Wesley and the path to healing the soul
Odilon Massolar
Chaves
===============================
Copyright © 2025, Odilon Massolar Chaves
All rights reserved to the author.
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Article 184 of the Penal Code and Law 96710
of February 19, 1998.
Books published in the Wesleyan Digital
Library: 649
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Translator: Google
All glory to God!
Odilon Massolar Chaves is a retired Methodist
pastor, with a doctorate in Theology and History from the Methodist University
of São Paulo.
His thesis dealt with the Methodist revival
in England in the eighteenth century and its contribution as a paradigm for our
days.
He was editor of the official Methodist
newspaper and coordinator of the Theology Course.
Copyright Statement: These files are in the
public domain and are derived from an electronic edition that is available on
the Ethereal Library of Christian Classics website.
Rio de Janeiro – Brazil
===============================
Table of Contents
- Presentation
- Introduction
- Diseases of the soul
- The New Birth
- The Reality of Sin
- The vigilance over Delilah
- The need for soul healing
- The necessity of entire sanctification
- Bibliographic references
Presentation
This is
the book that was missing in the vast bibliography of our most frequent author,
Rev. Odilon Massolar Chaves.
I read, with great pleasure, this book. It is
not a matter of closing the issue - inner healing. In fact, what Rev. Odilon
intends is to make his contribution to the research and practice of what I
prefer to call in-depth counseling.
Life has changed, is changing, and will
continue to change. The people with whom we work suffer, every hour, the
effects of the changes. Worries, fears, other times, hopes are feelings that
accompany the changes in the lives of the people. Our churches are not always
prepared to respond to the situations that such changes generate for families
in general.
Rev. Odilon's book incorporates the
convergence between his practice of counseling in depth with recognized success
and a biblical-theological reflection on sin and the physical and spiritual
illnesses that it generates in people's lives. For this, Rev. Odilon is
exhaustive in biblical research, in addition to pointing out, quite frequently,
the thought of John Wesley on the subject of healing of the soul; in fact, a
Wesleyan expression.
It should also be noted that this book has
another virtue, in addition to the seriousness of the research: it is the
simple and communicative language with which ideas are exposed. In conclusion,
there is no doubt that this book has a polemical character; it is the choice
made by Rev. Odilon, as a theologian, to remove the axioms of psychology from
the center of pastoral counseling, not to renounce them, but rather, as a pastor
and theologian, he deals with human conflicts in the light of themes such as:
sin, grace, forgiveness, etc. Such a choice seems to me to be a path that can
still yield much reflection for those interested in this pastoral area.
Finally, I recommend pastors to read this
book, as well as to other leaders interested in the subject.
Bishop Paul Lockmann
Introduction
One day I
was attending a prayer meeting at my church. At one point, a young lady fell
down and began to speak like a child. I thought about possession, but I soon
realized that it wasn't. I then noticed that she was reliving facts from the
past, because she called for her mother. That's how I entered this complex and
wonderful world of the unconscious and inner healing.
I had to learn from books, in practice, from
colleagues and, above all, from the Holy Spirit. I taught in
some states such as São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Rondônia and Rio de
Janeiro. I realized the great need of people. I also noticed the
barriers that existed in the more conservative and the enthusiasm of the
revivalists in relation to the ministry of inner healing.
I then decided to make my knowledge and
experiences available, in order to help, mainly, leaders. There have already
been thousands of ministrations. I always do them with fear and trembling, but
also in the certainty that the Holy Spirit will act.
This book has as its background the teachings
of John Wesley, a Christian who lived in the eighteenth century, and who, in
fact, is the father of inner healing, because his theology and practice have
always aimed to eliminate diseases of the soul and achieve Christian perfection
in the measure of the stature of Jesus.
Wesley was born in 1703; Freud, in 1856, but
one hundred and fifty years earlier, John Wesley had already spoken of
"exhaustion", "nervous disorder", "hysterical
evil", etc. He spoke of "healing of slander", "inner
enemy", "inner sin". He also gave us fantastic teachings by
saying that a wound cannot be healed as long as the dart is embedded in the
flesh. He also said that the methods of curing diseases of the soul should be
varied, as are the causes of these diseases.
Finally, he said that we must evoke the time
that has passed to discover the causes of our illnesses. With good humor, he
talks about the Dalila that still exists in each of us and wants to take us to
the abyss.
The presentation is by Bishop Paulo Lockmann.
The Author
The diseases of the soul
There is
an immensity of diseases of the soul. Some are serious. If they are not healed,
we will even have eternal death (Galatians 5:19-21; Rev. 21:8). Other illnesses
are the result of trauma and emotional problems, especially in childhood.
The important thing is to know that Jesus
came to heal everyone and all illnesses. He came to bring us Shalom, which is
peace, integrity, health, full life. But Jesus can only heal those who open
their hearts in a humble way. He came to "heal the brokenhearted"
(Isaiah 61:1).
Among the diseases of the soul that need to
be cured are:
1. ( )
Flurry / Agitation
2. ( )
Amnesia
3. ( )
Anxiety
4. ( )
Dislike / Disgust
5. ( )
Anti-sociability
6. ( )
Self-pity / Self-pity
7. ( )
Self-punishment
8. ( )
Authoritarianism / Domination
9. ( )
Flattery
10.( )
Blasphemy
11.( ) Jealousy
12.( )
Complacency with error
13.( )
Complexes
14.( )
Contentions / Quarrels
15.( )
Cowardice
16.( )
Destructive criticism
17.( )
Dependence
18.( )
Depression
19.( )
Sexual lack of control
20.( )
Demotivation
21.( )
Disobedience / Rebellion
22.( )
Disorder / Indiscipline
23.( )
Difficulty communicating
24.( )
Distraction / Alienation / Escape
25. ( )
Selfishness / Voracity
26.( )
Overconfidence
27.( )
Overwork
28.( )
Lack of humor
29.( )
Lack of forgiveness
30. ( )
Spiritual coldness / Unbelief
31.( )
Sentimental coldness
32.( )
Shouting
33.( )
Enjoying Suffering / Masochism
34.( )
Hypochondria
35.( )
Hypocrisy
36. ( )
Hysteria / Nervousness
37.( )
Homosexuality
38.( )
Impulsivity
39.( )
Inconstancy / Instability
40.( )
Indifference
41.( )
Ingratitude
42.( )
Dissatisfaction
43.( )
Insecurity
44.( )
Insensitivity
45.( )
Envy
46.( )
Irresponsibility
47.( )
Irritation / Impatience / Intolerance
48.( )
Slander
49.( )
Quirks / Oddities
50.( ) Bad
mood
51.( )
Fear / Phobia
52.( )
Lies
53.( )
Gossip / Gossip
54.( )
Softness / Laziness / Inertia
55.( )
Murmuring
56.( )
Obsession/Obsessive-compulsive neurosis
57.( )
Obstinacy / Stubbornness
58.( )
Panic
59.( )
Death / Suicide Thoughts
60.( )
Petty theft / Kleptomania
61.( )
Perfectionism
62.( )
Spicy jokes / Anecdotes
63.( )
Possessiveness
64.( )
Prejudice
65.( )
Psychosis
66.( )
Rationalization
67.( )
Rejection
68. ( )
Resentment / Grudge
69.( )
Feelings of guilt
70.( )
Pride / Pride / Presumption
71.( )
Subservience
72.( )
Gossip
73.( ) Shyness
/ Shame / Shyness
74.( )
Tics / Cacoetes
75.( )
Cheating to Gain Advantage
76.( )
Transfer of feelings
77.( )
Transfer of blame
78.( )
Vanity / Presumption
79.( )
Addictions
80.( )
Revenge / Wishing Evil
81.( )
Violence / Anger / Aggressiveness
82.( )
Mockery
We believe that the Lord can heal these and
other ailments not listed here. Evidently, we have to look for those servants
and handmaidens who have this ministry demonstrably. Some diseases need a
professional in the area.
Diseases of the soul can only be adequately
cured by the Lord. We must not run to those who do not have God's grace:
"When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his wound, Ephraim went up to
Assyria and went to the chief king to help him; but he will not be able to heal
them, nor heal their wound" (Hosea 5:13).
The Lord says, "... I am willing to
change the fortunes of my people and to heal Israel..." (Hosea 7:1). The
Lord promises to heal Israel of their idolatry, fornication with the other
gods: "I will heal their unfaithfulness..." (Hosea 14:4). He will
heal by showing love: "... I will love them from myself, because my anger
has departed from them" (Hosea 14:4).
When we are wounded, if we are not healed, we
will wither: "Ephraim is wounded, his roots are dried up; shall bear no
fruit..." (Hosea 9:16). But even if we don't see or realize it, those who
are the Lord's will be healed because of His mercy and His great love:
"... I took them in my arms, but they did not realize that I healed
them" (Hosea 11:3).
The Lord's promise is, "I will be to
Israel as dew, and it will blossom like a lily, and it will put down its roots
like the cedar of Lebanon. Those who sit again in his shadow will return; they
will be quickened like grain, and will blossom like the vine; his fame will be
like that of the wine of Lebanon." (Hosea 14:5,7).
Jesus fulfilled this promise of the Lord. He
came for the sick. He canceled the "writing of debt, which was against
us..." (Col. 2:14). When we are justified, we have peace (Rom. 5:1). Yes,
Jesus came to bring good news to the poor, liberty to the captives, recovery of
sight to the blind, and to set at liberty the oppressed (Luke 4:18).
He is alive interceding for us at the right
hand of the Father. He came so that we might have life in abundance.
The New Birth
Jesus
said that "unless anyone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of
God." (John 3:3). For Wesley, being born again has nothing to do with
baptism or outward change, but is a "change wrought in the soul by the influence
of the Holy Spirit: a change in the whole mode of existence, because, from the
moment we are born of God, we live in a totally different way from what we were
before: we enter, so to speak, a
different world".1
If
before his senses were blocked, "his whole soul is now sensitive to the
manifestations of God...".2
According to Wesley, the breath of the Spirit
is infused into the born-again and continually he is inspired by faith and
breathed out by love, prayers, praise, and thanksgiving. These prayers, praise,
and love are breathed by the soul that is truly born of God.
He who is born again has the eyes of
understanding opened and sees the invisible; their ears are open, and they hear
the voice of God; he knows the voice of his Shepherd.
He who
is born of God always receives in his soul the breath of life imparted by God
and the gracious influence of His Spirit. He, "believing, loving, and
constantly perceiving, by faith, the action of God upon his Spirit,
reciprocates, by a kind of spiritual reaction, the grace he receives, with
unceasing love, praise, and prayer."3
Using
psychological categories, Stanley Jones says that at conversion, a new life is
introduced into the soul; we are born again, but there can be an internal
struggle because the "subconscious is not converted."4
It is also necessary, he says, for the Holy
Spirit to take possession of the subconscious so that there is only the
direction of the Spirit and not the impulses of ego, sex and inheritance.
Thus, not only the conscious part, but also
the unconscious must be restored and mastered, otherwise the impulses will want
to take control and direction.
The Word in Ezekiel is very clear when it
says, "... I will put a new spirit within you..." (Ezekiel 36:26). He
says: "I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my
statutes, and to keep my judgments, and to observe them" (Ezekiel 36:27).
Wesley, without using psychological
categories, had already said the same thing before Stanley Jones. He comments
on the need for us to come to circumcision of the heart, which is "a
righteous state of soul, mind, and spirit renewed in the image of Him who
created them."5
Jesus spoke of this internal struggle:
"... the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Mt 26:41), so He
warns: "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation..." (Matthew
26:41).
What is certain is that, even after the new
birth, the soul still has marks of sin. Therefore, Paul says: "... even if
our outward man (soul) be corrupted, yet our inward man (spirit) is renewed day
by day" (2 Corinthians 4:16).
Yes, the Spirit of the Lord comes to our
spirits: "... grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit
in the inner man" (Ephesians 3:16). He also says: "(...) the Spirit
himself testifies with our spirit that we are the children of God" (Rom.
8:16).
There is a beautiful experience in the new
birth. A new world opens up for us. But it is not enough.
Since
sin is considered a disease, Wesley uses the expression "healing of the
soul." To restore human nature, utterly corrupted in all its faculties,
Wesley speaks of "the divine method of healing the sick soul."6
To cure our atheism, what needs to be done?
According to him, God heals through two ways:
by knowledge of himself and of Jesus Christ.
By
God's grace, we receive faith "a divine evidence or conviction of God and
of the things of God, in particular of this important truth: Christ loved me
and gave himself for me."7
And how to be cured of pride?
This
deadly disease, as Wesley calls it, is overcome "by repentance and
lowliness of heart."8
And obstinacy, how is it cured?
It's
up to us. It is healed by "resignation, mildness, and grateful submission
to the will of God."9
Finally, he says that we are healed of the
love of the world in all its aspects by the outpouring of God's love into our
hearts. According to Wesley, this is the sovereign remedy. Therefore, in the
new birth, there must also be a healing of the soul that is sick.[1]
The Reality of Sin
After all,
if when we are born again there is a new life, why the ministry of inner
healing?
After all, "... if anyone is in Christ,
he is a new creation; the old things are passed away; behold, new ones have
been made" (2 Corinthians 5:17), so why think about the past?
With these sincere affirmations and thoughts,
many do not understand how to deal with memories that would be filed in our
unconscious.
Wesley
argues against this idea with several statements. The one who is born again is
spiritual, "but he may or may not be fully spiritual"1. He goes
on to say, "His carnal mind had been nailed to the cross, but it had not
been utterly destroyed."2
Of the
old things that have passed away, he says, "... his old conception of
justification, sanctification, happiness, and, in a word, of the things of God
in general, has passed away; so also their old desires, designs, affections,
tendencies, and conversation. All these things have become really new, greatly
changed from what they were before; however, being new, they are not totally
new. Yet he feels, to his sorrow and confusion, that something remains of the
old man, there remain too manifest traces of his primitive inclinations and
affections, though these cannot gain advantage over his soul as long as he
remains vigilant in prayer."3
He
says that we are reconciled to God by the blood of Jesus. The corruption of
nature is put under our feet. "She, however, still exists, and is still,
by her nature, enmity towards God, because she covets against the Spirit."4
Sin exists, even though we are not governed
by it. There is pride, but pride does not govern those born of the Spirit.
Those who are of the world obey sin, pride, or anger; the born-again do not
obey.
Methodist missionary Stanley Jones, who lived
in India, has a more modern explanation for this question: "The passion of
the flesh is the unconverted subconscious. The three directive impulses reside
in the subconscious: the ego, sex, and inheritance. Such impulses, through
innate propensities and racial habit, want to complete themselves, to realize
themselves, to be effective apart from the new life of the Spirit and,
sometimes, contrary to this new life."5
The truth is, when we are justified, we are
freed from the dominion of sin, but it is not totally destroyed. He still
exists in us. There is still the old nature: the "Delilah", the evil
nature.
Wesley uses the expression
"Delilah" to talk about the bad tendencies that are with us. Delilah
was a Philistine who sought to persuade Samson to reveal the source of her
strength (Judges 16:4-5). She insisted so much that Samson ended up revealing
the secret to Delilah (Judges 16:15-17). She put him to sleep on his knees and
called Samson's enemies to cut his hair (Judges 16:19).
The Philistines, his enemies, still poured
out his eyes (Judges 16:21). 'Delilah', therefore, symbolizes the evil nature
that will insist on leading us to misfortune. We cannot waver. We have to be
vigilant. Therefore, speaking to Christians, Paul gives the following guidance:
"... as for the past dealing, put off the old self, which corrupts itself
according to the desires of deception, and be renewed in the spirit of your
mind, and put on the new man, created according to God, in righteousness and
righteousness proceeding from the truth." (Ephesians 4:22-24).
The big issue is that not everyone remains
"in Christ." "He that is in Christ is a new creation," says
Paul. That is why he tells the Ephesians, "Walk in love" (Ephesians
5:2). He says: "walk as children of light" (Ephesians 5:8). They had
believed in Jesus and even been sealed by the Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14), but
they still needed to leave many marks of sin: "Let all bitterness and
anger and anger and clamor and slander be far from you, and all malice"
(Ephesians 4:31).
James says to the church, "... putting
off all uncleanness and accumulation of wickedness, receive with meekness the
word implanted in you, which is powerful to save your soul." (James 1:21).
The issue raised by James is that many only hear and do not practice the word
(James 1:22). James says that he who does not practice "... it resembles
the man who contemplates his natural face in a mirror; for he contemplates
himself, and withdraws, and soon forgets what he looked like." (James 1:23-24).
He speaks of the church that was a respecter
of persons: "... but if ye are a respecter of persons, ye commit
sin..." (James 2:9).
About the struggle between the flesh and the
spirit, he says to the church: "From whence come wars and contentions,
what is there among you? From where, if not from the pleasures that militate in
your flesh?" (James 4:1). They certainly became new creatures, but they
did not remain in Christ.
Peter gives the same guidance to the Church:
"Putting off therefore all malice and deceit, hypocrisy and envy and all
manner of evil speaking, yearn longing, like newborn babes, for the pure
spiritual milk..." (I Peter 2:1-2).
John is clearer: "If we say that we have
no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8).
It is possible, therefore, for the believer
to have been born again and end up in the flesh: "Are you so foolish, that
having begun in the Spirit, you are now perfecting yourselves in the
flesh?" (Galatians 3:3).
When we are, in fact, of Christ Jesus, we
crucify the passions and lusts (Galatians 5:24). But Paul warns, "walk in
the Spirit, and you will never gratify the lust of the flesh." (Galatians
5:16). For the flesh not to dominate us, we have to live in the Spirit.
Sin
does not dominate, but it still exists in those who have been born again. Hence
Wesley says, "Perfection without sin is, therefore, a phrase I never
use."6
Wesley
prefers to say that perfection is salvation from sin. Perfect is the one
"who in fact commits no sin."7
Therefore, even though he has been born again, sin still exists in the life of the Christian, even though it does not dominate. Delilah still exists, but we can beat her. All vigilance, however, is necessary.[2]
Vigilance over Delilah
Though
subdued, sin remains in the one who has been born again. In many of his
sermons, Wesley warns Christians of the need to watch and fight against the
evil nature, the idols, the 'Delilah' that still resides within us. The
'Delilah' means the presence within or near us of the sinful tendency that
wants to seduce us.
Delilah was a Philistine woman, an enemy of
Israel, who managed to seduce Samson to discover the secret of her strength.
She insisted so much that she succeeded. He ended up blind and arrested. It is
with this bad tendency that we have to be very careful.
But some will argue, "He who has sin in
him is not a slave to sin?"
Wesley
answers, "Man may be in grace, though he feels sin; he will lose that
condition only if he submits to sin. Having sin in itself does not take away
God's favor; but it removes it from giving place to sin. Though in you I covet
the flesh against the Spirit, yet you may be a child of God; but if you walk
after the flesh, you will be a son of the devil."1
Those
who live in the spiritual wilderness - and here he speaks of believers - it is
because they allow the evil nature to dominate them: "How then can the
love of God take place in your hearts, until you banish your idols? Do not be
deceived: God is not mocked. He will not dwell in a divided heart. So long as
you take Delilah into your bosom, He will have no place there."2
Wesley
enumerates and names the inner sin: " ... any sinful feeling, passion, or
affection, such as pride, obstinacy, love of the world, of any kind or degree,
such as covetousness, anger, and complaint..."3
Wesley
makes it clear that after a person is justified, that is, forgiven by God by
faith (Romans 5:1), there are two contrary principles in every person:
"nature and grace, called by St. Paul the flesh and the spirit"4, so he
emphasizes the need for believers to live in vigilance "against the flesh,
the world, and the devil."5
This
struggle against the inner enemy is constant, because "his will is not
totally submissive to the will of God. They know that they are in it, but their
hearts are ready to desert; they have a tendency to evil in many of their
aspects and to turn their backs on good".6
To
those who taught the contrary of this doctrine in his time, bringing many evils
to people, Wesley speaks of the danger: "They remove our vigilance against
our evil nature and against the Delilah that still resides within us, although
the adherents of this doctrine say that she is gone. It destroys the shield of
weak believers, deprives them of their faith, and thus leaves them exposed to
the assaults of the world, the flesh, and the devil."7
He
says that we should maintain the sound doctrine given to the saints and
transmitted through the written word. Wesley warns, "Though we are
renewed, washed, purified, and sanctified, the moment we truly believe in
Christ, we are not wholly, for the evil flesh and nature, though overcome,
still go on and war against the Spirit."8 This evil
tendency was already denounced by the Lord in the past: "For my people are
inclined to turn away from me; if he is summoned to go above, no one does
it." (Hosea 11:7). He further says: "The more I called them, the more
they left my presence..." (Hosea 11:2).
However, the Lord wants to rescue us, to
restore us, to "heal Israel" (Hosea 7:1), to heal our souls.
Wesley
says that we are free from the guilt and power of sin, but not from its
essence, for the flesh fights against the Spirit. When someone argues that
Christians will only reach the Heavenly Jerusalem if they are clean, for there
nothing unclean can penetrate (Hebrews 12:22, 23), Wesley answers: "And
they are likewise holy and without blemish, inasmuch as they walk according to
the Spirit, although feeling that beside good there is another principle in
them, the two being contrary to each other."9
We are reconciled to God and the flesh is put
under our feet, but it still exists and is enmity against God. Although we have
crucified the flesh, it remains and always struggles to detach itself from the
arms of the cross.
It is
true that Christ gave himself so that the Church might be holy and without
blemish. "It will be so in the end, but it has never been so from its
beginning to this day."10
Finally, he who has been born again and walks
in the Spirit has sin subdued, although it still remains. We must watch and
walk towards entire sanctification, because only then will we have a constant
victory over Delilah, over the Jezebel who instigates us to evil (1 Kings
21:25).[3]
The Need for Soul Healing
Wesley
speaks of the need for the healing of the soul, the elimination of Delilah's
power over us. He uses various expressions: "internal defects",
"internal sin", etc. For him, sin is a disease, hence the expression
"cure" to talk about sin.
To
those who think they have no inner problem, he asks a question: "But can't
they find inward defects beyond those outward omissions? Defects of all kinds:
they do not have the love that is due to their neighbor...".1
He who
is so far from God does not realize the diseased state of his soul. Therefore,
Wesley makes it clear that the closer we get to the Lord, the more we will be
aware of what we need to change. He says, "The more we grow in grace, the
more we feel the desperately wicked state of our heart. The more we advance in
the knowledge and love of God through our Lord Jesus Christ ... the more we
know our estrangement from God, the enmity that exists in our carnal mind, and
the necessity of being wholly renewed in righteousness and true holiness."2
Thus,
the ministry of inner healing is both for non-believers and for people
considered spiritually mature. The ultimate goal of the ministry is "to
heal integrally and restore the personality, leading to the full exercise of
our potentialities, motivating us to seek self-realization through communion
with God and neighbor."3
Yes, we desire with the ministry that the
person has communion with God and with his neighbor in a love of giving;
security and the ability to make commitments and answer for them; acceptance of
oneself without overvaluation or depreciation; ability to be open to God to be
an instrument to change the world.
Wesley even speaks of a "defect of
character". He says that the soul, as long as it is connected with the
body, cannot think without the aid of the bodily organs. And "since these
organs are imperfect, we are subject to speculative and practical errors (...)
. Yes, and a mistake may cause me to love a good man less than I ought, which
is a defect of character." He also says that Satan will not miss the
opportunity to turn us against God, using all his wisdom and strength, to, in
an hour of carelessness, bring us discontent, impatience and envy of others.
Wesley
says that sin remains within the hearts of those who believe. "He does not
reign, but remains."4
He
cites examples: "For he who thought that all sins were gone still feels
that pride is in his heart. He is convinced that he has attached more
importance to himself than he should in many respects, and that he has enjoyed
the praise he has received..."5 This
includes those who have been regenerated, for the new birth is not yet
sanctification, holiness, Christian perfection. In the new birth, a process of
sanctification begins.
Wesley
says that "where we least suspect it, we find a little pride or obstinacy,
unbelief or idolatry...".6
Who would have thought that Peter had any
sin? After all, he had been filled with the Spirit and performed healings and
miracles after Pentecost. But one fine day when he was fasting and praying, the
Spirit of the Lord revealed that he had prejudice in his heart and that he must
change (Acts 10:9-16). It is the Spirit who convicts us of sin. Therefore, in
the ministrations, we ask the Spirit to reveal, to bring to mind what needs to
be changed, healed.
We always ask Jesus to perform healing. It is
He who can do this. The lecturer cannot do it. He is only a channel, an
instrument in the hands of the Lord.
In
some ministries people appear saying that they came just to see what the work
is like, because they have no problem at all. It doesn't take long for these
people to confess that they now see that they need soul healing. Just open your
heart and the Lord will reveal and heal. It is His purpose. After all, we were
created to be conformed to the image of Jesus (Rom. 8:29).[4]
The Necessity of Entire Sanctification
We
understand, then, that we need to get rid of the "Delilah" that is
inside us. Only in this way can the Lord dwell in our hearts.
Wesley understood that this could happen in
our existence here on earth by entire sanctification, complete sanctification,
or Christian perfection. Without entire sanctification it is impossible to be
saved from all sin.
Wesley cites several verses to support his
word: "He will redeem Israel from all their sins" (Psalm 130:8); “...
I will cleanse you from all your iniquities and from all your idols."
(Ezekiel 36:25); Having these promises, "let us cleanse ourselves from all
uncleanness, both of the flesh and of the spirit, perfecting our holiness in
the fear of God" (2 Corinthians 7:1); "The Lord your God shall
encircle your heart and the heart of your descendants, that you may love the
Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may
live." (Deuteronomy 30:6).
Finally, he quotes 1 Thessalonians 5:23:
"May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and I pray God that
your whole spirit, soul, and body may be preserved blameless until the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Here there are expressions such as "all
uncleanness," "all your sins," "sanctify completely."
One must be convinced of the deep corruption of the heart in order to be
concerned about entire sanctification, says Wesley.
This
complete sanctification does not exclude human error. It does not make man an
infallible God: "I believe that there is no perfection in this life that
excludes these involuntary transgressions, which I think are naturally the
consequence of ignorance and errors inseparable from mortality."1 There is
no absolute perfection on earth. "A Christian is perfect to the point of
not committing sin."2
The Christian will be perfect like his
Master, and the Master was free from all sinful feelings.
As
David Seamands states in his book The Healing of Memories: "The
ultimate goal is not simply to relieve the pain of the past or some level of
mental and emotional sanity, but growth into Christlikeness and a work of
maturation in sanctification and true holiness."
But what are the essential marks, then, of a
person who has attained to entire sanctification?
He
replies: "... he in whom is the mind that was in Christ, and who walks as
Christ walked; who has been washed from all impurities of flesh and spirit; he
who is not a stumbling block to others, and he who commits no sin, ... he whom
God has totally sanctified body, soul, and spirit, he who walks in the light as
He is in the light, there is no darkness, having been washed from all sin by
the blood of Jesus Christ His Son."3
Wesley
further says: "Your soul is really all love, full of bowels of mercy,
goodness, meekness, magnanimity, and forbearance. His life is in accordance
with these qualities, full of works of faith, patience, hope and the work of
love. Whatever he does, whether in word or deed, he does in the name, love, and
power of the Lord Jesus."4
In his journal, Wesley cites examples of
people who received the blessing, as he also calls it, entire sanctification.
He tells of the experience of Mr. Fugill who, one night after seeking God,
experienced the blessing. And it was at the time of preaching.
This
gentleman says: "... My heart was filled more and more, until it was no
longer powerful. I wanted to be alone, to pour out my heart before God; and
when I got home, I could do nothing but praise and thank God. Since that
moment, I have felt nothing but love; without sin of any kind. And I hope I
will never sin again, nor offend God."5
Those who have been justified and born again
cannot help seeking to grow spiritually, they cannot help sanctifying
themselves, for there is still in the believer the evil nature that fights
against the spirit.
Those
who teach the contrary of this, says Wesley, have the worst consequences:
"She suppresses all vigilance over our sinful nature, over the Delilah we
are told is gone, though she still rests against our breasts."6 Hence he
further says: "As far as possible, let us exercise all diligence in
'fighting the good fight of the faith.' More and more actively, let us 'watch
and pray' against the enemy within."7
He
further says to take up the whole armor of God so that when we wrestle against
flesh and blood and also against "depraved principalities, powers, and
spirits in high places, we may 'stand firm in the evil day,' and, having done
all, stand firm in the faith."8
Finally, we must be aware that we must always
walk towards entire sanctification. Only then will we have power over the
"Delilah" who insists on resting against our chest.
In
Hebrews 3:13, there is an orientation in this regard: "... exhort one
another daily, during the time that is called Today, that none of you may be
hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." He goes on to say, "Therefore,
laying aside the elementary principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us be led
to that which is perfect" (Hebrews 6:1).[5]
Bibliographic references
BURTNER, Robert - CHILES, Robert.
Collection of the Theology of John Wesley, São Paulo, Methodist Press,
1960.
CHAVES, Odilon.
Steps to a Full Inner Healing, Rio de Janeiro, 1994.
ENSLEY, Francis
Gerald. John Wesley, the Evangelist, São Paulo, Methodist Press, 1960.
JONES, Stanley.
Diseases, Cures and the Holy Spirit, São Paulo, IMS Graphic Sector, 1989.
MORAES, Renate
Jost de. The Keys to the Unconscious. Rio de Janeiro, Editora Agir, 1985.
WESLEY, João. The
Marks of a Methodist, São Paulo, Methodist Press.
WESLEY, João.
Wesley's Sermons, Vol. I, São Paulo, Methodist Press, 1953.
WESLEY, João.
Wesley's Sermons, Vol. II, São Paulo, Methodist Press, 1981.
WESLEY, João.
Excerpts from the Diary of John Wesley, São Paulo, Methodist Press, 1965
[1] 1- WESLEY, João. Wesley's Sermons, Vol. I, p. 388.
2- Idem, p. 390.
3- Idem, p. 392.
4- JONES, Stanley. Diseases, Cures and the
Holy Spirit, p.26.
5- WESLEY, João . Vol. I, p. 351.
6- WESLEY, João. Vol. II, op.
cit. p. 375.
7- Idem.
8, 9- Ibidem
[2] 1 - WESLEY, John.
Vol. I, op. cit. p. 264.
2 - Idem.
3 - Idem, p. 265.
4 - Idem, p. 267.
5 - JONES, Stanley, op. cit. p. 20.
6 - BURTNER, Robert - CHILES, Robert.
Compilation of
Theology of John Wesley, p. 213.
7 - Idem, p. 210.
[3] 1 - WESLEY, João. Vol. I, op. cit. p. 270.
2 - WESLEY, João. Vol. II, op. cit. p. p.
413-414.
3 - BURTNER, Robert - CHILES, Robert, op.
cit. p. 132.
4 - Idem, p. 178.
5 - Idem.
6 - Idem.
7 - Idem, p. 179.
8 - Idem.
9 - WESLEY, João. Vol. I, op. cit. p. 266.
10 - Idem, p. 267
[4]1 - BURTNER, Robert -
CHILES, Robert. op. cit. p. 180
2 - Idem.
3 - Inner Healing Leaflet of the Methodist
Church of the Botanical Garden produced by Odilon Chaves.
4 - BURTNER, Robert - CHILES, Robert. op.
cit. p. 182.
5 - Idem, p. 184.
6 - Idem, p. 186.
[5] 1 - BURTNER, Robert
- CHILES, Robert. op. cit. p. 213.
2 - Idem, p. 218.
3 - Idem, p. 210.
4 - Idem.
5 - WESLEY, João. Excerpts from the Diary of
John Wesley, p. 127.
6 - WESLEY, João, Vol. I op. cit. p. 270.
WESLEY, John, Wesley's Sermons, p. 271.
8- Idem, p. 271
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