WHO ARE WE?
Although the Methodist Church does not have a special creed, adhering to the Apostle's and Nicene creeds as basic expressions of faith, it does lay special emphasis on five aspects of Christian teaching.
- All need to be saved. (see Romans 3: 23)
Sin has infected all mankind, and we all need to be forgiven, healed, and restored to fellowship with God and each other. - All can be saved.
We are all equally the objects of God's love, and no one is beyond the reach of Christ's saving grace. Salvation is God's free and undeserved gift (see Romans 6: 23) and it is by God's grace alone - through faith. What is required of us is that we should respond to `God's love. This response is an act of faith on our part, but even this faith is a gift of God: 'For it is by His grace you are saved, through trusting Him, it is not your own doing. It is God's gift, not a reward for work done'. (see Ephesians 2: 8-9). This insistence that salvation is by faith alone, while by no means unique to our belief and experience, is vital. - All can know that they are saved.
- The Bible says so in Romans 10: 9-11, Joel 2: 32, Acts 16: 30-31, John 11: 25, and John 14: 6-7.
- The Holy Spirit convinces us and gives us the assurance that we are God's children (see Romans 8: 15-16).
- We will recognise ways in which we have been changed.
- All can be saved to the uttermost.
The aim of the Christian is to grow 'to maturity, measured by nothing less than the full stature of Christ' (Eph. 4: 13). The Christian life is the process of becoming Christ like.
Our goal is to become mature believers and to reach Christian perfection. (see Romans 8: 3- 4) This is not absolute sinlessness, but rather "perfect love" towards God and neighbour (see Matthew 5: 43-48). This is not something we can achieve for ourselves. Only the Holy Spirit working in us can produce Christ like character (see Galatians 5: 22-23) - All can witness to their salvation.
We are not expected to be expert witnesses, with all the relevant Scriptures and answers to all life's problems. No, we are simply called to tell other people what Jesus means to us. What has Jesus done in your life recently? Tell someone else about Him - e.g. His love for you, His forgiveness and mercy to you, His care and help.
Methodism is simply practical Christianity. For Wesley - and so for Methodists - life has a clearly defined purpose and goal. As Christians we are called to become Christ like, and to work in this world for that perfect state of affairs that the Bible calls the Kingdom of God.
We attain this (1) through inner holiness:
For the individual believer this means utter devotion to Jesus Christ and openness to the influence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit then produces in us the character of God, the fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal 5:22 and 23a).
and (2) outer holiness:
'The Bible", said John Wesley, 'knows nothing of solitary religion.' God's love knows no bounds, and neither may ours. Love for God leads inevitably to love for all God's creatures - indeed, for his whole creation. This means that holiness (perfect love) has a social dimension. In true Methodist tradition, theory and practice have always gone together. " There is no holiness but social holiness." Holiness does not exist in a vacuum, but in right relationships.
