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- Preaching the Living WORD through
the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4;:2 - |
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IV. HOLINESS PENTECOSTAL VIEW ON SANCTIFICATION A. Connection Between
Pentecostal and Wesleyan Sanctification 1. As is
often the case with doctrines or theologies, each seceding group is influenced, for better or for worse, by the previous
group. Such was the case with the Holiness Pentecostal Movement being influenced by the Wesleyan Movement. a) Perhaps
the most important immediate precursor to Pentecostalism was the Holiness movement which issued from the heart of Methodism at the
end of the Nineteenth Century. From John Wesley, the
Pentecostals inherited the idea of a subsequent crisis experience variously
called “entire sanctification,”" perfect love,” “Christian perfection,”
or “heart purity.” It was John Wesley who posited
such a possibility in his influential tract, A Plain Account of Christian
Perfection (1766). It was from Wesley that the Holiness Movement
developed the theology of a “second blessing.” It was Wesley’s colleague,
John Fletcher, however, who first called this second blessing a “baptism in
the Holy Spirit,” an experience which brought spiritual power to the
recipient as well as inner cleansing. This was explained
in his major work, Checks to Antinominianism (1771). (The Origins of The Pentecostal Movement by (Dean
Emeritus of the School of Divinity at Regent University) B. Separation of the
Assemblies of God from Holiness Pentecostals 1. In order
to be completely fair, not all groups believe all the same views within a
theological camp. For instance, the Assemblies of God eventually denied the
claim of Holiness Pentecostals that a believer can reach a state of “entire
sanctification.” In fact, it was because of this issue as well as their
Trinitarian doctrinal difference (“Oneness” or “Jesus Only”) that led to a
separation between Holiness Pentecostals and the Assemblies of God. 2. However, both the Assemblies of God and
the Holiness Pentecostals still agree on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit
evidenced by speaking in tongues.” C. Three Works in the
Believer 1. Though
the Spirit’s Baptism is often referred to as the
“second blessing,” there are actually three works or blessings for the
Christian according to Holiness Pentecostals. They are conversion,
sanctification, and the Spirit’s Baptism. 2. Conversion a) Conversion,
to some Pentecostals, would be the generally accepted biblical view of faith
in Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection. However, some still hold to
the position that Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the evidence of salvation. b) Some Oneness, or Jesus Only, Pentecostal
groups have gone to an extreme by saying that one is not
truly saved until baptized in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of
speaking in other tongues. (Horton,
Five Views of Sanctification, (Horton is a Distinguished
Professor Emeritus of Bible and Theology at the Assemblies of God Theological
Seminary, Springfield, Missouri) c) The United Pentecostal Church
International (UPCI) holds to baptismal regeneration (necessity of water
baptism for salvation) and the Baptism of the Spirit for salvation.
Obviously, there is no second blessing for them. a) The basic
and fundamental doctrine of this organization shall be the Bible standard of
full salvation, which is repentance, baptism in water by
immersion in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins,
and the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the initial sign of speaking with
other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance. (UPCI Creed) 2. Sanctification a) However,
they maintain that the death of Christ also provided the “cleansing of the
justified believer from all indwelling sin and from its pollution.” This would be equivalent to the term “entire sanctification” that
takes place sometime subsequent to salvation. b) We believe Jesus Christ shed His blood,
not alone for our justification and the forgiveness of actual transgressions,
but also for the complete cleansing of the justified believer from all
indwelling sin and from its pollution, and this transaction takes place
subsequent to (or after) regeneration (the new birth) (Acts 26:18; Ephesians
5:25-27; Titus 2:14; Hebrews 9:13, 14; 10:10, 14-22; 13:11, 12; 1 John 1:7,
9). (International Holiness Pentecostal
Church, Articles of Faith, IHPC AOF). c) It is this concept of entire
sanctification, which a believer must experience so that he can move to the
third level of Baptism of the Spirit. 3. Baptism
of the Spirit a) The third work for the believer is the separate and subsequent
work of the Baptism of the Spirit, which is evidenced
by speaking in tongues. b) We
believe the Pentecostal baptism with the Holy Ghost and fire is obtainable by
a definite act of appropriating faith on the part of the fully cleansed
believer (Luke 11:13; 24:49; Acts 1:5, 8; 2:38, 39). (IHPC AOF) c) We believe the “initial” (or first) evidence
of the reception of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the speaking with other
tongues as the Spirit gives utterance (John 15:26, 27; Acts 2:1-4; 8:17, 18;
10:44-46; 19:6; 1 Corinthians 12:7).
(IHPC AOF) B. Holiness Pentecostal View
on Entire Sanctification 1. It is
Not Sinless Perfection a) They
would maintain that entire sanctification does not mean sinless perfection in
the sense that a believer cannot fall into sin. (1) It is not
absolute perfection, not angelic perfection; not “sinless perfection,” if the
term is used to imply the impossibility of a sanctified person’s
falling into sin. We do not believe it is impossible for the sanctified to
commit sin; (IHPC AOF) b) No group
wants to suggest that entire sanctification is “sinless perfection” proper. But when they define entire sanctification as “cleansing
from all indwelling sin,” for all intents and purposes, “entire
sanctification” is “sinless perfection.” c) They attempt to maintain that a
sanctified believer must grow in entire sanctification. If this is true, then
there is nothing “entire” about “entire sanctification.” (1) … there
is certainly room for development, progress, and growth in grace and in the
knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). But remember we must get into this grace before we can
grow in it. (IHPC AOF) 2. It is
Attainable Sinlessness a) Having
stated the negative side of the definition of entire sanctification, the
positive side is at least the possibility of attainment and expectation of
it. (1) … but we
do believe it is possible for a sanctified person not to commit sin
(Luke 1:73-75; Titus 2:11, 12; 1 John 1:7; 2:1, 6; 3:5-10; 5:18). (IHPC AOF) (2) We believe Jesus Christ shed His blood …
also for the complete cleansing of the justified believer from all indwelling
sin and from its pollution, (IHPC
AOF) (3) We are aware of John’s statement in 1 John
1:8, but these words apply to those who deny the need for cleansing, not to
those who have experienced it and are living the sanctified life. (IHPC AOF) b) If one
maintains that they have been
“cleansed from all indwelling sin,” that it is possible for them “not to
commit sin,” and experience a “sanctified life,” then it is certainly within
the definition of terms to call this “perfectionism.” 3. It is
Brought About by a Crisis Experience a) While it
could be shown that the Holiness Pentecostals believe in three separate
crises of experience (i.e. conversion, sanctification, baptism of the
Spirit), we are looking particularly at the crisis leading to sanctification. b) A crisis of experience is when the
believer comes to an utter frustration of his sin and inability to live a
holy life, then God intervenes. (1) This is
purity and dedication; it is not maturity, but the crisis experience that
marks the beginning of the sanctified life,. (IHPC AOF) (2) Holiness Pentecostal groups (such as the
Church of God of Cleveland, Tennessee, and the Pentecostal Holiness Church)
still teach a crisis experience of sanctification as a second definite work
of grace that is prerequisite to the baptism in the Holy Spirit. (Horton, Five Views of Sanctification) (3) Pentecostals
preached the crisis of sanctification and the accompanying enduement [sic.] with power. (Five Views of
Sanctification) |
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