The term "entire sanctification" might sound intimidating to many, so our hope here is to define it in a way that is simple and relatable.

Here are some quotes and thoughts that might help you understand what we mean when we talk about this belief:

John Wesley was a pastor, preacher, and theologian who lived in the 18th century and is the founder of Methodism. He developed the doctrine of entire sanctification upon which Nazarene doctrine of holiness is built. Wesley used the phrase “Christian perfection” for holiness when he wrote:

Christian Perfection “is nothing higher and nothing lower than this, – the pure love of God and man; the loving of God with all our heart and soul, and our neighbor as ourselves. It is love governing the heart and life, running though all our tempers, words, and actions.”

A Plain Account of Christian Perfection, 55

So, when we talk about entire sanctification or “holiness,” we are really just talking about a Holy Spirit-empowered magnification of love. It is living a life defined by love.

At certain points in our denomination’s history, we have forgotten this important foundation and have defined entire sanctification or “holiness” in legalistic terms.

But Wesley had this to say about adding expectations and rules to the one rule of love:

Scripture perfection is, pure love filling the heart, and governing all words and actions. If your idea includes anything else, it is not Scriptural.

A Plain Account of Christian Perfection, 60

And again:

It were well you should be thoroughly sensible of this, – the heaven of heavens is love. There is nothing higher in religion; there is, in effect, nothing else; if you look for anything but more love, you are looking wide of the mark, you are getting out of the royal way. And when you are asking others, ‘Have you received this or that blessing?’ If you mean anything but more love, you mean wrong; you are leading them out of the way and putting them upon a false scent…You are to aim at nothing more, but more of that love described in the thirteenth chapter of the Corinthians. You can go no higher than this, till you are carried into Abraham’s bosom.

A Plain Account of Christian Perfection, 99

Finally, two important contemporary Nazarene theologians, Thomas Jay Oord and Michael Lodahl, in their excellent book Relational Holiness, write this about entire sanctification:

To be holy is to love – to love God, neighbors, and Gods creation, including ourselves. We are holy as God is holy when we love as God loves. While other notions of holiness contribute something valuable to our general understanding, the core meaning of holiness is love. Relational Holiness, 72