43. The Scripture Way of Salvation

 

Summary of John Wesley’s Sermon

 

No. 43

 

Title: The Scripture Way of Salvation (1765)

 

Text: Ephesians 2:8

 

Commentary:

This sermon is a well-organized theological sermon on Wesley’s soteriology. It is a twin sermon with “Salvation by Faith” (1738) of the same text. Wesley stated that salvation consists of justification and sanctification. We are sanctified, as well as justified, by faith. The climax of this sermon is not only to know the doctrine of salvation, but to expect it by faith now.

 

Summary:

1. The genuine religion of Jesus Christ! How observable is this both with regard to the end it proposes and the means to attain that end! The end is salvation; the means to attain it, faith.

 

Ⅰ.1. What is salvation? It is a present thing, a blessing which, through the free mercy of God, ye are now in possession of. Salvation is the entire work of God, from the first dawning of grace in the soul till it is consummated in glory.

 

3. Salvation consists of two general parts, justification and sanctification. Justification is pardon. It is the forgiveness of all our sins, and our acceptance with God.

 

4. And at the same time that we are justified, sanctification begins. In that instant we are ‘born again’. There is a real as well as a relative change.

 

8. From the time of our being ‘born again’ the gradual work of sanctification takes place. We are enabled ‘by the Spirit’ to ‘mortify the deeds of the body’, of our evil nature.

 

9. It is thus that we wait for entire sanctification, for a full salvation from all our sins, from pride, self-will, anger, unbelief.

 

Ⅱ. What is that ‘faith through which we are saved’?

2. Faith is a divine evidence and conviction, not only that ‘God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself’, but also that Christ ‘loved me, and gave himself for me’.

 

Ⅲ. How we are saved by faith?

1. Faith is the only condition of justification.

 

2. Repentance and fruits meet for repentance are in some sense necessary to justification.

 

3. Faith is the only condition of sanctification, exactly as it is of justification.

 

6. The repentance consequent upon justification is widely different from that which is antecedent to it. It is properly a conviction wrought by the Holy Spirit of the ‘sin’ which still ‘remains’ in our heart.

 

9. What good works are necessary to sanctification? First, all works of piety, such as prayer, the Lord’s Supper, searching the Scriptures, and fasting or abstinence.

 

10. Secondly, all works of mercy, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting those that are in prison, or sick, or afflicted.

 

13. Repentance and its fruits are necessary to full salvation, yet they are not necessary either in the same sense with faith or in the same degree.

 

Not in the same sense; for these are only remotely necessary to sanctification; whereas faith is immediately and directly necessary to sanctification. Faith is the only condition which is immediately and proximately necessary to sanctification.

 

Not in the same degree; for these fruits are only necessary conditionally, if there be time and opportunity for them. But the moment he believes, with or without those fruits, with more or less of this repentance, he is sanctified.

 

14. ‘What is that faith whereby we are sanctified, saved from sin and perfected in love?’ It is a divine evidence and conviction, first, God has promised it in the Holy Scripture.

 

15. Secondly, what God has promised he is able to perform.

 

16. Thirdly, he is able and willing to do it now.

 

18. God works this great work in the soul gradually or instantaneously. And so God generally does it instantaneously. Therefore look for it every day, every hour, every moment. If you seek it, you may expect it by faith, expect it as you are, and expect it now!

 

Prayer:

Gracious God, have mercy on us and deliver us from evil.

Let us know more the love of God and grow to fullness of Christ.

And may our spirits and souls and bodies be kept sound

and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This time, fill our hearts with entire sanctification of Thee. Amen.