Christianity in its purest form involves putting God’s love into action. Wesleyans have traditionally understood this embodiment and expression of God’s love as holiness.
• Four-session guide helps individuals and small groups understand and embrace the Wesleyan understanding of holiness
• Explores the Wesleyan approach to both law and grace
• Guides individuals to match faith with action
• Provides Christian educators with a tool for teaching an important Wesleyan doctrine
• Shows individuals and churches how to express Christianity in ways that attract others to the faith and the life of the church
Christianity in its purest form involves putting God’s love into action. Wesleyans have traditionally understood this embodiment and expression of God’s love as holiness.
• Four-session guide helps individuals and small groups understand and embrace the Wesleyan understanding of holiness
• Explores the Wesleyan approach to both law and grace
• Guides individuals to match faith with action
• Provides Christian educators with a tool for teaching an important Wesleyan doctrine
• Shows individuals and churches how to express Christianity in ways that attract others to the faith and the life of the church
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Overview
Christianity in its purest form involves putting God’s love into action. Wesleyans have traditionally understood this embodiment and expression of God’s love as holiness.
• Four-session guide helps individuals and small groups understand and embrace the Wesleyan understanding of holiness
• Explores the Wesleyan approach to both law and grace
• Guides individuals to match faith with action
• Provides Christian educators with a tool for teaching an important Wesleyan doctrine
• Shows individuals and churches how to express Christianity in ways that attract others to the faith and the life of the church
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781426733642 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Abingdon Press |
| Publication date: | 05/01/2011 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| File size: | 214 KB |
About the Author
Chris has been published in The Christian Century, The Wesleyan Theological Journal, The Asbury Theological Journal, Circuit Rider Magazine, The United Methodist Reporter, and other venues. His book on the Wesleyan ethic of love and justice bears the title, Doing Good: A Grace-Filled Approach to Holiness.
His current research explores the relationship between antebellum moral philosophy or philosophical ethics and the antislavery movement. For several years, Chris has combined his writing and teaching with an emphasis on the tragedy of human trafficking. Today it is estimated that 27 million people are he
Read an Excerpt
Doing Good
A Grace-Filled Approach to Holiness
By Christopher P. Momany
Abingdon Press
Copyright © 2011 Christopher P. MomanyAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4267-3364-2
CHAPTER 1
Being Who We Are
"Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
—Matthew 5:48
Late in life, John Wesley wrote about the place of Christian perfection, or holiness, in the Methodist movement: "This doctrine is the grand depositum which God has lodged with the people called Methodists; and for the sake of propagating this chiefly he appeared to have raised us up." This quote has become something of a sound bite in Wesleyan lore. Yet it serves as a legitimately haunting reminder. The statement is more than simply an affirmation of holiness. It is a claim that the teaching of holiness was this movement's signature vocation.
Matters of vocation possess primal force. They capture the questions that dominate our lives and give them perspective. Purpose, mission, motivation, and direction are all taken up in vocation, a word that describes the experience of hearing God's voice. It is one thing for individuals to probe the meaning of vocation. It is something else entirely for a movement to own a singular vocation. Think of the possibilities: a renewal of vocational identity across the Wesleyan movement!
Holiness as an Old Testament Concept
Conceptions of holiness have been around for ages. The Old Testament Hebrew typically employs some form of the term qadhosh when speaking of holiness, and different parts of the Old Testament emphasize different aspects of the word. We should remember that holiness begins with the identity of God. God is holy, but what does that mean?
Generally speaking, Hebrew traditions considered holiness a state of being set apart or consecrated for particular service. The Book of Leviticus gives us the most comprehensive picture of holiness among the Old Testament world. Inanimate objects could be holy (Leviticus 8:10-11), but so could people (Leviticus 8:12). The uniqueness associated with holiness implied a separation from the ordinary. The fundamental distinction between God and the natural world grounded all conceptions of holiness.
If God was the very standard of holiness, then only that related to God could approximate this quality. There is much in the Old Testament that conceives of holiness as a relational reality, an attribute received from association with God. After all, consecration entails a devotion to some being or purpose outside of the self. However, the proximity with God was matched by a distancing from other earthly things. The holy was, by implication, separated from the common.
This separation was perhaps most explicit in the ritual and dietary practices of holiness. Such traditions set God's people apart from surrounding culture. Contemporary readers might find it easy to dismiss the layers of dietary minutia and ritual detail, but these instructions served to celebrate closeness with God as much as they differentiated the faithful.
Leviticus 17–26 is often called the Holiness Code, and Leviticus 19 makes explicit that holiness is a response to God: "You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy" (Leviticus 19:2). This chapter contains plenty of concern for ritual, but it also displays a commitment to justice. The ritual and the moral are intimately related in most Old Testament conceptions of holiness. Those commanded to keep the sabbath and shun idols were also to care for the poor and for strangers (Leviticus 19:9-10). Stealing was condemned, and honesty was expected (Leviticus 19:11-13). In fact, the call to neighbor love is notably expressed here (Leviticus 19:18).
We should be careful about concluding that Old Testament conceptions of holiness were one-dimensional and obsessed with purity for its own sake. Purity was another way of indicating dedication to God, and dedication to God certainly made people unique. There are several examples of exclusionary behavior in the Old Testament, even as there are cliques in today's church. Yet at its best, holiness entailed a compassionate awareness of others. If holiness involves a consecration to some higher purpose, then Wesleyans might consider their special calling given by God on behalf of the world.
Holiness as a New Testament Concept
New Testament approaches to holiness most often relate to the Greek word hagios. The various types of New Testament literature all display particular emphases; but they also share a basic conviction: Holiness is given ultimate definition through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Moreover, the notion of holiness is closely identified with the meaning of sanctification. New Testament understandings of holiness and sanctification extend the paradox of being set apart and offered up for others.
The connection between holiness and sacrifice is exceedingly prominent in Hebrews. Here the work of God is described as a hallowed mission to redeem creation through Jesus' self-giving love (Hebrews 9:23-28). The ritualistic aspects of Old Testament holiness are evident in this document, but the stress remains on the once and conclusive act of God in Christ (10:1-18). Thus a profound aspect of God's holiness is revealed in the willingness to enter the world, suffer, and overcome sin on behalf of all people.
Likewise, Paul stressed the work of God in Christ. Over the years, Paul's letters have been at the center of debate regarding the possibility or impossibility of reaching entire sanctification during this life. Yet the extraordinary initiative of God through Jesus occupied the apostle's primary energy. Holiness was God's business before it became a matter of theological controversy. This is especially apparent in Philippians 2, though it is woven throughout the body of Paul's writing. Therefore the contours of holiness found in the Gospels must be understood in light of all that God accomplished through Christ, and the holiness available to followers of Christ embodies costly love and ultimate triumph.
The primacy of God's redeeming love situates everything Jesus commanded that might be described as holiness. The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7) is a classic example. Many have read these chapters as instruction requiring moral achievement; however, they are visions of the life available to believers given God's great redemption. The language of Matthew 5:48 is particularly jarring: "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Could there be a more intimidating command?
However, even this instruction regarding perfection is a call to enter the reality unveiled when Jesus went to the cross and rose from the grave for all people. Matthew 5–7 is not a code or series of rules. It is a world of possibility.
The terminology of perfection is derived from the Greek word teleios. The meaning suggests holiness or sanctification and implies maturation, wholeness as a person, reaching God's intended purpose. On its own the word is as daunting as any command in Matthew 5–7, and our contemporary culture is awash with sick and twisted conceptions of "perfection." Yet a perfection that blooms in the light of God's sacrificial love is something else entirely. This is a perfection or wholeness that knows the marvelously liberating truth: The holy God climbed down into history and gave his life so that we might live. Why not step into that promise?
The Journey of John Wesley
John Wesley's relentless pursuit of Christian perfection, or holiness, therefore continued a rich and lively tradition. Wesley described the founding of Methodism as a quest for holiness that began in 1725. This does not mean that he ended his days with the same understanding of holiness possessed while a young man. It simply means that in spite of growth and change, the life of holiness remained consistently on Wesley's personal horizon; and all that time he acknowledged that this was an inherited vision. Wesley was especially influenced by his reading of William Law's book A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life (1729).
The earnestness of John Wesley's desire for holiness led him to the American colonies, where he dreamed of a successful missionary enterprise. Instead, he encountered something many holiness hopefuls confront at one time or another: failure. A less-than-impressive ministry, a botched romance, a misunderstanding, and broken relationships all drove him back to England. If holiness was an achievement, then Wesley's life did not meet the measure.
Such was the run-up to John Wesley's well-documented Aldersgate experience of May 24, 1738. While attending an evening meeting, Wesley's heart was warmed by the good news. The downcast holiness seeker bumped up against the grace of God in Christ. Scholars debate the significance of this conversion-like event. One can argue that Wesley did not understand the gift of salvation at all before 1738, or one might argue that he gained a new appreciation for the role of grace in sanctification. Regardless, the Wesleyan legacy came to rest on grace. Growth is not accomplished by dint of will. It is a gift, even as forgiveness itself is a gift.
The remainder of Wesley's ministry included a series of explanations regarding his approach to holiness or sanctification, and he boldly embraced the language of perfection. In his 1741 sermon "Christian Perfection," Wesley set out to clarify and defend his perspective. He claimed that perfection "is only another term for holiness. They are two names for the same thing." Yet he realized that many would object to his views. Definitions were therefore critical.
Wesley proposed to describe ways that mature Christians are not perfect and ways that they might be considered perfect. First, Christians cannot be perfectly free from ignorance. Knowledge is limited to time and place. The most mature follower of Christ will find that he or she labors under finite understanding.
Second, Christians cannot be perfectly free from mistakes. Given limitations of awareness or knowledge, unintended errors are bound to be made. Third, Christians cannot be perfectly free from "infirmities." Wesley's choice of word here is unusual, and he meant something particular. Sin is not an infirmity. The term describes those unsolicited conditions of body or mind that challenge us.
Finally, Christians cannot be perfectly free from temptation. Even the most mature people of faith face subtle or not-so-subtle enticement to do wrong. Holy people draw upon the resources of God to resist temptation.
Wesley then made an attempt to describe ways that mature Christians might be considered perfect. This part of the teaching is less clear and tends to sound like typical arguments regarding the possibility or impossibility of reaching perfection. Yet there is a profound movement near the end of Wesley's sermon that invites sustained reflection. He likens holiness to living the language found in Galatians 2:19-20: "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me."
Holiness entails death to one's self and the resurrection to a new self. The old self seeks to establish itself before God through effort, excellence, competence, and achievement. The new self can only be conceived in relationship with Christ. This resurrected self completes personhood. Christ does not annihilate identity but creates new identity for believers. On the one hand, an individual separated from God can never measure up. On the other hand, a constant relationship with Christ does not neglect moral standards. Rather, the new self is defined by love; and love is a matter of relationship with God and others.
This emphasis on love grounded Wesley's most comprehensive treatment of holiness. His essay "A Plain Account of Christian Perfection" bundled up key convictions, objections, and clarifications regarding the holiness teaching of early Methodists. Overall, Wesley considered love a matter of pure intention. His reading of Scripture appreciated the critical nature of one's inner life. What motivates us? Why do we act as we do? Are we fixed on God and our neighbors? These questions are important, but the concern for intention can miss some things. What about those times when we hurt others, even though our intent seems pure?
Wesley's theology might allow one to consider such harm a mistake due to unavoidable limitations, but can we be sure? Are our intentions always as pristine as we claim; and if someone is hurt in the end, do good intentions matter? The world is populated by Christians who profess pure hearts but neglect or disrespect others. Let's come clean. Wesley's notion of holiness as love can be manipulated to emphasize the acting subject while disregarding the object or results of behavior.
This caution does not mean that those who appreciate holiness today should only stress outcomes or consequences. The obsession with results is as dangerous as any exclusive concern for intention. We are, nonetheless, challenged to think deeper about the character of love. How we do this may make a contribution to the holiness witness.
Holiness After Wesley
Followers of John Wesley were captivated and baffled by his devotion to holiness. American Methodism embraced the tradition, but some thought the doctrine had been neglected by the Civil War. A variety of writers, pastors, and seekers after God revisited the teaching. Some dismissed it; others affirmed its possibility. Some thought it to be an instantaneously available gift from God; others stressed holiness as a gradual process. Still others gave the teaching a whole new orientation.
During the early and middle nineteenth century, questions about Christian perfection or holiness spread well beyond established Methodist circles. Catholic writers had long kept the emphasis alive, but other Protestant traditions also entered the conversation. Those who affirmed some form of holiness teaching often coupled its moral message with social reform. The antislavery and women's rights movements of the early 1800's were indebted to Christian holiness advocates.
One particularly powerful combination of holiness teaching and social reform blossomed at Oberlin College in Ohio after 1835. That year a young pastor named Asa Mahan became president of the struggling college; and Charles Finney, a noted evangelist, joined the faculty as professor of theology. Mahan and Finney studied and then embraced the doctrine of Christian perfection.
Not surprisingly, the Oberlin movement owed much to John Wesley, even though the president and chief professor came from Presbyterian backgrounds. In 1839, Mahan wrote a provocative book called Scripture Doctrine of Christian Perfection. Mahan defined Christian perfection in a manner that echoed Wesley: "It is 'loving the Lord our God with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our strength, and our neighbor as ourselves.' It implies the entire absence of all selfishness, and the perpetual presence and all pervading influence of pure and perfect love." Yet once again, we are left with the question, What is authentic love? and all pervading influence of pure and perfect love."
Mahan was not simply a preacher and teacher of holiness. He was also an able philosopher, and he applied his philosophical precision to a definition of love. Mahan invoked the scriptural statement that love fulfills the moral law (Romans 13:10), and he claimed that there are basically two options for determining this law. First, one might discern obligation by calculating the end one wishes to achieve. Second, one might discern right and wrong by considering the value of those who receive our actions. Mahan was committed to the second principle.
This focus on the value of others allowed Mahan to teach that holiness was love but that love was more than only good intentions or the creation of outcomes. Love, for Mahan, required treating others according to their intrinsic worth; and intrinsic worth was understood to be one's value regardless of faults or "usefulness." Theologically speaking, this worth is established by God through creation and redemption. Scripture teaches that all people are created in the image of God. Some might qualify the lasting impact of this dignity, due to sin; but the gospel teaches that, even so, people are granted restored value through the cross and the Resurrection.
Love Defined by the Cross
It is commonplace to consider the cross God's ultimate expression of sacrificial love. There is good reason for such an understanding. The cross is the intersection of awe-inspiring dynamics. The holy God entered history and gave of the self, unto death, that we might live. The cross and its mysteries also invite endless speculation regarding the meaning of atonement, the gift of reconciliation with God.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Doing Good by Christopher P. Momany. Copyright © 2011 Christopher P. Momany. Excerpted by permission of Abingdon Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
Introduction,1. Being Who We Are,
2. Beyond Do's and Don'ts,
3. When Freedom Means Self-Absorption,
4. When Freedom Means Relationship,