A Plain Account of Christian Perfection

by John Wesley

A Plain Account of Christian Perfection (Foundations of Faith - Vol. 3)

Genres: Theology, Christian, Religion, Nonfiction, Classics, Christianity, Faith

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1844

About the author

John Wesley is recognized as the founder of Methodism. An acclaimed preacher, Wesley travelled extensively on horseback and drew large crowds for his outdoor sermons. A contemporary of William Wilberforce, Wesley was a strong voice opposing slavery in England and the United States. His influence upon modern Christianity can be seen by the large number of Methodist organizations in the Wesleyan tradition all over the world.

Reviews

[John Barbour · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book that I used as a devotional. It is a compilation of John Wesley's reflections on the subject of entire sanctification from the years 1722-1777. Christian perfection or entire sanctification is loving God with all of your heart soul, mind, and strength and loving your neighbor as yourself.

The idea of entire sanctification is in contrast to the idea of total depravity. Even as sin had affected every area of our lives before Christ; so in Christ, God desires us to be sanctified wholly in spirit, soul, and body- in other words, our entire being. It is being restored to our original condition and purpose.

This book is the result of 40 years of thinking and preaching about a subject (perfection) that was dear to Jesus and the Apostles heart but disparaged by so much of Christendom. The same is true today. How many times have you heard it said, “Christians aren’t perfect” but you never hear, “Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Jesus) or Aim for perfection” (Paul).

I wholly recommend this book but for only those who are seeking to be more like Christ. In answering the question, "in what manner shall we preach sanctification?" Wesley answers, "Scarce at all to those who are not pressing forward; to those who are, always by way of promise; always drawing, rather than driving."

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good explanation of the much misunderstood concept of Christian Perfection and Entire Sanctification. While most people criticize the ideas, it's hard to argue with Wesley's analysis of growth in love and the holiness it results in. He never argues for sinless perfection, he argues for a life so filled with love that the desire to sin is eclipsed by the love of God.

[Joshua Pearsall · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, as a Methodist regardless of if one holds to this doctrine or not it is vital to understand it as a part of our history, and my goal with this review is two fold. First, to encourage fellow Methodist (and any others interested) to read this apologetic and explanation from Wesley on the doctrine compiled over 50 years of his life. Second, to encourage those who disagree with it to engage with it. If you wish to disagree with the doctrine that is fine, if you wish to dispute it then you should first seek to understand it and remove the caricatures around it. It is a scriptural Doctrine, Wesley did not simply make it up. It is not Antinomianism, it is not without addressing criticisms. Every scriptural point you can think of Wesley faced himself, he talked to Bishops and Priests about this doctrine. He did not simply come up with a doctrine and refuse to budge on it because he was unconvinced, he was firmly convinced it was laid in scriptures. Not as his own doctrine, but as that of Christ & the Apostles as the below excerpt will show.

Second, my review is not in and of itself an apologetic of the doctrine or the text. I simply read it and have laid out what I hope is a helpful outline of the book. For an apologetic of course read the book itself, but I would recommend Kevin Watson’s book Perfect Love. It is both a modern treatment of the doctrine and John Wesley’s writings on the text, and an apologetic for it. I have no goal of convincing anyone with this article of the doctrine, but simply wish to provide a resource for those who may be interested in looking at the doctrine but do not have the time or energy into reading the book without proper motivation. Regardless of how one views the doctrine, this book is worth reading regardless in my opinion. It is a beautiful and edifying look at Christian maturity if you gain no other value from this book.

I also have a thorough overview of the book on my blog, PracticalChristianLessons (both on Wordpress and Substack).

[Alex Strohschein · Rating 3 out of 5]

"A Plain Account of Christian Perfection" is not as plain as it would seem. I found John Wesley (whom I greatly admire) to be defensive throughout the book, as opponents of his sharply spoke out against his doctrine of Christian perfection. Just what is Christian perfection exactly? Some have said that Wesley did not believe perfection meant to be without sin but on pg. 125 Wesley writes, "I do not contend for the term sinless, though I do not object against it." There appears to be a lot of quibbling about semantics. Some have suggested that Wesley instead meant that Christian perfection was a heightened sanctification (knowing that Pentecostalism emerged out of Methodism, I wonder if this "second blessing" had any effect on the Pentecostal belief in the second baptism, the "baptism of the Holy Spirit"?). I am unconvinced by Wesley's defenses (laid out almost like an interview or catechism), but I believe Wesley does do well to encourage us to think of sanctification (something that is lacking, I feel, in evangelical circles). The best parts of this book were Wesley's short, reflections, such as “True humility is a kind of self-annihilation; and this is the centre of all virtues.”

[Conor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trying to understand Wesley's view of sanctification more clearly, while connecting it to Luthers view of justification.

[Colm Alton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a difficult book to rate as the idea of Christian perfection and the theology behind it requires a lot of thought. It would be easy to jump on the weaknesses and potential absurdity of the idea that a Christian can reach a certain point in their growth to be regarded as “perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect”, I definitely see on a practical level how this doctor would promote growth towards perfection even if one thinks you could not reach it in this life. I like how Wesley expects Christian’s to act righteous because of their new hearts in Jesus rather than expecting Christian’s to struggle and eventually commit sin because of our sin nature. I also really liked some of the hymns quoted which Wesley wrote and the “proverbs” Wesley wrote on living the Christian life. While I don’t agree with the idea that a Christian can reach “perfection” and how Wesley interprets certain passages and how he ascribes perfection to them, I can see the power behind some of his ideas and theology.

[Tim Luft · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Settle it then in your heart, that from the moment God has saved you from all sin, you are to aim at nothing more, but more of that love described in the thirteenth of Corinthians.”

This treatise is a great example of theology that spurs one on to a greater devotion to God. I wish we heard more of this doctrine in the pulpit.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wesley lays out his argument for Christian perfection, explaining what it is and what it is not. Responding to critics, he argues it is not an absolute perfection (it does not mean the Christian knows everything God knows). It also does not mean no more growth is possible, the Christian continues to grow in love. Another thing it does not mean is that the Christian no longer relies on grace, actually the Christian who is perfected in love relies on grace more. Simply put then, Christian perfection is loving God with heart, soul, mind and strength and loving neighbor as self. It is being perfected, being filled with love. His arguments for it are biblical: God commanded it and God would not command something impossible.

I did not really like his style of argument as he reported on previous dialogues and such from throughout his life. It was as if I would go through old emails and sermons and copy/paste all points related to a topic. The argument is made and it is a thoughtful read, but it is not as engaging as a fresh paper.

Overall, whether one agrees with Wesley or not is secondary. Reading this was inspiring and should move anyone to pursue growth in grace and love of God.

[Matthias · Rating 3 out of 5]

like the title says, this book lays out the ideas surrounding living in perfection in this life. while the author shies away from the term "sinless living," it's what he means.

he does allow that someone who found their way into christian perfection would still be subject to making mistakes.

when i first asked my ex-pastor about this idea i was sure there was no such thing. he surprised me and suggested the book. i read it and wesley does make his case. my ex-pastor said that if someone came into this experience, they probably wouldn't know it, and that for some people seeking after this kind of holiness could become a trap.

pretty different from the stuff you see floating around in the christian bookstores nowadays.

[Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading John Wesley's own views regarding holiness and sanctification. I'm not clear on whether Wesley held to his views as a second work of grace. I feel he implies this in his work but not as clearly as I would like. This is must reading for Arminians and especially those who are Wesleyans.

[Shane Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

The plainest and clearest account of the doctrine of perfect love. Every Wesleyan Arminian ought to make this book an annual read, as it clarifies many doubts and balances many warped understandings and nuances of the doctrine.

[Geoff Steele · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book first describes Wesley use of the term Christian Perfection, share some anecdotes of those living and then dying in this states, a dozen pages of poetry, some questions and objections answered, a section on aphorisms, and the last couple of sections, the best writing on topic with conclusions and distinctions on the term Christian Perfection.
This is Wesley account on the term he describes as Christian Perfection. He constantly clarifies the term by saying what it is not, for example, someone in the state of Christian Perfection is not free from mistake, temptation, or suffering. Christian Perfection is more like a state of being completely free from sin and any desires or motives that are not God’s; and accepting God’s will for whatever circumstances one may be in. The constant redefinition of the term in his writing suggest that this concept was either controversial to his audience OR Wesley could have used a better term to describe what appears to me a clean conscience and confession of all sin by the individual. In the middle of the book he gives the definition:
“1. That Christian perfection is that love of God and our neighbor, which implies deliverance from all sin.
2. That this is received merely by faith.
3. That it is given instantaneously, in one moment.
4. That we are to expect it, not at death, but every moment; that now is the accepted time, now is the day of this salvation.”
The issue with Wesly on this term is the idea of perfection typically used to describe a completed, static, finished state of the perfect object; whereas the Christian life is constantly striving towards this goal, and anyone saying they are perfect atomically brings a judgmental examination by others who almost definitely could bring up a mistake or fault. The idea of going in and out of a state of perfection does disservice to the term. It is this equivocation of this term Perfect between Wesley and the general public’s common everyday usage really could be cleaned up if Wesley used a better term for his idea. The unorganized structure of the book does little to help his cause. In the aphorisms section, Wesley states some good common sense ideals and applications of NT teaching, warns against Antinomian books and Solifidianism. Which is interesting in that he believes Christian perfection is only by faith, but salvation is more than faith alone? To be fair to Wesley, I do not know how he is using the term Solifidianism, the historical context, and what all ‘by faith alone’ means. It’s on my radar now for future reading/research.

[Luke Watts · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book and theme from Wesley I’ve often heard quoted and referenced, and always wanted to read myself. Many paint a caricature of Wesley as a heretic on this matter, and having now finally read his own position, in his own words, I realise most quotes are either out of a context, or gross misrepresentations of what the man actually believed. Most accusations of his position stem from being fed misinterpretations and misrepresentations of his whole body of work, or as I have to believe following reading this title, a completely missed opportunity to delve into Christian identity. The reality of being a child of our Heavenly Father is not negated by any true follower of Jesus. Why would have a thoroughly formed approach and application to that identity be so out of place? His account is not so “plain” as the title gives hint at, as some of his arguments are certainly circular and repetitive, but the whole book was worth the read to hear the man’s own words, and the last quarter of the title was warmly encouraging and powerful. The greatest points of clarity on anything you are still unclear on come towards the end (though certainly scattered all the way through), so if you feel it is a drudgery, stick around, Wesley hits his stride by the last 20-30 pages, and it is wonderful. This is a title I will return to often I’m sure in the future.

[JD Waggy · Rating 2 out of 5]

It kind of kills me, as a Wesleyan, to give one of JW's prominent works only two stars, but hear me out. This is more of a "Greatest Hits of Perfectionism" compilation than anything else, and to be honest I liked the original albums better. Wesley is in conversation with several overlapping critics of his time (mid-to-late 1700s) and is pulling from his works and the works of people who are in agreement with him or have written letters to him to say that his and his brother's understanding of Christian perfection is right so plz leave him alone. It's repetitive, and a bit dull because I don't have the other half of the conversation.

That said, there are some great Wesleyisms here (like "humility and patience are the surest proof of the increase of love") and some sick burns ("do not talk much, neither long at a time. Few can converse profitably above an hour"). But this just doesn't have the punch that I found, for instance, in his sermon "On Perfection," which was what convinced me to get on board the Wesleyan perfection train in the first place. I do really appreciate the quoting of hymns, though, as it is such a foundational aspect of Wesleyan theology--and it pulls in Charles, who so often gets lost in his brother's shadow.

[Christal · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off, I wanna say I wasn't brought up Methodist, but I do like John Wesley. I like the way he preached and strived for holiness; and encouraged others to do the same. I enjoyed how Wesley explained in this book that Christian Perfection does not mean complete sinlessness in an absolute sense; but rather it is growing in love for God and neighbor. It is about letting love rule in your life as apposed to hate, anger, lust etc... He explained that with Christian Perfection we are not free from ignorance, or infirmities. For that reason we can have errors in understanding that lead to mistakes, and so forth; but from Wesley's perspective, a true Christian should be growing in love and moving closer and closer to the image of Christ. Some of the book, I will admit, definitely seemed more idealistic rather than something literally attainable in this life; however, I still enjoyed it as a discipleship tool. I think every Christian should be striving for the kind of holiness Wesley wrote about, whether it's attainable or not. Jesus died for us. We should live for him. It's that simple. I love Jesus and I hope to be able to grow into a better Christian every day; but I'm certainly not there yet. This book does give me some things to think about and something to strive for.

[Gary · Rating 2 out of 5]

The idea that a man can attain sinless perfection prior to glorification may be a worthy goal, and one our Lord Jesus points us to when He says our righteousness should "exceed that of the Pharisees". But sinless perfection in this life can only be achieved by lowering God's definition of sin (which Wesley does by calling sins in a believer "mistakes") or by lowering God Himself. The book is helpful in that it looks to God's holiness as a goal to strive for, but it fails in the notion that such a state can be achieved through the faith and hard work of man. In essence, it sets up a multi-tier system of believers with the highest attaining this perfection, and, I fear, such a notion would lead to a lack of repentance and a relabeling of sins as mistakes or lapses instead of imploring Christ's forgiveness anew and living in that humility that knows that man is totally depraved and incapable of even judging his righteous deeds alone. The temptation to look down on sinning believers would be overwhelming in this perfectionism status. Therefore this book is classified as #forhereticalresearchonly

[Carol Ghattas · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was helpful and interesting to read John Wesley's own words on the doctrine of Christian perfection. Evident from the beginning was how quickly his teaching became controversial among the Christians of his time. Through his continued efforts to refute arguments against the teaching, the reader can see how Wesley grew, not only in his own understanding of the doctrine, but in his ability to explain it. To read the book from the back to the front would present readers with a much clearer understanding of the concept.

It is easy, with modern-day insight, to think of ways Wesley could have better explained what the Scriptures mean by the commands to be perfect, as our heavenly Father is perfect, as I think his concept of the issue led to unnecessary controversy, comparisons and judgments of believers toward one another, and some heaviness in the community due to doubts about one's salvation. However, that said, we learn a lot from this historical narrative and gain a better understanding into Methodist doctrine as a whole.

[Audra Spiven · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another textbook read, and for whatever reason, the edition I read isn't represented on Goodreads. The one I chose is the eBook version of the edition I read, so it's the same cover--but I read the paperback.

Anyway, this book is a pretty quintessential piece of any discussion of the doctrine(s) of perfection, holiness, and/or sanctification. Sometimes it seems those words are interchangeable and sometimes not.

This book was easier to read than I expected it to be, given that I knew it was written in 18th-century language. And there were places where I got bogged down or confused, or even just frustrated by John Wesley's puzzling relationship with punctuation.

In any case, I think I got the gist of things well enough, and I'm glad I read this book. It's a good one to have in my bookcase and on my finished shelf.

[J. Alfred · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fantastic novelist Marilynne Robinson, in one of her essays, claims that Wesley is “the only major theologian” whose commitments are Arminian, and in reading this I can agree that he isn’t just some ‘enthusiast’ but has a consistent theology, that is, he merits the term ‘major theologian’—it just seems that he reads some relevant passages wrong and not touch others at all in his explanation of 'Christian Perfection' which he claims we should be able to attain in this life.
(For instance his explanation of 1 John 1:10 [If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us] seems to muddle the plain sense of the passage and there was no mention of Romans 7 in the whole of the pamphlet).
All that said, I am very impressed by Wesley; I think his seek-the-Lord-always-and-get-things-done-while-doing-it stance is a corrective that many of us could use.

[Danny Bennett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I disagreed with much of John Wesley, I couldn't help but have deep respect for the man. In short, I believe perfection happens in glorification, not sanctification. I know there needs to be qualifying statements and further explanation to this, but this can't be done in a review. Wesley is easy to read and is unafraid to take on clear opposition to his view. I hope I would have had the stones to stand with Wesley and Wilberforce against slavery. Wesley also says this, "Do not condemn or think hardly of those who cannot see just as you see, or who judge it their duty to contradict you, whether in a great thing or a small." I needed to be reminded of this and I think many in the church need it too. Even if you end up disagreeing with him, Wesley is well worth reading.

[Ian Hyde · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic Christian text on the scriptural foundation for believing that a person can be, through God's grace alone, wholly sanctified in this life. John Wesley, as a practical rather than systematic theologian, discusses the challenge and defense of the doctrine of Christian perfection which he preached for over 40 years and which provides the foundation for the worldwide Wesleyan-Holiness and Methodist movements. I definitely recommend this for anyone who desires a deeper, more fully realized relationship with Christ; and for anyone who is interested in the development of Christian theology through the centuries.

[Bret Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Wesley gives an excellent and thorough dissertation on the doctrine of Christian perfection as not to be obtained only in the next life but in this as well. He presents with scriptural evidence the possibility of said perfection in loving God with one's whole heart, mind, and being, and makes the case that when one's entire heart is filled with love for God, there can be no room for other worldly things that might steal our affections. For anyone who follows in a Wesleyan tradition this is highly recommended to read, and for any other Christian I urge to consider the declarations made within.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably Wesley's most famous tract, which addresses possibly his most controversial doctrine - Entire Sanctification or Perfect Love. If you are looking for a detailed systematic treatise on the subject, you won't find it here. Wesley's style is not so unlike the Epistles in the New Testament -in that both were written for a specific purpose and audience.
Having said that however, this is a must read for anyone wanting to learn more about Wesleyan Theology. I found his "fleshing out" of holiness and surrender helpful. I resonate with his desire to frame theology around the question: In what ways is this [doctrine] to affect my life?

[Albertus Minimus · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I admire and love the heart of John Wesley for the Lord Jesus Christ, he redefines what perfection is; creating havoc and confusion rather than understanding. He mistakes standards and commitment with a never-failing consistency in Christian living. He then contradicts himself saying that a believer can fall away from perfection, which becomes a problematic definition of the word. While I disagree with him on various theological and logical points, there are valuable practical insights from this man of the Lord.

[Hether Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was fantastic. It was one I'd slightly dreaded reading for class. But once I adjusted to Wesley's style of writing and speaking, it was a wonderful read. He explains well his views of sanctification and is very well studied in scripture as he presents and supports his views. If you are interested in Wesleyan or Methodist theology, I highly recommend this book. I hope to revisit it when I am done with school.

[Spenser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would highly recommend for all Christians, Methodist or not. I find many Christians take too much solice in knowing that if they fall into sin God will forgive them, this is true, they will be forgiven but you should never make that toilsome cycle of sin and renewal your end goal. Your end goal should be total salvation from sin through Christ.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know how to feel about this one. Sometimes it felt like Wesley was just playing with words; sometimes it felt like he was making a great point. I don't know if I agree with him or not. But it's a classic and worth the read.

Read for Christian Theology II: Salvation and Holiness at IWU, Fall 22.

[Billyreadsbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great insights and explanations. He takes what is often misinterpreted when it comes to holiness and right living, and breaks it down so that it is understandable. And everything is backed by scripture. The only struggle I had with it was some of the old language phrases and words I’m not familiar with.

[Colin Weeks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wesley’s passion is evident and compelling, although I rated 3 stars because I just don’t share his position. I think he has to bend over backwards way too much to explain his nuanced view of sin—far too many clarifications and justifications that I think he just ends up tying himself into a pretzel.

[Mikayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed listening to this as an audiobook. It was a quick book. The parts that I liked the most, which made it be a 3-star rating, were the parts that poems were recited. Other than those, it didn't catch my attention very well.