The Purpose of Christianity
ISSUE
Last week David Hempton, a world renown scholar of Methodist History distinguished Methodist spirituality by its emphasis on scriptural holiness and taking personal responsibility for working out one’s spiritual destiny. Having discussed working out one’s personal salvation last week, I will exemplify Scriptural Holiness by sharing Wesley’s sermon The Scripture Way of Salvation.
SCRIPTURE
Nothing, says Wesley, is more intricate, complex, and difficult to understand than religion... even for pillars of the church.
The purpose of Christianity... is salvation and the means by which we attain salvation... is faith. His scripture comes from Paul’s letter to the church Paul started at Ephesus- For by God’s grace you have been saved through faith. [Ephesians 2:8]
APPLYING SCRIPTURE
Salvation, says Wesley, is not a blessing that lies only on the other side of death. The very words of scripture verify what I am saying: You have been saved. Salvation is not limited to the distant future... but is a present reality, a blessing, which we can presently possess. Every human is born with a measure of grace... that creates within us... a yearning for God. And if we respond to that yearning, then God’s grace increases, inspiring us to do justice, love kindness, and to walk humbly with God. But sadly, many people suppress this God-given grace... and in time, they forget, or at least deny... they were ever attracted to God.
Wesley is only concerned in this sermon with the nature of salvation about which the apostle Paul is directly speaking... You have been saved... through faith. And this salvation consists of two inherent components: justification and sanctification. Justification is a synonym for pardoning sins and implies acceptance of everything Christ has done and suffered for us. When we become justified, we have been pardoned or forgiven all our sins.
We become justified the very instant we accept that Christ sacrificed himself for us; and we are born again, this time born of the Spirit; and our new-found faith initiates the process of sanctification. Usually lengthy process, Sanctification, produces love for all humanity and especially for the children of God. The gradual work of sanctification expels from us- love for pleasure, comfort, fame, money, pride, anger, self-will, and every other evil attitude. Becoming sanctified, we take up the cross and deny ourselves pleasures that do not lead us to God.
So, what is the faith by which we are saved? Saving faith, or justifying faith says Wesley, involves a supernatural conviction... regarding God and the things of God. More specifically, saving faith accepts that God was in Christ... when Christ reconciled the world to himself. Though this saving faith, the believer receives God’s assurance... that the Son of God loved you and gave himself for you. Assurance is the product of saving faith.
So, how then are we justified by faith? Faith is the only condition for justification and sanctification... apart from faith, no one is justified nor sanctified. But isn’t it true that God expects repentance and good works in the gradual process of sanctification? Yes, both repentance and good works are expected, but not required for sanctification. Without a saving faith... no one can be justified or sanctified either by repentance or good works alone.
True repentance includes accepting our personal helplessness. In our powerlessness, without God’s help, says Wesley, we cannot think one good thought, form one good desire, speak one correct word, or perform one good deed.
The good works required for sanctification are first, works of piety... public, family, and private prayer; receiving Communion; as well as hearing, reading, and meditating on Scripture. Second, our works of mercy should minister to people’s souls and bodies... such as: feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, showing hospitality to the stranger, and visiting imprisoned, sick, and suffering people. Our deeds of piety and mercy should also include: awakening foolish sinners, stirring up the lukewarm, confirming the timid, comforting the fainthearted, supporting those who are being tested, and in every way... helping to save unbelieving souls from death.
Once justified, by what kind of faith are we sanctified... meaning saved from sin and perfected in love?
First, this sanctifying faith is a divine assurance and our personal conviction that God has promised sanctification in Scripture. Until we are thoroughly satisfied that God did pledge this gift to us, we cannot move one step further. Any reasonable person needs no further word to confirm this promise... that “the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. [Deut 30:6] How powerfully Scripture promises we can be saved from all sin.
Second, sanctifying faith is our personal conviction and divine assurance that God is able to do what he has promised. We concede that for mortals, it is impossible to bring something clean out of something unclean, like purifying the heart from all sin and filling it with all holiness. Yet, human helplessness is no obstacle in this matter... for God, all things are possible. If the Lord speaks, it will be done. God said, let there be light; and there was light.
Third, sanctifying faith is the divine assurance and our personal conviction that God is able and willing... to do it now. And why not? With God, is not a moment the same as a thousand years? God does not need more time to accomplish his will. And God does not need to wait for any more worthiness or fitness in the persons whom he is pleased to bless. Therefore, at any point in time... we can boldly say, “today is the day of salvation.” Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. Look, everything is ready, come to the wedding banquet.
And we need to add one more thing with confidence... that God is both able and willing to sanctify us now. We must have the divine assurance and personal conviction that he does it. In the very hour that you believe... God completes the work. He speaks to the inmost soul, and according to your faith... lets it be done to you. Then, the soul is pure from every spot of sin, and cleansed from all unrighteousness.
Do you believe that you are sanctified by faith? Then be true to your belief... and look for this blessing just as you are, neither better nor worse than you are. Many of us spend a lifetime working out our salvation... but Wesley firmly believed that working out our salvation leads to a convicting belief that the Son of God loved you and gave his life for you, and a convincing belief that that God is both able and willing to sanctify us in the very hour that you believe... when God completes his work.
Certainly, simple faith is the very thing you want and need, that faith which lives upon Christ from moment to moment. What a blessing you may receive at this instant! Behold the Lamb of God! What, if even before this message came to your eyes; the Lord came to your heart! Is He not near? Is He not now knocking at the door? What do you say? Come in, my Lord, come in. Are you not ready?
ISSUE
Last week David Hempton, a world renown scholar of Methodist History distinguished Methodist spirituality by its emphasis on scriptural holiness and taking personal responsibility for working out one’s spiritual destiny. Having discussed working out one’s personal salvation last week, I will exemplify Scriptural Holiness by sharing Wesley’s sermon The Scripture Way of Salvation.
SCRIPTURE
Nothing, says Wesley, is more intricate, complex, and difficult to understand than religion... even for pillars of the church.
The purpose of Christianity... is salvation and the means by which we attain salvation... is faith. His scripture comes from Paul’s letter to the church Paul started at Ephesus- For by God’s grace you have been saved through faith. [Ephesians 2:8]
APPLYING SCRIPTURE
Salvation, says Wesley, is not a blessing that lies only on the other side of death. The very words of scripture verify what I am saying: You have been saved. Salvation is not limited to the distant future... but is a present reality, a blessing, which we can presently possess. Every human is born with a measure of grace... that creates within us... a yearning for God. And if we respond to that yearning, then God’s grace increases, inspiring us to do justice, love kindness, and to walk humbly with God. But sadly, many people suppress this God-given grace... and in time, they forget, or at least deny... they were ever attracted to God.
Wesley is only concerned in this sermon with the nature of salvation about which the apostle Paul is directly speaking... You have been saved... through faith. And this salvation consists of two inherent components: justification and sanctification. Justification is a synonym for pardoning sins and implies acceptance of everything Christ has done and suffered for us. When we become justified, we have been pardoned or forgiven all our sins.
We become justified the very instant we accept that Christ sacrificed himself for us; and we are born again, this time born of the Spirit; and our new-found faith initiates the process of sanctification. Usually lengthy process, Sanctification, produces love for all humanity and especially for the children of God. The gradual work of sanctification expels from us- love for pleasure, comfort, fame, money, pride, anger, self-will, and every other evil attitude. Becoming sanctified, we take up the cross and deny ourselves pleasures that do not lead us to God.
So, what is the faith by which we are saved? Saving faith, or justifying faith says Wesley, involves a supernatural conviction... regarding God and the things of God. More specifically, saving faith accepts that God was in Christ... when Christ reconciled the world to himself. Though this saving faith, the believer receives God’s assurance... that the Son of God loved you and gave himself for you. Assurance is the product of saving faith.
So, how then are we justified by faith? Faith is the only condition for justification and sanctification... apart from faith, no one is justified nor sanctified. But isn’t it true that God expects repentance and good works in the gradual process of sanctification? Yes, both repentance and good works are expected, but not required for sanctification. Without a saving faith... no one can be justified or sanctified either by repentance or good works alone.
True repentance includes accepting our personal helplessness. In our powerlessness, without God’s help, says Wesley, we cannot think one good thought, form one good desire, speak one correct word, or perform one good deed.
The good works required for sanctification are first, works of piety... public, family, and private prayer; receiving Communion; as well as hearing, reading, and meditating on Scripture. Second, our works of mercy should minister to people’s souls and bodies... such as: feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, showing hospitality to the stranger, and visiting imprisoned, sick, and suffering people. Our deeds of piety and mercy should also include: awakening foolish sinners, stirring up the lukewarm, confirming the timid, comforting the fainthearted, supporting those who are being tested, and in every way... helping to save unbelieving souls from death.
Once justified, by what kind of faith are we sanctified... meaning saved from sin and perfected in love?
First, this sanctifying faith is a divine assurance and our personal conviction that God has promised sanctification in Scripture. Until we are thoroughly satisfied that God did pledge this gift to us, we cannot move one step further. Any reasonable person needs no further word to confirm this promise... that “the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. [Deut 30:6] How powerfully Scripture promises we can be saved from all sin.
Second, sanctifying faith is our personal conviction and divine assurance that God is able to do what he has promised. We concede that for mortals, it is impossible to bring something clean out of something unclean, like purifying the heart from all sin and filling it with all holiness. Yet, human helplessness is no obstacle in this matter... for God, all things are possible. If the Lord speaks, it will be done. God said, let there be light; and there was light.
Third, sanctifying faith is the divine assurance and our personal conviction that God is able and willing... to do it now. And why not? With God, is not a moment the same as a thousand years? God does not need more time to accomplish his will. And God does not need to wait for any more worthiness or fitness in the persons whom he is pleased to bless. Therefore, at any point in time... we can boldly say, “today is the day of salvation.” Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. Look, everything is ready, come to the wedding banquet.
And we need to add one more thing with confidence... that God is both able and willing to sanctify us now. We must have the divine assurance and personal conviction that he does it. In the very hour that you believe... God completes the work. He speaks to the inmost soul, and according to your faith... lets it be done to you. Then, the soul is pure from every spot of sin, and cleansed from all unrighteousness.
Do you believe that you are sanctified by faith? Then be true to your belief... and look for this blessing just as you are, neither better nor worse than you are. Many of us spend a lifetime working out our salvation... but Wesley firmly believed that working out our salvation leads to a convicting belief that the Son of God loved you and gave his life for you, and a convincing belief that that God is both able and willing to sanctify us in the very hour that you believe... when God completes his work.
Certainly, simple faith is the very thing you want and need, that faith which lives upon Christ from moment to moment. What a blessing you may receive at this instant! Behold the Lamb of God! What, if even before this message came to your eyes; the Lord came to your heart! Is He not near? Is He not now knocking at the door? What do you say? Come in, my Lord, come in. Are you not ready?