Trust and Discipleship 05/29/16

Here is our sermon from Youth Sunday! We are so proud of our young people!

No Lone Rangers 05/01/16

Come to Serve 05/15/16

The Witness of the Spirit (Discourse 1)

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. (Romans 8:16)

     This is the first of a two part sermon series that John Wesley has on the doctrine of assurance. The doctrine of assurance is an assurance given to us as followers of Christ that we are indeed children of God. Here Wesley tries to steer us away from two extremes. The first he labels "enthusiasm" the second is "formalism." Here, enthusiasm refers to misplace confidence in being children of God. Wesley makes the observation that we can deceive ourselves about this or the enemy can deceive us. The opposite error, then Wesley labels formalism. This is the belief that we can never be assured of our salvation, the best we can do is go through the motions of religion and hope for the best. 

     Wesley suggests a middle way, that steers clear of both errors. In this middle way, Wesley encourages us to avoid the error or enthusiasm, but not deny the great privilege of being children of God as formality does.  To do this, Wesley deals with two basic questions. 

1. What is the witness or testimony of our spirit and the Holy Spirit?

2. How can we differentiate this joint witness from delusion?

The Witness of our spirit and the Holy Spirit

     Wesley notes that in the immediate context of the passage, the witness is one of crying out to God as "Abba, Father." The question remains, what does this mean? The first that Wesley talks about is being lead by the Spirit. If we see ourselves as helpless children calling out to our Father in heaven it makes sense that we will not be lead by our own desires and wishes. Instead we trust the Holy Spirit that our Father has sent us to follow.
     Continuing on, Wesley describes where the Holy Spirit will lead us. We will be led to a relationship of love for God and others. This love is one that is for the sake of the beloved not for what the beloved can do for us. Put differently we love God for who He is, not what He has done, or will do, for us. We are indeed grateful for what He has done for us, but we love Him for His own sake. Here Wesley is careful to remind us that these marks of love are not what save us but are marks of redemption.
     How, then do we know if these are appearing in our lives? Wesley takes the very practical approach  of asking "How does it appear, that we do love God and our neighbour, and that we keep his commandments Observe, that the meaning of the question is, How does it appear to ourselves, not to others" (Italics mine)? In the same way we apprehend we are alive we can apprehend that our hearts are being transformed.
     Wesley seems to indicate that, if we are honest with ourselves, we know if we are growing closer in love of God and neighbor and are therefore being lead by the Holy Spirit. An analogy I thought of is how do you know, as you're reading this right now, that you are healthy? You feel healthy. Now we all know that certain diseases can mask themselves, and we can ignore signs of being unhealthy, that's why there is another segment to this discourse.

Questions

1. Have we ever been loved, not for what we could do, but for our own sake? What was that like?

2. What is the difference between loving someone for what they can do for us and loving them for their own sake?

3. What are some specific ways in which the Holy Spirit has lead our spirit recently?

True Witness verse False Witness

     Wesley, directs us to Holy Scriptures to help distinguish the true witness of the Holy Spirit to our spirit from a delusion of our natural mind or deception from the devil. The first has to do with repentance and conviction of sin. Consistently, scripture refers to true repentance and conviction of sin going before the witness of pardon. Here Wesley uses examples from the gospels and the book of Acts where people are preaching the good news of Christ being savior. In every instant, repentance and conviction of sin precede the acceptance of the gospel. If we put much thought into this, this is really the only way salvation could work. If we do not admit we need a savior how can we need saved? So the first way we can know that the witness of our spirit is truly responding to the witness of the Holy Spirit is if we feel, conviction, remorse, and a desire to turn from our sin. 

     Because of this reality, one who is redeemed, has a broken and contrite heart. A broken heart over one's sin and a contrite heart that desires to live differently. This is the second way we can tell the true witness from the false witness of our spirits. If the Holy Spirit is witnessing to our spirit that we have been redeemed and brought into God's family, we will earnestly desire to be obedient to our Father in heaven. This is not an obedience driven by fear of hell or wanting to earn God's love and approval. Instead it is an obedience motivated by love. We love God so we want to please God. Wesley puts it this way "Love rejoices to obey; to do, in every point, whatever is acceptable to the beloved. A true lover of God hastens to do His will on earth as it is done in heaven."

     Another way in which we can differentiate between a true and false witness is asking ourselves if we are complacent and prideful. Do we feel like we are kind, loving, and 'good' enough to be acceptable to God? To this Wesley says "Discover thyself, thou poor self-deceiver!" Indeed, when the Holy Spirit witnesses to our spirit that we are children of God we are given confidence in the grace of God, not our own abilities. 

     Instead, the Holy Spirit witnesses to our spirit by giving a sense of humble joy. Humble, because any growth in love, kindness, gentleness, or any other Godly quality is not by our own work but through the merits of Christ mediated by the Holy Spirit. This is also a spirit of Joy because we feel fortunate, blessed, and excited about this transformation. It is because of this that we ought to be confident in God's grace, joyful in where it has brought us thus far, but never complacent in thinking we are done growing. 

     The final piece of evidence Wesley looks at is fruit. What fruit is our walk with Christ bering. Reminding us again, that we are not saved by our works, Wesley is insistent that if we walk with the Lord we will grow in meekness, gentleness, patience, love, and self control. Wesley also directs us to the fruit of our lips. Who do we sing praises to? To whom do we thank for every good gift? Jesus Christ Himself reminds us in Luke 6:16 that "the mouth speaks what the heart is full of." 

     The discourse closes with the recognition of what an unspeakable gift the witness of the Holy Spirit is to our spirit. It is a gift that comes out as praise on our lips and through our lives. The gift of being adopted as children of our Father in heaven!

Questions 

1. In any aspect of your life, when have you been deceived, by yourself or otherwise? What tipped you off to the deception?

2. Think of a time when you obeyed a commandment or fulfilled an obligation, not because you wanted to but because you had to. Now think of a time you obeyed a commandment or fulfilled an obligation because you wanted to. How were those two experiences different? 

The Spirit of Bondage and Adoption

15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.[f] And by him we cry, “Abba,[g] Father.”

     We have reached the 9th sermon of John Wesley's Standard 52. In this sermon, we begin to see Wesley's understanding of the journey of faith. While many, in Wesley's time and today, preach and teach that the only 'righteousness' we can have is imputed or ideal, Wesley taught that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we receive real moral freedom. The term "imputed righteousness" or "ideal righteousness" refers to the teaching that when we come to faith we have no righteousness of our own. Instead we are reckoned righteous, the righteousness is imputed upon us, because of Christ's righteousness. An illustration of this was when Martin Luther famously said we are only "dung heaps covered in snow."

     While Wesley did not reject this teaching altogether, he did reject the belief that we remained 'dung heaps covered in snow." Wesley believed that the whole point of the journey of faith was not to have righteousness 'imputed' so that one could pretend to be righteous. Instead the journey was to really become righteous by the power of the Holy Spirit. Wesley, and the Methodist movement that he started, emphasized this understanding. The understanding that in Christ, we do not have a spirit of bondage to sin. Instead, we can have a spirit of adoption, where the Holy Spirit witnesses to our spirit that we have become adopted children of our Father in heaven. Wesley breaks this journey down into three stages in this sermon:

1. The 'Natural' Person 

2. 1The 'Legal' Person 

3. The Person under 'Grace'

     Even in this sermon, Wesley does admit that these categories are not set in stone and people do vacillate between them. They are, however, useful in reflecting on our own faith journey. If you would like to read the full sermon you can find it by clicking here.

Introduction 

     In the introduction to this sermon Wesley briefly describes the three states that he discusses in the rest of the sermon. He says that the natural person is one who neither fears or loves God. The person under the law fears God but does not love Him. The final type of person is under grace. This person has given up their spirit of fear for a spirit of adoption. Therefore this person loves God and only fears sinning to separate themselves because it will separate them from the one they love.

The 'Natural' Person 

     According to Wesley, the person in this state is described as asleep in scriptures. He points specifically to Ephesians 5:14 which says, "Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you" and is the text used for his brother's sermon, the third in Wesley's Standard 52. This is the person that does not discern spiritual good or evil but lives unconscious of it, much like a sleeping person. They do not fear sin, God's wrath, or hell. Nor do they love holiness, goodness, or desire a relationship with the Lord. How could they, being completely unconscious to their spiritual state?

     This person is, in some sense, at rest. They are certain that no harm will come to them, although they really have no reason for it. They are living in blissful ignorance of any spiritual evil they commit. While they live in this kind of bliss they do not know the depth of joy of having fellowship with God through Christ. Despite this, they are happy to go along life avoiding reflection on their spiritual state. Wesley spends some time describing some of the ways in which they avoid this reflection.

     The first is simple, they say to themselves "There is no God" or "God sits in heaven and does not humble Himself by concerning Himself with earthly affairs." These are the routes of either atheism or deism. Atheism is affirming the statement "God does not exist." A deist, on the other hand, believes God exists but does not think He concerns Himself with our lives. These two ways of thinking result in the same attitude. An attitude that concerns itself with one's own pleasure as the greatest good. Wesley uses the five dollar phrase 'epicurien intents' but the way we say it today is, "be true to yourself." 

     The next excuse is a person says "God is merciful, I'll be fine." What makes this so dangerous is that it is half true, God is merciful. However, God does take Himself seriously. God has given us a choice to enjoy loving fellowship with Him or to reject it. It is not really a choice if we reject fellowship with God and He, in the end, forces us into relationship with Him. I have heard modern Christian philosophers make the point that 'It would be unloving of God to force us into His presence."   

     This also completely ignores the justice of God. None of us would want to worship a God who looks at a rapist and says, "I'm merciful, don't worry about what you have done!" Most folks will respond by thinking "That's true, but I'm not a rapist." Granted, most people do not rape, or murder. However, this ignores three important realities. First, if we have to be 'good enough' to receive God's mercy, it really isn't mercy. Second, where is the line of 'good enough,' to receive God's mercy? Third, and maybe most importantly, who gets to draw the line?  If I am drawing the line, it is going to be very favorable toward me. How is that fair? 

     Some are awakened to this reality, but are still sleeping. The final tactic of remaining willfully ignorant of one's own spiritual state is thinking "I will repent in the by and by." In other words, some who are in this unawakened state recognize their need to get right with God but they'll wait until tomorrow to do it. 

     Wesley closes this segment with two observations. First, sometimes those who are in the deepest sleep are people of great learning. Folks can rationalize anything and education does not stop rationalization, it simply gives one more ammunition to rationalize with. Wesley remarks about how many times people get a self congratulatory attitude. 

     This pride is fueled by what Wesley cals the "opiates of flattery and sin." In my mind this is when someone gets the mindset that essentially says "I'm a good person, because all of my friends say I am!" This, of course, does not prove that we are good people, it just proves that we tend to make friends that are similar to us. Wesley closes the segment by reminding us that the 'natural person' who is asleep to spiritual things is not just a dirty scoundrel. This is a person who could be well respected, liked, and indeed do things that we would categorize as good. Despite this, they are still asleep to any evil which might be lurking in their hearts 

     How does one who is sleeping like this wake up to the reality of their own state? That is the subject of Wesley's next segment.

Questions

1. In this segment Wesley speaks of a state where one is asleep to his or her spiritual state. Have any of us been asleep in this way? What were the consequences?

2. Have we used any of the excuses to remain sleeping that Wesley brings up here? If not what excuses did we use?

The "Legal Person"

     Wesley describes the act of awakening well when writing: 

"By some awful providence, or by his word applied with the demonstration of his Spirit, God touches the heart of him that lay asleep in darkness and in the shadow of death. He is terribly shaken out of his sleep, and awakes into a consciousness of his danger."  

     We read of this experience when Isaiah is before the throne of the Lord and says, "Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Wesley goes on to describe a person in this state realizes that not only is God merciful but He is also holy, pure, and perfectly just. This state is characterized by a frightening clarity about one's spiritual state. All of the excuses used in the natural state evaporate in the holy fire of a holy God.

    It is at this point that the thought that "God knows my heart," goes from being a numbing agent to a terrifying reality. This reality becomes terrifying because we see, perhaps for the first time, the pure intent of God's law  and the impurity of our hearts. We realize that we may have never murdered someone, but how often have we stabbed them with our words, or indifference. The legal person realizes that he or she is worthy of hell. No more excuses, no more psudointelecutal smoke screens stand between us and the reality of who we are and who God has called us to be. Wesley puts it like this:

he sees himself naked, stripped of all the fig-leaves which he had sewed together, of all his poor pretenses to religion or virtue, and his wretched excuses for sinning against God.

     This person fears God but does not love Him. The fear of God is an often misunderstood concept in scripture. Many times people think it is fear of some cosmic bully ready to throw us into the inferno of hell. God, however, is not mean, vindictive, or retributive. Instead the fear of God is more like the way we fear gravity. Right now I am experiencing gravity as grace. It is holding me down on this planet and without it I would float out into space, not a good thing. However, if I were dangling from the top of a skyscraper, I would fear gravity.

     Has gravity become mean, vindictive, and retributive? Of course not, I have gone out of right relationship with it. In the same way, the legal person does not fear God because they realize that God is mean. Instead this is a person who realizes that he or she has gone out of right relationship with the ground of all that is real! This is one of the amazing and great truths we learn from God's name. When Moses asks what God's name is, the response is not something humans would make up, like Bob or Steve. Instead God says "I Am" or it could be translated, "I Exist," "I Am Becoming," or "I Am because I Am." Everything that is real finds its reality in Him. Sin is our moving away from reality. 

     Because of this realization in the legal person, that which used to please him or her is now appalling. This person earnestly desires to "get right with God." They set out to work on their outward behavior and their inward motivation. To their great frustration, however, they discover that they cannot overcome the evil within them. This is the spirit of bondage that Paul talks about in the passage out of Romans 8 that this sermon is based on. Wesely points out Paul's piercingly clear description of this state in the previous chapter of Romans when Paul writes:

 Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?

     This leads the person under the law to despair and bondage. Thus he or she is willed to do the good that the Lord prescribes for our lives but cannot. This person fears God but does not love Him.  

Questions

1. Have we had any moment like Wesley describes as being "terribly awakened from our sleep?" What was the cause and what was it like?

2. Are there any sinful habits, thought patterns, or attitudes that we have and cannot shake? What are some of the things we have tried to get rid of them?

3. Have we ever felt the fear of God as it is described here?

The Person under Grace

     This final state is when the bondage of of sin is over. This final stage describes the person under grace. This is the person who feels the Holy Spirit witness to his or her spirit that he or she is a child of God. This is the spirit given to a person that enables us to cry out to God saying, "Abba Father!" In my minds eye I envision a young child who is lost in the woods and cries out "Daddy, save me" and the child's father comes running, scoops the terrified child up and says "I got you, your safe now!" The person no longer sees God as an angry judge but as a loving Father. 

     Thus is the spirit of adoption as children of the King of the Universe. Wesley goes on to describe the powerful change this brings about in a person's life. The result is that the person under grace is freed from the guilt and the power of sin. The person under grace struggles against sin and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, is victorious against it. Whereas, the natural person does not fight or conquer sin, the person under the law fights but is conquered, the person under grace fights against sin and conquers it!   

     It is important to note here that Wesley is clear that we will struggle against sin after conversion. The person under grace is not given immunity to falling, or being tempted. Instead, the person under grace is given the desire and ability the get up again and conquer temptation. This is what makes it possible for us to make actual progress in our faith walk. We are not saved by grace to just stay the way we are but to be continually re-made into the image of God.

     Not only is the person under grace freed from the guilt and power of sin but they are also freed from fear. This person no longer fears hell, because God has saved them out of it through Chirst. They also no longer fear the devil and his works, because Christ has defeated them in His death and resurrection. Finally, perhaps most remarkably, this person no longer fears death because they trust, not in themselves, but in the one who has conquered it.

     Wesley closes the sermon with a summary, warning and encouragement. First in the summary Wesley says that the natural person does not fear or love God. This person is a willing servant of sin and has a false peace. The person under the law fears God but does not love Him. This person is an unwilling servant of sin, desiring to break free but unable to. The person under the law has a clear understanding of where he or she is but is unable to change. 

     Finally, the person under grace loves God and only fears sin. They only fear sin because it will take them away from the one they love. This person serves the Lord, has a clear understanding of themselves but relies not on their own strength but on the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit witnesses to their spirit that they have become adopted children of their Father in heaven through Christ. The person under grace lives out this identity under the guidance, and power of the Holy Spirit. 

     The warning Wesley gives is to those who are asleep in the natural stage. He warns them to not ignore it when they feel the Lord trying to stir them from their spiritual slumber. Wesley calls the wilful ignoring of God's prodding of our souls "stifling the grace of God." To those who do not examine themselves and assume that they are good enough Wesley goes so far as to say "Heathen, pull of your mask!" I think what Wesley is warning us all against is complacency. While the grace of the Lord comes to comfort us in our lost state it is not meant to make us complacent! To the person who is complacent in sin he encourages them to be humble before the Lord.

     To those who are unwillingly serving sin he gives an encouragement. He says to them "Art thou fighting, but not conquering striving for the mastery, but not able to attain Then thou art not yet a believer in Christ; but follow on, and thou shalt know the Lord." In this Wesley is trying to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable, so that all may experience freedom from sin and love of God. He further encourages both groups to not rest until they have the spirit of adoption upon them. In his closing Wesley encourages both groups by saying:

     "Beware, then, thou who art called by the name of Christ, that thou come not short of the mark of thy high calling. Beware thou rest, not, either in a natural state with too many that are accounted good Christians; or in a legal state, wherein those who are highly esteemed of men are generally content to live and die. Nay, but God hath prepared better things for thee, if thou follow on till thou attain. Thou art not called to fear and tremble like devils; but to rejoice and love, like the angels of God. "Thou shalt love the lord thy God will all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength." Thou shalt "rejoice evermore;" thou shalt "pray without ceasing:" thou shalt "in everything give thanks." Thou shalt do the will of God on earth as it is done in heaven. O prove thou "what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God!" Now present thyself "a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God." "Whereunto thou hast already attained, hold fast," by "reaching forth unto those things which are before:" until "the God of peace make thee perfect in every good work, working in thee that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ: To whom be glory for ever and ever! Amen!"

Questions

1. Has there been a time in our lives, as a parent or a child, when you have experienced a helpless child crying out for his or her parents and the parent swoops in and saves the child? What was that like? How might this help us understand how God feels when we cry out to Him "Abba Father?"

2. When have we been struggling to conquer a sinful pattern in our lives and were able to, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to overcome it? 

3. How does the spirit of adoption enable us to conquer sin?

The First Fruits of the Spirit

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)

     In this sermon we begin to approach the heart of the distinctly Wesleyan emphasis in message of salvation. This emphasis is the experience of the Holy Spirit changing an individual beginning at conversion and culminating in entire sanctification, the state of God's love perfectly flowing through an individual. Here we begin to see Wesley's theology of crisis and process. The crisis is something we experience in a moment, specifically the moment of conversion, and the process is the experience of gradual progression of God's love permeating our lives. In this sermon Wesley is focusing on the experience of being freed from condemnation. He breaks this down in three major sections:

1. What does it mean to be in Christ Jesus
2. What condemnation are we free from
3. Some practical lessons we can take from this

In Christ Jesus

     Here Wesley describes what it means to be 'in Christ Jesus.' Wesley breaks being in Christ into two movements. The first is the 'crucifixion of the flesh.' The 'flesh' refers to sinful desires that take us away from loving relationship with the Lord and other people. In Wesley's words this "signifies the corrupt nature."  Those who are in Christ do what they can to abstain from these works and open their heart in allowing the desires to die with Christ. However, Wesley is quick to add, those who are in Christ are still assaulted by these corrupt desires from time to time. The difference is that, rather than hiding this corruption, they rejoice in the fact that the Holy Spirit has revealed it. They rejoice because "every fresh assault which they undergo, only gives them a fresh occasion for praise, of crying out 'Thanks be unto God, who giveth us the victory, through Jesus Christ.'"

     The second movement of being in Christ is to 'walk after the Spirit.' Whereas, the crucifixion of the flesh focuses on what being in Christ causes one to avoid, walking after the Spirit focus on what it encourages and enables one to do. To walk after the spirit is to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us into "every holy desire" which includes walking in "justice, mercy and truth" in their dealings with the Lord and with one another.

     Wesley concludes this segment by reinforcing the fact that to be in Christ is a work of the Holy Spirit. We do not crucify the flesh and avoid evil on our own power, instead we do it by the power of the Spirit. Likewise not only does the Holy Spirit guide us in walking in the Spirit, but He also empowers us. In this way, the Christian life is less like picking oneself up by the bootstraps and more a surrender of our will, affections, and actions to our crucified and risen Messiah.

Questions

1. In our walk with Christ, what are some of the 'works of the flesh' that the Holy Spirit has called us to crucify or die to? What has dying to those habits, thought patterns, or heart dispositions been like?
2. What are some attitudes, behaviors, habits, or heart dispositions which the Holy Spirit has lead and empowered us to live into since we have begun our journey with Christ?

No Condemnation 

     In this segment, Wesley breaks condemnation down into at least six different categories. Wesley explains how those who are in Christ, are not under condemnation in each case. 

     The first, is that those who are in Christ are under no condemnation of past sins. No matter how bad these sins are, Christ has died for them and we have been forgiven of them. Because of this Wesley tells us that for us there is no condemnation "no sense of guilt, or dread of the wrath of God." This is reflected in one his brothers songs entitled "And Can It Be" in saying:

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach the eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

      I believe that those who feel guilt or dread the wrath of God and do trust in the Lord, are being attacked by the enemy. The devil's first line of defence is always to cause us to drift away from God without our knowing. However, if we do respond to the God harkening to us, then his next tactic is to make us feel guilt over past sins that we cannot change.
     The second kind of condemnation that those who are 'in Christ' are free from is the condemnation for any present sins. This is where Wesley's theology becomes distinct and somewhat controversial. Wesley says that we are not condemned for present sins while we are in Christ because, so long as we are in Christ, we will not sin. To support this radical claim, Wesley quotes 1 John 5:18 which reads,"We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him." Reading the context of both John and Wesley's sermon this appears to mean that those who are in Christ will not continue in their habitual sin.
     There are three points to keep in mind here. First, in the final kinds of condemnation the person in Christ is free from we get a better glimpse of how Wesley understands 'not sinning.' Second, Wesley addresses sin in believers later in this sermon and commits an entire sermon to it. Finally, Wesley was adamant that being in Christ or being a Christian actually changes a person. His emphasis was that the Holy Spirit actually breaks the power and guilt of sin.
     Wesley moves from present habitual sin to inward sin. He makes the observation that even though the corrupt sinful nature does not reign in our hearts it does remain in our hearts. In the moment or crisis of conversion, the Holy Spirit gives us victory over the sin within us. However, the seed of that sin is still lurking within us. Because of this, we are all in the process of, by the Spirit, becoming more sensible of it.
     Here is an example that I have come up with. Let's say someone struggles with hate. At the moment of conversion, they are released from the power and condemnation of that hate. However, it will take a lifetime for that person to work out what it means to 'not be a hateful person.' As this person is working this out the Holy Spirit will confront him with the fact that he hates those of a differing political views. His thoughts toward them, opinions about them are evil and hateful. He is not condemned for that hate until the Holy Spirit reveals it and gives him an opportunity to repent of it. The truth is that inward sin permeates much of our lives and, while the Holy Spirit grants us victory over it, it takes a process to work out what that victory means.
     The fourth kind of sin that those in Christ are not condemned for is that sin that is "continually cleaving to all they do." Here Wesley deals with the fact that, even in our best efforts, there can be sinful motives lurking behind the scenes in our behavior. For example, let's say we are praying for our enemies. We know that we ought to pray good for them, that they would turn from their evil and destructive ways and toward the Lord. If we are praying that righteous prayer there may be an underlying desire for us to see them feel the pain of their sin, not so that they might turn from it, but because we want them to suffer.
     When the Holy Spirit brings this to our attention, it is not a cause for condemnation. Rather it is an opportunity for us to, once again, rely on God to change our hearts. Wesley puts it this way, "So far are these from driving them away from Him, in whom they have believed, they rather drive them closer to Him, whom the feel the want of every moment." Because of this, even though our 'good works' may be mixed with sinful motive, God will bless them, and use them as opportunities for us to grow even more in Him.
     In Wesley's lists this next one is broken down into two points. However, I believe they belong together. Those who are in Christ are not under condemnation for behaviors, attitudes and heart dispositions that are due to infirmities or are out of one's control. This would include folks who are mentally challenged not being able to control their temper because of their disability. In terms of something one is not able to control, Wesley uses the example of communion. One is not condemned for neglecting to take communion if they have taken to a sick bed or there is not communion available to them. This may seem obvious, but how often do we become anxious and worried over things we cannot control. In my mind it is not that far of a stretch to think we could slip into feeling condemned over something we are personally involved in but cannot changed.
     The final kind of sin Wesley talks about is the trickiest to understand in our own lives. He calls them 'sins of surprise.' Immagine we take the Lord's name in vein. Is that a sin of surprise or is it not? In this area, Wesley talks about culpable neglect. In other words, is their something we could have done to prevent this sin. If so, continuing to not do it is something we can be condemned for. However, if we are doing all we can and, out of habit, we do something sinful we are not condemned for that, we are simply responsible to run to Jesus, ask for forgiveness, and ways to prevent it in the future.
     Let's use the example of taking the Lord's name in vein. If this is a habit we have, we know the Lord can break it, but it will take time to break it completely. Supposing that we notice that when we pray, and read scripture, we begin to do it less. If we stop praying and reading our scripture, because we don't care about using the Lord's name in vein, we are condemned for that. If, however, we are praying and reading our scripture and it slips out, we are not cut off from God.
     I think what Wesely is trying to get at here is that it is a matter of the will. Is our will to surrender to the Lord all of our hearts dispositions and thoughts or is our will to 'believe' in Christ just enough to avoid hell and make it into heaven. The first shows an earnest trust. The second seems to be using God to get to heaven rather than loving God so that heaven can be our home. Wesley puts it this way:

He (meaning a Christian who finds himself in a 'surprise sin) would be convinced of having swerved from the perfect law, from the mind which was in Christ, and consequently, grieved with a godly sorrow, and lovingly ashamed before God. Yet need he not come into condemnation. God layeth not folly to his charge, but hath compassion upon him, "even as a father pitieth his own children." And his heart condemneth him not: in the midst of that sorrow and shame he can still say, "I will trust and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation." (Italics mine)

     Here I think Wesley is really trying to drive home the point that God is not interested in nitpicking every little thing. Instead God's heart is that our hearts would surrender to His will and love. We are going to mess up. The question is, what are we going to do when it happens, grow in Him, or try to hide it from Him.

Questions

1. Have any of us ever felt guilt over past sins? How could God's lack of condemnation over those sins change how we live?
2. How do we feel about Wesley's bold statement that those who are in Christ do not sin?
3. What are those 'surprise sins' that the Holy Spirit is convicting us of now? How might we work with the Holy Spirit's power and guidance to die to those sins?

Practical Inferences 

     Here Wesley concludes his sermon with five practical inferences that follow from having no condemnation from being in Christ. The first is an encouragement. He encourages his readers/listeners to cast out all fear of condemnation of sin. Christ Jesus has paid it all. Even if your sin is more in number than the sand, God's grace through Christ Jesus will conquer it. In fact, Wesley asks, "Wilt thou say, 'But I have again committed sin, since I had redemption through his blood And therefore it is, that "I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.'" Wesley indicates that the fact that you abhor yourself and re repentant is a good thing. Because of this do not fear the Lord, instead run into His merciful arms. Not only will He forgive you of sin, but He will free you from the bondage of it!

     The second practical inference Wesley makes is a warning or challenge. Here Wesley diverges from the Reformed movement. In Calvin's theology, once a person is saved they will always be saved. Because of this, many Calvinists that Wesley interacted with, lived sinful lives and said, "I was saved apart from my works so I do not have to do works to maintain my salvation." To this Wesely strongly says "O flatter not thyself with vain hopes! Say not to thy soul, 'Peace peace!' For there is no peace."

     For Wesley, salvation is more about a relationship than about a transaction. It is not as if we receive a 'get out of hell free card' from Jesus and live our lives however we want. While it is true we do not earn our salvation and we cannot un-earn it we can choose to trust in the Lord or not trust in Him. In order for our relationship with the Lord to be authentic, at all, we must be able to choose to trust or not trust in Him.

     This kind of trust, or faith, is not a meritorious work. Rather it is an admonition that we cannot change on our own and we need God's help. This means that if the Holy Spirit reveals a sinful pattern to us rather than saying, "O well I'm not saved by my works anyway. I might as well just give into it," God wants us to use it as another opportunity to throw ourselves on His mercy, grace and power. Power, not merely to forgive the sin, but to break the sin. 

     The third practical inference is to be courageous! For those in Christ, there is no condemnation. Because of this, when the Holy Spirit reveals sin within us that is remaining or cleaving to something we are doing do not hide it! Instead boldly take it to the Lord, not only will He condemn us, but He will use it to humble us without humiliating us. God will use it to enable us to more fully rely on Him and His grace in our lives. 

     The fourth piece of practical insight Wesley brings forth is about 'sins of infirmity.' Wesley encourages us in two ways here. First, do not allow the enemy to condemn us for things we have no control over. Second, be patient with yourself. While we ought not to feel condemned we should patiently ask the Lord to help our infirmities. In our weakness He may show His strength!

     The final practical inference is for the 'surprise sin.' Just as before do not hide it. When we are grieved by it, do not make excuses or act as if we are not grieved. Instead take our heavy hearts to the Lord. In this last point, I think Wesley is trying to drive home the point that God can use shame and disgust for our sin to drive us closer to Him if we would just trust in His son Jesus Christ, and the transformative power of the Holy Spirit!

Questions

1. After the Holy Spirit reveals to us a sinful thought pattern, behavior, or heart disposition have any of us been tempted to hide it? Why is that?
2. In this sermon, Wesley begins to grapple with some implications of what Calvinists call eternal security. This is the doctrine that once you become a Christian you cannot "lose your salvation." For several reasons, Wesley rejects this idea. What do we think of that?
3. Has there been a time when any of us were grieved because of a 'sin of infirmity?' Was the Lord able to show His strength through that weakness by helping the infirmity? 

The Way To The Kingdom

the kingdom of God is at hand;repent and believe in the gospel.

(Mark 1:15)

     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

1. 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?
2. When have we ignored what Wesley calls "religion of the heart" by placing too much importance on right belief or right behavior?
3. 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:

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

1. Have any of us had a repentant moment? What prompted it? What was it like?
2. 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?
3. 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?
4. Have we found peace and joy in trusting in the Gospel of Jesus Christ? What is that like?