By Pastor Tony Ontanyon
To be a Methodist is to be committed to a theology of Love. John Wesley does not deviate from the Protestant reformers in insisting that salvation is by grace through faith; more than anything else, his emphasis on Love gives his theology its distinctive character. Love describes both the heart of God and the content and goal of salvation. For Wesley, all that God is and does is motivated and governed by Love. Divine sovereignty, and even God’s judgment and wrath were not apart from but necessarily manifestations of God’s Love.
What is God’s Love? Divine love is “holy” Love. Holiness and Love are not equal, but they complement one another. Holiness entails purity and separation. On the other side of the coin, Love is embracing, outgoing, and inclusive. Holiness away from God could lead to an austere and intimidating legalism and cultural banning. Love away from holiness is soft, naively wishful, and self-indulgent. Thus holiness and Love must be kept in balance when we describe both God and Christian life.
John Wesley said, “God’s love is most fully revealed in the life and especially the death of Jesus Christ,” and Charles Wesley expresses the heart of God’s Love this way: “O Love divine, what hast thou did! / The immortal God hath died for me! The Father’s co-eternal Son bore all my / sins upon the tree. The’ immortal God for me hath died: / My Lord, my Love is crucified.” (The United Methodist Hymnal, #287)
Our Love for God translates into Love for one another. We, as Methodists, have been supportive and speaking out against poverty, famine, unemployment, migration, mental illness, and homelessness. We should feel called to help and work among the needy.
Join us this coming Sunday, March 8th, 2020, to explore and share the meaning of the Love of God and One Another within our Christian experience. Looking for you at 10 am at the “Old Stone Church.”
To be a Methodist is to be committed to a theology of Love. John Wesley does not deviate from the Protestant reformers in insisting that salvation is by grace through faith; more than anything else, his emphasis on Love gives his theology its distinctive character. Love describes both the heart of God and the content and goal of salvation. For Wesley, all that God is and does is motivated and governed by Love. Divine sovereignty, and even God’s judgment and wrath were not apart from but necessarily manifestations of God’s Love.
What is God’s Love? Divine love is “holy” Love. Holiness and Love are not equal, but they complement one another. Holiness entails purity and separation. On the other side of the coin, Love is embracing, outgoing, and inclusive. Holiness away from God could lead to an austere and intimidating legalism and cultural banning. Love away from holiness is soft, naively wishful, and self-indulgent. Thus holiness and Love must be kept in balance when we describe both God and Christian life.
John Wesley said, “God’s love is most fully revealed in the life and especially the death of Jesus Christ,” and Charles Wesley expresses the heart of God’s Love this way: “O Love divine, what hast thou did! / The immortal God hath died for me! The Father’s co-eternal Son bore all my / sins upon the tree. The’ immortal God for me hath died: / My Lord, my Love is crucified.” (The United Methodist Hymnal, #287)
Our Love for God translates into Love for one another. We, as Methodists, have been supportive and speaking out against poverty, famine, unemployment, migration, mental illness, and homelessness. We should feel called to help and work among the needy.
Join us this coming Sunday, March 8th, 2020, to explore and share the meaning of the Love of God and One Another within our Christian experience. Looking for you at 10 am at the “Old Stone Church.”