Progressive Sanctification
As taught in the Methodist / Wesleyan tradition
The gradual growth in grace and holiness following the New Birth, characterized by dying to sin and living to God.
The central question that the Methodist tradition seeks to answer through the doctrine of progressive sanctification is this: What does God do in us after He has done something for us? While many traditions emphasize justification—the relative change in our standing before God where sins are forgiven—the Methodist movement, birthed in the 18th-century revival led by John and Charles Wesley, insists that salvation is a "holistic healing" (therapeia) of the human soul. For the Methodist, the Christian life is not a static state of "being saved," but a dynamic, northward journey of "going on to perfection." Progressive sanctification is the theological term for this gradual, life-long process of being restored to the image of God.
By the end of this lesson
- **Identify** the distinct Methodist contribution to the doctrine of sanctification as "imparted" rather than merely "imputed" righteousness.
- **Distinguish** between the "relative change" of justification and the "real change" of progressive sanctification within the Wesleyan *via salutis*.
- **Explain** the role of the "means of grace" (works of piety and works of mercy) in the believer’s growth in holiness.
- **Articulate** the relationship between human effort and divine initiative using the framework of "responsible grace."
- **Trace** the biblical development of the *imago Dei* restoration through the key scripture anchors.
- **Defend** the Methodist "optimism of grace" against the charge of Pelagianism or works-righteousness.
- **Apply** the concept of "holy temper" to daily ethical decision-making and character formation.
- **Compare** the Methodist view of "gradual" sanctification with the expectation of "instantaneous" moments of grace.
Scripture
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