Tuesday, March 11, 2014

WESLEY SERMONS #1

In this series, 60 of Wesley's sermons will be summarized into about 250 words. I'm using the work of Collins/Vickers as my source (for transcripts and order), but the summaries are mine (so any misrepresentations of Wesley may be attributed to me).

THE IMAGE OF GOD
In Genesis 1:27 it is written:
“So God created man in his own image.”

Human beings weren’t just made by God. They were made like God. This is hard for some to believe given our current state. But we believe that the explanation for the incongruity between our beast-like present and our god-like past is found in the story of Adam’s fall.

We must ask what it meant to be made in the image of God. First, it meant that Adam had a beautiful mind; clarity of thought. Second, and more importantly, it meant that he had a love-filled-will. Third, speaking of that will, he was genuinely free. Adam would have lived forever in a truly happy state.

To be genuinely free required a genuine choice. Adam chose poorly and brought about what we call… The Fall. The effects correspond to the previous blessing: Deterioration of the beautiful body/mind, a homeless love, and a legitimate feeling of being in slavery. Summarily, The Fall brought about death and misery.

The only hope for redemption is found in Jesus Christ. When we humbly come to Christ, God begins to restore our minds, our love, and our freedom to their pristine condition. God makes us happy again.

Those who have been so redeemed must pity the lost, praise the Redeemer, and persuade others toward Him.

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