“I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.” – John Wesley
On the evening of May 24, 1738, John Wesley attended a Moravian Bible Study on Aldersgate Street, in London, England. Apparently they conducted Bible Studies differently in the 18th century, because the leader was reading from the preface of a commentary on Romans written by Martin Luther. However odd that may sound to us, today, the words impacted Wesley and he felt his heart “strangely warmed” and put his faith in Jesus for salvation. This moment sparked the Methodist Revival.
The revival reached all corners of Britain and jumped the ocean to impact the Americas. Some historians credit the Methodist Revival with saving England from the chaotic upheaval experienced in France due to their revolution. By the turn of the 20th century Methodism was far and away the largest protestant body in the United States.
All of this from one heart-warming experience. When asked why God raised up the people called Methodist, Wesley replied, “To reform the nation, particularly the church, and to spread scriptural holiness over the land.” I believe we exist for just such a purpose. Look around. Wouldn’t the world be a better place if we heeded our call to spread scriptural holiness, a heart-felt experience of salvation, and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to follow Jesus in thought, word, and deed?
I hope you feel your heart warmed by God’s love and share his love with others so they, too, can know the transformation of God’s grace.