Being certain was something John knew well.

Family life was crowded at home with eighteen brothers and sisters living under one roof. John grew up in a chaotic pastor’s home and their family lived in the parsonages provided by the small church parishes. John’s mother did an amazing job raising the family in austere conditions that many of us could never even imagine. Her impact would influence` John long into his adult life and aide him in fulfilling his life’s mission.

Convinced of his calling as a pastor, John recruited his younger brother to join him as they developed a holy club that met twice weekly and two others joined. The Holy Club practiced fasting two days a week. They studied scripture, visited prisoners in debtors prison, paying for their release and attempted to find employment for them. The Holy Club set up soup kitchens and distribution centers in the city. The men in the Holy Club were certain of their salvation and of what God was doing in their lives. John did all the right things.

He was thirty-five years old and single. John had thrown himself into ministry wholeheartedly. But, why? Perhaps it was to make up for some bad family business. John’s father, Samuel, had a violent temper. Samuel left the family on several occasions leaving them to fend for themselves. It was also known that John paid to release his father from debtors prison twice. Alcohol was also part of the family story.

And then, John’s father died.

John and his brother left their Holy Club and their "do-gooder" lives. Everything they started disintegrated. A military general convinced the brothers to leave their home, their family and what was left of their ministry to try something new. The brothers arrived to serve alongside the British military as military pastors in a new land called Georgia.

John was well known for his rigid discipline and order. The military was all about rules and order. John and his brother would do well there or so one would think. John would oversee the spiritual lives of the colonists and evangelize the Indians as an Agent for the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel.

During his time serving the military, John met a young adventurist named Sophie Hopkey whose father was the magistrate. It wasn’t long before affections developed and John proposed to Sophie. But, ministry continued to be his focus. Ignored and abandoned, Miss Sophie Hopkey was smitten by another man—a military leader. John became embroiled in turmoil as he refused to serve communion to Sophie and her new fiancé. Faced with a court action, John and his brother Charles left Savannah by night.

After a few days at sea, a hurricane threatened to destroy the ship that carried John and Charles back to Britain. In what seemed to be a wild fit of fear for his own life, an exasperated John approached a group of Moravian Christians quietly praying below deck in the middle of the storm. The Moravians practiced a different sort of piety that would eventually affect John and his ministry.

Depressed, an utter failure in ministry and in love, John returned to England.

It wasn’t until months later, that while John was seated in a chapel alone at 8:45pm, he listened to someone read Martin Luther’s introduction to the Book of Romans. Something extraordinary happened to John. Salvation by FAITH became real for John Wesley. Salvation by faith is a hallmark belief in what Christ accomplished already for us….not what we could do for him. Love, healing, forgiveness, mercy and grace seemed to flood his entire being and John Wesley became convinced that Christ alone had atoned for his sin—and perhaps for the sins of his father.

John Wesley identified that moment as his conversion moment. John began ministry again. Only this time with a fresh motivation—the love of Jesus Christ. Others joined the movement that was initiated with his trusted brother Charles. Charles would marry and have a happy time as a parish minister. John would never truly be happily married. But, he would go on to begin the Methodist movement that influenced millions of people world-wide even to this day.

A softened heart would change the world.

Not only did he understand that he had to repent of his sins. John Wesley was quick to repent of his own self-righteousness. Wesley left clear theological precepts and guidance for Christians in his sermons. John wrote clear expectations for classes, bands and societies on how to protect oneself from the temptation of doing good in order to justify oneself before God and the community.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Philippi long before John Wesley wrote to his followers about the same temptation that can stand in our way today. We can do all the right things for all the wrong reasons. We can live a good, clean life without knowing Christ Jesus—without knowing his love, healing, forgiveness, mercy and grace. The way we treat others will be the best evidence of what Christ has already done within us. Be sure to guard your own heart and be quick not only to repent of your sins….but also of your own self-righteousness.

What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. Philippians 3:8-9 NIV

Pastor Jen