Wesley believed that the opposition to Christian perfection grew out of misunderstanding rather than genuine resistance to the holy life. Those persons who are serious about their faith journey want no part of a false piety or an unrealistic expectation about how one can live. These persons want an authentic faith that grows out of and is nurtured by a vital relationship with the living God. And this is precisely what Christian perfection proposes to be.
Do you want to go on to perfection? If not, where do you want to go? The church and the world could be transformed if every person who claims Christ as Savior were to intentionally walk this road to perfection. May it always be the road for you.
—Reuben Job, A Wesleyan Spiritual Reader, 208
This week I am going to post some of John Wesley’s writings on Christian perfection because I think they get at the heart of what it means to be a Christian and are certainly appropriate for the Lenten season. Wesley’s writings seem to be consistent with what St. Paul was getting at in Sunday’s NT lesson from Philippians.
I especially appreciate Job’s last paragraph quoted above. Once you understand what Wesley meant by “Christian Perfection” why would you not want to go there?
What do you think? Register and chime in with your own experiences this week.
The road to perfection may mean making some changes that I may not necessarily want to make because of being comfortable where I am. And/or, since I don’t know what the changes will be, and what life after changes will be like, that makes it scary.
Granted, this would indicate less than complete trust in Jesus. Trust is difficult and scary too.
Agreed, but I’m having trouble putting your comment into context. To what are you referring?
Sometimes it’s scary to give up what you know and are familiar with.