John Wesley's Questions

sermonindex Jul 27, 2008

Not sure if I had a thread on this already, but I thought this was worth posting again if I did already...hope it blesses you. It surely has been a blessing to me and thought provoking during my prayer times.

A friend several years ago gave me a sheet with these questions on them, and apparently, members of John Wesley’s Holy Club over 200 years ago, asked themselves 22 questions each day in their private devotions.

~~[b]~~[color=0033CC] 1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am a better person than I really am?
2. Am I honest in all my acts and works, or do I exaggerate?
3. Do I confidentially pass on what was told to me in confidence?
4. Can I be trusted?
5. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habit?
6. Am I self-conscious, self pitying, or self-justifying?
7. Did the Bible live in me today?
8. Do I give time for Him to speak to me everyday?
9. Am I enjoying prayer?
10. When did I last speak to someone else of my faith?
11. Do I pray about the money I spend?
12. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
13. Do I disobey God in anything?
14. Do I insist on doing something about which my conscious is uneasy?
15. Am I defeated in any part of my life?
16. Am I jealous, impure, irritable, touchy or distrustful?
17. How do I spend my spare time?
18. Am I proud?
19. Do I thank God I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees who despised the publican?
20. Is there anyone I fear, dislike, criticize or resent? If so, what am I doing about it?
21. Do I grumble and complain constantly?
22. Is Christ real to me?[/color][/b]

R

roaringlamb Jul 27, 2008

One thing to remember is that even by Wesley's own account, he was not trusting in Christ's righteousness at this time in his life. He later said that he was made to believe Christ's righteousness for him while hearing the preface to a commentary on Romans by none other than Martin Luther.(Charles Wesley was converted to Christ alone by hearing the reading of Luther's commentary on Galatians, which should make any of their fans pick these up and read them)

He mourned that he tried to have a self-righteousness before God, and honestly these questions can lead to that quickly as well as either despair or pride in that one that can somehow "keep" all of these.

This is Law and not Gospel.

The Law says, "this do and you shall receive."

The Gospel says, "it is finished come partake."

Or as Bunyan puts it very well-
~~[b]~~"Run, John, run the law commands,
But gives me neither feet nor hands;
Far better news the gospel brings:
It bids me fly; it gives me wings."[/b]

We are saved by grace through(by the means of)faith for the sake of Christ.

Any time salvation depends on me, I am back under the old covenant and have denied the work of the cross.

sermonindex Jul 28, 2008

One thing to remember is that even by Wesley's own account, he was not trusting in Christ's righteousness at this time in his life. He later said that he was made to believe Christ's righteousness for him while hearing the preface to a commentary on Romans by none other than Martin Luther.(Charles Wesley was converted to Christ alone by hearing the reading of Luther's commentary on Galatians, which should make any of their fans pick these up and read them)

Actually this is a misconception, George Whitefield was born-again during the holy club and stayed in it. After they received the born-again experienced they continued in the forms and disciplines. They are not legalism but have their place under a true sense of our "justification" with God alone for salvation.

We are the most undisciplined generation in Christian History and would not last 2 weeks in a methodist class meeting as per their membership rules. We are worldly and concerned about the things and pleasures of this world. No matter what beautiful theological system we adhere to, personally having any type of theology no matter how correct without live and godliness is not profitable at all.

The crying need of our day is "consection, holiness, discipline, other-worldliness, crucifixion of our natures and the world!" We need to be a totally different type of people in this earth.

I find wesleys questions, edifying, challenging and true.

Surely under this all I have the firm sense and hope that Christ has set me free from sin and has bought my salvation for me.

sermonindex Jul 30, 2008

Amen Greg...will ride in on what you just said!

Its not a pattern we should follow because of Luther or Wesley, we can all find a some disagreement with each one of them. but it does not change the fact that these questions are not worth mediating upon.
These questions or any other questions one might ponder in there prayer closet, is not to indulge in some Pharisaical utterance, but to be examined and be holy.

R

roaringlamb Jul 30, 2008

Meditating would be fine I suppose, but honestly who keeps all of these at every moment of every day?

If we don't, then we need Another who can keep us in acceptance with the Father.

So long as one does not gauge their acceptance with God ~~[i]~~because[/i] they do these things listed. That is my only concern.

Because to do so would remove Christ from His place as Mediator and then make my acceptance with God based on what I have done or am doing, which is the Law all over again, and I'm pretty sure you know what Paul said about another Gospel and those who preach it.

B

BeYeDoers Jul 30, 2008

So long as one does not gauge their acceptance with God because they do these things listed. That is my only concern.

this would be true of any command in scripture, not just of Wesley. Are you concerned that scripture gives us commands as well?