Third work of grace

The third work of grace, also called the third blessing, is a doctrine, chiefly associated with Holiness Pentecostalism, that refers to baptism with the Holy Spirit with speaking in tongues as evidence for the same.^[1] The baptism of the Holy Ghost is taught by Holiness Pentecostals to empower the Christian believer for service to God.^[1]

History[edit]

Methodism, in accordance with the teachings of John Wesley, teaches two works of grace, the New Birth (first work of grace) and entire sanctification (second work of grace).^[2] The systematic theologian of Methodism, John William Fletcher, termed the reception of entire sanctification as Baptism with the Holy Spirit, which is reflected in the doctrine of various Methodist denominations, including those of the holiness movement.^[A]^[3]^[5]

The fathers of Holiness Pentecostalism, Charles Parham (who established Bethel Bible College) and William Seymour (who organized the Azusa Street Revival) taught that in addition to the first work of the New Birth and the second work of entire sanctification, there was a third work of grace evidenced by speaking in tongues.^[1] With this, "Parham regarded justification as removing committed sins, sanctification as dealing with the inbred propensity to commit sin, while the baptism of the Holy Ghost was empowerment."^[1] Parham taught that Methodism had erred in "erred in regarding sanctification as synonymous with the baptism of the Holy Ghost."^[1] In the Parhamian-Seymourian view, it was not the second work of grace of entire sanctification, but a third work of grace that "empowered the Christian for service."^[1] When "speaking in other tongues was manifested in the lives of believers", the believer could testify that he/she had received the third work of grace and had been "endowed with heavenly power".^[1]

The testimony of those who attended the Azusa Street Revival was "I am saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost" in reference to the three works of grace taught by Holiness Pentecostals, the oldest branch of Pentecostalism.^[8] These three works of grace are explained by Holiness Pentecostals with the teaching that the "Holy Spirit cannot fill an unclean vessel", so the cleansing of the heart that takes place in entire sanctification is necessary before a person can be filled or baptized with the Holy Spirit.^[9]

Prior to the advent of Holiness Pentecostalism and the Parhamian-Seymourian definition of the third work of grace, the Fire-Baptized Holiness Church (a holiness denomination of Methodist patrimony) under the leadership of Benjamin Hardin Irwin (starting in 1895) was unique in that it taught three definite works of grace, with the first two works of grace being identical in doctrine to those held by Methodism—the first work of grace being the New Birth and the second work of grace being entire sanctification (baptism with the Holy Spirit); the third work of grace was taught to be baptism with fire.^[10] It was necessary for the born-again Christian to be entirely sanctified with the baptism of the Holy Spirit before one could receive the baptism of fire.^[10] However, after the advent of Holiness Pentecostalism, the majority of the Fire-Baptized Holiness Church embraced the Holiness Pentecostal position of the third work of grace being baptism of the Holy Ghost evidenced by speaking in tongues, while another part of the Fire-Baptized Holiness Church (now called the Bible Holiness Church) returned to the Methodist position of two works of grace: (1) New Birth and (2) entire sanctification (baptism with the Holy Spirit).^[11]^[12]

Doctrinal formulation[edit]

The Apostolic Faith Church, one of the original Holiness Pentecostal denominations that traces its origins to the Azusa Street Revival, provides the following explication of the third work of grace, which is reflective of Holiness Pentecostal teaching on Baptism with the Holy Ghost:

The Baptism of the Holy Ghost is the enduement of power from on high upon the clean, sanctified life, and is evidenced by speaking in tongues as the Spirit gives utterance. (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:5-8; 2:1-4)
The baptism of the Holy Ghost is the experience of the Third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, coming into a person's life to give power for God's service. In order to be filled with the Holy Ghost, a person must first be born again through the experience of salvation. A second step, sanctification, occurs when the saved person goes deeper in consecration and God purges the heart from the inward nature of sin. Then, the heart is ready for the gift of the Holy Spirit. When one receives the gift of the Holy Ghost, He comes to live in the sanctified heart. When this infilling occurs, it is accompanied by the same sign as the disciples had on the Day of Pentecost—the speaking with "other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:4). The "other tongues" are a previously unlearned, recognizable language. Matthew 3:11; Mark 16:17; Luke 24:49; John 7:38-39; Acts 1:5-8; 2:4; 10:45-46; 19:6^[13]

References[edit]

Notes[edit]

^ In the Methodist tradition, baptism with the Holy Spirit refers to the second work of grace subsequent to the New Birth and is called entire sanctification.^[3] In Methodist theology, entire sanctification, which may be received instantaneously or approached by slow and gradual steps, makes the believer perfect in love, "cleanses the heart of the recipient from all sin (I John 1:7, 9; Acts 15:8, 9), sets him apart and endows him with power for the accomplishment of all to which he is called (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8)."^[4]^[5] After the advent of Holiness Pentecostalism and its doctrine of a third blessing, a number of Methodists aligned themselves with the nascent charismatic movement in the 20th century and embraced belief in a third work of grace accompanied by the manifestation of spiritual gifts (which certain Charismatic Methodists call "fullness of the Holy Spirit" in order to avoid confusing this experience with the Methodist baptism of the Holy Spirit, i.e. entire sanctification), while many Methodists strongly rejected the belief in any third work of grace.^[6]^[7]

Citations[edit]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Fudge, Thomas A. (2003). Christianity Without the Cross: A History of Salvation in Oneness Pentecostalism. Universal-Publishers. pp. 14–16. ISBN 978-1-58112-584-9.
^ Sanders, Fred (31 August 2013). Wesley on the Christian Life: The Heart Renewed in Love. Crossway. p. 209. ISBN 978-1-4335-2487-5. Wesley's understanding of the normative Christian experience was that after conversion, believers would have a gradual expansion of their knowledge and understanding of their own sin and of God's holiness. With the regenerate nature working within them, the increasing awareness of spiritual reality would produce a mounting tension, with greater grief over sin and greater desire to be delivered from it. Then, at a time and in a manner that pleased him, God would answer the Christian's faithful prayer for a deliverance from indwelling sin. Wesley thought this change happened in a moment, just like regeneration itself, although Methodists reported different levels of awareness of it: "an instantaneous change has been wrought in some believers," but "in some...they did not perceive the instant when it was wrought." The pattern was event-process-event-process; conversion, gradual growth, entire sanctification, then more gradual growth. Concluding his 1764 review of the subject, Wesley wrote, "All our Preachers should make a point of preaching perfection to believers constantly, strongly, and explicitly; and all believers should mind this one thing, and continually agonize for it." And in letters through the 1770s, we hear Wesley urging that: "Never be ashamed of the old Methodist doctrine. Press all believers to go on to perfection. Insist everywhere on the second blessing as receivable now, by simple faith." There are several threads woven together in the Wesleyan teaching on Christian perfection. Everything Wesley has taught about the distinction between justification and sanctification, of regeneration as initial sanctification, and about the Christian life as being normed and formed by the law comes together here. To this are joined new threads such as the idea of a second definite work of grace subsequent to conversion, and the need to ask God for that second blessing. But the dominant theme in Wesley's teaching on Christian perfection is the renewed heart.
^ ^a ^b "Guidelines: The UMC and the Charismatic Movement". The United Methodist Church. 2012. Archived from the original on 31 July 2019. Retrieved 31 July 2019. The Methodists were also first to coin the phrase baptism of the Holy Spirit as applied to a second and sanctifying grace (experience) of God. (Cf. John Fletcher of Madeley, Methodism's earliest formal theologian.) The Methodists meant by their "baptism" something different from the Pentecostals, but the view that this is an experience of grace separate from and after salvation was the same.
^ Buschart, W. David (August 20, 2009). Exploring Protestant Traditions. InterVarsity Press. p. 194. ISBN 9780830875146.
^ ^a ^b "Doctrine". Pilgrim Holiness Church of New York, Inc. 15 December 2000. Archived from the original on 2 May 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
^ Abraham, William J.; Kirby, James E. (September 24, 2009). The Oxford Handbook of Methodist Studies. Oxford University Press. p. 289. ISBN 978-0-19-160743-1.
^ Discipline of the Immanuel Missionary Church. Shoals, Indiana: Immanuel Missionary Church. 1986. pp. 9, 16–17.
^ Synan, Vinson (30 January 2012). The Century of the Holy Spirit: 100 Years of Pentecostal and Charismatic Renewal, 1901–2001. Thomas Nelson. ISBN 978-1-4185-8753-6. Most of the first generation of Pentecostals were from this holiness stream that had its roots in Methodism. ... When the Pentecostal movement began, these "Holiness Pentecostals" simply added the baptism in the Holy Spirit with tongues as "initial evidence" of a "third blessing" that brought power for witnessing to those who had already been sanctified. With the news tongues experience, sanctification was seen as a prerequisite "cleansing" that qualified the seeker to experience the "third blessing" of baptism in the Holy Spirit. An early prophetic utterance stated ominously that "My Spirit will not dwell in an unclean temple." Seekers were encouraged to abandon all the roots of bitterness and original sin so that nothing would block their reception of the Spirit. In fact, it was told that Seymour would not admit seekers to enter the upper room to seek the baptism until he was satisfied that their sanctification experience had been certified downstairs. The historic Azusa Street testimony was "I am saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost."
^ Campbell, Ted (1 January 1996). Christian Confessions: A Historical Introduction. Westminster John Knox Press. p. 237. ISBN 978-0-664-25650-0.
^ ^a ^b Constitution and General Rules of the Fire-Baptized Holiness Association of America. 1900. p. 2-4. 1. We believe that Jesus Christ shed his blood for the remission of sins that are past (Rom. 3:25), and for the regeneration of penitent sinners and for salvation from sin and from sinning (I. John 3:5-10, Eph. 2:1-10).
2. We believe, teach, and firmly maintain the scriptural doctrine of justification by faith alone, as taught by John Wesley and the early fathers of Methodism (Rom. 5:1).
3. We believe also that Jesus Christ shed His blood for the complete cleansing of the justified believer from all indwelling sin, and from its pollution subsequent to regeneration.
4. We believe also that entire sanctification destroys and eradicates inbred sin (Rom. 6:6, Heb. 13:12, I. John 1:7-9, I. Thes. 5:23, John 17:17, Acts 26:18).
5. We believe that entire sanctification is an instantaneous, definite, second work of grace obtainable by faith on the part of the fully consecrated believer.
6. We believe also that the baptism of the Holy Ghost is obtainable by a definite act of appropriating faith on the part of the fully cleansed believer (Acts 1:5, 2:1-4, 38, Luke 11:13; Acts 19:6).
7. We believe also that the baptism of fire is a definite, scriptural experience, obtainable by faith on the part of the Spirit-filled believer (Matt. 3:11, Luke 3:16, Rev. 15:2, Psa. 104:4, Acts 2:1-4, Heb. 12:29, Ezek. 1:4-14, 10:2-7, Isa. 33:14, 6:1-8).
^ "What We Believe". Fire Baptized Holiness Church of God of the Americas. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
^ Jones, Charles Edwin (1 January 1974). Perfectionist Persuasion: The Holiness Movement and American Methodism, 1867-1936. Scarecrow Press. p. 67. ISBN 978-1-4616-7039-1.
^ "Our Faith". Apostolic Faith Church. Retrieved 7 July 2024.

External links[edit]

Holiness Pentecostal doctrine

[8] In the Methodist tradition, baptism with the Holy Spirit refers to the second work of grace subsequent to the New Birth and is called entire sanctification.^[3] In Methodist theology, entire sanctification, which may be received instantaneously or approached by slow and gradual steps, makes the believer perfect in love, "cleanses the heart of the recipient from all sin (I John 1:7, 9; Acts 15:8, 9), sets him apart and endows him with power for the accomplishment of all to which he is called (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8)."^[4]^[5] After the advent of Holiness Pentecostalism and its doctrine of a third blessing, a number of Methodists aligned themselves with the nascent charismatic movement in the 20th century and embraced belief in a third work of grace accompanied by the manifestation of spiritual gifts (which certain Charismatic Methodists call "fullness of the Holy Spirit" in order to avoid confusing this experience with the Methodist baptism of the Holy Spirit, i.e. entire sanctification), while many Methodists strongly rejected the belief in any third work of grace.^[6]^[7]

[Fudge2003-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Fudge, Thomas A. (2003). Christianity Without the Cross: A History of Salvation in Oneness Pentecostalism. Universal-Publishers. pp. 14–16. ISBN 978-1-58112-584-9.

[Sanders2013-2] Sanders, Fred (31 August 2013). Wesley on the Christian Life: The Heart Renewed in Love. Crossway. p. 209. ISBN 978-1-4335-2487-5. Wesley's understanding of the normative Christian experience was that after conversion, believers would have a gradual expansion of their knowledge and understanding of their own sin and of God's holiness. With the regenerate nature working within them, the increasing awareness of spiritual reality would produce a mounting tension, with greater grief over sin and greater desire to be delivered from it. Then, at a time and in a manner that pleased him, God would answer the Christian's faithful prayer for a deliverance from indwelling sin. Wesley thought this change happened in a moment, just like regeneration itself, although Methodists reported different levels of awareness of it: "an instantaneous change has been wrought in some believers," but "in some...they did not perceive the instant when it was wrought." The pattern was event-process-event-process; conversion, gradual growth, entire sanctification, then more gradual growth. Concluding his 1764 review of the subject, Wesley wrote, "All our Preachers should make a point of preaching perfection to believers constantly, strongly, and explicitly; and all believers should mind this one thing, and continually agonize for it." And in letters through the 1770s, we hear Wesley urging that: "Never be ashamed of the old Methodist doctrine. Press all believers to go on to perfection. Insist everywhere on the second blessing as receivable now, by simple faith." There are several threads woven together in the Wesleyan teaching on Christian perfection. Everything Wesley has taught about the distinction between justification and sanctification, of regeneration as initial sanctification, and about the Christian life as being normed and formed by the law comes together here. To this are joined new threads such as the idea of a second definite work of grace subsequent to conversion, and the need to ask God for that second blessing. But the dominant theme in Wesley's teaching on Christian perfection is the renewed heart.

[UMC2012-3] "Guidelines: The UMC and the Charismatic Movement". The United Methodist Church. 2012. Archived from the original on 31 July 2019. Retrieved 31 July 2019. The Methodists were also first to coin the phrase baptism of the Holy Spirit as applied to a second and sanctifying grace (experience) of God. (Cf. John Fletcher of Madeley, Methodism's earliest formal theologian.) The Methodists meant by their "baptism" something different from the Pentecostals, but the view that this is an experience of grace separate from and after salvation was the same.

[Buschart2009-4] Buschart, W. David (August 20, 2009). Exploring Protestant Traditions. InterVarsity Press. p. 194. ISBN 9780830875146.

[PHC2000-5] "Doctrine". Pilgrim Holiness Church of New York, Inc. 15 December 2000. Archived from the original on 2 May 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.

[AbrahamKirby2009-6] Abraham, William J.; Kirby, James E. (September 24, 2009). The Oxford Handbook of Methodist Studies. Oxford University Press. p. 289. ISBN 978-0-19-160743-1.

[IMC1986-7] Discipline of the Immanuel Missionary Church. Shoals, Indiana: Immanuel Missionary Church. 1986. pp. 9, 16–17.

[Synan2012-9] Synan, Vinson (30 January 2012). The Century of the Holy Spirit: 100 Years of Pentecostal and Charismatic Renewal, 1901–2001. Thomas Nelson. ISBN 978-1-4185-8753-6. Most of the first generation of Pentecostals were from this holiness stream that had its roots in Methodism. ... When the Pentecostal movement began, these "Holiness Pentecostals" simply added the baptism in the Holy Spirit with tongues as "initial evidence" of a "third blessing" that brought power for witnessing to those who had already been sanctified. With the news tongues experience, sanctification was seen as a prerequisite "cleansing" that qualified the seeker to experience the "third blessing" of baptism in the Holy Spirit. An early prophetic utterance stated ominously that "My Spirit will not dwell in an unclean temple." Seekers were encouraged to abandon all the roots of bitterness and original sin so that nothing would block their reception of the Spirit. In fact, it was told that Seymour would not admit seekers to enter the upper room to seek the baptism until he was satisfied that their sanctification experience had been certified downstairs. The historic Azusa Street testimony was "I am saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost."

[Campbell1996-10] Campbell, Ted (1 January 1996). Christian Confessions: A Historical Introduction. Westminster John Knox Press. p. 237. ISBN 978-0-664-25650-0.

[FBA1900-11] Constitution and General Rules of the Fire-Baptized Holiness Association of America. 1900. p. 2-4. 1. We believe that Jesus Christ shed his blood for the remission of sins that are past (Rom. 3:25), and for the regeneration of penitent sinners and for salvation from sin and from sinning (I. John 3:5-10, Eph. 2:1-10).
2. We believe, teach, and firmly maintain the scriptural doctrine of justification by faith alone, as taught by John Wesley and the early fathers of Methodism (Rom. 5:1).
3. We believe also that Jesus Christ shed His blood for the complete cleansing of the justified believer from all indwelling sin, and from its pollution subsequent to regeneration.
4. We believe also that entire sanctification destroys and eradicates inbred sin (Rom. 6:6, Heb. 13:12, I. John 1:7-9, I. Thes. 5:23, John 17:17, Acts 26:18).
5. We believe that entire sanctification is an instantaneous, definite, second work of grace obtainable by faith on the part of the fully consecrated believer.
6. We believe also that the baptism of the Holy Ghost is obtainable by a definite act of appropriating faith on the part of the fully cleansed believer (Acts 1:5, 2:1-4, 38, Luke 11:13; Acts 19:6).
7. We believe also that the baptism of fire is a definite, scriptural experience, obtainable by faith on the part of the Spirit-filled believer (Matt. 3:11, Luke 3:16, Rev. 15:2, Psa. 104:4, Acts 2:1-4, Heb. 12:29, Ezek. 1:4-14, 10:2-7, Isa. 33:14, 6:1-8).

[FBHCGA2024-12] "What We Believe". Fire Baptized Holiness Church of God of the Americas. Retrieved 7 July 2024.

[Jones1974-13] Jones, Charles Edwin (1 January 1974). Perfectionist Persuasion: The Holiness Movement and American Methodism, 1867-1936. Scarecrow Press. p. 67. ISBN 978-1-4616-7039-1.

[AFC2024-14] "Our Faith". Apostolic Faith Church. Retrieved 7 July 2024.

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