How Wesley Found What He Was Missing – by Des Ford

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Jun 6, 2015 1999

John Wesley

Do you remember the little giant who spanned the 18th century? He was not much more than five feet high, but strong enough to save England from a revolution as bloody as France’s. His name – John, John Wesley. He was one of 19 children. His mother, Suzanna, was an expert in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. She knew more theology than her minister husband. Indeed, they parted ways when she didn’t agree with his theology and politics and wouldn’t say “amen” to his prayers about the reigning sovereign. So, she had a mind of her own, and so did John.

John was a very efficient little boy, youth and man. But he was also a very frustrated one. John was nearly forty before he was converted; his life was more than half-way through, speaking statistically, and he’d been one long failure.

He was one of the most talented men in England. He’d went to North America to convert the Indians and on his way back he wrote in his diary, “I went to America to convert the Indians, but oh, who’11 convert me?”

He wrote his story in his diary: “When I was a child, I was taught that if I wanted to go to heaven, I had to keep the commandments of God – all of them.” He said, “When I grew a little older, and went to school, I was told, I also needed a fondness for church-going, saying my prayers and reading the Bible.” He said, “After I’d been in the ministry a number of years, I realized what my real need was – faith in Christ.” He didn’t have it.

Let me tell you, only faith in Jesus Christ as your sacrifice, substitute and surety can save you. Nothing else. N-o-t-h-i-n-g. And John Wesley was nearly forty before he learned it.

Coming home from this country, rejected by the local congregation, on the verge of resigning from the ministry, he was led to a little up-stairs meeting in London, where he heard the introduction to Martin Luther’s Commentary on the Book of Romans being read. Wesley wrote that night in his diary, “I felt my heart strangely warmed and an assurance was given me that He had taken away sins, even mine, and delivered me from the law of sin and death. I believe now in the Son of God who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

John Wesley had found what he lacked.

– Des Ford. Rom 8:27–32. Adapted from “Perfect in a Moment”
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