Free Grace Versus Free Will: John Wesley’s Understanding of Humanity and His practice of Pastoral Guidance

By Professor Khoo Peng

Introduction

It has been claimed that one’s conception of the humanity determines the fate of every theology. This is true for John Wesley too. Wesley’s understanding of humanity has not only affected his theological development, especially his Soteriology; it in turn impacted his practice of theology, in particular, his pastoral guidance to the thousands of “Methodists” in the British Isles almost throughout the entire eighteenth century. The latter is particularly true in the light of his concerned with practical Christianity, with the interplay of theology and the realities of daily life. How has Wesley understood anthropology in the light of his soteriology?

How has the theology eventually play out in his practice of caring for the Methodists through his pastoral guidance? This paper seeks to response to these questions through an understanding of Wesley’s soteriology and a brief survey of John Wesley’s key ‘productions’ in the whole course of the revival movement of Methodism in the eighteenth century: sermons, letters, and the band/societies and class meetings. The project also seeks to correlate Wesley’s soteriology and his practice of pastoral guidance as manifested in his voluminous letters, sermons and the instructions of the band/societies/class meetings.

The Totally Depraved Imago Dei and its Restoration
The Willful Rebellion of Humanity: Free will at play

In the first “university sermon” entitled “The Image of God” which he preached in November 15, 1730, Wesley deals with issue of Christian anthropology: the original design of human nature and the tragic consequences of the Fall. In this sermon Wesley explained that humanity was created by God and in His image (cf. Gen. 1: 26 – 27). Humanity is grasped only in relationship with God. As such he or she bears a Godlikeness or a relationship to God, notwithstanding his fallen nature. Wesley named three areas in the original creation of humanity in which the image of God was manifested. First, humanity possess ethical and unerring understanding where they are able “to distinguish truth from falsehood,” “stranger to error doubt,” “having just, clear and swift understanding”. Secondly, humanity possessed perfect will.

They are filled with the unrivaled love of God. Thirdly, humanity possessed perfect freedom. They are free to choose and their choice was to determine them in all things. In 1781, Wesley wrote another sermon “The End of Christ’s Coming” where he named immortality, spirituality, understanding, affection, and the freedom of the will of humanity as natural image and termed the righteousness and true holiness as moral image. He further classified human’s governing power over the creation as the political image in another two sermons: “The New Birth” and “The General Deliverance”...

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