Kevin M. Watson - Perfect Love: Recovering Entire Sanctification—The Lost Power of the Methodist Movement

What an incredible blessing and gift to the body of Christ! A roadmap to finding your way to, or back to, that spiritual experience that will change your lifebeing and living the sanctified life! Kevin Watson skillfully writes and warmly invites the entire Wesley Family, with all its differences, uniqueness, and similarities, to experience or re-experience the one thing that binds us together as a spiritual community and spiritual descendants of John Wesley, the experience of sanctification.

Bishop John Mark Richardson Sr. California New Journey Jurisdiction, Church of God in Christ

Phrases like entire sanctification, full salvation, holiness, and second blessing of holiness reminds me of a personal call to which I respond in the affirmative. I applaud a clear call to awaken ourselves to the blessing and gift of entire sanctification and I celebrate not simply a link to a tradition of teaching but a real experience that does translate into hope and healing... from the uttermost to the uttermost.

General Brian Peddle The Salvation Army International, London, England, UK

Some years ago, I heard Kevin say that if we Methodists do not take the doctrine of entire sanctification seriously, we are guilty of taking up needless space in the body of Christ. This is our unique contribution to the world and perhaps now is exactly the time to champion this doctrine. The world has never been more in need of an outpouring of holy love. And how could perfect love not be the logical goal toward which all Christ-followers are headed? There is nothing in Scripture about arriving short of that goal.

Rev. Carolyn Moore, DMin, Founding Pastor Mosiac United Methodist Church, Evans, Georgia

In Perfect Love, Kevin Watson reclaims the centrality of this doctrine, which will deliver us simultaneously from mainline malaise as well as from generic evangelicalism, and restore this vital witness of the gospel. The genius of Watsons work is that he moves us from understanding sanctification as merely a crisis event to the deeper role Christian community plays in a process, including accountability bands and a necessary heightened view of our sinfulness. This book powerfully reminds us how far we have drifted from the apostolic Christianity of our origins, what Wesley called scriptural Christianity. I believe that the message of this book needs to be heard in fresh ways across the church and I applaud Watson for yet another landmark book in rebuilding our movement.

Timothy C. Tennent, PhD, President, Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, Kentucky

Perfect Love is a clarion call back to a core teaching of the Methodist movement. I moved through its pages with joy and wonder. The author reintroduces the doctrine of sanctification with brilliant clarity and great practical insight. Written to be used by anyone seeking to grow their faith in love, Perfect Love should become a foundational document for seminarians and Sunday school classes. This book will play a key part in the emergence of a new day for the Methodist movement alongside a rediscovery of class and band meetings.

Bishop Mike Lowry, Resident Bishop of the Central Texas Conference Fort Worth Episcopal Area, United Methodist Church

As Kevin Watson writes in Perfect Love, we hope with a holy desperation for the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Along with a clear description of John Wesleys understanding of holiness and practical advice on how to receive entire sanctification. Watsons book on recovering the doctrine and experience of entire sanctification is exactly what is needed for the church at this very moment.

Douglas M. Strong, PhD, Dean of the School of Theology Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, Washington

Kevin Watsons profound, practical, and passionate appeal to reclaim the formative elements of John Wesleys movement is powerfully informative and inspiring. As a part of the global Methodist family, I found myself convicted, challenged, and ultimately convinced of the importance of this call to return to our mission to spread scriptural holiness. May we expect, and, yes, experience, perfect love.

Bishop W. Darin Moore, The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Mid-Atlantic District and Immediate Past Chair of the National Council of Churches, USA, Largo, Maryland

Watsons book is a timely gift for the church universal. He reintroduces the grand depositum of early Methodismthe audacious and optimistic teaching that Christian faith is more than forgiveness of past sins and pardon. Here we are taken back to the rich doctrine of full salvation; that is, empowerment for holy living and freedom from the clutches of sin in the here and now. This is, indeed, the reason God raised up a people called Methodist. John Wesley himself would be well-pleased with Watsons book, which sounds much like Father John himself, who consistently calls us to go higher into Gods love.

Bill T. Arnold, PhD, Professor of Old Testament Interpretation Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, Kentucky

With passion, clarity, and focus Kevin Watson yearns for the broad Methodist movement to experience, preach, and claim an infusion of perfect loveholiness. Watsons scholarly grounding and pastoral focus remind me of salvationist Samuel L. Brengle. I will be recommending Perfect Love for the rest of my life.

Captain Dr. Andy Miller III, Area Commander and Pastor The Salvation Army, Tampa, Florida

We commend Kevin Watsons latest book, Perfect Love, to anyone who is a serious follower of Jesus Christ and especially to those of us who are heirs of the holiness movement. But be warned, this is not a book for the faint of heart! It is hard for us to imagine anyone reading Watsons unvarnished unpacking of Wesleys doctrine of entire sanctification and its vital role in fueling our movement without a profound awareness of how far we have drifted from the moorings of this key distinctive of Methodism. We are reminded of Wesleys prediction that if future Methodists were ever to stray from the doctrine, spirit, and disciplines of the pursuit of holiness, we would become a dead sect. May the Lord of the church use this book to revive us again!

Bishops Linda Adams, Keith Cowart, and Matt Whitehead Free Methodist Church USA

This timely book is a gift to the entire Methodist family of our blessed heritage of biblical truth. It inspires believers to rediscover the what, why, and how for transformation in the image of God by the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit. Kevin Watson, scripturally and historically, communicates the core belief of the doctrine and experience of entire sanctification. This book should be on the shelf of every Wesleyan leader and every Bible study/small group leader.

Dr. Nina Gunter, General Superintendent Emerita, Church of the Nazarene

Some of us have had to answer these questions: Are you going on to perfection? Do you expect to be made perfect in love in this lifetime? More of us have prayed multiple times to the God from whom no secrets are hidden that his Holy Spirit would cleanse the thoughts of our hearts so that we might perfectly love. All of us ought to read Kevin Watsons fine, accessible treatment on what it means to answer these questions, offer this prayer, and attend to the historical core of Wesleyanism.

Lester Ruth, PhD, Research Professor of Christian Worship Duke Divinity School, Durham, North Carolina

As I read Perfect Love my heart leapt within me. My imagination cannot grasp the enormous outpouring God would do in this generation and those to come if we recover entire sanctification. May it be so Lord!