1

Summary 1: What are major influences on Wesleyʼs life and thought?

John Wesley was a man who had many influences. While some peoples

influences start at young adulthood, or maybe even adolescence, Mr. Wesleyʼs began

almost the moment he was cognizant. Tracing the formational influences will begin at

his early life and continue into the time period of Aldersgate.

The basic place to look at influence will be with Samuel and Susanna Wesley.

Inside of both families tradition is a commitment to faith. In lockstep with this, is the

definition of principles and the ability to stay alongside them. The other pillar of the

Wesley family was the highly disciplined life Susanna laid for the children. Although

John was out of the house at 10, this systematized lifestyle was a key influence in his

young adulthood as he was in the process of understand grace, assurance and Real

Christianity. These two foundations mark the beginning of who John Wesley was and

how he was highly influenced in his personal life towards theological formation.

When we look at the young life of Wesley, one can imagine him carrying books

around. John availed himself to the classic devotional writing of his time. While

thoroughly Anglican his entire life, he took and read from a variety of Christian traditions.

Some of the more famous would be Lawʼs A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life and

AʼKempis The Imitation of Christ. Jeremy Taylor also added to Wesleyʼs library with

Rule and Exercises of Holy Living and Holy Dying. This time period shows that John

was attempting to plumb the depths of what other Christians have written about the

search for authentic and scriptural faith.

Alongside his devotional reading, the idea of Christian Council was very

important to Wesley. With the oxford Holy Club and various societies present within
2

Anglicanism, John spent time with others in a quest towards faith. Also, he kept a

practice of letters between many friends, conversing and advising upon spiritual matters

his entire life.

While Anglican (and probably because he was Anglican), John Wesley read the

Church. He was adept at the Patristic Fathers, and differentiated between early eastern

fathers and the Eastern Orthodox Church. He read AʼKempis and other Catholic

writers. The various streams of Protestant and Reformed thought were part of his

ammunition as well. Wesley was a read man.

A group of people were highly influential on Wesley especially in his latter quest.

While en-route to Georgia, Wesley came to know the Moravians. This group of people

(especially Peter Bohler) would be very influential on Wesley both theological and

methodically. Many of the ideas of the Methodist class and society system were taken

from the Pietists, as well as the ideas for assurance, sin and grace.

Finally Mr. Wesley was influenced most of all by the scriptures. He read in both

the original languages and English. To him, scripture must be the singular context for all

theology. Nothing was possible if it wasnʼt self-evident in the scripture, and he knew

them well enough to use them at all times.

After our first week of reading on Wesley and his theological history, I feel a

different viewpoint of Mr. Wesley entirely. I think that he was the type of person that

availed himself to nothing wasteful, and pursued God consistently with the people of the

Church always in front of him.

3

Inside of his life, ideas and ministry are many things that have great implications

to us today! Just as then, we are living in a time where religion has become modified

with various human systems and organizations. For anyone who feels called to go into

a pastoral vocation, regardless of theological persuasion, John Wesley is someone that

needs to be in your playbook.

He can be viewed as an organizer as well as a theologian. In our times, this idea

of antinomianism as well as the idea of “cheap grace” that renders the gospel ineffectual

is rampant. Where we can attempt to stay within our own confines, Mr. Wesley took his

message to the people who needed it the most and appealed to their senses by

entering their domain. Instead of strengthening existing church structures, how can we

as present days Wesleyans take the advice of our founder and preach a lavish grace

that justifies man completely and leads him on towards holiness? We do this by

breaking systems while staying within the boundaries that have brought us to

faith...much like Wesley.

Mr. Wesley also was consistently thinking, not taking ideas for granted nor

allowing them to go ahead undeveloped. He didnʼt turn off his education when he left

Oxford, but always continued and constantly applied it to the pastoral circumstances

that were in front of him every day.

I think this quick glance of Wesley in this weeks reading gave a coherent look at

him and his theological background, especially in terms of setting the boundaries for the

semester.
4

Summary 2 on Wesleyʼs Doctrine of Faith

To many know, faith is a simple descriptor of a religious belief. The word is

thrown around, and noting is thought of it. We also have faith that the mail will be

delieverd and that we will be payed every two weeks. To John Wesley, faith was

something much bigger than a rational belief in something was assumed. For certain,

Mr. Wesley would not throw around such a term.

Faith at itʼs most basic undercurrent is the unique Protestant understanding of

“justification by faith”, meaning that the acceptance of the grace of God is what causes

salvation. This is set in opposition to what the Reformers believed to be “works

righteousness”. To Wesley, faith is a response of man to God...but all the the salvific

action belongs to God. There is a component of human response, but it in no way is

participating in the operations of salvation. In relation to the modern Anglican systems

of the time, faith is larger than a moral system. Faith does not equal the belief in a

rational idea of the existence of God. The devil believes in God, and belief does not

equal to faith. The Devil is scare of the true message of faith.

To Wesley, this was part of his theological development. For years he felt that he

had the faith of a servant. He had a rational idea of who God was and enough of a bent

to follow in a pious lifestyle. Some of this type of life is outlined in his sermon “The

Almost Christian”, in which one has all the trappings of faith but not the power. It was

his time spent with the Moravians that helped him start to understand faith as an internal

reality. The love of God is a primary importance. Faith is an awakening and a call to

holiness.
5

Part of Wesleyʼs unique understanding of faith is how he places works. While

many in the Reformation camp avoided the discussion of works, Wesley understood

them to be important. Part of the characteristic of his previous life of faith was an

extreme form of piety that centered around holy acts. After coming to the faith of a

child, bound inside the loving arms of the Father, works still played an important part of

faith. Not only did he continue to engage the Anglican sensibility of human

responsibility, but works found their way into his new view of faith.

After justification, works showed the true heart of a believer. Before this, any

“good” works done were worthless and did not have the ability to be righteous. Now

works show the fruit of the spirit. While faith is larger than a system of moral standards,

because of the enlivened sense of the law, we are no able to do holy things. Works

arenʼt doing anything to rid the soul of original sin, but they are serving as a marker for

redemption.

To Wesley faith also interacted with the view of sin. While in the reformed sense

sin was still in the body, and did not have much bearing, he instead believed that in faith

the guilt of sin is destroyed. Faith also enabled the idea that habitual sin reigned no

longer. Another marker of faith is that the Christian does not sin...Christian perfection is

the example of the renewed soul and person. The goodness of God has led them to a

sincere heart that is free from sin.

Faith awakens us from the sleep of death. Faith opens our hearts in ways taht

they have never been opened before and allows us the type of life that we have

forgotten about. This moment of faith drastically changes the way that we are oriented.
6

It is an enabling belief that means something has happened, and they key place of

happening is the heart.

I appreciate Wesley for how these basic thoughts stay throughout his ministry.

He never feels the need to really change them that much because this message is

simple enough for evangelism, but fascinating enough to occupy the heart and soul for

the rest of temporal life. The topic of faith invites a systematic investigation of real, true

Christian change. This isnʼt just an outward system of belief that makes a person feel

good, but a drastically different life change that is noticeable in many different areas.

I think this is practical in how it speaks to people who are disatisfied with how life

is now. In moments of belief, there is a seeking characteristic that needs to be brought

out. Perhaps if we realize that there is something the person is not happy with, that

something is missing and that faith is part of the fullness of life they are seeking?

I think that Wesley also has a very biblical definition of what faith does, not just is.

Faith is the power of the Holy Spirit, and this power means dramatic life change. This

isnʼt just a form of Godliness but the embodiment of Jesus Christ in the person. I think

that Wesleyʼs doctrine of faith enforms everything else very well and is the starting point

to understand how Wesley does theology.

Maybe it is because he had a drastic conversation experience that isnʼt climactic,

but it was a journey? Maybe it is because of his highly systematic background? I think

that we can look at it in a variety of ways, but faith is still the crucial point in beginning

Wesleyan theology.
7

Introduction: John Wesleyʼs practical Divinity: A

theology of Holy Love.
• Outlers call to examine Wesley and the category of Folk Theologian
• no academic or political base
• Outler slowly started understanding Wesley in terms of contemporary theology

John Wesley as a Practical Theologian

• Wesley used the term “practical divinity” more than anything else.
• experience played a large part in the exercise of divinity
• deep scriptural orientation

The style of Wesleyʼs Practical Divinity

• Wesley is a soteriological focused theologian, and his axial theme is worked out in his
order of salvation.
• Anglican in sensibility-exercising the via media
• outler calls it a third alternative to Pelagian optimism and Augustinian pessimism
• very diverse and eclectic
• conjunctive theologian-fascinated with the both/and

The Axial Theme of Wesleyʼs Practical Theology

• Doesnʼt agree with Outlers idea that Wesley constitutes his own method.
• Outler suggests that grace is the axial theme-maddox suggests responisble grace as
the lodestar.
• These two motives donʼt encompass the diversity of Wesley

The Axial Theme of Holiness and Grace

• The orienting concern was grace AND holiness-set in the tension offree/Co-operant

Holiness as Holy Love: the First half of the axial theme

• holiness as the end goal but elements of holy love throughout life.contemporary
definitions of holiness donʼt actually fit within what Wesley would agree with.
• holiness and love represent two distinct qualities and classes of words. one is
indirectly relational while the other is direct.
• holiness expresses qualitative design that reveals the integrity and beauty of the
relations of love.
• without this...holiness will be defined by human standards as self-will, sentimentality or
what humans judge to be good.
• move of separation, for the sake of purity.
• no christian holiness can exist without the love of God for its foundation.
• holiness (or justification) cannot be understood apart from the outgoing love of God
that ever seeks fellowship. If it does, it will become a brick and mortar human religion.
8

Law and Grace

• the conjunctive themes of Law and Grace function as a subsidiary.\
• kept grace within the boundaries of moral law and the place of the law inside the
scriptural idea of God.grace is normed and practiced within the moral law of God-a
standard that transcends human will and desire.
• obedience to the moral law is what allows us to continue in the rich grace of
God.obedience to God doesnʼt establish the Christian life (ie justification), but it is a
necessary fruit of that faith that both justifies and regenerates.

Grace: the Other half of the Axial Theme

• grace is conjunctive as well-see chart on pg. 12

Work of God Alone/Synergism

• grace is totally dependent on God-but a co-operant idea.

Favor/Empowerment
• issue of divine favor and empowerment underneath Wesleys broad conception of
grace.
• grace shows divine favor-and it lavishes good will and favor.
• grace is the power of the Holy Ghost-giving the Christian the participation inside the
larger economy of God.

Receiving/Responding
• Wesleyʼs theology canʼt fit into a particular paradigm.
• wesley keeps regeneration in the forefront. Salvation becomes
synergistic...cooperating between God and humans.
• All the while...the emphasis is thoroughly Protestant by insisting on God alone.

Instantaneous/Process
• the order of salvation is key-showing the forgiveness of God and the path to holiness.
• broadly, sanctification is both instant and process.
• blend of RCC and Protestant
9

Notes From John Wesley: A Theological Journey-

CH.1 The Puritan and Anglican Heritage

1. Explain the Puritan/Dissent controversy-
Fueled from within the Church of England, the puritan movement object to the Act of
Uniformity and The book of common prayer. This was part of the general consensus
that the English Reformation was still to Roman. The general term for this people
where the dissenters. Much of the tension went back and forth between the
Presbyterians and the supporters of a state Church of England.

I. The Maternal Legacy

• Wesleyʼs childhood was marked by a heritage of dissent as well as Anglicanism.
• Susanna Wesleyʼs Puritian upbringings (by her father Dr. Annesley) was highly
influential upon her personal piety-practical divinity, and was shown to her children.
• scripture reading and meditation as a means of grace for both Susanna and Samuel
Wesley
• strict bylaws that enforced a systematic and rhythmic way of life. Focus on breaking
the will. This followed to Wesleyʼs later sermons against “pride, self-will and love of
the world.”
• the rectory fire, John being “a brand plucked from the burning.” Susanna recognized
him as a special child. During the interim, when the children were split, they learned
habits that were against her style of upbringing. Upon the completion of the new
rectory, she established reform.
• After the fire, Susanna experienced a spiritual renewal. Her education allowed her to
read and ruminate over many classic devotional texts. Upon Samuelʼs leave to
convocation-she established house services when the Curate proved an unsuccessful
pastor. Samuel asked her to stop-but she appealed to the judgment seat of Christ for
a theological reason to stop her “kitchen” meetings.

II. The Paternal Legacy

• Samuel Wesley also come from a long line of dissent. Multiple g-fathers where part of
the legacy of pulpit ministry,scholasticism, and the non-conformity issue within the
Church of England.
• During Samuelʼs outstanding non-conformist education, he actually began to
understand the Anglican critique of dissent. Non-tolerance frustrated him.
• participated in the “societies” movement. They issued a call to a Godly and Holy life.
They believed in many of the systematic beliefs John held; high view of scripture, high
church piety, devotional literature, high standard of morals held in relation to the plight
of the poor.
• evidence shows that John was familiar with the substance of these pietistic circles and
their design to foster holiness of heart and life-as well as the benefit of spiritual
community.
10

III. John Wesleyʼs Early Life.

• Wesley was highly influenced by his parents life-but was also admitted into a boarding
school (a former monastary) at the age of 10. His homelife was short lived.
• In school, Wesley developed a works based religion.(pg. 26). It was a conventional
religion and his conscience was easily put aside. He wasnʼt satisfied.
• John struggled with finances at Christ Church:Oxford. Susanna comforted him in his
distress. Also-he availed himself to the senses and recreation.
• His concern for discipline, prompted in his youth, came after he left Christ Church.
The puritan heritage and anglican sensibilities.

Chapter 2. The End of Religion

The Encouragement towards Orders
• Susanna encouraged John to take orders, as well as a personal self-examination
regarding a repentant heart. She stressed a practical divinity.
• Samuel felt that John might be rushing into it, and Susanna confided towards their
disagreement with John
• Samuels heart changed quickly and he felt that John should enter in teh summer. He
stressed worship, service, and salvation and charity towards neighbor.
• John also had a “religious” friend that helped him in his decision. Wesley had a time
of trial with Continental religion-but this friend helped him through the issues.

I. aʼKempis and Taylor

• enjoyed the writings of The Imitation of Christ as well as time with the brethern of
common life, who stressed the inner life of the soul and imitating Christ by loving ones
neighbor.
• through a Kempis John saw the nature and extent of inward religion for the first time.
• Wesley also read Holy Live and Holy Dying by Taylor. It too was a simple effort of
purity and dedication to God.
• started Wesleys thoughts on assurance.
• through these readings in 1725 Wesley understood that holiness is the end goal of
Religion. Not just external works, but an internal transformation towards the will of
God.
• wasnʼt content and wanted a move towards God.

II. Wesleyʼs early understanding of faith.

• Wesley struggled with rationalizing holiness upon Enlightenment standards of
measure. Susanna helped him through this.
• Three areas of ascent,trust and a spiritual sense.

III. Developments at Oxford

• focused on resolutions towards holiness; where he had recently fallen
• developed a very focused drive towards scholasticism and succeeded at Lincoln.
11

• idea of a “whole” Christian, rather than a “half” and Wesleys attempts to convert his
friends

IV. William Law

• left oxford to serve as his fathers curate at epworth.
• 3 lessons from reading Lawʼs Christian Perfection and A serious call to a devout and
holy life.
• extensiveness of the moral law
• giving all to God
• strong ascetic bent
• end goal of religion (from reading kempis, taylor and law) was sanctification-loving
God and neighbor in all sincerity and devotion and with suitable affection.
• a very Western instead of Eastern bent. anglican sensibilities together with western
catholic thought.

V. The First Rise of Methodism: Oxford

• Charles at Christ Church. Availing himself to the sacraments while John was assisting
his father in Epworth. John was ordained a priest by now.
• beginnings of Holy Club. sacraments, scripture, scholasticism and conversation...all
done in community.
• First “methodists” is fairly disputed (title), but it was a substantial group of men at
Christ Church. Through this group, the wesleys became well versed in patristic
thought...not just Anglicanism.
• visited prisons and watched income in order to greater serve the poor.
• the narrow way-people of one book.
• came under attack as to serious. William Morgan died, some said of to much fasting.
• John was in constant conflict with Morgans father and brother because of his rule of
life and views of an entire life devoted to God.
• The methods of classes and societies werenʼt nececessary to the developments of the
ideas of sanctification-these happened earlier that 1729.

VI. The Circumcision of the Heart

• circumcision of the heart. One of the most well crafted theological sermons at Oxford.
Circumcision of the heart is another way of describing Christian Perfection.
• importance of inward religion as well as the necessity of right tempers and disposition
of the heart.

VII. Epworth Living

• due to age, Samuel Wesley asked John to take over duties at Oxford.
• Johns response was the Oxford was best for his holiness. his family accuses him of
only watching after self-interest, but that implodes. His argument doesnʼt change.

Chapter 3. Georgia
12

• took his fathers book on Job to the queen. She remarked how pretty it was and went
back to “play”.
• at this time Wesley was approached to go to georgia. Susanna supported him in this
decision.
• Part of his reasoning to go was that his holiness can be better supported in Georgia
than England and he hoped preaching to the heathen would provide the fullest inward
measure of grace-salvation. he felt this would be a pious task.

I. The Voyage to Georgia

• fixed himself and traveling companions to a fixed, ascetic diet.
• practicied a very systematic life onboard, filled with prayer, reading and study.
• went through a period of storms. The Moravians on board showed a confidence of life
among the men, women AND children. They were not afraid of death-as John was.

II. The Fear of Death as a Test of Christian Experience.

• the fear of death illuminated Wesleys soteriological experience.
• He felt it was a healthy fear for those who are holy....it sustains and preserves life.
• distinguished between fear of death and the fear of involved physical pain.
• the fear of death is also attached to the spirit of bondage.
• the idea of legal faith is always attached to bondage, the fear of death and the idea
that heaven might not come. this cannot be justifying faith.

III. The Second Rise of Methodism: The Georgia Experience

• in the transition to Georgia-John lived among the moravians and it showed him the
day to day behavior of the group.
• his conversations with Spangenberg showed him that he lacked the assurance of the
Holy Spirit that he was a child of God.

IV. The Salzburgers

• his society also sponsered a different German pietist group.
• focus was vital faith, inner experience, and religious commitment.
• Arndtʼs True Christianity; three focui-soteriological thrust, emphases on Genuine
Christianity as embracing inward life, instead of formal or external religion and 3rd its
irenic aim and tone (clear demonstration of a holy life).
• liked moravians more because of their episcopal status (had bishops) and claims to
Apostolic sucession.

V. Wesleyʼs pastoral style at savannah and Frederica

• wesley was attacked by his strict anglicanism (didnʼt like dissenters) and was accused
to be a papist in disguise.
• Charles left after being accused of Scandal. John started societies at Savannah, but
they didnʼt fare well at Frederica.
• Used hymns in savannah-translated from Moravian texts.
• continued to describe his life as cheerful-although others had else to say.
13

VI. The Sophia Hopkey Relationship

• the relationship with Hopkey was encouraged by Oglethorpe. He thought it would be
good for her.
• Wesley struck up rules and regulations for his dealings with her, and she as well
played with his mind. The two were attached, but both struggled. Wesley was
adament with his desires to minister to the Indians.
• she ultimately took anothers hand, while waiting for wesleyʼs response...she married
someone else.
• he instead described her as the opposite of holy, and in turn withheld the Supper from
her.
• He left after being tried and found guilty.

VII. The Return Home

• in the trip home, Wesley was again scared for his soul during storms. he wanted
serenity in life and in death.
• In the end, Wesley realized he had lived 2 lives...and his hopes for Georgia to be the
saving grace were the opposite. he had to find other means to actualize holy love.

Chapter 4: Aldersgate
• When Wesley left and Whitefield arrived, there was already a sense of revival in the
colonies.
• Wesley sensed that his trip to America had failed to convert him, as he hoped it would.
• the journey was reflected upon many times as Wesley and others tried to naile down
the idea of a servants faith and a sons faith.
• Wesley was wanting the assurance that his sins were forgiven, and ultimately he didnʼt
feel that.

I. Peter Bohler
• bohler came from Hernhut and his mentors were those who had previously impressed
Wesley.
• Wesley was still motivated by resolution, the tightening of the will.
• full Christian salvation is equated to Wesleys idea of “real christianity”.
• Bohler focused on the nature of faith, and not in the systematics of holiness. That faith
is instant, and the merits of faith are holiness. Wesley searched his GNT and slowing
came to the understanding of the idea of instantaneous faith. Faith brings about a
qualitative change.
• started a new society on Fetter lane with charles. Wesley called it the third rise of
Methodism. It valued a clear and honest speaking of the heart and was modeled after
Moravian systems.
• Bohler and the sin on unbelief-he pushed Wesley hard.

II. William Law

• Wesley asked Law why he had never explained that faith is a free gift of God. It was
the nature of faith (as Bohler speaks) that was the issue with Law.
14

• Wesley said he didnʼt have the spiritual sensibility to realize that Wesley didnʼt have
saving faith.
• faith as speculative vs. faith as living and justifying.

III. Aldersgate
• It was while Charles was bed-ridden that he came to saving faith...known not through
intellect, but through the tempers and affections.
• Wesley himself had a similar pattern that he felt was divine guidance, culminating in
his Aldersgate experience.
• Inside these experiences, assurance happened...but more than anything else freedom
from Sin. Wesley recognized that his time in Georgia was full of his attempts of
justification under the law.
• Unbelief was considered the chief sin-the issue that really brought Wesley to faith.
• assurance is part of regeneration, being redeemed from the law of sin and death. It
isnʼt just something that warms the heart-but transforms the soul

IV. Wesleyʼs Western Theological Orientation

• Wesley had a very distinct Western theological focus regarding regeneration and
justification. It wasnʼt present in Eastern or RCC circles.
• justification changes the relation to God such that sinners are restored to the divine
favor. God does something for us in justification. It happens in us. It is God that
justifys.
• regeneration changes the inward nature of people such that they are restored, in part,
to the image of God. THis only happens after justification.
• The process of sanctification does not precede justification. WE CANʼT do anything to
hurry this along. The separation of these two doctrines shows Wesley and his basic
protestant principles.
• the grace of God also functions in two ways; the favor of God and his power or
enabling presence.
• holiness is manifest not by works, resolve or human will (no matter how sincere) but
simply as a result of divine graciousness and favor. It happens because of justification.
Grace alone. Faith is the condition and the only condition of sanctification. exactly as it
is of justification.
• Through this, Wesley stayed away from antinomianism by making the distinction that
we are still sinners and just covered by grace. Justifying grace is given through the
atonement-and the latter grace (holiness) believers actually become holy because of
divine favor and the presence of Christ.

V. Salvation by Faith
• Wesleys previous faith wasnʼt fixed on Christ (the proper object) but in “God”.
• faith in Christ isnʼt just rational, but must involve the heart and mind. it is a both/and
• faith requires the merit of Christs death, as well as the necessity. The death of Christ
is the only sufficient means for redeeming humanity and the resurrection as the
remedy for restoration.
• a rational faith is a faith of a devil and heathen.
15

• salvation is a present act-that entails nothing less than the redemption from sin here
and now.
• Wesley struggled with the Moravian idea that sin would be abolished from the hearts.
Instead he gradually understood Sanctification as freedom from the power of Sin. The
desires of man are shifted towards God.

VI. Herrnhut
• After Aldersgate, Wesley wanted to be around the Moravians more-so he went to their
center. His reception was interesting, they withheld communion from him.
• Learned much about freedom from inward and outward sin.
• He was still unreasonable about the fruits of justification and purity. Sin still arose.
• Michael Linner complicated things by saying that full assurance (no doubts and fears)
should instantaneously accompany justification by faith.
• two issues with moravians-the confusing doctrine of NO habitation for sin as well as
insisting that full assurance comes with justification frustrated Wesley after Aldersgate.

VII. Back to England

• Wesley felt that the Moravians still led a life of excess.
• Wesley began to inquire as to the official Church of England doctrine of justification.
• Wesley wanted to work through his new faith within the Anglican system.
• justification doesnʼt deliver from the being of sin, but the power or dominion.

VIII. Field Preaching

• Wesley was excited to have Whitefield back-they were close. He was probably a
better preacher.
• Whitefield convinced Wesley that field preaching was better. He could save more
souls outside and since Wesley have been thrown out of so many churches it was a
good option.
• his first methods and sermons he was preaching freedom from the bondage and
dominion of sin.
• The fact that whitefield was a calvinist bothered Wesley and he hoped it wouldnʼt
interfere with their friendship. Wesleys message of free grace would be troubling to
him.
• He decided to preach free grace, and almost immediately the two were split.
• field preaching and aldersgate go hand in hand...the two needed each other to be
affective.

Chapter 5: The Form and Power of Methodism

• Wesley now followed an itinerate ministry, preaching in the fields and markets. Some
challenged him, asserting that his meetings were deitious assemblies.
• Wesley was clear and calm, and the people reacted greatly
• outside rites and ceremonies of church-even disregard Anglican parish law
• claimed to be well within the boundaries of the C/E
16

Lay Preaching
• began assigning lay preachers due to the lack of ordained clergy. Their responsibilities
where to assist with the societies and preach.
• anglican clergy were worried, due to the lack of education among the lay preachers
• methodism was still a RENEWAL movement within the C/E

The Third Rise of Methodism: Fetter Lane

• developing of theology. (means of grace before justification)
• further develops ideas of means of grace with fasting and Christian Council
• issues with Fetter lane and greater tension with the Moravians
• greater conversation with Zinzendork, in which Zin maintained that at the moment of
justification a person is sanctified wholly. The believer receives no more or no less the
rest of their life.
• three great errors of Moravianism “universalism, antinomianism, and new reformed
quietism”
• wesleys anglicanism kept him balanced, and the issues at fetter lane and Grayʼs Inn
Walk marked a crucial transition in the movement.

George Whitefield
• multiple private letters from Whitefield were published, the two began a path to distinct
ministries.
• the usual issues are free grace, election and the like. A secondary level of issues are
how a Christian is defined or understood in terms of sin & grace, how those justified
can expect to be cleansed from sin...ie sanctification.
• whitefield almost understood sin to be necessary to keep one humble.

The Character and Principles of a Methodist

• first tract on the subject of Christian perfection
• one who has not just the form, but the power of Christ
• the love of God has purified the entire heart
• penned The principles of a methodist as a response to Tuckers brief history of the
principles of methodism which attached the teaching of justification by faith alone,
sinless perfection and various inconsistencies.

Susannaʼs Death
• after the death of samuel-susanna was forced to live with Children due to financial
issues. At her death a hymn was sung as soon as she passed.
• her epitaph read of her “legal” state of faith, and that she hadnʼt reached assurance till
late in life.
• epitaph read of the brothers theology, and was later replaced by British methodists.

The Methodist Infastructure

• societies were organized to provide structure. Based of of moravian polity and
discipline. Single sex groups-designed for openness and honesty.
• Specific questions..”How you the forgiveness of sins? and as no sin, inward or
outward, dominion over you?”
17

• very deliberate questions.

• principle task was one of instruction.
• class meetings were of 5-12 people. Leadership was open to women.
• purpose was to function the idea of working out salvation. focus on the means of
grace.
• also was a way of “pruning the vines”, and quarterly examinations gave tickets..
• structure was highly successful and grew even more regarding the level of holiness.

Anglican Opposition
• opposition from anglican high ups. Response to Wesleys preaching (fainting,
screaming, wailing_ spread rumors of riots.
• Most thought it did not fit in the rational conception of religion.
• the doctrine of the holy spirit contributed to fanaticism.
• wesley was forbidden to preach in the bishops diocese, but Wesley as on oxford
fellow had the liberty to preach anywhere in the realm. No further action was taken,
and it shows the lax discipline at the time.
• Wesley wrote apologies for his movement an earnest appeal to men of reason and
religion and a farther appeal to men of reason and religion. Styled as the early
fathers..it was an attempt to offer a fair-mined justification for the faith and practices.
• although the methodists believed they were a revitalization of primitive Christianity,
John also argued well for reason.
• the relationship and margins between the nature of God and the nature of man is
where practical religion functions..and is agreeable to the essential nature of things.

Scriptural Christianity
• Wesley used his priestly rotation to preach at Oxford. 1741 preached on the
difference between nominal and real christianity.
• in 1744, he focused on the work of the Holy Spirit and its fruits.
• called the youth at oxford a generation of triflers..
• his actions showed he was deeply principled and willing to suffer for what he believed
was proper Christian faith..
• It was the end of his oxford preaching career and he was removed from the rotation.

Chapter 6: Theological Nuances and Ongoing

Standards
• first conference at foundery in 1744. John and Charles, plus a few others
• purpose was to mandate and govern 1. what to teach 2. how to teach and 3. what to
do
• delegated responsibility to various strains of lay leadership and doctrinal matters.
• also thought about the main theological ideas of wesley in relation to the evolution of
his theology, in 1725 and 1733, along with the pivotal year of 1738
18

Assurance
• one of the main issue sin scholasticism surrounds the development of Wesley and his
thoughts around Christian assurance.
• the direct witness of the spirit as it relates to justifying faith.
• faith of a servant and faith of a child-what does this speak to religion?
• Jennings-it doesn;t matter either way
• Maddox-diminishes Aldersgate and that the servants faith is justifying
• Wesley recognized the degrees of faith, assurance and that the child's faith is still
marked by doubt and fear, but still campaigns for assurance
• In 1745 the conference asked the question around assurance and is a sense of Godʼs
pardoning love essential to being in his favor. Is it possible to be justified and yet lack
the witness of the spirit?
• finally understands extreme cases, but assurance is a vital ingredient of real Christian
faith. It became more pastoral and not such a theological argument.

The faith of a servant

• those who are justified and born of God-but lack the spirit.
• is a precursor to the proper Christian faith.
• deals with the struggle of sin-the spirit of bondage.

The standards of redemption

• These change and distinctions in the 1740ʼs are showing the pastoral heart of wesley
and the recognition of the process of faith.
• Dealt with Thomas Church, showing that justification is dealing with past
sins...because the present and future sins shouldnʼt exist in the heart of a Christian.
• very careful to not be antinomian
• Christ redeemed humanity not from the moral law itself but from the curse that made a
moral law necessary. Obeying is not the basis for justification, but the mark of it. real
liberty is the liberty to obey God and not sin.
• the new birth marks a distinct change in the life. It is the moment of inward
sanctification, and the hily spirit in the heart begins and the moment of
justification...through regeneration. We can be convinced of sin and moral law, but
arenʼt capable of being holy.
• freedom from the power of sin!!!
• some of his deractors offered a qualification that one doesnt sin habitually....wesley
argued that the scriptures say “Do not Sin!!!” and donʼt put it on a timeline.
• regerating faith and willfull sin and mutually exclusive. when one appears, the other
recedes.
• to keep this from God responding to a human action we understand a “tight”
synergism, “God does not contine to act upon the soul, unless the soul reacts upon
God.”
• the focus is the sufficiency of Gods grace.
• Wesley links baptism and the new birth within the sacramental view of infant baptism,
never straying away from his Anglicanism. He strove for conversation along the lines
of repentance and faith. He thinks that the church should require both repentance and
faith when someone is older.
19

• His ideas around prevenient grace diminish the soteriological ideas of infant baptism.

Inward Religion
• his concern in the 1740s show a concern with inward religion and not outward
conformity. salvation is attainable by faith alone. good works are a response from the
love of God.
• true religion is the very presence of God in the human heart..
• Christianity is a social religion and to turn it into a solitary religion is to destroy it.
cannot live without living and concerning with other people (not a concern with public
religion and the social order).

Religious Dispositions
• the dispositions of the heart make up holiness, a modification of the heart by the
presence of the holy spirit.
• this allows for a quick transformation in the case of sinners coming to God.
• liberty is always part of responding to Gods grace. God alone justifies, regenerates
and makes holy.-despite long held unholy tempers.
• God sets the sinner free (the long-sufferer), but the creation and maturation of various
holy tempers are essential and prerequisite for the holy life. without-the person will
descend back into sin.

the church question

• there were tensions with the C/E for many reasons, the idea of inward religion,
perfection and the witness of the HS-but also in that they disrupted church life with lay
preachers and the alternative infrastructure to guide life and practice.
• Wesley held to his idea that they should never separate and told people of this in
advice to the people called methodists
• no one should forsake the sacraments of supper and baptism that you shouldnt leave
the church and reminded how the methodists are anglicans as well.
• he wanted to revive the mother church.

Chapter 7: Strengthening the Foundations

• wesley spent significant time with the poor in his ministry-and found them to exercise
many of the graces of Christian faith.
• used the class meetings to distribute things needed to the people.
• welsey started learning medicine to offer simple treatments and started a free midical
dispensary in london.
• he also started a lending system and accountable practices.

Bishop Lavington and the Nature of Enthusiasm

• reaching a strata not served by the traditional church system
• Wesley went at lavingtons throat..and said he was talking about a world (christian life
and the poor) that he did not know about.
• wesley thought about enthusiasm and how reasonable holy love and the heart religion
actually is. it is the nominal christian who presumed to have gifts that they didn”t
20

The Moral Law

• some thought that Methodism would bring back an age of religious war and the
dissenting movement was again happening. This was a disruptive anomaly in a settled
and reasonable world.
• the natural moral law is governed by a higher power. reason is a normative element.
• it is under the marker of grace, that gospel preachers can descend into
antinomianism, away from the guiding moral law. that is enthusiastic.
• grace functions within the same universe as the law.
• wesley told his preachers to preach the law!! the commands of Christ, the sermon on
the mt. and the ten commandments.
• some would say that the law functions (for Christians) as a secondary rule..since the
power of grace eclipses it.
• obediance to the law is a condition of accepting grace and continuing in the rich grace
of God.

A Caution against Bigotry and the Catholic Spirit

• the emphasis of methodism not as sect of a dissenting movement, but a reform
movement within the greater anglican church.
• if they did break away, they would be another form of religion without its power-
divorced from the mother church and they would be surrendering the very mission of
methodism.
• Wesley stressed working among other groups in the wider Catholic spirit of the church

Ecclesiastical Developments
• 1752 John and Charles renewed their commitment to the Anglican Church.
• The present call is to the members of the church they were brought up in.
• Some were fearful that Wesley would leave, and it was entertained in 1755 at Leeds,
but felt it wasnʼt expedient.
• Wesley finally resolved to never leave, in response to a gentlemans reasons for his
dissent from the church of england.
• wouldnʼt disregard the tradition of the church for the sake of mission.

Wesleyʼs Marriage
• wesley became ill in 1748, was nursed back to healt by a class leader named Grace
Murray. His proposal was vague at best.
• they entered into a legal contract of bethrothal, but the marraige agreement was never
fulfilled.
• Charles believed that Murray was already engaged, and saw to the marriage. John
was destroyed and Charles began to think he should never marry.
• John met Mary Mazeille-an older widow of means. Her stark lifestyle was admired by
Wesley. His view of his marriage to her was very pragmatic, for the sake of his
ministry, and he vowed to not preach a day less.
• Wesley told her to open all of the mail, and she realized that he was writing to several
women. Sarah Ryan would cause the most trouble.
21

• she was a housekeeper at kingdwood and had been married 3 times, and not always
legally divorced before the next marriage.
• Mary Wesley was threatened because of these letters, called Ryan a whore and left
Wesley for a few days after finding one letter.
• john felt he had the right to converse with anyone in any manner he deemed
appropriate. He simply didnʼt spend the time with Mary that she felt necessary, and
she got the message quickly.

Predestination
• John went back to attack the calvinists with the writing serious thoughts on the
perseverance of the saints.
• basic premise (8 details) on how a child of God may shipwreck their faith and go to
hell if they continue in unbelief.
• Calvinists failure was to think of the sovereignty of God to function away from concert
with the rest of Gods attributes, meaning it is a chief function that doesnʼt depend on
anything else.
• Wesley still stays close, within the realm of irresistible grace.
• Wesley says that justification, sanctification and glorification are divine works, beyond
the ability of man....but (like an anglican) we must cooperate with God, stretch out our
hands and speak and receive these gifts.
• Like a good Anglican, Wesley stayed away from the gross excess of both Geneva and
Rome and constructed an argument for better than many of his critics could have
imagined.

Wesleyʼs Evangelical Friends

• Wesley didnʼt go at all this alone, and had friends that were Anglican clergy that
associated with the Methodists.
• the more intimate he was with these friends the more willing he was to discuss the
very deep things of their souls

A Christian Library and Notes upon the New Testament

• wesley was tired and weak by 1753, to the point he thought he would die.
• In this sickness, he exhibited none of the fears surrounding death from his earlier
voyage to Georgia.
• Even though both Mary and his friends begged him to relax, he complied A Christian
Library and wrote a journal for publication.
• after he began to recover, he worked on his new testament notes, designed as a guide
to preachers and lay people grappling with basic methodist living.
• worked within the idea that the Kingdom of God is an example of the inward religion
that signifies the eternal glory. It is an inward principle, and deposit of holiness.

Assurance Revisited
• his belief is always being modified....tweaked.
• Their is a state between Satan and God that while assurance is not evident, they may
still take the Lords Supper.
• Proper Christian faith purifies the heart, shows conviction and an assurance.
22

• assurance is this final marker of a full Christian faith.

Chapter 8: The Anglican Church and Holiness

• Wesley had to continue to defend his allegiance to the C/E. He maintained his own
personal adherance to the 3 standards; the bible, the homilies and the BCP.
• Said that Methodism was actually the old religion, going back to the beginning of time.
• The lay preachers were slowly breaking from church law, and serving the supper.
• he allowed a greek bishop to ordain 7 lay preachers, but then realized it was a bad
idea because it had be done through money and an unknown tongue (greek).
• felt that field preaching shook satan and was the best way of over-turning his kingdom.

Bishop Warburton
• Anglican clergy felt that field preaching to be a violation of parish boundaries.
• others were critical of the theology, and found it to be enthusiastic.
• Warburton claimed they employed operations of the Holy Spirit that were reserved for
the apostolic age.
• the HS should be the marker of proper faith and if that was fanatic, what type of
Christian was the Bishop?

James Hervey
• evangelical calvinists were finding problems as well.
• hervey was a former student, and asked Wesley to read his writing.
• despite this, Wesley and Whitefield became better friends and grew closer to each
other...despite differences.

Original Sin
• the idea of the supernatural work of grace frightened people steeped in an age of
reason as the final value of all things.
• the idea of original sin was to pessimistic for some.
• the enlightenment simply didnʼt want to talk about the issue.
• this was a very important issue to Wesley, he felt that humans (because of the fall)
had a natural propensity to sin. depravity is an active power.
• Wesley was different than Calvin or Luther due to the way that he viewed grace.
• man exists as a natural man, plus the prevenient grace of God (John 1:9)
• the fall did not deprive man of all grace or accountably for responding to the ongoing
grace of God.

The New Birth: Sanctification Begun

• wesley felt it was important to look at original sin because if it was softened, by deism
or rationalism then perhaps the solution of new birth would be softened and
misunderstood as well.
• wesley made the doctrine of original sin, justification and holiness to be essentials of
religion.
23

• in The new Birth Wesley starts articulating against the ideas of baptism by salvation by
appealing to mainly puritan thought.
• regeneration is not a natural, but supernatural act.
• regeneration is separate from sanctification (the continued process of holiness). both
are crucial.

Challenges along the Way

• the idea that justification frees from the root basis of sin is still an issue for Wesley.
• it took years for a final verdict, most say it happened in 1763 when he preached On
Sin in Believers.
• distinguishes between sin remaining though not reigning.

Perfect Love: Sanctification Perfected

• the 1760ʼs consisted on alot of writing around Sanctification.
• this isnʼt a new movement, but part of the larger spectrum of Wesleys thought.
• growing in grace on the way to perfect love. That is the easiest way to speak of it.
• The Holy Spirit becomes resident in the human heart in such a way that the holy
tempers of love are inculcated in a real and enduring way.

The Myth of John Wesley and Eastern Orthodoxy.

• Some thing that Wesley had a strong relationship with the East, especially the idea of
Christian perfection. In fact, it is a bad reading of history and a confused idea of
tradition.
• it isnʼt really possibly to speak of early eastern fathers as eastern orthodox.
• there was very limited contact between Wesley and 18th century Eastern Orthodoxy
• many of his introductions to ancient writings happened through the pietists.
• Wesley heavily edited the Eastern Fathers he included in the christian library.

The importance of the Anglican and Pietist Traditions

• Wesley viewed much of his pietist background (ex. Bohler) through the lens of C/E
• grace isnʼt simply divine empowerment, but also divine favor.
• it is the ideas of the continental reformation which informed his orthodox readings.

The Witness to Perfect Love

• Charles often set perfection “to high” that there couldnʼt be an example.
• experience is not the source of doctrine, but its confirmation.
• John wanted to see living witness, or his preaching isnʼt worthwhile.
• some said this wasnʼt “trackable” but the societies really show the evidence.

The Bell and Maxfield Fiasco

• Bell was a laypreacher associated at the Foundery. He screamed, and appealed to an
anti-nomian idea of free from rule, precept and good judgement.
• He also called for the end of the world one year.
• Maxfield was recommended by susanna wesley-but he ultimately was teaching
contrary things on justification.
• it split some London societies, with people throwing down their class tickets.
24

• this made Wesley think more about the qualifications to preach in the methodist
assemblies.

Chapter 9: A Contentious Decade

• England was growing and society was becoming increasingly stratified.
• the industrial revolution changed the process of goods...from material to
manufactured.
• wesley had a fear of wealth.

Wesley and British Politics

• politics of the time were turbulent, but at least the king could speak English (most
lacked legitimacy).
• looked at wilkes as a rabble rouser and not a good view of liberty.
• made a difference between religion and civil liberty.
• pointed at the hypocrisy of folks who proclaimed liberty earned from the backs of the
poor.

Wesley and American Politics: Slavery

• strong critic of American Slavery
• appealed to the natural right of liberty of every human being.

The American Revolution

• to pay for the French and Indian War, England taxed the American Colonies.
• Became unsympathetic to the cause, because of his views of passive obedience and
non-resistance.
• realized that many of his methodists were not fans of king george.
• echoed again the concern of distingushing between religious and civil liberty, but as
colonists they enjoy both freedoms.
• he discerned not a call of liberty, but of independence.
• america had a strong tradition of lay methodist leadership-and wesley sent them
preachers
• by 1777 all preachers sent had returned except Asbury, who became the father of
American Methodism.
• Wesley always was against evil speech directed at the king in the pulpit.

Domestic Affairs
• Mary Wesley finally left John for good in 1774 (she had also done so in 58, 68, and
71)
• before the split, Wesley wrote down all of his wifes faults for the 23 years they had
been married.. It was his attempt at reconciliation-but it backfired.
• he gave her conditions to follow should she choose to return.
• at her death and burial in 1781, John was not present.

The Calvinist Controversy

• Johns relationship with the Calvinist Methodists was becoming strained.
25

• At Whitefields funeral-he didnʼt mention anything regarding predestination.

• those detractors accused the Wesleyans of “popery”
• some proposed a rival Methodist conference to recant the words regarding Calvinism.
• Some felt the minutes of 1770 leaned towards works.

The Theology of the Minutes

• the language of the 1770 minutes used words such as work, labor and obedience. and
the calvinists thought they undermined the doctrine of justification.
• much of the confusion came from the calvinists position of not understanding (and
being privy to) the intricacies of Wesleys doctrine of prevenient grace and
sanctification.
• Wesley referred to himself being a hairs breadth away from Calvin in issues of
justification.
• much of the issue surrounds the use of language and the specifics of Johns theology.

The Upshot of it all

• Wesley wanted to spark theological debate, not controversy.
• Both Wesley and Fletcher feared that Calvinism could foster anti-
nomianism...undermining the importance of being holy.
• to a point, wesleys ideas of assurance are attempting to provide the same feeling that
predestination does.
• the debate fan its course, mainly because people where tired of it.

Chapter 10: A Church Established

• Wesley increasingly became critical of the C/E in American...there were only 3 priests.
• He felt the ordination requirements were to rational and didnʼt questions whether the
men really loved God.
• the american revolution was slowly turning back the british army as well.
• Wesley recognized that the C/E was tied to the crown, and something might have to
happen regarding the permanent church status in America, he charged them to follow
the scriptures and the primitive church.

The American Ordinations

• Wesley “appointed” Thomas Coke and charged him to consecrated Asbury as the
general superintendent. Wesley also ordained Whatcoat and Vasey as elders to
America.
• His answer was that the case is widely different between England and America.
• He also wrote a liturgical manual The Sunday Service to replace the BCP in america.
• there were differences between Wesley and the America leadership soon. Wesley felt
they had to much power and were referring to themselves as Bishop

Preparing for a British Church

• Wesley tried to make sure methodist meetings didnʼt interfere time wise with C/E
services.
26

• Congregants who attended both complained that the C/E preaching was lifeless and
didnʼt preach grace.
• While he didnʼt want to leave, he began to prepare to make the move.
• deed of declaration-provided the structure for Methodism beyond his death.
• the document provided many structural inferences that made some mad, but it was
also a document that could provide order for the Methodists to be independent of the
Mother Church.
• He attached himself to the C/E but ordained 3 to Scotland...since the C/E wasnt the
established church.
• In the end, he ordained 25 for work within various English places.

The Danger of Riches

• feared that methodism would devolve into a dead faith, having the outward form of
religion but lacking the power thereof.
• started to preach that riches lead to foolish desires.
• being among the poor, fostering relationships is true Christianity.
• to be involved with the neighbor was to exercise both material and spiritual talents.
• wesley deeply believed what he preached, and died with almost nothing.

Loss and Decline

• Wesley lost both Charles and John Fletcher...his two greatest friends
• charles wished to be buried in a churchyard. he still wanted distinction from John
• John boasted of good health, but it was declining and starting to affect his ministry.

Real Christianity
• in his old age, Wesley was still thinking about being a Real Christian.
• his design was always to foster Bible Christians.
• spent time reflecting on his ministry of 50 years

Wesleyʼs Protestant Spiritual Orientation

• thought about the discipline called spirituality.
• the 4 distinct traditions (Anglicanism, RCC, Orthodoxy and Lutheranism) and 4 axes
(1. apophatic/kataphatic 2. cognitive/affectice 3. personal/social and 4. ascetic/
incarnational)

Conclusion: The Best of All

• continually preoccupied with the rounds of ministry
• his principle fear in death was that he would no longer be able to serve the church he
loved.

The Wedding Garment

• the necessity of personal holiness to quantify believers for heaven and to make them
fit for glory,
• since clothed by Christ-the power of sin is no more.
• holiness is the wedding garment.
27

• holiness and avoiding evil is different from holiness and doing good.

inward religion revisited

• vitality of the soul is extremely important.
• emphasis on real christianity and going on to perfection.
• on living without God for those who had attached christianity with ethics. life is beyond
ethics and nothing less that participating in the very life of God through inward
sanctifying grace.
• methodism had a universal message...bigger than the C/E and it existed for all
Christians. This way it could stay attached to the C/E

The Ongoing Danger of Riches.

• in his last years, Wesley counciled against setting ones heart on the ephermal
• our talents are far more precious than silver or gold.

The Letters to Wilberforce and Sharp

• Wesely was very much against wealth at the expense of another...mainly slavery.
• all human beings were created in the image and likeness of God.

Wesleyʼs Health
• realizing his own life now...no longer bragging about heath, but telling others of its
withdrawel

The Enduring Theological Themes

• as a child, themes of piety and holy living were influencial.
• the moravian influence upon his younger years
• Taking the influence of Bohler and understanding it within the confines of the C/E
• Assurance and Aldersgate
• started developing the doctrines not just of justification and regeneration, but
sanctification as a Protestant ideal

Wesleyʼs last Days

• Wesley had been sick but didnʼt complain of pain when he went to bed.
• awoke and sung a hymn
• passed without a struggle or groan...had been continually praising God throughout the
night
28

John Wesley
Sermon 1
Salvation by faih

Introduction
• free grace is the action of God bestowed to Man. Man has no claim to these mercies
apart from God.
• the heart is altogether corrupt, incapable of saving itself.
• grace is the source and faith is the condition of salvation

I. What Faith it is through which we are saved?

• God rewards those who seek him, if sought as God.
• The devil believes, and believes fuller than we can imagine. But it is knowledge...not
faith.
• the apostles had a level of belief at well...it was a belief that empowered them.
• it is a faith in Christ-but not just a rational belief (like the devil) but a disposition of the
heart.
• unlike the faith of the apostles, it acknowledges the necessity and merit of his death
and the power of the resurrection.
• Christ was delivered for our sins.
• Christ rose again for our justification. It isnʼt just the death.
• we are given a confidence that our sins are forgiven.
• salvation is wrapped up in an assurance of wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and
redemption.

II. What salvation it is, which is through this faith?

• It is attainable on the earth-in this life.
• not just the future sense, but the present.
• we are saved FROM sin.
• we are saved from the guilt and power of sin
• the whole world is guilty before God.
• christ has taken away the curse of death
• this includes being saved from fear
• adoption as children OF God. We have peace with God.
• sin cannot reign in anyone that believes...habitual sin is (and should be) gone.
• a salvation from sin and from the consequences of sin.

III. Some Objections to this

• preaching justification is not an attack against holiness and good works-it is not
separate at all
• while trusting in Christ alone, we have the power to work through all good works
because of our connection with him..not to find the connection.
• This doesnʼt lead to pride, although it can happen accidently.
• All of our attempts at good work before the moment of salvation are condemning.
Good cannot happen unless faith precedes it.
29

• Cant speaking of the mercy of God encourage sin?

• if we sin because grace abounds, blood is on our hands
• the goodness of God should lead us to sincere hearts.
• Can this draw men to despair?
• faith must precede works. All the good works can do nothing...so we should
renounce ourselves to Christ.
• It is the comfortable one, who comforts himself, that will be deceived.
• The gospel must be preached to every creature, no matter their life situation.
• salvation by faith alone is the concrete idea of the reformation and against popery.
• The devil is scared of the message of faith alone, and will attack it with everything he
has.
• Because of Christ, even the child can conquer the devil
30

John Wesley
Sermon 2
The Almost Christian

Introduction
• through the ages, many have been persuaded to be almost Christians.
• common rules in society are followed. these people can be considered just by the
worlds standards
• The idea of “common heathen”
• people are commonly called not only to justice, but to truth as well
• goodness is exercised among the people

The second piece of almost christian.

• has a form of godliness. The outside of a real Christian.
• they abstain from evil intentionally.
• strives to live peacefully with all man.
• strives and attempts to help others...for their good, not his.
• uses the means of grace at all opportunities.
• daily prayer is practiced in the house, as well as humility at Gods table.
• This person practicing an outward religion has a form of godliness.

Inward principle of religion

• not doing evil for fear of punishment is an evil idea
• must be a principle of heart. a desire of and to God

What does it mean to be altogether a Christian?

• The Love of God is of primary importance.
• it engrosses the whole heart
• crucified to the world
• The love of neighbor.
• every man in the world, every creation of God is neighbor.
• the Christian should love as Christ loved us.
• distinct character of Christian love
• salvation by faith. it is necessary. It is a victory overcoming the world
• The devil believes in God....so knowledge is not faith. Faith is different.
• trust and confidence that we are separated from damnation and joined with the love of
God.

Conclusion
• calls the audience to look at their own lives...are they simply outward Christians?
• good intentions are still damnable....the road paved to hell
• the love of God must be abroad in the heart
• we must rejoice in the knowledge of the love of God which sits in our hearts.
31

Sermon 3
Charles Wesley
Awake Thou That Sleepest

I. The Sleepers
• deep sleep of the soul is the sin that was cast across all man by adam.
• this state is covered in darkness...the sinner has no idea what their state really is.
• Their only business is to recover from this fall...but sees no necessity for the inward
rebirth.
• A sleeper is often content to stay in this state.
• the religious either sleep and exercise through pharasitic zeal or a quiet, rational
religion
• they fast, are at church and self deceived.
• wants what is offered, but no holding the necessary keys
• Man admires him, but God thinks he is an abomination.
• the soul is sleep has no perception of who Christ really is and what he offers.
• our spirits are stirred to the call of Christ, that is what causes awakening.

The exhortation is enforced.

• God is who calls awakening....not us
• we are asleep in a dungeon awaiting death.
• That we make feel the hand of God awakening us and calling us to holiness.
• This is an issue of eternity, not just of our world. We are called to launch into an
unchangeable state.
• we are called to take off our own image and put on the image of God.
• after this moment of faith-are we actively trying to make ourselves like God? Are we
partaking in the divine nature?
• has the holy spirit been received? This is a mark of salvation.
• working out our salvation and seeking the inward change and the circumcision of the
heart. an inward change is necessary.
• how can we testify to the hope for salvation that we have?
• do we truly understand Christ? Do we know him, do we know of the grace by which
we were saved? Do we understand repentance and the state of sin?

III. The Promise

• this awakening call goes to all, no matter who you are.
• we will receive grace and glory and a crown that does not fade.
• the light of God will be given to every awakened sinner.
• our bodies must be a habitation of the Spirit of God. by faith we receive not the spirit of
the world but the spirit of God.
• we are living witness of the remission of sins and the gift of the holy spirit.
• every spirit that does not confess Christ is against God.
• the feeling and filling must happen, it does not help those who deny the inspiration.
They also say that it is not sensible...but Wesley sees it as denying the whole
scriptures.
32

• the wisdom of God is always the foolishness with man. It isnʼt wise or prudent.....but
saving.
• even those who are not faithful, but carry the marks of outward religion, are heathens
as well.
• God knows our conscience, and he sees our lack of inward purity.
• May God see the righteous acts of the few in the midst of judgement and destruction
of sin.
33

The Principles of a Methodist

Written by Wesley in response to the pamphlet of Josiah Tucker. Tucker accused
Wesley of Cherry picking and serious inconsistencies regarding his theology. Wesleys
response was a complete full example of his teaching on salvation and perfection.. and
said Tucker was wrong on his estimate of how much Wesley depended on William law
and the Moravians.

To the Reader
• Wesley notes his concern regarding controversy with a specific person, one
considered a friend.
• He notes the usual manners of attack that go along with such an action and questions
their true Christian enterprise.
• Wesley wants to complete this letter without losing the idea of Christian love for
neighbor and his witness.

I. Wesleys Basics
• three basic faults that Wesley wants to address
• justification by faith alone
• sinless perfection
• other inconsistencies.

Justification by faith alone

• every man has fallen from Grace and original righteousness and is inclined to evil.
• It is only through the work of Christ that we have merit.
• all works done prior to justification are sinful
• Three things go together in justification
• God the Fathers great mercy and grace
• satisfaction of Gods justice by the offering of Christs body and perfect sacrifice
• true living in the faith of the merits of Jesus
• the only thing required of man was a true and living faith.
• any works done prior to justification are hopeless.
• but works done after faith are done out of desire, not out of justification. Christ is the
fulfiller of the law and by him every believer becomes a fulfiller of the law.
• we can never “deserve” our justification
• our corruption through original sin is so great that no amount of good works can justify
us. It is only Christ.
• Satan has a belief and knowledge of God-thats not enough.
• what counts is a sure trust and confidence to be saved from damnation by Christ.
• this is a simple outline of Wesleys view of justification by faith alone.

Sinless Perfection
• the nature of sinless perfection is what confuses most people.
34

• perfection never makes the body from willfully doing good or willfully sinning, but it is a
marker in the process of sanctification.
• the perfect person still needs to attend to the means of grace. It does not make them
a holy island from the church.
• their is neither an entire deliverance from the sinful nature. The body will fail and the
soul must be fought for constantly. The presence of sin still remains, but the desire is
what is made perfect. Just as Christ was capable of sin, man will remain capable.
• The perfected start to develop the mind of Christ. The perfect man has been cleansed
by God.
• it is this person that can testify to Christ and his power.
• perfect=sanctified throughout=created new in Jesus
• continually offering up every thought work and work as a spiritual sacrifice.

Inconsistencies
• Wesley was accused of contradicting himself.
• William Law wasnʼt as influential as Tucker thought
• The Moravians werenʼt as influential until post-georgia
• Bohler convinced Wesley that conversion/justification was instantaneous
• Wesley outlines both the count and bohlers teaching regarding justification and what
happens in the moment of salvation.
• Christ is only formed in man after justification
• the plead of Christ is the only creed in justification
35

Justification: Chapter 5 in Theological Journey

Justification: The God of Holy Love For us

• Wesleys order of Salvation was very structured.
• 2 focuses: justification and sanctification.
• distingushes between what God does for us and in us.
• His distinctions orders the flow of redemption.

Co-operant Grace (Catholic Emphasis)

• idea of divine and human co-operation
• the initiative (first move) must always be taken by God. This keeps it from
Pelagianism.

Repentance
• grace is informed by prevenient activity of God.
• the activity prior to justification comes out of prevenient and convincing grace.
• repentance is the porch of religion
• three main aspects of repentance a.) convivtion b.)poverty of spirit c.)rejection of self-
righteousness

Works Suitable for Repentance

• repentance simply isnʼt an interior work
• outward expressions of inward contrition and grace.
• necessity of forgiving others, since we have been forgiven. To not do this is
unreasonable.
• ceasing from evil, doing good and using the ordinances of God are a structural triad
that Wesley used in other places.
• works of mercy as they await the sanctifying grace of God.
• their is vigorous activity as the newly repentant ones obey God and on the other hand
this obedience and labor is ever preceded and empowered by the convincing grace of
God.

The Necessity of Repentance and Works Suitable Thereto

• underwent change and development. highly influenced by reformation thought.
• first said that all works before justification were unholy and sinful and needed fresh
atonement.
• changed slowly to understand repentance and fruits place before justification...in the
formation of faith.

Free Grace (Protestant Emphasis)

• avoided the term sovereign grace because of the calvinists, but embraced many of the
ideas that inform the terminology.
36

• grace frow which salvation comes is “free in all”, meaning that it does not depend on
any power or merit in men.
• human works are also the not the basis upon which free grace is received.
• sin remains our work, free grace Godʼs.
• people will be redeemed if they will, but not when they will. God has his own time
table.
• confusion due to the 2 ideas of “working” (pg 162-163)
• Wesley came to many of his conclusions apart from Arminius, through his own
theological journey.

justifying grace
• Wesley said he didnʼt truly understand “saved by faith” until 1738
• Bohler contributed to much of this thought.
• 2 fruits that flow from bohler; peace that flows out of a sense of forgiveness and power
that issues from the regenerating presence of the holy spirit.

37

Summary on Wesleyʼs Doctrine of Salvation

To Wesley, salvation was important. It wasnʼt important in primarily an

evangelical sense, meaning that the cause of wining souls was primary, but that is

theological agenda is important. Leading others to Christ was foundational, but it did

not occupy the entire enterprise of “salvation”. Just as in faith, the theme of salvation is

part of a larger family of the new birth that Wesley used to describe this new life in

Christ.

To Wesley, salvation is both part of the act of justification, but also the way of

broadly describing it. The basic questions that runs as an undercurrent is this, “How is

a sinner set before God”? To Wesley, believing faith is necessary for justification. The

grounding of justification and man needs of it are this.

1. We were created by and dwelt in love with God.

2. The purpose of human life was found in this relationship.

3. Sin broke this relationship and purpose, and is past down to all of mankind.

4. This now is the state we are in, needing redemption.

5. For the sake of his Son and his actions God allows us to come back into both

relationship and life eternal.

This grounding places salvation part of a larger narrative. Salvation isnʼt a

process, meaning that the act of justification isnʼt, but the grand scale of becoming holy

is a process. Holiness isnʼt the precursor to salvation. Many people in his time argued

that piety is the way that “salvation” was earned, using the language of divine longevity

to define the term. Holiness is the activity that takes place after salvation, being made

just and righteous before God. This action of “being made” is the piece of salvation.
38

Salvation is a pardon, a reconciling, it the previous wrong actions of man being

made right by the action of Jesus Christ on the cross. We donʼt make ourselves holy in

order to please God, but we accept that sacrifice of His son. We realize that by our

human nature, both our participation as man and our own unique personal sins we are

condemned. Our hearts are evil until love has been shed abroad. The heart has a key

place in understanding salvation. It is what matters, how have we turned ourselves over

to God? Orthodoxy doesnʼt matter to God, orthodoxy is about right and correct belief,

understanding and accepting (in rational terms) the correct nature of God. Under that

definition, even the Devil is orthodox.

This highlights the nature of our own actions in salvation. In no way do we take

place in any of the operations of salvation, but we do have to make a decision. We

donʼt conquer sin first, but we instead come to God and wait in prayer and sincere faith

that he will save us.

This plays into the ideas that Jesus spoke about in John 3. We are born of the

Spirit, born into the family of God. We are children of God by our faith in Christ. Our old

selves are crucified and we now see God as children look at their father. This is a new

birth that is born into a living and trusting hope. We believe in God and the kingdom is

ours. Our belief doesnʼt stem from the desire to get something, but we are now the

privileged children of the almighty one.

These action now reverse the list that we made earlier, about the grounds and

needs of justification. We again have a divine purpose inside of human life, a purpose

that is linked with our participation with God in His works on this earth. Reconciliation
39

happens only when a relationship has been broken, it isnʼt just forgiveness but

restoration so the “function” of the relationship can happen again.

Like many other theological issues, I think Mr. Wesleyʼs heavy reading of the

gospel of John is part of his forming the idea of salvation. This is the message that was

brought to the thousands impacted by the Methodist revival of the 18th century. I think

that you can put Wesley and the Calvinist message on opposite hands; you are truly

desired vs. you are truly good enough. While the “good enough” message might come

across to those with easier lives, Wesleys message was to the poor.

A Wesleyan description of salvation concentrates on family, probably because

John viewed God as a loving father (instead of a righteous judge). It concentrates a

message of participation. This isnʼt a passive view of salvation, one that forgives the

sinner and then allows them to go about their way. This is a message of salvation that

is ongoing. After all, donʼt we all come to God because we think he has something to

offer us in this day, donʼt we need him to interact in this world now?

The piece of Wesleyan salvation that changes us is the fact that the act of

justification is seen as the beginning place, and not the end. Once we are in this

relationship there is action to be had. We are desired by God to be back with him. Our

heart is what both changes things and is changed. In an offering to him we are remade.

It takes the stress out of attempting to be holy in order to please, and instead empowers

us to holiness in order that we can greater participate and go deeper into relationship.
40

John Wesley
Sermon 5
Justification by Faith

How is a sinner set before God?

• This is an important question, it is the foundation of all hope
• How can the great God forgive and prepare us?
• Wesley will show those who seek truth

What is the ground of justification?

• Man was created by and dwelt in love with God.
• He was made to be a picture of Gods glory
• We were given perfect law, that required ultimate obedience. No other part of creation
could fulfill this.
• This task was essentially perfect for man, and there was only one rule...to not eat from
a certain tree.
• We were free by the unmerited love of God.
• But man disobeyed and ate of the tree and became corruptible and mortal.
• Through this, sin past to all man
• It was in this state that Christ came to redeem us, to give himself out of love for the
sins of man.
• Through the death of CHrist and the resurrection, the son of God has tasted death for
the sins of man
• For the sake of his son, and his actions, God allows us (through His actions) to come
back in relationship and life eternal.

What Justification is
• it is not the being made just and righteous...that is sanctification.
• these are separate enough to be distinguished between.
• it also not clearing us from accusation
• God believes that we are honest in our justification...we canʼt fool him
• the plain, scriptural notion is that justification is pardon, the forgiveness of sins
• we are reconciled through his blood.
• the doers of the law shall be justified...it places us on a part. It is not an umbrella
pardon that simply covers an unassumed life.

Repentance and works

• mercy applies to our sins...the unjust are Justified.
• sanctification doesnʼt happen first
• we donʼt make ourselves holy in order to please God enough to justify us.
• he seeks and saves the lost...not those he found already
• we are condemned not only by God, but by our sinful actions. The heart is evil till the
love of God is shed abroad on it
• all good works follow justification...we arenʼt capable of good works before this.
• God has now willed and powered them
• things cannot be done in the name of love if we havenʼt the love of God in our hearts.
41

On what terms are we justified?

• justification happens by faith
• the deeds of the law have no president.
• justifying faith involves personal interaction...that we believe God died for me, not just
the world.
• Because of the Son, we are absolved and made right. Holy Love can be set in our
hearts and we can show holy love.
• There is no other merit beside Jesus Christ that the sinner has hope in.
• Faith is a necessary condition to justification.
• The moment faith is given it is counted.faith is the only condition of justification. but to
have faith they must cast themselves upon God.
• It is at the point of belief that we are saved...it depends on God, not us. By believing in
christ, we cut down pride and admit we need assistance. We have messed things up.
• we must understand that we are guilty before God, admit this, and give ourselves over
to him.
42

John Wesley
Sermon 6
The Righteousness of Faith

Introduction
• Romans 10:5-8
• the writer does not oppose the covenant
• but it is the covenant of grace that has been established in Christ
• desire for Israel to understand Christ
• the were ignorant that Christ is the end of the Law
• but how many now are ignorant of Christ and what he as done?

I. What is righteousness of the law and of faith

• constantly doing things
• the law was given to man by God in paradise, requiring a perfect obedience
• we should fulfill all righteousness, both inward and outward
• perfection should be complete, there is no almost
• this was a universal obedience
• this is an entire perfection, without blame
• righteousness of faith is different
• this is a new covenant established with sinful man through Jesus Christ
• it is a condition of justification given to fallen man
• it was made known to those in the OT, but they were still ignorant of its fullness
• brought to fullness by Jesus
• it does not require anything impossible, or mock the human weakness
• this is pardoning love and restoration to favor
• pain is taken care of by love and salvation
• what is the difference between the two? The giver is happy and desires us, instead of
a judge
• not a covenant of works, but of life together
• we are now drawn near and close to God

II. The folly of trusting in the righteousness of the law

• it is silly to still trust in the law
• if we try to do this, we must try to life under itʼs perfect stance of Adam before the fall.
• we will be dead in our trespasses
• we will be trying to establish our own righteousness
• none of us can handle this kind of judge
• are we able to fulfill this HUGE list of things?
• we are shaped in evil and come from it, by ourselves we cannot do one good thing.
• the life of faith still is with God
• it is the understanding of reconciliation
• free love and undeserved grace
• we are brought back to and into God
• we have happiness in God
43

III. The wisdom of submitting to that which is of faith

• we donʼt conquer sin first, we come to God
• we arenʼt good enough for it ever.
• no child of adam was ever
• are we still trying to seek our own righteousness? That will get you far
• we can not say “I am not.....enough”
• we donʼt do anything before we come to God
• we should wait in prayer and in sincere hope, because we know that God wil answer
them.
• believe in Christ and we shall be saved
44

John Wesley
Sermon 7
The Way to the Kingdom

Introduction
• Mark 1:15
• these words lead us to consider what the kingdom of God

I. The nature of true religion, named by our lord as The Kingdom of God
• considering the true nature of religion
• used throughout the NT
• religion is not orthodoxy but in the understanding of heart
• the devil is almost orthodox. the heart is what matters
• righteousness, peace and joy in the holy Ghost
• delighting in the lord God
• understanding what we are in God
• we shall love, embrace with everything our neighbor
• not just friends, family or people we identify with...but every man
• this is the fulfilling of inward righteousness
• outward righteousness is our love of good works, which spring from the inward self
• we should thirst after the love for other
• we have the peace that only God can give...is passeth all understanding
• the spirit of God bears witness that we are a child of God
• we have a joy wrought by the holy ghost
• the ever blessed spirit of God, we understand how our sins are forgiven
• holiness and happiness are joined together.
• the kingdom of heaven is so named because it is a degree of heaven opened up in the
soul
• God gives eternal life and this life is in his son.
• life is reigning everlasting
• the kingdom is at hand in the hearts of his people.

II. The way to the kingdom, Repent and believe the gospel
• repent first, walk in this repentance
• understand that you are corrupted and the depth and nature of your sin
• our hearts are inbred, disgusting.
• we need God to cleanse us
• we must truly understand our sinful state. we can do nothing about this.
• we arenʼt able to perform this act ourselves. God is what rids us of our sins
• we must be convicted and having affections directed at God
• Jesus and the gospel is the whole revelation that is made
• believe in God and the kingdom is ours
• do not decieve the soul with the nature of this faith
• this isnʼt a simple faith, but the beginning of a fight
• we must believe all of these things that God has done for us and no longer fear hell
• do we really believe. is the love of God shed abroad in our hearts?
45

• this is a change
• we realize that God will turn our heaviness into Joy
46

John Wesley
Sermon 18
The Marks of the New Birth

Introduction
• so is every one that is born of the spirit John 3:8
• what is it to be born of God
• what does this give us?
• this is the free mercy of God that is given to us
• we all should be born again, and being able to see the kingdom of God

The first mark of the new birth and the foundation of the rest is faith
• we are children of God by faith in Christ (Gal 3:26)
• this isnʼt a natural generation but an adoption
• the devils were born of God, the admit these things
• but the cannot receive the testimony he gave
• the true faith is an assent
• a disposition which God himself made in his heart
• we have a confidence
• this is not a dead faith
• we have been paid for by his ransom
• the immediate fruit is our power over sin, of every kind
• and the purification of inward sin
• our old man is crucified in Christ
• we should hold fast, and keep ourselves to God
• another fruit of all this is peace
• we have a peace in God, waves and storms beat in it all...but God holds to us as we
hold to him

The second mark is hope

• we are birthed into a lively hope (1 peter 1:3)
• this is a living hope, evidence in how it appears by its fruits
• we are now the sons of God and we shall see him as he is
• we walk in simplicity and Godly sincerity
• we bear witness to this with our spirit, our lives and actions
• we are led by the spirit of God into this hope
• this is the fulfilling of scripture
• we are comforted
• we rejoice because of the reality of this hope
• All our tears shall be washed away

the third is the greatest of all, love

• the love of God in our hearts that is spread through our interactions with the HS
• we pour out our hearts continually before God
• the spirit of love is the first thing that pours out
• all of the things that have been done for us manifest themselves in love
47

• we dwell in God and through this shed love abroad for others
• love is keeping commandments, but is best worked out in our practice of loving God
and other.
• we conform to his will, the second fruit of our love of God
• our tempors are formed towards him and the acting of all good

what is it to be born of God?

• everyone born of the spirit is born of God
• we believe in God, through Christ, as not to commit sin
• we enjoy God and his peace
• we witness to this spirit in our lives
• we are the children of God and the spirit of adoption is in our hearts
• we donʼt hold to baptism, but to the spirit of God
• what does it mean to be born again, we are dead in our trespasses and sins.
• we are saved, washed clean and cut off all sin
• we must be born again to see the kingdom of God
• we hold the marks of being his children
• we have the power to become the sons of God
• we must ask for this power and to understand redemption.
• let us be born again to a living hope
• perfect holiness in the fear of God
48

Summary of Wesleyʼs Doctrine of Assurance

Just as in our times, in Wesleyʼs the Holy Spirit was a hot button issue. While

many (if not most) Christians recognized the deity of the Holy Spirit, many were nervous

of any mention. Wesley noted that man people simply take the middle way, in order to

avoid error in unbelief but also error in enthusiasm. What Wesley tried to do in his

doctrine of Assurance was to theological place the Spirit in the life of the church, in a

way that would make the Holy Spirit both proper it its operation as well as make it

comfortable within the realm of the individual believer.

The main way for engaging the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer is to give it a

roll that is biblically faithful but not “odd” enough to frighten normal folk. The primary

place for this is inside the doctrine of assurance, meaning that the Holy Spirit is the

agent of Gods action that assures the believer of his or her status in relation to God. In

receiving the spirit we know that we belong to the family of God. Wesleyʼs criteria for

understanding the Spirit and not leading to imagination surrounds the idea of humility,

prayer, Christian council and never thinking that your gift of grace is greater than

anothers.

The spirit is the radical “other” of Christ that makes all things known to the

believer. The Holy Spirit is the primary engine in the life of a Christian, connecting him

to the greater reality of God. It is a direct witness of our knowledge of God. The Spirit

produces true desires in the hearts of a believer, that continually both draw them closer

to Christ as well as inspire them to work inside of Gods kingdom on this earth.

For Wesley, there is a primary place that he spoke about how the Spirit works

directly with the believer. The use of the language of witness as assurance is this
49

primary place. In the larger scope of salvation to Wesley, what we consider the “Order

of Savlation”, there are two distinct places that the Spirit directly works. These both

relate to the idea of assurance, in that they assure the believer (note the distinction) of

their status in God. This comes at the assurance of salvation, but also in the assurance

of sanctification. We cannot understand God until we love him, and assurance is given

to us in order that we can participate in these things. The outward witness of the Spirit

inspires us to truly live a life of God.

What Wesley believes is that we have an active salvation, one in which God

himself is given to us as sacrificial death as well as the in-filling power to live in this

world. This idea of inclining us to do good also protects us. We need to be filled with

the things and activites of God or we will slip back to the devil. Just as salvation is

active, faith is active. Wesley termed these people “backsliders”, the people who have

turned their back on faith through willful sin or the sin of omission. The Holy Spirit is the

agent of God that keeps us from this place. Often this comes from falling into a state of

sin that is so great (in the eye of the sinner) that they donʼt think God will or can take

them back into His grace. A careful consideration of this and the realization that we

need to be constantly seeking God and using our knowledge of his Holy Spirit as the

rubric towards how we are living the holy life. We simply canʼt slow down in our life as

Christians.

I think that Wesley has a very relevant word to the Church for our current society

regarding his thoughts on the Holy Spirit. I want to address them in two major

movements, in much the same way that Wesley treated them.

1. The Holy Spirit is the Active Power of the Christian Life.

50

In our culture, the Holy Spirit has once again become an ambiguous deity. It can

be compared to a holy version of the tooth fairy that sometimes appear in reaction to

something that we have done. We have shyed away from Him because we see abuses

in forms of Christianity, and instead of taking an aggressive role in accurately defining

an orthodox view of the Holy Spirit we disengage.

The idea that the Holy Spirit gives us an active power in life and that we should

be expecting the power in non weird ways is revolutionary. What would it mean for us

to take on the Wesleyan idea of an inward and outward witness to the Christian life? I

think this hold some pretty big implications.

2. The Holy Spirit as the power of assurance.

I think that assurance is also actively missing today. In the tradition I grew up in, I

remember one woman being baptized over 10 times because she felt that she had

finally “become” saved. I think that teaching an expectation of the beauty of God

assuring us of our status will change things. Not only does it offer assurance of

salvation, but it gives us yet another chance to talk about Christian perfection with

people and the opportunity to teach it as something that should be expected in the

Christian life. This assurance will allow others to testify to it and explain what God has

done for them. This takes on the idea of a distant God and instead enforces the

relational view of God that we as Wesleyans believe.

51

John Wesley
Sermon 10
The Witness of the Spirit I.

I.Intro
• how often have we assumed our own imagination is the voice of God?
• because of the fear of this-many of put off the Spirit and assumed to either be of a
different age or for different people.
• a middle way is better-not either error or enthusiasm
• what is the spirit and bearing witness as well how do we tell the difference between
the spirit and our imagination

II. What is the witness or testimony of the spirit?

• the experience of all christians is that we have the testimony of the spirit that we are a
child of God.
• all who apply scripture are led by the spirit of God. we are sons of God.
• we have a life of dwelling and knowledge of God.
• anyone who has these scriptural marks are children of God
• hwo does it appear to have these marks? How does it appear to ourselves?
• are you in ease?
• are you knowing saved from the pain of wrath?
• do you love rejoice and dleight in God?
• does your conscience inform you?
• having a loving heart that is so directed at others it is willing to lay down its life for a
brother, as Christ layed down his life.
• testimony of the spirit is an inward impression on the soul
• we must truly be holy of heart before we realize that we are and have the confirmation
of the spirit on our hearts.
• we know that we love God and that we are loved and belong to God.
• the great end of recieiving the spirit is that we know the things that have been freely
given to us by God.
• understanding that we are a child of God wraps us up in his creation and everything
involved.

II. Distinguishing the Spirit from the imagination

• this is of deep attention for those who are striving towards God.
• we should never think of ourselves higher than we ought.
• look for the marks that distinguish the spirit.
• scriptures give us plenty of marks that tell us of the spirits presence.
• is repentance part of the heart. are you grieved in your sin.
• the change from darkness to light.the present marks will tell of someone is a child of
God or a self deceiver
• the joy of the spirit
• do we earnestly desire to keep his commandments?
• at liberty, not enslaved to the law and the pursuit of attaining God.
• weighed in the balance.
52

• distinguishing this is telling dark from light...the obvious signs

• to look for these criteria, we are looking for the marks of God.
• we must search our own heart if we are worried about where we are.
• by the same fruits we distinguish from the devil or from self-delusion
• thanks be to God for this hope and gift of assurance.
53

John Wesley
Sermon 11
The Witness of the Spirit

We are the Children of God

• we are the children of God. This is a privilege.
• if we neglect to understand this we a.) can how the form of godliness but not the
power or b.) we can descend into the wildness of enthusiasm
• is important for Methodists to understand
• A crucial part of the scripture way of salvation
• it is confirmed by the Children of God, and it was lost for a long time.

What is the witness of the Spirit

• The testimony/witness of the spirit is our eternal life in the Son
• the result of this testimony are the fruits of the spirit
• this inward impression tells us that we are children of God
• brings us a sweet calm
• scripture tells us that everyone born of God has the fruits,and the spirit tells us that we
have the fruits...rationally then-I am a child of God.
• is their a direct testimony of the spirit?

The direct testimony

• the scriptures tell us that the spirit tells us we are children of God
• the conscience of our good works does not confirm this.
• God has sent the spirit of his son into our hearts...for us to cry to the father.
• this is immediate and direct.
• we cannot love God until we understand that he loves us....it has to be God.
• the testimony of the Spirit must precede first for us to understand the love of God and
all holiness. it then by consequence precedes our conscience.
• the testimony of thousands of methodists
• God wrings our soul, and blots our sin out

Objections to the testimony

• experience is not enough to show this doctrine, but it is found in scripture as well
• the imagination disproves this, but abuse of scriptural doctrine is no worse.
• the fruit of the spirit is the witness of the spirit
• it is designed to assure those to whom it has been given free, justifying grace.
• it is always a joint testimony, our lives and god

True Followers
• spirit of God testifies directly and indirectly
• an inward impression on the souls of believers, that they are children of God.
• we will know we have a direct witness
• the fruits of the spirit will prove this direct witness
• the 6 answers of the direct witness
• donʼt trust or rest from a supposed testimony in which the fruits are not seen
54

• let none rest in the supposed fruit without the witness

• do not rest until we have both
• when this happens, we will understand walking in all righteousness and true holiness
55

John Wesley
Sermon 12
THe Witness of our own Spirit

The voice of the true believer

• we walk in the light of those who received the Lord Jesus.
• the nature of the Christian is the calm satisfaction of their spirit and testimony thereof
• we are conscience beings, capable of inward perception
• scripture is our rule....along with the Holy Ghost
• we must live a life where Christ is the foundation...we live our lives by faith in the son
of God
• faith alone allows us to see the riches of God
• a good tree only brings good fruit
• every motion of the heart anf ull body is in conversation with God.
• the eye of the mind is singley fixed on God
• the grounding of a Christians joy is the testimony of our conversation with God-only by
the gift of grace.
• the Christians rejoices always
• the soul is always awake in the Lord-not drifting\

Christian joy is joy in obedience, joy in love God and keeping his commandments.
56

John Wesley
Sermon 86
A Call to Backsliders

Introduction
• we presume that God will forget his call to justice.
• no matter if we understand that without holiness no one will see the Lord
• we can escape damnation...at least this is what we believe
• others perish by despair, and think it is impossible that they can escape destruction
• they are always overcome by enemies, so they give up
• they have no expectation that God will help them
• our heart knows our own bitterness, but will not accept it.
• we are deceived and without hope. taken captive by satan
• this is the case often with those who become Christians but then start slowing down
• they sit high with sin...and are given to their own lusts and imaginations
• God will visit these backsliders and will restore them
• many times they believe that they cannot save themselves and neither will God
• they will fortify themselves in this belief

What are the reasons backsliders give up hope

• the chief reasons...the main ones
• they have rebelled against an earthly king and think that this is not possible with the
king of heaven and earth
• this is an argument from reason, enforced by scripture 1 john 5:16
• they get into such a desperate state they donʼt pray for forgiveness
• passages in hebrews about willful sin
• we have committed willful sin and death is what it gives us
• but later it also tells us that we can renew ourselves to God
• some say these shouldnʼt be taken literally, but we have no reason to depart from the
literal meaning
• it isnʼt absurd it doesnʼt contradict
• and entire change of both heart and life
• passage in matthew about blasphemy of the HS
• this is a sin that is unpardonable
• but there is the thought that we can be renewed up to this

To give an answer for these reasons

• these are the arguments that backsliders use to justify that they areʼt able to be helped
• we may form a better judgment concerning these
• idea of rebeling from an heavenly king and a 2nd pardon
• this isnʼt a solid analogy, because analogy has no place here
• nothing to trick you between the mercy that God has
• he is not a man, and acts as God. perfect love and compassion inside of judgement
• they think that St. John cuts us off from hope. we should pray for restoration
• what is a sin unto death? what is the death that is linked with it?
• a sin that God has punished with death, we cannot pray for your recovery
57

• this is ludicrous. not a reference to eternal death. the body is destroyed so the soul
can escape
• happens to people who were once very holy and backslide. but they were right with
God before death.
• story of a healed backslider
• the passages in Hebrews (ch 6) are parallel. sin is punishable by death, but God pulls
us out of sin.
• these are the same people. the justified who have taken on God, and sanctified. this is
their passage
• they have something that can never be taken, so it canʼt apply to backsliders
• falling away and putting Christ to open shame.
• paul.
• obtaining mercy
• many have been distressed over this scripture.
• the fear of the unpardonable soul
• what is this blasphemy?
• is it possible to not be comforted?
• increasing in damnation because you canʼt see out.
• we have seen people fall from grace and restored to the blessing they had lost.
• continuing to present their bodies and lives before God as a living sacrifice
• it is a common thing for the sanctified to think that they canʼt fall, but this isnʼt true
• they have again been filled with love, but even stronger
• but we shouldnʼt suffer willfully, or give license to sin. we should run and fortify
ourselves in God.
• God is gracious and merciful, and we should always cry out to him
58

John Wesley
Notes on A Farther Appeal
Part 1. Section 1, sub-section 1-6

1
• doctrines of justification, sanctification, salvation, saving faith
• the nature and means of a saving faith
• Who Christ is for the Christian

2. justification
• justification is the forgiving of sins
• speaks to the nature of the Christian at the moment of salvation
• our righteousness is declared through this
• justification is a necessary condition of and for salvation
• good works follow this, and cannot occur before it
• after repentance good works come forth
• we are convicted of our sins and realize that we cannot do any good.

3.salvation
• a present deliverance from sins
• we are restored to our primitive health
• renewed in the image of God
• salvation and holiness are the same term-because we are made holy in the eyes of
God
• without faith no one can be saved
• by faith alone.

4. Faith
• the divine action of things not seen
• knowing that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself
• we have the mind of Christ

5. attaining salvation
• this can only occur through Christ
• we are now children of God instead of children of the devil
• we have to have this knowledge of faith, baptism wonʼt cut it

6. The Author of Faith and Salvation

• Jesus is the author
• God is the only good actor
• to believe in salvation truly we must have the holy spirit
• we have the fruits of the spirit, truly having them...showing them
• he acts towards us and too us
• the spirit empowers and acts in us and to us.
59

Collins chapter 4 notes The Holy Spirit

• much of what Wesley believed around the spirit is tied into the revelation through
which the presence of Christ is seen as a present reality.
• the spirit is the radical other that glorifies Christ and makes other truths known

Administrator of Redemption
• the whole work of salvation is by the operation of the Spirit
• the person must receive the Holy Ghost
• the presence of the HS is the light of the gospel

Convincing Grace
• the holy spirit has an active role in the process of repentance.
• waking from the dead
• awakens us and teaches us all things

The Moral Law

• consistently shows us Gods way and leads us greater into the light
• the spirit is mediated through the read word, law
• second work of convincing grace is the recognition of the carnal nature, and how the
spirit reveals this to us.
• this conviction, sin remains but does no reign

The presence of the Spirit as Holy Love

• the spirit prepares us for the inward kingdom of God-where our heart is transformed.
• the love of God is shed abroad in the heart.
• the presence of the spirit in the heart marks the inward transformative change.
• holy love is the infinite and eternal spirit of God fully powering us.
• such holiness is only possible through God..not us or any of our own effort.
• the kingdom is withinus, not just outward. we are saved by faith and producing inward
holiness
• he isnʼt denying the corporate dimensions of the kingdom, but affirming that these
dimensions must be rooted in a personal way.
• highlight growth in sanctity.

The gifts and fruit of the spirit

• the methodists were accused of making too much of the gifts of the spirit.
• wesley claims these gifts are the marks of real christians
• these gifts where given to the early church so that they knew to be his people...not the
jews.
• the office of ministry became the focus to fight heresy, and lost the power of religion.
• the ordinary fruits of the spirit were assured to last thoughout the ages.
• the fruit of the spirit is the privilage of every real christian.
• true religion is righteousness and joy in the Holy Ghost.
60

The Assurance of the Holy Spirit

• the witness of the spirit; a conscience free of offense, keeping the moral law as an
expression of the will of God and the fruits of the spirit. The indirect witness
• the indirect witness does not constitute everything.if this were everything it would be
formalism or self-justification.
• the spirit witnesses to us that we are a child of God and we respond to this.
• the 18th century wasnʼt ready to tollerate a true evangelical revival
• the more liturgical churches didnʼt have the imagination for the HS and held the
sacraments to be the place of assurance.
• denying this testimony is denying justification by faith
• the witness of the spirit dealt also with the rational mind that many had

Assurance Nuanced
• his doctrine of assurance underwent more modifications than any other part of
wesleyan thought
• it is a window to his overall practical theology and its development
• for example. Wesley changed his view from the moravians because he saw that they
equated conversion with perfection. he distingushed freedom from sin and its power.
redemption entailed freedom from guilt and power of sin, but not freedom from its
being. That is entire sanctification
• change in the doctrine of justification from full assurance to a measure of assurance. it
still deals with doubt and rear, but this is necessary for redemption.
• justifying faith doesn “always” come with full assurance, but it is dangerous to place a
doctrine on something with just a few cases. he does say that Christ must be revealed
in persons (by the spirit) or they are not Christian.
• 1755 Wesley mentions an intermediate state, between the being of a child of the devil
and of God. they are forgiven if they have a measure of faith and may take the supper.
• proper Christian faith that purifies the heart is what comes with conviction.
• On one exception in a letter to Tompson Wesley mentions that it may be possible to
be justified but lack assurance...the is better spelled out over 12 yrs later in a letter to
Rutherford that it is owing to a disorder or ignorance of the gospels promises.
• idea of the spirit of bondage and of adoption
• lacking assurance is lacking “proper” Christianity
• chart on 135 (might be important)
• by 1771 Wesley had distinguished the idea of full assurance and initial assurance

The Full Assurance of Faith

• full assurance of faith-referring to the Spirits witness of entire sanctification.
• qualitatively distinct in that it excludes all doubt and fear since the heart has been
perfected in love. not a future possibility-but a present reality.

The Question of a Specialized Vocabulary

• 3 main ways of speaking of the holy spirit in the life of the believer 1. recieving the
Holy Ghost. 2. Filled with the holy ghost 3. baptized with the holy ghost.
• the differences in language used are important. at times “filled” was equated with
perfected in love...but rarely.
61

• the clues to all these intricacies lie in wesleys own language.

The Full Assurance of Hope

• The full assurance of faith isnʼt the highest meaning of assurance with Wesley.
• full assurance of faith relates to present pardon. assurance of hope is future glory.
• hope is related to the gifts God gives...and in the synergistic readings of Wesley we
should always remember that he highlights readings of the freedom, goodness and
bounty of God and holy love.

The Perceptibility of Grace

• we should be able to known the Giver-beyond the gifts. a direct witness
• spiritual senses that are operative through the powers of faith.
• a new class of senses
• a continual action of God upon the soul evokes a reaction of the soul upon God.

The Trinity
• Wesley had such dynamic role of the HS he slightly modified the articles of relgion for
america
• it regarded the way the HS renews the image of God in which humanity was created.

The Filioque Clause

• idea that the spirit precedes from the father AND the son.
• focuses on the loving relationship of the three persons in one God.
• to fail to see this would separate the Son from the spirit and mar the unity and
harmony of the Godhead.

Wesley on Trinitarian Language

• enjoyed Three-in-one language
• raw undeveloped biblical language for describing the Trinity.
• reflection of his concern for the process of redemption viewed as a dynamic and
transformative revelation of a God of holy Love.
• it is not a manner of comprehension...but fact
• economic Trinity..as revealed through the order of salvation.
• God as revealed, not God as Immanent.
• this truth becomes known as an active salvific process that occurs in the lives of the
believers.
• Some, might experience knowledge of the distinct nature of all three...SOME

The Trinity and the Language of Holy Love

• the dynamics of revelation of how God/father is revealed in Jesus Christ and through
the Holy Spirit. This is operative-and the process by which transformation happens
through receiving salvific graces and then responding in a rhythm of holy love.
• the doctrine of the Trinity is not arcane...but the HS spirit calling us to Holy love.
• there is no transforming apart from revealing and no redeeming apart from
transforming
62

Today and Tomorrow: The Rise of Pentecostal Religion

• Wesleyan roots of Pentecostalism. third blessing of the spirit.
• following the civil war-the holiness movement adopted a pentecostal form of entire
sanctification
• Pent. developed a historiography, interpreting the history of the church through an
emphasis on vital scriptural christianity.. They didnʼt want the form but the power.

Pent. a blue collar phenom and linked with evangelicals

message of freedom and liberty

•
63

Summary: Wesleyʼs Trinitarian Doctrine of God.

The idea of who and what God is has fascinated man since the beginning of

time. As Christians, there are certain views that are necessary to understand orthodox

thought and there are certain beliefs that are necessary to understand the Wesleyan

perspective. The ideas of wisdom, knowledge, power and infinity are part of these

wider discussions.

The most important thing to be understood and accepted is the idea that God is

eternal, without time and called out of nothing. This means that God has never not

existed. There are several ideas surrounding time and eternity, specigically with how

God views the world, but the most Wesleyan is the understanding that God sees all time

concurrently. He is equally at home in past, present and future. He is a Triune being,

and cannot disagree with himself, but in his nature he is caught up within the idea of

relationship.

By understanding God as Triune, Wesley doesnʼt ask people to believe in a

mystery (within the idea that God is something that cannot be known), but with the idea

that God will advance himself to humans in the places and understanding that they can

comprehend. It isnʼt mysterious in fact, but in manner. The knowledge of the three in

one is essential to Christian belief. This is the God that has saved us therefore it is

necessary for us to believe in him in the way that he is.

Part of grappeling the theological reality of who God is means the thoughts about

the eternal existence of God. God doesnʼt just fill the space of time, but also the matter

and the realms outside time. All of creation is in the constant gaze of God. The Triune

nature is essential when understanding how eternity works with God. If we believed in 2
64

or 3 beings, God could not be eternal. The central unity of the Trinity is the remarkable

characteristic that puts this all into perspective together. God is together presiding over

time, eternity as well as us.

The earth is in a different state now than it was at creation. At the time of

creation the earth was an eternal perfect place, just as humans where perfect creatures.

Once sin occurred, the world became a place of destruction just as humans became

bent on destruction. It was the example of a fractured relationship, just as humans.

God eternally exists as the perfect image of relationship.

In the best time, God brought/sent himself into this world. The incarnation

marked Godʼs physical entrance into the human space of fallen time. Christ (the Son of

God) came into this world as a temporal creature, and left this world in the exact same

perfect state that he lived in his entire time on this earth. The creation now functions in

this space of the reality of Christs first coming and the anticipation toward the second

coming, which will mark the entrance of God dwelling in his redeemed world.

The person of Christ marks the creator God coming into the fallen world to

recreate it. In Christ was again become part of this action of God redeeming not just

man and creation but also time. Our hearts were made for this interaction and

knowledge. We live now because Christ lived first. Because God acted, our faith is

seen as an action. The belief of the economy of God is necessary to believe because it

situates the entire worldview of God. We can not have a mild belief in Christ as a man

without entering into conversation with this entire spectrum of action, thought, word and

deed. Christian religion is situated in the love that God has for us, our expressions of

that love directed back at him. We donʼt just dwell on who God is to us, but through the
65

power of the Holy Spirit we live an active life in this world redeemed and we seek to

participate in the redemption.

I think that many of the woes that Christianity currently faces can be traced back

to an inadequate view of a doctrine of God. If we split the hairs even more I think it

comes back to how we have simply forgotten that God is Triune. By taking a mild

Unitarian view of God, we have forgotten the complicated simplicity. It is complicated in

that we will never be able to express it, hence the need for the theological concept of

“negative theology”, in which we just say what God is not. It is simple in the fact that we

do not need to know the exactitude of who God is. We have the faith that God will

reveal to us what is needed.

The idea of time and space is explained really well by Wesley, using this

complicated simplicity. Wesley takes and addresses just the amount that is needed for

us to express an accurate faith. It isnʼt that the rest is not important or true; but we have

just the right amount to love God.

This also helps us to take the place that we are not the only part of creation that

needs redeeming. Our actions have affected everything that is in the created order, from

the chair we are sitting in to the farthest galaxy. The collective gasp of creation will be

heard at the eschaton.

We need to know God, because we are Christians. It is that simple.

66

John Wesley
Sermon 67
On Divine Providence

Introduction
• Luke 12:7
• the doctrine has been received by wise men in the past.
• part of the heathens
• the management of God
• idea of beloved one.
• this conception was dark.
• only God can give a clear version of who he is
• those that donʼt believe in scripture canʼt understand providence.

God watches over us

• God tells us to not be afraid.
• he knows us and numbers our hairs
• proverbial...nothing is to small in the sight of men to not be in the care of God
• Only God can really give an account of his ordering

The doctrine of providence

• the eternal God is called out of nothing
• He saw and knows all parts of creation
• he sustains all things.
• he is everywhere
• our narrow understanding can barely begin to understand this
• we can only see the surface of him
•
• this is the most idea of revelation
• God came out of all nothing, and he created the whole universe by his word
• he sustains all things
• we cannot even comprehend these things
• he knows the whole world

How can finite measure infinite

• infinite in wisdom as well as power
• we cannot doubt what all he sees
• he cannot counteract himself or his own work
• we are incapable of everything but him
• the three fold circle of divine providence
• outer includes the rase of mankind
• he holds the heaven into himself and all of creation
• he is the God of the Christians and everyone...all are accountable
• he cares for the outcasts
• he takes immediate care of the Christians, those who are his children
• the inner circle are the real christians, those that worship him if form, spirit and truth
67

• noting is to great or to little.

Who claims him

• the heathen can acknowledge this power, but knot know it
• he feeds with equal eyes, sets you on level with them
• he is confined by nothing
• he command everything
• he controls nature for our sake...miracles
• particular providence
• God extends to all of the world
• if you truly fear God you have nothing to fear, put your whole trust in him
• take the care to walk humbly and closely with him
• we are exposed to the dangers which no human can see or resist....vain is the help of
man and great is God
• he takes care of the puny inhabitants of the world
• walk with him, fear nothing and he shall comfort you
68

John Wesley
Sermon 55
On the Trinity

Introduction
• 1 john 5:7
• sermon written after preached.

What is religion
• opinion is not religion
• not right opinion/belief
• truly religious, even RCC, real inward Christians
• there are many mistakes that can be made with religion
• some truths are more important than others...these are the fundamentals
• some are very important

The three are one

• no well judging person would attempt to explain them
• these are deep complicated things
• by trying to explain it, many of actually hurt it.
• doesn;t like the term trinity..because it isnʼt in the scripture
• does use the three names, father, word and ghost..the three are one
• was the written in the text by the apostle or later?
• cited by many, part of older manuscripts, athanasius against the world
• believe in mysteries

The two fold mistake

• we donʼt require you believe in a mystery
• but you already believe in things you can understand
• you believe in the sun and how it works
• you cannot deny this, but you believe it
• you believe in light and how it works
• you believe in air
• how do you believe in these things? three candles and 1 light...the three one God
• air is thing and covering
• you believe in the earth
• you believe you have a soul
• you are refusing to be convinced and understand nothing
• your body and soul are dependent with each other
• your mind commands your hand to lift up. this is the connection between body and
mind

Scripture witness
• mystery does not lie in the fact but in the manner
• God tells us light happened and we believer it. The manner is what we are questioning
• it is the manner that we comprehend it that lies in the mystery
69

• we are not comprehending what he has revealed.

• the spirit reveals these things to us, the things that is required for us to believe
• it takes the three in one to honor God truly
• we canʼt worship Christ without the father and spirit
• the knowledge of the three one is interwoven with all true Christian faith
• we must have the witness of the spirit of God to believe this, that we are a child of
God...the Father has taken us in through the merits of the son.
• Christians might not exposit this, but within a few questions it shows what they really
believe.
70

John Wesley
Sermon 54
On Eternity

Introduction
• psalm 90:2
• How can we grasp eternity in our thoughts?
• ideas of immensity, duration, boundless duratio

Two parts of Eternity

• eternity which is past
• eternity which is to come
• to everlasting...God
• we mean duration with no beginning and with no end
• It is God alone who inhabits eternity
• only the creator is from everlasting to everlasting
• God with us, Immanuel
• time began to be...how do we describe eternity? time has been broken off at both
ends
• the earth and creation must constantly be in the gaze of God or it will sink into the
ocean of eternity

How can we understand Eternity?

• what can illustrate this in nature?
• God tells us “do I not fill heaven and earth”
• God fills not just earth but the bounds of time.
• two unbounded seas
• this timefullness is not an attribute, but he has allowed creation to partake in it.
• not just the immortal heavenly bodies, but inhabitants of the earth
• God made us to be pictures of his own eternity
• all spirits are clothed with immortality.
• Only God has existed from eternity
• One God, not two....or it wouldnʼt be eternal

What is eternity
• what is old enough for us to grasp this?
• man made things, nature?
• can we form an adequate thought about eternity?
• we understand durations of earth
• mans time...
• St. Cyprian and the ball of sand
• when the immortal spirits have lived thousands of years, they have just begun..only on
the threshhold of eternity
• the eternity to come-a happy or miserable eternity
• the spirits of the righteous are praiseing
• the spirits of miserable is in the fire, with no rest
71

• after thousands of years, has just begun to taste the bitter cup

The foolish
• how crazy do you have to be to prefer the temporal to eternal?
• what happiness is worth it?
• at the moment of death misery will never end
• how often will they wish for the death of body and soul?
• this is the disease in which we are born into the world
• this is our fallen nature
• we donʼt see the beauty of the future age, just as we canʼt see the next town over.
• they are so distant, they donʼt affect the mind

The Faithful
• the remedy of this is faith
• not the faith of a heathen, but the faith defined by the apostle. a conviction of these
things
• the eyes opened to the understanding of the things of God
• a believer lives in eternity and walks in eternity.
• his view is not bounded by present things
• the short lived are not his desires
• focus on things eternal
• if eternity is so astonishing, how can it either be bliss or pain?
• the creator and inhabitor of eternity wants us with him
• if we consider boundless space, we shrink to nothing before it. But God is not
man...time applies differently to him.
• he presides over time, the universe and us
72

John Wesley
Sermon 56
Godʼs approbation of his work

Introduction
• Genesis 1:31
• God created all the elements and saw that it was good
• it was suited to the end for which it was designed
• adapted to promote the good of the whole and the glory of the great creator
• how small of this work in man able to understand
• goodness in the primeval state

God first created the four elements which the whole universe was composed
• he created the matter of heaven on earth
• earth, water, air and fire..all mingled in a common mass
• the earth and water were without form...they needed motion
• all the elements were distinct, yet cooperated
• each was perfect it its kind
• made it pretty...not deformed
• the increasing beauty of creation, had been lost in the flood
• do not know of the internal parts of the earth
• what men things it might be
• before there were no earthquakes
• element of water was confined within the abyss
• Rev says there will be no more sea...it is probably in the old earth there was no sea
• everything produced what it needed
• no disgusting waters
• air was always perfect, not hot or cold.
• the purpose was all served to perfection
• sleep belonged to the innocent nature of man before.
• in the new hearth the holy spirits engage God day and night...without intermission
• so it is with those in torment
• wind was perfect for birds
• green things were perfect
• sun and moon
• ideas about the other planets
• animals and abundance
• fewer senses
• all peaceful and quiet
• birds appear to be superior to insects of reptiles
• the state of the creation was good

The world was a totally different thing than now

• some say the world is the same, but this canʼt be said
• at the beginning it was a totally different state
• God made it without blemish...perfect
73

• it was man, in defiance of the maker that ruined it all

• god did not do these things.
• this sin;t a defect of God, realized that in the fall the intimate connection with creation
was ruined, it was no longer perfect and right
• God left us to ourselves.
• did not take away liberty, this is temporary evil in order for the eternal good.
• allows us to need him
74

John Wesley
sermon 68
The Wisdom of Godʼs Counsels

Introduction
• Romans 11:33
• some think wisdom and knowledge are the same thing to god
• others think that wisdom applies to the end of all things, and knowledge to how he has
prepared things for it
• both of these are abundantly manifested in creation, how he made things
• in heaven and in earth
• all together good, connected to the glory of God has his systems
• this wisdom is short sighted to man, we donʼt see it.
• All of creation functions around God
• the natural world rolls in an uninterrrupted course, in the moral world evil attacks
divine will.
• to save man from satan
• his wisdom is shown by how God doesnʼt destroy mans nature
• both wisdom and knowledge are best seen in the church

The fullness of time

• in the best time in his infinite wisdom, God brought his son into the world
• laid the foundations of the church
• this fellowship is directed at the love of god
• this church was soon corrupted, not evil
• God always reserves a seed, Augustine taught so much
• the spirit led up Luther, to declare war against Rome
• The english reformation and the pouring out of the spirit
• The fight that took place within GB

Gods workers
• god sends out his workers
• the weak are sent to confuse the strong
• these are people of the spirit
• devoted to God and zealous to do his work. they desire nothing but Him
• Some increased in knowledge, and others grew away from God
• they lost the demonstration of the spirit
• people enter into temptation and fall from grace
• riches are the things that kill us the most.
• we simply want things, this keeps us from giving all to God
• do not love the world or the things of the world
• rich men and continually tempted to be worldly men
• directed towards pride.
• money will screw you
• some methodists have fallen already
75

• we hope that God can repair the decay of this work and allows us to continue
• he could raise up a different people. more faithful to his grace
• God raises up young men....they take the place of the old reachers
• if you preach and have lost the love, go back to God. his work does not depend on
your help
• donʼt despise the young men, just because they have what you used too
• think about those who went back to evil
• the last were more watchful, more holy
• God is doing things all over the earth
• those who have sunk can still rise up. God can heal backsliding
• donʼt have fear, continue to watch and pray so you will not be tempted
• repair the work of Grace, because God is always doing it.
76

John Wesley
Sermon 77
Spiritual Worship

Introduction
• 1 John 5:20
• not a specific church, but to all christians of the age. in him he speaks to the Christian
church in every age
• more of a tract....he talks about the communion we have with the three in one
• he has authority and why he is writing
• speaks the doxological ideas of who God is in Jesus Christ

I. How is he the true God?

• how is Jesus God, idea of with God from the beginning
• He is the creator of all things, all things were created through him
• The lord laid the foundations
• he supports everything that is made. If he withdrew, nothing would exist
• he is the preserver, keeps them in being but also nature. He is the cement of the
universe
• the author of motion, the self-moving power that exists. It is inert.
• nothing moves itself, but it is powered by God
• the true God is the redeemer of the children of men. it pleased the Father to lay sin on
the son. he tasted death for every man
• the governer of all things, ruling over all. nothing is outside of his touch
• three fold circlel songs of men (heathen), interior (the church), innermost (the real
christians)
• he is the end of all things. Not a literal, but the finishing of human time
II. How is he eternal life? I shall then
• he will not be eternal life, but he is eternal life. he is the resurrection and life.
• present reality
• he is the source of all, everything on earth
• this eternal life starts when it pleases the Father to reveal his son in our hearts.
• The spirit allows us to call him the son of God.
• we realize the love and whole will of God
• our love and knowledge increases and in the same proportion the inward soul
increases towards god
• all life is hid in Christ
III. Comments
• our hearts where made for God
• God continues our life, but our joys cannot satisfy the soul
• we want something else
• this thing we look for in the knowledge and love of God
• emptiness in happiness is our desire for God
• any distant prospect looks best. when we come to it is vanishes. but when we look
towards God this isnʼt the case
• Christian religion is this love. it doesnʼt dwell in outward actions
77

• only a real Christian is happy, a sinner can be merry but not happy
• they are walking in a vanishing shadow
• we must be restored to God
• we lean that only Christians are happy but they know gods will is being done.
• we must be living proof of this reality, of the idea of salvation and how we have been
fixed.
• are we in the state of happiness? turn to him that gives it to us
• it cannot be found in outward acts. God is to be found in our hearts
• are you happy? if not expect it and live towards it.
78

John Wesley
Sermon 111
On the Omnipresence of God

Introduction
• Jeremiah 23:24
• how do we not understand how God fills heaven and earth?
• this is a deep instruction to the children of God
• why has it been left out>
• why donʼt we think of the omnipresence of God?

God is in this and every place

• the psalms are good places to read about this.
• they speak of how vast God is and in where he is
• to being to be understood by human nature and understanding
• God is in more places than imagined.
• un constrained
• dwells in universal space

the conscience of thinking men

• God tells us he fills heaven and earth, why donʼt we listen?
• this should be enough to prove it all
• he is everywhere and acts everywhere
• the heavens acknowledge this in the way that they work
• the heathens know that things are controlled. they know this because God revealed it
in the general revelation
• where no creature is, God is there. all things are full of God
• all things in all things
• filling of heaven and earth
• the whole extent of space
• we cannot believe in the omnipotence without believing in omnipresence
• nothing can act where it not is
• to set bounds on one is to set bounds on another
• his attributes are wherever he is
• if you cannot recieve him, you cannot see him.
• God has not been seen, but is spirit
some thoughts
• what should we draw from this? should we not always labor to acknowledge his
presence?
• if he is everywhere, take care to not offend him
• the one that lives in eternity is inspecting us at all moments
• he knows whatever we do and before we do it.
• take care that everything lifts him up
• we pray for God to search us, to show us everything keeping us from him
• be zealous to fight the good fight, and hold to eternal life. wait for God to congradulate
you
79

• spare no pains to always be with him and have a sense of his presence
• He is the almighty, the all sufficient
80

John Wesley
sermon 114
The Unity of the Divine Being

Introduction
• there is one God and only way way to true fellowship with him
• the heathens have Gods...but they are the part of the Christian revelation of God
• God says that there are no others
• who can find the perfection of God?
• there is no beginning of existence or of his end
• his omnipresence, omnipotence is together.
• they are connected, one canʼt be without the other
• all perfect from age to age and everywhere
• his holiness keeps him distant from all evil complete light in every place
• a spirit, not having a body. not like man
• pure spirit that is separate from matter.
• he created man in his own image, a picture of eternity
• father of our spirits and father of flesh
• all things were made for himself, for his glory
• the end of man is to enjoy god forever
• we are made happy by God and in him.
• God opens our understanding so that we can be with him
• all christians should know that happiness is only through him
• the idols of God are
• idols of sense
• objects of the imagination
• the pride of life
• we should guard against all three, and love only God
• we love our neighbors in this response to love God.
• learn how to live our lives in sanctification and honor. with respects to God.
• false religion that doesnʼt give the heart to God
• the snare of orthodoxy
• the religion of form (having no power) bare outward worship
• religion of works...salvation by work
• true religion draws us and reconciles us to God
• gratitude towards God will bring us to love the neighbor
• constant communion with God will help us to want to be with others
• this religion is not seen in many places
• there are not those who carry this to a great lenth
• many say humanity is the essence of religon. donʼt admit to God
• this is no worse than atheism. we break apart what God has joined
• God governs everywhere adn in all things
• there is only one God, one happiness and one religion
• all of these centre in God
• pure religion is the mind of Christ
• we must understand that true happiness only comes in God
81

• when our heart and character soley belong to God we will be a Christian
• not just the creator but the sustainer and father
• if we desire these things, let us desire to please God in all things. to be taught of him
and in him
• let the desire of love temper us to all things
• we do this so we will inherit the kingdom of God
82

Summary of Wesleyʼs Doctrine of Sin

Understanding sin is part of being a Christian. You hate to describe something

evil as being necessary for working out Christian theology, but sin and its workings are

essential to explaining Christianity. John Wesley clearly both thought and taught about

sin, his doctrine of sin was a necessary piece to his larger theology.

Original sin is the larger concept that the fall of Adam created an overarching

view economy of sin that affected both him and Eve, but the whole of mankind as well.

Original sin is the personal belonging of all humans, none have not had the curse of it

upon them. For Wesley, original sin wasnʼt the sole container of sin that dwelt with man

though. Man is and was wicked. The account of Noah and the flood are evidence to

this. Sin cannot dwell in the midst of God, and he has dealt with it before. Evil is the

authentic nature of man, and God knows this. Before the flood man was evil and we

are continually evil. Only the direct intervention of God can stop evil.

Sin has placed us in direct opposition to God. We will naturally do everything we

can to go against his design. We can trick ourselves into thinking that we are doing

good...but it isnʼt truly happening. Those that think good actions will buy them entrance

into divine bliss arenʼt thinking right. Man is incapable of good apart from who God is.

Vices arenʼt just a playful view of wrong, but the most innocent example of how

depraved we truly are. Gods method of healing all of this was sending his Son.

Original sin has determined all of this for us, it isnʼt something we can escape without

Christ.

We are living with original sin. We carry the guilt inside of us. Because of

prevenient grace, we still have a measure of the knowledge of right and wrong. When
83

we are pointed towards God, we feel guilty and are aware of how we are acting in

opposition as to who he is.

Where distinctive Wesleyan doctrine kicks in is how Wesley breaks from the

Calvinist idea of federalism (the total nature of original sin) and now realizes that the

atonement of Christ wipes this guilt from us. Man is not just damned by original sin, but

we are damned by our actions. Instead of just admitting that original sin cannot be

overcome and dwelling in it, Wesley points out that each of us have acted deliberately in

chosen sin. That is what damns us.

Wesleyʼs views in reaction to the concept of sin in christians surrounds three

definitions of sin; inward sin, outward sin and the sin of omission. All are related to the

process of sanctification but also the idea of backsliding. Inward sin is the sin of the

heart. These are the sin of wrath, anger and pride. These are sins that are directly

actions against the character of God. They are reverse to the love of God. Outward

sins are more complicated than just sins that are seen. It shows the decision to

consciencly act on sin. Once outward sin has happened, you have made the decision

to sin. It shows the distinct act of knowingly going against the desires of God. These

are specific sins deriving from the fallen nature of man. Sins of omission are distinctly

Christian sins. It seems like an odd idea to have a Christian sin, but that is the only way

it can work. When we slowly stop reading scripture, praying, seeking holiness,

participating in Christian counsel and otherwise ignoring the means of grace we are

committing the sin of omission. Once this happens, we are able to be tempted by the

devil. We arenʼt necessarily doing bad things, but we are not doing good.
84

Wesleys doctrine of sin is more thorough than most I have read. I am sure there

are several explanations for this; but I imagine it is this way because sin mattered to

Wesley. For most people, sin has a dual role. It is the esoteric reality of life before

Christ and it is then the thing they battle the most after Christ. As Tim Tennent said; sin

needs to start becoming our worst enemy instead of our secret lover. Wesley speaks

about sin because the defeat of it is an essential part in his theology.

To Wesley, sin is no longer in control at the moment of justification. He broke

from the moravians because they felt that it no longer existed. For holiness to be true

holiness, sin must be defeated in the person just as Christ defeated it. Our

sanctification is the banner that we hold in glory. By the power of Christ we have

defeated sin and live lives where it doesnʼt hold us in sway or is the battle against it

always on our mind.

The guilt of original sin is gone as well. It is conquered as well as our own

individual sin. The only inheritance of man is given up. We have been convicted about

our sin and we have turned out backs on it.

85

John Wesley
Sermon 44
Original Sin

Introduction
• Gen 6:5
• this is different from the way the world sculpts ancient times, time of the glory of man
• we have also painted a “good” picture of who man is.
• these type of accounts are received well by man, because we donʼt want to admit to
what we are capable of.
• But our bibles will never agree with this, we know that Man is evil.
• The Bible tells us of our fallen state
• All have sinned
• our thoughts are evil continually
• This is Godʼs account of man:

I. To show what men where before the flood

• we can depend on this verse to tell us the quality of man before the flood. God saw
that the wickedness of man was great
• not just a few men, but universally
• the earth retained its primeval beauty and original fruitfulness
• Noah and his family was the only example of righteousness
• This was all evil, contrary to the nature of God
• this wasnʼt an example of the pure and holy image of the father.
• everything at its nature was evil
• we are not to concern the grace of God, but that man was always evil
II. To inquire if they are the same now
• this is the authentic nature of the race of humanity, because God knows us. Are we
still like this
• scripture gives us no reason to think otherwise.
• It was a thousand years after God declared how much man had left him.
• Isaiah saw the whole earth is sick as well as the apostles
• So long as we are born blind, we will be evil
• When God opens our eyes, we see our state and understand it as bad
• with the knowledge of God we understand bad.
• It is only by the revealed word that we know the father
• with no knowledge of God, we cannot love God. We cannot fear God. We have
superstition, but this is natural we have created it.
• we are atheists in the world, because we are all idolaters. We have idols in our hearts,
we worship ourselves. pride is idolatry. We rob God of his right and cheat his glry
• self will is idolatry...the thought that we can do whatever
• so we all bear the image of the devil and not God. We follow him
• we desire things that we shouldnʼt have. the thought of the imagination. the desire
remains no matter what
• the pride of life, the desire of praise.
86

• we want to be admired. we seek the honor of other, and donʼt look for the honor that
comes from God. we want to be praised by men...turned into idols ourselves
III. To add some inferences
• the difference between Christianity and refined heathenism.
• heathens say that all men have vices
• they donʼt know of total corruption, and ignorant of the depravation of the nature.
• all who deny original sin are heathens.
• Is man by nature filled with all evil, devoid of God? a heathen will deny it
• Gods method of healing a soul his his own son...giving us knowledge of the Father
• repentance heals this disease.
• if we were not fallen we would not need this.
• There would not be a need for renewal
• inward and outward reformation..cleaning the outside of the cup as well as the inside
• we have no learned the oracles of God if we do not seek to be renewed and repaired.
brought out of heathenness and into God. we are corrupted and must be born again.
• strive for the mind of Christ
87

Lindstrom
pgs 19-50
Wesley and Sanctification

The state of Natural Man determined by Original Sin

• key of understanding an interpretation of Christianity is the interpreters idea of the
nature of man
• important for wesley and idea of natural man and the doctrine of prevenient grace
• His attitude to natural man is different than deism
• profound sense of sin links him with reformation and orthodoxy
• in sin we are dead to God, unresponsive and unable to be with him
• justification by faith, along with other reformers
• total corruption, mans heart is corrupt and abominable
• all of man has gone far from righteousness, children of wrath
• 3 assumptions. natural man is totally corrupt, corruption is the result of original sin and
man can only be justified by Gods grace in Christ
• the fall and its consequences are fundamental
• Christ is the key in all of this
• the righteousness of the law will not save you, but the righteousness brought by Christ
will
• in salvation we are awakened to our true state
• repentance is accompanied by the conviction that sin is in complete control
• we understand our evil inclination
• these thoughts lead to guilt and the need and desire for God. we realize that we
cannot do anything and we need Christ
• Wesleys The Doctrine of Original Sin shows his position on all of this.
• it viewed the humanistic and deistic people around him as very dangerous because
they have idealized the idea of natural man
• Adam played an important role in Wesley
• before the fall, man was in a state of perfection
• the imago dei was threefold in the natural, political and moral image. Man carried the
likeness of God.
• the fall was a reversal of all these things
• the fall was possible because Adam misused Free Will and its gift, in rebellion towards
the creator
• inbred sin is linked to primal sin. This is very much against Enlightenment thought
which viewed sin as an issue of nurture
• wesley said that evil preceded bad nurture.
• what does original sin mean to wesley? the fall deprived man of his original perfection
and brought total corruption of human nature
• all are now dead at birth and devoid of holiness and righteousness
• corruption is not inherant alone, it is also guilt. the idea that we are doing something
wrong when presented with who God is. we are children of wrath
• wesley aligned with calvinist federalism as how we are deserving punishment in birth
88

• But wesley also diverges from the reformers and aligns with the moravians and
arminians in how he views election. Through Christ and his atonement we are
absolved from original sin. Man is not after all damned eternally by the very fact of
original sin
• Wesley said the fall is the necessary condition of the work of Christ and the reason for
his coming
• new life through Christ is paralleled by death through Adam. the gift and grace
overrule the former
• wesleyʼs attitude to original sin is marked by his soteriology. the idea of grace is very
important
• the doctrine of original sin safeguards the idea of grace. it is always about Gods grace
in Christ
• the doctrine is linked up to the essential purpose in the Gospel
• wesley adds an individual piece into this discussion, that our own response is
important
• the moravians emphasized the awareness of sin rather than recognizing that it exists.
• we admit that OUR MIND is against God
• the process of salvation in the individual starts when he becomes conscious of his
sinfulness and it convicted.
• an individual must be aware of his corrupt nature to have faith in Christ
• original sin is personal sin as well. (this is the break from the Reformed perspective?)
• this is all partly from Wesley and his vies of Arminianism
• salvation depends on a personal choice (not an issue of election....hmm)
• he who chooses life shall live and he who chooses death shall die
• if man take advantage of Godʼs grace he can conquer the inclination to evil, choice
rely on grace

Original Sin and Specific Sins. Personal Sin

• wesley distinguishes between original sin and its manifestation in specific sins, but the
relationship between the two is very intimate.
• specific sin precedes from individual sin.
• inward sins and outward sins, as well as the category of omission
• sins of omission are the signs of spiritual sluggishness, of not wanting to fight the
battle.
• inward sins are manifested as wrath, pride and foolish desire.
• it expresses the reverse of love to God, it is a bitter sin and grows and darkens the
soul.
• outward sin is the final process of sin. (the process of sin in lecture notes)
• specific sins derive from the sinfulness in manʼs nature

The Conceptions of Sin and Salvation

• sin and its relation to God and sin and its relation to man himself
• the objective and subjective aspects of sin and justification and sanctification. They all
play into each other
• forgiveness is the source of salvation, pardoning love. he who was offended is no
reconciled.
89

• sin as an injury, corruption and disease. In this manner Salvation is a healing, God
cures us of this disease
• christ as the great physician
• we must be healed to be capable of growing towards holiness
• CHrist is aware of the full consequences of sin
• this is how Wesley treats original sin
• salvation is a restoration towards health
• repentance and lowliness of heart, the disease of pride is healed, by self will and
resignation, a meek and thankful heart is formed, and by the love of the world the love
of God is the sovereign remedy
• the great purpose of religion is to renew mans heart in the image of God
• in is the illness which must be cured
• if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the rigtheous
• this medical approach deals with sin as well as guilt
• inherent sin attracts the major interest in wesley

Prevenient Grace and Salvation

• wesley believes the natural man and image of God was complete lost.
• parts of moral and political were there, but really jacked up
• we are fallen, but retain a spiritual nature with understanding and affections
• the idea of prevenient grace is important
• God gives to all man his prevenient grace. with time this became a key piece of
Wesleyʼs thoughts
• it becomes more important to how wesley views himself against calvinism
• the idea of bound up with the arminian view of election
• althought we are devoid of free will, we have a supernatural intervention with a
measure of free will and power of discernment. This enlightens us
• God redeems man as a freely acting being
• grace is not irresistible
• prevenient grace makes it possible, despite of the natural condition, for man to seek
God
• it throws light on the general lines of Good and evil
• heathens are naturally good, they couldnʼt pull it off on its own. they have supernatural
grace
• the idea of moral good and evil is part of this.
• we have the desire to “be good”.
• we often associate this with conscience and its workings
• conscience is this bit of God in our hearts directing us. we must completely stifle Gods
grace to be away from it
• we donʼt see prevenient grace until the other side
• wesley cannot reconcile the idea of us realizing God on our own within his idea of
original sin. Only God can bring us to him
• This is the grace that atonement brings us
• God is the only possible saviour of mankind
• there is no possibility of human merit
• the individual approach and prevenient grace place responsibility on man
90

The Conception of Man in the Twenty-Five articles of 1784

• wesley abridged the C/E 39 to send to america for their basic doctrine.
• realizes how far we have come from God
• Wesley did change some things in regard to Arminianism, and perhaps even
pelagiansim
• Wesley takes stands away from total depravity and instead is wrapping things up in
his view of natural man. he rejects both calvinism and pelagiansim in this
• some doesnʼt understand how Wesley views sin and man when critiquing him
• Christs atonement has absolved him from sin
• mans own actual sin is very important as well
• prevenient and cooperating grace
91

Theology of John Wesley

chapter 2
Anthropology

Introduction
• goodness of God is manifest in creation, this shows both divine freedom and
sovereign action.
• working of God alone is the prerequisite for all responsible.

humanity created as complex beings

• the apex of the divine labors.
• limited by the physical elements
• rooted in nature, but also limited by it.
• also created as spirits.
• rooted in the created order, but made in the image of God...a picture of the glory of the
divine. transcend these limitations.

The Image of God

• beginning of genesis is important
• imago dei must be understood using relation terms..fully of love.
• love was defining of every motive and action.
• natural image-spiritual nature and immortality of the soul.
• as perfect as could be a created thing
• all emotions were oriented towards God
• the affection of humanity was one...love, just as God is.
• natural image can be summed up as understanding, will and liberty.
• this is grace infused liberty.
• the political image-man relating to God and one another but also nature itself
• given dominion over the fish of the sea
• lord of this lower creation.humanity is allowed to share in governance and exercise
authority over lower creation
• rule with and for the greater good of God
• moral image-not just love that created but Holy Love.
• incorruptible picture of Gods glory.
• their is sin because there is a moral image...expression of the relationality. it wouldnʼt
be a relationship if choice wasnʼt in place.
• moral law.

The Fall of Humanity

• evil came from the devil
• lucifer was tempted to think to highly of himself.
• the devil was self tempted, man was not.
• the root of the nature of human sin is unbelief, the perversion of a relationship
between God and huanity.
92

The effects of the fall

• experienced both physical and spiritual of sin and the fall.
• death held sway so that the body became corruptible and mortal.
• sin brought the host of unholy passions and tempers
• the soul was separated from God
• in death the soul is alienated from the life of God, but it continues to exist. the souls
never die, because they retain the idea of being “pictures of Gods eternity”.
• even in the face of sin the immortality of the soul is affirmed.
• the loss of favor meant the loss of the image of God.
• saw the loss of the natural, moral and political

Original Sin
• distinguishes between the fall of Adam and Eve to how this affected the rest of the
humanity. st. augustine.
• not the transfer of guilt but of the corrupt nature.
• was troubled by John Taylor
• distinguished himself from him and other deists.
• the idea of an analogy of faith-original sin, justification by faith, and holy life after
• if original sin was broken theologically, then the solution could be lost

How original sin in transferred

• follows augustine again.
• we are all shaped by sin.
• from after...man still reflects a sense of the image of God, but also manifests the
corrupt image of Adam.
• adam represents all of humanity.
• all have this legacy...even children
• none are lost because of guilt, but because of our participation in original sin.
• lindstrom notes how wesley appears to agree with Calvinʼs feneralism.
• humanity fell with Adam, in that procreation now necessarily transmits a fallen soul.
But doesnʼt link procreation with sin.

The Consequences of Original Sin

• study to know the law of God, so that you may see yourselves.
• the moral law will reveal the sin of human hearts.
• all born into a nature that has no knowledge of God...?
• we immediately engage in idolatry by worshiping ourselves as the meaning of life.
• pride/self-glorification is a huge issue.
• self-will. the desire to do our own things...
• love of the world, we want the things of the flesh and pride of life.

Total Depravity
• apart from the grace of God, the present condition of humanity is dark and bleak.
• we are completely corrupt.
• by nature we are distant from God
• stays close to continental reformers
93

• the eastern response would be that Adam and Eve werenʼt so fallen as to be unable to
respond to any subsequent offered grace.
• wesley arrives at a similar conclusion differently.

Prevenient Grace
• where Wesley differed was his understanding of grace.
• his view of original sin wasnʼt that different, especially in total depravity.
• grace is where he broke
• the idea of a measurement of life John 1:9
• this is due to the divine restoring presence
• first actions
• narrow grace-all degrees that come before justifying and sanctifying grace
• general illumination of sinners, but also the conviction of it by the Holy Spirit
• third alternative to pelagian optimism and Augustinian pessimism
• broad grace-all grace is prevenient in how it emphasizes the prior activity of God as
well as human response.
• must realize that prevenient grace doesnʼt make one holy.

The benefits of Prevenient Grace

• 5 benefits
• 1. basic knowledge of God is revealed by the agency of the holy spirit.
• God re-inscribed a measure of the knowledge of the moral law.
• conscience
• measure of free will graciously restored
• the restraint of wickedness
• Arminian Paradigm vs. Easter paradigm. differs with total depravity and the freedom of
response.
94

Summary on Wesleyʼs Anthropology

To understand the nature of the fall and our interaction with sin, we need to

understand and have a robust understanding of the anthropology of humankind. This is

actually a dual nature; involving both the original design and intent of man as well as the

current fallen structure. Man wasnʼt created by chance, but had a distinct build.

God didnʼt create man out of boredom and chance. We had/ have a distinct

makeup. Our makeup actually goes along with the attributes of the divine. We are

made in the imago dei, the image of God. Just as God has moral, natural and political

attributes we do as well. In the beginning we were perfect creatures, with the added

benefit of free will. We had the moral capacity to both know and do perfect things. We

were everlasting creatures, death was not a concept in us. We knew perfect will, love

and attitude. As political creatures, we were to both rule as well as care over this

creation. As it came to the created realm, we were the closest to God. We werenʼt

identical images designed to be the toys of the divine, but the creatures made to share

in a loving and willfull relationship. To really understand all this, the story of Adam and

Eve in Genesis speaks into this the best. Sin wasnʼt the result of our determination to

be unlike God, but happened because in relationships free will is a necessary exercise.

If there isnʼt free will it is a form of slavery and dominion, not a reciprocal exchange.

So sin enters the world, and enters it through the anthropology of man. The

imago dei is destroyed, and we now belong to evil. Rebellion has taken place within the

realm of the heavenly creatures as well. The place of mankind is now lost, and we are

no longer dwelling in perfection and in a perfected state. Death is now the reality that

man faces.
95

We begin an immediate engagement with idolatry, because our new concern is

with ourselves. Instead of our internal focus being on the things of God, it is now

directed at our own self-preservation. Where it would previously be unknown to perform

a violent action against another, it is the first thing we see humans do after the fall. Our

souls take on a different state. While they still retain an element of divine creation

(being that they never truly die...because they were made by God), they change focus.

Even in the face of sin, immortality is affirmed because they are pictures of Gods own

eternity.

Our anthropology has now changed. Our makeup is drastically different from

God. We want to do our own thing. An investigation into moral law will help us

understand what all has truly been lost. We are different creatures now.

The natural, moral and political images are still part of us, but they are different.

We now hate, consume, destroy, take advantage of and generally fight to always stay

on top-instead of manifesting the characteristics of God. Our moral law is lost, with the

exception of prevenient grace. We are no longer anything like God. Politically, we still

control creation, but is the opposite of what it was. We now consume, use and

generally disregard any connection to the created world. It becomes something for us

to abuse instead of something for us to carefully live off of. Our mind is against God,

not just our actions. The entire human system is entangled in sin and every effort is to

further itself from the created order of the Triune God.

But as drastic as this story is, in salvation we have the restored image of man set

right with God, and walking on earth. The state of destruction is not the final image of
96

man. Jesus himself lived in perfection, the second Adam and has redeemed our entire

race.

This teaching on the anthropology of man seem drastic, but I think that the issue

of the human character is very important and has a place in evangelism. Often our only

explanation of why this world seems upside down is sin. Why it is that way and what it

is supposed to be like can be a new element in this conversation. I think Wesley

explained it so well and so thorough because he knew that every link in his theological

argument needed to fit. If he had a weak anthropology it would be possible for the

entire system to come down.

When we think of it, the whole issue of sin is the project of inbred idolatry. If we

really want to teach about salvation, and lead others towards it, we have to name this

and think about it explicitly. The personal choice of salvation means that we have to

make the honest choice to no longer take part in the idolatry of both self and the race of

man. If we take advantage of the grace of God, we can conquer this inclination to evil

and instead wrap ourselves in the love of the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit.

This is the whole make-up of humanity. When we explain this world, the actions

of this state and why things seem to be amuck, part of this discussion is the

anthropology of man. Our final makeup isnʼt this state of unawareness of God, but we

will have full knowledge of his glory. We can either be participating with him as his

children, or we can be looking aside because we never trusted him on this earth. That is

the final state of man.

97

Summary on Wesleyʼs doctrine of Sanctification

The most unique thing about Wesleyan theology are his views on Sanctification.

For many, this might be the thing that attracts them to Wesleyan theology, and his

teaching on Christian perfection was possibly the major idea in the entire revival.

Sanctification was also something hotly contested by Wesleyʼs rivals, so he spent his

time defending it against false accusations and confusions as to its makeup.

The biggest element to Christian Perfection and Sanctification that needs to be

understood is in what ways are Christians not perfect and in what ways are they perfect.

This is probably the highest level of confusion. A Christian is not a completely perfect

being, for man cannot be entirely perfect. Perfection is a term for holiness, not a

mechanical idea. A Christian is not perfect in knowledge, current role of man, mistakes,

ignorance and the loss of memory. They are still creatures bound to the functional

curses of the Fall, in which the natural image of God was lost. Wesley terms these

“infirmities”, and believes that it is important to realize that these are simply faults and

not sin.

A Christian is perfect in how they deal with outward sin and love. Christians are

creatures in whose mind is constantly focused on love. They are saved from willfull and

habitual sin. Wesley defines sin as a “known transgression of of law of God by an able

and willing creature”. They are given the grace to avoid and deal with temptation and

weakness. Free to perfectly love and pulled out of bondage and put into liberty. The

moment of justification gives the person a host of options. There are stages in the

Christian life; that of a child, young man and a father. This speaks to the progressive
98

nature of Sanctification. All of this is part of the project that the scope of salvation is a

present and future reality.

Part of the act of Sanctification for the Christian is what their actions speak too.

For Wesley, this idea of a freedom from sin is part of defining a “christian”, in how or if

they still struggle with outward sin. For Wesley, this would mark unbelief because it

marks someone that is still a child of satan. This is a pretty hard thing to handle,

although the greater sense of what Wesley teaches keeps us from worrying about this

inside the idea of eternal security, in that God always listens to his children and their

requests for cleansing and confession.

Sanctification is a habitual conduct of the soul, gradually working towards the

disposition of Jesus Christ. We are to have his mind. It takes the close union with God

to become entirely sanctified. The Christian life can simply not happen without a

persisting union with Christ. Where other forms of Christianity create “almost

Christians”, in that they do not support and promote an active participation with God

throughout the Christian life. In this way, most are not entirely sanctified until the

moment before death. In doing this, a Christian misses out on the great life that is

promised in this world through an active faith in Christ and a path of holiness. The

scriptures say that “Without Holiness, no one will see the Lord”. John Wesley took this

statement seriously.

The idea of Christian perfection and sanctification is important in our current

Christian sphere. The current way to deal with sin is to think that it still dwells, controls

and serves as the locus for the Christian life. For Wesley, believing that Christians do

not sin is a scriptural fact. I think if we presented him a 21st century version of sin he
99

would be appalled. A careful examination of the doctrine of sanctification not only

educates us, but it calms the soul. We understand our place with God is one of growth

and family. Instead of God viewing sin as a judge, and not caring for us after we leave

the courtroom, an idea of God as Father helps us to understand that He is intimately

involved in our life. We need him to be with us, and we want to be with him.

Wesley tells stories about those who have experienced entire sanctification.

These stories are important because we see what grace looks like to these people. I

think it would be helpful for us to understand and find them now. I am sure they exist,

but are few and far between.

This isnʼt an entire deliverance, an escape from the things of this world. It

instead involves us in our space and time just as Christ invaded space and time in order

to save us. It is a positive expression of how Christ lives in us.

I think this seems so amazing to those who hear about it because it is far

fetched. I have found that our evangelism often will promise people a new life, but we

fail to provide the systems and the examples to have a full life. In essence, we have

failed to preach a full gospel to them. For any Christian this is a sad thing, but for a

Wesleyan it is deplorable.

I plan to go back into college ministry, and I think that Wesley has a perfect

model that was worked out in an academic setting and I think that it will needed hardly

any modifcation to slide right back in. I am fasinated with Sanctification, because it is a

message that younger people really want to hear. It is different and actually provides

the things that have been promised as Christians as well as a format that will help them
100

lead these lives that they do not think can exists. Sanctification is the grand deposit for

the entire church, given to Methodism, and especially relevant in the 21st century.
101

John Wesley
Sermon 13
On Sin in Believers

Introduction
• 2 corinthians 5:17

I. Does sin remain in one that believes in Christ?

• does sin remain/dwell within a Christian
• are we wholly delivered from sin?
• this is important, not just a theological interest
• in the primitive dispute they mention wrestling with sin
• in the C/E the 9th article talks about original sin. the corruption of the nature.
• some carry the corruption to far, in that he has no dominion over it and is constantly in
bondage.
• others, the moravians countered with the idea that sin no longer remains in them. the
corruption of nature is no more.
• sin remains in the flesh, but not in the heart
• but many disagree with this point
II. What are the differences between inward sin and outward sin
• wesley uses words like justify and regenerate. everyone who believes is both justified
and born of God
• sin is any inward sin...anything contrary to the mind which was in Christ
• the question is not outward sin....he that sins is of the devil.also we are looking at
inward sin.
• we also donʼt think about relapse into inward or outward
• is the justified man freed from all sin as soon as he justifies.
• is there no sin in his heart?
• the state of the justified is great and glorious. born again of God...a member of the
family and kingdom.
• the body is a temple of the ghost, a habitation of God
• he walts in love and keeps the commandments
• has power over inward and outward sin at justification
III. The flesh, evil nature, opposes the Spirit, even in believers
• if free from sin, is there no sin in the heart
• Paul tells us the flesh works against the spirit and back and forth.
• the evil nature opposes the spirit in believers
• the letters to Corinth
• they are carnal
• the two things we fight against, the nature and grace
• we should continually fight against them
• repent, hold fast to faith.
• it isnʼʼt just abstaining, but to desire to be cleansed.
• to think that the believer does not fight sin is an affront to the wrold of God and the
experience of his children.
• we always battle this.
102

• where the sickness is, there is the physician

• Christ dwells in the heart of those fighting sin
• being part of the battle does not exclude you from the victory
IV. A man cannot be clean, sanctified, holy and at the same time unclean,
unsanctified and unholy
• every believer is born of God we must have God to make us clean
• the new creature, renewed in the spirit and manner of Christ.
• it remains but does not reign
• walking after the spirit
• guilt is one
• thing, the power another and the being yet another.
• we can walk after the spirit while fight the flesh lusting against the spirit
• the church is the body of Christ. the important idea of walking after the spirit and being
reconciled to God
• flesh has no dominion but continues to exist
• when justified it is impossoble to be a slave to sin...if sins remains he is a sinful man.
• the absence of faith or very weak faith
• unbelief in believers
• having sin does not mean giving way to sin
V. There are in every person two contrary principles; nature and grace
• nature and grace.
• sanctification is progressive
• we have to watch against the flesh, world and devil
• sin remains but does not reign
• hold fast to sound doctrine in scripture and fight the good fight.
• withstand evil
103

John Wesley
Sermon 14
Repentance of believers

The place of repentance and faith

• not leaving the first principles of the doctrine of Christ.
• there is a repentance and faith that is necessary after we have believed.
• how are we to repent and believe after we are justified?

I. How are we to repent

• knowing ourselves as sinners, even thought we are children of God.
• remind ourselves of our capabilities of and to sin.
• sin is not destroyed at justification...
• We donʼt feel sin, and it does not reign, but it does remain
• Pride remains in the heart....we think higher of ourselves. We quit listening to the
witness of the spirit
• self-will...contrary to the will of God.
• self will is an essential part of human nature, given by God. Our will must be given to
God
• self will, pride and love of the world are idolatry.
• after time, we will feel the desire of the flesh. we must constantly watch and pray
• The desire of the eye, gratifying the imagination with something, great or beautiful
• covetness is contrary to the love of God. it is a desire to have more, to increase in
substance
• even though we are justified, our carnal nature resides. sin might still remain in the
heart.
• unprofitable conversation grieves the spirit. idle words. goes against constantly
watching a praying.
• do we have holy intentions? are we speaking to please God or to please Men?
• Do our actions speak to our sin or our salvation. How might we work out Mercy and
Justice?
• How have we omitted the word of God from our life...and lost an opportunity to speak
of his grace or to have done good?
• How do we love? do we truly love others inwardly. Do we have love.
• the conviction of this guilt (or lack of) is another part of repentance.
• convicted that we deserve punishment, but that is taken from us.
• We are helpless, and need God. What we do have is God. We recognize that we can
do nothing to deliver ourselves from this mess.

II. Repentance after Justification

• Until we are justified, we canʼt do anything else. We canʼt go farther.
• We must believe the great tidings that come from God.
• God can supply everything that we need.
• We have the reason that not only is God able, but that he is willing to do this..to
cleanse us from all sins.
• We must continually believe that he loves us and gave himself for us.
104

• We feel the power of Christ through this type of faith.

• repentance and faith now go hand in hand.
• repentance keeps us close to the fight against sin, faith gives us the power of God in
Christ towards holiness

III. Sanctification
• the moment of justification provides us with a multitude of options and how we are
cleansed from sin and sanctified.
• but we are not yet whole. our hearts are not fully purified. we are born again...but not
entirely changed. we retain a depth of sin.
• God must show us the real state of our souls.
• we understand out guilt and the necessity of sanctification
• we learn our helplessness and inability to retain things unless we live by Christ. In the
end of this life, all thinks are brought to obedience with and of Christ.
105

John Wesley
Sermon 40
Christian Perfection

Introduction
• man cannot bear to think the word perfection
• whoever preaches this runs a hazard of being ridiculed
• some say we should lay aside the idea of perfection
• but they are the words of God and we should teach them
• phil 3;12
• as he is perfect let us be thus minded

I. First, in what sense Christians are not, and

• not perfect in knowledge. we have ignorance to deal with
• the general truth God has revealed.
• we know the might works of God and that we should keep them.
• we do not know God in the way to manipulate them.
• the deep things of God
• how God is working
• do not understand the current role of man
• we make mistakes
• this is part of the fall. we lose facts, and repeat actions that we should have learned
from
• we will make mistakes
• we have infirmities. bodily infirmities (not willful sin)
• the weakness or slowness of nature.
• defects in behavior
• temptation. we will fight this forever
• perfection does not mean we are exempt from this things, it is a term for holiness. the
two are the same thing
• no perfection of degrees
• we have the need to grow in grace
II. Secondly, in what sense they are, perfect.
• several stages in the Christian life. little children, young men, fathers.
• this is progressive.
• this final state of fathers is the highest. we are true before God
• we do not live or continue in sin. the old man is crucified.
• all true Christians are made free from outward sin.
• willful and habitual sin. this is what we are asaved from.
• the men of the bible sinned through wilful actions.
• john the baptist was the greatest man. great in the grace of God and knowledge of
Jesus Christ. he was glory....we will exceed in glory
• scripture does not tell us we will sin or fall into sin
• All man sins
• there are no more servants but sons
106

• the difference between the jewish and Christian idea is that the Lord has given us the
holy spirit and the sanctifying graces. gifts given to men to come to God.
• this was not given until jesus was glorified
• we are not measured in the OT but realize that the kingdom of heaven is set up on the
earth.
• there is no shadow of proof the apostles sinned...unlike OT prophets
• faulty reasoning
• Paul and the thorn, given a measure of grace to avoid and deal with this temptation
and weakness
• this passage is a stronghold of sin
• paul never said that he committed sin. just recognized it
• made perfect in weakness
• inward stirring vs. outward actions
• pleasure in weakness...relying on God
• James, we offend God. who is our master...how do we rely on
• discussion vs. john and james...complicated
• our glorious privilege, though we are a babe in Christ, we have power through him.
• free from many evils and lusts
• who is our Master? that is a serious issue.
• mightiness of God to pull down strongholds
• free from evil thoughts and evil tempers
• love instead of hate. truly perfect love
• we donʼt live, but Christ lives in us
• hearts purified by faith
• soft hearts directed at God
• Jesus saves from outward and inward sins
• the light of Christ brings deliverance in this world...not just the next. cleansing us from
sin.
• through these things God has fulfilled what he said in the prophet
• promised sanctification, complete cleansing.
• delivers us from bondage and the power of Christ and liberty is what we now have.
107

John Wesley
Sermon 43
The Scripture way of salvation

Introduction
• religion can be the most complicated thing to describe
• the pure form of Jesus Christ should be an easy thing to understand
• salvation and faith are simple
• these two words include the entire substance of the bible

I. What is Salvation?
• this is not “paradise”/Abraham's bosom
• it is a present thing, not just something in the future
• the salvation extends to the entire work of God
• preventing grace
• justification is pardon, forgiveness
• the immediate effect is the peace of God
• at the moment of justification sanctification begins
• we are renewed by the power of God.
• the feeling of no sin, but then we soon find out that it was just suspended, not
destroyed
• we have to battle temptation
• the enabling power of sanctification
• going from grace to grace
• we wait for entire sanctification, the full salvation from our sins
• perfection means perfect love
II. What is that faith whereby we are saved?
• faith is the evidence of things not seen
• a supernatural evidence of God
• the HS enlightens and opens our eyes
• we see the various world of God. spiritual and eternal. still in the understanding that
we are at this point natural beings
• evidence and conviction that we are Gods and that we belong to him
• is this faith of assurance or faith of adherence. the scripture mentions no distinction
• it is by faith that all of this has happened.
III. How are we saved by it?
• faith is the condition of justification. it is the only condition
• we are commanded to repent, but this is a fruit brought forth from faith
• not the same sense of degree
• we are sanctified by our works...inside of the operations of faith
• we go after works, because of faith
• this is a truth of God. we must have the might of Christ.
• showing works of piety as well as works of mercy
• we have to understand that repentance is a consequence of justification..not the
antecedent of it.
• it is the conviction of our tendency to self will
108

• we understand what backsliding means

• sin remains, but through grace we are over it. it no longer controls us
• all works of mercy are the fruits of repentance and are necessary to full sanctification
• this is how God tells us to wait for complete sanctification
• there is no danger in us expecting full salvation and sanctification
• what is the faith that sanctifies us
• it is the idea that it is promised in the scripture
• we are perfected in love.
• it is divine evidence that God has promised us.
• he is willing to do it now...he wants to
• God is willing and able to sanctify us now.
• is this gradual or instanteous?
• both, we should look for it now.
• we must have faith, that is the first step and we should seek it by faith...knowing that it
will and can happen.
• Christ is ready and waiting for us.
109

John Wesley
Sermon 17
The Circumcision of the Heart

Introduction
• living away from the substance of religion
• if Christ is risen, we should die to the world
• this is hard to the natural man
• it takes the spiritual man, that was awaken to God
• it is a desire of the heart and spirit...not in the letter
• this is the mark of a true follower of Christ.
• a right state of soul

I. Where this circumcision of the heart consists

• the habitual disposition of the soul
• being endued with the virtues that we in Christ
• renewed in the mind and perfect as our father is perfect
• God alone works this in his mighty power
• this implies a purity of heart, faith hope love charity and humility
• we are convinced that without God we can do nothing but sin.
• we are poor completely.
• we seek no honor of man
• a lowliness of mind that is learned from the example of Christ
• the best guide of the blind is faith.
• must be the mighty faith of a God that renews us
• takes us out of captivity
• all things are possible to him. god completely saves us
• we are delivered from the yoke of sin
• a Christian stays close to God because of His promises
• we endure hardship by and through Christ
• the daily care of this life, canʼt just ignore God and what he gives us
• love is the fulfilling of this law
• love God with everything
• we should also love our brother.....this is a part of it all
• everything we do should be underneath these two commands
• no ultimate end but God.
• we do not exist in the world
II. The reflections that arise
• how can we judge ourselves
• do we feel in our inner soul that the spirit of God is resting in us.
• do we think often of other things
• we cannot get the honor God promises without the circumcision of the heart
• we refuse to be led by anything else
• grounded in the eternal fitness of things of excellence in God.
• the beauty of actions that come from it.
• we are laying this foundation
110

• our gospel is of good works by faith

• Only God can save us, our work can;t
• we are led by the HS.
• we must faithfully deal without own souls...to obtain all of this
• A Christian should expect to see the crown of heaven
• it is un christian to not expect sanctification
• we cut off everything but this
• we cannot fight the battle of faith without a circumcised heart.
• the perfect law is this character of the heart. we should only have this in our thoughts.
• donʼt share life with anything or anyone else
• do all for the glory of God
• pure intention of heart
111

John Wesley
Sermon 76
On Perfection

Introduction
• hebrews 6:1
• going towards perfection is the utmost importance in this passage
• if we donʼt do this, we are in danger of falling away

I. To how what perfection is

• this is never the perfection of angels
• they never left their original perfection and are unimpaired. they see clear and true
• they are ignorant of things, because their knowledge is limited.
• we are weakened and depraved, unable to think right or good.
• all of our words and actions are influenced by the disorder of understanding and
affections. We canʼt have the perfection of angels
• we canʼt have adamic perfection.
• the highest we can attain does not rule out infirmities and other issues
• we need the Lord to avoid these violations
• love is no the fulfilling of the law, the perfect law
• we all need the blood of atonement, or we canʼt stand before God.
• we have the perfection of loving God with the whole heart, soul and mind.
• perfection is summed up in the terms of Love
• love God and love neighbor, that is the whole of the law
• having the mind of Christ
• undivided fruits of the spirit are the outward signs of this
• the moral image of God was destroyed by our sin, it can re-exist (to a point) in
perfection.
• we are to be holy in life, arising from a holiness of heart
• we present ourselves as a holy living sacrifice
• if we truly are a holy priesthood, we are offered up constantly to God in everything.
• the salvation from sin only expresses the lowest branch of salvation, only the negative
part of the great salvation.
II. To Answer some objections to it; and,
• the objection of no scriptural.
• deut 30:6 circumcise your heart
• love the lord with everything Matt 22:37
• God tells us he will be the law in our minds and on our hearts. This is what gives
us the mind of Christ
• The Holy Spirit actually works love into us and shows us the fruits
• Eph 4:21-24-the renewing of the mind
• Peter told us to be holy 1 Pet 1:15, because God is holy. God cannot mock his
helpless creatures
• Paul prayed for us to be sanctified, that the whole body might be seen as
blameless
• God told us that he would save us from Sin
112

• some say this contradicts things, that man should be saved from sin while in a sinful
body.
• Yes, while in the body we cannot be free from mistakes
• a mistake will happen.
• it shows fear, or our own unreasonable hope, love or aversion
• according to Wesleyʼs definition of sin this is fine...a voluntary transgression of a
known law.
• Others say that all sin is a transgression.
• All transgressions of the law being sin is not in the scripture
• We deal with a sinful body by realizing that it isnʼt scriptural. Only spirits are
capable of sin. what part of the body might sin lie?
• Only the soul can sin
• Those in the flesh cannot please God.
• this has deceived many...Paul actually is mentioning the body.
• all of the cloud of witnesses in Hebrews pleased God!!
• by loving the lord with everything we walk in holiness with God. We love God with
everything part of our body.
• there are few witness to perfection
• false witnesses that imagine they are perfect
• some that had full salvation have lost it.
• The idea that sin is only suspended, not destroyed
• God does not repent from things he has given us
• God is faithful to sanctify us and preserve us.
• people that have held this for a time, for many years
• is probably that you might have never even seen someone like this, your idea of
It
perfection is so large (and flawed) that no one can live up to it.
• allow for the weakness of human understanding and you might see scriptural
perfection
III. To expostulate a little with the oppossers of it.
• why are you angry with those who profess this?
• view it in every one of the positions of light
• why is there aversion to loving God with the whole self
• why do you argue about having the whole mind of Christ-donʼt you want this. Seek
this blessing, because nothing is more lovable
• why are you against the frutis of the spirit, plant them in your innermost soul
• how do you define perfection? Donʼt you want to be blameless unto the coming of the
Lord
• Why are you afraid of offering up your thoughts and mind. sacrificing ourselves before
God
• why should a reasonable person not want to be saved? Are you afraid of deliverance
• people that oppose perfection are more against when it is placed in this view.
• why are you opposed to salvation.
• if you opinion is right or wrong...but your temper is full of sin.
113

John Wesley
Sermon 83
On Patience

Introduction
• James 1:4
• the trails of faith.
• be patient in perfect work...we should want nothing

I. Why we should have patience

• it is to all in the faith James wrote this.
• as long as we are on earth, we are open to temptation
• we should never forget this
• The devil wants to devour all of us
• the end of this patience is the profit of his holiness
• related to patience is meekness

II. What is patience?

• let it have its full affect
• the fruits of the spirit are the fruits of patience
• it is nothing less that the perfect love of God.
• our constant resignation of ourselves and giving is part of the perfect act of patience
• this is part of entire sanctification
• not a new kind of holiness.
• this is the degree of love that is being formed in us.

III. Where love resides

• till this universal change happened, we our holiness was mixed. we didn;t have God
• being born in God brings this love to our hearts
• love allows us to converse with God constantly
• how does God work this change?
• every man must know that he is sinner. we will never rest until this patient love is
birthed in us
• years ago, people kept coming to Wesley and giving testimony of entire sanctification
• this is the beginning of the select societies
• sanctification is an instantaneous work
• to get to this point, we must believe that this is the work of God
• a gift. once we progress through justification, we must realize that patience will have
itʼs perfect work
• In the end, we will be wholly delivered from evil. we shall be entire and perfect...in an
abundant life with God.
114

Lindstrom
pgs 64-75

Satisfaction
• the claims of God had to be fulfilled and compensation paid
• grace is seen in atonement, but grace is integral part of the order of law
• the abridging of the 3 articles
• he finds the C/E view to be fine.
• Christs sacrifice was pure and perfect
• man as nothing to offer to Gdo but the merits of Christ, our inward and outward evil
deserves only the wrath of God
• our only hope is the suffering of Christ on our behalf
• just obeying doesnʼt clear us from sin
• our only hope is to be washed in the blood and renewed by the spirit, Christis the
divine mediator between us and the father. Christ mediates as a man, as perfect and
his action as eternal high priest he is a representative of mankind.
• part of this was very controversial with Law
• Christ and his death should have an objective importance in relation to God
• it was the basis of a new event, human justification
• many differences between wesley and law
• grace is part of wesleys view of atonement. the love of God as reflected in his
willingness to provide means of satisfaction.
• this is an expression of divine grace
• wesley is familiar with the other ways of viewing this (reformation) but takes a different
view. does not look at it as deliverance and conquest although this was preached in
his early career
• atonement is not wrath but the love of a divine father
• Christ destroys death and inside tha the fear of death
• atonement is linked as Christ as the high priest
• confines to passive obediance of Christ laying the foundation of justification
• the judicial factor simply wasnʼt important to Wesley
• not imputation
• righteousness is not the merits cause or ground for human justification. Wesley
wanted to stay away from any idea that made humans work something that is earned
or justified
• but he did want us to need to rely on God
• fulfillment of the law isnʼt with justification but with sanctification. this is why it holds
such an important place.
115

Lindstrom
CHapter 4
Christian perfection

The importance and general significance of the doctrine

• wesley mentioned it often, very important in all of his work
• never abandoned the position that started with his reading in practical mysticism
• this is not enough to see it as an integral part of his view on salvation
• perfection is one of the stages within salvation
• perfection is the expression of the teleological alignment with his view of salvation
• it is here that the ultimate consequences of his idea of sanctification find expression
• many different terms used for sanctification; christian perfection, second blessing, full
salvation
• it was his thoughts on practical mysticism that developed it
• he pointed as well to the liturgy of the church and the involvment with perfection
• the liturgical tradition was arminian, but the 39 articles were very reformed
• thomas a kempis, jeremy taylor and william law really influenced him
• perfection applied to all man, not just a few
• monastic piety and the eternal change of the Christian
• 3 main ideals; purity of intention, imitation of Christ and love of god and neighbor
• to live to please and honor God
• the imitation of Christ. perfection is firstly perfect love
• that is the positive view, the negative is the perfect deliverance from sin.
• his later outlook 1738 showed that he was growing past just engaging these practical
mystical views
• law thought perfection was unattainable, but a goal.
• wesley started to believe that it is something that should be realized in this life. it is a
gift of God and a work of the HS
man was justified by faith and by faith he would be fully sanctified.
• sanctification was gradual, although the means were instantaneous
• entire sanctification is an immediate event.
• the hope of perfection is the motive for the gradual develpment
• perfection (as the law) was both a requirement and a promise
• the christian possibility of salvation are quite different than the Jewish. it took the
glorification of Jesus Christ was the full measure of the spirit
• so this is not in perfect conformity with Christian mysticism
• but it didnʼt agree with the reformation either
• the reformers believe perfection was a perfection in faith not an ethical perfection in
love and obedience. not a fulfillment of the law (melanchthon)
• evangelical perfection is growth in the fear of God the reliance of mercy and lovay
obedience to the call
• Conversation with Zinzendorf
• perfect love is the essence of perfection
• perfect sanctification does not exclude temptation. it is still a part of life
116

• perfect sanctification can fall again and it can also be instant and through faith. but did
not preach this until 1760

Christian Perfection in Greater Detail

• related to new birth
• both are given to man through faith and both offer assurance
• growth in the natural life and growth in the life of faith
• we grow in every part the image of God until it pleases God that we are without sin
• means and conditions of perfection...but it is always done with love first
• Christian life is a development in love
• what is the difference between all of this?
• distinct stages in the Christian life
• entire sanctification is not a new sanctity in relation to early experience, but the fullest
sense
• not a new kind of holiness
• perfection as liberation from sin...a love incompatible with sin
• love unmixed with sin
• we are changed
• full deliverance from sin (initial is only a partial deliverance)
• the regenerate is no longer dominated by it...not that he didnʼt sin. outward and inward
is broken. the root of sin is still present. it must be fought against
• the law of the flesh and the law of the spirit
• delivered from the root of sin as the source of inward and outward sin
• absolute perfection was not taught. perfection is always subject to the limitations of
human life.
• infirmities remain
• defects in intellectual equipment and the influence of conversation and behavior. a
natural outcome of the soul inhabiting the body
• man must make mistakes, it is as natural as breathing
• distinction is the idea of willful sin.
• christ abolished both adam and moses covenant of salvation. the law of faith...it is only
through faith that we can be saved
• the whole disposition have their source in love, not meaning that they donʼt
occasionally break the law because we donʼt fulfill it.
• we have defects
• but we can fulfill the law of love because our defects are in knowledge.
• sin as a voluntary transgression of a known law of God
• fully sanctified do not deliberately transgress the law of love
• perfect purity in intention and will and the determination of the individual will
• actual sin is the evil root
• total resignation of the will of man to the will of God
• the atonement and its acts are at the beginnings of all conversations on perfection
• we pray to be forgiven of our sins
• we always need the merits of Christ, for our actual transgressions. we are never to
good for the blood of the lamb.
• even the most sanctified must live on the basis of forgiveness
117

• the christian life can only persist through unceasing contact with Christ...the fully
sanctified live inside of this as well.
• the free gift, and the grace in him
• all our blessings depend on his intercessions
• covenant of grace, not works
• perfect obedience as what is attainable in present circumstances. this means perfect
love..love of motive

further characteristics
• assurance is important in this conversation
• direct and an indirect witness
• the spirit gives us both of these.
• this must be outward and visible. cannont remain ignorant of good works
• all according to the graces of man
• humility and perfection. we are humble through our self-knowledge before God
• conviction of sinfulness and natural sate
• we depend on GOd for everything because we are unable to do good.
• perfect sanctification just amplifies this. we always need God
• humility is a fruit of love
• holiness as an inward and outward righteousness
• fighting against formalism of antinomiansim and quietism
• a perfecting of the personality, the whole disposition
• a perfect and harmonious personality
• perfection of Character
118

1. List the major terms Wesley uses for Christian perfection/entire sanctification.
When you are finished, indicate three or four of these Wesley uses most often.
complete dedication
christian perfection
full assurance of faith
sanctification

2. List the Scripture passages he uses under each term or phrase for this
doctrine.
perfection Matt 2:48, 1 John 4:17
Sanctified Hebrews 10:4, 1 Cor 2:12

3. List the ways Wesley describes a person who has experienced entire
sanctification, i.e., what is characteristic of their lives, attitudes, etc.
Loves God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength.
In everything gives thanks
Heart lifted to God at all times
Loves every man as his own soul
Pure in heart
God reigns alone
Keeps all the commandments
Does all to the glory of God
Adorns the doctrine of God in all things

The person who is entirely sanctified has the purposes of God on the front of their heart,
they only desire the things of God. They have no fear and a hope for immortality is
assured. their heart us pure and God has taken over everything, sin no longer has any
dominion. the word of God is their rule of life and their great end in life is the glory of
God.

4. In what sense may a Christian not be perfect?

Christians are not perfect in knowledge, ignorance or mistake. While they are saved,
they are still part of fallen creation. The will is still skewed towards the Devil, they are
just able to resist him. We canʼt expect man to be infallible, we will make mistakes. we
can/will fall into temporal affliction, St. Peter and David are an example of this. Our
perfection is perfect in that we do not willfully sin.

Perfection is a process, you donʼt just jump into it. We are saved from the sins of our
hearts and the sins of others. The blood of Christ presently cleanses as well as
permanently cleanses us.

5. In what sense may a Christian be perfect?

The state of sin is reversed. Sin still remains, but is no longer in control. The person
living in perfection practices a life of no deliberate sin, and they are gradually perfected
into this. They no longer hold guilt in life, or the unrighteousness of the world.
Perfection is loving reigning in the heart.
119

A Christian is so far perfect, as to not commit sin. Free from evil thoughts and tempers.
Their hearts are purified by love, and love is what reigns. Positive expression of how
Christ lives is us.

6. How is perfection related to mistakes, infirmities, temptations?

Perfection is the understanding of willful sin. Inside of perfection, the human state still
exists. This means that we will fall at times because we are fallen creatures, but it will
not be because of the deliberate ideas and motives to willfully sin.

Perfection is expressed positively by the way we live our lives. How do we give example
to Christ and what he has done for us? We need to expect to only overcome these sins
by a long walk with God, how we are slowly brought to who God is.
7. When does this experience happen?
At the moment of justification.
8. Is it an instantaneous experience or gradual?
It is an instant conviction and a gradual growth. But Wesley later in life started to
believe that it can happen instantaneously. The death to sin is gradual.

9. How does Wesley relate these two things?

The power is instantly available. We donʼt need to plead to be removed from sin,
because it has happened. We should cling, pray and expect for our holiness to grow.

10. How does Wesley describe sin? Note the difference between sin, properly so
called, and sin, improperly so called.
A willful transgression of a known law of God. We can still be liable to involuntary
transgressions

improper sin an involuntary transgression needs atoning blood. never uses the phrase
sinless perfection.

11. Should one give testimony to this experience? If so, why and in what
manner?
If you do, do it quietly and carefully. We shouldnʼt broadcast this because it will give
people reason to run rampant with our statements. Speak of it those that know God, but
not to those who do not know him. Speak about it to educate, not to brag.

12. What is the evidence one would have to know that he had this experience?
Person carries the fruits of the spirit. assurance of the spirit. knowledge of timing and
the specificity of the event
that the actions of the person are holy and unblameable

13. What is the condition for receiving this experience? How does one seek it?
Justification must come first. You must wait, pray and seek holiness

14. Can you lose this experience? Regain it?

120

Yes-just as in salvation, you can lose it. But you can also regain it. there are many
instances of both

15. What are the advices Wesley gives to avoid enthusiasm/fanaticism/extremism,

especially regarding this teaching?
Watch carefully for pride and arrogance. Donʼt run with your imagination. Above all be
humble and do not think of yourself as being more spiritual than others. give no place to
heated imagination.

16. How does Wesley counsel dealing with subjective experiences like dreams,
visions, impressions, etc.?
weigh them against the counsel of God. Do not allow them to cause schisms. Treat
them as you would enthusiasm and the like.

17. Summarize Wesleyʼs doctrine of Christian perfection.

Perfection was a doctrine that stayed with Wesley throughout his entire ministry.
Through his various writings, sermons and teaching we are able to see how his belief
evolved, but did not drastically change. Perfection was the foundation of the Wesleyan
Revival.

Wesley believed that Perfection was necessary because God told us to be perfect, as
he is perfect. Through the justification of Christ, we are set free from sin and are then
able to fully follow the law of God and go on towards perfection. Section 26 of the book
gives a fuller summary
121

A Plain Account of Christian Perfection

1. Statement of Purpose
• embracing the doctrine of Christian perfection
• it is for anyone who deseres to know all “the truth as it is in Jesus”

2. Importance of Complete dedication

• began reading taylorʼs rules and exercises at 23.
• purity of intention-dedicating entire life to God.
• no medium between serving God and serving the Devil

3. Simplicity of Intention
• 1726, giving the life to God doesnʼt matter unless we give our whole heart to God.
• it is in simplicity of intention and purity of affection together. heart and life

4. No Half Christians
• Lawʼs books.
• It is impossible to be a half christian-full devotion.
• Is Wesley taking things to far, or is anyone in this quest?
• Should we give God anything less?

5. Conformity to the Master

• 1729 reading AND studying the bible as the standard of truth and the model of pure
religion.
• necessity to have the mind of Christ and to walk as Christ walked.
• religion is an inward and outward conformity to the person of Christ
• Christ is the great example

6. The Circumcision of the Heart

cleansed from sin
Love, the fulfillment of the law
God must reign without a rival

• the habitual disposition of the soul towards holiness and the cleansing from sin
• love is the great fulfillment of this law, and the end of the commandment.
• all the commandments are wrapped up in this.
• the love directed towards God is the royal law.
• we are joined into fellowship with the Father and Son by being joined to the lord in one
spirit
• our earthly desire should be to tend to the creature and it leads to the creator....love all
• let the spirit (ours) return to God that gave it. let it be offered to God through Christ in
flames of holy love.
• everything should tend towards his glory
122

• at this point, Wesley had not thought of the term perfection and the sermon was culled
from his writings.
• how can man deny this without denying the scriptures

7. The pure love alone

• John and Charles left for georgia in 1735.
• still praying to rid the soul of everything that doesnʼt come from or belong to God.

8. The Full Assurance of Faith

• wanted a definition of the full assurance
• a confidence in God.
• a high sense of peace and serenity.
• this was the first account wesley heard from someone alive.

9. My sole business be They Praise

• 1739 hymns and sacred poems
• everything should be tied together
• the earth is the scale of heaven
• let us be armed by the spiritʼs power, because of our identification with it
• let love attend us all the time, and our only business be your praise
• we ask for God eagerly, and desire to be plunged into him
• Ask for Christ to change our nature into his.
• John and Charles were already thinking of these things so early, and writing about
them in verse

10. The Character of Methodist

Loves God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength.
In everything gives thanks
Heart lifted to God at all times
Loves every man as his own soul
Pure in heart
God reigns alone
Keeps all the commandments
Does all to the glory of God
Adorns the doctrine of God in all things

• In this tract Wesley described the perfect Christian.

• Recognized he had not yet attained this
• the continual joy of the person is God
• no fear and the hope of immortality.
• prays at all times, because this is the language of the heart.
• the heart is ever lifted up to the Lord...God is in all his thoughts.
• has the loving eye of his soul fixed on him and everywhere seeing the invisible.
• this transfers over to a Love of the neighbor
• a pure heart has taken out everything evil. look at the process....love before bad
• has one intention, to please God.
123

• the tree is known by fruit. this person has them.

• obedience is in proportion to Love.
• the great end is the glory of God
• love keeps them from doing evil

It is through these words that Wesley for the first time collected his thoughts on
Christian Perfection. It shows his discipline to one book (the bible). This is the same
doctrine that he has taught for 38 years.

11. The Opposition of Religious Leaders

• some felt there was and is no perfection on earth
• surprised, because the Wesleyʼs were very clear on justification and salvation being
from grace.
• the said the wesleyʼs “dishonored Christ”

12. Views on Christian Perfection

In what sense Christians are not perfect
In what sense they are
A present cleansing

• 1740 a conversation with the Bishop of London on perfection.

• He told Wesley if this it what he means, publish it for the world.
• not perfect in knowledge, ignorance or mistake.
• we canʼt expect man to be infallible.
• we have infirmities and slowness
• there are things we wonʼt be free of till heaven
• falling into temporal affliction
• there are differences between OT and NT
• the apostles sinned, peter and his sharp tongue
• our confession is important
• our perfection is perfect in that we do not willfully commit sin.
• there is a process to this perfection, we canʼt jump into it
• it is expressed positevly in how Christ lives is us..
• jesus saves us from the sins of our hearts and our outward sins.
• we must walk in the light of God.
• the blood of Christ presently cleanses us as well as permanently cleanses us
• the blood of Christ works for this world and the next.
• not just from the guilt of sin, we are saved from the unrighteousness of this world.
• this essay would offend many who believed themselves to be Christian

13. Two works of Grace

Qualities of cleansed hearts
When a person becomes a child of God
Remission and cleansing not received concurrently.

• 1741 felt a need to explain further the idea of sanctification

124

• salvation is the image of God fresh stamped upon our souls.

• it is a renewal of the spirit of the mind
• the lord gives liberty and inside of this is the freedom from the law of sin and death.,
we are free born of God.
• the spirit of the Father is what speaks to and through us.
• free from evil thoughts
• free from wanderings in prayer
• at all times the soul is even and calm
• this is an instant as well as gradual work in the individual
• understand the wrath of God and the damnation hanging over them, they then cry to
the Lord.
• in the moment of salvation, the peace of God hangs over us for some time, and then
we will slowly have to start fighting the world and being concerned with our safety in
God.
• at this point, the spirit of God comforts and assures us.
• God is mindful of the desire that we fear him. He gives us a pure heart.
• This is the same teaching as before, it hasnʼt changed.

14. The Rest that Remains

A high experience
Receivable by mere faith
Instantaneous
Attainable now.

• quotes a hymn, for additional proof

• a rest remains to those who know God. This is a live of love and enjoyment with him
• The Christian desires that God prepare him for this rest.
• we are sealed for heaven by God.

15. Misunderstandings Concerning Perfection

No dispensation from religious exercises
No deliverance from human mistakes
Sanctified throughout-in body, soul and spirit
Dominated by love to God and man
Showing forth Godʼs praise in word, thought and deed.

• the issues against perfection lie in the misapprehension of the nature of it.
• Wesley doesnʼt believe in a full and complete perfection without God.
• You have to be deeply connected to experience perfection.
• those considered perfect still have to tie themselves to the book.
• there is no perfection of an entire deliverance.
• the definition of perfection comes from having the mind of christ.
• this is recognized by being curicified with Christ.
• the soul is filled with love.
• is sanctified throughout
• life is a complete offering to God.
125

• inwardly and outwardly devoted to God.

16. Holiness hymns

• restoration and preparation for heaven
• Christ purifies us
• the spirit cleanses us.
• a tender heart resigned to faith and love
• god comes and fills the voids i our lieves.

17. Questions and Answers on the doctrine of Sanctification

What is it?
When is it received”
The support of Scripture
The divine command
Examples of Christian perfection.

• spent time deciding this things during the first coverence in 1744.
• sanctification is the act of being renewed in the image of God-in true holiness and
righteousness
• love God with all heart, mind and soul.
• all inward sin is taken away...not the dwelling place, but the enslavement

the second conference decided these things 145

• inward sanctification begins the moment someone is justified
• it is given quicker to those we expect it sooner.
• she be preached scarce to those who are not pressing forward and often (by way of
promise) to those who are drawing nearer to God.

Third conference 1746, didnʼt feel the need to spend more time on the doctrine.

fourth conference in 1747

• among those who disagree, they must believe in the continual pressing of the growth
of grace and that everyone saved is entirely sanctified in death
• many were not perfected in love until just before death.
• not much mention of entire sanctification
• should we expected to be saved from all sin before article of death.
• Ps. 139-he shall redeem israel from all sins, promise of Ezekiel of Godʼs cleaning
• the purpose of Christ was to cleanse us all
• be perfect as our heavenly fther is perfect.
• death is the marker...you canʼt love with your heart once you are dead.
• 1 John 4:17 our loe is made perfect.
• no one is pointed out, because people are looking for someone to persecute

Hymns and sacred Poems

Deliverance from all sin
recieved merely by fatih
126

given instantaneously
To be expected at any moment

printed 2 volumes of hymns and sacred poems in 1749

Wesley didnʼt approve of everything
• what is agreed on is that every person loves God and neighbooy, implying the
deliverance from all sin
• this is received by faith
• given instantly
• we are to expect that every moment is the time of salvation.

19. Thoughts On Christian Perfection

What it includes
What it does not include
General observations

• conference in 1759, the doctrine was considered again because of disputes.

• this tract “thoughts on Christian perfection” was published just to put out what was in
Johnʼs head.
• Loving God with all heart, mind, soul and strength. no wrong temper, not contrary to
love remains in the person and all actions are governed by pure love.
• the consequence of the soul is that we will make mistakes, and wonʼt be freed from
them till immortality.
• we need the atoning blood of God, not the rigor of his justice.
• the mistakes remind us our our continual need for Christ and his blood. we
consistently need forgiveness.
• this accounts for what some might see an unaccountable.
• we need Christ all the time and in all respects.
• mistakes and infirmities flow from the corruptible state of the body.
• never uses the phrase sinless perfection, because that isn;t the case. involuntary
transgressions
• we should never lose sight of how much we need Christ
• we keep to the bible and donʼt “set” ourselves to high or to low. it shows us pure love.
• for those that have found perfection, they should not brag about it.
• they should speak with those that look up too
• scriptural perfection is pure love reigning along in the human heart.
• a person experiences a total death to sin and the entire inward renewal...then they
know this. the spirit witnesses entire sanctification
• the death to sin is gradual
• we should wrestly with sin in prayer and ask for perfection
• continue in peace and love until we are perfected
• examine those who think are perfected.

20. The Danger of Fanaticism

• in 1762 many were saved, most of them came from rough places.
• wesley encouraged them to be watchful of pride and enthusiasm.
127

• when he left, the took their own imaginations and ran with it.
• felt they had many spiritual gifts
• some of them wouldnʼt take discipline, and others were.
• but people still were being saved.

21. Responsibility to live above reproach

• satan always tempts when the holy spirit is moving
• we should pray for deliverance and reclaim everyone through a spirit of meekness
• the new creature is maddening to a mad world.
• it is coldness, negligence and unbelief that cause us to not improve in the spiritual life.

22. False Ideas on the Second Coming

• people were claiming Christ was coming again.
• Wesley preached against it and warned the societies.
• in the end the people greatly increased the group against Christian perfection.

23 Questions to those who deny that Christian perfection is attainable in this life.
• a grouping of questions that wesley asks those who donʼt agree with perfection
• scriptural in nature, asking people “does not scripture say this”?

24. The Testimony of Jane Cooper

• died 1761-this is her testimony
• through preaching saw the clear state of her soul.
• the prize appeared, and she followed it. kept watch in prayer and expected.
• she believed that God would come to those who waited for him.
• spent time wrestling for salvation and to see Jesus
• clung to the idea of perfection and the work that it takes to get to it...much prayer and
devotion
• she knew that she altogether dwelt with and in God.

25. Further Thoughts on Christian perfection

The law versus love
the fruits of love
what is meant by perfection
the nature of temptation
possibility of falling
differences between the justified and the sanctified
how to keep sanctified.

• the mosaic law and adamic law

• the created element of man
• the changes in adams body because of sin
128

• christ is the end of both laws

• christ has established the law of faith
• we are fee by his death, and subject to the law of faith
• we are still under this law, because of Christ and love is the fulfilling of it
• love is long suffering
• neither love or the blessing of Christ makes un infallibe, we will still mistake into sin
• the holiest of men need Christ, because he gives us light
• the best need christ as their advocate,atonement and priest.
• we do not need a fresh reconciliation, but a continued one.
• we all need the perfect law of Christ and his blood for forgiveness
• it is the continual life of Christ that keeps us from being condemned by the law
• the spirit tells us of our sanctification
• sanctification is a real change. the abiding of Christ changes us visibly.
• the spirit witness to our spirit that we are children of God.
• god continues to place the spirit of assurance with every step towards him
• the outward fruits of the spirit show that we are from God.
• this growth is part of our sanctification
• we are sealed by the spirit, but also possible to grieve the spirit
• it is important to practice perfection, if we donʼt, we could fall away from our perfection
• it is possible to gain this faith and then loose it before it is firmly established
• we must watch and pray against pride at all times
• grace and light do not necessarily go together
• do not have a heated imagination
• donʼt think that everything might be a revelation from God
• read the scriptures and consult other Christians
• be aware of antinomianism
• even though Christ is the end of the law, it doesnʼt discount it.
• beware of the sin of omission...do good works at every chance.
• donʼt desire anything but God
• beware of schism, breaking up the church
• be careful and holy with your money-donʼt waste when others have not
• prayer is to be a continual habit
• good works are only perfected in Christ

26. Brief summation of Wesleyʼs view

• 1764-review of the subject of sanctification.
• perfection is mentioned in scripture
• it isnʼt absolute
• sin remains in the body, but not in control
• desire the love of God over all, and preach perfection to the believers

27. Plea for impartial judgement of his teaching

• wesley feels that he has given a plain and simply account of the doctrine of perfection
and how he came to it
• what is frightful about it?
• feels it is reasonable.
129

• the doctrine belongs to the whole church...it is scriptural

28. a defense of the doctrine

• since perfection has been explained as scripture-how can you argue
• what is not scriptural about a complete renewal
• what christian would argue to this
• let us not fight any longer about the image of God
• why should the devout be afraid of devotion
• are we enemies because we look for a rescue from evil?
130

What Theological issues shaped John Wesleyʼs pastoral ministry.

John Wesley grew up and came of spiritual age steeped in Christian reflection.

He is a product of his own time, in both personal and corporate categories. To really

understand how and why he was so systematic, we really need to look back at see his

influences.

John was the son of a Anglican priest, raised in the rectory. Both of his parents

were spiritually disciplined people and passed that along to the children. This discipline

was later reflected in how Wesley took care of orphans and children under the care of

the societies. John was given a good education, both at home and in proper schools.

He believed that children must be disciplined, or they will turn out like “wild ass colts”.

The society school provided a spiritual education as well as a practical. The children

were also fed and clothed. The formation that John and Charles received at home is

mirrored in the way that he treated children inside of the societies.

John also believed in taking care of others. The whole system was influenced by

finding an easy way to collect money in the society for the welfare of others. He opened

up widows housing and the preachers were expected to eat there among the poor being

served. He also received basic medical training in his leisure time and employed others

in order to take care of the medical needs of those in the classes. He wrote and edited

basic medial texts to give to the traveling preachers so they could take care of those

they came into contact with. Inside of the class and band systems, measures were

taken so that the society knew who was sick and in need to assistance. The society

formed a large network of communal care.

131

To think of the entire system of Wesleyan society, the larger network must be

explained. The society was the largest grouping of Methodist. The society occasional

had open meetings, but it was a closed group. They had a large network of

supervisors, preachers, stewards, lay assistants and leaders to keep everything well

organized. With the exception of a few ordained Church of England clergy, this was a

lay movement with those in leadership chosen by Wesley and others that he trusted.

This was developed in order to actually provide the type of Christian Community that

Wesley felt was necessary to both promote the gospel, and to live within the rubric of

sanctification. Spiritual leaders also had the task of caretakers, working in their system

of supervisors and leadership.

The Class and Bands were small groups inside of the society to further Christian

perfection. The Class was formed out of neighborhoods, and the bands were same sex

small groups formed for those who desired a greater sense of accountability. It is inside

the class that tickets were given to allow admittance into the society. The bands were

voluntary and for places of honest confession, prayer and worship. At times they had

bands specifically for those who had reached entire sanctification and for those who had

backslidden. Wesley formed the first band because he desired a group of men to pray

and have Christian counsel with for the sake of his own soul.

If anyone has to find a specific element of why the Wesleyan revival succeeded, I

think that organization and message can be argued. To anyone who wishes to attack

the system, Wesley notes that small groups for christian life are scriptural, look at how

Jesus gathered the disciples around him. The method might not be inherent in

scripture, but it is certainly not standing in opposition to anything he has found. Some
132

might call it Popery because of the focus on confession, but Wesley doesnʼt agree,

thinks accountability is scriptural, and that in anyone doesnʼt like anything they call it

Popery and have a good argument automatically.

If I had to pick something out of the entire corpus of Wesleyan theology that I

would stand behind no matter what, I think it would be Wesleyʼs Pastoral Theology. It

was something that highly influenced his own life. He grew up in societies and small

groups (The Holy Club at Oxford was the first naming of Methodist), so what he

proclaimed to others was something that he found valuable and practiced it himself. He

knew that he needed Christian Community. He also valued the people under his

charge, and realized that he would have to account for them to God. His form of taking

care also spoke of his doctrine of God and anthropology.

The society for of Christian Community also answers many of the needs that the

people had. The first societies were formed when people asked Wesley to continue

preaching to them so they might be encouraged in their quest towards perfection. The

caretaking nature of the classes also provide the alternative kingdom that Wesley

preaches about in sermons from 1 and 2 Peter. Inside of the system, a new world was

created.

I think that loosing the actual form of Methodism is bad. It is something that goes

across denominational boundaries, and provides people with the help they need to

pursue God further and in the progressive nature of sanctification. It meets practical

needs as well as spiritual needs. In it, no one is able to become a diva or a star,

because all are needing sanctification. Anyone is able to minister to anyone else, and

make this journey alongside them.

133

A Plain Account of the People Called Methodist

Introduction
• Wesley is writing a full account of methodism.
• to understand the practice and the reasons.
• everything was designed around occasion...when things needed to be done it was
• at times they had to follow scripture or tradition, it offered the needed response.

I. The Beginnings
• 1738, John and Charles began preaching in london
• insisted upon 4 points
• orthodoxy is a slender part of religion
• the only way of religion is repentance.
• faith in Jesus Christ
• justification prepares us to be holy
• this doctrine touched people, and they thought it was like they had never heard
• they searched scripture and found it to be true
• it brought about difficulties, mainly around the idea of being to righteous
• They came to the Wesleys, and they told them to meet together to strengthen each
other
• pray for each other.
• the peoples response was to ask Wesley to meet and pray with them
• they wanted advice and direction from john and charles...so they decided to meet on
Thursday afternoons.
• This was the first “society”-it was a common idea already
• the people wanted to flee from the wrath to come and to assist each other in doing so.
Their meetings were for prayer and accountability in love.
• the one condition is to desire to flee from the wrath to come, to be saved from sin
• those who began to fear God but didnʼt unite fell back, those who did unite stayed the
course and
• Wesley saw that this was a part of Christianity from the earliest.
• In the scriptures once someone became a Christian, they immediately joined together.
• Some started to think it was a schismatic movement, starting churches out of
churches
• Most of these werenʼt Christians to start, they were heathens. You couldnʼt call them
Christians because of their behavior. If they were Christians, they were Devil
Christians
• Christ was not in these communities or peoples life, so you werenʼt taking them out of
a church.
• Wesley introduced Christian fellowship where it was utterly destroyed, and the fruits
are the fruits of the spirit.

II. Classes
• how to deal with those who grew cold, and sin came back.
• they caused others to stumble.
134

• Wesley was also having problems keeping up with everyone.

• In Bristol, where a society existed, they started a penny offering a week. Someone
decided to take on 11 of the poorest, and would pay their offering if they couldnʼt make
it.
• in their rounds, these leaders began to check up on the folks they collected from, and
could report it.
• this allowed evil to be found, and taken care of. Prayer concerns could be passed. It
was the thing that Wesley had been looking for.
• the business of a class leader
• to see someone in the class once a week
• to ask how their soul is
• to advise and reproof
• to take their offering to the poor.
• to meet with the minister of the society and report
• to inform who is sick
• to pay the offerings
• these visitations took to much time, and didnʼt work out for people who were servants
• sometimes face to face meetings were needed because of quarrels
• they began to meet together, it was just easier
• some saw it as a restraint, not a privilage
• others had problems with change or talking in front of others
• some thought there was no scripture witness; but there wasnʼt one against it.
• it was full of order and the general rule of scripture, all done to the glory of God
• the leaders should be approved and trained.

III. Watchnights
• kingswood met together and spent time in prayer and worship.
• John that it was a good idea, and part of the ancient practice of Christianity.
• usually went till after midnight
• good for soul winning

IV. Individual meetings

• to better understand the spiritual state of the society, Wesley wanted to speak with
every member once a quarter.
• ask them if they were growing in grace.
• gave them a ticket if he felt they were growing in grace.
• It identified them with the society
• if you donʼt have a ticket, you arenʼt part of the society and community

V. Unity
• Wesley was very concerned that the group would become a narrow sect.
• Wesley committed to reading what else was going on in the church across the world
and in different denominations.
• he spent one evening a month doing this
135

VI. bands
• some desired a closer union...they had seriously benefited from the classes
• they wanted to be with each other more. they still had to wrestle
• a place for honest confession, and prayer
• kept them in single sex, and marriage status
• the rules were
• meet at least once a week
• be punctual
• sing or pray at the beginning
• speak freely of the state of the soul
• the leader spoke first, and then directed the meeting
• men met on wednesday, women on sunday
• they would take in a love feast once a quarter, sometimes with both menand women.
• only had bread and water, but they saw it as spiritual food
• the bands have been great, especially in the breaking of chains
• the became holier
• the same objections to classes became part of the discussion on bands
• they were accused of being popery, because of confession. Wesley realized that if
someone didnʼt like anything, they could just call it Popery.

7. Penitent meetings.
• when someone fell into sin either by sins of omission (gradually falling away) or
willfully, they would be put into a different group on Saturday night.
• the whole service was directed around coming back to God...backsliding
• the endevor was to bring them back to God.
• this wasnʼt RCC penance, but the recognition of sin

8. Select Companies
• some rose even higher after they had lost things
• they were doing better than their brethern
• decided to spend time with those who were doing very well on Monday morning.
• John wanted to press the further, but to also have a group he was comfortable with to
share.
• they had no need for many rules, very little direction
• donʼt share what has been said
• every member agrees to submit to their minister
• they will contribute towards an offering
• they have equal chance at speaking
• very free conversation
• they were encouraged to pour their soul out to God at these meetings.
•

9. Leadership
• the previous is the short account of the organization.
• the leaders hold unique roles
• the lay-assistant has roles in the absence of the minister
136

• speak in the mornings and evenings

• meet with the society, bands, the select and the penitents once a week
• visit the classes once a quarter
• settle disputes
• hold “trials”
• to see the leadership is faithful
• to meet with the leaders and to look their accounts.

10. The Stewards

• it was hard to manage the business side of the society
• chose stewards to handle this work
• manage the temporal needs
• recieve subscriptions and contributions
• expend these monies
• send relief to the poor
• keep an exact account of the reciepts and expenses.
• to inform minister if rules arenʼt being followed
• to watch the spiritual health of the preachers
• they had rules as well
• be frugal
• contract no debts
• have no long accounts
• donʼt say harmful things
• expect no thanks
• they had regular meetings, on thursday mornings
• they managed themselves very well

11. visitation of sick

• the stewards had problems visiting the sick
• the leaders of the classes should keep a better watch
• got 46 to volunteer to visit the sick.
• separated town into districts, and put them in 2 person teams
• the business of the visitor of the sick
• check the sick 3 times a week
• enquire to the state of their soul
• check on their health
• to give them financial assistance
• to help them in any other way
• to bring account to the stewards
• wesley realized how much this looked like the early church
• rules
• be plain and open in dealing with souls
• mild, tender and patient
• clean
• be kind
• this has helped save many people, physically and spiritually
137

12. The poor and the sick

• the poor where sick and couldnʼt afford medical care.
• wesley got medical training, studied it in his leisure time
• found a pharmacist and a surgeon
• gave notice of Wesleys ability to the society
• it sometimes looked like healing, but also was medicinal
• wesley didnʼt check to see if they were part of the society, but took care of all. gave
them medicines and it was very successful

13. The Widows

• how to take care of the widow
• leased 2 houses and prepared them for the widows
• took contributions from the bands
• they were still in debt, but they knew it was worth it
• a few children live there, and all are taken care of.
• Wesley made the preachers (and himself) eat with the poor.
• it is the fathers table
• Wesley seeʼs himself as greatly blessed

14. Schooling
• saw that children needed to be in school, or they were like a wild ass colt.
• had them taught in his own house, furnished school teachers
• some pay, others donʼt
• the society contributes as well as clothes them
• rules
• none under 6
• all come to morning sermon
• in school from 6-12 and 1-5
• no play days
• must attend, or they will be dropped
• there are stewards to attend to needs as well, mainly spiritual
• the children became much more well behaved

15. Loans
• wesley saw that apawn broker was taken business
• he got 50 pounds to start helping.
• they must repay loans within 3 months
• 250 have been helped within a year, this is lending unto the lord
• alot more money has come in for this enterprise
• alot of money comes through the societies
• wesley always wants his conscience to be before God in all of these organizational
matters.
138

The Nature, Design and General Rules of the United

Societies

1. The Beginning
• some came to Wesley and wanted a meeting of accountability.
• he gathered them as well as met with them for prayer and other advice
• many others decided to join
• ended with prayer

2. United Society
• this was the first society, in London and then in other places
• seeking the power of Godliness and unity in prayer
• to recieve word of exhortation

3. classes
• smaller groups to work out salvation. 12 people to the class
• inquire to the soul
• advise, reproof and pray
• take an offering
• the leaders meet with the minister once a week

4. the rules
• the only rule is to desire to flee from the wrath to come
• they should avoid evil
• list of the definitions of evil
• tned to the knowledge of God

5. growth
• all involved should show evidence of their desire of salvation
• doing good of all sorts
• staying away from the doctrine of the devil

6. continuing
• take part in the ordinances of God
• public worship
• preaching
• supper
• prayer
• reading and scripture
• fasting or abstinence

7. Conclusion
• these are the rules, which are part of the rubric of scripture
• the spirit writes these on the awakened heart of all Christians
139

• if someone breaks them, they will have to be watched and disciplined.

• he must repent, or he has no place with the society.
140

Rules of the Bands-Societies

drawn up 12.25.1738

the point of the meeting is to obey the command of God for us to confess our faults to
others.

The rules are designed around promptness, organization and honesty

• meet once a week, on time. start promptly with song or prayer

• prayer ends the meeting, suited towards the state of those present
• everyone should speak freely, beginning with the leader and following with searching
questions
• questions are around the persons state with God
• are they aware of God in themselves, witness of the spirit, love of God in heart
• does sin control you?
• do you want to be told your faults?
• questions of deeply intentional nature...complete willingness to have others enter your
life and push you towards holiness
• how have you sinned and been tempted this week? how were you delivered and how
do you interpret your possible sins.
141

Directions Given to the Band Societies

1744

God tells us to have a faith that overcomes the world......

1. Stay away from evil

• donʼt buy on the sabbath
• stay away from liquor
• be honest in purchases, and donʼt use pawn brokers
• donʼt speak against others
• donʼt wear needless ornaments
• no self-indulgence, like tobacco

2. Good works always

• help others with money
• tell others their sin
• be a pattern of diligence and honesty

3. the ordinances of God

• be at church and the meetings of the bands
• attend to preaching at morning
• private and family prayer
• read scripture at every listless moment
• fast
142

Wesleyʼs Doctrine of the Church

Since Methodism was such an organizational structure. John Wesley had to have

a very good theology of the church. To some, especially now, thinking theologically

about the church seems odd. To them, the church is just the occasion for the individual

believers to gather together or it is an occasion for preaching and evangelism. John

Wesley would not be happy with that idea. To him, the Church was the active and

oriented body of Christ that was alive and in this world. Salvation still only came from

inside of the church because that is where holiness is worked out.

The major component in Wesleyʼs view of the church is the idea of The Means of

Grace. These are the practices of the Christian life. To some they are just the marks of

a moral life, and have forgotten about Christ. These means of grace are the whole end

goal of religion and they now concentrate on these outward means. This is a false and

lifeless religion because it is without the power of the Holy Spirit. In this belief there are

people that have been awakened out of sleep and find that sin is a heavy burden, and

are not able to deal with it, so they fall back into sleep. Wesley instead teaches that

while waiting on a further dispensation of grace, we should wait expectantly and in

worship and prayer. We participate in what we know we will receive.

Wesley also fought against Anti-nomianism. This is the idea that because of

grace and gospel, we are no longer under the law. This doctrine has been used at

different times in the life of the church to encourage sinful behavior. Wesley taught that

we are free in grace, but we are finally living with the freedom to actually fulfill the laws

of God.
143

Wesley defended the right for local lay preachers. He located his argument

within the idea of the apostolic role of the evangelist. These are men that are chosen to

expound the words of God an encourage those who believe. They also have the task of

preaching a message of repentance and leading people towards gospel redemption.

Wesley had a very protestant view of the Church, and he felt that this meant a

priesthood of all believers.

Much of his opposition came with the structure of the Church of England. Due to

their idea of via media (the middle way), they retained much of the Catholic sensibility of

Church leadership as well as membership. This meant that the Methodist structure

threatened the proper Anglican understanding of the Church. Wesley however defined

church very loosely. He saw the Methodist revival as a renewal movement within the

Church of England and encouraged unity within it. Methodists still took part in baptism,

and were encouraged to have Holy Communion as much as possible. Sympathetic

Anglican clergy were welcome in the revival and were used to further its mission.

The proper definition of the church was all of those gathered together under the

mission of Christ. Because of this, it was possible for anyone to be a Methodist. While

there doctrinal standards were closely aligned with the Church of England (Wesley used

their articles to define the bounds of the American Methodists once they became a

separate church), Wesley encouraged a sense of cooperation with all who can be of

similar heart and mind. All Christians have a vocation of holiness, and the pursuit

thereof. While there might be minor moments of disagreement, cooperation is

necessary and important.

144

I think the greatest mark of Wesleys teaching on the Church lies within the

discussions of the Means of Grace and AntiNominism. These all closely align with the

greater idea of Methodism and how as Christians and the Church we should be focused

on holiness.

Wesley also closely linked the idea of money, honor and power with the sin that

lives within the Church. In that manner, part of his ideas of holiness and Church

behavior was strongly against anything that could cause these desires. In our day, this

is a message that would easily preach and be a strong message.

But the true retainer of the Means of Grace is the Christian life. It takes a

community of people. In our time, many churches simply posit a few key leaders in the

eyes of everyone. Their word becomes authoritative, and often their words are closely

linked to what would be considered successful within the community. Wesley decided

to systematize everything and give away roles of leadership. The idea of non-ordained

preachers was very controversial, but it enabled the revival to spread quicker as well as

foster holiness in the societies that already existed. The means of grace were the

things extended to both protect Christian life as well as further the progression of

sanctification and holiness.

145

John Wesley
Sermon 16
The Means of Grace

I. Are there means ordained by God?

• acts 2:44-the things the apostles held themselves to
• Christ ordaining outward means for the purpose of conveying graces to men
• after time, people began to forget faith and concentrate on these outward signs-
believing them to be the things of salvation.
• these are people that have forgotten the call to the love of God and of neighbor
• the things that should have been for their health (means of grace) became the
occasion for their fall
• others preach the outward grace as an affect on inward-but do not have them.
• again others fight for souls, but do not mention outward signs.
• people are awakened out of sleep, and find sin to be a heavy burden. They try
everything it an attempt to ease their mind.

II. Are there any Means of Grace?

• outward signs, words or actions ordained by God
• to be the channels of the various forms of grace-from preventing, justifying and
sanctifying.
• The chief of these are prayer, scripture reading, the supper
• when removed from inward religion these things are nothing
• if these are practiced in the form of religion without the inward heart-they are an
abomination to God.
• God alone is the giver of every gift. These means have no power in themselves, but it
is the Spirit which does all things.
• It is only the blood of Christ which atones for sins...these graces have no power in it.
• many Christians abuse the graces to the destruction of their soul.
• when waiting for the grace of God (saving grace), should one participate in the means
of grace?
III. Those waiting on the grace of God should wait for it in the means which he
ordained
• First, we are to wait in the grace of prayer. Christ told us this in Matt 7:7-8.
• we are able to ask our heavenly father everything, because he cares for us.
• God will give himself to us to the level that we ask for.
• so our asking in prayer is the posture of one waiting for grace, but waiting with the
expectation that it will happen.
• we should also wait by spending time in the scriptures
• searching them for God because in them he is contained.
• we eat the supper waiting for him to come. we eat and drink while waiting.
• if someone understands this holy institution, they should partake in it.

IV. Dwelling in the graces

• If someone wants to really see how much they trusted in the graces, see what
happens if you forget about them.
146

• the argument that Christ is the only means of Grace

• explain your term, and the objection vanishes away.
• people waited in the scriptures for God to come (psalms Isaiah
• the jews stood to see they salvation of God and walked through it on dry ground
(red sea parting)
• the objection that of being dead with Christ means no ordinances
• they are the jewish ordinances of the law
• this is the weakest objection

V. Use of the Means

• God is pleased to use the means to bring a sinner to salvation
• the means are the way that we find out about God once we have been convicted.
• if anyone thinks about salvation-they should go to the means
• the means are varied, because the spirit works in many ways.
• they should be used in the best way to carry a lively sense of the spirit.
• before you use them-remember that there is no power inside of them. nor merit. God
bids and we do
• the only work and power to save is in Christ.
• seek God alone through the means,,for the sake of renewing our souls towards
righteousness
• Ultimately, give God the praise....not yourself for discipline.
147

John Wesley
Sermon 34
The original, Nature, Property and use of the Law

Introduction
• there are few subjects as little understood as the Law
• a careful reader of the verse Rom 7:12 understands that this is serious matter
• paul doesnʼt mean the old Roman law or the ceremonial law of moses
• the law has dominion over our lives as long as we live.
• through the body of Christ we are dead to the law...we hyave a new dispensation
• since we are no longer in sin we are able to follow the law..it is holy.

the origin of this law

• the moral law, the law we know can follow because of Christ
• It was declared to man at an early age. existing before the foundations of the world
• the morning stars...the angels. given to them to discern truth from falsehood, good and
evil and with liberty the capacity of choosing one.
• he gave the angels the law for this purpose
• a complete model of truth
• raise man from the dust and gave him life...he gave us the same law as the
angels...written not in stone but in our hearts.
• the intent is that it is always close
• this is the original state of the law.
• man rebelled and broke the glorious law.
• this took us away from God-but God did not despise us, but gave us his son to make it
right
• we were given back a portion of this law.
• the law is the true light which enlightens the world
• the law is made know to those who did not know God
• The Spirit reveals the things of God

the nature of the law

• it is promised to be written fresh upon us
• law and commandment are the same thing
• the cermonial law has no place in this discussion
• we also canʼt understand the law in the Mosaic dispensation.
• paul never affirms that time, it is flawed
• the law is an incorruptible picture of the high and holy God
• it is the face of God unveiled.
• it is the heart of God disclosed to man
• virtue canʼt assume this shape. the law of God is all virtues in one.
• it is unchangeable and supreme
• a copy of the eternal mind. a transcript of the divine nature.
• the delight of every being that has a relationship with God.
148

the properties of the law; holy, just and Good

• the law is holy. this is its nature
• it is the pure, clean unpolluted worship of God
• it is the highest degree of holiness
• if it wasnʼt it could not be the offspring of God who is essential holiness
• it has no fellowship with sin
• this is why Paul rejects that the law is Sin or the cause of sin
• sin is sin, death working to death
• the law can be abused, but not defiled.
• it is just. it renders all what is due.
• it is adapted to everything perfectly.
• Is the will of God the cause of the Law? wesley things this question is more curious
than useful. It is not decent to try to give God an account of his decisions
• his will is not distinct from God...they are the same
• God does will, because it is right and fitting to certain things
• The law is right and just covering all things. The goodness of God makes sure of this
• the goodness of God is the fountain where all of this springs from
• fruits of the law of God are written on the heart...righteousness, peace and assurance
forever.

the uses of the law

• the first use is to convince the world of Sin
• this is the work of the Holy Spirit, who works it out.
• sinners are convicted by the Law
• by the law ths sinner is discovered to himself
• the sinner is dead unto God and void of all spiritual life.
• the second use is to bring the sinner into life with Christ, so he may live.
• the third use is to keep us alive. this is the grand means the spirit prepares us for the
larger life with God
• we are justified freely by grace.....we have used the law in this act
• this should agree with the experience of the true believer..they rejoice in the life with
God and how His law has been revealed to them.
• the law says “thou shalt not kill”, by this God teaches us about anger.
• we cannot spare the law no more than we can spare Christ. The law brings us to God
• speaking evil of the law is wicked.
• if you are convinced that the law is all of this, cleave to it more and more. Keep close
to it and it will keep you close to Christ
• stand by how God has written his law on your heart.
• stand fast in this liberty
• Look to Jesus the perfect law. and grow in knowledge of him
149

John Wesley
Sermon 115
The Ministerial Office

Introduction
• notes from a conversation with My. Moore.
• hebrews 5:4
• encourage to beomce a man of one book.
• there was a real distinction between the prophetic and priestly in the OT and the
prophetic and pastoral in the NT
• the latter has right to administer sacraments

The Call to Preach

• this text is often used against laymen that preach
• some felt it was necessary to be outwardly called by man
• But the argument is flawed...Aaron did not preach..he was a priest
• he was called to minister in holy things
• the ancient offices were known to be different. Adam to Noah the first born served as a
priest in the family....no right to be a preacher or a prophet, this usually belonged to
the youngest
• the levites werenʼt prophets

Prophetic/Pastoral Nature
• two sorts of prophets-the extraordinary and the ordinary...the preachers in the
synagogues
• the office of evangelist insʼt the same as a Pastor/Bishop
• Wesley doesnʼt believe that the office of evangelist gives a man the right to act as
pastor or bishop
• Constantine altered all this.
• It grew common for one man to take the whole congregation...to get the whole pay
• he acted as all roles
• License to Preach before ordination.
• the right to preach never gives the right of sacrament
• people can be doctors of divinity but not ordained
•

Current Preachers
• in the C/E the methodists exist outside the church. the only qualification is the desire
to flee from wrath
• the Methodist recieved these people as prophets, not priests
• the offices are not joined
• at the first conference they see the appointment of preaching and what is appointed.
• Wesley never appointed to administer sacraments
• If someone did this, it would be a breach
150

The rule of the preachers

• Methodists must not separate from the Church.
• it is not right to think of yourselves as holier than someone else.
• they still see themselves as members of the church, not a sect
• Wesley holds high the C/E. He loves the liturgy
• he wishes the discipline could actually be executed and he follows the rules for the
most part

What Wesley does

• preaches outside (no parish)
• prays extemporaneously
• puts people in the system
• he meets with his preachers 1 a year
• conferences with them.
• He advises all to attend church regularly
• He is not inconsistent-but will vary from it when he think it is not right
• Many of the socities were already separated from the church, they were sinners
• he canʼt make them go all the time...they cannot be persuaded
• they donʼt go the dissenting meetings any more
• they hear sound doctrine at the meetings

Methodists
• call to the preachers
• keep your station, know that you are sent as messengers of God
• Do not leave the church
• To those Anglicans...we do the same things you do.
• we honor you for your works sake
• we are frineds in the truth, you need us because we are just like you.
• We are still anglican
• The Methodists are of no particular sect or party, but recieve all who desire to be just,
merciful and walk humbly with God.
151

John Wesley
sermon 97
On obedience to Pastors

Introduction
• Hebrews 13:17
• issue of authority and how we submit to it
• find the middle point between 2 dramatic extremes
• set human laws out and attend to the workd of God

Who are the person mentioned-that rule over

• wesley notes a bad translation
• guide instead of rule.
• the pastors are the ones mentioned
• they have the job of going before the flock and guide them in the ways of truth and
holiness
• to nourish them with the words of eternal life
• they have the people in there hearts all the time. praying and having concern
• they have to have an account of them in front of the judgement

Who are they the apostle directs to obey and submit too
• donʼt appeal to human institutions
• the are directing the parishioners to obey and submit
• this means the pastors must be ery Godly....not a wolf in sheeps clothing
• every man must give an account, your family wonʼt save you
• those who have connected themselves to a pastor by volunteering. You make the
decision.
• they realize the pastors role.

what is the meaning of this direction

• obey and understand and show with outward behavior
• easily persuaded of anything that is not sinful
• ready to give up our own will
• he is willing to recieve instruction and puts himself under the authority...will take
reproof
• they either do the things of God or the things of the devil...we are to obey God rather
than man
• among those who assume to be Christians but donʼt act like it....it grieves the HS
• it hinders any grace
• this includes a significant amount of self-denial
• obey because God told us too
• are we easily convinced
• Wesley mentions his advice about Dress....do not be conformable to the world...lay
aside everything unnecessary
• If we dress like the world we are aligned with the world.
• you harden your hearts against instruction and conviction
152

• this might not be obvious in scripture, but stated by your authority

• it might just be a little thing, are you willing to disobey a commandment because of a
trifle?
• obey your spiritual guide
153

John Wesley
sermon 74
Of the Church

Introduction
• we hear about the church alot, but we donʼt understand it
• it is a building or a congregation or a group of people united together in the service of
God.
• This last sense is the point of the sermon
• where 2 or 3 are gathered
• those who God has called out of the world, united together
• not just a building...canʼt assume Rome met in 1 place
• first use was to those at corinth, all the congregations in a region
• the plural place, all of the assemblies
• sometime sit has a liturgical meaning.....the people of Christ under heaven
• those who are properly the church of God, Paul refers to them as large.

I. Who are the proper Church of God

• the saints assembled together
• the church in general is also a body
• the church in a house
• all are the church
• united in the holy spirit
• those who have the same hope and recognize Christ as Lord
• understand the free gift of faith and the one baptism
• they are creedal
• understand what it means to love God and desire to abide with him
• follow the articles of religion
• the C/E definition is good for a formal church

II. What is the vocation to which we are called

• the word “walk” has an extensive definition
• we are to do everything worthy of our calling
• all lowliness, have the mind of Christ
• prepare for how we will be changed
• we still need power, no matter what
• no matter what, be clothed with humility
• once we are being taught by the meek Christ, we shall walk with al meekness.
• this is power in proportion...balanced
• we have victory over passions...all of them. we bear one another up
• all true members of the church endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of
peace.
• the universal church. We are holy because Christ our head is holy
• those who defend the church, but donʼt take part are mistaken.
• all members of the true church shall attempt to walk holy and without blame.
• the light of the world
154

• above all, let love about and extend it to all.

• let people know we are the church because we love.
155

John Wesley
The duty of constant communion

Introduction
• Luke 22:19
• Do this in remembrance of me
• it is odd that people who fear God do not take communion
• perhaps the think they are not worth

I. show that it is the duty of all Christians

II.Answer some objections

I. Show that is it the duty

• it is a command of Christ-do this in remembrance of me
• the apostles were obliged to join together in holy things
• all the church was obliged to receive these things
• there is a command to receive these things.
• these are the dying command of Christ
• great benefits are available
• it keeps us from being led into sin
• grace of God enables us to leave our sins
• we are strengthen by bread and wine
• the food of our souls
• all who desire to live alongside Christ should commune as much as they can
• we should prepare by self-examination and prayer
• a desire to keep the promises

II. Objections
• we should do it frequently, as a command of God as well as a mercy given to man
• if we have the opportunity in front of us, we should then observe it
• if we do not obey his commands do we have a place in the kingdom
• we are obliged to keep every command as far as we can
• the mervy of God to man
• has given us to attain the blessing he has prepared for us
• obtaining holiness on earth
• if God offers his blessing why do we not take them?
• I am unworthy, I donʼt take so I will not be damned
• God is offering us a great mercy
• we are surely unworthy, but it does not matter and he is pleased to offer it to us
• are we worthy to obey God...No, but we are able to through Christ
• we cant bring damnation on ourselves
• we should fear not keeping the whole law
• where does it say in the bible to break one command in order to atone for another?
• take the supper
156

• others say they cannot live up to it.

• we cannot keep the profession
• if we say we cannot live up to it...we are renouncing our baptism and renouncing
Christ
• it helps us keep the commands
• the only preparation needed is repentance and faith in christ
• nothing els can hinder us. this is the only necessary preparation
• examine ourselves and take
• keep in prayer your holiness
• if I take it often I will lose the reverence
• it will confirm and increase reverence
• the benefit will be found sooner or later
• we keep taking to not fall back
• if we do not receive anything are we rightly prepared?
• take every time it is offered...or more if you can
• the church orders that it happen every sunday at certain churches
• unworthiness is not an excuse nor is preparation of arguments to frequency
157

John Wesley
On Baptism

I.what is it?
• the initial sacrament, which enters us into covenant with God.
• started by Christ
• water has the natural power of cleansing
• the scripture doesnʼt determine how it happens, but that it is done
• scripture cannot prove the amount or style argument
• various scripture references
• no proof of dipping in scripture...apostles probably washed our poured
• cleaning from sin, which is prefigured in baptism

II. the benefits recieved

• washes away guilt of original sin, by the application of the merits of Christs death
• it marks our deliverance and power of Christ over us
• enter into everlasting covenant
• given a new heart
• admitted into the church and made members of Christ
• we who were children of wrath are now made children of God
• is regeneration
• born of water and spirit into God
• grafted into the body of Christ
• heirs of the kingdom of heaven, which cannot be moved

III. why did Christ institute baptism?

IV.the way to into into the church
V. outward is a means of the inward
VI.just like circumcision was a pointer of the heart
• is the mark of the covenant
• part of the original commission
• baptism stick with the church

IV. who are the proper subjects?

• infants or adults?
• if infants are guilty of original sin, they are proper subjects
• baptism is the way we are washed of original sin
• capable of making a covenant
• Deut 29:10-12 everyone enters into covenant
• the infants of the believers are also under the gospel covenant
• God is promising to be their God
• the seal of the covenant, just like circumscision
• baptism is give to us in this manner
• appointed one positive institution to succeed another
• infancts should come to God and the Church
• dedication to God
158

• jesus speaks of infants and people bring them to him

• to care for infants
• if they are not fit to be citizens of the kingdom then who is?
• the OT admits them by circumcision
• jews performed these writes to infants
• the apostles baptized infants
• there is no mention of infants? but there is also no mention of women
• the amount baptized by the apostles...can we not assume children were there
• the household argument
• been in the practice of the church from the beginning...syprian and origen
• various other fathers
• outward baptism is for all those who desire to belong to the kingdom
• infants are capable of making a covenant

1. christ put teaching before baptism...

2. the order is not certain. John baptized and then preached?
3. we canʼt look at the great commission and argue the order of preaching/baptism
4. repentance and faith happen before circumcision as well....it is a mark of community
5. the gender argument is silly here as well....donʼt just assume Men.
6. it is our duty of conformity to the scriptures to baptize infants, they are part of the
covenant community.
159

Collins Chapter 7: The Church and the Means of

Grace: The Community of Holy Love
Introduction
• justification and rebirth entail changes in relation and being.
• freedom of holy love toward both God and neighbor
• every believer is related to the church, no one comes alone
• the gospel is not the narrative of the individual but that of the church
• personal stories are caught up in the larger stories of salvation history.

The Church
• wesley had a very well developed doctrine of the church
• thought of because of the proper parameters to his own mystery
• though “church” was avery ambiguous term
• perferred the idea of a body of people united together in service of and towards God.
• he maintained a reformist view
• article 19 of the 39 was very important
• felt very free to interpret this loosely
• the end goal is the inculcation of holy love
• this unity covers disagreements
• a peculiar group of holy people.
• from time to time the church is called to reform in light of the task of raising up a holy
people. if they are not at this point any longer-reform is needed.

The Church in Decline

• Wesley read the history of the church as a Protestant understanding periods of decline
and the idea of reforming movement.
• they begin at pentecost and continued to this day.
• three major elements
• universality of the gospel, idea of the other was quickly marred by partiality and an
incipient tribalism
• Constantine giving the church wealth undermined its integrity, call and purpose
• saw that the clergy acted better since the reformation
• Third-honor and power were lost, must be kept i check. frugality
• heavy concern for the poor and realized that wealth can easily lead to idolatry so the
church being linked with money is easily corruptible.

Methodism as a reform of the Church

• could not be saved without holiness..not starting a new church but reforming an old
one.
• formalistic christianity is being reversed.
• school at epworth in the primitive fathers.
• C/e distinct protestant historiography
• the end goal of religion is holiness
• continued this thread in the later ministry...the nominal and the real christian
160

• C/E shouldnʼt be painted as bad...there were some in the group who were stretching
towards perfection
• wesley was convinced that the montanists were real, scriptural Christians-even though
the Catholic church condemned them
• the same as the donatists.
• reform is necessary when the church gets it right and wrong

The Significance of German Pietism and Moravianism

• in the reform-wesley was aided by Pietism and Moravianism
• intentional and committed group of Christians exist in the church without raised the
idea of schism
• must understand this to get wesley
• primitivism of the early church
• the religious society movement sprung from this.
• small cell groups as well.
• the same threats to the institution of small groups given to wesley were given to this
movement.
• Spener avoided any sort of schism, just like wesley
• groups called for a serious call to discipleship
• lay driven and authority

The Methodist Infrastructure

• the society is designed around prayer and life together seeking holiness
• the classes were for personal confession
• the system worked well because it was open to all people, yet placed them in a
discipline that brought real, true and scriptural Christianity
• disticnt because it did not mirror the anglican structure=which looked just like the class
stratification
• bands were more rigorous, but voluntary (unlike classes)
• they had a different direction, because a certain level of growth was assumed
• the select society was for those who walk in the light of God. fully sanctified
• various lay preachers and assistants
• an evangelical order within the church of england.
• part of the larger communion of faith
• if methodists leave the church, God will leave them.
• the C/E needed methodism and methodism needed the C/E

The Practical Christian Life

• the body of Christ must be outward bound
• issue of works and prayer
• teaching of faith without works is a pest of Christianity
• sufficiency of grace, but is co-operating with and responding to God.
• we have received so therefor we must respond.
• the idea of this co-operation is the desire to constantly love God more.
• we donʼt participate in justification and the new birth. they are gods gift and works
• view of ante-nicean fathers as the proper balance of faith and works.
161

• the true, genuine faith shows the strong evidence

• process from advancing from one degree of grace to another.

The Means of Grace

• the grace of God is mediated t the soul from a variety of means
• means of grace are outwards signs ordained by God and appointed for this end--to be
the ordinary channels whereby he might convey men precent, justifying and
sanctifying grace.
• the general and the particular

The Instituted Means of Grace

• works of piety
• reading, taking the supper, fasting, attending Christian conference...having
conversations of faith.
• their value is linked to their end.
• having the form of religion but not the power
• Christ must be revealed in the heart
• balanced view with tension to navigate between fanaticism and formalism

The Sacrament of the Lordʼs Supper

• sacrament as an outward sing of an inward grace and a means whereby we receive
the same
• signs of grace that are designed to strengthen and confirm our faith in him.
• remembrance that implies presence. a real presence is spiritual.
• not memorialism, but remembrance
• sign of love between the church, the grace of God given confirms to us the pardon of
sins, and allows us to leave them.
• makes the death of Christ tangible
• priest is not a mediator, the father is offering the Son to us by means of the Holy Spirit
• not a localized presence
• should be taken often

The Sacrament of Baptism

• not listed as ongoing means of grace, but it is important because it was instituted by
Christ
• important window on the nature of the practical Christian
• still retained a sacramental view of new birth associated with baptism
• but also contradicted himself
• they are not interchangable
• baptism is an external work
• new birth is an internal
• strongly associated the two
• saw the lack of repentance and faith in infant baptism
• infants are not sent to hell for the guilt of sin
• the soteriological significance significance of infant baptism is diminished by his
understanding of prevenient grace
162

• an outward sing but not an inward grace

• they canʼt infer that the baptized are Christians automatically.
• mentions the baptized hell-raisers...are they the marked children of God?
• refused to comfort open sinners with the idea they were still sons and daughters of
God.

Prudential means of Grace

• means of grace that are given by the guidance of the spirit and growth in grace
• susanna wesleyʼs idea of taking off everything that doesnʼt bring you to God
• prevenient grace brings back the part of the moral law. different from prudential norms.
• these arenʼt essential

Works of Mercy
• showing the love of God and the love of man
• grow in this love
• structures of the societies helped this.

Today and Tomorrow: What are they thinking about Natural law and politics
• is natural law bad or good? (what is its means.....?) is it restriction or aggreement
• three themes
• natural law is general moral principles
• derived from an external order
• affirm the order of mind and of nature but will interpret them as a consequence of a
divine lawgiver
• wesleys ethics are tied to this thomistic understanding of natural law
• natural law in intimately linked to God in its goal and purpose
• difference between natural law and natural rights
• good that must and should and will be pursued by all, regardless of social location
• wesley is calling for a vision of God and the good that is relevant to the many
dimensions of humanity
• appeals to the divine can be slapped on all sorts of human projects
• kungs proposal
• the church should bring its best reflections to the game today, but we should also
recognize how we havenʼt showed a universal love of God and neighbor. We have
used it to create enemies instead.
• the task is to act as the Church in the name of God and recognize a pluralist society
and be careful the other is not persecuted, but cherished and loved.
163

Summary on Wesleys Doctrine of Predestination

Wesleyans are interesting when it comes to Protestant theology because they

take the only strong stance against Reformed theology. If you find any denomination or

theological group that claims Arminianism, there is a strong chance you will find a

Wesleyan background. Wesley had several objections to predestination, but also is

noted for not being as fiery as an oppositionist as many would assume him to be. He

still maintained that Calvinism was a non-essential opinion and would work with

Calvinists (whitefield remained a close friend).

There are several areas where Wesley formed his argument around

Predestination, and he also had a robust theological view of Predestination on his own.

In his sermon On Predestination he notes how complicated of a matter it was. Wesley

also did not just disagree with one piece of the doctrine, but his whole view of God was

distinctly different. To start, Wesley took a very anglican view of human participation

(introduced by Laud) in salvation. Grace was offered to man, but mans acceptance was

part of the equation. To place human action within salvation went against the doctrine

of irresistible grace. Wesleyʼs ideas of free will and how they were essential to

anthropology also kept him out of the framework of Calvin, although he did believe in a

modified Total Depravity (prevenient grace needed to protrude). Wesley also believed

that God was best understood in terms of a loving Father, instead of using the regal

language of a soverign king as the continental reformers preferred.

The majority of theological objections took place under the larger conversation of

the specific doctrine of Predestination. Wesley was especially fond of thinking about

how if eternal glory is predestined, then eternal reprobation was as well. This means
164

that if God decided on a certain group of people that were destined for eternal glory, he

had also decided to damn others to Hell, the reprobate. Wesley points out how his view

is what he believes is scriptural, in that he has never found a verse that contradicts the

multiple statements of God desiring to save the whole world, of how Christs sacrifice

was for all and how all who are holy will be with God for eternity.

Wesley also framed his argument around the dangers that Predestination led too.

Chief of these is the idea of anti-nomianism, the belief that the law of God is no longer

valid and doesnʼt apply to those living in the second/new covenant of Christ. This can

also be understood as license. How this is acted out is the idea that sin can be a willful

part of Christian life because fate is already determined. It can be looked at as though

the believer will act in sin, but it doesnʼt matter because eternity has been secured. It

can also rear itʼs head to those who have simply committed to live in sin because they

have no other option. To Wesley, predestination undercut the idea of holiness, which he

saw as being the end goal of God. Holiness was the ruler of the kingdom, and

predestination provided a system without it. It creates a place where sinners and non-

christians are outcast, because they are unable to find what we have. It creates the

lack of hope and despair, because salvation is unreachable. No matter how hard

someone can desire and pray, it is possible that God has withheld himself from them.

Love is destroyed and so is the zeal for good work.

Wesley instead believed that before creation, God predestined that all who

sought holiness would be his children. Therefore it is a predestined attitude, and Christ

is both the model and giver of holiness. Man is not a machine, but a living creature. For
165

us the power of personal decision is what matters. If grace has been forced upon

mankind can it truly be seen as grace?

I think that in our time, understanding the moral reasons against Calvinism is

more important. The deep theological characteristics matter (and I want to address

them later), but I think there is latent damage in Calvinism. It does create a false sense

of how the world revolves around us. In the idea of mild calvinism, we are forced to think

about a God who really doesnʼt want to be with us. Sin really canʼt come into discussion

because all we know is that its bad. The human condition doesnʼt get changed...it just

means that we are supposed to work hard at not sinning, and there isnʼt a really good

idea of what happens to us in salvation.

I say this because I donʼt think the threat of Calvinism in the 21st century is a

heavy theological one, but the kind that creeps into Methodism because of the various

vague reformed sentiments that are part of the broad scheme of American

evangelicalism.

On the other hand, the deep things matter. To think of the way that God must

necessarily act to be Reformed drastically changes the nature of who God is. What

does it mean to believe in a God that will predestine people to reprobation? Is this really

a God, and can it be defined in a holy manner. Just as Wesley was concerned with how

holiness fit into the scheme, it completely leaves it out of the discussion in present day

situations. I remember being taught some fairly anti-nomian things by a bunch of

baptists who were trying to leave any holiness roots behind. As it is most simply stated,

the Reformed version of God just isnʼt biblical.

166

John Wesley

Sermon 58
On Predestination

Introduction
• Romans 8:29-30
• there will be some things that are hard to understand (2 peter 3:15-16)
• this topic has been approached by many who shouldnʼt be thinking about it
• they bring themselves to their own destruction by doing so

Hard to understand
• those who the best education have differed in these things deemed “hard”.
• those that are modest on other issues become very hard headed on these things
• the assert absolute decrees
• propose all things with modesty
• Paul is showing the method is which God works-the order that salvation works

Salvation
• the whole work of God in the salvation of man
• from the first point till it terminates in glory
• 1st step.we start with Gods foreknowledge, we donʼt begin with the nature of things
but the manner of men.
• Gods knows that man sins and he knows our behavior
• God at a moment sees at once what is in the heart of the children of men througout all
time
• Man is free to believe or not believe if he did not know it at all
• we have to be free in order to be accountable.
• if we were not free we would not be liable for reward or punishment
• 2nd step-god decrees from everlasting to everlasting. not beginning and end. all who
believe in the son shall recieve eternal life.....brought into holiness
• 3rd step. according to the fixed decree he calls them outwardly by his word of grace
and inwardly by his spirit
• the inward effectual called calling them the children of God
• 4th step. he justified us, conformed us to the image of his son
• the last step is our glorification-gave us the kingdom that was prepared for us before
the world began. he knows the true believers from the “beginning”

Taking it Backwards
• take salvation from end to beginning and it might be easier to understand
• stand with the great multitude, and understand that it takes holiness to see the lord.
They are those that obeyed the words of God on earth
• view those on earth sanctified, you canʼt find one that reached it without being called.
167

• the inward and outward call

• they are the one that God predestined to be conformed to his image. Not inidividuals
predestined, but what it takes to be part of the church
• God predestined the believers to salvation. according to the eternal decree
• the glorified are the sanctified, justified, predestined and believers
• God sees everything as an eternal now. all things are equally present. the truth of
things state that God sees no foreknowledge or after-knowledge.
• he doesnʼt change
168

John Wesley
Sermon 128
Free Grace

Introduction
• it is very important to understand grace as a free gift
• do everything in love and meekness
• let your undisputing of things show how you have put the love of God on
• preached at bristol 1740
• Romans 8:32

It is free in all to whom it is given

• it is free to all whom it is given
• does not depend on any power or merit in man. we donʼt do anything
• good actions are the fruit of free grace, not the root
• not the cause but the effect
• is free for all as it is in all
• the decree of predestination is that some are born for destruction in body and soul in
hell.
• some say that they only hold to election of grace-before the world God did elect a
certain number to be saved. the rest of mankind God leaves to themselves
• you canʼt have the happy version w/o the bad version. it isnʼt possible
• you canʼt believe a man was created in order to be damned
• can a man only be saved if he is elected?
• if so, Gods doctrine of “grace” is really Gods doctrine of reprobation....nothing else
• then all preaching is in vain and is useless to those not elected. Christian action or
not.....the point is and will be void.
The doctrine of predestination is not a doctrine of God
• this makes void a very ordinance of God, and God is not divided against himself
• it directly tends to destroy that holiness which is at the end of all of the ordinances of
God
• not that those who hold to this canʼt be holy
• but the doctrine itself. it takes away the hope of future reward and fear of punishment
• people act different if things are unavoidable.
• they quit trying
• destroys meekness and love..especially of enemies
• it inspires contempt or coldness to those outcast from God. we donʼt care for sinners
•
Predestination destroys the comfort of religion, the happiness of Christianity
• those believe or suspect themselves to be reprobate.
• all the great and precious promises are lost to them
• they have no happiness of God
• what is the happiness of those who are elect?
• what type of feeling of possession do you have in your heart? or witness?
169

• the full assurance of faith that your sins are forgiven and that you are a child of
God....but this doesnʼt imply an assurance of future perseverance
• what about falling from grace? when you have fears of doubt. uninterrupted witness of
the spirit
• assurance not just of the future but of what is now.
• those without preceding fault or offense are unchangeable doomed to everlasting
burning. how can you put that on Christ and for those that are in Christ. how can we
have mercy, tenderness and compassion on them?

it destroys our zeal for good works

• takes away our desires to do good works
• our love is destroyed because they are destroyed
• cuts us off from the strongest motives of bodily mercy
• makes our labor in vain
• destroys us from the desire to save souls

has a direct and manifest tendency to overthrow the whole Christian Revelation
• overthrows Christian revelation
• it makes it not necessary, therefor not true
• it makes the gospel unnecessary to most men

Makes Revelation contradict itself

• it makes revelation contradict itself
• grounded on the interpretation of texts
• Romans 4:15
• Psalm114:9
• acts 10:34
• Rom 2:11
• 1 peter 1:2
• ROm 8:29
• huge list of scriptures
is a doctrine of blasphemy
• contradicts many texts, and indeed the whole scope and tenor of scripture
• abundant proof that doctrine is unscriptural
• doctrine represents Christ the rightous the only begotten son of God
• it cannot be denied that Christ speaks as if he was willing that all should be saved.
• to say that he wasnʼt is blasphemy
• the devil has never said that all should be saved.
• The devil cannot be guilty of dooming all to hell, that would be giving him power over
God. He has no system wide control over humanity
• that God dooms his creatures without help to endless misery we allow God to take an
act that is so unjust we canʼt attach it to satan. we make God more unjust than the
devil
• this blasphemy is clearly contained in the doctrine of predestination
• IT takes action away from the devil and delievers it to God
170

• God is not eh devouring lion or destroyer of souls. But we say that God has fixed for
some to deal with an eternal misery. That is his good pleasure
• how the enemies of God would love to hear this.....that we are going to hell
• the true decree is that God predestined all who suffer Christ to eternal glory
• righteousness is what was predestined
• I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked Ez 33:11
171

John Wesley
Sermon 20
The Lord our Righteousness

Introduction
• The Chapel in West Stree, 7 dials 1765
• Jeremiah 23:6
• the idea of true religion, what the kingdom of God is
• how we have been so confused and sinned because of this
• what would those that love God do to remove evil?
• what would we do to let wars cease in the name of GOd
• how often we disagree because we donʼt understand what the other party means
• we then violently attack each other.
• the truth of righteousness is this, unless we keep holy, we shall perish.
• We imagine all Christians would agree in this, but this isnʼt the case
• there are differences in opinion and experience. why should the children of God
disagree like this.

What is the righteousness of Christ

• twofold...divine and human (in Christ)
• it belongs to his divine nature..his supremacy and coequality with the Father
• this is his eternal holiness. that he and the father are one
• he is the mediator between God and man
• this is both internal and external
• he knew no outward sin and never did an improper action or had an improper thought
• his inner self was perfect as well
• he fulfilled all righteousness
• his obedience implied not only doing, but suffering

When and how is it imputed to us

• how can we really say “the Lord our righteousness”?
• how is it imputed and when
• it is given to use at the moment we believe, and as soon as we believe.
• if we believe according to scripture we believe in the righteousness of Christ
• we may all not use the same language, different expressions of belief mean the same
thing
• we can differ in opinion, but still believe in the same things
• there is a difference between the natural faculties of men, especially in understanding
• we should make the allowance to others that we expect ourselves.
• do all this for the sake of Christ
• it is the mercy that saves us, not works of our own righteousness
• we are justified freely by his grace, we come to God by grace, and we continue to
come to God by grace
• wesley has taught, wrote and thought about this for a long time.
• God justifies the believers for the sake of Christʼs righteousness, and nothing else.
172

• we must repent before we believe. we must cut off from the dependence of the self
before we can truly depend upon Christ
• our faith is in the room of Christ
• it is dangerous to think that those who are not like us are devoid of Christian
experience. we shouldnʼt put that on others. we are not wedded to a particular set of
phrases
• donʼt abuse these things as so many have done

application
• antinomians. why should you condemn those that donʼt speak like you
• also points at those who donʼt allow enough expression among people.
• get along with others-very important part of this sermon.
• we all speak differently, but we should all declare that through the Lord comes our
righteousness
173

Lindstrom
pgs 64-75

Satisfaction
• the claims of God had to be fulfilled and compensation paid
• grace is seen in atonement, but grace is integral part of the order of law
• the abridging of the 3 articles
• he finds the C/E view to be fine.
• Christs sacrifice was pure and perfect
• man as nothing to offer to Gdo but the merits of Christ, our inward and outward evil
deserves only the wrath of God
• our only hope is the suffering of Christ on our behalf
• just obeying doesnʼt clear us from sin
• our only hope is to be washed in the blood and renewed by the spirit, Christ is the
divine mediator between us and the father. Christ mediates as a man, as perfect and
his action as eternal high priest he is a representative of mankind.
• part of this was very controversial with Law
• Christ and his death should have an objective importance in relation to God
• it was the basis of a new event, human justification
• many differences between wesley and law
• grace is part of wesleys view of atonement. the love of God as reflected in his
willingness to provide means of satisfaction.
• this is an expression of divine grace
• wesley is familiar with the other ways of viewing this (reformation) but takes a different
view. does not look at it as deliverance and conquest although this was preached in
his early career
• atonement is not wrath but the love of a divine father
• Christ destroys death and inside the the fear of death
• atonement is linked as Christ as the high priest
• confines to passive obediance of Christ laying the foundation of justification
• the judicial factor simply wasnʼt important to Wesley
• not imputation
• righteousness is not the merits cause or ground for human justification. Wesley
wanted to stay away from any idea that made humans work something that is earned
or justified
• but he did want us to need to rely on God
• fulfillment of the law isnʼt with justification but with sanctification. this is why it holds
such an important place.
174

John Wesley
Predestination Calmly Considered

Introduction
• The Holy Ghost has given us love.
• At the time that we were impressed upon the Spirit, we could not resist it at all.
• love leads them from faith to faith
• God watches over us deeply
• he does not want to let us go
• the farther we go in our walk of faith the more we are convinced of our love and
thankfulness for his grace
• we better understand that this happened all because of God, not because of our works
• God will finish his work, a believer will know from experence that true grace does work
irresistibly.

Historic sources
• notes on the protestant confession of faith
• notes from Dutch divines
• both on predestination
• confession of faith english and scotch
• double reprobation
• The institiutions
• all men are not created from the same end.....

Reprobation
• some try to argue predestination, but will not accept reprobation
• prays for them to be freed from presuppositions.
• let us weigh things out in love and balance
• is your argument consistent? arguing for election but against reprobation
• if you hold one, you have to hold the other
• this was the view that the assemblies had, that God leaves others to corruption
• Calvin mentions this (inst. cap 3,247)
• Calvin mentions that election cannot stand without reprobation
• you might hold reprobation without evening knowing it
• Do you believe that the OT passages show eternal state (Pharaoh and Esau?)
• Is a man saved who is not elected? Is it possible that any not elected should be
saved?
• if you say No you admit to reprobation
• it is not possible to separate election from reprobation.
• Can this man be saved from sin and hell? No, because he is not elected...
• God has decreed him to pass by and be left to eternal damnation
• Only God can deliver us by the death of the body. But God has given this grace to
another
• No matter how much you cry out...you will not be saved.
• let us look at this doctrine in its native color
175

• the eternal (and precreative) decree that Man was reckoned in this manner before
creations
• God did this for “his good pleasure” and to show his power.
• Can you really believe this? You canʼt ignore it....
• what about those god has decided to not save?
• observe that unconditional election cannot appear without the cloven foot of
reprobation.

Scripture and Election

• Donʼt the scriptures speak of election?
• Paul speaks about an elected or chosen vessel, the elect according to the
foreknowledge of god.
• you canʼt deny an election
• 2 things: divine appointment of some men to do a particular work (paul) This election
is personal, absolute and unconditional. the 12 and paul were to preach to gospel. but
this does not have a necessary connection with eternal happiness
• Jesus chose the 12, but one of them was a devil....
• election is also the divine appointment to some men to eternal happiness
• but this is conditional...all that believes shall be saved all that doesnʼt shall be
damned.
• God will not change and man cannot resist. All true believers are elect, and who donʼt
believe will reprobate.
• God who is all things present at once, sees eternity at one view.
• We have to think about God and his space and time.
• elect according to the foreknowledge of God, through sanctification in the spirit.
• this is the election wesley believes, he cannot find unconditional election in the
scriptures
• gives a list of verses-really long
• how can you reconcile with all those scriptures that declare the justice of God?
• He appeals to us directly
• it is a bold statement to think that God will justly pass by some men
• you cannot divide who God is. and this is who he isnt
• matthew 20 and the Jews. but this isnʼt about reprobation.
• romans 9, he has the eternal purpose to save man. he that believes is saved
• Romans is a treatise about salvation
• we are predestined to be conformed to the image of the Son
• The jews were offended at this whole section. they must believe in jesus and that God
loved the heathens and had the same right.
• wesley outlines romans 9
• It is unjust for God to show mercy to the Jews and not the heathens
• God has the right to fix the terms on who he shows mercy
• Paul, or the apostles didnʼt have a view of unconditional reprobation

The placement of salvation

• putting eternal happiness and misery on an unscriptural place.
176

• how are we as sinners comforted? By God..but if you are reprobate, how are you then
comforted.
• the sovereignty of God should never supersede his justice.
• reprobation contradicts this
• how shall god in justice judge the world?
• you can never say that he did want to condemn people, and lead them to reprobation
• will God kill people sheerly because they are human?
• arenʼt they instead condemned for never doing good? For following the actions of the
HS
• you can say that they have done the outward work...but without the special grace of
Christ these works cannot truly be good
• we cannot deliever our own sons, we canʼt rescue ourself.
• only God can make us clean
• how can we escape inward sin and desire? this isnʼt fixed by good works
• you can say they are condemned for actual sin and not original
• is unbelief the damning sin?
• the inward corruption our our nature?
• but we are not damned to this, and scripture does not say so either
• are we damned because we donʼt believe in God...because we donʼt receive what
God can give us?
• what is saving faith? to say that Christ did not die for them? God gave himself for
reprobates but it didnʼt work. you have no object for faith
• if god is just, inside your plan there can be judgement still
• you say that reprobates can only do evil and the elect with Gods power can continue
in well doing.
• this focus overthrows what scripture says about reward, punishment and judgement
• how do we reconcile this with the idea of how God sees the life of the wicked...he has
no pleasure from their death ez 18
• maybe this is better understood in more scriptures
• but it is plainly spelled out in 1 cor 5-Christ died for all (longer list of scriptures)
• where does Christ die for som
• where does he atone for some sin
• where does he die for those that live for him?
• there is none
• how does this doctrine spell out the OT witness of God desiring mankind?
• how can God call us to preach to all men when he hasnʼt saved all man
• our lord commands and invites all men everywhere to repent
• they donʼt agree with the scriptural account of love and goodness
• gods goodness is without bounds
• damning grace..given only so you can be damned
• how is God good or loving to those with damning grace
• if you are afraid of hard names you have not yet begun to be a disciple

Gods Glory
• some are afraid that in recongnizing free will, they will be taking away from the glory of
God
177

• natural free will is not correct, but a measure of free will given to man for the purpose
of restoration.
• then free will is worked out further in salvation
• this is work alongside of God
• we have the freedom to work out our salvation in order that God may have the whole
glory of salvation. we canʼt be taking glory and working towards sanctification
• Wesley ascribes all the glory to God for salvation and allows for God doing all the
work
• it is the work of God alone to do all the things of salvation
• man has a level of work inside it though, making the decision to choose
• if God would answer these questions of mans involvement
• you might have an unscriptural notion of the glory of God-what does the expression
mean to you?
• the glory of God is his essence and attributes, which have always been
• this glory admits no increase...and is always the same.
• the manifestation of this essential growth, in justice, mercy and truth is how the glory is
advanced by man.
• saving irresistibly does not magnify his glory.

Irresistible Grace
• is salvation that is irresistible giving to the glory of God other than salvation by grace
which might be resisted?
• you have to speak about reprobation in this argument as well.
• ree will on one side and reprobation on the other.
• what is more towards the glory of God
• his attributes; wisdom, justice and mercy as directed at the sons of men
• wisdom how does gods wisdom appear into the economy of salvation
• all should be saved, but not all are willing to be saved.
• we are saved as reasonable creatures, with the understanding of what is good.
• how does this suit the counsel of his will
• the general knowledge of good and evil
• inward conviction
• moves into our wills, instill into our hearts good desires
• sets the perfect rule in our paths
• shows us the folly of our sins
• what wisdom is in all this if we cannot choose repentance?
• if we are doomed to something, with no free will...how is Gods wisdom worked out?
• to what end does Gods wisdom serve?
• What gives more for the glory of gods wisdom.
• to what end does his glory serve? it isnʼt ;t to insure damnation.
• Gods justice. if a man is able to choose god or evil, then he is a proper object of the
justice of God.
• if he isnʼt able it isnʼt justice
• a machine is not capable of either being acquitted or condemned. justice cannot
punish a “natural” action
178

• he cannot help it more than a stone falling...if this is the case how are we fore-
ordained to these actions.
• our God is not functioning in sovereignty over machines, but functioning creatures.
• justice can only function inside free will
• mercy is displayed in saving the elect more than it is in allowing choice.
• what is our proof to this.
• mercy is far more glorious in how it acts in choice and free will...not forcing salvation.
• other attributes that you might name; sovereignty, unchangeableness and faithfulness
• wesley does not deny these, but in the eternal state of man they do not work alone or
hold the reigns
• He has no pleasure over the death of man, we canʼt bring proof in scripture that God
acting as sovereign in damning mankind
• are we certain as to pharaoh and esauʼs damnation? this is the scriptural reference
you might be given
• did God allow satan to harden it, or make him reprobate?
• esauʼs conduct was blameable as well, be he also knew that he was part of his
problem. there is hope for him in abrahams bosum
• he eventually embraced jacob. God changed his heart
• it was the edomites that God reacted against.
• God doesnʼt change, we must allow that
• he decressed that those who believe will be saved and those who donʼt will be be
damned. it is that simple

Gods Unchangeablility
• in God there is nothing different
• God is unchangeable in regard to love and hatred.
• he always loves righteousness and hates evil and unbelief
• he loves those who believe and hates willful unbelief
• constance is the decesion
• he affection regard tempers not persons....those who want and desire God with life.
individual actions are not the marker...ie unwillful sin
• we will do what he has promised....he gives life to those who follow in abrahams
footsteps
• he will give grace
• the covenant we mention is one between god and man, established in the hands of
Christ who tasted death
• abraham is the marker of the covenant in the beginning
• belief is counted to righteousness
• a covenant is conditional, Gen 15:6
• the nature and ground is on an agreement
• it is always an agreement between God and man that man breaks
• we are to walk in the ways of God and he will be with us. every revision is conditional
• God does not break it....but man does
• there is no general promise, but only individual
• arguments from experience will not be enough here
•
179

true believers
• one who is holy and righteous in the judgement of God himself.
• when we turn away from holiness we have sinned Ez 18:24
• this is an inward principle...as well as an outward righteousness.
• these people are truly righteous, no matter what the argument
• all souls belong to God and the soul that sins should and will die
• the death of a soul is not just a temporal affliction
• those who do find faith can still fight
• we hold to faith so we donʼt wreck it 1 tim 1:18-19
• these men had a faith that produced a good conscience, but they put it away
• they did have it, and they did have faith. acts 13:46
• paul is telling timothy to hold fast....would he tell him this if he never had faith?
• those who are grafted to the good olive three may fall off
• if God did not spare the natural ones (the jews) he wonʼt spare those grafted in.
(romans 11)
• the person is part of the tree, but can still be cut off....can fall away from the tree
• list of objections
• john 15...branches that done bear good fruit will be cut off and tossed in the fire
• these were people who were in faith and taken out of the family
• the branches had vibrant real faith, not just a simple confession of faith
• 2 peter 2, we can be polluted by the world all over again...and it will be worse the next
time.
• wesley exegetes hebrews 6:4-6
• if they fall away.
• they were true believers...enlightened and given the spirit of wisdom and revelation
(ephesians 1:17)
• tasted the heavenly gift
• hebrews 10:38 we shall love by faith, by drawing back we are no longer with God
• justified live by faith.
• God has no pleasure in those that have no pleasure in him
• discussion on the issues of two persons in these texts....alot of greek notes
• the ones sanctified by the covenant may fall.
• gives even more texts about ralling from grace
• wesley is not making salvation conditional or unconditional, just stating what he finds
in the bible. .
• salvation was bought for every man woman and child
• make sure we advance doctrines that are always scripture.
• almighty grace, but not irresistible grace
• it is contrary to scripture
• gives scripture references
• why do you produce a doctrine that is unreasonable as well as unscriptural
• God is not exalted at the ideas of grace you have, ut is actually dishonored, because it
works against his attributes and what he has done in justice, mercy and faithfulness
• the love of God is what humbles man.
• no one can take glory or take part of his salvation. God must humble us
• this doctrine doesnʼt make men love Love God...it forces them.
180

• leads to danger
• cut them off from God, especially with the idea of reprobation
• is man so unconcerned to not take hold of his eternal soul?
• waiting for irresistible grace makes him fall further away from God.
• he makes him dispair that he doesnʼt have grace
• it makes his soul horrible and lets the devil wreak havoc
• being “elect” makes some sin longer and not turn to Christ
• would we sin for the cause of God?
• without holiness no one will see God
• let us quit backing up satan and instead serve god. if we serve God our agreement is
far greater than our difference.
• let us then unite in destroying the devil and his works.
181

John Wesley
What is an Arminian

Introduction
• many think that arminians are crazy
• the will run away from it
• the do not understand what it means or if it is even bad
• many use the name or term but do not understand what it means

Confusions
• Many think that arminians are arians
• an arian denies the godhead of Christ. this is really different
• they are completely different

Background
• Jacobes Arminius
• educated at geneva but began to doubt the principles
• he taught the truth till de died
• the synod of dort went to terms with his beliefs
• the accused him of denying original sin, justification by faith, absolute predestination
the irresistibility of grace and that a believer might fall from grace.
• the first two charges they plead not guity, the rest the disagreed with
• salvation by belief-not edict
• Christ died for all because in adam all died
• we can resist grace to our own eternal ruin
• they can shipwreck faith
• how can you disagree with him unless you have read him?
• the two groups argued against each other constantly

The duties of the preachers

• it is important to never be evil and knock the other side
• that is name calling and not consistent with Christianity
• and we should prevent others from doing the same. it is evil to attack fellow believers
182

John Wesley
A blow at the root or Christ stabbed in the house of his friends
Wesleys works vol 25

Introduction
• Without Holiness no one shall see the Lord
• Jesus said this, but his word will not pass away
• to truly we must truly cling to God
• the mind of Christ enables us to walk as Christ walks
• with the pagans we can agree on virtue and honesty
• to the heathens doing this proper things entrance enough into heaven

The Modern Romans

• instead of virtue, the would enter into heaven by works
• this satisfied them enough
• they think that without holiness they will still see God

Protestant Virtue
• a protestant has a different take together
• by doing no harm, doing good, going to church and sacrament
• this is how they will see the lord without holiness

Why we canʼt rest here

• we have just created our own popery
• works instead of faith and holiness
• we can do all of these religious things and still be a heathen
• religion can be shallow or deep, and still be far from Christ. not real Christians
• we must have righteousness, peace and joy in the HS
• Only Christ can justify us, not our works
• satan loves to destroy faith by grace alone.
• we need nothing of our own.
• understand the radical qualities of grace
• legal preachers and a legal grace

The Blow at the Roots

• This idea of a legal grace is a blow at true religion, directed at the root of holiness
• wherever a doctrine of works or behavior is found, it rejects Christ
• instead of being zealous of good works, it stinks in the nostrils
• men end up “holy” without a grain of holiness in them
• they donʼt have the mind of Christ

Simplicity
• how long will we fall into death on our own accord
• donʼt be deceived, we must be righteous.
183

• sin does not get us into heaven, but being justified and sanctified does
• we are made righteous, the law the inward power has made us clean
• we are free from the law of sin and death
• this is the true essence of liberty...the freedom from the very thing that destroys us
• if we continue in sin, Christ will not help us.
• we must repent and be saved.
• how do we expect to see the Lord without holiness
• this would make Christ destroy his own kingdom.
• Christ makes us a holy people, capable of doing good works
• we then walk as Christ walked. This isnʼt legality, but participating in the exalted status
of Christ
• love the strictest preaching best
• search your heart and find how you are unlike Christ-then serve for all your strength

Power of Christ
• we have power through Jesus...we can do all thinks
• this means loving and keeping the commandments
• we show our love by how we keep these ordinances
• We exalt Christ in repentance, a full saviour giving remission of sins and creating a
new heart and spirit.
• this is the pure gospel and genuine gospel
• we are strengthened by his spirit and he dwells in our hearts...so that we may know
the full knowledge of God.
184

Summary on pluralism in relation to authority in theological matters

Wesley often used the phrase “The Catholic Spirit”. He did not mean how many

of us would assume Roman Catholic, but the phrase in its truest sense, that of the

universal Church. As our summary title mentions, pluralism is something that Wesley

functioned around theologically. This doesnʼt relate to our own current definition of

pluralism, meaning that salvation is attainable by multiple manners. Wesley is referring

to Christian cooperation, the greater idea of the Catholic church. Wesley simply meant

working with other Christians.

As a movement, Methodism was pluralistic. Wesley saw it as a reform

movement within the wider Church of England, but they did not have a heavy system of

rules. All who sought to strive for holiness and flee from sin were open. While the

majority of society members were anglican, there was participation from outside. The

Moravians were highly influential and some pietistic groups were probably part of the

societies. Theologically, the were open as well. George Whitefield was a close friend

and part of the larger Methodist revival. While he and the Wesley brothers had

differences, they remained friends. Wesley saw that Methodism had the grand deposit

of the doctrine of Christian Perfection for the entire Church. In his writing he repeatedly

emphasized how the Methodists were not a separate religious sect, but simply a group

of people journeying towards holiness together.

To John Wesley, the bible was the supreme form of Christian doctrine. He often

considered himself to be a man of one book. His theological debates are peppered with

scripture. It was the primary source of inspiration and had a the highest degree of

authority. His background in the Church of England also kept him different from the
185

continental Reformation. Reason, Tradition and Experience are rubrics by which we

better can understand scripture. These are things in our own lives that help us to better

understand the world that scripture lays out for us. This allowed him to navigate

between a variety of Christian traditions because to him, scripture interpretation could

be contextual in relation to the environment.

Wesley also had a unique way of interacting with those that are different. To him

worship styles were part of the greater sense of tradition and experience, so it wasnʼt

not necessary for someone to have the exact same practices as him. As much liberty

as we expect someone to give us, we should be extending that to the in the same

manner and amount. Because of the fallen state of man, a certain degree of ignorance

in any manner should be accounted for. In matters deemed unnecessary, it is

completely permissible to disagree...and it should almost be expected. By our own

wisdom we know God, and we should trust our own conscience.

The point of union is this question; does this persons heart desire the same thing

as mine, namely that of God? We unite together in our love for God and how we both

should want to expand his kingdom at all costs. When together, we should be close

enough in heart to walk hand in hand, to pray with and for each other, and to seek the

kingdom. We can come together is acts of good work, evangelism and seeking

holiness. The other person should be pointing me towards love and good deeds. That

is the measure of the Catholic Spirit that Wesley spoke about.

186

This can seem really different from what we see now. In our current situation, it

is completely acceptable to attack other Christians. We can by cynical about how we

feel the worship, perform evangelism and interpret the Christian life. While it is over

now, the last 30 years were plagued by what some call “The Worship Wars”. How many

churches either split over the issue, were formed by Christians that desired to sculpt

their worship carefully, or have just divided into multiple congregations under the same

roof that meet per worship style. I think that Wesley would actually agree upon

disagreeing, and take the model of the separate services. On the other hand, I wonder

how he would chide those who felt it necessary to cause disagreements that were so

disastrous.

I also think that Wesley wouldnʼt say that we should keep our mouths shut when

we donʼt necessarily agree with someone theologically. Part of unity is recognizing

differences, and being able to articulate where and why you donʼt agree. But in the

greatest spirit of Wesley, we should never do this out of the desire to demean, hurt, or

attack someone else. I know that the United Methodist Church has published data

about how it thinks it is losing a great number of young adults because youth and

college ministries are not Wesleyan enough. Doctrinal distinctive should be taught from

both sides, but part of this conversation is also teaching how to work together.

In the end it comes to exactly where Wesley said it was important. Do we agree

on necessary things, namely the ideas justification by faith, salvation by grace and the

supremeness of scripture. At that point we can rejoice in the glory of God together.
187

John Wesley
Sermon 39
The Catholic Spirit

Introduction
• 2 kings 10:15
• we all carry the debt due of mankind, the royal law of loving the neighbor as ourselves
• we should also be loving our enemies .
• there is also a peculiar love which we owe those who love God (passages in John and
1 John)
• most approve this, but how do they practice it?
• we actually do the opposite most of the time.
• we might have differences in opinions of modes of worship, but it shouldnʼt affect our
union in affection. can we not all love alike?
• this is the example of jehu, is the heart right, together with mine
• If it is, we should join together

Let us consider the question, Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart?
• belief in Jeremiah
• not all men will see things alike, that is natural and a part of the weakness of our
understanding.
• several men will be of several minds in religion as well as common life
• it will be this way until the end
• no man can also be assured that his own opionion are true
• we are ignorant of many things, we are mistaken
• our ignorance can extend very far, and can affect others
• we should allow others the same amount of liberty we take. we shouldnʼt force them to
our beliefs
• their worship was very different. a variety of opinion means a variety of practice
• by their wisdom they knew God
• even the heathens have varying modes of worship
• we must all follow our conscience
• fully persuaded in own mind and then act according to the best light
• we are all obliged by the nature of christian institution to be part of a church. donʼt
impose your method of worship on another. it is better to ask if our hearts goals are
the same.
• important to understand what it means by like hearts? do they believe in God and his
perfections? do they believe in Jesus...
• are they filled with the energy of Love?
• are they focused on doing the will of the Father? How do they love others?

If our hearts are together, love all mankind, enemies, strangers as a brother in
christ
• this does not mean that by joining together we join opinions. it does not mean
embrace how I worship either. we are still separate beings
188

• it means that we love each other. we love with a tender affection, as a brother in
Christ. we are under the same banner of salvation
• a patient love, the love that works together covers all things, and hopes together
• will you pray with me? pray for the common things, for us to walk better by faith and
for the goal of holiness
• provoke me to love and good deeds, tell me what I need to hear at times
• love me in deed and truth, joining me in the work of God
• Love is the highest thing in all of these

we may learn about the catholic spirit.

• the catholic spirit is not speculative
• it is not about forcing worship
• it is not against congregations. we are united in the ties of Christian fellowship
• we stick to what w believe is truth, but are tied to others in Christian love.
• we give our hand to those whose hearts are right with out hearts
• joint workers in the kingdom of God
• we take the same path as these people.
• Wesleys hymn Catholic Love
189

John Wesley
sermon 36
The Law established through faith, 2

Introduction
• Romans 3:31
• do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid! Yea, we establish the law
• the previous sermon showed the ways it was seen as void-namely through

I.Not preaching it at all-which makes it void and destroys the fullness of the Gospel
II. the teaching that faith supercedes holiness
III. make the law void in practice, but not principle. allowing ourselves to sin because we
are under grace instead of sin.

I. Preaching the Law

• we preach the law in its whole extent. explaining it fully
• when we speak of Christ we sepak of the law
• we do not weaken it to suit man
• we declare in its fullness to all man
• we bring it everywhere and establish it wherever we go
• the law in its fullness is the mystery of ages, established in Jesus
• God reproves those who have a bad view of it
• the law has an inner meaning, it is a mystery to all who do not know holiness
• the law is the fullness of who Jesus is. if Christ revealed it, we must preach it
• we have to preach all of Christ or we arenʼt preaching Christ. do this until the whole
earth is subdued under him

II. The Law and Holiness

• we preach the law to produce holiness, negative and positive
• the gospel and faith belongs to Love
• the end of the commandment is given by God for us to love.
• faith is not everything, faith is the temporary means which God has ordained to
promote the eternal end
• donʼt let faith swallow up everything. remember the final nature is that of Love.
• the angels donʼt need faith, they need love
• faith had no place before the foundations of the world
• love is what exists from eternity
• it isnʼt certain that faith has a place in paradise
• it presupposes sin and wrath. there wasnʼt a need for atonement before the fall
because man was pure from the stain of sin, holy as God is holy.
• then loved filled the heart, it reigned with no rival
• redeeming love is final
• faith was designed to re-establish the law of love. we arenʼt undervaluing it, but putting
it in the proper place and proportion.
190

III. The law and sin

• how do we rightly establish the law in our hearts and lives
• we could do it by doctrine and preaching
• find the most spiritual meaning
• only faith can establish it in our hearts
• faith alone answers this in the daily life, bringing us towards holiness
• faith is a confidence in a pardoning God and the fullest extent of pardon.
• it incites us to do good, in every way. it is the fulfilling of the positive and negative law
of God
• it fulfills inwardly by love, purifying the heart.
• we establish the law in ourselves because we are under grace to fulfill all
righteousness
• this is about us wanting to increase what God has given us.
• we should be zealous to receive more light each day and increasing in holy love, till
faith is swallowed and the law of love is established to all eternity.
191

John Wesley
Sermon 37
The Nature of Enthusiam

Introduction
• acts 26:24
• Those who follow a religion of form and outward actions.
• if you speak of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost you will freak people
out
• This isnʼt a compliment. They believe that those who show outward joy thru the HS are
crazy
• madness, the utter contempt of all temporal things and the pursuit of the eternal.
• the will respect someone that speaks of reason and normalcy

Serious Men
• this theme of joy in the HS is not serious
• they will deem it “enthusiasm
• it isnʼt understood and canʼt really be explained.
• but it rightly should be cautioned against.

Enthusiasm
• defined as sacrifice, but this doesnʼt really work. it is a fictitious word
• some say it is a divine impulse or impression
• others think of it as the enthusiasm of the poets.
• the nature of enthusiasm is a disorder of the mind, that hinders the exercise of
reason...some times setting it aside
• a species of madness
• this is the premise though..the person is imagining themselves to be something they
are not.
• a religious madman, but religion is the spirit of a truly sound man

Types of Enthusiasm
• those who imagine they have a grace they donʼt possess
• they thing they are saved, it is focused on themselves. their behavior is what keys you
in
• they are the self-deceivers.
• the second is those that think they have gifts they donʼt actually possess
• they can work miracles and have undertaken prophecy
• through there is a real influence of the HS they imagine another one and mistake it
• private character, influenced by the spirit when they actually arent
• they might have visions or impressions
• they have the assistance of the spirit in their minds
• the third is those who will attain the end without using the means....by the immediate
power of God
• they expect to have it at a moment, without prayer, reading of other christians
192

• the fourth are those who think they have a particular providence, that they are favored
in heaven.
• we should guard against all of these, and be fortified in the grace of God
• be careful that we arenʼt actually taken away in our minds. pray against this temptation
• pray that we arenʼt believing we are something that we arenʼt
• that we have the gifts we have from God truly, and that this is experienced by others
• pray that we donʼt believe we donʼt have to work.
• we rely on Christ but are saved toward the glorious image of the most high.
193

Allan Coppedge
How Wesleyans do Theology

Introduction
• no way to understand wesleyan theology without taking into affect how John Wesley
did theology
• always done within the context of life and ministry of the church
• a practical theologian
• kept and worked out in various contexts, sermons, minutes, tracts, etc...
• he was a systematic theological even though he was practical.
• he identified the whole system of Christian theology
• there is always an eye for the practical application of truth

I. Sources For Theology

A. Scripture
• wesley understood that the bible was central to his ministry
• major ideas; scripture
• he took upon the serious study of the GNT in 1729
• no principles but those revealed in the word of God
• the only standard of truth
• looked to scripture to confirm doctrine he learned from bohler
• final authority
• scripture not as the first in line...but as the final authority
• final norm as well as a piece of regular practice.
• inspiration of scripture
• tendency to substitute an infallible book for an infallible church
• provided the content for his theology
• literal sense of scripture-as the authors intended it to be read
• interpreting a text within its context.
• the bible itself was the best interpreter of scripture

B. Secondary Sources
1. Reason
• based in the personality of God and reflected part of the image of God in man
• since reason comes from God all true religion will be reasonable
• it is reason that stands behind the wholeness and unity of Godʼs revelation in the
scripture
• was given so that we can understand God
• wanted to put reason in proper perspective, important but not foundational

2. Tradition
• tradition is the history of the church involved with scripture
• to assist in interpretation
• relation to classic c/e tradition
194

3. experience
• application of biblical truth in life
• focus on the promises of God and not mood or feeling
• some accused Wesley of putting experience over scripture, and he battled it by
reminding them of how he placed the word of God in the highest regard
• deep conviction that biblical truth works in actual life.
• experience clarified and confirmed scripture.

II. Wesleys Theological Method

• scripture is seen as an integrative action-involving reason, tradition and experience
• scripture does not give specific guidance in many places but general principles. this is
where the other elements inform best
• not four sources of authority, the quadrilateral isnʼt true

III. The Role Of Natural Theology

• has roots in reason and geral experience
• the key is the idea of prevenient grace.
• guides into the knowledge of God and the revelation of love, care and desire

IV. The Wholeness of Scripture

• had the ability to look at what the reformers had done and improve upon it
• specific view of God as a relational being, not using the language of the courtroom (a
reformed emphasis)
• very holistic approach to scripture and the use of multiple roles

V. Theological Norms
• 1. role of God as Father
• dominant because that is how Jesus interacted with him
• when the king is your father the realtionship changes
• focused on love and relation
• makes sin a voluntary transgression of a known law. placed inside a family
relationship. not a legal violation
• dealt with Calvinism, and reprobation
• 2. importance of holiness
• we are to be holy because God is holy
• holiness is imparted
• 2. grace
• salvation is dominated by grace and how it empowers us
• it begins (prevenient) and ends (perfecting)
• pointed towards human responsibility in salvation....and it was resistable. this didnʼt
mean we save ourselves, but that we make a decision
• summarized as a holy father creating by grace a holy people
• truly a biblical centered theology
195

Williams
The Catholic Spirit: Doctrine and Opinion

Introduction
• many say that Wesley was not interested in theology and that experience and the
heart were more important. This isnʼt the case
• his real position was vital theological piety
• we was concerned with the unity of and for the church
• wanted to forget that the church was divided and wishes that we could sit together at
the feet of Christ
• spirit of unity is intended by Christ and is the very essence of the church.
• we canʼt just salute our friends...but we have need to recognize those we arenʼt close
to theologically
• disunity is bad for the mission of the church

Concern for Unity

• these are the reasons he tried to exercise the catholic spirit
• unity is essential to the mission of the church
• he doesnʼt hide differences
• he simply recognizes which doctrines are essential and can be agreed upon
• the minimal bases for Christian co-operation

Doctrine and Opinion

• this is where Wesley breaks things up.
• sermon on whitefields death.
• keep close to the grand scriptural doctrines which we believe in
• non essential are exactly that among Christian friends...agree to disagree
• let us hold fast to what was delivered to all the saints and which we should insist upon
• these are original sin, deity of Christ, the atonement, justification by faith alone, work
of the holy spirit and the trinity
• doesnʼt note “fundamental” doctrines....because these can change depending on the
theological scenario
• his sermon on whitefields death calls things like imputed righteousness and
predestination “opinions”
• he doesnʼt care about subtitles, but is the persons heart right with God.
• unity of witness
• all the while still realizing that these opinions were barriers to the nurture of the faithful

Issues with Calvinism

• saw calvinism as the drastic opposite of methodism
• it appears to magnify Christ, but it really doesnʼt do that. it hurts who he is
• the catholic spirit is not indifference, it has an opinion
• fixed on the main doctrines of christian faith
• because of differences, it is necessary for people to remain in separate denominations
until matters are resolved
196

• but can unite across lines under the name of Christ

Entrance into Wesleys society

• Wesley did not require a strict doctrine to enter into the society
• must want holiness above all, and not fight against our teachings
• no other society is like this

Approaches to Union
• erasmian, church centered and pietist
• basis of common agreement on the necessary things
• 2nd is concerned with total design in Gods people
• third is life is more important than doctrine and form
• some of these might have outlived their good use
• the 2nd has moved into prominence, because it realizes the churches mission
• Wesley would not believe in unity by reduction-this is the pietiest 3rd way.
• always remembered the church existed to serve others