On Unchecked and Excessive Desires

If we truly want to devote ourselves fully to God, then we need to take a serious, honest look at our desires — what they are and how far they go.

Desires themselves aren’t the problem. They’re part of being human. We naturally want things like life, food, knowledge, and connection with others. These are normal and even necessary. The issue is that, in both the natural, unspiritu person and even in someone who is only partly spiritually formed, these desires often aren’t properly guided or kept in check by a deeper love for God. Instead, they grow beyond healthy limits. They become self-centered, excessive, and sometimes even harmful — so much so that they can take control of a person’s entire life. When desires reach this point, they bring with them a constant sense of restlessness and inner turmoil. That’s why they need to be carefully guarded against.

The Difference Between Justification and Sanctification

When faith and love take root in a person’s heart, things change for them. Their arrival sets off an internal struggle, because they confront something already present — the corrupt tendencies of our natural state. These two forces have nothing in common, so conflict is inevitable.

But before diving deeper into that inner conflict — which, if sanctification truly takes hold, will eventually lead to the overcoming of our old selfish nature — it’s worth pausing to think carefully about how sanctification relates to justification.

Most people agree that justification and sanctification are not the same thing. Still, they’ve sometimes been treated as if they were identical, even by thoughtful writers. That confusion isn’t entirely surprising, since both share an important underlying idea: complete submission.

The Temptations of a Sanctified Heart (rewritten)

At this point, our goal is to give a broad but careful overview of temptation — especially the kind experienced by someone whose heart is genuinely given to God. We’re talking about people who live in assurance, whose lives can rightly be described as sanctified. Even hearts like these are not exempt from temptation, and understanding how temptation works is essential to living faithfully.

At its core, temptation begins when something is presented to the mind — an object, an idea, or a situation — that has the potential to stir the desires or move the will in a wrong direction. That “wrong direction” can take two different forms. Sometimes the action temptation urges is simply wrong. Other times, the action is acceptable in itself but becomes wrong because it is carried too far. Either way, when temptation moves beyond thought and gains the consent of desire or will — prompting action when there should be none, or excessive action where restraint is required — sin is always the result. 

Seen from this perspective, temptation shows up in two main ways.

The Joy of Faith When Everything Else Has Failed (rewritten)

Jesus told his followers plainly: “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33) Experience confirms it. No one is exempt — not even the most devoted believers. The hardships God’s people face are not only external but internal as well. They include struggles of the mind alongside suffering of the body, and sometimes those struggles become overwhelming.

There are seasons when the usual comforts God allows us — often gently and generously — are stripped away. Health fades. Friends feel distant or unavailable. There is no pleasure in social life, no success in work, no relief from pressure or persecution, and no pause in the inward assaults of temptation.

Everything that normally offers encouragement seems to vanish at once.

The Scholar and the Beggar (rewritten)

Tauler, a well‑known and highly educated preacher from the fourteenth century once spent eight years praying that God would lead him to someone who could teach him the true path to heaven. Eventually, he felt guided to a specific church porch, where he was told he would meet a man who could help him understand the spiritual life.

When the scholar arrived, he found not a teacher or holy figure, but a beggar dressed in rags.

He greeted the man kindly and said, “God give you a good day, my friend.”

The beggar replied, “Sir, I can’t remember ever having a bad one.”

Marks of Perfect Love (rewritten)

If the doctrine often called entire sanctification, evangelical holiness, or Christian perfection is true — or if the closely related doctrine known as assurance of faith is true — then an important conclusion follows. It means that even in this present life, it is both our duty and our privilege to experience the fulfillment of that great command: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart.” In simpler terms, it means that it is possible to live in what can rightly be called perfect love. 

This leads us to a serious and deeply meaningful question: When can our love truly be called perfect? That is the question this chapter seeks to answer.

Before doing so, a few necessary foundations must be laid.

Shallow Emotional Faith Experiences (rewritten)

“Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” — Matthew 13:18-23 NRSV.

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What we have said up until now naturally leads us to a few broader observations about what we might call the emotional form of spiritual experience. The position we are about to take on this challenging subject rests on two central ideas.

First, the human mind is divided into distinct faculties. It operates through the intellect, the emotional sensibilities, and the will. Emotional states belong to a real and significant subdivision within this mental structure.

 Second, the work of the Holy Spirit in the human mind is varied. At times, it may reach and govern the entire person. In other cases, it may act only on the intellect, or only on the emotions — producing certain real effects, while leaving other, more essential changes unrealized.

Natural Joy vs. Spiritual Joy (Rewritten)

In our previous post, we worked to clarify the difference between love and joy — a distinction that isn’t obvious at first, but is quite real and important. To deepen that discussion, it helps to introduce another meaningful distinction: the difference between natural joy and spiritual joy.

Just as spiritual joy should not be confused with love, neither should natural joy. In both cases, love and joy are genuinely distinct experiences. But beyond that shared distinction, there is another important point: spiritual (or gracious) joy differs from natural joy in several key ways. Exploring those differences will help shed more light on the nature of true spiritual experience.

The Difference Between Love and Joy (Rewritten)

From the way this topic is often discussed, it’s easy to get the impression that perfect love, according to the Gospel, is essentially the same thing as sanctification or holiness — and in truth, that understanding is largely correct. Scripture consistently treats those who are perfected in love as people who are accepted, sanctified, and holy. Even though such people still have weaknesses and make mistakes — and even though they must continually rely on Christ’s atonement for both present failings and past sins — they are nonetheless regarded in the New Testament as truly holy.

For that reason, anyone who is sincerely and unselfishly seeking perfect love can rightly be said to be seeking holiness.

That said, experience shows that there is a serious and subtle mistake that some people make along the way. Even when they genuinely desire sanctification and believe they are pursuing it properly, they sometimes confuse love with joy. Without fully realizing it, they end up chasing an intense, emotionally uplifting state rather than true love itself. This is likely what Lady Maxwell was pointing to when she said, 

“The Lord has taught me that it is by faith, and not joy, that I must live.”

On Loving Our Neighbor — and Ourselves (Rewritten)

We now turn to a topic that naturally follows from the previous post: love for our neighbor, and more broadly, love for all created beings. The central idea is this: if our love for God is pure, unselfish, and rightly placed above everything else, then every other form of love will fall into its proper place beneath it. 

When we love God in the highest and fullest sense, all other loves become secondary and take their direction from that primary love. In that case, we come to share God’s own way of loving. We begin to care about what God cares about. Our love flows along the same path as God's love. Whatever God values — whether great or small, material or spiritual — will matter to us in proportion to how well we perceive it and how capable we are of loving it.

Pure Love vs. Selfish Love (Rewritten).

Up to now, we tried to show that evangelical holiness is essentially the same thing as perfect love. 

Scripture makes this plain in the great commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and your neighbor as yourself.” The moment a person begins to love, holiness begins. But holiness is complete only when love has fully overcome selfishness — when a person loves with the whole heart.

Faith, without question, comes before love. Whether we look at this biblically or psychologically, faith is the foundation and the necessary starting point. But even so, Scripture gives love the highest honor, calling it “the fulfillment of the law.” So the most important question we can ask — whether we truly belong to God and are genuinely holy — ultimately comes down to this: Are we perfected in love?

Living by Signs vs. Living by Faith (Rewritten)

Why looking for signs can quietly undermine faith

While we consider life of faith we need to clearly address a common tendency among Christians: the desire for signs, tokens, or special manifestations as a kind of foundation for peace with God and for holy living. This impulse shows up again and again. Sometimes it comes from lack of understanding. But more often, it grows out of something deeper and more troubling — the sin of unbelief.

However it begins, this habit of looking for signs is wrong in principle and harmful in its results.

A Testimony to a Life of Faith (Rewritten)

 Written originally by an anonymous clergyman in the early 1800's:

 

Let me speak plainly and personally about what God has done in my soul, and about the path my heart now follows toward God. I have settled on this: I will not chase after great things in this world. My aim is simply to know Christ — and Christ crucified.

I move best with a gentle wind. A high-spirited heart paired with full sails is dangerous, so I prepare myself for a quieter way of living. I don’t want much, and I actively pray against wanting much. My work — my calling — is my study. I ask for whatever genuinely serves that calling, and does not distract me from it. Beyond that, I want nothing more.

Reflections on the Life of Faith (Rewritten)

“The just shall live by faith.”

“The life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God.”

These and similar passages point to a central truth: the Christian life is meant to be lived by faith, not by constant, visible certainty. It is a life shaped by trust rather than by open vision.

Faith itself takes many forms, each valuable in its proper place, and all connected — more or less closely — to the life of faith. But the particular kind of faith that most directly sustains this life is the one that makes God present in every moment and in every event. The absence of this kind of faith is a major source of spiritual weakness. Because of this lack, many people who genuinely believe in God, in Christ, and even in their own final salvation still make very little progress in holiness.

They tend to hold to a general, abstract faith — one that deals in broad ideas rather than specific realities. By doing so, they place God at a distance. In contrast, a faith that is concrete and particular brings God near. It makes Him present and personal in every concern of life and establishes a continuous, living relationship between God and the soul.

Assurance of Faith and Perfect Love (Rewritten)

Up to now we have explored how consecration relates to assurance of faith. But assurance itself doesn’t stand alone — it, too, has important relationships. One of the closest and most significant is its connection to perfect love. These two — assurance (or perfection) of faith and perfection of love — are deeply and inseparably linked. 

That raises a thoughtful and worthwhile question: what exactly is the relationship between them?

1. Faith Comes First, Love Follows

To begin, assurance of faith and perfect love relate to each other as cause and effect, or more precisely, as what comes first and what follows. Assurance of faith naturally and necessarily comes before perfect love.

Some theologians — capable thinkers, to be sure — have tried to reverse this order. They argue that love comes first, and that faith grows out of love, making perfect love the foundation of assurance. But it’s hard to see how this position holds up, either logically or biblically.

On Thomas C. Upham's Case Against War

Dennis Metzler presents Thomas C. Upham's case for pacifism:

 

 

Metzler has followed this up with videos on Pacifism among the Early Pentecostals, as well. 

Consecration and the Assurance of Faith (Rewritten)

It’s hardly necessary to say much more to highlight just how important the assurance of faith really is. Anyone who genuinely longs for holiness of heart will naturally place great value on assurance, because holiness — understood in the gospel sense — is simply perfect love. And perfect love grows out of a mature, confident faith. In other words, deep assurance and deep holiness rise together.

When we look carefully at what assurance of faith actually is, it seems to rest on two essential elements. First, there is a steady, unshakable confidence in God — his character, his ways, and his promises. Second, there is a confident belief that we ourselves are accepted by God through Christ. Assurance is not limited to this personal element alone, as some people assume. Personal confidence rests on a broader, settled trust in God as a whole. Without that foundation, personal assurance has no place to stand.

A Life of Consecration and Trust (Rewritten)

From everything we’ve already considered, it becomes clear that the sanctification of the heart — and all the blessings that come with it — rests largely on two foundational principles. First, there must be a complete and wholehearted consecration of ourselves to God. Second, there must be a firm, steady belief that this consecration is truly accepted by Him.

We have already touched briefly on this second principle before, but it deserves further attention here.

When we consecrate ourselves to God in the way described, we take a step that is absolutely essential from every possible angle. Yet simply offering everything is not enough. In the same spirit of reliance, we must also believe — without wavering — that God has accepted that offering.

This belief is nothing less than trust in God’s faithfulness to His word. It is the confidence that God will receive — and does now receive — all who place themselves without reservation on His altar. This faith, more than anything else, secures the presence of sanctifying power in the soul. On the other hand, someone may consecrate themselves sincerely and yet dishonor God’s truth by failing to believe that their offering is accepted. In doing so, they cut themselves off from the very power that faith alone can bring, leaving themselves exposed and defenseless against the adversary.

Holy Love

The love of self seeks earthly treasure,
And close in secret chambers folds it;
But HOLY LOVE, no place, no measure,
In all the universe can hold it.

Go, tread the path of secret fountains, 
And thou shalt find it shining bright; 
Go, tread the forests and the mountains, 
And there it sheds its holy light. 

Go, seek the poor man's cottage lowly; 
Ascend the monarch's lofty tower; 
And, in the bosoms of the holy, 
'Tis everywhere their life and power. 

It marches forth with banners flying; 
No sword can slay, no prisons bind it; 
No fear, no grief, no pain, no dying, 
Can mar the happy souls that find it.

— Christ in the Soul (1872) LXXXIX.

A Faith That Takes Hold and Receives (Rewritten)

A person doesn’t really begin to experience the full effects of God’s work within them until they’ve taken the decisive step of consecration — described in our previous post. From that moment on, something changes. It becomes possible to see, in a new and deeper way, just how wide, high, deep, and far-reaching God’s inner work truly is. This is especially true when it comes to learning how to live by faith.

Most people who consider themselves Christians already have some experience with faith. They’ve exercised what’s often called justifying faith — trusting Christ as the source, and the only source, of forgiveness. But even so, many haven’t yet grasped what faith really is or how powerful it can be as an everyday, sustaining force in their lives. They may understand faith as something that brings pardon, but not as something that also makes us holy — and keeps us that way.

Consecration to God (Rewritten )

From what has already been said, one thing should be clear: real growth in the life of faith is not likely without a settled, personal, and devout act of consecration. If a Christian is unwilling to make such a commitment — or is content merely to wish for it without actually carrying it out through a clear and decisive act — there is little reason to expect deep progress or the kind of inward spiritual experience that I will describe later.

This duty is so important, and so much depends on it, that it deserves careful and focused attention on its own.

How We Can Attain a Holy Life (Rewritten)

In our previous post, we explored an important idea: the deepest and most meaningful expressions of spiritual life — those moments when the barriers between God and the human soul seem to fall away — are inseparably linked to holiness of heart. If that’s true, then the next natural question is an urgent one: How do we actually become holy?

How do we move from weak faith to confident faith, from inconsistent love to a love that is whole and mature? How do we experience what Scripture often calls entire sanctification?

In response, we suggest that three essential elements are involved—always in partnership with the work of the Holy Spirit. Without these, holiness will remain more of a theory than a lived reality.

On Holiness of Heart (Rewritten)

 In our previous post, we talked about the Hidden Life — that deep, interior life of communion with God. A natural question follows: How do we enter into this kind of life? What path leads us there?

The gospel clearly presents the Christian life as a journey. It begins with forgiveness and acceptance — foundational and essential realities — but it does not end there. God intends for every believer to grow beyond those first steps into a deeper work of renewal and sanctification.

The apostle points to this progression in Hebrews 6, urging believers to move beyond the basics and “go on to perfection.” The question, then, is straightforward but searching: What direction should we take if we want to move past spiritual beginnings and walk in close, uninterrupted fellowship with God?

The Hidden Life (Rewritten)

There is a form of religious experience that can rightly be called The Hidden Life. When someone first becomes aware of their sin and, however imperfectly, puts their faith in Christ as a Savior, they truly begin a new life. Even if that faith feels weak or uncertain, it marks a real turning point.

But that new life is only a beginning. It carries within it the seed of something far greater — a restored and renewed existence that will, over time, grow into deeper understanding and stronger spiritual feeling. At first, though, it is still fragile. It struggles constantly with the old, natural way of living and often seems like little more than the faint light of dawn before the full day arrives.