Roman Catholicism The
Catholic Church upholds the doctrine of sanctification, teaching that: According to the
Catholic Encyclopedia "sanctity" differs for God, individual, and
corporate body. For God, it is God's unique
absolute moral perfection. For the individual, it is a close union with God and the resulting moral perfection. It is essentially of God, by a divine
gift. For a society, it is the ability to produce and secure holiness in its members, who display a real, not merely nominal, holiness. The Church's holiness is beyond human power,
beyond natural power.
Eastern Orthodoxy Orthodox Christianity teaches the doctrine of
theosis, whereby humans take on divine properties, and in a particular sense, participate in the being of God. A key
scripture supporting this is
2 Peter 1:4. In the 4th century,
Athanasius of Alexandria taught that God became
Man that
man might become God.
Essentially, man does not become divine, but in Christ can partake of divine nature. This
Church's version of salvation restores the likeness of God in man. One such theme is release from mortality caused by desires of the world.
Lutheranism At the time of the justification of an individual, the
Lutheran Churches teach that the process of sanctification commences, which is defined as "the Holy Spirit’s work which follows justification through faith and consists of renewing the believer and bringing forth in him works of renewal." These
good works done by Christians are rewarded by God. The
Formula of Concord summarizes salvation in Lutheran Christianity: In the process of sanctification, humans cooperate with God, enabled by
prevenient grace "for the Holy Spirit is given credit for our faith and for the surrender of the will to God (Romans 3:21-28; Galatians 3:10-14; Luther’s Works, Vo.26, p.106; Small Catechism, II.6)." The Lutheran Churches teach that God rewards good works done by Christians; the
Apology of the Augsburg Confession teaches: "We also affirm what we have often said, that although justification and eternal life go along with faith, nevertheless, good works merit other bodily and spiritual rewards and degrees of reward. According to 1 Corinthians 3:8, ‘Each will receive his wages according to his labor.’" Luther viewed the
Ten Commandments as a means by which the Holy Spirit sanctifies: "Thus we have the Ten Commandments, a commend of divine doctrine, as to what we are to do in order that our whole life may be pleasing to God, and the true fountain and channel from and in which everything must arise and flow that is to be a good work, so that outside of the Ten Commandments no work or thing can be good or pleasing to God, however great or precious it be in the eyes of the world...whoever does attain to them is a heavenly, angelic man, far above all holiness of the world. Only occupy yourself with them, and try your best, apply all power and ability, and you will find so much to do that you will neither seek nor esteem any other work or holiness."
Pietistic Lutheranism heavily emphasizes the "biblical divine commands of believers to live a holy life and to strive for holy living, or sanctification."
Anabaptism Anabaptist belief emphasizes that sanctification is initiated by being born again by the Spirit of God and then practiced by following or being a disciple of Christ. The role of the Spirit, Word of God, suffering, self-denial as well as the community of believers in sanctification is also considered essential. Sanctification is believed to be a process that begins with conversion and continues throughout the Christian life. Perfectionism or eradication of the flesh is rejected and it is considered necessary to take up the cross and deny yourself daily to truly be a disciple of Christ. When a believer steps out of the sanctification process, his salvation is seen as jeopardized. Sanctification is seen as mortifying the deeds of the flesh, cleansing impure motives and thoughts of the mind and heart as well as glorifying the Father through worship, obedience and faith working in love.
Anglicanism A 2002 Anglican publishing house book states that “there is no explicit teaching on sanctification in the Anglican formularies”. A glossary of the Episcopal Church (USA) gives some teaching: “Anglican formularies have tended to speak of sanctification as the process of God's work within us by means of which we grow into the fullness of the redeemed life.” Outside official formularies sanctification has been an issue in the Anglican Communion since its inception. The 16th century Anglican
theologian Richard Hooker (1554–1600) distinguished between the “righteousness of
justification” that is imputed by God and the “righteousness of sanctification” that comprises the works one does as an “inevitable” result of being justified.
Jeremy Taylor (1613–1667) argued that justification and sanctification cannot be separated; they are “two steps in a long process”. A 19th century Church of England work agreed with Jeremy Taylor that justification and sanctification are “inseparable”. However, they are not the same thing. Justification is “found in Christ's work alone”. “Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit in us, and is a progressive work.”
Baptist Baptists believe in progressive sanctification, the work of sanctification of the believer through
grace and the decisions of the believer after the
new birth.
Reformed It is not clear that John Calvin, in his
Institutes of the Christian Religion, conceives of sanctification as a doctrine separate from justification. There is no separate treatment there of a doctrine of sanctification. Instead, the clearest references he makes to the process of the Christian's growth in holiness appear in Book III of the Institutes, which concerns the work of the Holy Spirit. There he intermixes the grace by which justification is accomplished and the grace that empowers the Christian toward moral reform. Following Augustine, Calvin embraces a non-perfectionist account of sanctification as progressive but incomplete until eschatological consummation:"I insist not that the life of the Christian shall breathe nothing but the perfect Gospel, though this is to be desired, and ought to be attempted. I insist not so strictly on evangelical perfection, as to refuse to acknowledge as a Christian any man who has not attained it. In this way all would be excluded from the church, since there is no man who is not far removed from this perfection, while many, who have made but little progress, would be undeservedly rejected." Against those who "maintain the perfection of holiness in the present life," Calvin replies:"...we deem it sufficient briefly to reply with Augustine, that the goal to which all the pious ought to aspire is, to appear in the presence of God without spot or blemish; but as the course of the present life is at best nothing more than progress, we shall never reach the goal until we have laid aside the body of sin, and been completely united to the Lord." But the imperfection of sanctification in this life is not, for Calvin, an excuse for slackness in the search thereof. The grace of justification is not separable from the grace that makes one perform good works and the grace that perfects what is deficient in the works of the regenerate:“Justification, moreover, we thus define: the sinner being admitted into communion with Christ is, for his sake, reconciled to God; when purged by his blood he obtains the remission of sins, and clothed with righteousness, just as if it were his own, stands secure before the judgment seat of heaven. Forgiveness of sins being previously given, the good works which follow have a value different from their merit, because whatever is imperfect in them is covered by the perfection of Christ, and all their blemishes and pollutions are wiped away by his purity, so as never to come under the cognizance of the divine tribunal. The guilt of all transgressions, by which men are prevented from offering God an acceptable service, being thus effaced, and the imperfection which is wont to sully even good works being buried, the good works which are done by believers are deemed righteous, or, which is the same thing, are imputed for righteousness.”
Methodism In
Wesleyan–Arminian theology, which is upheld by the
Methodist Churches (inclusive of the
holiness movement), Methodism teaches that sanctification has three components—initial, progressive, and entire: With the
Grace of God, Methodists "do
works of piety and
mercy, and these works reflect the power of sanctification". 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), and visiting the sick and those in prison (work of mercy). held that the doctrine of
entire sanctification was "the grand
depositum" of Methodism.
Wesleyan covenant theology also emphasizes that an important aspect of sanctification is the keeping of the moral law contained in the
Ten Commandments. As such, in "sanctification one grows to be more like
Christ." 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), 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". To John Wesley the work of entire sanctification was distinctly separate from
regeneration, and was "wrought instantaneously, though it may be approached by slow and gradual steps."This is the doctrine that by the power of God's sanctifying grace and attention upon the
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: 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.
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: Wesleyan theology teaches that the state of entire sanctification can be lost through willful sin: If a person
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). 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.
Pentecostalism There are two Pentecostal positions on sanctification, entire sanctification and progressive sanctification.
Entire sanctification as a second work of grace, is the position of Pentecostal denominations that originally had their roots in Wesleyan-Arminian theology, such as
Apostolic Faith Church,
Calvary Holiness Association,
International Pentecostal Holiness Church,
Church of God (Cleveland) and
Church of God in Christ. These denominations differ from the Methodist Churches (inclusive of the Holiness Movement) in that they teach the possibility of a third work of grace—glossolalia. Progressive sanctification is the work of sanctification of the believer through
grace and the decisions of the believer after the
new birth.
Quakerism George Fox, the founder of
Quakerism, taught Christian perfection, also known in the Friends tradition as "Perfectionism", in which the Christian believer could be made free from
sin. The early Quakers, following Fox, taught that as a result of the
New Birth through the power of the
Holy Spirit, man could be free from actual sinning if he continued to rely on the
inward light and "focus on the cross of Christ as the center of faith". George Fox emphasized "personal responsibility for faith and emancipation from sin" in his teaching on perfectionism. Some Quaker denominations were founded to emphasize this teaching, such as the
Central Yearly Meeting of Friends.
Keswickianism Keswickian theology, which emerged in the Higher Life Movement, teaches a
second work of grace that occurs through "surrender and faith", in which God keeps an individual from sin. Keswickian denominations, such as the
Christian and Missionary Alliance, differ from the
Wesleyan-Holiness movement in that the Christian and Missionary Alliance does not see
entire sanctification as cleansing one from
original sin, whereas holiness denominations espousing the
Wesleyan-Arminian theology affirm this belief.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints In
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sanctification is viewed as a process and gift from God which makes every willing member holy, according to their repentance and righteous efforts, through the Savior Jesus Christ's matchless grace. To become Sanctified, or Holy, one must do all that he can to live as Christ lived, according to the teachings of Christ. One must strive to live a holy life to truly be considered Holy. In the Church's scriptural canon, one reference to sanctification appears in
Helaman 3:35, in the
Book of Mormon: Elder
Dallin H. Oaks, then of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, also expounded on the meaning of sanctity. ==See also==