Sanctification and Baptism of the Holy Spirit Historically, the COG…

Sanctification and Baptism of the Holy Spirit

Historically, the COG was a ‘Holiness’ denomination. By that, I don’t mean believing in living holy or the people living holy, but holding a viewpoint that there is a one-time experience of sanctification after salvation.

In the US Pentecostal movement, most of the early leaders of the movement were Holiness in their doctrine or from Holiness backgrounds. This was true of the leaders from the emerging Pentecostal movements in the Southeast and Indiana, though it may not have been true of some of the smaller movements in the north that joined in the Pentecostal movement later.

Seymour at the Azusa Street Revival believed in being ‘saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost.’ Many of the Holiness Pentecostals saw it as steps. First you get saved. Then you get sanctified. Then you get filled with the Holy Ghost.

My question is what do those who believe in sanctification as a one-time event between getting saved and getting baptized with the Holy Ghost think about Pentecostals who don’t believe in sanctification as a one time event after salvation and before baptism with the Holy Ghost?

While I was thinking of this, Brother Melvin Harter said that Durham, who taught ‘finished work’ had been baptized with the Holy Ghost. To me, that seemed like an acknowledgement that he probably had a genuine experience.

So my question is, do you think that these people really had a one-time sanctification experience and didn’t know it? Or does the Lord baptize people with the Holy Spirit who haven’t been sanctified? Or something else?