Tuesday, April 29, 2014

WESLEY SERMONS #7

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). 



ON WORKING OUT OUR OWN SALVATION

Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure (Philippians 2:12-13)

Let us begin by discussing the work of God (after all, that is where salvation begins!). God is the source of both our good desires and behaviors. This fact removes any sense of merit or room for pride in people. God provides the power, so God gets all the glory!

Clearly, however, we are to work as well. We need to pray, fast, search the Scriptures, partake in the Lord’s Supper, Fellowship together with God’s family, serve the needy, deny ourselves, etc. In other words, we need to willingly embrace every means of drawing near to God.

But there is a tension between these two points that some call a contradiction. Does God do the work of salvation or do we? Let’s clarify…

God’s work enables us to work. Without God working first, it is impossible for us to do anything good. And God has indeed worked in the life of every human being (through, at least, prevenient grace). We, therefore, have no excuse but to follow-up on His work with our own.

But even this subsequent work, which we must do, is powered by God. We do it by the Spirit. The Scriptures clearly teach that God begins the process of salvation independently, but refuses to finish in like manner.
 

2 comments:

Mrs. B said...

Here is where I disagree with Wesley, because I believe that our works are not necessary to complete our salvation, but are born out of our finished salvation. I believe in the preservation of the saints as Calvin teaches, but in no way do I accept Calvin's limited atonement. So I am neither Calvinist nor Arminian. :)

matthew said...

You MIGHT not disagree with Wesley as much as you think (I'm genuinely not sure) Regan...

Wesley did not think that our works 'complete our salvation' in the sense that you are most likely thinking. Our works play no part in earning salvation.

Instead, Wesley was emphasizing that good works are what we do in response to truly being saved. He was arguing against the idea that someone could be genuinely saved and not go on to good works. He was calling out those for whom salvation was not a life-changing reality.

Additionally, I don't think Wesley felt it common at all that a true saint would backslide to the point of rejecting their salvation. I think his answer to the backsliding issue would have been the same answer most Calvinists give (They were never really Christians in the first place).

But you are right that he didn't fully endorse the perseverance of the saints doctrine. I think you're hybrid model is probably the most common approach.