Lent 2025 Day 21

John Wesley, Priest and Theologian
Philippians 2:12-13 | Ezekiel 17:1-10

John Wesley (1703–1791) was an Anglican priest, theologian, and the founder of Methodism, a movement that emphasized a holistic, grace-filled approach to salvation. Wesley believed that salvation was not a single moment but a lifelong process of transformation. His theology, often described as the "Wesleyan Way of Salvation," saw grace operating in three movements: prevenient grace (God’s grace working in our lives before we are even aware of it), justifying grace (God’s grace that forgives and reconciles us through faith), and sanctifying grace (the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit to make us more like Christ).

Wesley’s own faith journey was shaped by his upbringing and experiences of spiritual struggle. His mother, Susanna Wesley, played a profound role in his spiritual formation. A devout and highly disciplined woman, Susanna ensured that all her children received rigorous theological instruction. She led daily devotions, instilled a love for Scripture, and shaped John’s understanding of Christian discipline. From an early age, he was taught that faith was not just belief but a life to be lived in active pursuit of holiness.

Despite his strong religious foundation, Wesley struggled with assurance of salvation. After being ordained as an Anglican priest and engaging in missionary work in the American colonies, he found himself disillusioned, feeling that his faith lacked the depth and conviction he longed for. It was not until his famous Aldersgate experience in 1738, where he felt his "heart strangely warmed" while listening to a reading of Martin Luther’s preface to Romans, that he fully embraced the transforming power of God’s justifying grace. This moment did not mark the end of his faith journey, but the beginning of a life devoted to "working out" salvation in fear and trembling, as Paul writes in Philippians 2:12-13.

Paul’s words in Philippians reflect Wesley’s conviction that salvation is not merely about a personal decision but a continual process of growth. "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling," Paul writes—not as a command to earn salvation, but as an invitation to cooperate with the transforming work of God already at work within us. Wesley understood salvation as a journey, one that requires both personal commitment and divine assistance. This is why he emphasized spiritual disciplines such as prayer, fasting, study, worship, and acts of mercy as means of grace—avenues through which we grow in holiness.

The story in Ezekiel 17:1-10 speaks of a vine transplanted and struggling to grow. The prophet warns that without deep roots, it will wither. Wesley understood faith in much the same way: salvation is not static. It must be nurtured, strengthened, and tended to so that it does not wither under the pressures of life. Just as the vine’s survival depends on its environment, so too does our spiritual health depend on our participation in God’s ongoing grace.

Lent is a season that beautifully mirrors the Wesleyan way of salvation. It begins with prevenient grace—God’s invitation calling us deeper before we even recognize our need for transformation. It moves through justifying grace as we confess, repent, and turn toward Christ. And it calls us into sanctifying grace, a process of being shaped into people who embody Christ’s love in the world. Lent is not about arriving; it is about walking the journey, day by day, with discipline and devotion. Just as Wesley believed that holiness was both personal and social—requiring inward transformation and outward service—Lent invites us to not only examine our hearts but to act in love and justice.

Wesley’s legacy is one of movement—of always pressing forward in faith, trusting that God is at work, enabling us both to will and to act. His life and teachings urge us to engage actively in the process of grace, trusting that salvation is not a single destination but a lifelong journey of growing into the fullness of God’s love.

Reflection:

• How do you understand salvation? Is it a moment, a process, or both? 
• Where do you see God’s prevenient, justifying, and sanctifying grace at work in your life? 
• What practices help you grow in holiness, ensuring that your faith does not wither like the vine in Ezekiel’s story? 
• How does Lent reflect the Wesleyan way of salvation, and how can you engage with it more deeply this season? 

Breath Prayer: Inhale: God, You are at work in me… Exhale: …Transform me by Your grace.

May this Lenten season be a time of renewed commitment to the journey of salvation, trusting that God’s grace is ever leading us forward.

Amen.