John Wesley’s message for today ‘constant renewal’

This  is the beginning of a very long discourse…page 1.

John Wesley would affirm that the church is continually being renewed. John believed as Methodists do today that Methodism was a primary means God had ordained in the eighteenth century to bring revival to the church [Jackson, Works, 8:299. quoted in Harper 1983. p.131]

1. Urge people to seek a personal relationship with Christ. To experience Christ. To a personal faith in Christ. [justification by faith]

2. Urge Christians to greater degrees of discipline. ‘the soul and the body make a man; and the spirit and discipline make a christian’ [Jackson, Works, 7:411 'The work of God in North America] The goal for Wesley was Holiness, the fullness of faith. The outcome is not this or that particular expression, but rather the renewal of the image of God. In order for this transformation to take place Wesley knew that nothong less than the entire consecration of ones entire self to God would suffice. Wesley trusted the individual along with the spirit to work out the specifics of that consecration.

3.   ’Beleievers get together’ 

‘Never omit meeting your class or Band…whatever weakens or tends to weaken our regard for these…strikes at the very root of our community…The private weekly meetings for prayer, examination, and particular exhortation has been the greatest means of keeping and conforming every blessing that was received … 

 Wesley drew on the resourceses that went back into the earliest Christian Church Acts 2:46, Romans 16:5

4. Renewed appreciation of the sacraments. Wesley saw them as divinely instituted means of grace to people….  [to be continued]