The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 01 (of 32)Wesley, John
Religion
The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 01 (of 32)
Wesley, John
Methodist Church; Theology -- Early works to 1800; Theology -- History -- 18th century
5. And herein does it differ from that faith which the apostles
themselves had while our Lord was on earth, that it acknowledges the
necessity and merit of his death, and the power of his resurrection.
It acknowledges his death as the only sufficient means of redeeming man
from death eternal; and his resurrection as the restoration of us all
to life and immortality: inasmuch as _he was delivered for our sins,
and rose again for our justification_. Christian faith is then, not
only an assent to the whole gospel of Christ, but also a full reliance
on the blood of Christ, a trust in the merits of his life, death, and
resurrection; a recumbency upon him as our atonement and our life;
as _given for us_, and _living in us_; and in consequence hereof, a
closing with him, and cleaving to him, as _our wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification, and redemption_.
II. What salvation it is, which is through this faith, is the second
thing to be considered.
1. And first, Whatsoever else it imply, it is a present salvation.
It is something attainable, yea, actually attained on earth, by those
who are partakers of this faith. For thus saith the apostle to the
believers at _Ephesus_, and in them to the believers of all ages, not
ye shall be (tho’ that also is true) but _ye_ are _saved through faith_.
2. _Ye are saved_ (to comprize all in one word) from sin. This is
the salvation which is through faith. This is that great salvation
foretold by the angel, before God brought his first begotten into the
world, _Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people
from their sins_. And neither here, nor in other parts of holy writ,
is there any limitation or restriction. All his people, or, as it is
elsewhere express’d, all that believe in him, he will save from all
their sins; from original and actual, past and present sin, of the
flesh and of the spirit. Through faith that is in him, they are saved
both from the guilt and from the power of it.
3. First from the guilt of all past sin. For whereas _all the world
is guilty before God_; insomuch that should he _be extreme to mark what
is done amiss, there is none that could abide it_: and whereas _by the
law is only the knowledge of sin_, but no deliverance from it; so that
_by fulfilling the deeds of the law, no flesh can be justified: now the
righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, is manifested
unto all that believe_. Now _they are justified freely by his grace,
through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. Him God hath set
forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood; to declare his
righteousness for_ (or by) _the remission of the sins that are past_.
Now hath Christ _taken away the curse of the law, being made a curse
for us_. He hath _blotted out the hand-writing that was against us,
taking it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. There is therefore
no condemnation now, to them who |believe| in Christ Jesus_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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