This is the second post in a series reviewing major sections from John Wesley’s A Plain Account of Christian Perfection. You are encouraged to read along, and https://ccel.org/ccel/w/wesley/perfection/cache/perfection.pdf is a good site to use. Read the section corresponding with each post. If you read along, at the end of this series, you will have read the entire A Plain Account of Christian Perfection! Wesley’s document remains a key part of church history, and it is a very good guide for greater spiritual growth.
In section 10, John Wesley strings together numerous Scripture verses to describe the character of a Methodist. Indeed, this ought not be a Methodist alone but the character of a Christian. Wesley begins with the greatest commandment, describing one who “loves the Lord his God with all his heart, with all his soul, with all his mind, and with all his strength”.
Wesley describes utter dependence upon God, God’s strength, and God’s provision. Wesley also describes single devotion to God. The words of Christ in Matthew 6:22-24 come to mind, “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear [or single], your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad [or evil], your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”
Wesley is describing a person who is committed entirely to devotion to God. The heart of Christian perfection is purity of intention, meaning pure motives rooted in love for God and neighbor.
Wesley then quotes the second greatest commandment as the driver of behavior among fellow humanity. Again, the basis for this behavior is purity of intention. “Love has purified his heart from envy, malice, wrath, and every unkind temper. It has cleansed him from pride, whereof ‘only cometh contention;’ and he hath now ‘put on bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering.’ And indeed all possible ground for contention, on his part, is cut off. For none can take from him what he desires, seeing he ‘loves not the world, nor any of the things of the world;’ but ‘all his desire is unto God, and to the remembrance of his name.’”
It is almost hard to imagine a personal relationship free from all contention; yet as difficult as this is, I believe Wesley’s description of the second greatest commandment is accurate.
Wesley also quotes Luke 6:44, “For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush.” Again, we see in A Plain Account of Christian Perfection a single eye or single heart entirely devoted to God. The endeavor is to always and only bear fruit consistent with devotion to God. From this we can understand the “entire” in entire sanctification. Perfection also constitutes the absence of imperfection.
Just as we do not approach an apple tree and find figs growing on it or a tomato plant and find it full of thorns and bitter berries, the Christian is to be known for only bearing fruit consistent with obedience to Christ. The Christian is to mirror the righteousness of God. This we find, once again, in 1 John 3:9-10 as well as James 3:7-12, “For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.”
Both 1 John 3 and James 3 point to one principle, namely, a single-minded devotion to God. This is that to which Wesley points in A Plain Account of Christian Perfection.
Wesley makes an important point, “All the commandments of God he accordingly keeps, and that with all his might; for his obedience is in proportion to his love, the source from whence it flows. And therefore, loving God with all his heart, he serves him with all his strength; he continually presents his soul and ‘body a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God;’ entirely and without reserve devoting himself, all he has, all he is, to his glory. All the talents he has, he constantly employs according to his Master’s will; every power and faculty of his soul, every member of his body.”
Our obedience is in proportion to our love. This is a very true and powerful statement. Our obedience and, therefore, commitment to Christ will always be in relation to our love for Him. Wesley aims at and exhorts us to aim as well at purity of intention, namely, entire love for God. However, the fruit we bear and our obedience of Christ will always and only be to the extent of our love for God.
1 John 2:15 and 1 John 3:1 are important verses here. “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him… See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.”
As we read earlier, Christ already warned us that we cannot serve two masters. We cannot be double-minded and love both Christ and the world. We are commanded not to love the world nor the things in the world [carnal nature, old self, sin]. The world does not know anything of obedience to God because those of the world do not know Him [unfamiliar with, broken fellowship, separated from].
How can we both walk in fellowship with Christ and love the world which is at enmity with God? Yet this is where many Christians try to live, ensnared by the attractions of the world while claiming to possess fellowship with God. Our fruit and obedience will be in proportion to our love for God.
I will be the first to admit that it all sounds like a works-based righteousness, until we consider the practical application of Christian perfection. We cannot have an entire love for God and rip off customers in our business pursuits. We cannot have an entire love for God and harbor grudges against those we perceive to have wronged us. We cannot have an entire love for God and express bitter attitudes toward other people. The more we surrender to the work of the Holy Spirit the easier Christ-like behavior will be to embrace.
Wesley is not exhorting that we must relinquish secular careers and live as an ascetic separated from society. Rather, Wesley is exhorting that in whatever our calling or employment we maintain an entire devotion to God. Our obedience to and love for God will be reflected in our business, leisure, and interpersonal relationships.
Prayer: Lord, show me my loves, and how much I still hold onto love for the world. Help me to let go of love for the world and to be completely reconciled to You. Reform my heart that I may have an entire love for You and that my love for You would be in full proportion. Help me where I am yet weak that You would strengthen my obedience and increase my fruit in keeping with entire love for You. Where I continue to struggle with attraction to the world, strengthen these areas, help me to build boundaries against temptation, and grant that I would accept the contentment found only in You. Amen.
Like this post? Subscribe to stay up to date on new posts.