Lent 15

Sanctification

And how do I have hope for the flawed and broken body of Christ? Because I believe in sanctifying grace. There is a particular Wesleyan emphasis on sanctification, or holiness. As I learned, and learn, more about Wesleyan theology, I was instantly drawn to the idea that by God’s grace, we are becoming closer to who God created us to be. I love the Wesley hymn, “Finish, then, they new creation; pure and spotless / Let us be. Let us see they great salvation / Perfectly restored in thee; changed from glory / Into glory, till in heaven we take our place, till we / Cast our crowns before thee, lost in wonder, love and praise” (UMH 384).

Probably the most hotly debated point of Wesley theology is the feeling that we come dangerously close to works righteousness. Sanctification, the “moving on toward perfection,” was the term used to describe Wesley’s inability to preach faith alone as necessary. He emphasized the practice of spiritual disciplines, practices, and good works. To the opponents who criticized this perceived works righteousness, he countered by asserting that any good work we do is due to the grace of God working within us through the Holy Spirit. It is always, always, grace that moves us along in sanctification.

That’s where my hope lies. That sanctifying grace works in us gives me hope in the sanctification of us, the body of Christ, and of all things. We are so broken, hurting, and hurtful, but by searching the scriptures, practicing our faith, seeking after the means of grace, we receive grace, grace that helps us grow. “To our surprise and delight, we wake up to find ourselves miraculously moving in the same direction as God, working with the grain of the universe because God is working in and through us” (Willimon, UM Beliefs). I believe we were, and are, created in God’s image. The image of God has been broken or distorted and we are tragically flawed human beings. By grace we are saved from our brokenness, and by grace, little by little we are restored as bearer’s of God’s image.