The emergence of the Holiness churches was inspired by Christ’s injunction to His followers, “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48 NKJV). The goal of being perfect led to the doctrine of perfectionism and entire sanctification in the theology of John Wesley (1703–1791), the founder of Methodism, and this, in turn, contributed to the rise of the Holiness churches.
As Wesley preached from town to town, he urged his listeners to practice holiness and ethics in day-to-day living. He encouraged them to seek perfection—that is, the absence of sin. Before long, Wesley came under criticism from his contemporaries who noticed that people in Wesley’s movement continued to manifest various imperfections. Wesley responded by saying that perfectionism does not exempt one from making mistakes or erroneous judgments, nor does it exempt one from experiencing temptation. He was also careful to emphasize that the doctrine of perfectionism does not mean a particular person is incapable of further progress on the road to holiness. Later, Wesley began to back off the idea that perfectionism involved the absence of sin, instead suggesting that perfectionism should be understood in terms of one’s love for others and for God (a perfection of love).
In the late 1800s, many Holiness groups who strongly held on to the idea of perfection from sin in this life broke away from the Methodists. These groups viewed this perfectionism—also known as entire sanctification—as a “second blessing” or “second work of grace” in the life of the believer.
In this line of thinking, a person is first saved, at which point he is justified and born again. Following this, he experiences a period of growth in which he progressively becomes holier in daily living. This ultimately culminates in a second work of grace whereby the Holy Spirit cleanses his heart of original sin, literally eradicating all inbred sin. The Holy Spirit then imparts His indwelling presence, empowering the believer to live the Christian life in perfection. This is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It happens instantaneously as the believer presents himself or herself as a living sacrifice to God with an attitude of full consecration.
This doctrine of entire sanctification is precisely what many people in the Holiness movement felt was lacking in many Methodist churches. These individuals therefore split off from the Methodists and founded smaller independent Holiness churches. Eventually many of these small congregations joined to form denominations, some of which are discussed in this chapter.
Phoebe Palmer (1807–1874), a female evangelist who was instrumental in the growth of Holiness churches, claimed to have experienced entire sanctification in 1837. After having this experience, her goal was to travel and help others make the same discovery she had made. She taught that any person could experience entire sanctification, even near the beginning of his or her Christian life. She viewed it as an immediate possibility for any believer in Christ. The doctrine caught on, and through the influence of Palmer and a number of Holiness preachers, Holiness churches starting cropping up all over the country.
Holiness churches have been distinguished from other churches by their more strict standards of holiness. Many churches and denominations in the Holiness movement prohibit smoking, drinking, dancing, listening to inappropriate worldly music, or wearing makeup or flashy clothes. The goal of being perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect requires such commitment.
Distinctive Ideas in Holiness Churches
• Perfectionism, or entire sanctification, is a “second work of grace” in the life of the believer.
• The believer’s heart at that time is cleansed of original sin.
• This is the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
• The Holy Spirit enables the believer to live the Christian life in perfection.
• Matthew 5:48 is central: “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (NKJV).
• Many believe that all the gifts of the Holy Spirit are for today.
• Worldly activities are prohibited.
CHURCH OF CHRIST (HOLINESS) USA
Founded: 1894
Members: 15,000
Congregations: 165
Beginnings
The Church of Christ (Holiness) USA grew out of the Holiness movement, which emerged in the closing decade of the nineteenth century. A Baptist preacher in Alabama and Mississippi, Charles Price Jones, was the key figure in this denomination’s emergence. Jones had sought God with his whole heart, mind, and soul. He desired that his life be entirely in God’s hands with no compromise. He had been utterly unsatisfied with a faith that yielded no fruit. According to his testimony, the Holy Spirit promised him and his associates that if they fasted for three days, God would sanctify them. They did as God requested, and they became filled with light, joy, and the Holy Spirit.
Jones and his associates began to spread their ideas in the late 1800s. At first Jones’s emphasis and modus operandi were nondenominational (he believed denominations were “slavery”). But because of the persecution from other Christians that soon surfaced against him and his followers, they decided to establish their own denomination in 1894. This represents the beginnings of the Church of Christ (Holiness) USA.
Beliefs
Theologically the denomination is close to the Church of the Nazarene (see below). They follow the Methodist Articles of Religion (a doctrinal statement). Their goal is to spread the gospel worldwide, convert sinners, reclaim backsliders, help people understand the reality of divine healing, and promote the teaching that the Lord is returning.
The Bible. The Bible—including the Old and New Testaments—is the inerrant Word of God. All the books contained therein are inspired by the Holy Spirit. The Bible contains all necessary truth pertaining to salvation and to living the Christian life.
God. The one true God is eternal, invisible, all-wise, all-good, merciful, loving, and full of grace. He is the Maker of heaven and earth. He is eternally manifest in three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Son of God and is coequal and coeternal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. He became incarnate by the power of the Holy Spirit and was born of a virgin. Following His death on the cross, where He attained human salvation, He rose from the dead, ascended to heaven, and now sits at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for us.
The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is ever present and ever active in the church. He convicts and regenerates those who believe in Jesus. He indwells believers, teaches them, comforts them, guides them into truth, and empowers them to obey God.
Sin and salvation. Original sin involves the corruption of the nature of Adam and all his offspring such that they are now sinners by nature. They have no righteousness in them. This sin renders human beings unfit to enter God’s presence and incapacitated for serving Him. They are under the just penalty of death and are “children of wrath.” This original sin cannot be overcome by mere human efforts but can be eradicated by the Holy Spirit through the blood of Jesus Christ.
The atonement wrought by Christ at the cross involved the shedding of His blood for the remission of sins for all humankind. Whoever repents and believes in the Lord Jesus Christ is justified, regenerated, and saved from the dominion of sin. A person can fall from grace and lose his or her salvation. Such is unlikely, however, for one who abides in Christ.
The church. The church has a representative form of government. Each local church has pastors who have divine oversight over the body of believers in that church. Bishops are delegated the power to speak on their behalf, and the senior bishop is the highest official in the church. The final authority rests in the national convention, which is made up of church elders, clergy, and local lay leaders.
Women who are gifted in teaching are given the opportunity to teach in the church, but only under the direct supervision of the pastor. The church does not ordain women to preach.
The sacraments. Baptism is an ordinance that is for believers only (not infants). The proper mode is immersion. The Lord’s Supper is an ordinance that points toward the Lord’s death and is to be celebrated until He comes again. The bread and wine represent the body and blood of Christ. Foot washing should be practiced as an act of obedience in following our Lord’s act of humility with the disciples (see John 13:1-18). Note, however, that foot washing is not viewed as an ordinance.
The end times. Christ will one day rapture the church. Following the second coming will be a resurrection of the dead—the just to eternal life and the unjust to eternal damnation. Christ will judge all human beings. Heaven will be the final eternal home for the Christian, and hell will be the final eternal home of the unbeliever.
Distinctives. Believers must become sanctified. Sanctification involves an act of divine grace in which human beings become freed from original sin and are made holy. In sanctification, the actual inclination toward practicing sin is removed from the believer. Sanctification must be experienced by believers to make them fit to see God.
The denomination also affirms all the spiritual gifts (including speaking in tongues) listed in 1 Corinthians 12–14 and Romans 12:3-4. No particular gift, however, is a final determinative evidence of the Holy Spirit’s presence in the life of the believer. True evidences of the Spirit-filled life are faith, hope, and love.
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the Role of Women in the Church
Founded: 1886
Members: 8000
Congregations: 140
Beginnings
The Church of God (Holiness) is an association of autonomous congregations united by common beliefs. It began in 1886 when some former Methodists founded a Holiness church in Centralia, Missouri. These individuals left the Methodist church because they believed it was neglecting to teach the doctrine of entire sanctification (see “Distinctives” below).
The founding members of the denomination were part of the “come out” movement that surfaced in the late 1800s. This was a movement of people leaving mainline denominations in order to establish new independent churches because of a disagreement over some issue. In a way, the entire Holiness movement was a “come out” movement, emerging from the Methodist church.
The Bible. The Bible is inspired Scripture. It is infallibly true and constitutes our only divinely authorized rule of faith and practice.
God. The one true God is infinite, eternal, and holy. He is the sovereign Creator and Ruler of the universe. He is triune, meaning that within the unity of the Godhead there are three coeternal persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Son of God. In the Incarnation, He was very God and very man, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. He died on the cross, the just for the unjust, and His complete and final sacrifice wrought salvation for those who would believe in Him. He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven.
The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit convinces the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He also indwells believers, guides them, teaches them, empowers them, and represents God on earth.
Sin and salvation. Human beings have willfully sinned against God and separated themselves from Him. They can do nothing to overcome this chasm. The only hope for humankind is to turn to God through Jesus Christ and seek redemption. Justification is provided solely on the merit of His shed blood.
To be saved, one must repent of personal sin, be converted, believe in Jesus, and confess Him publicly. Holiness in life is the clear evidence of the Holy Spirit’s presence in one’s life.
A person can fall from grace. However, one can live a victorious life so long as he or she is obedient to the Bible.
The church. The one true church is composed of those who have become saved by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ and who willingly submit to His divine program in the church. Christ is the supreme head of the church.
Churches are autonomous, and government is congregational. Each church sends delegates to an annual convention. Women have a place in the ministry of the church.
The sacraments. Baptism is an outward sign of an inward work of grace in the human heart through the Holy Spirit. All believers should be baptized. The Lord’s Supper represents the redemption we have in Jesus. The ordinance should be observed with great reverence.
The end times. Death seals people’s final destiny. They have no second chance after death. The second coming will be a visible event and will be followed by a literal millennium. Christ will judge all human beings. The saved will be assigned to eternal life. The unsaved will be assigned to suffer eternal separation from God.
Distinctives. Entire sanctification includes deliverance from inbred sin (original sin) and the complete moral purification of one’s nature from depravity. Human nature is renewed in holiness, and believers are empowered by the Holy Spirit for Christian service and a perfect love for God and human beings. Entire sanctification is accomplished instantaneously when the believer consecrates his entire being to God. It takes place subsequent to one’s regeneration and is preceded by a conviction of one’s remaining inbred sin and one’s desire to be finally rid of it. It includes no accompanying signs (such as speaking in tongues).
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Names and Descriptions of the Holy Spirit
Founded: 1908
Members: 645,000
Congregations: 4700
Beginnings
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, a number of splits and mergers took place among various Christian denominations. The Church of the Nazarene, the largest of the Holiness bodies, grew out of a merger of three independent regional Holiness groups in the early 1900s. The Association of Pentecostal Churches in America, a regional group with strong representation in New England and New York, merged in 1907 with a California group called the Church of the Nazarene, founded by Phineas Bresee, a former Methodist pastor. The merged group took the name Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene.
A year later, in 1908, a Southern group called the Holiness Church of Christ united with the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene at Pilot Point, Texas. About a decade later, in 1919, the term Pentecostal was dropped from the denomination name so it would not be confused with tongues-speaking groups. Since then, a number of other churches and associations have merged with the Church of the Nazarene.
Beliefs
The Bible. The entire Bible is inspired. Its revelation of the will of God is inerrant, and it contains all necessary truth for Christian faith and living.
God. The one true God is eternal, infinite, and holy in nature and attributes. He is the Sovereign of the universe and is eternally manifest as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ. Jesus is eternally one with the Father and the Holy Spirit. He became incarnate through a miracle of the Holy Spirit, was born of a virgin, and was very man and very God in one person. He died for our sins, rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and now intercedes to the Father for us.
The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is “another Counselor” and is ever present and ever active with believers. He convinces the world of sin, regenerates those who repent and believe, sanctifies believers, and guides them into all truth. His presence among humans is equivalent to God’s presence.
Sin and salvation. Original sin is the corruption of one’s nature due to Adam’s sin. It makes us averse to God, without spiritual life, and inclined toward evil continually. It continues to exist in the life of the believer until it is eradicated by the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Because of original sin, people are so depraved that they cannot turn in their own strength to call on God for salvation.
This necessitates the bestowing of the grace of God through Jesus Christ, which enables people to turn to righteousness, believe on Jesus Christ for salvation, and follow after good works that are pleasing in His sight. This grace is given to all people, but people must repent and believe in order for it to become effective. Whoever repents and believes in Jesus is justified, regenerated, adopted into God’s family, and saved from the dominion of sin.
People can fall from grace and apostatize. Unless they repent and turn back to God, they will be hopelessly and eternally lost.
The church. The church is a community of people who confess Jesus as Lord, covenant people of God made new in Christ. It is composed of all spiritually regenerated persons whose names are written in the book of life in heaven. Local churches are localized expressions of specific members of this universal body. The mission of the church is to promote the redemptive work of Christ. This is done in the power of the Holy Spirit through holy living, evangelism, discipleship, and service. All clergy in the local church must profess that they have experienced entire sanctification.
Church government includes a combination of congregational, presbyterian, and episcopal leadership. Local churches retain autonomy while at the same time submitting to the oversight of both district and general superintendents. Churches maintain the freedom to call their own pastors under the supervision of their district superintendent. The General Assembly is the highest legislative body, and its policies are binding on congregations.
Women can be ordained to ministry and are welcome to be elected and appointed at all levels of leadership.
The sacraments. Baptism signifies the acceptance of the benefits of the atoning work of Christ on the cross. It symbolizes death to the old way of life and the new life that God provides. It is administered only to believers by immersion, sprinkling, or pouring.
The denomination prefers to dedicate infants rather than baptize them. But church members have the option of having infants baptized if they commit to giving the child Christian training with the hope that the child will grow up to follow Christ.
The Lord’s Supper symbolizes the body and blood that Jesus gave in redeeming humankind. It is a celebration of Christ’s death until He comes again. All believers are invited to share in the sacrament regardless of whether they are members of the church. The sacrament is not appropriate for unbelievers.
The end times. Jesus is coming again. The just will be resurrected to life; the unjust will be resurrected to damnation. God will judge every person and hold each one accountable for his or her deeds. Heaven is the final destiny of the saved; hell is the final destiny of the unsaved. The denomination takes no official stand on millennial views.
Distinctives. Like other Holiness churches, the Church of the Nazarene is distinguished by its belief in entire sanctification. It is considered a second work of grace and takes place at the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Believers are made free from original sin, renewed in the image of God, brought into a state of entire devotion to God, and empowered by the Holy Spirit to love God with their whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. Entire sanctification is wrought instantaneously by faith and is preceded by entire consecration to God.
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CHURCHES OF CHRIST IN CHRISTIAN UNION
Founded: 1909
Members: 11,200
Congregations: 225
Beginnings
The Churches of Christ in Christian Union began in 1909 in Marshall, Ohio. Some ministers and laymen of the Christian Union (founded 1864) disagreed with this union’s increasingly negative stance on John Wesley’s holiness and sanctification message. When the union voted to censure any minister who preached the Wesleyan holiness doctrine, a number of ministers and laypeople withdrew from the union. The Churches of Christ in Christian Union formed to allow complete freedom in preaching and teaching the salvation and sanctification message of John Wesley.
Beliefs
The Bible. The Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit and is inerrant. It is accurate in every detail in the words of the original manuscripts. It is a fully sufficient rule of faith and practice.
God. The one true God is eternally manifest in three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ. Jesus is one with the Father and the Holy Spirit. In the Incarnation, He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. He was entirely without sin. He died on the cross to save us, rose from the dead, and ascended to the right hand of the Father, where He now intercedes to the Father on our behalf.
The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is one with the Father and Jesus. He is God’s agent for convicting sinners of sin. He regenerates sinners and sanctifies consecrated Christians. He magnifies Christ in the lives of believers and energizes them to live victoriously.
Sin and salvation. Humanity broke fellowship with God by choosing to disobey Him. This broken fellowship resulted in an impassible chasm between God and human beings. All humans are now sinful by nature and by practice.
Salvation has been made possible through Christ’s atoning death on the cross. To receive this salvation, one must repent (turn away from sin) and accept Christ as Lord and Savior. Those who repent and believe experience a fourfold salvation: regeneration (believers are forgiven and baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ), entire sanctification (a baptism with the Holy Spirit such that we are cleansed from the carnal mind), growth in grace after sanctification (in which we are made more and more like Jesus), and immortality of the soul. People can choose to sever their saving relationship with Jesus Christ, thereby losing salvation.
The church. The church is composed of all true believers in Jesus Christ. The purpose of the church is to worship God and enjoy Christian fellowship. Christ is the head of the church. He commissions the church to take the gospel to every creature.
Every church is self-governing, though this governing must be within the guidelines set by the denomination manual. Polity is congregational within the limits set by the denomination. Each local church cooperates with the district and general authorities of the denomination. Women are welcome in all forms of ministry.
The sacraments. Baptism is an outward testimony of the inward work of saving grace in one’s life. There is no one exclusive mode of baptism (“let each be fully persuaded in his own mind”). The Lord’s Supper is a memorial of Christ’s sacrificial death on our behalf. It is open to all persons who have trusted in Christ for salvation.
The end times. The second coming of Christ includes two phases:
• the rapture, in which the church is taken to heaven prior to the tribulation period
• the second coming, in which Christ comes to judge the nations
Heaven and hell are literal places. Believers will spend eternity with Christ in heaven. Unbelievers will be consigned to judgment and sentenced to eternity in perdition.
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Founded: 1968
Members: 138,000
Congregations: 1625
Beginnings
The Wesleyan Methodist Church of America was founded in Utica, New York, in 1843. This group’s emergence was rooted in the abolitionist movement. Earlier, some Methodists had protested the tolerance of slavery by the Methodist Episcopal Church. Members of that church tried to silence the protesters, so 22 ministers and 6000 laypeople left and formed the Wesleyan Methodist Connection of America. A century later (1947) the group was renamed the Wesleyan Methodist Church.
Meanwhile, the Pilgrim Holiness Church was founded in 1897 in Cincinnati, Ohio, during the holiness revival that emerged in the late nineteenth century. This church and the Wesleyan Methodist Church had a theological kinship because they both believed in the holiness doctrines taught by Wesley. They merged in 1968 to form the Wesleyan Church.
Beliefs
The Bible. The Bible constitutes the Word of God. It is inspired, infallible, and inerrant in the words of the original manuscripts. It has been transmitted to the present day without corruption of any essential doctrine. It is authoritative and supersedes all human authority.
God. The one true God is holy, loving, eternal, Almighty, all-wise, and all-good. He is the Creator and Preserver of the universe. In the unity of the Godhead are three coeternal persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Son of God and Savior of all humanity. In the Incarnation, He was very God and very man, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. He died on the cross for human sin, rose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, and now intercedes to the Father on our behalf.
The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son and is of the same essential nature as the Father and the Son. He is the effective agent in the conviction of sin, regeneration, and sanctification. He is ever present with believers, preserving, guiding, and enabling them to live the Christian life. Christians can be holy in character and conduct only by being filled with the Holy Spirit.
Sin and salvation. Adam and Eve sinned against God. Because of original sin, all of Adam’s descendants are unable in their own strength to do what is right. They are all naturally inclined to evil continually. Because of the effects of original sin, humans cannot of themselves call on God or exercise faith for salvation.
The only ground of salvation is Jesus Christ. Through Jesus, God’s prevenient grace empowers humans to do what they could not do in their own self-effort. This prevenient grace is bestowed on all people, enabling all who respond to be saved. To appropriate what God’s prevenient grace has made possible, people must respond in repentance and faith. When they do so, they are justified, regenerated, and adopted into God’s family.
The church. The church is the entire body of believers in Jesus Christ, the founder and head of the church. The universal church includes believers who have died and those still in mortality on earth. The purpose of the local church is to tell the world about Jesus through its worship, witness, and loving deeds. The church is called to make disciples, which involves training in spiritual growth and holy living.
This denomination has a modified episcopal form of church government headed by a Board of General Superintendents. Women can be ordained to the ministry.
The sacraments. Baptism is a symbol of the new covenant of grace and signifies one’s acceptance of the benefits of Christ’s atonement. By participating, the believer openly declares his faith in Jesus as Savior. The Lord’s Supper is a sacrament that points to our redemption by Christ’s death as we await His return. It is also a sign of the love Christians have for each other.
The end times. Jesus will one day come again personally and visibly. At His second coming, Jesus will triumph over evil and judge all humanity on the last day. At the resurrection of the dead, the just will be raised to eternal life and the unjust to eternal damnation. Heaven is the final abode of the saved; hell is the final abode of the unsaved.
Distinctives. Like other Holiness churches, the Wesleyan Church emphasizes the doctrine of entire sanctification. It is wrought instantaneously at the moment of full consecration to God and results in a full cleansing of the heart from all inbred sin.
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