One can learn a lot regarding faith and practice by studying some of the great theologians of the past. This is even, maybe especially, true regarding those that one tends to disagree with. John Wesley’s view of Christian perfection is certainly one such case of this. Most contemporary Christians who engage with it find John Wesley’s view of Christian perfection to be wrong, and perhaps rightly so, but does that mean it is not worth looking into? This paper seeks to discuss Christian perfection according to John Wesley, engage with it theologically, and demonstrate that, though there is a ton of value in it, Wesley’s view is slightly extreme.
Historical Background on John Wesley
John Wesley was born in 1703 and, interestingly, was ordained as an Anglican priest in 1728, a solid eleven years before he came to a saving faith in Jesus.[1] Granted, he was raised in a God-fearing family and did not believe that he was not saved when he was growing up. It was only after meeting some Moravians that he came to the conclusion that he did not have saving faith due to his concern about dying in comparison to the calmness of these Moravian Pietests when their ship nearly went down.[2] God used John and his brother, Charles, to reach those who were often neglected by English society and spark a great revival that spread as far as the American colonies.[3] He was a prolific traveler having traveled over 250,000 miles on horseback during his life.[4] Additionally, he had an extremely high value for Scripture as can readily be seen in both what he said about it and how he used it extensively in his sermons and other writings.
Christian Perfection as Defined by John Wesley
As is the case with many historical theologians, John Wesley’s view of Christian perfection is often taken to an extreme by people who have not actually engaged with his works. Rarely are these historical figures as black and white as they are often made out. For example, when talking about John Calvin, Timothy George writes, “Few people in the history of Christianity have been as highly esteemed or as meanly despised as John Calvin. Most Christians, including most Protestants, know only two things about him: He believed in predestination, and he sent Servetus to the stake.”[5] There is much more to Calvin’s life than those two things, yet many Christians judge him solely based on those. Likewise, John Wesley’s view of Christian perfection is more nuanced than many believe.[6] About this, Timothy Crutcher writes, “Wesley’s concept of perfection and goodness was dynamic. Perfection was not so much ‘as good as possible ever’ but ‘as good as possible for now and still improving.’”[7] Thus, Wesley’s view was related to the concept of maturity. Basically, one can be as mature as possible for one’s current stage, but as one grows, so does one’s maturity. Wesley wrote a sermon on perfection that dives into what it is and what it is not from his perspective which will be the primary place that the next two sections will be pulled from.
What It Is
To begin with, Wesley points out an apparent contradiction of Scripture. He notes that Philippians 3:12 has Paul saying that he has not attained perfection yet immediately follows this up with 3:15 which suggests that he and many others are perfect.[8] Thus, Wesley begins his
sermon by addressing this dichotomy. He talks about several stages in a Christian’s life, pulling from 1 John 2:12-14. Of the children, young men, and fathers mentioned in this passage, Wesley only asserts that the fathers, those who have known God who is from the beginning, are perfect. Yet, he also says that there is a sense in which even “babes in Christ” are perfect as they are born of God.[9] Those who are in Christ do not continue sinning. Even if people do sin after coming to a saving faith in Jesus, Wesley firmly argues against this being normal or expected. He states, “But if you would hence infer that all Christians do and must commit sin as long as they live, this consequence we utterly deny.”[10] Essentially, it is possible and even normal or expected for a Christian to live without sin once they are mature.
What It Is Not
Wesley fully agrees that Christian perfection is not that one will have perfect knowledge, live without making mistakes, infirmaries, or have temptations in this life.[11] Basically, he asserts that one can be perfect (complete) without being sinless (spotless/flawless) as that is the meaning of the Greek word for perfect. However, one thing to note is that “sin” and “mistake” seem to be different in the way Wesley writes. He acknowledges that ignorance (which everyone on this side of heaven has) is a natural precursor to mistakes.[12] Later, as was mentioned in the previous section, he teaches that those who are born of God are and should be sinless. Thus, it does not appear that one should assume that when Wesley says “mistakes,” he means “sins.” Instead, it appears as though he is trying to make a clear distinction between the two.
Another important thing to note on what Christian perfection is that it is not perfectionism. Wesley was opposed to a focus on being perfect through human means alone.[13] Instead, he taught that one would attain perfection through the grace of God. Thus, in his view, sanctification was primarily something that God did as opposed to men, though men still can play a part. Additionally, it is about restoring man to the image of God rather than applying something foreign to man.[14]
Arguments for Wesleyan Christian Perfection
Wesley uses a few primary arguments to demonstrate what Scripture means by perfection. These arguments are quite convincing, but there are counterarguments that will be looked at later that potentially necessitate modifying Wesleyan Christian perfection somewhat.
Scripture Does Not Argue that Christians Inevitably Sin
Wesley is very clear on this. He argues firmly against the idea that a Christian must sin as long as he or she lives.[15] He asserts that Scripture never makes this claim, at least from a New Testament perspective. A major part of his argument depends on a complete dispensationalist view which fully splits the Old and New Testaments. This will be addressed in more detail later when Ecclesiastes 7:20 is discussed. However, once again one runs into a problem with Wesley’s reasoning. He states, “Therefore, in his present state [man while in a corruptible body], man can no more attain Adamic than angelic perfection.”[16] So, on the one hand, Wesley argues that man is not guaranteed to sin yet, on the other hand, he says that it is impossible to attain perfection.
Scripture Clearly Teaches Perfection and Expects Perfection
There is no more classic verse on perfection than Matthew 5:48 which says, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (English Standard Version). Wesley is quick to point this out.[17] Not only is he quick to point it out, but he writes, “What is there here that anyone with understanding, one who believes the Bible, can object to? What can be denied without flatly contradicting the scripture?”[18] He is correct in that, aside from a few difficult verses, Scripture clearly lays out perfection as being commanded and expected. This actually includes the expectation that Christians no longer sin. That said, God is aware that humans struggle with obeying him perfectly. This is one of the main reasons why Jesus was sent to this earth. Now, Christians have an advocate in heaven who intercedes for them. This is summed up well in 1 John 2:1-2 which says, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” Again, the expectation that John writes about is that the readers would not sin, but if they do Christ intercedes for them. Additionally, when it comes to loving God, Wesley rightly notes that love is “all of the commandments in one.”[19] His salvific focus is on love and the relationship between God and man. This also is firmly taught by Scripture. First, Jesus gives a definition for eternal life in John 17:3 which says, “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” Also, Scripture states, in no uncertain terms, that one’s love of God is demonstrated by obedience to him. A couple quick examples of this would be John 14:15 and 1 John 2:4-6.
Common Objections to Wesleyan Perfection
Below will be a brief engagement with a few common verses used to object to Wesley’s view of Christian perfection. Do these verses actually argue against him and, if so, how? Also, how does Wesley respond to these objections?
James 3:2
One of the common objections to Wesleyan perfection comes from James 3:2 which says, “For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.” Now, this is an interesting verse in regard to countering Wesleyan perfection primarily because it seems to do the same thing as Philippians 3:12 and 3:15 in that it presents a dichotomy. First, it says that “we all stumble in many ways,” but then it immediately flips to suggest that some are able to keep from stumbling in what they say and thus bridle their whole body. Wesley, while noting the dichotomy, does not defend well against this objection. He argues that James was not including himself or any other “true believer” in this verse.[20] However, how else can one sufficiently explain the use of “we”? James is including himself in the “we” and refers to his readers as “my brothers” which indicates that they are indeed true believers. So, what then should one do with this verse? Does it argue against Wesleyan perfection? Not really. It does acknowledge that believers stumble, but it also acknowledges that believers can bridle their tongues and thereby bridle their bodies.
1 John 1:8
First John 1:8 says, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” This is a common objection to Wesleyan perfection. It seems fairly cut and dry when taken by itself but, as with any verse, context matters. Yet again, this passage seems to flip-flop
between saying that Christians do sin and are able not to sin. For example, 1 John 2:1 says, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” John then goes on to say that those who know God keep his word and the love of God is perfected in him (1 John 2:4). Keeping God’s word/commandments is another way of saying that one does not sin. Wesley argues along the same lines fairly well.[21]
Ecclesiastes 7:20
“Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins” (Ecclesiastes 7:20). Wesley briefly argues against this by saying, “Without doubt, it was thus in the days of Solomon.”[22] As someone who was fully on board with dispensationalism, Wesley saw no problem with this verse not applying after Christ came. The author of this paper does not think that this is a valid argument. One of the main differences between the average believer today and the average believer before Christ is the indwelling of the Spirit. Every believer post Christ has the Spirit indwelling them which surely is an extreme benefit in the fight against sin. However, there are examples of people before Christ being indwelt with the Spirit and still sinning (i.e., Saul and David). On the flip side, there are those who have no indication that they were directly indwelt by the Spirit, yet they were regarded as exceedingly righteous, though not sinless necessarily (i.e., Job and Noah).
Theological Analysis of Christian Perfection and the Author’s Perspective
Theological Analysis
If there is one thing that can be taken from Wesley’s view of Christian perfection, it is definitely that God does expect perfection. This is fully biblical, and this alone makes reading Wesley’s works worth it. Too many churches today are shying away from God’s expectation of perfection. Instead of teaching that it is okay to come as one is and then begin to seek to apply God’s holiness and perfection to one’s life, the teachings tend to focus more on how no one is perfect and thus it is okay not to be perfect. This should not be. God expects perfection. John Wesley nails this on the head; however, is it realistic to say that this is possible?
As was discussed earlier, Wesley himself acknowledged that mistakes are still to be expected of Christians because no one is free from ignorance, but this is supposedly different from sin. The problem with this is that one of the main words used for sin in Scripture essentially means to “miss the mark.”[23] This is exactly what a mistake is. It is simply something that does not hit the mark. God’s standard is perfection both of the love of God and obedience.[24] Basically, a mistake is a type of sin because it fails to attain God’s standard. This means that Wesley’s distinction here is not one that can be defended from Scripture. With that said, how can one account for what Scripture teaches about Christian perfection?
Author’s Perspective
While Scripture makes it quite clear that perfection/sinlessness is something God expects, it is fairly apparent that humans are not capable of that kind of perfection while the sin nature remains. Even Paul, one of the greatest Christians who ever lived, writes about the struggle of
doing what should not be done. He says, “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” (Romans 7:15). Even this great titan of the faith struggled with sin. This is true of every Christian. Yet, there do seem to be examples of people in Scripture who were about as perfect as one could be. For example, Enoch walked with God so much so that God simply took him to heaven (Genesis 5:24). Also, though Job did eventually sin, the entire book of Job demonstrates how upright and righteous he was. Thus, it appears as though one can get close to being perfect in this life but even the most righteous person on this planet at any given moment could still sin. Christians are to strive toward perfection and holiness. The writer of Hebrews says this, “In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood” (Hebrews 12:4). This, combined with Jesus’ exhortations to physically remove body parts that cause one to stumble, is a wake-up call to Christians to strive against sin and toward perfection as is expected. While most commentators agree that Jesus and the writer of Hebrews are not being literal here, it is a fantastic example of how firm and even violent the fight against sin should be. Sanctification, the process of being made holy, is a process that never ends but it is a process that needs to keep moving in the right direction. Ultimately this conclusion can be made: Christians are expected to be perfect and holy in the same way that God is perfect and holy; however, it is not realistic to say that humans can attain this perfection on earth. That said, one is to strive toward that perfection with every waking breath and to wage the good warfare against sin.
Conclusion
John Wesley’s view of Christian perfection is absolutely worth engaging with as contemporary Christians tend to underemphasize the expectation of perfection and holiness. While it is worth engaging with, it also is a slightly extreme view that needs to be handled with care. God does command and expect perfection, but it is not guaranteed in this life. That said, Christians are to strive toward that goal.
[1] John Wesley and Alice Russie, The Essential Works of John Wesley: Selected Sermons, Essays, and Other Writings (Uhrichsville, OH: Barbour Publishing, Inc., 2011), 11.
[2] Roger E. Olson, The Story of Christian Theology: Twenty Centuries of Tradition and Reform (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999), 510.
[3] Wesley, The Essential Works of John Wesley, 11-12.
[4] Thomas H. McCall, “John Wesley.” In Christian Theologies of Salvation: A Comparative Introduction, edited by Justin S. Holcomb (New York: NYU Press, 2017), 261. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1pwtbn1.19.
[5] Timothy George, Theology of the Reformers (Brentwood, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2013), 174.
[6] Timothy J. Crutcher, John Wesley: His Life and Thought (Kansas City, MI: Beacon Hill Press, 2015), 9.
[7] Ibid., 156.
[8] Wesley, The Essential Works of John Wesley, 397.
[9] Ibid., 402.
[10] Ibid., 403.
[11] Ibid., 401.
[12] Ibid., 399.
[13] Crutcher, John Wesley, 154.
[14] McCall, “John Wesley,” 262.
[15] Ibid., 403.
[16] Wesley, The Essential Works of John Wesley, 416.
[17] Ibid., 1026.
[18] Ibid., 1028.
[19] Ibid., 1026.
[20] Ibid., 408.
[21] Ibid., 409.
[22] Ibid., 404.
[23] Millard Erikson, Christian Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2013), 519.
[24] Ibid., 520.
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L. J. Anderson - Author and Blogger 