The Scripture Way of Salvation - Point Loma Nazarene ...

The Scripture Way of Salvation, John Wesley’s Sermon 43

You are saved by faith. Ephesians 2:8

Religion can be one of the most difficult things in the world to understand. And this is not only true
concerning the many non-Christian religions, but also with Christianity, for there are many so-called
Christian teachers with many different things to say. But we are talking about a different matter—a far
more plain and simple matter—when we talk about the genuine religion of Jesus Christ. That is, as long
as we are looking at its original form as it is described in the Bible! There, Christian faith is described
clearly by the wise Creator and Governor of the world for even persons of average intelligence. And,
what is especially clear in scripture is both the chief end or purpose of Christianity and the means to
achieving that end. The end is, in one word, salvation; the means to attaining it is faith.

In fact, I think it safe to say that these two little words—faith and salvation—summarize the core
substance and central teachings of the entire Bible. For this reason it is absolutely important that we
come to a correct and complete understanding of what both mean. What we will look at, then, is 1)
what salvation really is, 2) what saving faith is, and 3) how it is that we are saved by faith.

What is Salvation?

The salvation that we are talking about here is not what is frequently meant by that word—that is,
going to heaven and finding eternal happiness. It is not simply the soul's going to paradise, which Jesus
referred to as "Abraham's bosom." It is not only a blessing which lies on the other side death or in
another world. The very words of the text from Ephesians 2 make this point clear: "You are saved." It is
not something at a distance, but a present reality. It is a blessing which, through the free mercy of God,
each of us can possess now. In fact, the words could just as correctly be translated (from the original
Greek), "You have been saved." The point is that salvation should be extended to include the entire
work of God, from the first dawning of grace in our hearts all the way through the final consummation
of God’s grace in the glory of Heaven.

If we take this broader view, we find that salvation includes all the work that God does in our hearts,
including what people typically refer to as "conscience," but which we as Christians more correctly call
"prevenient grace." Prevenient grace is that grace through which we are initially drawn to our heavenly
Father. It inspires in us a desire for a relationship with God, and, if we yield to it, increases more and
more the “light of the Son of God” in our hearts. Prevenient grace actually enlightens every human
being "to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly before God." In fact, all the holy and righteous
convictions that emerge in hearts of human beings are made possible by the Holy Spirit through
prevenient grace. Sadly, most people stifle them as soon as possible, and after a while forget, or at least
deny, that they ever had them at all.

But for now we are primarily concerned with those aspects of salvation that St. Paul is talking about in
Ephesians 2. Here, he is focusing on two foundational aspects of salvation: justification and
sanctification.

Justification is another word for pardon. It is God forgiving us for all of our sins and accepting us into
the family of God. The price of our pardon, forgiveness, and acceptance (often referred to by
theologians as "the meritorious cause of our justification") is none other than the blood and
righteousness of Jesus Christ. To put it another way, it is all that Christ has done and suffered for us by
"pouring out His soul for transgressors." Through justification we experience the peace of God, a "peace

that passes all understanding," and a "rejoicing in hope of the glory of God" "with joy unspeakable and
full of glory."

At the same time that we are justified, sanctification begins. In that instant, as scripture says, we are
“born again,” “born from above,” or “born of the Spirit.” There is a real as well as a relative change. Our
spirits are renewed by the power of God. We feel "the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the
Holy Spirit." God’s sanctifying love produces in us love for all of humanity, and especially for our
brothers and sisters in Christ. God’s sanctifying love also expels from our hearts our love for worldly
things—pleasure, ease, honor, money, as well as pride, anger, self-will, and every other evil passion. In
other words, sanctification is the transformation of our earthly, sensual, devilish mind into "the mind
which was in Christ Jesus."

Quite frequently new Christians who have just experienced the profound transformation that comes
through new life in Christ imagine that all sin is gone, that it has been utterly rooted out of their hearts
and no longer has a place in their lives. It is quite easy for such people suddenly to feel great freedom
from sin and to conclude that they also have no sin. They believe that, since sin does not seem to stir in
their hearts, that it therefore cannot exist in their hearts.

But it usually does not take long before the truth settles in and they find that sin was only suspended,
not completely destroyed. Temptations return and sin revives. It shows that it was merely stunned
before, but is not dead. They then begin to feel as if there is a war raging in their hearts. They experience
a kind of longing for all the worldly things that they had renounced, pulling them away from God’s
grace and Spirit, while at the same time they feel power to believe in Christ and to love God. God’s
"Spirit" still "witnesses with their spirits, that they are children of God," while they also feel in their
hearts the stirrings of pride, self-will, anger and unbelief.

Fourteen hundred years ago, the great theologian Macarius described this experience accurately:

[New Christians] when grace operates, imagine they have no more sin. Whereas they that have
discretion cannot deny that even we who have the grace of God may be molested again. For we
have often had instances of some among our brothers and sisters in Christ who have
experienced such grace as to affirm that they had no sin in them; and yet, after all, when they
thought themselves entirely freed from it, the corruption that lurked within was stirred up
anew, and they were almost burned up.

From the very moment of being born again, the gradual work of sanctification begins. We are
empowered by the Holy Spirit to reject the desires of the flesh and our evil nature. And as we grow
more and more “dead to sin,” we also become more and more “alive to God.” As we grow from “grace to
grace” we are careful to take every opportunity to abstain from every appearance of evil and to be
zealous to do good works, especially seeking the good of others. We also seek to walk blamelessly before
God, worshipping God in spirit and in truth, daily taking up our cross, and denying ourselves every
pleasure that does not lead us to God.

It is in this way that we wait for complete or entire sanctification, which is full salvation from all sins,
including pride, self-will, anger, unbelief. Or, as Hebrews 6:1 puts it, this is to "go on to perfection." But
what is perfection? The word can mean various things, but here it simply means perfect love. Perfect
love is God’s love “filling up” our hearts to overflowing and therefore leaving no “place” for sin to dwell.
It is love "rejoicing evermore, praying without ceasing, in everything giving thanks."

What Is Saving Faith?

Faith, in general, is defined by the author of Hebrews as evidence, a divine evidence and conviction (the
Greek word can mean either) of things not seen—not visible, not perceivable either by sight or any of our
other external senses. It implies both a supernatural evidence of God and of the things of God—a kind
of spiritual light that shines in our hearts—and a supernatural sight allowing us to see that light.
Accordingly, Scripture declares that sometimes God gives light and sometimes the power to discern the
light.

St. Paul puts it this way: "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in
our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Cor 4:6).
Elsewhere St. Paul speaks of "the eyes of [our] understanding being opened" (Eph 1:18). By this two-
fold operation of the Holy Spirit, having the eyes of our heart both opened and enlightened, we see the
things which our physical "eye has not seen, nor the ear heard." We can perceive the invisible things of
God—the spiritual world—which is all round about us, and yet is indiscernible to us through our
physical senses. We also can perceive the eternal world, piercing through the veil which hangs between
time and eternity. Clouds and darkness no longer keep us from seeing the final glory which will be fully
revealed to all at the return of Christ.

We have been speaking of faith generally, but we may also speak of faith in a very particular sense: faith
is a divine evidence and conviction that "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself," and
that Christ loves me, and gave Himself for me. It is by this faith that we receive Christ as our Prophet,
Priest, and King. It is through this faith that Christ becomes for us God’s wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification, and redemption.

Some may ask whether what we are talking about is the faith that assures us of our salvation or the faith
that actually saves us? But in truth no such distinction exists in Scripture. Ephesians 4 states, "There is
one faith, and one hope of our calling … one God and Father of all." This passage indicates that faith
provides us with assurance (which is here simply another word for evidence, it being hard to tell the
difference between them) that Christ loves us, and gave Himself for us. Indeed, all who believe with a
truly living faith have the very witness of God in their hearts. As Romans 8:16 puts it: "the Spirit
witnesses with our spirits that we are children of God.” And, as Galatians 4:6 puts it: "Because you are
children, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." Simply put,
God gives us the assurance that we are His children, and instills in us a childlike confidence in Him.

Now, we should note that divine assurance goes before actual confidence. We cannot have a childlike
confidence in God until we know that we are children of God. Therefore, confidence, trust, reliance,
adherence, or whatever else it be called, is not faith itself, as some have supposed, but an actual
outgrowth of faith.

It is therefore by faith that we are saved, justified, and sanctified. That leaves us with the question of
how are we justified and sanctified by faith. This is the third and last topic for us to address. In a real
sense, it is the main point of this entire sermon, for it is a point of tremendous importance.

How Are We Saved by Faith?

In order to answer this question properly we must first discuss how it is that we are justified by faith. In
what sense is this to be understood? My answer is this: Faith is the condition, and the only condition, of
justification. What I mean by this is that no one is justified except by believing; without faith no one

can be justified. In speaking of faith as the only condition what I mean is that faith alone is sufficient for
justification. Every one that believes is justified. In other words, no one is justified until believing;
everyone who believes is justified.

But, you may ask, doesn't God also command us to repent? Absolutely! And more than that: God
desires that we live out our repentance through our actions. For instance, we must cease from doing evil
and learn to do good and righteous things. Both turning from evil and turning to good are absolutely
necessary, for if we willingly neglect either, we cannot reasonably expect to be justified at all.

But then, you may ask, how can I claim that faith is the only condition of justification? My answer is
this: Of course God commands us both to repent and to live our repentance through fruit-filled actions.
Moreover, if we willingly neglect either of these, we cannot reasonably expect to be justified at all.
Therefore both repentance and the fruits of repentance are, in some sense, necessary to justification.
But here is the difficult but very important point that we must come to understand: they are not
necessary for salvation in the same sense or in the same degree as faith.

First, the fruit of repentance is not necessary in the same degree in that there must be time and
opportunity for such fruit to be expressed. Otherwise a person may be justified without them. Take, for
instance, the thief next to Jesus on the cross in Luke 23. Jesus promised that this man would make it to
paradise even though the man could have no opportunity to live out his faith and repentance. So, one
can be saved without the fruits of repentance, but one can certainly not be justified without faith.

Likewise, consider people who are openly repentant, or whose lives seem to demonstrate many of the
fruits of repentance. Yet all this effort without faith accomplishes nothing, for these people are not
justified until they believe. Of course, the moment they believe—with or without those fruits and with
more or less repentance—they are justified. This is what we mean when saying that repentance does not
justify us "in the same degree" as faith.

Now, what do I mean in saying that repentance and its fruits do not save us in the same sense as faith?
What I mean is this: repentance and its fruits are only consequently necessary. That is, they must occur
as a consequence of faith, otherwise we would say that truly saving faith is not at work in the person’s
life. However, faith is immediately necessary for justification—we are justified immediately when we
believe. In sum, then, faith is the only condition, which is immediately and proximately necessary to
justification.

We have addressed the topic of justification by faith, but what of sanctification? For over 25 years now I
have been accused of teaching that we are sanctified by works, by our efforts. But, as I have constantly
declared, this could not be further from the truth. I have continually testified, in both private and in
public, that we are justified and sanctified by faith. In fact, I would argue that we are sanctified by faith
in exactly the same way that we are justified by faith. Faith is the condition, and the only condition, of
sanctification, exactly as it is of justification. No one is sanctified without believing; without faith no
one is sanctified. And faith is the only condition of sanctification. All those who believe are sanctified;
whatever else they have or do not have. In other words, no one is sanctified until believing: all people
when they believe are sanctified.

But, you may ask, is there not a kind of repentance that comes after justification, just as there is one
previous to it? And is it not incumbent on all that are justified to be “zealous of good works?” And,
aren’t these so necessary, that if we willingly neglect them we cannot reasonably expect that we shall
ever be sanctified in the full sense (that is, perfected in love)? Can we even grow at all in grace or in the

loving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ? Indeed, can we even retain the grace which God has already
given us in justification? Can he continue in the faith which we received or in the favor of God? And, if
this be so, how can it be said that faith is the only condition of sanctification?

First of all, let me affirm that I do believe that faith is the only condition for sanctification, and I
continually maintain that this is the truth of God. That said, I do believe that there is repentance
following, as well as repentance previous to, justification. I also believe that it is incumbent upon all
who are justified to be zealous of good works. I also believe that these are so important that if we
willingly neglect them we cannot reasonably expect to be sanctified, grow in grace, grow in the image of
God, or come to have the mind which was in Christ Jesus. I also believe that we cannot retain the grace
we have received in justification and that we cannot continue in faith or in the favor of God without
doing good works. I am therefore arguing that both repentance (that which follows justification) and
the practice of all good works (works of piety as well as works of mercy) are in some sense necessary to
sanctification. Let me explain.

We need to clarify that there are two different types of repentance. The repentance that comes after
justification (and the one we are talking about here) is very different from that which is before it. That
which comes after does not involve guilt, a sense of condemnation, or consciousness of the wrath of
God. It does not suppose any doubt of the favor of God, or a sense of fear. It is properly a conviction,
brought about by the Holy Spirit, of the sin which still remains in our hearts. It is a growing awareness
that the carnal mind does still remain even in those who have been born again. This is not to say that sin
actually reigns in our hearts, for it no longer has dominion over us. Rather, it is a conviction of our
continued tendency toward evil, that we have a heart bent to backsliding, that there is still a tendency of
our flesh to lust against the spirit. Sometimes, unless we continually watch and pray, this can lead to
pride, to anger, to love of the world, love of ease, love of honor, or love of pleasure rather than of God. It
is a conviction of the tendency of our heart to self-will, to atheism, to idolatry; and above all, to
unbelief; whereby, in a thousand ways, and under a thousand pretenses, we are ever departing, more or
less, from the living God.

With a conviction of the sin remaining in our hearts we develop a clearer conviction of the sin
remaining in our lives as a whole. It’s as if sin cleaves to all our words and actions. In even the best of
these we can yet discern traces of evil—either in the spirit, the matter, or the manner of them—that
God’s righteous judgment will simply not endure. Where we least suspected it, we find a taint of pride
or self-will, of unbelief or idolatry so that we are now more ashamed of our best efforts than we
previously had been of our worst sins. At this point we cannot help but feel that our actions have little,
if anything, meritorious about them. We may even wilt at the idea of standing in sight of the divine
justice, for we know that would be found completely guilty before God were it not for the blood shed
by Jesus to forge our covenant with God. Increasingly we are left with a sense of our helplessness, of our
utter inability to think one good thought, form one good desire, speak one word right, or to perform
one good action except by God’s free, almighty grace, first preventing us and then accompanying us
every moment.

So, then, what are the good works or practices of that are necessary for sanctification? First, these
include all works of piety, such as public prayer, family prayer, and personal prayer. They also include
regular participation in Holy Communion (or, the Lord’s Supper), disciplined study of the Scriptures
(in hearing, reading, and meditation), and fasting as often as our physical health allows.

Secondly, these include all the works of mercy, including caring for both the bodies and the souls of
those in need. Feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, entertaining the stranger, and visiting those that
are in prison or sick or variously afflicted are all works of mercy. So also is endeavoring to instruct the
ignorant, awaken the sinner, quicken the lukewarm, confirm the wavering, comfort the feeble-minded,
support the tempted, or contribute in any manner to the saving of souls from death. This is the
repentance and these are the "fruits of repentance" which are necessary for us to experience full
sanctification. This is the way that God has appointed His children to wait for complete salvation.

It is at this point that the extremely dangerous nature of a seemingly innocent idea becomes apparent.
That idea is that there is no sin in a believer, that all sin is destroyed, root and branch, the moment that
we are justified. This idea can prevent us from further repentance and therefore block up the way to
sanctification. There is no place for repentance in those who believe there is no sin either in their lives
or hearts. This lie can make it impossible for a person to be perfected in love because ongoing
repentance of sin is absolutely necessary for us to be entirely sanctified.

Likewise it should be clear that there is no danger in expecting full salvation. For suppose we are
mistaken on this point and that no such blessing ever was or can be attained. Still, we lose nothing. In
fact, just the expectation that God can perfect love in our hearts quickens us in using all the talents
which God has given us, improving them all so that when our Lord returns He will receive His own
with increase.

We must return now to our main point concerning the relationship between faith and repentance. As
we have seen, both repentance and its fruits are necessary to full salvation, but (again) they are not
necessary in the same sense or in the same degree as faith. Not in the same degree for these fruits are only
necessary conditionally (again) if there be time and opportunity for them. Otherwise we may be
sanctified without them. But we cannot be sanctified without faith. Likewise, no matter how sincere
our repentance or ever so many our good works of piety and mercy, all of accomplishes nothing without
faith. Quite simply, we cannot be sanctified until we believe. But the moment that we do believe, with
or without those fruits, and with more or less of this repentance, we are sanctified. Again, not in the
same sense, for this repentance and these fruits are only consequently necessary—that is, necessary in
order for us to continue and increase in the growth that faith has begun. But faith is immediately and
directly necessary to sanctification. It remains, therefore, that faith is the only condition which is
immediately and consequently necessary to sanctification.

But, you might ask, what is that faith through which we we are sanctified, saved from sin, and perfected
in love? As with the faith through which we are justified, sanctifying faith is a divine evidence and
conviction that God has promised in Scripture. Until we are come to terms with this, there is no
moving ahead, and the truth of this promise should be apparent to any reasonable person. Take
Deuteronomy 30:6: "The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your
descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live." This clearly
expresses the promise that we can be perfected in love and strongly implies that we can be saved from all
sin! For as long as love takes up the whole heart, what room is there left for sin?

In addition, sanctifying faith is a divine evidence and conviction that what God has promised God is
able to perform. I fully admit that it is impossible for human beings to "bring a clean thing out of
anything unclean," or to purify their hearts from sin or to fill them with all holiness. But this is not a

problem, for "with God all things are possible." And who among us is willing to limit the power of the
Almighty? If God speaks, it shall be done. God said, "Let there be light,” and there was light!

Additionally, sanctifying faith is a divine evidence and conviction that God is able and willing to do
sanctify us now. And why not? Is not a moment to God the same as a thousand years? God cannot want
more time to accomplish His will. And can there be anything that God would wish more than to
sanctify us in love? We may therefore boldly say, at any point of time, "Now is the day of salvation!"
"Today, if you will hear God’s voice, do not harden your hearts!"

To our confidence that God is both able and willing to sanctify us now we need to add one thing more:
a divine evidence and conviction that God has done it. In the very moment that God sanctifies us, God
says to our spirits, "It has been done for you according to your faith!" It is at this point that our hearts
are made pure from every spot of sin and made clean "from all unrighteousness." Believers then
experience the deep meaning of those solemn words, "If we walk in the light as God is in the light, we
have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God cleanses us from all sin."

The final question we must address is whether God does this great work in our hearts gradually or
instantaneously. Perhaps it may occur gradually in some, in the sense that they do not recognize the
particular moment when sin ceases to reside in their hearts. But it is God’s will, I believe, to do this
instantaneously, to destroy sin in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. That is exactly what God
generally does, and there’s plenty of evidence of this fact to satisfy any unprejudiced person. Therefore
look for it every moment! Look for it in the way above described: in all those good works or “means of
grace” which "created us anew in Christ Jesus."

There is really no danger in having this expectation. Even if you end up disappointed in your hope of
being completely sanctified, still you lose nothing. But I fully believe that you won’t be disappointed in
your hope: it will come, and will not tarry. Look for it then every day, every hour, every moment! Why
not this hour, this moment? Certainly you may look for it now, if you believe it by faith. And by this
token you may surely know whether you seek it by faith or by your own efforts. If by your own efforts,
you will want to do something first, before you are sanctified. You think, I must first be or do this or that.
In this case, then you are seeking to be sanctified through your own efforts. If you seek it by faith,
however, you may expect it as you are; and expect it now. It is importance to observe that there is an
inseparable connection between these three points: expect it by faith; expect it as you are; and expect it
now! To deny one of them is to deny them all; to allow one is to allow them all.

Do you believe we are sanctified by faith? Be true then to your principle; and look for this blessing just
as you are—neither better nor worse—as a poor sinner that has still nothing to pay, nothing to plead,
but that "Christ died for me!" And if you look for it as you are, then expect it now. Wait for nothing:
why should you? Christ is ready; and He is all you want. He is waiting for you: He is at the door! Let
your inmost heart cry out:

Come in, come in, thou heavenly Guest!
Nor hence again remove;

But sup with me, and let the feast
Be everlasting love