Should all pursue entire sanctification? In this week’s study from Profoundly Christian, Distinctly Methodist (pp. 188–190) and the Global Methodist Church Catechism (Questions 73 and 74), Rev. Ron McDougald and the Mount Pleasant group wrestle with what it means to pursue holiness, whether that pursuit is for every believer, and how grace, discipline, and community fit together.
The conversation opens with Leviticus 19:2 (“You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy”) and the question of who the command originally addressed. From there the group examines the difference between modern translations and the original audience, then turns to the New Testament echoes in Ephesians 5:1 and Hebrews 12:14 (“Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord”). Participants discuss what intentional pursuit looks like—undivided heart (Psalm 86:11), sober-mindedness and hope set on grace (1 Peter 1:13–16), and the ladder of virtues in 2 Peter 1:3–11 that begins with faith and ends in love.
A recurring tension is whether sanctification is primarily striving and spiritual athleticism (the Tiger Woods / Roger Federer analogies surface more than once) or whether it is the fruit of focusing on God himself so that holiness follows. The group notes that Wesleyan “entire sanctification” or perfect love is real in Scripture and in Methodist teaching, yet obtaining it does not guarantee remaining in it; diligence and the possibility of being sidetracked remain. Paul’s thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7–9) is read as a safeguard against conceit in the pursuit. Holiness is also framed as a corporate reality: the attributes and gifts are given for the church, not merely private achievement.
Other scriptures touched include 1 Corinthians 10:12, Galatians 6:9, Hebrews 3:12–15, and Hebrews 10:26–39. The session closes with the practical question of whether the discipline of holiness leads to greater enjoyment of God and love of neighbor, or simply more religious work.
Join the conversation next week as the study continues.
Mount Pleasant Methodist Church
13802 Mt Pleasant Rd, Vancleave, MS
https://mtpleasantgmc.org/
https://www.youtube.com/@MtPleasantGMC
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561591703590
#EntireSanctification #Holiness #GlobalMethodist #BibleStudy #Wesleyan #Methodist #ChristianFormation
