WesleyGospel Ministries

¹¹ Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. ¹² Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, ¹³ and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, ¹⁴ then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. ¹⁵ He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. ¹⁶ He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you. ¹⁷ You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” ¹⁸ But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today. ¹⁹ If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. ²⁰ Like the nations the Lord destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the Lord your God. –Deuteronomy 8:11-20

Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? ⁸ If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. ⁹ Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.” –Matthew 11:7-10

One person pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth. –Proverbs 13:7

Why is self-denial in general so little practised at present among the Methodists?…The Methodists grow more and more self-indulgent, because they grow rich…And it is an observation which admits of few exceptions, that nine in ten of these decreased in grace, in the same proportion as they increased in wealth. Indeed, according to the natural tendency of riches, we cannot expect it to be otherwise. But how astonishing a thing is this! How can we understand it? Does it not seem (and yet this cannot be) that Christianity, true scriptural Christianity, has a tendency, in process of time, to undermine and destroy itself? For wherever true Christianity spreads, it must cause diligence and frugality, which, in the natural course of things, must beget riches. And riches naturally beget pride, love of the world, and every temper that is destructive of Christianity. Now, if there be no way to prevent this, Christianity is inconsistent with itself, and, of consequence, cannot stand, cannot continue long among any people; since, wherever it generally prevails, it saps its own foundation. But is there no way to prevent this? To continue Christianity among a people? Allowing that diligence and frugality must produce riches, is there no means to hinder riches from destroying the religion of those that possess them? I can see only one possible way; find out another who can. Do you gain all you can, and save all you can? Then you must, in the nature of things, grow rich. Then if you have any desire to escape the damnation of hell, give all you can; otherwise I can have no more hope of your salvation, than of that of Judas Iscariot. –John Wesley, “Causes of the Inefficacy of Christianity” 1.16-18

There are strong grounds to hope that the truly regenerate will persevere unto the end, and be saved, through the power of divine grace which is pledged for their support; but their future obedience and final salvation are neither determined nor certain, since through infirmity and manifold temptations they are in danger of falling; and they ought, therefore, to watch and pray lest they make shipwreck of their faith and be lost.

–Treatise of the Faith and Practices of the Free Will Baptists,
CHAPTER XIII, “Perseverance of the Saints”

FREE E-BOOK TO READ ALONG:

2015 – The Gospel of Jesus Christ – A Wesleyan approach to soteriology. Presents the order of salvation from Hell, repentance, faith, justification, regeneration, sanctification, conditional security, and Heaven. Also, a response to non-judgmentalism. Extensive bibliography. Intended as preparatory study for evangelistic preaching. 170 pages. Get the paperback here.

Antinomians were also called Libertines. This image is taken from “A Catalogue of the Severall Sects and Opinions in England and other Nations” (1647).

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J. I. Packer, Concise Theology, pp. 179-180.

Harald Lindstrom, Wesley and Sanctification.

Martin Luther, “A Sermon on Christian Love.”

Mark Jones, Antinomianism, ch. 6: “Amor, Amor.”

Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death…And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. –Revelation 12:10-11, 17 (NKJV)

PREACH THE WORD; be instant in season, out of season; REPROVE, REBUKE, EXHORT with all long suffering and doctrine! –2 Timothy 4:2 (KJV)

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! –Matthew 23:13

“Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” –Job 1:9-11

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Sandy Simpson, “Rick Warren ‘Explains’ Himself,” deceptioninthechurch.com.

Commentary on Revelation 12:10 in The NIV Study Bible. cf. Job 1:1, 9-11.

Gilbert Tennent, “The Danger of an Unconverted Ministry.” Explains Pharisees.

Gary Gilley, This Little Church Went to Market (Evangelical Press, 2005).

John W. Kennedy, The Torch of the Testimony. A book that’s known among missionaries. It charts the history of reformers and their persecution by Pharisee preachers.

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.   –Philippians 3:12-14 (KJV)

Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. –2 Peter 3:18 (KJV)

Sanctify them by the truth; your Word is truth. –John 17:17

Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, That I might not sin against thee. –Psalm 119:11

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. –Psalm 19:7

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.    –Romans 13:8-10 (NIV)

That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.   –Romans 8:4 (KJV)

Elijah was a man of like passions with us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain; and it rained not on the earth for three years and six months.   –James 5:17 (ERV)

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Melvin Dieter, Five Views on Sanctification, ch. 1.

Harald Lindstrom, Wesley and Sanctification.

The Works of John Wesley, 3rd ed. (Baker Books).

Charles Finney, Lectures to Professing Christians.

Every occurrence of “trumpet” in these Scriptures is the word shofar in the Hebrew…

On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. –Exodus 19:16

As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him. –Exodus 19:19

When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance. –Exodus 20:18

The voice of the trumpet exceeding loud. –Exodus 19:16 (KJV)

The voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder. –Exodus 19:19 (KJV)

All the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. –Exodus 20:18 (KJV)

Who have received the Law by the disposition of angels.    –Acts 7:53