As an Anglican, it is hard to not know the name of the Wesley brothers. In particular, John Wesley developed what in Wesleyan circles is called “total (or entire) sanctification.” As I understand it, this is the idea that by the grace of God, one can attain a point in life where sanctification has run its course to the point of no actual sin remaining present in the life of the believer.
I have wrestled with this doctrine, questioning its truthfulness for some time. In the end, I have concluded somewhat of a middle ground—perhaps a ground that even Wesley himself would agree with.
Below, I will lay out what I believe a biblical doctrine of entire sanctification could look like.
1. If one says they have no sin, they are a liar and truth is not in them. This is an important qualification. If one can hypothetically attain entire sanctification, the one who does will never say that they have. No matter how holy one becomes, they will still pray “have mercy on me a sinner.” Anything else would be a posture of pride.
2. If entire sanctification is possible, I would qualify it with a distinction between mortal and venial sin. I am convinced that mortal sins—sins done involving grave matter, full knowledge, and full consent—can be fully sanctified out of the Christian life.
I am, however, not convinced that venial sins—sins committed NOT concerning grave matter, knowledge and consent—can be totally removed in this life. It would seem to me that these kinds of sins, though minimized, will (due their nature) remain a present reality until glorification.
3. Entire sanctification cannot replace, or be thought to replace, glorification. These bodies are corrupted and must be made immortal. No level of sanctification in this life will remove the necessity of death and resurrection.
4. Finally, one who does believe in this doctrine must not fall into the danger of works righteousness behavior. John Wesley was a faithful Protestant who upheld justification Sola Fide. This sanctification is wrought in the believer solely by the grace of God, and not through the striving of the believer. Any boast the believer has is a boast in the cross of Christ.
These points, I believe, provide a biblical framework for holding to a doctrine of entire sanctification without falling into the danger of works righteousness or immanentizing the eschaton.
This is the first video reflection for the Great Fast.
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Hope you all are doing well. Lord bless you.
I've been gone again for a time preparing for my ordination. I was ordained a Deacon in the Holy Catholic Church on March 8th, 2025.
It was a joy beyond words. I am now back in full swing with ministry, media, and work.
I hope you all have been doing well. More to come soon.
Good morning everyone. I wanted to quickly update you on the Mere Catholicity Podcast. I’ve been posting videos on my channel, but it has been quite sometime since my channel has had a podcast episode release.
With my new job as a classical teacher, scheduling interviews has been a challenge. However, my plan is to use my summer breaks as time to double down on planning and recording new podcasts. The idea will be to record a ton of interviews that will then slowly release throughout the school year, expiring around the time the following summer arrives. This will ultimately result in a consistent once a month interview.
All that to say, the podcast will resume here in May or June of 2025 with some excellent interviews lined up!
Blessings on your Sunday!