John Wesley back in the 18th Century writes this about 'Salvation':
'By Salvation I mean, not barely (according to the vulgar notion) deliverance from hell, or going to heaven, but a present deliverance from sin, a restoration of the soul to its primitive health, its original purity; a recovery of the divine nature; the renewal of our souls after the image of God in righteousness and true holiness, in justice, mercy, and truth.'
Prevenient Grace - God's initial move toward restored relationship with fallen humanity.
'...while God's gracious empowerment was the source of our resulting ability to sin, God is never the cause of our choice to sin' (Maddox, 1994: 61).
Wesley's understanding of the Holy Spirit:
'I believe the infinite and eternal Spirit of God, equal with the Father and the Son, to be not only perfectly holy....but the immediate cause of all holiness in us: enlightening our understandings, rectifying our wills and affections, renewing our natures, uniting our persons to Christ, assuring us of the adoption of sons, leading us in our actions, purifying and sanctifying our souls and bodies to a full and eternal enjoyment of God'.
(Things are happening in Darwin, Jo and I are well, we'll keep you posted soon!) Share
No comments:
Post a Comment