Kindle Notes & Highlights
by
John Wesley
Read between
September 30 - October 1, 2017
Preached at St. Mary’s, Oxford, before the University, on July 25th, 1741.
The second thing which being ‘Almost a Christian’ implies, is having ‘a form of godliness’
appearing on the outside to have a lifestyle which is very close to the teaching of Jesus in the gospels. The ‘Almost Christians’ therefore do nothing which Jesus taught against.
There is one thing more which will move someone from being ‘Almost Christian’ to being a full believer, and that is sincerity.
sincerity, I mean a real, heartfelt love for Jesus as the motive for their godly lifestyle.
‘Good people avoid sin because they love goodness, Wicked people avoid sin because they fear punishment.’
What else could there conceivably be to being a complete Christian? I answer that it is indeed possible to be such a person, and still only be almost a Christian.
Brothers and sisters, I know I am taking a risk making such bold statements to you. However, please forgive me as I tell my own embarrassing story for the whole world to hear,
If you want to know what more I needed to be completely Christian, I answer: Firstly, love for God. His word says, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ (Lk 10:27).
someone who is in love with God, lives in God, and has God living in them too is worth less than nothing in their own eyes.
love for one’s neighbour. Jesus himself said it, using the following words, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ If
Those without enough love experience rage, but love drives rage away.
There is however, one more thing which we can look at separately (although it can’t actually be separated from what we have already discussed), which is essential to being a complete Christian. It is the very foundation of everything; it is faith.
a faith which does not bring about repentance, love, and every kind of good work is not the real, living faith, but is a dead, demonic one. For
Whoever has this faith which, by the power of God living within them cleanses their hearts from pride, rage, lust, from everything which is not righteous, and from all things physically and spiritually unclean. Whoever has a heart filled with love stronger than death for both God and humanity; love that does the same things God does and is happy to exhaust all it has for the sake of others.
Whoever has a faith that does all these things, with love as their motive, is not Almost, but truly Christian.
Do I even keep the basic non-Christian rules about being fair, compassionate and honest?
