Salvation/Sanctification

[Becky DeLair]

I was having a discussion with someone and I had mentioned I got saved at almost 9 and sanctified at 11. This person I guess was a bit baffled because she believes sanctification occurs at the time of salvation. Being raised a Nazarene I wasn't taught that. I was wondering what everyone thought-does sanctification occur at the time of salvation? This other person agrees both are separate works of grace, just that they occur at the same time.
Thanks!

[Belinda Y. Edwards]

For me, it was two separate experiences.

i do believe in Sanctification and think that many run from that word these days. i think it is in part to the unhuman qualities that some use to declare would occur once you became sanctified.

[Barb Bouldrey]

Becky,

The Church of the Nazarene believes and teaches that salvation and sanctification are two works of grace that are both needed to be holy and live a holy life. That is part of our doctrine. The rest of what I write is my personal opinion.

As I grew up, it was always taught that you got under conviction and got saved and then later got under conviction and got sanctified. Over the years we have learned that both can happen at the same time if the person coming for spiritual helps knows they need both and ask for both.

In the New Testament, believers were saved before Pentecost. Once the Holy Spirit came they needed to be sanctified and the writers record where they ask, "Have you received the Holy Spirit (or Holy Ghost) since you believed? They then led those people into surrendering to the Holy Spirit, being cleansed by the Holy Spirit and being filled with the Holy Spirit.

As in my case, I was at the altar many times as a child and teen getting saved....again. When I arrived at Olivet I was running from the Lord, but He worked it out that I was at Olivet instead of Ohio State. I ran from revival services, but God came to where I was and spoke to my heart in my dorm room. I walked down the hall to a dorm prayer meeting and prayed my way back to a right relationship with God. At that same time, I surrendered all of me, asked the Holy Spirit to cleanse and fill me. And I was also sanctified that night. But it was because I already knew that I needed both. And I sought both that night while on my knees.

John preaches that we are:
1. Initially sanctified at salvation...because the Holy Spirit draws us to salvation and is then with us. The Holy Spirit is a Resident in our lives.
2. We are entirely sanctified at the prayer for sanctification when we turn our selves over to the cleansing, filling power of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit becomes Controller(Lord,Leader, whatever) of your life. The Holy Spirit becomes "President" of our lives.
3. And we are being continually sanctified as we walk in the Light as He is in the light, daily surrendered to His leading and control.

If a person says that they were saved and knows they have been forgiven of their sins, and also testifies to having been surrendered to and cleansed by the Holy Spirit all at the same prayer time, then we believe their testimony. But it is still TWO works of grace, even it it happened in the same prayer.

Both are acts of our will seeking help from God. Both are sought and asked for. Both are done by grace, through faith.

If you ask your friend, "Do you know that the Holy Spirit has cleansed you of inbred sin and filled you with Himself?" and they say "yes," then we have no right to tell them they are not sanctified. I have a friend like that. She says, "I am as surrendered as I know to be, but I did not make two trips to the altar when I came back to God." She was raised in the church, but wandered away as an adult. When she came back...she came back ALL THE WAY. She asked forgiveness of her sins and asked the Holy Spirit to come in and cleanse her, taking over the control of her life.

I am speaking from 41 years of experience as a sanctified believer, 37 years in the pastoral ministry and from personal experience. I am not a theologian and do not pretend to be or to know all the answers.

I am not trying to start a theological discussion on the exact interpretation of sanctification as taught by the Church of the Nazarene. I may have stated something that is not exactly correct and some of our preacher/theologians here may differ with me. I always take that chance when I answer something to do with doctrine.

But I hope you understand what I said. LOL

Barb

[Brad Mercer]

Below, just as a frame of reference, is the full and only official position of the Church of the Nazarene on the issue you've raised. The phrases I've underlined specifically address your question. They say that entire sanctification happens after regeneration and after entire consecration. They don't say how long after so I guess it could be 20 seconds or 20 years and still be consistent with our article of faith.

I think most of us are probably more insistent about the what and the whether than the when. If God has obviously filled your heart with perfect love, I'm not going to be too picky about how or when he did it. Still, I think most of us are going to have spent some time processing the first experience before really being ready for the second.

Brad

X. Entire Sanctification
13. We believe that entire sanctification is that act of God,
subsequent to regeneration, by which believers are made
free from original sin, or depravity, and brought into a state
of entire devotement to God, and the holy obedience of love
made perfect.
It is wrought by the baptism with the Holy Spirit, and
comprehends in one experience the cleansing of the heart
from sin and the abiding, indwelling presence of the Holy
Spirit, empowering the believer for life and service.
Entire sanctification is provided by the blood of Jesus, is
wrought instantaneously by faith, preceded by entire consecration;
and to this work and state of grace the Holy Spirit
bears witness.
This experience is also known by various terms representing
its different phases, such as “Christian perfection,” “perfect
love,” “heart purity,” “the baptism with the Holy Spirit,”
“the fullness of the blessing,” and “Christian holiness.”
14. We believe that there is a marked distinction between
a pure heart and a mature character. The former is obtained
in an instant, the result of entire sanctification; the latter is
the result of growth in grace.
We believe that the grace of entire sanctification includes
the impulse to grow in grace. However, this impulse must be
consciously nurtured, and careful attention given to the requisites
and processes of spiritual development and improvement
in Christlikeness of character and personality.Without
such purposeful endeavor, one’s witness may be impaired
and the grace itself frustrated and ultimately lost.
(Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:25-27; Malachi 3:2-3; Matthew 3:11-12;
Luke 3:16-17; John 7:37-39; 14:15-23; 17:6-20; Acts 1:5; 2:1-4; 15:8-9; Romans
6:11-13, 19; 8:1-4, 8-14; 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 6:14—7:1; Galatians
2:20; 5:16-25; Ephesians 3:14-21; 5:17-18, 25-27; Philippians 3:10-15;
Colossians 3:1-17; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; Hebrews 4:9-11; 10:10-17;
12:1-2; 13:12; 1 John 1:7, 9)
(“Christian perfection,” “perfect love”: Deuteronomy 30:6; Matthew 5:43-
48; 22:37-40; Romans 12:9-21; 13:8-10; 1 Corinthians 13; Philippians
3:10-15; Hebrews 6:1; 1 John 4:17-18
“Heart purity”: Matthew 5:8; Acts 15:8-9; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 3:3
“Baptism with the Holy Spirit”: Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:25-27;
Malachi 3:2-3; Matthew 3:11-12; Luke 3:16-17; Acts 1:5; 2:1-4; 15:8-9
“Fullness of the blessing”: Romans 15:29
“Christian holiness”: Matthew 5:1—7:29; John 15:1-11; Romans 12:1—
15:3; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Ephesians 4:17—5:20; Philippians 1:9-11; 3:12-
15; Colossians 2:20—3:17; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 4:7-8; 5:23; 2 Timothy
2:19-22; Hebrews 10:19-25; 12:14; 13:20-21; 1 Peter 1:15-16; 2 Peter 1:1-
11; 3:18; Jude 20-21)