Rev. Samuel Flores
District Superintendent
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The Root of the Problem
I was on the plane and my fellow traveler seemed eager to engage in conversations about a varied number of topics. The questions that tend to be asked most often are about what I do and what my church beliefs are. These questions were asked and yet, I wanted to share about the miracle that God did in healing me from a blood infection that led to open-heart surgery to replace two heart valves. I wanted to share how God intervened during surgery and miraculously healed me.
It seems like recently all I want to share is how God has healed me. I somehow weave my testimony into sermons, conversations, and even my District Superintendent’s Report to the Assembly. I guess when one knows what God has done in our lives, especially something so wonderful and powerful that it extends life, the response of joy and gratitude produces a strong desire to share.
My fellow passenger was a believer of a different denomination and after I answered what I do, trying to explain my role and duties in the Church of the Nazarene, he asked, what beliefs the Church of the Nazarene has that are distinctive from others.
As a district superintendent, one of my duties is to teach and guard our doctrinal and theological positions, especially our understanding of being entirely sanctified. I love the expression that is written in the Nazarene Manual expressing entire sanctification.
“We believe that entire sanctification is that act of God, subsequent to regeneration, by which believers are made free from original sin, or depravity, and brought into a state of entire devotement to God, and the holy obedience of love made perfect. It is wrought by the baptism with or infilling of the Holy Spirit, and comprehends in one experience the cleansing of the heart from sin and the abiding, indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, empowering the believer for life and service.”
-Taken from the Church of the Nazarene’s Articles of Faith - Article X. Christian Holiness and Entire Sanctification
This experience continues to be our message and distinction.
As I sat on the plane, the thoughts of how I was to explain to my fellow traveler what our church believes concerning entire sanctification without taking out the Manual became clear. This is what I shared.
I recently had heart surgery due to a blood infection. Prior to the surgery, I was very ill. The doctors needed to try to find a way of cleansing the blood. A PICC line was placed that was providing antibiotics into the body and close to my heart. The antibiotics were effective and started to clean my blood. However, the doctors discovered that the bacteria had begun to vegetate or take root in my heart valves.
One of the heart valves had a slight birth defect that was a weak area and although not life-threatening in itself, when bad bacteria enters the body, it could create problems as it did in me. This would mean that even though infected bacteria was being killed by the antibiotics and the blood was then becoming pure, as soon as that treated blood would go through the vegetated area where infected bacteria had taken root in the heart valve, it would get reinfected. This condition would eventually lead to death.
The Church of the Nazarene believes that Jesus saves and forgives us from all our sins. Yet, there are circumstances in life that cause us to doubt or become weak in our faith and we struggle in our Christian walk. Temptations are too much. Life’s pressures and circumstances overwhelm us and we at times struggle in staying true to our commitment to Christ. We struggle to live a victorious Christian life.
The salvation experience is like my infected blood that was treated with antibiotics. The antibiotics kill the bad bacteria just like Jesus eliminates sin in our lives. Yet there is another issue that needs to be dealt with. Within my physical body was the root of the problem in my heart that had the propensity of reinfecting me. In the spiritual life it is the root of original sin or the sin of Adam, that needs to be dealt with that will have a propensity to lead us to commit actual personal sins, which is spiritual death. This original sin is the defect that we are all born with, in our hearts.
In my physical body, until the surgeon came in and removed my original heart valves and replaced them, I would still be fighting blood infections. In our spiritual life, until God’s surgeon, the Holy Spirit, comes and deals with the original sin, we will always be struggling with our ability to live an empowered and victorious Christian walk. When the Holy Spirit infills our heart, that’s what we call being entirely sanctified. Entirely sanctified doesn’t mean that we can’t fall unto temptation and sin, just as much as it doesn’t mean that I can’t get physically sick because I have been operated on. What it means in our spiritual life is that we are now stronger by the power of the Holy Spirit to fight off temptation and sin, just like my body is now able to fight off the bacteria that can cause sickness and damage. In our spiritual life, it means that we have a pure heart that has been treated with the blood of Christ and has been renewed by the Holy Spirit and infilled with love for God and others. This is what being Sanctified Holy means in the Church of the Nazarene.
There used to be a time when people were compelled to share what God had done in their lives. Some might remember the services that included testimony time. There were moments when these testimonies turned into Bible lessons and sometimes unproductive use of service time. We all remember the well-intentioned, yet inappropriate or “rabbit-chasing” stories that led to nothing more than storytelling and sometimes embarrassment. However, many of the testimonies began with a phrase that is heard less and less these days, a phrase that was similar to this: “I thank God that Christ is my Savior and that the Holy Spirit has sanctified me whole.”
Maybe it’s time to tell our testimony of salvation and sanctification. Share what it means to be sanctified and made Holy. Hebrews 12:14 says; “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; for we know that without holiness no one will see the Lord.”
Serving God by serving you,
Pastor Sam Flores
South Carolina District Superintendent
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Pastor Pedro & Lady Ospina
Lluvia de Vida
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Pastor Michael & Susan Blankenship
Retired
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SC District IMPACT Team
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Columbia First VBS
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Pastor Will Harvey
Myrtle Beach - The Connection
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Pastor Bill Wojtkowski
Charleston Iglesia
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Pastor Javes Munoz
Disciples Church
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Ordinands
SC District Assembly 2022
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PRAYER REQUESTS
- Quizzing Events
- Primetime Event
- Deputation Tour & Children's Mission Fair
- PK Retreat
- The Step: Work & Witness Trip
- Rev. Henry Adams (Great Falls) seeing specialist in October to determine cause of reduced kidney function
- Mika Parrish, spouse of Rev. Jon Parrish (Chester), recovering following appendectomy surgery
- Judson Pressley, grandson of Rev. Greg Pressley (Sumter First), undergoing treatments
- Several pastors and members struggling with Covid-19
- Churches going through transitions
- The ongoing situation in Ukraine
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The Gathering 2022
SC District Assembly & Conventions
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Click the image for photos & videos from this year's Assembly & Conventions.
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Reconciliation Ministries Church of the Nazarene Launch Sunday
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Launch Sunday Baptisms!
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Pastors' Prayer & Training Retreat
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New Pastors Welcomed to the
SC District in August
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Pastor Eric Nahass (Samantha)
Columbia First
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Pastor Rod Walley (Jessica)
Charleston Calvary
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SC District Missions & Outreach
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