Convince
me of Entire Sanctification
Read.My.Mail
Look over Keith Drury’s Shoulder as he answers his mail
QUESTION
I
have read some of your writings on holiness and I’m asking you to convince me
on the idea of Entire Sanctification. Two
years ago, I began doing an in depth bible study on Entire Sanctification and
the "Second Blessing." I want
to be honest with you and say that I was discouraged. I can't find
it anywhere in Scripture. I understand Wesley's progression
logically, and experientially, and I don't think it is a harmful doctrine,
however, I do not think it is as biblical as the Keswickian
model of Progression from salvation which excludes the second
blessing. I can’t preach something I don’t believe is explicated stated
in Scripture. Prove this doctrine to me. Convince me it is
true.
--Pastor
ANSWER
I probably won’t help you,
pal. I'm not going to convince you. Yeah, I've written things
on the subject--including whole books on the issue that’s posted online.
But I probably can't convince you with a hundred emails. In fact I'd say you ought to quit trying to
get convinced--just seek the truth in the Scriptures, in life and through the
Holy Spirit's leading and preach what you are convinced of. It sounds to me like you are seeking
truth--good that should drive you to find it—keep reading and seeking
Indeed if your bias is to disallow
any construction of belief that is not explicitly stated in Scripture I should
warn you that you will really have a
wild ride ahead of you! For if you
use the same standards on explicit teaching of “Scripture’s original intent” that
you are using for accepting "Entire Sanctification" on many other
issues you'll be in for some shocking discoveries. For instance be
careful of using that standard on the notion of instantaneous personal/individual conversion. That is, try to
find the notion of a person being saved in a moment, transformed in an instant,
in Scripture without "reading into" Scripture modern evangelical
assumptions. Be careful where this trip takes you. People who insist on “explicit teaching of
Scripture” for
believing a doctrine get in trouble eventually.
Be careful about this when seeking doctrines on the Trinity too, or
slavery. When you are done with this
search I bet you’ll find you really didn’t have the hermeneutic you claim—that you
believe only those things explicitly stated in Scripture.
But, of course that exercise would
only make things worse wouldn’t it? You’d
discover many of the beliefs you ho9ld dear are not
explicitly stated in Scripture—but are read into Scripture, or spring from our
theology and experience then supported by a proof text here and there—usually not
the meaning of the original text.
So, you say you don’t believe “Entire
Sanctification” like John Wesley did.
And you can’t preach what you do not believe. Well Wesley’s answer to this question was “preach
it until you receive it.” He was so
convinced that the whole Bible taught it (the whole Bible mind you, not
selected proof texts) that he thought you should preach it based on the Bible’s
evidence.
But my answer is probably
different than Wesley’s. I’d say keep
studying and until you are convinced preach
what you are sure of. Do you have surety the Bible calls Christians
to stop sinning? Then preach that. Or do you believe the Bible calls
Christians to sin less frequently? Then
preach that. Do you believe the Bible
calls every man and women to progress gradually forward in holy living?
Then preach that. Do you believe a Christian should surrender to God completely?
Then preach that. Do you believe a Christian can gradually put off sin
and put on holiness? Then preach that. Do you believe a person
should cease the continual and habitual practice of sin? Then preach
that. Do you believe a Christian should present herself to God as a
living sacrifice? Then preach that. Do you believe the Keswick interpretation
of holiness is right? Then preach that. Do
you believe a Christian who has grown to a point but gets "stuck" in
progress and begins resisting should surrender to God? If so preach
that. Preach what you have surety of, and see if this preaching forms
Christ in your community of believers. Does it make a godly people?
Does it produce the fruit of both individual and corporate holiness? If
it does, keep preaching it and worry less about recruiting people to convince
you of this or that doctrinal issue.
If you keep preaching these things
and keep seeking the ways God makes a holy people, you will find the answers to
your questions. I’d worry less about inputs than outcomes.
Preach to make a holy people and watch how the inputs care for themselves.
How can I, a proponent and
supporter of Wesley’s view on this subject say the above? Because if you focus on making a holy people—if
that is truly your passion—then sooner or later I believe you’ll probably come
to a doctrine not far from Wesley’s approach—even if you call it something
else. The pastors who worry me are those
with little concern for making a holy people.
If you really care about making a holy people—not just in position but
in actual performance—then preach whatever you can to accomplish the goal of a
holy church—then watch what turns up. I’m
confident if you keep your eyes on (practical) outcomes and not (doctrinal) inputs
you’ll wind up in the right ballpark.
Keith
So,
what would you add?
To suggest additional
insights I missed write to Keith@TuesdayColumn.com