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.
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