The Offense: John Wesley’s Sermon “Salvation by Faith”
… Salvation by Faith is the first sermon in John Wesley’s published compendium Sermons on Several Occasions. I have been reading Albert Outler’s The Works of John Wesley, which contains his first 33 sermons.
Wesley published these sermons, and they were widely read and consulted, for the explicit purpose of establishing and explaining Methodist doctrine. It was his earnest expectation that all Methodist preachers consult his sermons in order to understand fundamental doctrines that they were expected to likewise teach. To this day, many Methodist denominations maintain that these sermons are doctrinal standards. They were influential in the early days of Methodism, and they should continue to be today.
Unfortunately, that is more easily said than done. Building familiarity with these texts requires that people actually spend time with them. It is my earnest hope that you will spend time reflecting on this text with me today, especially as it is true to the form established in this series: it is offensive for many reasons spelled out below. Continue Reading…..