When we hear the word evangelism, most of us think of the ways people communicate the saving message of Jesus. Witnessing and preaching are two biblical and effective methods of evangelism. In an earlier article, I introduced a tool for this type of ministry – Words That Shine: Creating a Verbal Witness that is Effective Anywhere. If our churches were filled with disciples who were competent and confident in sharing this type of witness, we would have far more baptisms, celebrate more transformations, and send out more missionaries to the darkest corners of the earth. 

The Power of Questions and Listening in Evangelism

But the art of asking good questions and listening is also a vitally important approach to evangelism. Jesus was a superb teacher and prophet. He asks over 300 questions in the four Gospels. He realized the power of asking good questions and listening well. In Luke 24:13-35, we find the fascinating interaction between the resurrected Jesus and two men walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus. Cleopas and his friend had been following Jesus, but the crucifixion and the missing body of Jesus had rocked their world and challenged their hopes. Their hearts were heavy with disappointment. As they walked away from Jerusalem, they walked away from the other Christ followers. Perhaps they were also walking away from their faith. They may have been doing what we might call deconstructing their faith. They thought they were walking alone. 

But Jesus saw and heard them. 

At some point, he physically joined them, although without them realizing who he was. As they walked together, Jesus asked them a question –  and then another and then another. Only after listening to the comments of Cleopas and his buddy, did Jesus respond (Note that his comments were directly related to their voiced concerns). Jesus had much more he could have shared, but he stopped. He gave them the opportunity to end the discussion for the day. They chose to keep talking and their lives were changed. The resurrected Jesus used good questions and active listening to communicate life and salvation to Cleopas and his friend. As Christ followers in the twenty-first century, we should spend as much time developing our listening ministry as we do improving our ability to speak.

Introducing The Journey: A Practical Evangelism Tool

Over the past two decades, the core of my ministry has involved coaching, writing, and creating ministry tools to help families and churches more effectively share the Good News. One of these tools is The Journey. It involves the art of asking good questions and listening well. Churches, international student ministries, and missionaries are using it for God’s glory in China and across the USA.

The development of this evangelism tool began during my dissertation research on the paths people take to begin following Jesus. Over the past century, dozens of sociologists, psychologists, and missiologists – including William James, James Engel, and Bill Bright – have tried to explain the process of conversion. Many created charts to illustrate their understanding of the process. In 2008, I created a cross-cultural version, The Loftin Conversion Scale, which relies heavily on the work of James Engel. I later realized that the scale could be more than a theological or academic way to consider the process of conversion. It could be a door into the soul of a friend, a gentle question that the Holy Spirit could use to unlock honest spiritual discussions. The Journey is a one-question survey that asks a person to choose which of eight options best describes their knowledge of, attraction to, and belief in the person of Jesus. It is a tool that helps us love and serve others by asking good questions and listening with grace. Careful use of The Journey can help friends and family hear God’s call and take new steps in response.

How The Journey Works

This is the sixth installment in Maxie’s series on Core Convictions.  You can find the first five articles here, here, here, here and here.

In previous articles, we explored the case that all need to be saved, all can be saved, all can know they are saved, and all can be saved to the uttermost. Having laid these forth, we now recognize that the big question is about salvation itself. Certainly Zacchaeus needed to be saved, Israel needed saving, and Charles Spurgeon knew he needed and sought salvation; but masses of people are thinking, maybe asking, “Me? I need to be saved?” At least a bit of that questioning may be yours.

We are exploring the dynamic of full salvation and need to stay focused on the relevance and context of our own lives. We need to keep asking whether we believe that we ourselves need saving.

The chances are that the question of the need for salvation is not a question that arises among you and your associates. It’s not even on the radar, especially for those who are educated, employed, housed, and well fed. For many, salvation has a distant, almost irrelevant ring.

What I have written about salvation may have little meaning to those who don’t feel that they need saving, but in truth, we all need to be saved. Perhaps not from the same thing, but I have never met anyone who is not in need of some dimension of the “fullness of salvation.”

To be sure, we all need “the new birth (justification), “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). But that’s the beginning. Some of us need to be saved from addictive behavior; that is, what we do to avoid feeling things. We want to avoid pain, including the feelings of low self-esteem. Our culture has led us to believe that pain is bad and discomfort is to be avoided. We seek to slice out the unpleasant pieces of life through drugs or obsessive behavior; in doing so, we become empty shells, incomplete, and broken. From this, we need to be saved.

There are the obvious addictions. Alcohol and drug abuse claim millions who need saving. Professionals call this “self-medicating” (habitually taking unprescribed, addictive substances to relieve stress or other conditions). What about overeating or obsessive physical exercise? Compulsive gambling and sex? Those could be self-medicating behaviors. In spite of our protestations, we need to be saved from all sorts of addictive behaviors, particularly those we can readily name.

As I write this, the daily national news confirms that people need to be saved from simply behaving badly. We have seemingly lost the principle of basic civility. We put ourselves first and ignore the needs and desires of others. We act as though we are all that matters, and we become mean-spirited. We see that when political discourse is reduced to shouting matches and name-calling. We may be able to excuse that on the elementary-school playground, but not online, on the floor of the Senate, the office of the President, or in our families. I don’t think I am misreading it: meanness is growing, not shrinking, and we need to be saved.

We could make the case in a lot of different ways, but what about this: Would God have expressed such great concern if we didn’t need to be saved? Would he have bothered to come among us in the flesh, in Jesus; to live, teach, and suffer and die on our behalf, if we were just fine and had no need? Who needs to be saved? Me?

In a world where negative news often dominates the headlines, it can be tough yet rewarding for believers to embody the message of the Gospel in their daily lives. The gloom of the bad threatens to darken the light we are promised. Gleaning wisdom from the Good News of scripture and our traditions provide a roadmap for cultivating lives brimming with hope, caring, and strength amid challenges. 

The Bible contains verses that urge believers to have faith in God’s presence and assurances when faced with hardships. For instance, Psalm 46:5 emphasizes that “God is our sanctuary and source of strength always ready to help in times of trouble ” prompting us to seek comfort and empowerment in God when facing situations. Psalm 112:70 mentions that those who trust in the Lord will not be afraid of the coming news. These verses emphasize the significance of holding onto faith and trust, in God amidst circumstances.

Jesus’s teachings offer a guide on how to lead a fulfilling, holy life filled with hope for believers by emphasizing the importance of God’s love and grace over pessimism, through his ministry message of repentance and the arrival of the kingdom of heaven. 

John Wesley highlighted the importance of growth through the love of God in shaping character in Methodism’s foundation. According to him, true Christianity involves more than faith or deeds; it is a journey towards becoming a renewed individual in Christ marked by love, for both God and fellow humans. The idea of “holiness and happiness” as proposed by Wesley implies that a life grounded in faith brings happiness and contentment irrespective of external situations. 

This focus on holiness and happiness throughout history has yielded a dedication to justice and service. A testament to the conviction that faith should manifest itself in compassionate deeds and affectionate gestures towards others in need of comfort and support. This commitment entails aiding the ill and impoverished as well as advocating for the marginalized sectors of society; it is a tangible expression of God’s love demonstrated through practical means. The Methodist movement originated from a blend of evangelism, holiness, and societal change efforts; it serves as a blueprint for interacting with the world by demonstrating empathy through both words and actions. 

Looking at this historic wisdom for today, several values emerge:

• Rely on God’s Assurances:  Make it a habit to immerse yourself in the wisdom of scriptures and prayer to anchor yourself in the assurances given by God’s word. 
• Connect with the Community: Get involved in group worship and socialize with believers to deepen your faith and seek comfort in facing life’s obstacles together. 
• Engage in community service and social justice activities: This echoes the value of serving others with love and spreading hope to those facing challenges. 
• Foster Inner Change: We must prioritize our journey with the Holy Spirit and develop our character traits through holiness.  This includes aiming for purity and joy by strengthening our bond with the divine and embodying the fundamental principles of devotion to God and compassion towards others. 
• Joyfully Share the Good News: We spread the word of tidings just as the first followers did by actively, joyfully spreading the message of optimism and salvation that comes from Christ. 

Living by these values enables believers to lead fulfilling lives that not endure the challenges of the world but also radiate as symbols of hope and love – embodying the profound impact of the Gospel.

For two weeks this summer, the world’s eyes were on Paris for the Olympic Games. Viewers cheered for their countries and stood in amazement at the skills of some of the best athletes in the world. Through the media we were connected to an important city in the middle of the European continent—a place that needs Jesus more than we often realize.

The Reality of Post-Christian Europe

For every 100 French faces you may have seen on your screen, only 1 of those people was a committed Christian. France, like most of Europe, is a post-Christian culture. To be post-Christian means that a group has moved beyond Christianity and lost the gospel message. The biblical images we frequently encounter, such as the story of David and Goliath, the Golden Rule, and the 10 Commandments, have been forgotten. 

More critical than biblical imagery, the gospel has been forgotten. The church has failed to reach the next generation, leading to a culture and continent where churches have become museums, and the movement of God through His church has vastly been reduced to stories from history.

The continent where Luther nailed the 95 Theses to the Whittenburg Chapel and the places where the Wesley brothers ignited the Methodist movement was a place where the gospel’s message was proclaimed to the broader world. This place of God’s past movement needs to be reignited with the Holy Spirit and move of God again. With a total of 2.9% committed Christians for the European continent, the need is on a continental scale. 

We face another missional challenge as the global church rushes to unreached places. Post-Christian places must be reignited with the flame of gospel movement, where the passage of time and cultural shifts have caused them to decline. We must set our hearts, prayers, and mission resources again in places like Europe.

A Personal Call to Action

God used these numbers to rock my own life and change my direction. After 3.5 years of serving as a missions pastor in a Methodist Church, God led me to step away from the comfort and safety of local church ministry into the world of Europe. 

In the spring of 2024, these figures first introduced me to the depth of the need in Europe. I had been to Europe several times, and on each trip, I found myself standing in an ornate cathedral, wondering where the church was and what impact this building actually had on the world. But through the simple numbers, God began to lead me to see how I could leverage my life to help see a gospel movement begin in Europe again.

Seeing a gospel movement and revival in the local churches of Europe became my hope. The global church could come together in prayer seeking the Holy Spirit to stir His church to engage the continent of Europe once again. My own prayers for Europe led me to take my own step of faith into one crucial place for ministry – the next generation.

Since post-Christianity is ultimately due to a failure to reach the next generation with the gospel and to see them come to live their faith and share Jesus with others, I knew that helping the church engage the next generation would be essential to see gospel movements begin again. God led me to the ministry of First Priority Global to be my place of engagement with the great gospel need of Europe. I knew that I had to leverage my own life to engage as a full time missionary to see change come to the European continent.

A Challenge to the Global Church

Looking back on the journey of the last few months, God used simple statistics to change my direction. When we think about mission needs, it is easy for our eyes to glaze over, but needs are meant to call us to action. 

The world engaged with France and Europe for the two weeks of the Olympic Games. What would it look like if the church was willing to engage with Europe? Could we see statistics reversed? Could we see post-Christianity become the story of past history? Could we see the next generation engage with a gospel movement that changes Europe and the world again?

This is part III of Maxie’s series on Core Convictions, you can find his prior articles here, here, and here.

I have long admired the great evangelist, Charles Spurgeon. I often wonder what it would have been like to hear him preach, He is high on any list of renowned preachers. People had to stand in line to get into worship in his church in London. The crowds were so great that sometimes he would urge the membership of his own church not to come to worship the next Sunday in order that there would be room for seekers, those who had not yet received the gospel for their salvation.

The Story of Spurgeon’s Salvation

It was only recently that I heard the story of Spurgeon’s salvation experience. As a young man, he was deeply convicted of his sin, but did not really know how to get his sins forgiven. He began to go to different churches, seeking salvation. He later shared that he heard some fine sermons on doing good and living right, but he never really heard anybody fully preach the gospel of salvation.

One Sunday, he had planned to attend a particular church but it had snowed so much he could not get there. He was walking on an obscure street in London and came upon a little Primitive Methodist chapel he had never seen before.

He went in and sat down. Only a few people were present, without the pastor. As Spurgeon started to get up to leave, a very thin looking man, a layperson, deacon in that church, walked into the pulpit, opened his Bible and read Isaiah 45:22: “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else” (KJV).

Spurgeon said that when the deacon finished reading the text, he lifted up both of his hands and cried out, “Look, look, look! It is only look” At that moment, after all his seeking, Spurgeon said, he finally saw the way of salvation. All he had to do was look, by faith, to Jesus Christ and he was gloriously saved.

Spurgeon’s experience suggests two critical considerations. One, all people need and many are seeking salvation. Two, the gospel is far more than “doing good and living right.” What is that “far more”?  

Justification: The Miracle of a Moment

The two pivotal dynamics of full salvation are justification and sanctification. Both are works of grace. In justification, we are pardoned and reconciled to God; the restoration of the image of God in us is begun, which is the beginning of sanctification.

Justification may be the miracle of a moment but sanctification is the process of a lifetime. As I suggested in my last article, “the dynamic process of sanctification is to work out in fact what is already true in principle. In position, in our relationship to God in Jesus Christ, we are new persons; that is justification and new birth. Now our condition, the actual life we live, must be brought into harmony with our new position. That is the process of sanctification.”

Sanctification: The Journey of a Lifetime

Justification comes when we recognize ourselves as sinners, separated from God, then repent and in faith receive his forgiveness. This is also the starting point of sanctification. As Wesley said, “It is the gate to it, the entrance to it.”

Sanctification is a continuation of our trusting God’s grace that has saved us, trusting him to shape our lives completely into the likeness of Christ.

Why not take some time now to reflect and identify the time, process, conviction, decision—whatever was involved—when, like Spurgeon, you knew and, by faith, you made some claim on Jesus Christ for your salvation.

Romania is a neighbor of Ukraine, sharing about 605 km of border in the northern and southeastern regions. We have always considered Romania the quiet neighbor. Due to the communist and Soviet contexts, each country had preconceived opinions about the other. The Soviets sought to break any form of collaboration with us through various media manipulations and other means. 

The principle of “divide and conquer” was deeply embedded in the Soviet mentality. This spirit of division fosters suspicion, turning the other into an object of distrust. This approach sounds strikingly close to the weapon of the evil one: “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1, NIV). Suspicion is what led to the separation of the primordial relationship between man and God, and this tool of unmerited doubt and suspicion has continued to lead many into “us versus them” situations. 

The Gospel is the good news that people of all races and nations share a common quality: being disciples of Christ. In God’s Kingdom, we are all His followers. There should be no separation between us, and there should not have been, but we were divided through manipulation. However, the years since the fall of the Soviets have been a balm. The relationship between Romanians and Ukrainians has transformed. 

Humanitarian Efforts: Offering Refuge and Aid

On February 24, 2022, what began as a celebration of my mother’s birthday quickly turned into one of the darkest days. That morning, the world was shaken by the devastating news that Ukraine had been attacked, plunging our neighboring country into the horrors of war. As the gravity of the situation became clear, I felt convicted. I couldn’t just stand by as a passive observer—I had to take action.

Driven by a deep sense of urgency, I began organizing a network within our ministries and churches to provide refuge for those fleeing the conflict. With the collective efforts of the Methodist Church, we successfully established a vast network of partners ready to welcome refugees. The media noticed, writing that we were the first to respond to the crisis by receiving refugees even before the Romanian state had a plan. We organized a website for people to enter their names and addresses to offer shelter in their homes. To our surprise, the response was overwhelming, and many people found refuge in the cities where our churches are active.

In my city of Sibiu, we received 28 orphans who had escaped from Kyiv, a city under relentless bombardment. These children, among the last to leave the besieged city, embarked on a perilous journey to safety. Our efforts to rescue them were fraught with challenges, including a tense 72-hour period when the children were nearly taken to an unknown destination in Italy. Thankfully, our prayers were answered, and the children safely arrived at our home. We welcomed them with open arms and messages of hope.

Evangelism and Mission Work

It was amazing how simple shelter and food could speak to their hearts and melt ours. One little girl, about five years old, one day embraced my wife with love. Then, when she saw me, she stretched out her arms wide towards me. I took her in my arms and felt an immense love for her.  God’s love was upon us. We shared the gospel with the children that night, I exclaimed, “You are God’s gift to me!” She looked right into my eyes and confidently said, “YES!” The word for “yes” is similar in both Romanian and Ukrainian. At that moment, my heart was healed of the suffering caused by the whole situation of trying to save them. It was worth it!

But this was only the beginning of our mission to love our neighbors. We also organized help for hundreds of people, with World Methodist Evangelism being one of our key partners in meeting the needs of refugees, especially children and mothers who had left behind everything, including their husbands and family members, not knowing if they would ever see them again.  Our church has expanded its efforts to provide ongoing support to Ukraine, sending aid on a weekly basis. To date, we have helped thousands of people, providing not just material support but also a message of hope in Jesus and solidarity.

In partnership with Global Hope International, we launched a project called Arms of Hope, dedicated to supporting 16 single refugee mothers and their children—more than 60 people in total—who receive help from us every month. This project is a lifeline for these families, offering not only the essentials they need to survive but also a sense of community and belonging.

A Call to Action: Spreading the Gospel in Times of Crisis

Our commitment to serving those in need extends beyond basic necessities. We have helped Ukrainian refugees find jobs, secure shelter, and access critical medical care, including surgeries. We’ve provided food aid, and recognizing the profound emotional toll of war, we’ve opened a counseling center in our church specifically for teenagers traumatized by the conflict. This center offers a safe space for young people to process their experiences and find healing.

Through all these efforts, we are guided by the belief that the Gospel is holistic—Jesus can be in everything, bringing salvation, comfort, and hope to every aspect of life. Our work is an embodiment of this belief, as we strive to meet both the physical and spiritual needs of those we serve.

We have also opened our home to refugees, forming deep personal connections along the way. One of my daughter’s closest friends is a young girl who fled the conflict. These relationships have reinforced our understanding of the profound impact of our efforts, bringing together people from different backgrounds and forging lasting bonds of friendship and support.

In addition to our humanitarian work, we have turned our attention to spiritual outreach. We have begun hosting evangelism events and are actively working on a mission-planting project, which aims to spread the message of hope and faith to communities near and far. These initiatives allow us to reach even more people, sharing the love of Christ and offering a ray of hope in these challenging times.

As we continue on this journey, we are reminded of Jesus’ commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39, NIV). This guiding principle has inspired our actions, leading us to extend our hands to those in need, knowing that through our efforts, we can make a difference in the lives of thousands.

Our mission is far from over, and we remain committed to supporting those displaced by the conflict, spreading the Gospel’s holistic message, and being a source of light in the darkness. With the help of our global partners and the unwavering support of our congregation, we will continue to offer refuge, comfort, and hope to all who seek it. 

It’s important to note that the support for Ukrainians did not come solely from us. The Romanian response, in general, was driven by evangelical churches, Orthodox churches, Catholic churches, monasteries, priests, and people from all walks of life. God healed our divisions, uniting us in a powerful spirit of compassion and solidarity throughout this suffering.

As the war in our world continues, not only in Ukraine but in other places, we, the people of the Good News, need to find practical ways to get involved. Throughout this time, we never know how the lives of people will be impacted, how people will actually receive faith in Christ, and be set free. I could spend many hours giving countless stories of how people received Jesus in the midst of trauma, war, and desperation. Jesus doesn’t stop saving people, so we should not stop preaching salvation! Let us take to heart the words of John Wesley: “You have nothing to do but to save souls; therefore spend and be spent in this work.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn8EoJp6oNU

In my last article, I sought to make the case that the Christian faith is all about salvation. John Wesley summarized the goal of Christian religion: The end is, in one word, salvation.

The British Methodist historian, William B. Fitzgerald, summarized Wesley’s theology of salvation with this fourfold dictum: All people need to be saved from sin, all people may be saved from sin, all people may know they are saved from sin, and all people may be saved to the uttermost.

I will refer to these assertions as we continue our reflection on Methodist Wesleyan Core Convictions. Consider now the claim: all people may know they are saved from sin.

Wrestling with Assurance of Salvation

Early in my Christian walk, I often fell into a chasm of doubt about my personal salvation. In all my years as a pastor, this has been one of the spiritual issues with which I have seen people wrestling most: knowing they are saved from sin.

The apostle Paul knew Christians struggled with this. He wrote to them:

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (Romans 8:15-17 NIV)

John Wesley’s Struggle for Assurance

The founder of our Methodist Wesleyan tradition of the Christian faith, John Wesley, is a dramatic witness to this struggle of knowing and claiming salvation.

John Wesley was nurtured by his mother, Susanna, and his father, Samuel, a priest in the Church of England. In 1725, while a student at Oxford University, he had a conversion to the ideal of holy living. Few examples in history show a more disciplined religious person: he rose at 4 a.m., read the New Testament in Greek for an hour, then prayed with his brother Charles and others in what was derisively called the “Holy Club.”

He spent time visiting prisons and gave to the poor all money he received except for what was absolutely necessary for his own living. Wesley was relentlessly driven to achieve salvation and assurance, yet he remained haunted by doubt.

The Aldersgate Experience: Wesley’s Breakthrough

After much religious striving, even going to the American colonies as a missionary and feeling like a failure, Wesley experienced a breakthrough. On May 24, 1738, during a prayer meeting on Aldersgate Street in London, a layperson read Martin Luther’s preface to the Epistle to the Romans. Wesley later described the moment:

“I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for my salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.”

This was the turning point for Wesley, giving him the assurance of salvation he had long sought. No wonder this became one of the four “alls” in Fitzgerald’s summary of Wesley’s understanding of salvation: all can know they are saved.

The Aldersgate experience transformed Wesley from a slave to a son. He knew that, in his words, “Christ had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.” The apostle Paul might say that Wesley “did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but the spirit of sonship that would enable him to cry, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Romans 8:15).

How Christians Can Know They Are Saved

Assurance is the privilege of all Christians. It is a gift that we must accept and embrace. This witness of assurance is continually verified in at least four ways:

1. Repentance: We know that we’ve repented of our sins and continue to repent daily.
2. Spiritual Growth: Assurance grows within us as we see continual changes in our lives.
3. Character Development: Assurance is ours if we are aware of a new character being produced in us, as the fruits of the Spirit grow in our lives.
4. Joy in Service: We find joy in the service of God, and this joy confirms our assurance.

Two Challenges to Keep Your Assurance Alive

I close with two challenges to keep your assurance alive:

• Rejoice Daily: This day, and every day, rejoice in the salvation that is yours.
• Repent Continually: This day, and every day, repent of every sin and renew your faith commitment to Christ.

And the Holy Spirit of peace “will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

Statistics show that by 2034, many of the mainline denominations may cease to exist. The Presbyterian Church USA, Episcopal Church, Lutheran Church, and United Methodist Church have been in a kind of “free fall” in membership.

It is obvious; the Day of the mainline expression of Christianity in North America is coming to a close. 

It is clear, maybe condemningly clear, that these days call us to be certain about who we are and what are the core convictions that shape us in the Methodist/Wesleyan tradition of the Christian faith. That’s what I’ll be thinking and writing about in the next few weeks. We begin where the faith begins: it’s all about salvation.

A Return to the Foundation: Salvation

We can’t think and talk long about Christianity before salvation becomes the focus. It is at the center of one of the most familiar stories in the New Testament, Zacchaeus. We sing about him with our children,

Zacchaeus was a wee little man,

a wee little man was he

He climbed up in the sycamore tree,

For the Lord he wanted to see.

When Jesus called him by name, to come down, he responded immediately. Without hesitation he made his confession, to which Jesus made an immediate response, 

“Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Salvation! 

It’s all about salvation. For Zachaeus, and the people of Jericho, that day was something the prophet Isaiah had spoken of more than five hundred years before. For Zacchaeus, this was the moment God fulfilled a promise that was proclaimed over and over again: salvation.

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,

because the Lord has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim freedom for the captives

and release from darkness for the prisoners,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor

and the day of vengeance of our God,

to comfort all who mourn,

I delight greatly in the Lord;

my soul rejoices in my God.

For he has clothed me with garments of salvation

and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,

as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,

and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels (Isa. 61:1-2, 10)

John Wesley’s Vision: Salvation from Beginning to End

It’s all about salvation.

In his sermon “The Scripture Way of Salvation,” John Wesley summarized the goal of genuine Christian religion: “The end is, in one word, salvation.” In its broadest sense, Wesley understood salvation as the entire redeeming work of God in a human life, “from the first dawning of grace in the soul, till it is consummated in glory.” Indeed, Wesley includes within his concept of salvation “all the drawings of the Father”-which he terms “preventing grace-in the heart of a person as yet uncommitted to God. Whether or not it is ultimately embraced, this preventing grace is part of salvation in its broadest sense.”

The transforming work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer was the chief theme of  Wesley’s life and work, and still is a distinctive contribution the Methodists make to the rest of the church. The British theologian, William B. Fitzgerald, summarized Wesley’s theology of salvation with this fourfold dictum: All people need to be saved from sin, all people may be saved from sin, all people may know they are saved from sin, and all people may be saved to the uttermost.

The Need for Salvation: From Genesis to Today

We don’t get far into the Bible before we are confronted with the fact of sin, and that all need to be saved. It began in the garden of Eden. The way the story is told doesn’t give a timeline, underscoring the fact that Adam and Eve didn’t live very long before they gave in to the serpent of temptation.

Chapters l and 2 of Genesis tell the story of Creation that is climaxed with God creating humans. All other dimensions of creation were described as good, but after creating humankind, God recognizes creation as “very good.” Chapter 2 closes with the beautiful expression of the marriage covenant. The last verse of the chapter is a superbly simple expression of innocence. “Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame” (Genesis 2:25).

In this fast-moving drama, chapter 3 opens with the serpent convincing Adam and Eve that they didn’t have to pay attention to God’s instruction –  that they were not to eat the fruit of one particular tree in the garden of Eden. From that point on, sin in human life has been a universal fact; and sin is like quicksand. When we get ourselves into quicksand and try to get ourselves out, we only end up getting in deeper. We are not capable of extricating ourselves from the messes we get into. And since we have violated God’s way for us, we are helplessly estranged from him. We need a rescue, a savior. There is hope. Not only do all need to be saved, all can be saved. That’s the clear message of Scripture. Yes, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” but they can be “justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24).

It’s all about salvation! Do you know, or have you known, that you need to be saved?

Singing is one of our greatest expressions in the Christian faith and way, especially in the Wesleyan/Methodist tradition. We sing our faith. 

One of the hymns we sing often is Blessed Assurance. The hymn is emotionally overwhelming when we know about the author, Fanny Crosby. From six weeks of age until her death shortly before her 95th birthday… Fanny was blind. Sadly, the blindness was caused by a medical error when a doctor put mustard poultice on her inflamed eyes from a cold infection… resulting in immediate blindness.

Her widowed mother and grandmother even took her to the famous New York surgeon, Dr. Valentine Mott, but it was too late…the damage was permanent. He was heard to lament as they left the examining room, “Poor little blind girl.” However, Fanny never saw her affliction as anything but a blessing. When she was eight years old she wrote this simple little verse:

Oh, what a happy child I am

Although I cannot see

I am resolved that in this world

Contented I will be.

No wonder the first stanza of her hymn, Blessed Assurance, underscores assurance as “a foretaste of glory divine.” She had only words, but I don’t know anyone who has used words with greater depth of feeling. Pause a moment to relish it: a foretaste of glory divine. 

In our Methodist/Wesleyan tradition, assurance of salvation is one of the four “all” convictions about salvation: all need to be saved; all can be saved; all can know they are saved; all can be saved to the uttermost.

It may be my age, but let’s not lodge it there. The third “all” is life giving: all can know they are saved. There are few experiences that can provide more power in our lives than to have assurance of our salvation. Think what it could do for any one of us:

• Our timidity and uncertainty about witnessing would be dissolved.  We would not be intimidated by those “buttonhole” witnesses who come on like gangbusters. We would know that tenderness, patience, and understanding are authentic testimonies, as well as words.
• We would not get overwrought with our Christian friends who insist on future security, for we would be assured of our present relationship with Christ.  
• We would be joyous in our service for God, but not in our works, or mistaken in the notion that our works save us. 
• We would be delivered from frantic preoccupation with minute by minute temperature taking because we could relax in our trust in the Lord.

And all of that would help every one of us, wouldn’t it? 

Blessed Assurance …Oh what “a foretaste of glory divine.” 

Worship is often an understated matter for us church folks. Think about the last time you used the word “worship.” For many of us, it refers to the time of singing before the sermon at a church gathering. Some even call that gathering “worship.” For others, the last time we said the word worship, it was in reference to an intensely intimate time of communion with  the Spirit and fellow believers. While none of these are incorrect, none of them capture the full breadth of what worship actually is. These are better defined as expressions of praise. Don’t get me wrong—God is worthy of praise, and we should praise God exuberantly and often. But worship has always required more from us than a song; it is our life.  

What Is True Worship?

A basic definition of worship is to express reverence or adoration for something or someone. While for most of human history, this involved sacrificing the life of animals or burning crops, for Christians, worship is a heart surrendered to the lordship of Christ. It goes beyond declaring Christ as our Savior. Worship compels us to make Him our King, and therein lies our sacrifice. Instead of burning animals, we sacrifice the ability to be the lord of our own lives and follow Christ. 

This is what Paul is pointing to in Romans 12:1 when he says that believers are to submit our bodies as living sacrifices as our way of worshiping. He draws upon the practice of surrendering something of value as a way of declaring that our allegiance to the One we are sacrificing to is more valuable than the item offered. For believers, we don’t bring a dead, burnt offering. For us, the only appropriate sacrifice is our lives, poured out for our King as we live them.  

Worship and the Great Commission

In this way, worship is an integral element in everything we do, especially our shared mission  as disciple-makers. This mission is laid out for us in Matthew 28:19-20:  

Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.  

Jesus gave these instructions to His first followers, and they have been passed down as part  of our inheritance as members of the family of God. This is not just busy work to maintain our attention until Jesus returns. This is vital work in the business of redeeming the Earth, and we have been entrusted with it. It is far more than just “what we do” as disciples of Christ; it is, in part, who we are and a key ingredient in our observed Lordship of Christ—our  worship.  

When Disciple-Making Becomes Worship

Making disciples is invigorating, but by no means easy. We are regularly challenged in this  effort, as we have an enemy with a vested interest in our failure. And even more challenging —humans keep changing. But that’s where the beauty of remembering that this work is a part of our worship comes in. When making disciples is more than a chore but an expression of what it means to be a living sacrifice, we think more creatively. We don’t give up as easily,  and we find ways to keep relational doors to unbelievers open rather than closing them due to our discomfort. 

When our mission is a part of our worship, we live it out with joy. And when that is difficult, we ask the Holy Spirit for help rather than discarding the mission as if it were a Christian hobby. Praise to our amazing God may bring you to tears, but worship will make you bring others to Him so they, too, will experience the full life we have been granted in Christ. May we worship God vibrantly.