Entire sanctification - do you believe it is possible? For John Wesley (the founder of Methodism), entire sanctification was a state in which a believer had last all desire for sin. In this state, such an individual would no longer commit willing or knowing sin. If any sin was committed by that person, it was unintentional. Wesley confessed that he only knew 3 or 4 people who had actually reached this level of sanctification and that, for most people, entire sanctification would be accomplished only at the moment of reaching heaven!

While we may understand sanctification differently than Wesley, his ideas are worth considering. He believed that sanctification needed two things to truly thrive - the love of God growing in our hearts, and the help of the believing community. Not only does the Holy Spirit help us to become and remain sanctified, we also help each other. For those who did not receive Wesley's list of questions, I will include them here. Use these in your devotion time, not to discourage you but as a catalyst for prayer and change.

1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
2. Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?
3. Do I confidentially pass on to another what was told to me in confidence?
4. Can I be trusted?
5. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habits?
6. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?
7. Did the Bible live in me today?
8. Do I give it time to speak to me everyday?
9. Am I enjoying prayer?
10. When did I last speak to someone else about my faith?
11. Do I pray about the money I spend?
12. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
13. Do I disobey God in anything?
14. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
15. Am I defeated in any part of my life?
16. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy, or distrustful?
17. How do I spend my spare time?
18. Am I proud?
19. Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees who despised the publican?
20. Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or disregard? If so, what am I doing about it?
21. Do I grumble or complain constantly?
22. Is Christ real to me?

Martha and Mary, Hannah, Joseph, David, Job, Abraham, Sarah. It’s not just you.

God shows His love for us by allowing us to wait. It is important to note that the longer the wait is not an indication that His love for you is less or that you are less favored than someone else. It is an indication of an all knowing Father with plans specially designed to fit each of His children and their purpose perfectly.

In John 11:5 AMP, the passage of the resurrection of Lazarus starts off saying, “Now Jesus loved and was concerned about Martha and her sister and Lazarus [and considered them dear friends]."

Then it says, “So [even] when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He still stayed two days longer in the same place two more days.” - John‬ ‭11:6‬ ‭

We would expect Jesus to move quickly, because in our limited perspective we think love moves fast. But no, the unconditional love of God moves with purpose, on purpose, for purpose.

Jesus stayed an extra, not one, but two days.

We believe that one of the reasons for His response was that the purpose of His presence in that particular situation was to resurrect Lazarus, not to heal him. They wanted healing, but God's plan was resurrection.

So, Christ’s love for you isn’t based on how fast He moves for you, how fast you get that breakthrough, how fast you get the job, how fast you get whatever. Quick results don't mean it was God! Quick results also don't mean it’s not God. Intimacy with God is what reveals to you whether or not it is surely His hands that orchestrated what you see.