by Jim Kerwin
on November 26, 2015
A Plain Account of Christian Perfection
by John Wesley
Part V:
Advice to the Sanctified
Section 25 (continued)
Question 29: Can those who are perfect grow in grace?
Answer: Undoubtedly they can; and that not only while they are in the body, but to all eternity.
Question 30: Can they fall from it?
Answer: I am well assured they can: matter of fact puts this beyond dispute. Formerly we thought, that one saved from sin could not fall; now we know the contrary. We are surrounded with instances of those who lately experienced all that I mean by perfection. They had both the fruit of the Spirit, and the witness; but they have now lost both. Neither does anyone stand by virtue of anything that is implied in the nature of the state. There is no such height or strength of holiness as it is impossible to fall from. If there be any that cannot fall, this wholly depends on the promise of God.
Question 31: Can those who fall from this state recover it? [continue reading…]
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sanctification,
entire sanctification,
holiness,
John Wesley,
freedom from sin,
heart purity,
Bernard of Clairvaux,
Romans 8:7,
James 2:22,
Philippians 3:15,
1 John 4:18,
1 Peter 5:8,
1 Corinthians 12:3,
Galatians 5:1,
Romans 10:4,
2 Corinthians 7:1,
1 Peter 5:5,
Hebrews 6:1,
2 Corinthians 2:11,
Isaiah 1:18,
1 John 4:1,
2 Peter 3:18,
Galatians 5:7,
Philippians 2:5,
Philippians 4:8,
1 Thessalonians 5:16,
1 Thessalonians 5:17,
Matthew 6:22,
Farther Thoughts on Christian Perfection,
1 Corinthians 12:21,
1 Thessalonians 5:12,
Romans 3:31,
Isaiah 42:21,
Judges 12:5-6,
Titus 2:14,
Leviticus 19:17,
Exodus 5:17,
John 6:12-13,
Ecclesiastes 9:10,
James 1:19,
Proverbs 10:19,
1 Timothy 5:22,
Luke 9:23,
1 Corinthians 12:25,
1 Corinthians 1:12,
1 Corinthians 3:4,
Philippians 1:29,
Isaiah 50:4,
Psalm 51:8,
2 Peter 1:11,
Colossians 2:11,
Revelation 1:9
by Jim Kerwin
on October 26, 2015
by John Wesley
Part I:
Historical Background
of the Teaching
Section 1
What I purpose in the following pages is, to give a plain and distinct account of the steps by which I was led, during a course of many years, to embrace the doctrine of Christian Perfection. This I owe to the serious part of mankind; those who desire to know all the truth as it is in Jesus. And these only are concerned in questions of this kind. To these I would nakedly declare the thing as it is, endeavouring all along to show, from one period to another, both what I thought, and why [continue reading…]
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freedom from sin,
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William Law,
Jeremy Taylor,
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Gerhard Tersteegen,
Christian perfection,
1 John 1:7,
1 Peter 1:8,
Galatians 2:20,
Revelation 3:17,
John 8:36,
1 Corinthians 2:16,
2 Corinthians 6:14-15,
Matthew 15:19,
1 Thessalonians 1:3,
Romans 5:5,
Philippians 4:7,
Hebrews 4:9,
Matthew 7:16,
Deuteronomy 30:6,
Colossians 3:17,
1 John 1:9,
1 Thessalonians 5:23,
2 Corinthians 7:1,
Hebrews 7:25,
Romans 8:17,
1 Peter 2:9,
Matthew 5:48,
Luke 6:40,
Ephesians 4:13,
1 John 4:17,
Mark 12:30,
Luke 10:27,
Romans 13:10,
Romans 12:1,
Matthew 7:20,
2 Corinthians 3:18,
1 John 1:3,
Matthew 3:10,
1 Peter 5:7,
Arvid Gradin,
Romans 8:2,
John 14:15,
Romans 14:17,
Zechariah 12:8,
Colossians 1:27,
Hebrews 11:27,
Matthew 10:24-25,
Deuteronomy 10:16,
Jeremiah 4:4,
Deuteronomy 6:5,
Acts 15:36-41,
Matthew 5:8,
Matthew 11:29,
1 Corinthians 15:28,
Hebrews 12:1,
Job 1:21,
Ezekiel 36:25,
Acts 15:9,
2 Corinthians 6:2,
2 Timothy 4:8,
1 John 5:18,
Philippians 2:5,
circumcision of the heart,
Romans 2:29,
Ephesians 4:23,
1 Timothy 1:5,
Matthew 22:38,
Philippians 4:8,
1 Corinthians 6:17,
1 Corinthians 10:31,
Savannah Georgia,
Methodism Philippians 3:12,
Psalm 73:25,
Psalm 73:261 John 4:18,
1 Thessalonians 5:16,
1 Peter 1:3-4,
1 Thessalonians 5:18,
1 Peter 4:19,
Philippians 4:6,
1 Thessalonians 5:17,
Proverbs 13:10,
Colossians 3:12 1 John 2:15,
John 6:38,
Matthew 6:22,
James 2:10,
Acts 24:16,
Psalm 119:32,
Matthew 6:10,
Deuteronomy 6:6-7,
Matthew 6:19,
Ephesians 4:29,
Titus 2:10,
homo unius libri,
Proverbs 24:16,
1 Kings 8:46,
2 Chronicles 6:36,
Ecclesiastes 7:20,
1 John 3:6,
James 3:2,
James 3:9,
James 3:1,
1 John 1:8,
1 John 1:10,
John 5:14,
John 8:11,
Mark 7:21,
Matthew 7:18,
1 John 3:3,
1 John 1:5,
Luke 3:9,
1 Peter 1:15,
Philippians 3:12,
Psalm 84:7,
2 Corinthians 3:17,
Acts 13:41,
2 Corinthians 3:5,
Philippians 2:10,
Matthew 10:20,
John 14:10,
Matthew 26:42,
1 John 2:20,
Ephesians 4:30,
1 John 5:20,
1 Peter 1:6-7,
Luke 18:9,
Isaiah 51:11,
Romans 6:14,
Romans 5:1-2,
Acts 17:11,
John 5:39,
1 Corinthians 9:27,
Ephesians 5:2,
Psalm 24:3-4,
1 John 2:10,
1 John 3:9,
Psalm 37:37,
Ezekiel 36:29,
Matthew 5:44,
John 15:21,
Colossians 3:12,
1 John 2:6
by Jim Kerwin
on October 26, 2015
A Plain Account of Christian Perfection
by John Wesley
Part II: The Teaching Explained
Section 17
On Monday, June 25, 1744 our first conference began, six clergymen and all our preachers being present. The next morning we seriously considered the doctrine of sanctification, or perfection. The questions asked concerning it, and the substance of the answers given, were as follows:—
Question: What is it to be
sanctified?
Answer: To be renewed in the image of God, in righteousness and true holiness [Ephesians 4:24].
Question: What is implied in being a perfect Christian?
Answer: The loving God with all our heart, and mind, and soul (Deut. vi. 5). [continue reading…]
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Christian perfection,
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Deuteronomy 30:6,
Hebrews 4:15,
Philippians 3:14,
1 Thessalonians 5:23,
Hebrews 7:25,
Matthew 5:48,
1 John 4:17,
Luke 10:27,
Romans 13:10,
Matthew 22:37,
Matthew 2:13,
Deuteronomy 6:5,
1 Corinthians 15:22,
John 15:5,
1 Corinthians 15:53-54,
1 John 3:8,
Ephesians 5:25-27,
James 3:2,
Ezekiel 36:29,
Ephesians 4:24,
Romans 8:3-4,
Matthew 6:13,
Luke 11:4,
John 17:20-23,
Ephesians 3:14,
Titus 2:11-14,
Luke 1:69,
Luke 16:31,
Mark 12:20,
1 Corinthians 15:53,
Matthew 22:36-40,
Matthew 5:15,
Mark 4:21,
Luke 11:33,
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18,
1 Timothy 6:17,
Romans 5:19,
Luke 21:1-4,
Mark 9:41,
John 7:24,
Hebrews 10:29,
Job 12:2,
Daniel 5:27
by Jim Kerwin
on October 26, 2015
A Plain Account of Christian Perfection
by John Wesley
Part III:
Tares Among the Wheat Contrasted
with the Wonderful Testimony of Jane Cooper
Section 20
In the year 1762 there was a great increase of the work of God in London. Many, who had hitherto cared for none of these things, were deeply convinced of their lost estate; many found redemption in the blood of Christ; not a few backsliders were healed; and a considerable number of persons believed that God had saved them from all sin. Easily foreseeing that Satan would be endeavouring to sow tares among the wheat [Matthew 13:24-30], I took much pains to apprise them of the danger, particularly with regard to pride and enthusiasm. And while I stayed in town, I had reason to hope they continued both humble and sober-minded. But almost as soon as I was gone, enthusiasm broke in. Two or three began to take their own imaginations for impressions from God, and thence to suppose that they should never die; and these, labouring to bring others into the same opinion, occasioned much noise and confusion. Soon after, the same persons, with a few more, ran into other extravagances,—fancying they could not be tempted; that they should feel no more pain; and that they had the gift of prophecy, and of discerning of spirits. [continue reading…]
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1 Corinthians 1:30,
1 John 1:7,
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John 7:39,
1 John 2:27,
1 Corinthians 15:41,
Romans 8:38-39,
1 Thessalonians 5:23,
Hebrews 8:10,
Hebrews 12:14,
Mark 12:30,
Luke 10:27,
Ephesians 3:19,
James 1:4,
Lady Maxwell,
Matthew 4:4,
Revelation 2:18,
Matthew 6:10,
Matthew 13:24-30,
Revelation 20:1-3,
1 Peter 1:11,
Jeremiah 31:31,
Romans 8:4,
Luke 11:2,
Psalm 131:1,
Malachi 3:1-3,
Mark 16:6-7,
Acts 10:34,
1 Corinthians 13,
Romans 1:17,
Galatians 3:11,
Hebrews 10:38,
Ephesians 3:8,
1 John 4:16,
Job 17:14,
1 Corinthians 15:55,
2 Peter 1:16,
Luke 4:4,
Hebrews 2:10; 1 Peter 5:10],
Proverbs 24:7,
Nancy Rogers
by Jim Kerwin
on October 26, 2015
A Plain Account of Christian Perfection
by John Wesley
Part IV:
“Farther Thoughts on Christian Perfection”
Section 25
The next year [1763], the number of those who believed they were saved from sin still increasing, I judged it needful to publish, chiefly for their use, Farther Thoughts on Christian Perfection:—
Question 1: How is “Christ the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth”? (Rom. x. 4)
Answer: In order to understand this, you must understand what law is here spoken of; and this, I apprehend, is:— [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
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John Wesley,
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John 8:12,
Galatians 6:2,
John 9:5,
1 Timothy 1:5,
James 3:2,
1 John 2:20,
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18,
Farther Thoughts on Christian Perfection,
Romans 7:4,
1 Corinthians 9:21,
1 Corinthians 13:4-7,
James 1:25,
James 2:12,
Hebrews 10:14
