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Arthur Vess
Arthur Vess, born circa 1895, died circa 1970, was an American preacher and author whose ministry within the Holiness movement emphasized sanctification, holy living, and bold scriptural preaching during the mid-20th century. Likely born in the rural South—possibly Tennessee or a neighboring state, given the Holiness movement’s strong foothold there—Vess emerged as a voice for uncompromising faith, though precise details of his early life, such as exact birth date and family background, remain elusive due to limited documentation. His work suggests a modest upbringing, steeped in evangelical Christianity, leading him to a calling as an itinerant preacher and writer focused on equipping believers and ministers alike. Vess’ ministry centered on delivering practical, no-nonsense sermons and writings, many preserved through platforms like RaptureReady.com and oChristian.com, including titles such as How To Preach And Teach Holiness and Youth’s Three Great Choices. He pastored and preached across Holiness churches, advocating for a life of prayer, discipline, and separation from worldly compromise—themes evident in his exhortations to preachers to “live what they preach” and maintain “secret contact with God” for effective ministry. His booklets, like The Bible on the Tongues Doctrine, tackled contentious issues within Pentecostalism, reflecting his engagement with theological debates of his era.
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Arthur Vess preaches on the necessity of purging the heart from sin before the Holy Ghost can dwell within. He emphasizes the importance of preaching holiness both negatively, by diagnosing the disease of sin, and positively, by focusing on the remedy of sanctification. Vess highlights the need to expose carnality, pride, and vanity before true humility and holiness can be attained. He stresses the transformation that occurs when we die to self and sin, allowing the fullness of God to fill us and the beauty of holiness to be revealed.
Preach Holiness Negatively and Positively
Preach Holiness negatively and positively: The heart must be purged from sin, before theHoly Ghost can come in. Only negative preaching diagnoses the disease of sin, but offers noremedy. Only positive preaching ignores the nature, then the fact of sin. We first become modern,then modernistic. Preaching it negatively, with a positive emphasis, is better than preaching itpositively with a negative emphasis. Compromise is the seed of modernism. You must exposecarnality before people become conscious of it and plead for deliverance from it. Pride and vanitymust go before humility can come. Before we can be filled with all the fullness of God, we must beemptied of all self and sin. Before the "Beauty of holiness can be seen in me" the foulness and filthof sin must go. We must not be conformed, but transformed. Before holiness can come in, sin mustgo out. The death route leads to life and peace. "The very God of peace sanctify you wholly." Inregeneration we die to the life of sin; in sanctification, we die to the nature of sin; in glorificationwe die to the presence and effects of sin in our bodies. Humiliation produces holy humility. Lordmake me meek and lowly, humble and holy. Death to sin produces the life of holiness. The churchand the world, God and the devil, sin and holiness have nothing in common, and neither can tolerate or co-operate with the other. So much of our modern holiness preaching is so shallow and neutral. Neutral means neither, and neither means nothing. Few preachers are willing to name and define sin, the world,the flesh or the devil. If you do not diagnose the case, the patient will not see the need of theremedy, and take it. When we get sin out, the Holy Ghost comes in. We do not have to beg orpersuade God to save or sanctify us, but let Him do it, at His own right terms.
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Arthur Vess, born circa 1895, died circa 1970, was an American preacher and author whose ministry within the Holiness movement emphasized sanctification, holy living, and bold scriptural preaching during the mid-20th century. Likely born in the rural South—possibly Tennessee or a neighboring state, given the Holiness movement’s strong foothold there—Vess emerged as a voice for uncompromising faith, though precise details of his early life, such as exact birth date and family background, remain elusive due to limited documentation. His work suggests a modest upbringing, steeped in evangelical Christianity, leading him to a calling as an itinerant preacher and writer focused on equipping believers and ministers alike. Vess’ ministry centered on delivering practical, no-nonsense sermons and writings, many preserved through platforms like RaptureReady.com and oChristian.com, including titles such as How To Preach And Teach Holiness and Youth’s Three Great Choices. He pastored and preached across Holiness churches, advocating for a life of prayer, discipline, and separation from worldly compromise—themes evident in his exhortations to preachers to “live what they preach” and maintain “secret contact with God” for effective ministry. His booklets, like The Bible on the Tongues Doctrine, tackled contentious issues within Pentecostalism, reflecting his engagement with theological debates of his era.