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The Privilege to be Wholly Sanctified
by David Witthoff

We talk a lot about holiness in the Army, and more so in certain communities. It can be the answer to everything or an amorphous spiritual destination that the believer should come to but is never expected or compelled to try for. I say amorphous because, more often than not, holiness goes largely undefined or is equivocated so much that no one really understands what it means or in what sense it is being used, let alone how the word should be used. All this to say, I felt it was time to take a look at the biblical evidence about holiness, specifically the “entire sanctification” and “second blessing” theology of Salvationists. A look at the terms concerning this topic should be discussed first to avoid equivocating and so that everybody understands just what is being talked about.

First, we need to define the word “holy.” It can be described as “apartness, holiness, sacredness.”^[1] This answer is somewhat of a Sunday school answer; we all probably know this already. More important than how it is defined in a theological wordbook is how it is actually used in Scripture. Deut. 7:6 says, “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.”^[2]  In this verse God simply calls them a “holy people.” In Col 3:12 we read, “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” These two verses, along with others (Heb 3:1, 1 Peter 2:9, Eph 4:1), demonstrate one way in which the term “holy” can be used: these verses refer to status. The nation of Israel was a holy nation by status, by God’s decree. In Col 3:12 believers are simply called “holy and beloved.” This is another reference to our status as believers. By Christ’s sacrifice, we can be called holy and given that status. This aspect is not related to what we do. This status of holiness is related more to justification than to sanctification. This aspect of the word “holy” is God’s work, not our own.

The second aspect of holiness is related to sanctification. This is the aspect of holiness that we do have a part in. Second Cor 7:1 says, “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” Similarly, in Romans 12:1 it says, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” These verses emphasize the joint work we have in holiness. This aspect of holiness is the process of sanctification. We join God in this work as we are “perfecting holiness” in our lives.

With these two aspects of holiness in mind, we should be sure never to confuse or mix them. To apply a verse that is speaking about decreed (status) holiness as mandating active holiness is a hermeneutical mistake. Without a doubt, we should live up (active holiness) to what He calls us (status holiness), but a passage means only what it means, not what we want it to mean.

Having said all of this, we can now get to the issue of entire sanctification and the second blessing. Entire sanctification has been called “Christian perfection,”^[3] but I have run across Salvationists who abhor that term, so I will not use it (it seems to be a term that Wesleyans in general use, but I think Salvationists are concerned that Christian perfection sounds to close to Perfectionism). Entire sanctification, as understood by Salvationists, can be described as the state of the believer after experiencing the second blessing. The second blessing is that moment^[4] when, after much prayer and dedication^[5], the Holy Spirit comes upon the believer a second time to bless the person with entire sanctification: the “stump”^[6] of sin is removed and this causes the person to no longer willfully sin;^[7] the person also has greater love for God and man. But where is the Scripture to back up such a carefully delineated theological doctrine? There are a few passages I want to deal with that have been used to support this idea, and then I will take a look at the Acts 2 story of Pentecost that Brengle uses to support the second blessing.

First, one might be inclined to use 2 Cor 7:1 to support the idea of a second blessing. It uses the phrase “perfecting holiness.” But by taking a look at the construction of this verse from an exegetical standpoint, the word which is translated “perfecting” is a present progressive participle. Thus it emphasizes the process of holiness with a view toward the end. The verse emphasizes the progressive nature of holiness. There is no indication that this word “perfecting” means a single event in the life of a believer.

Another verse cited is Matt 5:48 which says “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” I have heard Salvationists claim that because God commands us to be perfect, the second blessing must exist, otherwise we could not obey this verse! Two problems arise with using this verse for that purpose. First, simply because God issues a command does not mean that we can fulfill it.^[8] That is the essence of our fallen nature. If people were able to meet every command of God, then there is the possibility that one could be perfect and therefore not need a savior. It leaves us with a kind of Pelagian neutrality towards God. God commands us to be perfect, and so that should be our aim by Christ’s power. But God is not laughing at our feeble attempts when He commands us to be perfect. His call to perfection is based in His character. We need not fear though, because based on our standing in Christ, we have a clean slate, and more than that, we have Christ’s righteousness.^[9]  The second problem is that Matt 5:48 requires perfection, and the second blessing allegedly only prevents intentional sin. So the believer would still not be perfect. The conclusion that the second blessing would fulfill this command is thus flawed.

The next verse I want to deal with is 1 Thess 5:23 which says, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Again, this verse has been used to say that God wants us entirely sanctified (through the second blessing) now. However this verse is describing the second aspect of holiness (that joint work of God and man) and is emphasizing God’s role in our sanctification. This verse looks at the process, not moment, of sanctification. We must be careful not to read our understanding of “entire sanctification” into this verse’s use of it. Similar to Matt 5:48, the verse is talking about complete or entire sanctification (in a non-technical, non-Salvationist sense). This is sanctification that goes beyond only willful sin but also unintentional sin. This verse looks at the process of sanctification with a view towards its completion at Christ’s return. This verse makes no distinction about willful or unintentional sin.

From 1 John 3:6a it is argued that there must be a second blessing. This verse says “No one who abides in Him sins.” But the sense of this verse is that no one who abides in Christ keeps on sinning^[10]. Also, if this verse advocates a second blessing, then most believers are not in Christ since most have not experienced this blessing! The verses in 1 John 3 exhort believers to no longer sin like they used to when they followed the devil and the ways of the world. First John 1:8, speaking to believers, shows us that we will have sin in our lives, in one form or another, until glorification, when it says, “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.”

Finally I turn to the Acts 2 narrative. Brengle makes the case in his second chapter of Helps to Holiness that the disciples received this second blessing at Pentecost. He claims that they were already believers and that the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was their complete cleansing. I disagree. Commentators are notorious for misinterpreting the works of the Holy Spirit in Acts. Acts highlights the first coming of the Spirit on many different peoples. This unique working of the Spirit makes for difficult interpretation. Concerning the apostles; though they followed Jesus and were believers, until Christ physically left them, they did not have the Spirit. He told them that He must go, or the Helper would not come (John 16:7). So then, Pentecost cannot be a second blessing of the Spirit because they never had a first! Some may argue that John 20:22 is the first blessing on the apostles. But if this is the Holy Spirit truly coming, it contradicts John 16:7. I feel this passage should be taken symbolically or prophetically as speaking of Pentecost. Perhaps it is an indication that the Spirit is coming soon (and that he will be leaving them soon. It should also be noted that the behavior of the disciples after John 20:22 is not dramatically different, but changes only after Pentecost).^[11] Now, when a person places faith in Christ they receive the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 1:22;^[12] 1 Cor 6:11).  In the situation of the disciples, they believed in Christ before the Spirit could come. Thus, when Christ left them they received the Spirit just as we receive it at conversion now. Their experience was a bit more flashy (fiery?) at Pentecost, but this can easily be attributed to the nature of that event. It was a larger event to show without a doubt that the Spirit was now coming onto believers. Also, if the apostles were blessed a second time at Pentecost, why does Peter need to be rebuked as Galatians 2:11-14 tells us? With all of this in mind, Brengle’s use of Pentecost to support a second blessing theology is incorrect. Pentecost was in no way a second blessing.

In conclusion, I find no evidence in Scripture for any kind of specified second blessing. Other verses also indicate to us the continued fight we have in our lives with sin (Proverbs 20:9; Ecc 7:20). I believe the term “holiness” is used in Scripture to refer to the status of believers and to the progressive nature of holiness in believers. I believe that all believers will continue, to greater or lesser degrees, to progress in holiness as they work out their sanctification with the Lord until they die and are glorified or until Christ returns.

So by all means, seek to give up more of yourself to the Lord. Pray for greater holiness. Pray for greater love from God and for people. Pray that He would keep you from sin. But remember that there is always more of you to give to him, greater holiness to experience, more love that He can give, and still sin and temptations that we need protection from.  Entire Sanctification (again, in the non-technical sense) is realized at death or at Christ’s return. This is our glorification, when believers are made new. The application for believers now is to work out their sanctification each day with the Lord through prayer, bible study, fellowship etc. It is a continual journey of reliance on a Holy God to continually perfect us. May we pray for greater holiness each day.