John Wesley's Use Of Atonement Essay

In John Wesley's sermon on the, "Image of God" was saying that man was created by God in His likeness. He put Himself into man as He would allow. He made us lords over all things of the Earth. (Gen 1:26) In some ways, He made us not just lords over the earth, but over ourselves, over our choices and actions. When man disobeyed God, he became separated from God and died. He was no longer the visible image of God. The things that were true, now seemed false. Sickness and negative emotions started to reside in man. He placed his own wants before God. "He said in the garden, "Not Your will, but mine." Now man has fallen in disgrace and death is chasing him. Even though man had fallen away from God. God chose a way for man, to be restored, but man will have to humble himself and acknowledge his sinful condition. We need to renew our minds, because we may be restored to a relationship with God, but we are still affected and infected by our sinful flesh and lustful minds.

Wesley had a vision of what the Christian life should be like, this vision he called ‘Christian perfection’, captivated his imagination, reordered his desires and directed his own spiritual quest for ‘whole-life discipleship’. It is my view that early Methodism really grew out of Wesley’s own pursuit of holiness in heart and life, as his spiritual vision came to be shared with others and as they gathered together to help one another seek it. This common vision and common life began in the ‘Holy Club’ at Oxford, and spread from there through the formation, multiplication and connection of societies across the nation. Wesley and his preachers considered Christian perfection to be ‘the grand depositum’ of Methodism, and the self-avowed end of the movement was ‘to spread scriptural holiness throughout the

Atonement is a Christian theory that explains the reconciliation of human beings with God (Torrance 6). In simple words, it is the redemption/forgiveness of sins through the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Christians were forgiven their sins and reconciled with God. The bible in the book of John 3:16 say that, “For God so loved the world, and gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish” (King James Version, John 3.16). According to the bible, whoever believes in the son of God, shall not perish but will have everlasting life, and this is the atonement, since through the death of the son of God, Christians were forgiven their sins, and received eternal life. According to the doctrine of

This paper is centered around Dr. Cobb’s essay, “Wesley the Process Theologian”, and matched with notes on John Wesley from Dr. Hughes lectures in Protestantism in the Modern World. Through the course of this paper, the concept of process theology will be discussed along with how John Wesley’s own thoughts and ideas compare to process theologies conceptions. Through comparing these two’s individual ideas, I will add my own insights and thoughts on the possibility of common ground between the two; from the view of an outsider whose own beliefs have been shaped considerably from my own experiences. Though I am in no way an authority on any of these subjects, I hope that my point of view will be enlightening. Along with this, I’ll strive to support many of my claims about God through scripture, for regardless of man’s interpretation of the bible, it’s one of Christianity’s main sources of authority.

Charles B. Hodge, Jr., is a prolific writer and a minister of the Church of Christ. He closes each chapter of The Agony & Glory of the Cross with “The Cross…there is no other way!” Thus, I have taken Reverend Hodge’s declaration for the title of this review. He further explains his thesis of the importance of the cross: “Jesus could not save Himself and still be our Savior. There is no way but the cross.” The unique approach to teaching the New Testament – and Christs’ journey to Calvary – requires several readings, analysis, and return to biblical text.

Wesley believed that sanctification was a process that could be received as an instantaneous experience after conversion, or later on in life. No matter when sanctification was achieved, the moment someone received sanctification was the “climax” of their Christian life. He believed that the “second blessing purified the believer from his inward sin and enabled him to secure perfect love of God and of his fellowmen.” Followers of Wesley had trouble balancing the “crisis and process views” of Wesley, and the crisis view began to take “precedence over the process view.” Soon, sanctification was no longer viewed as the goal of a Christian life, but the beginning of a Christian life.

When Wesley talked about development in holiness, and the fundamental goal of being entire sanctification, he was fixed that sanctification and justification is by faith. In his preaching, “The Scripture Way of Salvation”, Wesley expounded the faith by which Christians are perfected is because God is able, he promised in Scripture, he is willing, and he really does it 1) God has foretold this in Scripture. 2) What God promises, God is able to do. 3) God is capable and willing to manage it right away. 4) God actually answers this. Wesley concluded the sermon by exhorting his audience “expect it by faith, expect it as you are, and expect it now!”

While most theologians agree upon the existence and importance of mediated grace, they often disagree upon the exact nature of its role. What this conflict yields though, is not a sense of discord and disunity, but a greater appreciation of the immense horizon of grace as perceived by humanity. Perhaps the most obvious example of this is the clash between Martin Luther and the tenets of the Roman Catholic Church (represented here by their Decree on Justification that was presented at the Council of Trent). Luther saw grace as the way to salvation, while the Catholic Church intimated that grace itself was salvation. In his treatise on Christian Liberty, he said “very great care must always be exercised so that no man in a false confidence imagines that by such works he will be justified or acquire merit or be saved; for this is the work of faith alone.”[8] He referred to this kind of grace as “alien righteousness,” which he claimed was “instilled in us without our works by grace alone.”[9] Unlike the Thomistic precepts that the Council of Trent was working from (Aquinas’s theory of deification), Luther did not believe that grace affected an ontological change in the person. On the other side, the Trent decree maintained that “One truly merits salvation through good works in grace.”[10] Luther felt

Another way to think about this is how Wesley wrote in his sermon The Scripture Way of Salvation. On our journey to sanctification, he states, what keeps us going on the journey are the means of grace, whether they be for ourselves or done for others. His basic point was that once we are brought into awareness of the grace and our need to repent and turn from our sin, the means provide the nourishment our souls need to grow in grace. How else could one grow in grace than by means of grace?

“It is diligently to be noted, the faith,which brings not forth repentance, and love works,is not that right living faith which is here spoken of, but dead and devilish one.” John and Charles Wesley . The Formative Years

Atonement is the "reunion of two alienated parties, in this case, God and humanity." Atonement is provided by Jesus' self-offering on the cross on behalf of humanity because JC represents all humanity and offers to God a sacrifice that reconciles humanity and God.

Introduction In his work, On the Incarnation of the Word, Athanasius of Alexandria provides a systematic approach to explaining why the Incarnation was needed and how to interpret the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Athanasius seeks to clear up any misconceptions as to why the Son of God needed to humble himself to become man, only to die a humiliating death, that would later be scorned. Athanasius ends with evidence as to the truth of which all Christians celebrate and seek to share with all who will listen. I will explain Athanasius logical approach to the Incarnation by explaining the need for God to respond to man’s sin, the manner in which God brought redemption, and the grace that can now be celebrated.

“John Wesley remains one of the most influential individuals in the history and development of the Methodist Church because his leadership ultimately steered Methodist principles to exact a stronger focus upon personal holiness and church community”(GF289). His teachings stressed that sanctity is an impossible and vain pursuit without an initial, personal intervention from God in the person’s life. His spiritual intervention came on the heels of a failed mission trip to the new colonies of the United States. During a violent Atlantic storm on the return voyage, John came face to face with his fear of death. “He was deeply awed, however by a group of Moravian Brethren from Herrnhut” (Shelly, 331).

John Wesley’s discourse, “The Means of Grace,” expresses the expedient of grace as, “outward signs, language, or actions ordained of God, and appointed for this end— to be the ordinary channels whereby he might impart to men preventing, justifying, or sanctifying grace.” Acknowledging his need and proceeding in his evangelization, Wesley could obtain the grace he needed to have both the potency and placidity that was eluding from his religion. God utilized his perpetuated participation in the ministry of Scripture to proclaim faith in Christ into Wesley’s philosophy.

This paper will provide an understanding the theories of theology of the history of the church, the celebration of the atonement; Jesus Christ being the vicarious substitutionary lamb slain for the sins of mankind.