My heart still reverberates with praise over our annual National Seminar on Holiness at Camp Hoblitzelle near Dallas. More than 100 Salvationists gathered for a week of concentrated yieldedness to the Holy One. And He came in clarifying, cleansing grace. I only wish I could have been clearer on the ever-present question: Is holiness an experience or a journey of faith?

Recently, my wife and I were asked to share in two institutes on holiness, one for officers and one for soldiers, in the bustling city of Hong Kong. In both, we were asked that same question as in Texas. That seems to be a place that we must revisit so that no one misunderstands what the Bible says and what our doctrine affirms. A full answer to the experience of holiness in the way of salvation promises any year with daily awareness of what pleases God.  

Sanctification is a process.

Of course, all sanctification begins with new birth. Those who were once dead in sin have been reborn from above. No one who has received the Spirit is awaiting a better salvation. But regeneration reveals a deeper need. All believers are confronted with a quandary: What happens when sin reoccurs after we have been pardoned? Why do we slip back into old patterns? For many Christians, that is all that can be hoped for — a lifelong process of constant rebellion and failure, followed by repentance without victory until heaven. Our humble response to that is that it does not align with the tenor of all of Scripture. The testimony of every person who models the true life in God revealed in the Word is that we can be set free in a real, tangible way from inward sin.  

Sanctification is an experience.

Scripture records the Holy One insisting to those already in relationship with called, redeemed, and chosen people, “I am holy, so you are to be holy.” That ubiquitous invitation of God’s heart is never couched in a long process of stumbling around hopelessly. God’s commands, the nature of the human will, and the prayers of Scripture all indicate the possibility of a radical change in the heart of every believer. There is the expectation of a double heart being made one. A stiff-necked rebelliousness can be altered by the power of the Spirit into a heart of flesh, which is a comprehensive inner agreement with the heart of God. Our tenth doctrine resoundingly affirms that every believer is offered this life-altering gift, an entirety of sanctification. Brengle spoke of pardon and purity, but he was very clear that heart cleansing was not equal to the process of maturity. This experience is never divorced from an ongoing relationship.  

The most helpful picture of sanctification as a reality is marriage. No one who has joined in that covenant has ever known the depths of the commitment required in a few words said when in the ecstasy of the vows made on a wedding day. Soon, the relationship reveals that words of unconditional love are threatened by two clashing wills. What has begun must be reconfirmed by the Holy Spirit. A reorientation must transpire. Do I truly want the best for this person? Am I willing to pay any price to be the context for them to be formed by God? Do I love them more than I love myself? So, we have an initial experience (wedding) and a process (marriage) that brings us to a place of dying to ourselves (a crisis in the process). Is there growth? Absolutely! But there is a huge difference between a spouse who expects to be selfish every day and the one who has surrendered their self-centered orientation in order to be filled with the Spirit of love for the other. That critical moment alters the relational process. It freights all the issues of life in the right direction.

What is the orientation of your life this year? The Lord is relentlessly clear. He wants to pour His holy love into your heart for others. He can do that right now. Will you let Him?

Questions

1. Have you ever had an experience of God’s love becoming real in your life? When can you say God transformed your heart and mind, enabling you to love Him completely and others more than yourself?
2. Are you starting the New Year with God’s holy love for others in your heart? He can do that right now. Will you let Him?

Photo via Igor Karimov/Unsplash | This article was originally titled “Heart Holiness from Hoblitzelle to Hong Kong” in the January 2026 issue of The War Cry.