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This year, the theme of the GMC Global Conference is The Beauty of Holiness.

One of the most distinctive and compelling teachings in the Wesleyan tradition is the doctrine of Christian perfection, sometimes called entire sanctification or Christian holiness. While the language of "perfection" can sound intimidating or even impossible, John Wesley understood it not as a burden to bear, but as a beautiful promise of God's transforming grace.

When many people hear the word perfect, they imagine someone who never makes mistakes, never forgets anything, never struggles, and never experiences weakness. Wesley explicitly rejected that understanding. He taught that Christians are not made perfect in knowledge. We do not know everything. We are not made perfect in judgment. We can still make mistakes. Nor are we free from what Wesley called "infirmities"—the limitations, weaknesses, and frailties that come with being human. As Wesley often summarized, Christians are not free from ignorance, error, or infirmities.

So what did Wesley mean by Christian perfection?

He believed that through faith in Jesus Christ and by the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit, God can so fill the believer with love that the heart is purified from sin and wholly devoted to God. Christian perfection is not perfection of intellect; it is perfection in love. It is a heart so transformed by grace that love for God and neighbor becomes its governing principle.

Wesley found support for this teaching throughout Scripture. In Matthew 5:48, Jesus calls us to “be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Paul tells us that in Christ we are new creatures, "the old is gone, behold the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17). In Philippians 3:12, he acknowledges that he has not yet fully attained all that lies ahead, reminding us that growth continues throughout the Christian life. Yet Scripture also calls believers onward. Hebrews 6:1 urges us to "go on to perfection," not to remain spiritual infants but to mature in Christ. The book of Romans, 1 John, and 1 Peter all have significant sections on the transformation of the new birth by the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5 speaks of "the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit," while Ephesians 5:26 describes Christ cleansing and sanctifying His people through His Word.

For Wesley, salvation in Jesus Christ means that we are set free from the guilt of sin (justification), the power of sin (regeneration), and the being of sin (Christian perfection).  Christian perfection means that believers are freed from committing sin. By God's grace, we need not continue in outward acts of sin because God has cleansed the inner life—freeing us from evil tempers, sinful desires, and thoughts that oppose love. As Wesley often said, our hearts can be "purified by faith," which results in holiness of life.

This does not mean we no longer need Christ. In fact, the holiest Christians are often the most aware of their continual dependence upon Him. Christian perfection is not a destination where we outgrow grace; it is a deeper experience of grace. It is Christ reigning more fully within us.

As part of the Global Methodist Church, this vision remains part of our spiritual heritage and mission. We believe God does not merely forgive sinners; He transforms them. The gospel is not only about pardon but also about holiness. Through the Holy Spirit, God is shaping us into the likeness of Jesus.

As summer begins, perhaps this is an opportunity for each of us to take another step deeper into a life of holiness. What areas of our hearts still need God's cleansing work? Where is He calling us to greater love, greater obedience, greater trust? Where do we need the Holy Spirit and the Holy Word to change us? Wesley never taught that holiness was reserved for a spiritual elite. He believed it was God's gracious invitation for every believer.

May we seek not only the forgiveness of Christ, but also His fullness. And may the Holy Spirit continue His work within us until our hearts, purified by faith, are increasingly perfected in love.