Spreading Hope and Holiness

John Wesley once wrote to an acquaintance, “Where Christian perfection is not strongly and explicitly preached, there is seldom any remarkable blessing from God; and consequently, little life in the members of it.” Permeating both the biblical and Christian church historical narratives, the Message of Hope and Holiness still bids us in this new day to shout it to all who will listen.

Wesleyans are not alone in their yearning to hear and proclaim this message. Within the past few months, representatives from many holiness denominations met in two separate meetings, during which there was a unanimous affirmation and commitment to this transformational message of God’s grace. Paul declares in Colossians 1:18 that “we proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.” He explains in Colossians 1:27 that the possibility of being “perfect in Christ” exists only because of “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Our own Wesleyan Church history points to John Wesley, who modeled for us the central themes of this message that must be proclaimed today even as he proclaimed it in his day.

First, we must proclaim The Message of Hope in Christ through evangelism and compassionate ministries.  As Christ disciples, we are the ambassadors who communicate and demonstrate the love of God and life-changing message of redemption— helping to fulfill the Great Commandment in the spirit of the Great Commandment. Wesley reminded his lay preachers, “You have nothing to do but to save souls. Therefore spend and be spent in this work.” However, he saw no dichotomy between evangelization and ministries of compassion. In his classic book, The Radical Wesley, Howard Snyder writes, “There was no split between personal salvation and social engagement.” Wesley modeled this principle: He visited the possessed and oppressed; the imprisoned; the sick; the grieving; the dying; he established a fund for the poor; established a home for aged persons; and established schools for poor children.

Wesley did not do this alone; he used his remarkable administrative gifts to lead his Methodist classes and societies to be givers of compassion. Likewise, in the mid-1800s, Orange Scott, an abolitionist against the scourge of slavery, became founder of The Wesleyan Methodist Connection, a forerunner of The Wesleyan Church that was committed to proclaim “The Message of Hope” for all people, regardless of race or social standing.

Second, we must proclaim The Message of Holiness that Christ’s power unequivocally transforms people of darkness to people of his wonderful light (I Peter 2:9). Christ’s ministry of redemption provides for the personal regeneration of persons to become new creatures in Christ and to be personally transformed into His image. Spiritual transformation occurs when people are saved and discipled in the faith, leading to their acceptance of the Lordship of Christ through the Spirit’s work of sanctification; the intention of life changes from purely selfish interests to the single aim of loving and pleasing God. The belief that it is impossible for humans to live a holy life in this world is as rampant today as it was in Wesley’s day. Wesley used his classes and bands to combat this belief, and we, too, must nurture one another and spur one another to experience the joy of heart purity and holiness. The revivalist movement of The Pilgrim Holiness Church, another forerunner of The Wesleyan Church, gave witness to Christ’s sanctifying power in the lives of countless people, spreading from the United States to mission fields around the world. People of darkness in the darkest of places became people of light and declared the praises of Christ.

Proclaiming the Message of Hope and Holiness is missional by its very nature. We become holy people empowered by God to reach a lost world and become Christ’s agents to transform our communities. Therefore, we give testimony to the world of the power of the gospel to expose sin, to preserve goodness, to add seasoning to a fallen world, and to bring light to the darkest corners of the world. The Wesleyan Church is speaking to the issues of domestic abuse, pornography, world poverty, social and economic injustices, being good stewards of God’s creation, modern day slavery, and the taking of innocent lives, both born and unborn. At the same time the church must address lifestyle issues that plague individuals, families, and entire societies. In the words of Wesley, “the gospel of Christ knows of no religion but social religion, no holiness but social holiness.”

The historical Wesley modeled his commitment to spread The Message of Hope and Holiness. As Wesleyans of the 21st century, we must not, we dare not, do less; instead, let us together, as a body of believers, dare to do more!

Thomas E. Armiger is a General Superintendent of The Wesleyan Church, Indianapolis, Ind.