the kingdom of God is at hand;repent and believe in the gospel.
In Wesley's last sermon, "The Righteousness of Faith," Wesley emphasized the importance of avoiding legalism (works righteousness). In this sermon, Wesley is preaching on the importance of avoiding Antinomianism (literally meaning lawlessness). This was the belief that because we are saved not by our works but by faith (which is true) we should not expect or, by God's grace, strive for any kind of transformation (which is not true).
In opposition to this, Wesley taught that while we should not try, and cannot, make ourselves righteous before repentance God does begin to transform us from the inside out when we trust in Jesus as Lord. In this sermon Wesley works out this idea by breaking down the summary of Jesus' preaching, "The kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel," into two parts. They are:
1. The nature of true religion being "The kingdom of God"
2. The Way to repentance and belief in the Gospel
Click here to read the whole sermon.
The Kingdom of God
Wesley begins by discussing what true religion (or the kingdom of God) is not. It is not contained in any outward thing. Wesley specifically says that true religion does not consist of "forms of worship, or rites, and ceremonies." He does say that these things are good in their place, but "two persons may do the same outward work; suppose, feeding the hungry or cloth the naked, but only one of them be truly religious." Wesley is also careful to remind us that true religion is not mere orthodoxy. He reminds us that even the devil has right opinions about God. Someone might rightly believe in the incarnation of Christ, salvation by faith, and the blessed Trinity but still not be truly religious.
I always have to scratch my head when people say, "What is more important orthodoxy (right belief) or orthopraxy (right behavior)?" To me this is like asking, "What is more important for survival, your brain or heart?" I'm not a doctor but I think if either one of those is removed or damaged beyond repair we are just as dead! My response to this question is that neither are more important. Right belief and right behavior naturally flow out of what really saves which is right relationship. This is what Wesley called religion of the heart.
While this may seem common sense that God is more interested in our hearts' disposition than our outward worship forms, rites, and rituals, how often do we replace outward appearances with 'true religion.' This becomes abundantly obvious through the 'worship wars' that can rage in churches. If one really wants to see the sacred cows that we have placed over heart religion, see how folks react to sudden change in their worship. To robe or not to robe for the pastor, organ, and choir, or drums, guitar and keyboard for music are just two examples of issues that have torn churches apart. The bible, however, only knows of two worship styles. They are authentic and inauthentic worship with the latter focused on what we do for God and the former focused on what God is doing in us!
Religion of the heart has two aspects to it. The first is righteousness. As outlined by Jesus, righteousness consists first of loving the Lord our God with all of our strength, soul, and mind. What this really means is loving God, not for what He can do for us, but for who He is and because He has loved us first. We should adore God because He is worthy of our adoration.
As we grow in loving relationship with God our hearts will begin to reflect His. We know this is true from our everyday experience. We are shaped by being in close relationships with people we love, ask anyone who has been married. Having the heart that reflects God causes us to love other people as God loves them. Loving not just those who are kind to us, or those in our friendship and family group. Instead, loving the outcast, the rejected, and even those who despise us. After all our love is not dependant on our own goodness but God's love and He loved us while we were yet sinners!
The second aspect of heart religion is "peace and joy in the Holy Ghost." This peace banishes all fear. The fear of hell, the devil, and even death itself. Wesley also talks about this fear banishing the kind of fear of god that has torment. This is fear that understands God as an awful judge waiting to zap us. While this kind of fear that has dread is gone, we still fear God in a since, but the fear that is left is a filial, or a fear of offending. This kind of fear is born out of love whereas fear with terror is born out of distrust of God and an uneasiness over God and His righteousness.
The joy that the Holy Spirit gives is one of rejoicing in what God has done for us and continues to do in us through Christ Jesus. Our fear is gone because we are forgiven by Christ and we receive joy from the Holy Spirit because Christ's resurrection power enables us to live new and transformed lives.
When this righteousness meets the peace and joy within the believer, the kingdom of heaven is indeed at hand. Wesley's final point in this segment is that the kingdom of heaven is not only some future reality we have to wait for. Instead the kingdom of God is at hand or here whenever holiness (righteousness) and happiness (joy and peace) are kindled in the heart of the believer by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Questions
- Why is it so easy to try to make right belief (orthodoxy) or right action (orthopraxi) the goal of our faith rather than right relationship?
- When have we ignored what Wesley calls "religion of the heart" by placing too much importance on right belief or right behavior?
- When have we seen the kingdom of God present in our hearts or the hearts of those around us?
Repenting and believing in the Gospel
In this segment Wesley focuses on what it means to repent and believe in the Gospel separately. So, for Wesley, repentance began with self knowledge. It came from the realization that not only do we do sinful things but there are sinful dispositions of in our hearts that we are helpless to change. One of my seminary professors communicated this by saying, "Repentance is not so much feeling sorry for doing something. Instead, it is feeling bad for being the kind of person who would do that thing in the first place." I think that this fits very well with true religion being the religion of the heart.
This self knowledge of repentance also comes with the realization that we are fit for hell. It is for this reason that when people ask, "why would God send people to hell," they are beginning at the wrong place. One cannot believe the gospel, they cannot repent until they realize that God does not want to send anyone to hell, instead we, because of our sinful hearts, are fit for hell. This realization must also be coupled with remorse and sorrow. Not sorrow over going to hell, instead sorrow over rejecting God and His good purposes for our lives. In other words we are repentant when we agree and are remorseful over the truth of these lyrics:
It is at this point that we can truly believe in the Gospel. This is the belief that God, in Jesus Christ, died for our sins on the cross and was resurrected so that we might live new loves. Gospel literally means "good news" and for those who are truly repentant, there can be no better news! Wesley was very careful to remind us that this belief is not mere assent to the truth of this, but also trust in it.
Wesley finishes by asking us, do we believe this? Do we no longer fear God's wrath because the guilt of sin is taken away? Do we no longer fear death because we trust in Christ's resurrection power? For our self worth, do we no longer rely on praise of others our own power, or prestige? If so the Holy Spirit will enable us to become righteous. Righteous by loving God, not for what He can do for us, but for what He has done for us! Is that loving relationship changing our heart toward our fellow sinners? Is God's love for the sinner causing us to love even those who have sinned against us?
With that righteous love do we have peace and joy? Peace in knowing that we are saved and are being saved by our loving Father in heaven through Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Peace that drives out the fear of everything but the fear of sin. Fearing sin not because of the punishment, but fearing it because we do not want to grieve God and we now hate sin in and of it self. Out of this peace do we have an abounding joy in what God did for us, is doing in us, and is doing around us? Do we rejoice in kingdom coming through us and fellow believers?
Wesley closes with noting "This repentance, this faith, this peace, joy, love, this chan from glory to glory is what the wisdom of the world has voted to be madness, mere enthusiasm, utter distraction." But for those of us who are being saved, it is the wisdom and strength of God bringing His kingdom here to earth!
I have long withstood Your grace Long provoked You to Your face Would not hearken to Your calls Grieved You by a thousand falls (See You Tube video at the bottom to hear this song)
It is at this point that we can truly believe in the Gospel. This is the belief that God, in Jesus Christ, died for our sins on the cross and was resurrected so that we might live new loves. Gospel literally means "good news" and for those who are truly repentant, there can be no better news! Wesley was very careful to remind us that this belief is not mere assent to the truth of this, but also trust in it.
Wesley finishes by asking us, do we believe this? Do we no longer fear God's wrath because the guilt of sin is taken away? Do we no longer fear death because we trust in Christ's resurrection power? For our self worth, do we no longer rely on praise of others our own power, or prestige? If so the Holy Spirit will enable us to become righteous. Righteous by loving God, not for what He can do for us, but for what He has done for us! Is that loving relationship changing our heart toward our fellow sinners? Is God's love for the sinner causing us to love even those who have sinned against us?
With that righteous love do we have peace and joy? Peace in knowing that we are saved and are being saved by our loving Father in heaven through Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Peace that drives out the fear of everything but the fear of sin. Fearing sin not because of the punishment, but fearing it because we do not want to grieve God and we now hate sin in and of it self. Out of this peace do we have an abounding joy in what God did for us, is doing in us, and is doing around us? Do we rejoice in kingdom coming through us and fellow believers?
Wesley closes with noting "This repentance, this faith, this peace, joy, love, this chan from glory to glory is what the wisdom of the world has voted to be madness, mere enthusiasm, utter distraction." But for those of us who are being saved, it is the wisdom and strength of God bringing His kingdom here to earth!
Questions
- Have any of us had a repentant moment? What prompted it? What was it like?
- When we think about 'fearing God' is it more like the fear that comes with terror, or the fear of offending or grieving Him? What is the difference between these?
- When we think about fearing or hating sin, do we hate and fear sin or just the possible consequences of it? How does this make a difference in the way we understand and live out our relationship with God?
- Have we found peace and joy in trusting in the Gospel of Jesus Christ? What is that like?
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