Editing Sanctification in Christianity (section)

===Methodism===
In [[Wesleyan–Arminian theology]], which is upheld by the [[Methodist Church]]es (inclusive of the [[holiness movement]]), Methodism teaches that sanctification has three components—initial, progressive, and entire:<ref name="TWC2017"/>
{{Blockquote|We believe that sanctification is that work of the Holy Spirit by which the child of God is separated from sin unto God and is enabled to love God with all the heart and to walk in all His holy commandments blameless. Sanctification is initiated at the moment of justification and regeneration. From that moment there is a gradual or progressive sanctification as the believer walks with God and daily grows in grace and in a more perfect obedience to God. This prepares for the crisis of entire sanctification which is wrought instantaneously when believers present themselves as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, through faith in Jesus Christ, being effected by the [[baptism with the Holy Spirit]] who cleanses the heart from all inbred sin. The crisis of [[entire sanctification]] perfects the believer in love and empowers that person for effective service. It is followed by lifelong growth in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The life of holiness continues through faith in the sanctifying blood of Christ and evidences itself by loving obedience to God’s revealed will. —Articles of Religion, [[The Wesleyan Church]]<ref name="TWC2017">{{cite web|url=https://www.wesleyan.org/about/articles-of-religion|title=Articles of Religion: The Wesleyan Church|year=2017|publisher=The Wesleyan Church|language=en|access-date=29 May 2018}}</ref>}}
As such, "sanctification, the beginning of holiness, begins at the [[born again#Methodism|new birth]]".<ref name="Kettenring2007">{{cite book|last=Kettenring|first=Keith|title=The Sanctification Connection|date=15 September 2007|publisher=University Press of America|language=en|isbn=9780761837381|page=29}}</ref> With the [[Grace in Christianity|Grace of God]], Methodists "do [[works of piety]] and [[works of mercy|mercy]], and these works reflect the power of sanctification".<ref name="AbrahamKirby2009">{{cite book|last1=Abraham|first1=William J.|last2=Kirby|first2=James E.|title=The Oxford Handbook of Methodist Studies|date=24 September 2009|publisher=Oxford University Press|language=en|isbn=9780191607431|page=475}}</ref> Examples of these [[means of grace]] (works of piety and works of mercy) that aid with sanctification include frequent reception of the [[sacrament]] of [[Holy Communion]] (work of piety),<ref name="Jr2014">{{cite book|last=Yrigoyen|first=Charles Jr.|title=T&T Clark Companion to Methodism|date=25 September 2014|publisher=A&C Black|language=en|isbn=9780567290779|page=259}}</ref> and visiting the sick and those in prison (work of mercy).<ref name="White2014">{{cite book|last=White|first=James W.|title=Brief Christian Histories: Getting a Sense of Our Long Story|date=17 March 2014|publisher=Wipf and Stock Publishers|language=en|isbn=9781556352430|page=99|quote=He espoused a "method" of study, prayer, and community by which persons might know "sanctification" before God. Wesley thought that the truly devout could "move on to perfection," an ends ethic idea. The Methodist ''Book of Discipline'' with "Rules for Methodist Societies" specified what the ways were: daily reading of the Bible, prayer, feeding the hungry, and visiting the sick and those in prison.}}</ref> [[File:The history of Methodism (1902) (14742412186).jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|[[John Wesley]] held that the doctrine of [[entire sanctification]] was "the grand [[doctrine|depositum]]" of Methodism.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ucmpage.org/sgca/wesley01.htm|title=Wesleyan Heritage Series: Entire Sanctification|last=Gibson|first=James|publisher=South Georgia Confessing Association|language=en|access-date=30 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180529053529/http://ucmpage.org/sgca/wesley01.htm|archive-date=29 May 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>]] [[Wesleyan covenant theology]] also emphasizes that an important aspect of sanctification is the keeping of the moral law contained in the [[Ten Commandments#Methodist|Ten Commandments]].<ref name="2011Campbell">{{cite book|last=Campbell|first=Ted A.|title=Methodist Doctrine: The Essentials, 2nd Edition|date=1 October 2011|publisher=Abingdon Press|language=en|isbn=9781426753473|pages=40, 68–69}}</ref> As such, in "sanctification one grows to be more like [[Jesus Christ|Christ]]."<ref name="Jones2010">{{cite book|last=Jones|first=Scott J.|title=United Methodist Doctrine|date=1 September 2010|publisher=Abingdon Press|language=en|isbn=9781426725593|page=197}}</ref> This process of sanctification that begins at the new birth (first work of grace) has its goal as [[Christian perfection]], otherwise known as entire sanctification ([[second work of grace]]),<ref name="Kettenring2007"/><ref name="Campbell2011">{{cite book|last=Campbell|first=Ted A.|title=Methodist Doctrine: The Essentials, 2nd Edition|date=1 October 2011|publisher=Abingdon Press|language=en|isbn=9781426753473|page=41|quote=Methodist piety describes the goal of sanctification as ''entire sanctification'' or ''Christian perfection''. If the notion of perfection is offensive, it is also biblical: Jesus taught us to "Be perfect, therefore as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). And to what perfection can human beings aspire? Methodists have always answered this by repeating the Great Commandment: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind" (Matthew 22:37; cf. Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27). Along with this, Methodists insist that Christian perfection also means the fulfillment of the second Commandment: love of our neighbor. Thus, Christian perfection or entire sanctification denotes primarily the perfection of our love for God and for our neighbor.}}</ref> which [[John Wesley]], the progenitor of the Methodist faith, described as a heart "habitually filled with the love of God and neighbor" and as "having the mind of Christ and walking as he walked".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=1813 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070210141434/http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=1813 |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 10, 2007 |title=Distinctive Wesleyan Emphases (Page 2) |publisher=Archives.umc.org |date=2006-11-06 |access-date=2012-08-04}}</ref>  To John Wesley the work of entire sanctification was distinctly separate from [[Regeneration (theology)#Wesleyan-Arminianism|regeneration]],<ref name="Wesley, John, 1703-1791. 1991">{{Cite book|title=Christian perfection, as taught by John Wesley|last=Wesley, John, 1703-1791.|date=1991|orig-year=1885|publisher=Schmul Pub|isbn=0-88019-120-1|oclc=52723806}}</ref> and was "wrought instantaneously, though it may be approached by slow and gradual steps."<ref name="Wesley, John, 1703-1791. 1991"/> A more complete statement of Wesley's position goes like this:<blockquote>"It is that habitual disposition of soul which, in the sacred writings, is termed holiness; and which directly implies, the being cleansed from sin, 'from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit;' and, by consequence, the being endued with those virtues which were also in Christ Jesus; the being so 'renewed in the spirit of our mind,' as to be 'perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect.'"<ref>Wesley, J. (1872). The Works of John Wesley (Third Edition, Vol. 5, p. 203). London: Wesleyan Methodist Book Room.</ref></blockquote>This is the doctrine that by the power of God's sanctifying grace and attention upon the [[Means of Grace|means of grace]] may cleanse a Christian of the corrupting influence of [[original sin]] in this life. It is expounded upon in the Methodist [[Articles of Religion (Methodist)|Articles of Religion]]:<ref name="MethodistArticles">[http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/the-articles-of-religion-of-the-methodist-church The United Methodist Church: The Articles of Religion of the Methodist Church - Of Sanctification]</ref> 
{{Blockquote|Sanctification is that renewal of our fallen nature by the Holy Ghost, received through faith in Jesus Christ, whose blood of atonement cleanseth from all sin; whereby we are not only delivered from the guilt of sin, but are washed from its pollution, saved from its power, and are enabled, through grace, to love God with all our hearts and to walk in his holy commandments blameless.<ref name=MethodistArticles/>}}
Terming the experience of entire sanctification the [[baptism of the Holy Spirit]], [[John William Fletcher]], the systematic theologian of Methodism, emphasized that the experience of entire sanctification through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit cleanses the believer from [[original sin]] and empowers the believer for service to God.<ref name="ShapiroBarnard2017">{{cite book |last1=Shapiro |first1=Stephen |last2=Barnard |first2=Philip |title=Pentecostal Modernism: Lovecraft, Los Angeles, and World-Systems Culture |date=9 February 2017 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=978-1-4742-3874-8 |page=69 |language=en}}</ref>

[[Justification (theology)|Justification]] is seen as an initial step of acknowledging God's holiness, with sanctification as, through the grace and power of God, entering into it.  A key scripture is Hebrews 12:14:  "Follow after...holiness, without which no one shall see the Lord." The importance of "growth in grace", according to Methodist doctrine, is important before and after entire sanctification:<ref name="IMC1986"/>
{{blockquote|In order to maintain right relationship with God; it is necessary that we grow in grace (Eph. 4:15, 16; Col. 2:6, 7: I Pet. 1:5-10; II Pet. 3:18), both before and after sanctification. There is, however, a more abundant growth with increased fruitage after sanctification (John 15:2). To keep sanctified the soul must continually seek God's face and strength (Luke 21:36; Psalm 105:4). This is the maturing process of all Spirit-filled saints. 
—Articles of Religion, [[Immanuel Missionary Church]]<ref name="IMC1986">{{cite book |title=Discipline of the Immanuel Missionary Church |date=1986 |publisher=[[Immanuel Missionary Church]] |location=[[Shoals, Indiana]] |pages=9–10 |language=English}}</ref>}}
In the same vein, in addition to entire sanctification, the [[Kentucky Mountain Holiness Association]] affirms a belief in "the progressive growth in grace toward Christian maturity through a consistent Christian life of faith and good works."<ref name="KMHA2020">{{cite book |title=KMHA Handbook |date=15 September 2020 |publisher=[[Kentucky Mountain Holiness Association]] |page=5 |language=English}}</ref>

Wesleyan theology teaches that the state of entire sanctification can be lost through willful sin:<ref name="Emmanuel2002">{{cite book |title=Guidebook of the Emmanuel Association of Churches |date=2002 |publisher=[[Emmanuel Association]] |location=[[Logansport, Indiana|Logansport]] |page=9 |language=English}}</ref>
{{Blockquote|After we have received the Holy Ghost, any careless attitude toward the covenant we entered into when we were sanctified shall cause us to depart from grace given, and to fall into sin. Only through deep repentance, which God may permit, shall we then turn to God and receive forgiveness of our sins. ―Principles of Faith, [[Emmanuel Association of Churches]]<ref name="Emmanuel2002"/>}}
If a person [[backsliding|backslides]] but later decides to return to God, he or she must confess his or her sins and be entirely sanctified again (see [[conditional security]]).<ref name="Robinson">{{cite web |last1=Robinson |first1=Jeff |title=Meet a Reformed Arminian |url=https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/meet-a-reformed-arminian/ |publisher=[[The Gospel Coalition]] |access-date=16 June 2019 |language=en |date=25 August 2016 |quote=Reformed Arminianism's understanding of apostasy veers from the Wesleyan notion that individuals may repeatedly fall from grace by committing individual sins and may be repeatedly restored to a state of grace through penitence.}}</ref><ref name="CaugheyAllen1850">{{cite book |last1=Caughey |first1=James |last2=Allen |first2=Ralph William |title=Methodism in Earnest |url=https://archive.org/details/methodisminearn00wisegoog |date=1850 |publisher=Charles H. Peirce |language=en |quote=She had lost the blessing of entire sanctification; but a few days after this she obtained it again.}}</ref><ref name="Brown2008">{{cite web |last1=Brown |first1=Allan P. |title=Questions About Entire Sanctification |url=https://www.gbs.edu/questions-about-entire-sanctification/ |website=God's Bible School & College |access-date=17 June 2019 |language=en |date=1 June 2008 |quote=Does an entirely sanctified person who rebels against God but later comes back to Him need to be entirely sanctified again? We do know that a person can rebel against God and later turn back in repentance and then be "re-saved." Answer: Yes. To come back to God is the action of a backslider having his re in need of continual cleansing. The verb "cleanses us" is a present indica-relationship with God restored. After the restoration, one must walk in the light and obey Romans 12:1 and offer himself a living, holy, and acceptable sacrifice to God. This can be done only by a person in right relationship with God.}}</ref>

John Wesley taught [[outward holiness]] as an expression of "inward transformation" and theologians in the Wesleyan/Methodist tradition have noted that the observance of standards of dress and behaviour should follow the new birth as an act of obedience to God.<ref name="Thornton2008">{{cite book | last1=Thornton | first1=Wallace Jr. |title=Behavioral Standards, Embourgeoisement, and the Formation of the Conservative Holiness Movement |date=2008 |publisher=Wesleyan Theological Society |pages=187–193 |language=English}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.seedbed.com/getting-it-right-christian-perfection-and-wesleys-purposeful-list|title=Getting It Right: Christian Perfection and Wesley's Purposeful List|last=Headley|first=Anthony J.|date=4 October 2013|publisher=Seedbed|language=en|access-date=29 May 2018}}</ref>