The Church of the Nazarene teaches a two-stage ordo salutis (order of salvation) rooted in John Wesley's theology. The first stage is initial salvation: justification (forgiveness of sins) and regeneration (new birth) received through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. This is the entry point into the Christian life and is accomplished entirely by God's grace, not human merit.

The second stage is entire sanctification (also called 'perfect love' or the 'second blessing') — a crisis experience subsequent to conversion in which the Holy Spirit cleanses the heart of its sinful tendency (the 'inward sin' or 'carnal nature') and fills the believer with perfect love for God and neighbor. This does not mean sinless perfection in the sense of absolute freedom from any involuntary error or infirmity, but it does mean freedom from deliberate, known sin and from the root disposition of self-will opposed to God.

This doctrine is the theological distinctive of the Church of the Nazarene and the broader Wesleyan-Holiness tradition. It is grounded in Wesley's reading of texts like Matthew 5:48, 1 John 4:17-18, and Hebrews 10:14, and it shapes all aspects of Nazarene spirituality, preaching, and moral teaching. The denomination affirms that this experience of entire sanctification is available to all believers and is to be earnestly sought.