Sanctification: A Moment and a Process in the Life of Every Christian
Sanctification is both an immediate work of God and a lifelong journey of becoming more like Christ. Discover how scriptural holiness shapes believers, deepens faith, and transforms communities as we walk in God’s grace.
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A Life Pleasing to God
4 Finally, then, brothers,[a] we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification:[b] that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own body[c] in holiness and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. 8 Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
9 Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 10 for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, 11 and to aspire to live quietly, and t
Why is Scriptural Holiness Important?
Why is it important that we spread scriptural holiness?
To start, as a believer, it matters greatly because the origins are rooted in Scripture. Those origins are reflective of God’s will and calling for our lives. 1 Thessalonians 4:7 shares, “For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.” Additionally, a few verses earlier, Peter wrote, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). In Leviticus 19:2 God shared with the Israelites, “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.”
In Matthew 5:48 (NIV), Jesus shared, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” The New Testament word “perfection” translates from a Greek term that means maturity or completion; it does not mean flawlessness. So, when we refer to scriptural holiness, it is often referred to by many names, including:
Sanctification
Being made Perfect in Love
The Deeper Life in Christ
All of these were synonymous terms, and this is important because the Bible declares that this is God’s will and calling for our lives.
Methodism & Scriptural Holiness
However, the next thing we need to address is what is the one thing that makes Christianity through Methodism unique.
Is it that we baptize infants? Well, no, because Lutherans, Presbyterians, Nazarenes, Greek Orthodox, Anglicans, the Wesleyan denomination, and Catholics all baptize infants, and that flows out of early Christian history.
Is it our emphasis on both the Gospel and social action? Well, if you choose to dig for information on church websites, you will quickly see many churches of a variety of denominations active in their local communities with both the Gospel and expressions of mission and justice.
Is it our potluck dinners? If not, what is it?
The one thing that makes Methodism unique is scriptural holiness. For many years, Methodist scholars and theologians have called for pastors, Christian leaders, and lay persons to reawaken the one thing that makes Methodist Christianity unique: scriptural holiness.
In his book Perfect Love, the Wesleyan scholar Dr. Kevin Watson wrote, “Scriptural holiness is the grand depositum of Methodism.” This isn’t rooted in isolation but in the substance of Methodist history and Scripture. To support that, look at the mission statement for leading Wesleyan seminary, Asbury Theological Seminary:
To prepare theologically educated, sanctified, Spirit-filled men and women to evangelize and spread scriptural holiness across the world.
Whether you realize it or not, we’re living in an era of reformation. The world of Methodism has experienced a major reboot in the last decade with the birth of the Global Methodist Church (GMC). There are many scholars, historians, and theologians who encouraged the GMC on how to posture her mission moving forward, and this is where they landed:
To prepare theologically educated, sanctified, Spirit-filled men and women to evangelize and to spread scriptural holiness across the world.
When at an early Methodist conference, the founder of Methodism, John Wesley, was asked, “What may we reasonably believe to be God’s design in raising up the preachers called Methodist?” Wesley replied:
“To reform the nation, particularly the church, and to spread scriptural holiness over the land.” Source: Minutes of Several Conversations, Q.3, in The Works of John Wesley [vol. 8; ed. T. Jackson; Baker, 1978 p. 299
If you don’t have scriptural holiness as an emphasis, you don’t have Methodist Christianity, which is the very reason “spreading scriptural holiness to cities and nations” is included in the Christ Methodist Vision Statement.
What is the Grand Deposit of Methodism?
However, we’re also navigating another challenge at this hour: What if I know that Scriptural Holiness is the Grand Deposit of Methodist Christianity, but I don’t understand what it means?
Scriptural holiness is more about the heart than the head. I’m not minimizing the “head” because we can’t walk in what we don’t understand. However, scriptural holiness is more about the inward than the outward. When the inward life is healthy, the outward life takes care of itself.
Holiness is not about becoming sanctimonious or holier than thou. We’ve all been around a person who acts “holier than thou,” and we know what a “turn-off” that can be. However, the reason there may be an element of cynicism surrounding the notion of living a holy life could be because rooted in all of us is the awareness that we are not holy.
Holiness is to take on the heart and nature of Jesus, and we call it scriptural holiness because Scripture informs us about what that looks like. When holiness is properly understood, it is:
Attractive.
A fountain of life—because of the Source.
A life of joy and peace (even amid difficulty) in the Person of the Holy Spirit.
Scriptural holiness is having a heart full of God’s perfect love, which He freely gives us. John Wesley’s concept of scriptural holiness emphasized a life of inward and outward conformity to God’s will. This is characterized by love for God, the love of God in you, and love for neighbor, wed with pursuing spiritual maturity rather than simply avoiding sin. The result is a fully formed heart that leads to holy actions and attitudes.
When we allow holiness to give way to reductionism and make it only about avoiding sin, we’ve missed the point of holiness. This can be outward legalism rather than focusing on God’s love and being formed by the person of Jesus living within us. That’s why Paul said in Colossians 1:27 that the secret is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” As you focus on Jesus and nurture the joy and vibrancy of being a citizen of His kingdom, sin becomes less attractive because of the glory of Jesus dwelling within you.
Developed in Community
Wesley believed that through the power of the Holy Spirit, wed with Christians living in meaningful communities, Christians could be freed from the power of sin and live a life of holiness. He used the term “Christian Perfection” at times to describe scriptural holiness as a characteristic of the Christian life, not in the sense of flawlessness but in terms of maturity and a complete surrender to God and our becoming full of the love of God.
The Methodism founder also understood that holiness wasn’t just an individual matter but a social matter. He believed that true holiness involves knowing God’s love, then loving and serving others, especially those in need, while living out of a foundation of meaningful Christian community.
Wesley knew that people cannot be developed as God designed them in isolation. You can’t be fully developed as a Christ-follower in isolation. We need each other. For Wesley, social holiness is about people “going on to perfection” in community; hence, the early band meetings (this put the Method in Methodism).
Over time, Wesley developed church that was connectional. When people are in a deep community as a church family, they have a critical mass, and out of that is the capacity to reform nations. That’s why our prayer is to be a people in a deep Christian community spread out as a web of deep Christian communities, drawing people from many communities into Christian community and thus transforming neighborhoods, cities, cultures, and nations.
This concept looks like social reform birthed out of scriptural holiness and the Gospel, which will have a missional component to it. Wesley saw the deep connection between a people deeply formed, thus deeply impacted. Depth fueled breadth and impact wed with prayer and Holy Spirit power.
Wesley believed that God raised Methodists for a clear purpose, “to reform the nation and, in particular, the Church; to spread scriptural holiness over the land.” If you’re trying to walk with Christ as a believer in isolation, you’re greatly diminishing the potential of all God offers you in Christ, and it’s certainly not the Christianity of Methodism.
Let’s illustrate this in light of our cultural moment.
Studies tell us that one in five persons in Western culture will, at some time in their lifetime, struggle with some form of mental illness. As a pastor, one thing I’ve noticed is when struggling persons are in community, they get through their desert season more effectively or stabilize at greater levels when they remain in community. The worst thing someone can do during times of struggle is pull back and isolate.
It’s staggering the number of times I’ve heard someone suggest, “I wish church was more A.A. (Alcoholics Anonymous).” However, they mean they want a safe space, like A.A., where they can be honest about their weaknesses without being judged while working towards liberty.
The gift of deep, transparent community should be exhibited in a church family. It should be part of her DNA. We’re all on a journey together to move forward toward Jesus and freedom.
The rise of mental health challenges, as well as increased anxiety levels, particularly in young generations, has become apparent that in 2023, the Surgeon General researched the topic. In 2023, they released a report titled “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation, The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community.”
In this report, they issued the consequences of loneliness for our physical and mental health. According to the Surgeon General’s report:
Social isolation increases the risk of premature death by 29 percent.
It’s equivalent to the impact of smoking 15 cigarettes per day.
Loneliness increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and dementia, as well as other serious medical conditions.
It’s also associated with lower academic performance and decreased productivity at work.
When it comes to older adults, social isolation accounts for an extra $6.7 billion in Medicare spending each year.
This isn’t only rooted in what’s happening on our watch, but we must be aware that this isn’t God’s design for you! You weren’t designed for isolation, but deep Christian community. This is how God forms us in Christ, and holiness is a gift because it only happens by the grace of God operating in your life. We can’t do that on our own.
Holiness is a gift of God’s grace (empowerment), and God gives grace (empowerment) to the humble. Remember: Grace is the empowerment of God, thus humility, therefore, is the fertile soil of transformation.
What is God’s Will For My Life?
With the idea of holiness as God’s empowerment in mind, ask yourself: What is God’s will for my life?
“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality…” 1 Thessalonians 4:3
The text plainly states the answer: Your sanctification. To walk in scriptural holiness. We are not called to impurity but to live a holy life, or as God said in Leviticus, “be holy for I am holy.” When the Holy Spirit reveals our sinfulness, He’s not doing so to condemn us but to establish humility and deepen the knowledge of our personal need for God’s empowering grace.
Years ago, I heard Al Henson preach, and when he began to pray, he said, “Lord, I cannot. I can’t do it. I can’t live into what I’m seeing in Scripture.” Out of weakness, he waved the white flag to acknowledge he needed the Holy Spirit to empower him to choose God, not through his own power, but through the power that comes on high.
There is no condemnation that awaits an honest heart. To abide with a holy and loving God, we must dwell in honesty; we can’t pretend. To have a heart of fertile soil is humility, and truthfulness leads to holiness. Scriptural holiness begins with our determined refusal to hide from the condition of our hearts.
For most people, our sense of reality (and often our false sense of security) is rooted in the familiar. Yet, Jesus is drawing you to discover something more beautiful and satisfying than the familiar. Bear in mind that the highest gift in your walk with God is God Himself. To enjoy the holiness of God is to know God’s heart in Christ, and to be formed by it, and to enjoy the light of Christ.
The ultimate purpose behind most revelation (Light) is that what we behold, we are to become. Instead of struggling to do His will, I focus on knowing His heart and enjoying His Light, and as a result, His will flows more naturally as a fruit of the relationship.
What the Promised Land was to the Israelites, Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God is to us—which is another way of saying God is offering you His very life and nature, which we call, scriptural holiness. Our salvation begins with being birthed into the Kingdom, but it expands by seeing and experiencing the fullness of God and the joy of the Kingdom.
My encouragement is don’t be afraid to draw close to God. He is perfect love, and perfect love casts out all fear. We will never become holy if we are afraid to draw near to God, and He has invited you to draw near. Remember His word to the Christians in Hebrews 4:16, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” God’s grace is empowerment. You’re invited to His throne of liberation, not condemnation.
Is Sanctification Immediate or Gradual?
Someone once asked, “Did John Wesley and the Scriptures teach that the sanctifying work of scriptural holiness is an immediate or a gradual process?” The answer is yes.
It’s immediate in the context that there are moments when our lives are stirred, and we can respond to God. There is also a work of immediacy of God in our hearts. “Draw near to God, God will draw near to you” (James 4:8). So, yes, it is immediate.
However, it’s also a process. We see this throughout Scripture. In every letter Paul wrote, it was a reflection of how Christians were in the process of development. It’s also a reflection in us too.
So, with God’s help…
By the power of the Holy Spirit, we will be a gospel-centered community who magnifies Jesus Christ as we worship passionately, love extravagantly, and witness boldly while serving the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized, spreading scriptural holiness in our city and to the nations for the spiritual awakening of all. —Christ Methodist Church Vision Statement.
TL;DR
Scriptural holiness is at the core of Methodism and the Christian life.
Rooted in Scripture, holiness is not about legalism but about being filled with God’s love, growing in spiritual maturity, and reflecting Christ in our lives.
John Wesley called spreading scriptural holiness the Methodist Church’s unique mission, and it remains vital today.
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are called to live transformed lives, not just for ourselves but for the renewal of our communities and the world.
Holiness is both an immediate work of God and a lifelong process of becoming more like Jesus.
