Perspectives on Methodism

An excerpt from ethics on Methodism:

A Methodist is free from revengeful passions, envy, malice, and wrath. Wesley sees a Methodist as one who avoids these negative attitudes and behavior. The other side of a Methodist is to do the will of God, that is, to present one’s body as a living sacrifice. In fact, everything that a Methodist does seeks to embody the will of the Master. Holy conduct is at the very heart of ethics, but in reality it exceeds morality by seeking to glorify God. The language of virtue has been employed throughout this module, but there is a sense in which his theology of conduct is less about virtue than the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Walking worthy of the vocation to which we have been called is a spiritual journey manifest in holy conduct.

I like the connection between living a certain way by precluding things from your life, and also seeking to do the will of God at the same time. It seems like following one of these trails would lead to the other, but not quite. If you do the will of God, you will be free from potential negative attitudes and behavior. Having positive attitudes and behavior does not necessarily mean you are doing the will of God. I think the distinction needs to be first and foremost to do the will of God. When one seeks to do the will of God, he is able to focus on positive and healthy ways of living, and he is more focused to follow in the direction God wants him to take.