Page "What would Jesus do?" Paragraph 3

John Wesley in 1766 postulated the concept of Christian perfection, a moment in the life of a Christian at which the regeneration effectuated by the Holy Spirit results in a " perfection in love " which means that at least at that moment one is being motivated wholly by love of God and neighbor, with no taint of sin or ulterior motives in effect.

While such Christian perfection is expressed in outward action, it is also the effect of grace.

Indeed, Wesley could speak of sanctification by faith as an analogous doctrine to the more widely held belief in justification by faith.

Because Christian perfection is also visible in outward good works and a rigorously moral lifestyle, adherents of the Holiness movement assumed that a perfectly moral lifestyle is a consequence ( not the cause ) of the state of grace and ultimate salvation.