Question 38 · Salvation

Can a Christian become fully holy in this life?

What the sources show

Clement of Alexandria c. 200 · Augustine of Hippo c. 412–c. 415 · Pelagius (quoted by Augustine) c. 416

Clement of Alexandria doubted that anyone but Christ is perfect in everything while still human. Augustine, against Pelagius, said the same: sinlessness is possible by grace, but no one but Christ has had it. ¹²³⁴

Westminster Assembly 1646 · Catechism of the Catholic Church 1992Not in this life

Reformed and Catholic teaching both place full holiness after this life: at death, or through purification after death. ⁶⁸

John Wesley 1765 · Church of the Nazarene 2023Yes, in this life

Wesley taught that "perfect love", entire sanctification, can be received in this life by faith. The Holiness churches made it an article of faith. ⁷⁹

The answers given:

ApostolicBefore NicaeaNicaea and afterMiddle AgesReformation to today

Scroll through the centuries, or tap a dot. J K move between witnesses.

Before Nicaea

150–325

200c. AD

Not in this life

Clement of Alexandria c. 150–c. 215 ADStromata 4.21.130

One is made perfect as devout, as patient, as self-controlled, as a worker, as a martyr, as one who knows God. But perfect in all of them together, I do not know if any human being is, while still human, except only the one who put on humanity for our sake.

Clement also describes the mature Christian, his "true gnostic", as free from passion and perfect (Stromata 7).

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Nicaea to Chalcedon

325–451

412c. AD

Not in this lifeIndirect: does not say it outright

Augustine of Hippo 354–430 ADOn the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins 2.6.7

Those who say that a person can be without sin in this life should not be opposed at once with careless rashness. For if we deny that it can be, we will take away from both the free choice of man, who wills it, and the power or mercy of God, who brings it about by his help. But it is one question whether it can be, another whether it is.

Augustine grants it is possible by grace, but denies that anyone but Christ has done it.

Full English of this work is being translated

415c. AD

Not in this life

Augustine of Hippo 354–430 ADOn the Perfection of Human Righteousness 11.24

But it is one thing to be without sin, which in this life is said of the Only-begotten alone; another to be without blame, which could be said of many righteous people even in this life.

Augustine answers Caelestius, Pelagius's disciple. 1 John 1:8 was his constant text: "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves."

Full English of this work is being translated

416c. AD

Yes, in this life

Pelagius (quoted by Augustine) c. 354–c. 418 ADLetter, quoted in Augustine, On the Proceedings of Pelagius 30.54

By the judgment of fourteen bishops our definition was approved, in which we said that a person can be without sin and easily keep God's commandments, if he wishes.

For Pelagius, sinlessness is possible by our own will, with the help God gives in nature and teaching.

Full English of this work is being translated

418c. AD

Not in this life

Council of CarthageCanons against the Pelagians Canons 6 and 7

It was also resolved: as Saint John the apostle says, 'If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us' (1 John 1:8); whoever thinks this should be taken to mean that we ought to say we have sin out of humility, and not because it is truly so, let him be anathema. ... It was also resolved: whoever says that in the Lord's Prayer the saints say 'Forgive us our debts' (Matthew 6:12) not for themselves, because this petition is no longer necessary for them, but for the other sinners among their people, let him be anathema.

Carthage (418), canons 6 and 7 of the anti-Pelagian decrees: even the saints pray 'forgive us' for themselves, because even the saints still sin.

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Reformation

1500–1700

1646AD

Not in this life

Westminster AssemblyWestminster Confession of Faith 13.2

This sanctification is throughout, in the whole man; yet imperfect in this life, there abiding still some remnants of corruption in every part

The Reformed view: holiness grows, but sin remains until death.

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Modern churches

1700–today

1765AD

Yes, in this life

John Wesley 1703–1791 ADThe Scripture Way of Salvation 3.9

It is thus that we wait for entire sanctification, for a full salvation from all our sins, from pride, self-will, anger, unbelief; or, as the apostle expresses it, go on to perfection. But what is perfection? The word has various senses: here it means, perfect love. It is love excluding sin: love filling the heart, taking up the whole capacity of the soul.

Wesley taught that perfect love can be given in this life, by faith. He did not mean freedom from all mistakes or weakness.

1992AD

Not in this life

Catechism of the Catholic ChurchCatechism of the Catholic Church 1030

All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.

The Catholic view: those not yet fully purified at death are made holy after death (purgatory).

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2023AD

Yes, in this life

Church of the NazareneArticles of Faith Article X

We believe that entire sanctification is that act of God, subsequent to regeneration, by which believers are made free from original sin, or depravity

The Holiness churches that grew from Methodism.

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Witnesses not in the library yet

These writers also matter for this question. Their texts will join the timeline above once they are translated.

390
Macarius (Symeon), Fifty Spiritual Homilies
The Eastern monastic source Wesley admired.
415
Jerome, Dialogue against the Pelagians
Jerome's case against sinlessness in this life.

How this page was made

Every early quote was read in its Greek or Latin and translated for this page by Claude (Opus 5.5) on 13 October 2026. Each line names the printed edition it was read from. A quote marked indirect does not state the answer outright; read its note. A writer's silence is never counted as an answer.