John and Charles Wesley were both educated at Christchurch College, Oxford during the 1720’s. Whilst there, Charles helped to found something called the “Holy Club”, a group of young men determined to live disciplined “Christian” lives dedicated to serious study of the Bible, prayer, fasting, and charitable works. Following graduation, older brother John came back to Oxford to take up a fellowship at Lincoln College, Oxford, and became the leader of the club whose members by this time were derisively called “Methodists” due to their strict disciplines. Their well-intentioned methods, however, did little to ground them confidently in Christian salvation. Even whilst both served as missionaries in Georgia in the mid-1730’s, John wrote, “I went to America to convert the Indians; but, oh, who shall convert me?” By most accounts, it was not until 24 May 1738 when John experienced the assurance of salvation. The brothers had come under the influence of Moravian friends who bore witness to a salvation from God by grace through faith in Christ. He famously wrote in his journal: “In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street (London), where one was reading Luther’s preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed.” The lesser-known conversion of Charles happened three days earlier. He wrote in his journal that the Spirit of God “chased away the darkness of my unbelief.” Charles went on to write more than 6,000 hymns, including one to commemorate his salvation wherein he asks, “And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Saviour’s blood?” He touches upon many important aspects of Christian salvation:
Origin– God’s love: “Amazing love, how can it be that thou, my God, should die for me?
Means– God’s substitutionary, sacrificial death: “Emptied Himself of all but love, and bled for Adam’s helpless race”
The Cost– It is a gracious gift: “So free, so infinite His grace”
The final verse covers what we are saved from: condemnation of the sort that once gripped the brother’s hearts; and what we are saved to: eternal life in Christ, clothed in His righteousness.
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 th’ eternal throne,
And claim the crown,
through Christ, my own.
Salvation is a big topic. This is meant as a “non-doctrinal” look at justification; which is to say how Christ’s sacrificial death saves us from God’s judgment of our sin. By grace, through faith, we trust in the glorious work of the cross rather than our own work. No method of human invention, even the best of our “works” as with the Wesleys, will satisfy the needs of our restless broken souls. Over the next two weeks we will continue our consideration of salvation, looking at working out our salvation and the consummation of our salvation.
Much love,
Pastor Gary
