Getting Back Into Wesley's Journal: "About a thousand people stood patiently (though the frost was sharp, it being after sunset) while, from Acts 28:22, I simply described the plain, old religion of the Church of England, which is now almost everywhere spoken against, under the new name of Methodism. " I love the satire that I get from these words of Wesley. His work in England was largely chastised by the Anglican Church, although he never yielded his foundational loyalty to the Church of England. Wesley surely laments the fact that the Church of England did not view Wesley's Methodist movement as being a part of the their team. I think we can fall prey to that in our modern day. We live in a consumer-driven world, where people can come and go to restaurants, stores, even churches as they meet or do not meet specific needs. We can become resentful of other denominations or churches that seem to be attracting more people. The truth is that all who claim Jesus Christ as our God, our Lord and Savior must recognize that we are all on the same team! We are all living this life to further the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, and to that end we must respect and applaud the work that others are doing in the name of Jesus. I remember Jesus' rebuke of his disciples, who told a man not to cast out demons in Jesus' name because he was not "one of them". How many are there who are not "with us" that have the power to do great things in the name of God, that we hinder because of our own pride, vanity, or ambition?

It is a divine evidence and conviction, first, that God hath promised it in the holy Scripture . . . It is a divine evidence and conviction, secondly, that what God hath promised He is able to perform . . . It is, thirdly, a divine evidence and conviction that He is able and willing to do it now. And why not? Is not a moment to Him the same as a thousand years? He cannot want more time to accomplish whatever is His will. And He cannot want or stay for any more worthiness or fitness in that persons He is pleased to honour . . . To this confidence, that God is both able and willing to sanctify us now, there needs to be added one thing more—a divine evidence and conviction that He doeth it. If you seek it by faith, you may expect it as you are; and if as you are, then expect it now . . . 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. I love that point of sanctification: expect it by faith, as you are, right now! We have the ability to live a life of holiness and honor unto God right here, right now! We don't have to wait until we are "mature" Christians, we don't have to wait until we have graduated from the Sunday School curriculum. We have the ability and the power to live a life worthy of God right now! We have the ability to go out, seeking God and serving him with all we are, loving him and loving others with all that we are, in the here and now. God is so good!

It is extremely important to know that the doctrine of holiness is a biblical doctrine. It is no less important to see that it is also a historical one, sewn securely into the fabric of Christian orthodoxy from the beginning. I think the point in this statement about holiness being historical is very significant because I believe that when Holiness has been the focal point of the Church, it has resulted in the great change in the lives of humanity. Often times Christianity gets a pretty harsh treatment in the Historical Context; issues such as the Crusades, Slavery, and Civil Rights have at times thrown Christianity in a pretty poor light. But on the other hand, there are many instances in history when individuals have thrown themselves on the Altar of God, submitting to his will above all else. I think of people like Xavier, Zwingli, Luther, Wesley, and others who, forsaking all else, found no higher calling than to follow God and follow him alone. I think when we set ourselves aside and do the great work that God has called for us, then we have the ability to seek his perfect and pleasing will.