not have the complete love that fulfills all that God requires. We see that their loyalties were divided among various leaders in a way that caused disunity in the church (1:12). They were called carnal; they had envy, and there was fighting among them (3:3). They were tolerating fornication by one of their members (5:1). They were taking one another to court (6:6). Their services were disorderly because of their competitive display of spiritual gifts, motivated by pride (14:23-33).

The Corinthians could be called sanctified in the sense that they had repented of willful sin in order to serve God. However, they were not completely sanctified in every sense, for there were still sins like pride and envy in their hearts, caused by inherited depravity. Pride and envy are in conflict with love; therefore, perfect love cannot coexist with these sins.

So it is possible for a person to be a believer, with all of the qualities that the Corinthians possessed, yet lack the love that fulfills Gods requirements.

The Apostles Diagnosis

The condition of such believers is described in 1 Corinthians 3:1-4. They cannot be called spiritual, as the apostle uses the term, for to be fully spiritual would be to be free of the motives that direct the unregenerate man. Though they were regenerated, they were not completely free from those motives. Yet they could not be called "natural," for that would mean that they were totally oblivious to spiritual things.

The apostle said that they were "yet carnal." To be carnal, living by wrong motives, is most typical of unregenerated people. Romans 8 describes totally carnal people who are unsaved. The Corinthians were truly converted, yet were still wrongly motivated. Those who were still true believers were not committing willful sin, but some of their actions came spontaneously from wrong motives.

This condition is not strange, but usual for a new convert, because Paul said their condition was because they were babes in Christ.

Paul described the quality they lacked in chapter 13. It is a way that is "more excellent" than the motivation of pride. It is the motivation of perfect love.

A Standard, not merely an Ideal

This motivation of perfect love is not simply an ideal for us to reach for without expecting to have it. Instead, it is a standard that every believer should reach. We know that this love is a standard, because 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 says that great talents, spiritual gifts, or personal sacrifice cannot compensate for lack of this love. These verses also tell us that our abilities and service are worthless if they are not motivated by love. Though a new believer has some of this love, which motivates some of his works, yet many of his works have selfish motives. If he can never be free from those motives, many of his works will be worthless to God all of his life. Scripture shows that pure motives are possible, for Paul called the Corinthians to a further step of grace, when they would make love complete.

The Significance for Us

Consider these premises:

It is possible for a believer to lack the complete motive of love.

The believers works are worthless if not motivated by love.

We cannot fulfill Gods requirements without this love.

Therefore, a believer should allow the Holy Spirit to evaluate his heart and reveal whether he has this complete love or the deficiency that the Corinthians had.

Personal Evaluation

The person with complete love will fit the description in 13:4-7. He remains kind while enduring hardship. He is courteous to others. He is glad for others (even enemies) to receive benefits, and is not envious of them. He does not compete to attract attention to himself. He does not prefer honor from man to honor from God. He does not try to display personal qualities for praise. He does not try to benefit himself at the expense of others. He does not hold resentment or unforgiveness toward others. He does not hope for harm to come to someone else. He does not take enjoyment from the sin of someone else. He endures hostility and rejection with the right attitude. He tries to assume the best about the motives and actions of others.

A believer who lacks this love should seek the grace that enables it.

If a person sees that his behavior, attitudes, and values are not consistent with this complete love, he should seek Gods grace for cleansing of proud and selfish motives and infilling with this love. What God expects of us He will enable by His grace.

10

Cases from Acts after Pentecost

For discussion of the event at Pentecost, see chapter 8. For further discussion of the baptism of the Spirit, see chapter 12.

Samaria (Acts 8:5-17)

The Samaritans were converted under the ministry of Philip. We are told that he preached Christ to them (v 5) and that they accepted his message (v 6). They believed and were baptized (12-13). Those who "believed" in the book of Acts were always people who were converted. Only converted people were baptized. The fact that Simon later was in spiritual trouble is not evidence that he was never converted. Those who insist that he was never converted assume it because they believe that any truly converted person will never become bitter and lose salvation, but that assumption is not scriptural (see Heb 12:15).

The Samaritans received the Holy Spirit under the ministry of Peter and John. This was a second special event for them. It does not mean that they did not already have the Holy Spirit in any sense at all. "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His" (Rom 8:9). They were converted, like the disciples before Pentecost, but they needed the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Cornelius (Acts 10)

Because of the Bible's description of Cornelius, we know that he was saved before he was baptized with the Holy Spirit in Acts 10:44. He was devout, feared God, gave alms, and prayed (v 2, 31). It is true that a person is not saved by works, but these are more than works - they indicate a real relationship with God. Furthermore, his works and prayers were accepted by God, which could not be said of a person whose religion is false or mere formality (3). When God was preparing Peter to go to Cornelius, He said, "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common" implying that Cornelius had been cleansed by God (5). Upon meeting Cornelius, Peter observed, "In every nation, he that feareth him [God] and worketh righteousness, is accepted of him" (35). Peter came to this conclusion from what God showed him about Cornelius, not because of anything that happened later. This indicates that Cornelius was already righteous according to God's evaluation. Peter also said that they had already heard the facts of the gospel (37).

These believers received the Holy Spirit during Peter's visit. This event convinced the Jewish believers of their conversion; it does not mean that they were just then converted. They were subsequently baptized, since they had not already been baptized, not having previously been part of the known church.

Some object that the filling of the Spirit was a conversion experience, because of the following evidence. Peter gave them the basic facts of the gospel for "remission of sins" (43). Also, 11:14 says that this was the message by which Cornelius would be saved. However, since this was the first sermon they had heard, it is natural that Peter would begin by establishing the basics. Also, it is natural to refer to this message as the truth by which they were saved, even if their conversion had taken place previously. They needed to hear it in order to clarify their faith.

It is possible that they did not previously have a complete Christian faith in the sense of having assurance of salvation based on clear faith in the atonement. However, the message would confirm them rather than call them to repentance. There is no mention of repentance in the passage. It would be possible for this confirmation to be accompanied by a baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Apollos is a similar case of a person with a faith that needed further explanation of the gospel. In Acts 18:24-25, it is said that he was mighty in the Scriptures, instructed in the way of the Lord, and fervent in spirit. He taught diligently the things of the Lord. Surely such a man was converted in some sense, though he did not have a clear doctrine of the atonement, "knowing only the baptism of John." Aquila and Priscilla explained the way of God more completely to him. There is no mention of repentance; his faith simply needed to be clarified and confirmed.

Ephesus (Acts 19:1-6)

These people were already saved before they received the Holy Spirit at this event. They are called disciples, and Paul refers to the time when they had "believed." That term always refers to the time of conversion in the book of Acts. They had been baptized in the name of Jesus (whoever baptized them obviously considered them converted) before they received the Holy Spirit.

They had heard John's message of repentance, which was sufficient for assurance of forgiveness, the essence of conversion. After all, neither did Jesus' disciples have any concept of the atonement (Jesus' death as a sacrifice for their forgiveness) during Jesus' earthly ministry, but they were converted. See also the example of Apollos above.

This does not mean they did not have the Holy Spirit in any sense, though they had not heard of Him. Many people have heard the gospel and have been regenerated by a work of the Holy Spirit in the heart, without having heard an explanation of the Holy Spirit.

The preposition in Paul's question could be translated either "when" or "since." However, the essentials are clear. They had already believed. They had not yet received the Holy Spirit in the fullest sense. They received Him at this time. This was a definite second event for them.

Saul (Acts 9:1-18)

At his vision, Saul was repentant and obedient (6). He was praying (11). Ananias called him "Brother Saul" (17). Evidently Ananias was convinced by God's message to him that Saul was converted. Then Saul received the Holy Spirit (17).

A fuller description of Jesus' words to Saul on the road is given in Acts 26:16-18. There he was given a call to ministry, which he accepted immediately. This implies that his conversion took place immediately, before Ananias came to him three days later.

The only possible evidence to the contrary is that Ananias told him, "Be baptized, and wash away thy sins" (Acts 22:16). However, almost no evangelicals would teach that baptism literally washes away sins, or that a person is saved at his baptism. Rather, baptism is a testimony that sins are put into the past, and a new life is begun. Therefore, the fact that he was baptized at Ananias's visit does not mean that he did not have a second work of grace at that visit, for there had been no previous opportunity to be baptized.

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Christian Perfection: The Biblical Term

The Embattled Term

Can a believer be perfect? Many people would immediately react to that question with an emphatic "No." Wesleyans have a doctrine of Christian perfection that has caused more controversy, sometimes because of misunderstanding, than any of their other doctrines. They find themselves continually having to explain what they mean by the word. Because of the endless controversy around the term perfection, some people have suggested that we not use it. However, Jesus said that we should be perfect just as the Father is, and the term is used extensively in Scripture. Therefore, it is necessary for us to understand what the term means in the Bible.

To some people, the idea of living a perfect life seems like the challenge of walking across a rope stretched tightly between the tops of two apartment buildings. Is it possible for a believer to be perfect?

Of course, only God is absolutely perfect. This leads people to make statements like, "Only God is perfect," or "Only Jesus was perfect." But there must be types of perfection other than divine perfection, for there is also the perfection of angels, the perfection of Adam before his sin, and the perfection that resurrected believers will have. None of these perfections are absolute, for these beings do not possess the absolute attributes of God.

The controversy often comes from someone not understanding that there is more than one kind of perfection. Many assume that for something to be perfect at all, it must be perfect in every way. But it is possible to speak of the perfection of a certain aspect of a being. For example, a hammer could be described as perfect if it perfectly possessed all characteristics necessary for its performance. A drop of paint or a speck of rust would not mar that perfection at all.

The question for us is this : Is there a perfection that believers can have in this life?

General Biblical Use of the Term

Does the Bible speak of any people as perfect in this life? First let us consider Old Testament references to human perfection. In each of the following references, the same Hebrew word is used. It means "perfect, blameless, and complete." Noah was called perfect (Genesis 6:9). Abraham was commanded to walk before God perfectly (Genesis 17:1). Was this an impossible command, or was it a certain type of perfection that God could realistically require? The Psalmist said he would behave perfectly and have a perfect heart (Psalm 101:2). Was he wrong, or was perfection of a certain type possible? In another Psalm, the writer prayed that his heart would be perfect in Gods statutes (Psalm 119:80). Could this be praying for something not in Gods will? Would God refuse or be unable to answer this prayer? We see from these examples that some kind of perfection is consistently spoken of as real in this life.

The New Testament calls certain believers perfect in love: "Herein is our love made perfect" (1 John 4:17). We know that this perfection can be possessed by believers now, for it shows that a present privilege of the believer is that he does not have to fear the judgment if he has this love, and "he that fears is not made perfect in love" (v. 18).

Pastors and teachers are called for the "perfecting of the saints" into a "perfect man" (Ephesians 4:11-14). It is believers who need perfecting, but it is not a lifelong process that he speaks of, for the purpose is that we come to a maturity ("that we henceforth be no more children") that will give us spiritual stability ("not tossed to and fro"). This is a perfection that establishes the believer for Christian living, so it cannot be a perfection that awaits the end of the Christian life.

"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). This command of Jesus follows a discourse describing the high standard of the true follower of God. In this passage are some of the commands that seem most difficult for humanity, such as "Love your enemy." Yet Jesus says this standard is necessary in order for us to "be the children of your Father which is in heaven." Therefore, when He gave the command to be perfect, He was not simply holding up an ideal, but giving a standard that He expects His children to fulfill.

From both New Testament and Old Testament uses of the term perfection, it seems evident that there is a perfection possible and required of Gods children. So what is the perfection that God expects of us?

The Philippian Case

The Enigmatic Use of the Term

In Philippians 3:12-15, Paul used the term perfect with two different meanings. In verse 12 he said that he was not yet perfect. But in verse 15 he included himself and some of the Philippian believers in a group, which he called "Us . . those who are perfect." To understand Pauls meaning and to resolve this apparent contradiction, we need only to look at at each use of the term in its context.

Resurrection Perfection

Verse 12, where Paul said that he was not perfect, is preceded by a reference to the resurrection of the dead. He says that he is not yet perfect in the sense that he has already been resurrected. There is a perfection that cannot be received until the end of the believers earthly, natural life.

Present Perfection of Motive

The context of verse 15, where Paul included himself among a group of those that are perfect, begins with verse 13. Here Paul said that he is putting aside anything that could hinder him from focusing on the goal. He is pressing forward with single-minded purpose, with one motive, toward fulfilling Gods will. Then, in verse 15, he says, "Therefore, let those who are perfect be thus minded." Therefore, to be perfect in this sense is to have no conflicting motives. It is to have no duality of heart.

Paul said that if a person has any conflict of motive ("if any be otherwise minded"), God will show this to him. Therefore, if an honest believer is conscious that his motive is complete, and if God does not show him any defect in it, he has the perfection of motive that Paul described. Paul himself testified that he had a single motive, and that all his powers were united for the purpose of fulfilling Gods will.

Identifying the United Motive

We see then that there is a perfection that is possible for the believer, and this perfection is perfection of motive. But what is this single motive that unites the persons

efforts to do the will of God? The motive is complete love for God. In Deuteronomy 30:6, God promised to do a work in the heart that would cause them to love Him with the whole heart and soul. This love would motivate them to completely meet Gods requirements. This matches the New Testament statements that love fulfills the law (Matthew 22:37-40, 1 Timothy 1:5, Romans 13:8-10). Therefore, the motive for single-minded obedience is love. This is the motive that can be perfected in the believers heart.

What Christian Perfection Does Not Imply

This perfection is not the perfection Adam had before the Fall. Neither is it perfection that puts one beyond committing unintentional errors. It is not freedom from temptation or the possibility of falling, for even Adam in his perfection was tempted and did fall. It is not perfection that implies that Christian qualities cannot be further increased. It is not an ethical perfection (perfection of every detail of Christian living), for our understanding of the will of God is always improving and never complete in this life.

Christian perfection is not sinless perfection, if involuntary transgressions are considered sins that need the atonement. Our humanness, the fact that we are "earthen vessels," excuses those transgressions that are due to physical or mental infirmity and not due to an insufficient love for God. Perfect love is not yet perfectly expressed in our lives.

What Christian Perfection Implies

Christian perfection is a perfection of the motive of the heart, so that the believer by love fulfills the will of God, with no conflicting motives. Christian perfection excludes acts of willful sin and inward sins such as envy and pride, for those conflict with love for God and show that our love is not made perfect. Humanness does not excuse those sins.

Questions for Personal Examination

Are you a believer, with a conscience clear of any unforsaken sin, walking in present, complete obedience to the will of God, as far as you see it? Only a believer is a candidate for perfection, for it is offered to believers.

If you continuously have to repent of willful sin and renew your relationship with God, doesnt that show a defect in your love for Him? Somehow your love is not sufficient to motivate obedience. You could not give Pauls testimony that you are allowing nothing to keep you from pressing forward in the will of God.

Do you occasionally experience a war between motives in your own heart, even after you perceive the specific will of God in a matter? Do you sometimes struggle to find the will of God because of unwillingness to accept what you think He may require of you? If so, you could not testify with Paul that you have a single motive that unites all your efforts to do Gods will.

Perhaps you say that you do not believe even this perfection to be possible. But consider, do you desire this perfection of love to be your hearts single motive, if it is possible? If you do not desire it, how can you continue in a life-long relationship with God that requires your whole-hearted obedience?

This perfection is not something that can be accomplished by your own effort. It is a work of Gods grace, to be received by faith. If there is delay, it is not because of Gods unwillingness; it is because of your unwillingness or unbelief. Seek Gods grace with expectation that today He will purify your heart of conflicting motives, and give you this perfected motive of love to do the will of God.

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The Baptism of the Spirit and Its Evidence

A Controversial Topic

The term baptism of the Holy Spirit has been controversial. Most Christians believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the main thing that happened on the day of Pentecost, but there are many ideas about exactly what the baptism of the Spirit was for them and what should happen to us. That causes differences between what churches promote as the normal spiritual life of the believer.

Some say that Pentecost is an experience that happens to every believer at the time of his conversion. In chapter 8 it is explained that purification of the heart, also called entire sanctification, is what happened to the disciples, and it was a special event after conversion.

Among those who say that each believer can experience the essence of Pentecost today, there are disagreements over how a believer can know if he has had this experience. Some say that the evidence of the baptism of the Spirit is speaking in tongues. They tend to emphasize the enduement of spiritual power more than the cleansing, though Peter in retrospect emphasized the cleansing (Acts 15:9).

The purpose of this chapter is to understand what the Bible means by the expression baptism of the Holy Spirit.

The Biblical Term

In Acts 2 the expression used is that they were "filled with the Holy Spirit." However, John the Baptist predicted that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit (Mt 3:11, Mk 1:8, Lk 3:16, Jn 1:33). Jesus repeated this prediction and connected it to the Pentecost event (Acts 1:5).

The Holy Spirit is sometimes described as "poured" (Is. 32:15, Joel 2:28-29), "shed forth" (Acts 2:33), and "falling upon" (Acts 11:15). Several terms like this are used to describe the event at Pentecost, but these terms do not always refer to entire sanctification; they may refer to other actions of the Holy Spirit in the life and ministry of the church. However, the term baptism of the Holy Spirit seems to refer to a specific aspect of the experience of entire sanctification.

Baptism marks the entrance into a new kind of spiritual life and experience. Proselytes were baptized into Judaism. Christians (following the examples of John and Jesus) baptize converts into the church.

Some people think that any event that as spoken of as "baptism" must happen at conversion, since it marks a beginning. There is something that happens at conversion that can be called Spirit baptism, such as in 1 Corinthians 12:13. However, Jesus told the disciples to anticipate the baptism of the Spirit, even though they were already converted.

Can there be more than one kind of baptism? Ephesians 4:5 says that there is one baptism, but the context shows that it means there is only one church. Every true believer is baptized into the same church and is connected to all other believers in some spiritual unity. So Ephesians 4:5 is saying that there is one Christianity, and not necessarily saying there cannot be more than one kind of baptism.

John the Baptist referred to two baptisms (Matthew 3:11). We cannot say that the first was only a symbol of the later one, because people had to demonstrate repentance before the first one. It seems evident that even after genuine conversion there is to be another specific experience of the Holy Spirit. Examples are the event at Pentecost and the event at Samaria (See chapter 10 and Acts 8:16).

Why the gift of tongues is not the evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit

1 It is not a gift that every person should have. 1 Cor 12

God decides how to distribute the gifts (12:11).

No certain spiritual gift is given to every believer (12:29-30)

2 A person has spiritual gifts even before the baptism of the Spirit

Every believer has the Spirit of God (Rom. 8:9).

The Corinthians still needed the cleansing of the heart but excelled in gifts (1:7).

3 The gift of tongues is not a sign for believers of a spiritual attainment, but to unbelievers, through communication of the gospel. (1 Cor. 14:22)

4 Tongues does not naturally result from the filling of the Spirit.

The evidence of it should be its natural results, like a light bulb shining when power is entering it.

How can you know you have been baptized by the Holy Spirit?

Have you ever been sick? How did you know when you recovered?

Have you been hungry? How did you know when you were filled?

Have you been guilty before God? How did you know when you were forgiven?

If you feel the need for the baptism of the Spirit, you will know when it happens?

We do not look for some external phenomena such as tongues for proof of conversion, because it is promised in Scripture, it happens by faith, the Holy Spirit confirms it, and the believer knows his need is met. The same is true of the baptism of the Spirit. It happens by faith, and the believer knows what need is met.

Some people become confused because they were not seeking for what God wants to give.

We know

because we had a need met

because we believe God's promise

because the Spirit witnesses to our heart what God has done

If there are these assurances, why is tongues needed for evidence? The evidence of tongues is really not evidence for anything and could be used to try to prove something that is not true. Since it cannot be a real evidence (because of the above reasons), using it for evidence makes self-deception almost inevitable.

Summary

The baptism of the Spirit purifies the heart, and results in empowerment for witnessing. The evidences of it are the obvious evidences of the need being met.

13

Christlikeness as a Definition of Holiness

Christs Example Demonstrates Holiness in Human Life

Scripture tells us to be holy like God is holy, but how can we understand what God's holiness in our lives would be like? Nobody has seen God, but the Son has revealed Him (John 1:18). We understand what the holiness of God in human life would look like through the life of Jesus. A one-word definition for God's holiness in our lives is Christlikeness.

Jesus most completely revealed holiness in His submission to death on the cross. His voluntary death was an absolute contrast to pride and selfishness, which are the essence of sin. His humility was a complete self denial, expressed not only by His death, but by His life.

Christ Requires Imitation

Unless one can accept the cross of Ñhrist for himself, willing to renounce self as Jesus did, he is not a follower of Christ. The foot washing event at the last supper teaches this truth. Jesus told the disciples that unless they accepted His service for them they had no part in Him. He wasn't just talking about the footwashing. He meant the whole service that He came to do, His life and death for us. He then said that if they accepted His service for them, they owed such service to others. They were to have the same approach to life -- the humble attitude of servanthood. Because the greatest One could do it, none of us is too great to serve; in fact, He defined greatness as willingness to serve.

Passages that teach Christlikeness in us

The standard of holiness is not discovered by comparing ourselves to one another (2 Cor 10:12). Though visible examples are helpful, and use of them is scriptural, those examples must be constantly tested by the example of Jesus.

1 Peter 2:20-24

Jesus received undeserved suffering patiently. He did not strike back even with His words. He did no sin. He was not deceitful.

Eph. 5:1-2

We are to love one another the way Christ did, with complete sacrifice to God. He said that the greatest love is demonstrated by willingness to die for a friend.

1 John 2:6

The one that claims to abide in Him should walk as He did. A person cannot prove that he is a Christian simply by holding correct doctrine.

Phil 2:5-8

He did not cling to the privileges that belonged to Him as deity, but accepted humiliation in order to serve. How much more should we be willing to give up rights and privileges when something more important can be gained.

Luke 6:40

The perfected, or mature one, will be as his master. A person who is unwilling to be changed to be more like Christ has decided not to truly be a disciple of Christ.

14

Christian Hedonism

"From all your idols will I cleanse you." Ezekiel 36:25

A hedonist is a person whose supreme goal is to experience as much pleasure as he can. In this pursuit it is necessary to subject inferior pleasures to greater ones. For example, a person who is lazy will experience the pleasure of idleness, but he will not earn money for obtaining greater pleasures. A person who eats carelessly will eventually diminish his ability to experience even the pleasure of eating. A shrewd hedonist will select his preferred pleasures and pursue them devotedly, sacrificing inferior ones.

Perhaps every believer needs to become a Christian hedonist. A Christian hedonist is one who has found that the greatest object of pleasure is God Himself. He therefore subjects all other enjoyments to the pursuit of the supreme pleasure, God.

If this idea seems strange, maybe it is because we tend to define our relationship with God in terms of His authority. We see Him in the role of king or judge. We see sin as disobedience or lawbreaking. Grace is forgiveness, deliverance from bondage to sin, and enablement to live in obedience. Christ is the sacrifice that obtained our pardon. The saving relationship with God is based on continuing obedience. Entire sanctification is enablement of living in both internal and external conformity to the law of God by the cleansing and power of the Holy Spirit.

This system of thought is scriptural and logically consistent. However, there is a problem in thinking of God, grace, and salvation in exclusively authoritative terms. Scripture emphasizes another approach to life, which we could call Christian hedonism.

People make several objections to this idea. One objection is that a Christian is supposed to renounce his desires, rather than pursue them. They say that repentance is renunciation of self, not satisfaction of self. A second objection is that the highest motive for obeying God is not for the pleasure derived from it. The third objection is that Christian hedonism is not scriptural.

We will respond to the third objection first, then the answers to the other objections will be obvious. Here are a few examples of scriptures that advocate Christian hedonism.

"Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore." Ps 16:11 [Then it must be proper for us to seek those pleasures?]

"As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God." Ps 42:1 [Not because of duty, but because of desire.]

"Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." Ps 37:4 [The fulfillment of desire is offered here as an incentive. And the command is that we find "delight" in the Lord.]

"By faith Moses refused . . . the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward." Heb 11:24-26 [He was motivated by "greater riches," the Divine reward.]

"Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things; therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies." Deut 28:47-48

"Ask, and ye shall receive, that [for this reason] your joy may be full." John 16:24 See also 20-23.

"One thing have I desired [one desire given priority over all others] of the Lord, that will I seek after [purposeful effort] that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord [supreme focus of desire], and to inquire in his temple." Ps 27:4

"If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath [representing all Gods requirements], from doing thy pleasure on my holy day [other desires that should be subjected]; and call the sabbath a delight [by choice making God the object of desire], the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure [subjecting desires], nor speaking thine own words: then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord." Is 58:13-14

"Looking unto Jesus [That is, following the supreme example] the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him [evidently a legitimate incentive] endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Heb 12:2

See also Ps 63:1, 73:25, 1 Jn 1:4, 2 Cor 4:17, Rom 8:18, Ps 84:10, and Ps 32:11.

Somehow the common image of God includes the idea that He is the one who deserves absolute obedience, but lacks the idea that He is also the supreme object of our desire. We seem to think that He is more honored by cold, determined obedience than by obedience motivated by enjoyment of Him. What spouse or any other person would feel the same way about our loyalty? Imagine telling your wife, "I do not enjoy being married to you, but I am staying with you because it is the right thing to do." Would she rather hear that than to know that your love for her gives you joy? Yet we think that God is pleased by our attitude that we have given up what we really want in order to serve Him.

Many people see God as their authority, and something else as the object of their desire. This is to divide their worship between God and an idol. If the object they desire is something specifically forbidden, they feel internal conflict until they either reject God or make Him their delight as well as their authority, thus uniting the divided parts of the image of God. If the object is something legitimate, or even commendable, such as financial or ministerial success, they may never realize that an important part of the worship that only God deserves is going to an idol instead.

Some Clarifications

Christian hedonism does not mean that the focus of ones supreme love upon God should happen easily and automatically, like choosing ones favorite flavor of ice cream. Actually, the subjection of all other desires will probably be experienced as a kind of death, perhaps preceded by a painful, internal death struggle.

Christian hedonism does not mean that a person seeks God only when he feels like it, or that no discipline is needed for this pursuit. As stated previously, even the worldly hedonist must exercise some discipline to obtain the pleasures he desires most. He must remind himself that the object presently appealing to his senses is not the one that he wants most, even though the supreme object temporarily seems far away. The Christian hedonist forever renounces the short-sighted slogan, "If you cant be with the one you love, love the one you are with."

Christian hedonism does not mean that we become incapable of being attracted to any conflicting objects of desire. The believer will find it necessary to reaffirm his supreme love for God, perhaps on a daily basis. However, the death struggle does not need to be repeated if the relationship is maintained. The full love relationship brings previously unexperienced freedom and victory over temptation.

Christian hedonism does not mean that conflicting desires cannot revive and become greater than the desire for God. This will inevitably happen if the believer does not maintain a relationship with God that gives Him absolute priority (which many believers do not even seem to imagine, much less practice). It can also seem to happen temporarily until the believer by faith rejects the illusion.

Christian hedonism does not necessarily mean either that all the joy is experienced in the present, nor that it all is reserved for heaven. Rather, the joy is experienced in the present at varying levels of intensity, and will be fulfilled in eternity beyond our imagination. Many people, having once tasted this joy, have literally given the world in order to keep it.

Christian hedonism does not minimize the importance of complete obedience to God. It provides the proper basis for it, since obedience is the way this relationship with God is maintained.

Conclusion

If God is only an authority, only disobedience is sin. But if God is the One who is worthy of our supreme love, to give that love to another object is the sin of idolatry. Isnt this the sin Israel repeatedly went to? They knew that their idols were powerless; that is why they went back to God when they needed deliverance. They saw Him as authority, with power to back it up. Then why did they go to idols as soon as they no longer needed power and authority on their side? Because the real object of their love was something that the idols allowed or even symbolized.

If idolatry is sin, repentance means renouncing whatever conflicts with our love for God. Grace begins our love for God, then perfects our love, so that God is the supreme object of our desire.

"From all your idols will I cleanse you."

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Why We Should Expect a Second Event

To believe in a specific second event does not mean that there are no other special times when God gives grace in response to a need. There will be times when God reveals a sin of ignorance in the believers life. At those times, he must forsake the revealed sins by the power of grace. There may also be times when God gives a special filling of the Holy Spirit with power for ministry. These events are significant and memorable, but they are distinguishable from the time when God cleanses the heart of inherited depravity.

The Issue: Why should a believer seek for complete sanctification of his heart at a point after conversion?

1 Because God intends for the believer to be completely holy.

See chapters 1-4 of this book.

2 Because of New Testament examples of believers who were called to a second event.

See the chapters in this book about the Thessalonians, the disciples, and the Corinthians.

3 Because of the various aspects of sin, grace, and holiness.

Holiness could be defined simply as separation from sin and devotion to God. Sanctification is the work of Gods grace to accomplish holiness. Holiness begins when the sinner is saved, for he separates from willful sin in order to serve God. A second aspect of holiness increases as a life-long process as the believer walks in new truth, separating from whatever things he begins to see are wrong, which were previously sins of ignorance. A third aspect of holiness is made complete in the heart when a believer is cleansed of inherited depravity. Each of these aspects could be called holiness, for each involves separation from sin and devotion to God; each aspect is accomplished by sanctification, for God accomplishes the holiness in the believer by His grace. Inherited depravity is the sin in the heart that is cleansed when the heart is entirely sanctified in a second work of grace.

4 Because God gives grace in response to faith.

Grace is received by faith. At the time of conversion we realize our need of forgiveness, and we believe Gods promise to forgive. By faith we receive the grace of forgiveness and the benefits that come with it. We may not realize all that God does for us at that time, but we understand the central fact that we have been forgiven. At the time of conversion we are not fully conscious of inherited depravity. We do not see it as a need, nor are we conscious of Gods promised grace to cleanse it. Therefore, we do not have faith to receive that grace. We become conscious of the need and the promise later. Grace is given in response to our sense of need and our faith; therefore, we are not delivered from inherited depravity at the time of conversion.

If a person insists that sanctification of the heart must occur as a process, he probably thinks of it as a human accomplishment. If it is accomplished by God in response to faith, the believer can receive it as he is, and he can receive it now. One reason so few have received sanctification of the heart is that they expect to receive it gradually, which means that at no time do they ever expect to receive it now. That is inconsistent with Gods method of giving grace in response to faith.

Who can expect to receive this grace?

A believer may expect to receive sanctifying grace by faith, if,

1 He has the assurance that he is justified.

2 He sees Gods expectation of him.

3 He sees his need for sanctification of heart.

4 He sees the promised grace.

5 He is motivated by strong spiritual desire.

6 He is willing to obey all previously received light.

7 He unconditionally accepts Gods will, known and unknown.

8 He is willing to be sanctified.

9 He asks for it now.

Since this grace is to be received by faith, the believer cannot ask to receive it at some unknown time in the future, any more than he could pray for justification that way. It is received in the moment when the believer asks in faith for it to be done. The believer does not have faith for it until he has faith enough to pray, "Lord, sanctify me now."

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Sixteen Questions

These questions in order give a scriptural case for entire sanctification occurring in the life of a believer at a point after conversion. Each question arises logically from the previous one. Many of these questions naturally arise in conversations with those who are trying to understand doctrine, though perhaps worded differently.

1 What is God's requirement for me?

"As he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation." 1 Peter 1:15

2 Have I failed to meet this requirement?

"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way . . ." Isaiah 53:6

"For all have sinned . . ." Romans 3:23

3 What is sin?

"Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law." 1 John 3:4

"Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." James 4:17

4 Does God expect me to actually meet His requirement in the present life?

"Teaching us that , denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world." Titus 2:12

5 Will God make me able to live in holiness?

"And 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. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it." 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

6 What must I do first to be made holy?

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." Ephesians 2:8

7 After I am forgiven, will I stop committing acts of sin?

"Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not . . ." 1 John 3:6

"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin . . ." 3:9

". . .whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God . . ." 3:10

8 But how will I be able to keep from sinning?

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." 1 Corinthians 10:13

9 But isn't sin more than just acts? Am I not by nature a sinner?

"Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil." Jeremiah 13:23

"Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me." Psalm 51:5

"The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies." Psalm 58:3

10 Can my nature be made completely pure in the present life?

"And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith." Acts 15:8-9

"And 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. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it." 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

11 Does this purification happen sometime after I have been forgiven?

The people in both of the above two references had already been forgiven before they were purified. See Acts 10:2 and 1 Thessalonians 1:6-9.

12 But will God purify me gradually or instantly?

For those just mentioned in Acts, it happened instantly. See Acts 10:44 and 15:8-9.

The promise in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 is in the Aorist tense, which indicates action completed in a moment of time.

13 What must I do to experience this purification?

Acts 15:8-9, quoted above for question #10, shows us that these people were purified by faith. 1 Thessalonians 5:24, also quoted at #10 says that God is the one who will do this purification in us. We are to pray for this purification and receive it by faith the same way we receive forgiveness.

14 Will this purification make me perfect?

"If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect . . ." (Philippians 3:11-12) Purity will not make you perfect the way that you will be after the resurrection, free from human limitations such as forgetfulness, misunderstanding, and poor health.

"I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded . . ." (Philippians 3:14:15) Purity will give perfection in the sense that you can follow after God with your whole heart.

15 Will I still grow and improve after this purification?

"And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; that ye may approve things that are excellent . . ." (Philippians 1:9-10) You will grow and improve in a lifelong process as your knowledge and discernment improves.

16 How can I maintain this purity after receiving it?

"But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1:7) As long as we continue to obey, and correct our lives whenever we see something God wants us to correct, He will keep us cleansed.

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Maintaining a Holy Relationship with God

John Wesley said, "To retain the grace of God is much more than to gain it; hardly one in three does this." This is why he worked so hard at discipleship.

Trials may be expected immediately after a person's heart has been completely sanctified. Trials may come in the form of hard circumstances or resistance from people. These trials may confirm to the person that he has received this special grace, because he finds a new power to be as he should.

Internal trials are more difficult, because they often cause confusion and tempt a person to give up the faith that he has received sanctifying grace.

There can be a false sense of guilt for temptation. A person may think that if he has been sanctified he should not be able to have certain temptations. He must remember the distinctions between natural desires and sinful desires described in the chapter "Holiness and Humanity."

There can also be concern over fluctuating zeal and emotions. The feelings experienced at the event of sanctification will not always be present. However, "Devotion belongs to the will, not to the ever-varying states of emotion which some are prone to call religion" (Charles Finney). A person may feel either exuberant or depressed for little reason. That does not mean that the heart is no longer fully devoted to God. Commitment to a relationship is more important than the feelings about it.

There can be confusion because some expected change has not occurred. A person may have expected aspects of his life to automatically be different, but many changes will occur only as the person first sees how the principle of love should be applied in his life, then relies on grace to put the application into practice. The difference is that now there is not a conflict of motive in the heart that handicaps the person's practice of love.

Avoid the assumption that you have somehow been permanently repaired and equipped.

1 You still need faith for victory, because the victory is still achieved in you by God.

2 Confidence in self will lead to a fall. (Gal 6:1)

3 You still cannot invite sin into your mind (Phil 4:8-9 Prov. 4:23 Job 31:1).

4 Grace flows from relationship; it is not independent of the Giver (John 15:4-7).

5 You must develop and maintain personal discipline (1 Cor 9:24-27).

6 You must develop habits that strengthen and guard you spiritually.

7 Continue to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.

8 Remember that the devil uses confusion and vagueness; God speaks specifically.

9 Remember that commitment to the will of God is more important than feelings.

10 Search for biblical truth and obey it (Ps. 119:9, 11)

Get involved in ministry.

Beware of excessive or impure entertainment.

Keep conflicts with others reconciled.

Maintain spiritual disciplines like prayer and Bible reading.

Beware of pride in your spirituality.

Stay spiritually satisfied; Sin is more attractive to the spiritually famished.

God promises not only to sanctify completely, but to preserve us in that grace until the return of Christ (1 Thess. 5:23).

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Ministry With an Aim

The Founders' Vision

He admired "everything that bore the name of Methodist." Of John Wesley he said, "No human compositions seemed to me to be comparable to his writings, and to the hymns of his brother Charles, and all that was wanted, in my estimation, for the salvation of the world was the faithful carrying into practice of the letter and the spirit of his instructions."

The writer of these words was William Booth. Booth did not consider himself the promoter of new theology: Salvation Army theology was thoroughly Wesleyan. This theology distinguished the Salvation Army from most other churches. Bramwell Booth, the son of William Booth, put it this way:

The distinctive doctrine was the doctrine of holiness expressed by Wesley as "Christian perfection." Christian perfection is love for God and man, perfected at some point subsequent to conversion, which excludes both willful sin and sinful motives such as pride and envy. Most churches deny that this perfection (heart holiness) is possible before death. The Salvation Army resembled the original followers of Wesley in promoting not only assurance of forgiveness, but also heart holiness as the full potential of grace.

Wesley himself saw the preaching of this distinctive doctrine as a sacred responsibility. He believed that the Methodists (his followers) were to "reform the nation, particularly the Church, and to spread scriptural holiness over the land." Wesley believed it was essential for Methodism to retain its distinctives, lest it fail in its purpose.

Since those early days of Methodism, various denominations were established on the same principles, but over time many yielded to the attraction of blending in with other evangelical denominations. They minimized the doctrine of holiness until most of their members forgot it.

According to Wesley, the Methodists are not successful unless they uphold the doctrine of holiness. According to Booth, this doctrine is also the distinctive of the Salvation Army, and is part of the approach to evangelizing the world. Members of the modern holiness movement, whether they are in the Salvation Army or another denomination that has developed from Methodism, should remember the original vision of their founders. Their vision was that proclaiming the full potential of grace - assurance of forgiveness and heart holiness, is the means for the salvation of the world.

Taking Aim

A student in a Wesleyan seminary was asked if he believed in the Wesleyan doctrines of holiness and Christian perfection. He replied, "I don't intend to get into those questions when I pastor. I will emphasize the basic doctrines of salvation." The problem is that he will be unable to disciple his converts without answering their questions about spiritual victory and purity. Very soon after a person gets saved, it becomes important for him to know whether victory over sin and complete cleansing of the heart are possible. If he is told that he cannot be free from sin in the life or the heart, he will have a very limited view of spiritual growth. Since grace for growth and continual transformation is received by faith, he will tend be a spiritual dwarf because he does not believe that very much is possible. There may be exceptions to this tendency, but they will be rare.

Wesley preached Christian perfection not just as a high status that could be offered to a select few, but as the incentive that would motivate all believers. Here is an observation he recorded in his journal:

On another occasion, he made a similar observation:

If a believer becomes convinced that the sin in his heart will remain until death, he will naturally learn to accept it. Whatever we cannot correct, we eventually condone. When a believer begins to accept sin in the heart as inevitable and permanent, he loses his aim for spiritual growth. He cannot truly stay alarmed at what is assumed to be normal, so he will be satisfied with superficial improvements.

Questions about what is possible for grace to accomplish may arise very soon after conversion. Therefore, a pastor should not consider the message of holiness to be too advanced for his new converts to hear. It will not do them any harm, and it will help to establish the right ideals for them. To wait too long could do harm, because they may settle for a lower level of Christian living before they hear that holiness is possible and expected.

Wesley said, "As soon as any find peace with God, exhort them to go on to perfection. The more explicitly and strongly you press believers to aspire after full sanctification, as attainable by simple faith, the more the whole work of God will prosper."

Sometimes pastors object that their people are not ready for holiness doctrine because they have not advanced enough in their understanding of the gospel. If these people are converted, they are ready for holiness doctrine. A pastor who thinks they are not ready has probably gotten them off to a bad start. What kind of gospel has he preached to them? The holiness of God is the basis of the call to repentance. His holiness shows us our need to change. Conversion comes as a response to God's holiness. That automatically takes a person toward entire sanctification, because he will begin to see that sin in the heart is also in contrast to the holiness of God.

If sanctification seems totally separate from the gospel and unrelated to what they have experienced of salvation, they have heard the wrong gospel. Perhaps rather than repenting, they have accepted salvation without seeing sin as more than humanness; seeking tolerance instead of forgiveness, and justification without deliverance.

In their emphasis that God accepts the sinner as he is, some evangelists give the sinner little reason to change. The offense of the cross is that such a sacrifice is needed because man is terribly sinful, his sin required a sacrifice of infinite value, and he needs thorough transformation. An evangelist may try to avoid offence by telling the sinner that he is no worse than anyone else and is a sinner only because of the nature he was born with; however, if he makes the sinner think he is not to blame for anything, he destroys the possibility of repentance.

The evangelist and pastor must lay the foundation of repentance by showing that man's sinfulness is in awful contrast to the holiness of God, and that man is to blame for being a sinner. Then, repentance of willful sin will put a person on the road toward entire sanctification.

Spiritual leaders have a responsibility to promote the privilege of Christian perfection. If this goal is forgotten, then benefits that are along the road to that goal and on the road beyond it will also be forfeited.

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What is a Wesleyan?

Within the vast variety of professing Christians there are some called evangelicals. Evangelicals believe in salvation by grace through faith alone, the absolute authority of the Bible, the Trinity, and some other essential doctrines. A Wesleyan is an evangelical believer because he holds these doctrines and believes nothing contrary to them.

There are further doctrines that distinguish groups of evangelicals from one another. For example, a Pentecostal believer has some doctrines that a Baptist does not have, but both are evangelical. They can respect one another as believers even if their doctrinal distinctives prevent them from working together completely.

A Wesleyan considers certain doctrines taught by John Wesley to be scriptural and true to Christian experience, and these doctrines distinguish him from other evangelicals, though he respects other Christian traditions.

There are two primary Wesleyan doctrinal distinctives. First, the Wesleyan believes that victory over willful sin is the privilege and obligation of every believer. That means that he makes some careful distinctions in his definition of sin. Obviously no believer is free from human limitations or sins of ignorance, and inherited depravity is not erased completely at the time of conversion. However, the Wesleyan believes that the Scriptural promises of grace to live a life of victory over sin should be taken literally, and that the minimum level of victory for a believer is victory over willful sin.

The second distinction of a Wesleyan is that he believes that sometime subsequent to conversion the Holy Spirit brings the believer to a point of complete consecration, cleansing his heart of inner sin such as pride and envy. This event does not happen before the believer sees his need for such a cleansing and believes God's promise to do it. Though there are many spiritual events in the life of the believer, this one is special and specific. It is not the end of spiritual growth but the acceleration of it.

The original Wesleyan movement was called Methodism. However, today many Methodists do not hold Wesleyan distinctives or even some of the evangelical essential doctrines. Therefore, not all modern Methodists are Wesleyans.

A Wesleyan is distinct from Calvinists because he believes that God offers saving grace to every person, giving him the ability to choose to respond to God. He also believes that salvation is retained as a relationship with God, which the person could choose to break.

A Wesleyan is distinct from most Baptists in his view of the potential of grace. He believes that God enables the believer to live in victory over willful sin so that he need not be defeated by temptation. He believes that in a second special event, God makes the heart of the believer truly holy.

Most Wesleyans differ from Pentecostals and Charismatics by affirming that there is not a particular spiritual gift that every believer should have; instead, the Holy Spirit distributes gifts as He chooses. Most Wesleyans do not believe that the gift of tongues is the ability to speak in a way that nobody understands, but a gift for communicating the gospel in the language of the hearers.

A Wesleyan believes it is necessary to live a holy life, but he is not legalist or Pharisee, because he does not believe that he is saved by the merit of holy living. He is saved by grace alone, but the action of grace in his heart produces holy living. If a person refuses to allow the operation of grace, he rejects the saving relationship with God.

Wesleyans do not consider their doctrinal distinctives to be minor points, but crucial to a biblical understanding of sin, grace, and salvation, and foundational to the message that the goal of God's grace is to transform sinners into holy believers.