The Church Has Been Duped!

I received an article in my email with the title, "The Church Has Been Duped!" Here is part of the article:

"The church has been duped by a wicked and crafty culture.

The world is boldly and unapologetically preaching its version of truth to the church, demanding compliance, and it has successfully caused change in theologies, church mission statements and a large segment of the body of Christ. In fact, the spirit of the age is working hard at redefining love in the minds of many Christians. Anything short of tolerance and everything smelling of judgment are branded as pure and utter hatred. Again, Christians by the millions are falling for the deception and the fiery unction of the Holy Spirit has been shut down in their lives.

I'll make the point of this article clear:

God still judges today and we desperately need his loving judgment. We also need preachers, prophets and Christians everywhere to rise up with fire in their veins and a steel rod in their backs and confront sin, renounce wickedness and expose the darkness in the land."

Let me echo the writer of this article with a hearty, Amein! The world is telling the church that sin is not sin. What used to be wrong is now right and what used to be right is now wrong! It is Satan's attack to destroy the church from proclaiming the truth. People's souls are in danger. We owe them and our Savior true love. True love speaks the truth in love without compromise. True love warns the occupants when the building is on fire to get out and be saved. We must not bow to the pressures of the world, but must as Christians have throughout the ages, proclaim Biblical truth that Jesus is Lord! There will be a judgment. There is a hell to be avoided and a heaven to be gained. 

So what are you going to do about it?

What is death to carnal self?

“Death to carnal self, simply means that all resistance to the total claims of Jesus Christ over our lives be removed from our hearts. Ours is not an atoning death, or a meritorious sacrifice, but a voluntary submitting to the total crucifixion of carnal, willful self, and the enthronement of Jesus Christ over every facet of our earthly existence.”

I cannot think of any reason a true believer would not want a total surrender to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Paul said he was crucified with Christ. Galatians 2:20 Being crucified meant you were helpless to do anything for yourself. You were in a place of death. I died a long time ago to the cares of the world and it’s pleasures. My goal is to live for Christ. Am I perfect? No, of course not. However, every day I desire to be more like Christ in all my thoughts, actions and objectives.

“The true Christian maintains daily an attitude of deadness to the world and everything in the world which is contrary to the Spirit of the Triune Godhead and the Holy Scriptures. From the beginning of Paul’s Christian life on the Damascus Road, to its conclusion by Caesar’s edict in Rome, he maintained: ‘...the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world’ (Galatians 6:14). The love of the world in the heart must be slain, or Christ will be constrained to depart. The worldly spirit and the Holy Spirit can never be reconciled.”

The New Nature

The Apostle Paul wrote the following in Ephesians 4: 22-24: “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Paul is not writing this passage to nonbelievers; he is writing to the faithful saints in Ephesus (1:1) It is the believer who is to put off the old man and put on the new man which is righteousness and holiness. The phrase literally means, put on the new nature. When you do, the fruits of the Holy Spirit will flow from you.

In discussing this topic, I understand that different sects will call the same experience by a different label. The Rev J.A. Wood wrote the following: “One person realizes a marked increase in faith, and he calls it ‘the rest of faith.’ Another is permeated with a sense of the divine presence... and calls it ‘the fullness of God.’ Another feels his heart subdued, melted, refined, and filled with God, and calls it ‘holiness.’ [One man] realizes principally a river of sweet, holy love flowing through his soul, and calls it ‘perfect love.’ Another is prostrated under the power of the refining and sin-killing Spirit, and calls it ‘the baptism of the Holy Ghost.’ Another realizes... Complete submission to God; he calls it ‘entire sanctification.’ Still another may feel... complete conformity to all the will of God, and calls it ‘Christian Perfection.’”

Regardless of the theological label your sect uses, the important point is to go deeper in God. Consecrate your all, have present faith that the Word of God promises this second act of grace, and believe that your old nature has been eradicated and destroyed. Then, put on the new nature and be a light to a dark world.

The Joy of Holiness

When I reference the word “holiness” in this context I mean a state of grace whereby the heart has been purified by faith (Acts 15: 8-9). This is a divine act, not something you earn. Your responsibility is to place yourself in a position to receive. For example, if I told you to meet me at 3pm today at the corner of Main and 3rd Street, that I would give you $1000, and if you were there at 3pm, you would get the money. However, if you showed up at the wrong time, wrong day, or wrong location, you would not receive the gift of $1000. It’s still a gift, but there are conditions to receiving. The conditions to receiving a sanctified heart are salvation, complete consecration (surrender of one’s entire life, talent, will, emotions and future), and faith in the Word of God that promises the gift, believes it is the will of God, and that the work is done now.

The joy comes from being dead to insults and flattery. When temptation comes (and it will come because our Lord Jesus was tempted), the temptation finds no friend inside you to agree with it. The sanctified Christian walks everyday growing in the faith and serving the Lord. There is a difference between purity and maturity. The newly sanctified believer is pure but may not be mature. That comes in time; holiness comes in a moment of time (yet meeting the conditions may take some time). There is a joy when the heart is full of the Holy Ghost.

Years ago, I was involved with a discussion with a minister who did not believe in holiness. He was asked, “If it was possible for God to cleanse your heart from all sin, to remove your anger, pride, envy, jealousy, lust, backbiting and all other carnality, wouldn’t you want such an experience?” To my surprise, he said “no.” He was so emphatic in wanting to remain carnal that he left upset and angry. I have found that those with a pure heart, while having many of the same struggles in life as the unsanctified, can approach those struggles with joy unspeakable because they have surrendered their all into the hands and care of a loving God. And, that is a reason to be joyful.

Dead to the World, Sin and Self

The Christian should be daily dead to the world, sin and self. By the world I mean anything in the world that is against the Spirit of the Triune Godhead, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. From the beginning of Paul’s Christian life on the Damascus Road, to its conclusion in Rome, he testified: “...the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” Galatians 6:14 The love of the world must be crucified, that is put to death, or Christ will be constrained to depart. The Holy Spirit and the spirit of the world cannot be reconciled. You can’t serve two masters.

The true Christian is dead to sin. “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin....” Romans 6:11 “Knowing this, that our old man (carnality) is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” Romans 6:6 “How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” Romans 6:2 Intentional sin must be removed from the Christian’s daily walk. We must be dead to sin.

We are to be dead to self. Read chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews for a list of believers that were dead to self. They didn’t take the easy way out. Too often today, the gospel is presented as a self help decision. Compare that with the message of Jesus and the Apostles. They preached to repent, deny yourself, and pick up your cross and follow the King of Kings, Jesus.

Consider your life; are you dead yet? When you are fully dead, then shall you be fully alive unto Christ.

A Secret of Spiritual Power

Most believers agree they need to have the power of God in their lives. But, how can we obtain that power? Is there a secret to obtaining the power of God? It is only a secret to those who do not know the Scriptures. Consider the following:
1, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.” Isaiah 40:31
2. “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him.” Psalm 62:5
3. “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.” Psalms 27:14
4. “But thou, when thou prayed to, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which Seth in secret shall reward thee openly.” Matthew 6:6

In reviewing these Scriptures, I believe that the key to spiritual power is found in secretly waiting on the Lord. This is a personal devotional time. It is recommended you make this a top priority when you arise. Thank Him that He has allowed you to see another day. Look outside and see the beautiful colors. Thank Him for your loved ones, family and friends. Be thankful you have the strength to arise. Then, become quiet. Take your Bible and begin to read. You should have a definite Bible reading program to insure a balanced diet of spiritual truth. Feed your spirit before your body. In the quiet times, God may give you an impression about something you are to do or not to do. Always check your impressions with the Word of God and your pastor or other spiritual authority. There are no islands in this faith, we need each other and a pastor to watch over your soul.

As one waits, the Word says your strength will be renewed. You will be able to face the day. Practice meditating on the Word. Joshua 1:8 says: “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein....” Here, meditate means to mumble. Speak the Word quietly to yourself all day and night. You will be strengthened to accomplish what God has given you to do. Then you will have spiritual power.

The Heart of Jesus

”Give me a heart like Thine;
  By Thy wonderful power,
  By Thy grace every hour,
  Give me a heart like Thine.”

Do you think that the prayer of that chorus can be answered? Jesus was the first born among many brethren (Romans 8:29). He is our elder brother and we are to be like Him. “As He is, so are we in this world (1 John 4:17). “He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also to walk, even as He walked (1 John 2:6).” You could never live these verses without a holy heart, one like Jesus’ heart.

Jesus had a heart of love. He had a humble heart. He had a meek and gentle heart. That is the type of heart He wants us to have. The story is told of a large Christian man who was very strong. Before he was saved he was known to have engaged in many fights. One day, he was wrongly removed from public transportation. He was asked, “Why didn’t you fight him, it was wrong what happened to you.” He responded, “I couldn’t fight him because God has taken all the fight out of me.”

Jesus is in the heart business. He wants to so change your heart that you are a walking talking representative of His kingdom. So how is that working out in you?

Testimonies of People Becoming Entirely Sanctified

If you would like to read some testimonies of individuals that experienced entire sanctification, please click the below link:

https://www.wesleyanholiness.org/htec

What is Taking the Death Route?

By the term, “death route,” I mean taking our stand against carnality and turning over or surrendering every revealed (in prayer and seeking ask Jesus to show you what is in your heart) carnal trait to the Holy Ghost for crucifixion. This is the human side of seeking holiness, your consecration. Taking the death route is how you consecrate. Without a complete consecration, there will be no entire sanctification. Carnal traits are surrendered one at a time, but they are not crucified one at a time. When the Holy Spirit strikes the death blow to one’s corrupt nature, all your carnal traits are destroyed in one complete explosion of divine power. That is the God side of holiness. No matter how long one has been seeking, you can’t sanctify yourself. Entire sanctification is an act of God.

One of the dangers of a general consecration in seeking to be sanctified is that one does not deal with carnality. While it can be unpleasant to ask God to show you what is in your heart (at least it was for me), it is necessary. Carnality must be dealt with. The old man must be put to death. I have seen first hand the results of a shallow consecration and a “take it by faith” approach. I have seen or known  “sanctified” Christians to fight and split over issues such as the color of the carpet, a pastor’s salary, furniture in the church, how an outreach for souls should be conducted, and the list could go on for pages. The sanctified Christian is dead to self. Ever try to insult a dead man; no response. Ever try to flatter a dead man; no response. That is the way the sanctified believer should be, sweet, calm and full of love in the face of insults, accusations, and attacks.

The following are Scriptures that speak to the death route from the Apostle Paul: Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:4-5; 6:6, 11; 8:13; Colossians 3:3; 3:5; Galatians 6:14; Ephesians 4:22; 1 Timothy 2:11. Jesus said in Luke 14:27: “And Whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. The writer of Hebrews affirmed: “Let us go forth therefore, unto him without the camp, bearing his approach.” To go outside the camp meant crucifixion.

This weekend, testimonies of those who have taken the death route and been entirely sanctified.

Directions for those Seeking to be Entirely Sanctified Part 2

We continue today with the steps to enter into the grace of entire sanctification. During revivals, many have found this rest of faith taking these simple steps.

Fourth, you must make an entire consecration of yourself to God—your soul, body, time, talents, influence, and your all—a complete assignment of all to Christ. You bow your will to His. Do you want to be a doctor or lawyer, or go into business? Are you willing to discard your plans if He wants you to be a missionary in a poor land? The old timers referred to this as the “unknown bundle.” Are you willing to surrender your past, present and future into His hands? Are you willing to let Him have His complete way with you? That is the first part of consecration, your will. The next part of consecration is to search and surrender, and re-search and surrender again, until you get every vestige of self upon the altar of consecration. What are you searching? You are searching your heart to see what is in there. I had pride, anger, envy, jealousy and lust. You may have these carnal traits or different ones. One by one, I said, “Yes, Lord, that is in my heart and I need you to crucify it out of me.” You surrender your carnal traits one by one, but when you are entirely sanctified, the Holy Spirit will strike a death blow to all your carnal traits at once. Many refer to this as death route holiness. There will be later posts on the death route. For now, understand that you surrender your will and your carnal traits one by one to the Lord for crucifixion.

Fifth, you exercise your faith to claim God’s promises to be entirely sanctified. Faith is the immediate condition of sanctification, and God does His part when true faith is exercised. We consecrate, but He does the work of Entire Sanctification. It is a divine work of grace preceded by our entire consecration and faith. John Wesley’s view of faith that sanctifies was faith:
1. “That God hath promised this sanctification in the Holy Scriptures:
2. That it is a divine evidence or conviction that what God hath promised He is able to perform;
3. That it is a divine evidence or conviction that He is able and willing to do it now;
4. That to this confidence that God is able and willing to sanctify us now, there needs to be added one thing more—a divine evidence or conviction that He does it.”

More in the days to come.

Directions for Those Seeking to Be Entirely Sanctified

I have preached a number of revivals both in the USA and in India. I have been asked several times, what are the steps to becoming entirely sanctified. The below includes some of the advice I have given to assist those seeking this experience.
First, just like the believers in attendance in Acts 1 and 2, make sure you are genuinely saved. I’m not referencing those that say “the sinners prayer” but continue to live the way they used to. I’m talking about someone that has a real encounter with the risen Christ. They have repented from all known sin, trusted in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and His shed blood and believe He is the Messiah. You know when you have had that transformation; you go from walking in darkness to walking in light. Things are different. You see the world different. You have a love for others that can only be described as supernatural. You love God and His people.
Second, you come to a point that you understand that while you are forgiven for your acts of sin, there remains within you a sin principle. The Bible calls it the “old man” or carnality. It is that something that rises up within you in anger, or prideful thinking, or jealousy, or envy, that tempts you to act out those feelings. You resist the foe within, but you see the struggle. Paul describes this experience in Romans 7. Things you want to do, you don’t; things you don’t want to do, you do. This type of walk is not the highest Christian experience. For example, there was a difference between the Peter that denied Jesus before Pentecost and the Peter on the day of Pentecost that boldly proclaimed the gospel resulting in the conversion of thousands. What was the difference? Peter was entirely sanctified on the day of Pentecost when Jesus baptized him with the Holy Ghost and his heart was purified. A person with a holy heart can do much for the kingdom of God.
Third, humble yourself under the mighty hand of the Almighty. Spiritual poverty is the prelude to spiritual enlargement. “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” Do not seek too easy a way. Be willing to die to sin. Endeavor to feel the deep,malignant, hateful nature of your depravity, and your need of purity.

Tomorrow, we examine the final two steps.

As a side note, as often happens when someone teaches holiness or entire sanctification, you will be accused of teaching sinless perfection. I have not taught such a doctrine and never will because I don’t think it is Biblical. Should one sin after becoming a believer, the blood still flows when there is genuine repentance. The Christian can be restored to right standing with God. However, when it comes to acts of sin, the Christian should not have active intentional sin in their life. You can’t be a habitual sinner and a Christian. Consider the following:
1. “Go and sin no more.” Jesus in John 8:11;
2. ‘Shall we continue to sin that grace may abound...God forbid....” Paul in Romans t: 1-2
3. “He that committeth sin is of the devil....Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin....” John in 1John 3: 8-9
4. “Be ye holy for I am holy....” Peter in 1 Peter 1:16.

Jesus and the apostles agree that the Christian should quit the sin business.

Evidences That Holiness is Attainable

The Bible teaches that holiness is attainable in this life:
1. God commands us to be holy. “Be ye holy, for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:16 “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your father which is in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48
2. We are exhorted to be holy. “Having, therefore, these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” 2 Cor 7:1
3. It is expressly promised in the Scriptures. “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.” Ezekiel 36:25 “Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6
4. That entire sanctification is attainable is evident from the fact that the commands and the promises stand correlated to each other. What God commands, He promises to aid us in doing. If He commands us to “be holy,” He promises, “From all your filthiness, and from all your idols will I cleanse you.” Ezekiel 36:25
5. The possibility of attaining this state is seen in the declarations of Scripture. “To the end that He May establish your hearts  unblamable in holiness before God.” 1 Thess 3:13 “For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.” 1 Thess 4:7
6. Christ and the apostles prayed for it. “Sanctify them through thy truth.” John17:17 “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly....” 1 Thess 5:23
7. It is the grand object of an established ministry. “And He gave some apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Eph 4:11
Entire sanctification is obtainable in this life. Don’t substitute a shallow experience for the reality that awaits you when you meet the Bible conditions for being sanctified wholly. It is the great need of the Church in these perilous times.

The Nature of Entire Sanctification or Christian Perfection Part 2

The following are additional quotes on this subject:
1. Rev. John Fletcher said: “It is the pure love of God and man shed abroad in a faithful believer’s heart by the Holy Ghost given unto him, to cleanse, and to keep him clean.”
2. Dr. Adam Clarke: “What, then, is this complete sanctification? It is the cleansing of the blood, that has not been cleansed; it is washing the soul of a true believer from the remains of sin.”
3. Rev. William McDonald said: “It is the removal from our moral natures, through faith in Christ, of all sinful desires and tempers—all pride, anger, envy, unbelief, and love of the world; and the possession in these purified natures of the unmixed graces of faith, humility, resignation, patience, meekness, self-denial, and love.”
4. Noah Webster wrote: “The act of making holy,...the state of being thus purified or sanctified..” “To sanctify, in a general sense, is to cleanse, purify, or make holy,...to cleanse, purify, or make holy,...to cleanse from corruption, to purify from sin.”

To the lost, we preach salvation through the precious atoning blood of Jesus Christ to be forgiven from your acts of sin. To the believer, we preach entire sanctification through the precious atoning blood of Jesus Christ to have the sin principle (the old carnal man) removed. God offers more than just suppression of the carnal man, He provides complete destruction of the old man. That is the message for the church.

What is the Nature of Entire Sanctification or Christian Perfection?

I’m so blessed that God moved upon the heart of an 80+ year old retired holiness minister to start an outreach ministry in June, 1976, just 2 months before I arrived at the College of William and Mary. Rev. Herbert J. Norton sowed into my mind and heart the truth of Biblical holiness. While he did not live to see the effects of his ministry on my life, his memory lives on in my preaching. I’m glad I took the old fashioned death route in consecrating my past, present and future to the Lord Jesus Christ. I gave Him the “unknown bundle” for good. Too many today make half hearted consecrations and then “take it by faith.” You need to really die to self to place yourself in the position to exercise faith for entire sanctification.

Today, we look at the nature of holiness. I refer to a book I received from Bro. Norton entitled, “Perfect Love,” by J.A. Wood to answer this question.

“Negatively, it is that state of grace which excludes all sin from the heart. Positively, it is the the possession of pure love to God. “Blessed are the pure in heart.” “The blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth from all sin.” “Love is the fulfilling of the law.” “The end of the commandment is love out of a pure heart.” In the grace of justification, sins, as acts of transgression, are pardoned. In the grace of sanctification, sin, as a malady, is removed, so that the heart is pure.

Mr. Wesley says: “both my brother (Charles Wesley) and I maintain, that Christian perfection is that love of God and our neighbor which implies DELIVERANCE FROM ALL SIN.”

More in the days to come.

Why Do I Write So Much About Entire Sanctification?

The short answer is that entire sanctification is the great need of the church. In my travels and being a part of many churches and organizations, I have seen the effects of carnality in homes, churches and denominations. Carnality is selfishness and that selfishness leads to divisions, strife and separation. Psalm 133 tells us how good and pleasant it is for brethren to be in unity. Holiness (another expression for entire sanctification) brings unity of hearts and provides good ground for the Lord Jesus Christ to bring about His will.

Some churches don’t teach holiness as a second definite experience of grace. They teach that you must live with your carnal heart until death. They make death the ultimate sanctifier. However, 1 Corinthians 15:26 tells us that the last enemy to be destroyed is death. So death is your enemy not a sanctifying power. And, death has been defeated in Jesus Christ.

Sadly, some denominations teach entire sanctification but it has been so watered down to be a mere shadow of the truth. Holiness without dying to self (referred to as taking the death route), is to attempt to take something by faith without putting yourself in a position to “take it by faith.” It results in a holiness by presumption. The danger here is seen in the medical analogy of a vaccination. You get a little to ward off the disease. Some people get a presumed holiness and see that it doesn’t work so they either dismiss it or redefine the experience to mean just do the best you can. I actually had a “holiness” Chaplin tell a young convert that it was acceptable to go to a movie that was rated R knowing it would offend the Christian conscious. That simple act lead to a decade of falling away from the Christian’s walk and testimony.

Entire sanctification is a second definite work of grace that cleanses the heart from sin (the principle) and fills with the Holy Ghost. It is preceded by a complete consecration (total surrender of oneself) and faith in the atoning blood of Jesus Christ to be applied resulting in the cleansing. Too often, the candidate for holiness fails to take the death route (Hebrews 13:13) and the consecration is incomplete. In the days ahead, I intend to write more about taking the death route. Holiness is essential to seeing the Lord (Hebrews 12:14) and we need to walk in all the light we have been given. Time is short and heaven is too precious to miss.

What are the Effects of Entire Sanctification in the Life of the Believer

When a believing child of God is sanctified wholly, several things happen which affect his or her experience and life:
1. The love of God is perfected in a mighty way. Romans 5:1: “The love of God hath been shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Ghost who was given unto us.”
2. The filling of the Spirit brings a fuller persuasion to the soul. One can go from an unsanctified Peter who denied his Lord, to a Peter that proclaimed the gospel to thousands without fear.
3. The work of entire sanctification is fullness of peace. In regeneration, the soul is at peace with God. In sanctification, the soul is filled with the boundless peace of God.
4. He or she receives a divine frame of mind that is contrary to human nature and keeps the child of God serene and sweet under all provocation.
5. The Holy Spirit in sanctifying power produces a peculiar sensitivity of conscience. The Spirit filled Christian needs only to know the Word of God to know where he stands on any issue of life. There is clarity for the sanctified believer.
6. The Holy Spirit brings to the sanctified a clear appreciation of Bible truths. The Holy Spirit will teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance as you need them. The Bible is a joy to read to the sanctified Christian.
7. The sanctifying presence of the Holy Spirit makes Christians living witnesses for Christ. Acts 1:8: “But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me....”
8. There will be a constant growth in God’s grace after you are sanctified wholly. ‘Grow in grace and in the knowledge of God,” is the rule for Christian growth.

The above list is not exhaustive, but it describe some of the effects of entire sanctification in the life of the believer.

Entire Sanctification is a Doctrine Taught by the Bible

The following Scriptures taken from the New Testament prove that entire sanctification is a Bible doctrine:
1. Acts 26:18: “...that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.” The Holy Spirit through the writer of the Book of Acts speaks of an experience that forgives sins and of another experience that gives the Christian an inheritance among the sanctified.
2. 1 Thessalonians 5:23: “And the God of peace sanctify you wholly, and I pray your whole spirit, and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul prayed for the entire sanctification of the believers in Thessalonica. They were strong Christians, read the first chapter to know their testimony.
3. Hebrews 13:12: “Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood suffered without the gate.” Here we find that sanctification is a part of Christ’s atonement, even as the forgiveness of sins is a part of that plan. This is not imputation of holiness, this is actual cleansing of the heart.
4. 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” The Apostle talks of two works of God’s grace: forgiveness of sins and cleansing from all unrighteousness.

Entire sanctification is an instantaneous work of God’s grace. Many people accept the truth that sanctification is found in God’s Word, but do not know how to obtain the experience. Many Christians confuse purity and maturity. They see the Christian experience as a battlefield of constant conflict: a mixture of defeat and victory. They hope against hope that someday, someplace they will be able to find that victory which the soul longs for. God has a better way! No one has ever been able to obtain forgiveness of sins, except in Christ; likewise, no Christian can ever be sanctified wholly except through the blood of Christ and the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Next, the effects of entire sanctification on the life of the Christian.

A New Beginning

Dear Friends,
I have been absent for almost a year, but I intend to post much more frequently now. My message remains the same: Holiness Unto The Lord!” I find myself motivated by an increasingly compromising worldly church. It is time for those that know the truth to stand and be heard. There is only one way to heaven, through the blood of Jesus Christ. There is no other way. There is a second act of grace known as entire sanctification which cleanses the heart from sin. The first act of grace known as salvation forgives you from your acts of sin. The second act of grace, Entire Sanctification cleanses your heart from the condition of sin.

We will be starting an Adult Holiness Bible study in July. If you want to participate, let us know. There is nothing to buy. Everything has been paid for, so message us or email and we will send the material to you as the Lord provides. We will discuss the lesson on this blog and you can follow along. There will be a daily Bible reading to help your spiritual growth.

For those that want a free flash drive with a lifetime of holiness reading material, contact us and we will send to you. Thank you Rev. Duane Maxey for your life work in compiling the material.

Today’s message is based on Hebrews 12:14: “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” KJV the word “holiness” is the Greek word hagiasmos and it is a masculine noun. It is not about continuous action, i.e., a verb. The Greek word means the state of purification. The Word is telling us we must be in a state of purification to see the Lord. This is consistent with Acts 15:8-9 that informs us that at Pentecost the believers had their hearts purified by faith. That is the condition of seeing the Lord: having a heart purified by faith, i.e. holiness. In the days ahead we will be writing about one can receive the holiness without with no one shall see the Lord.