Wesleyans, Experience and Revival

“Experience is sufficient to confirm a doctrine which is grounded in Scripture.”

Experience has always played a vital part within the Wesleyan movement. From that still small voice heard in prayer to the ecstatic encounter of worship, the early Methodists placed great emphasis on experiencing the transforming love of God. This is why John Wesley penned the words above in his sermon, “The Witness of the Spirit, II.”

Not every tradition within Christianity places such emphasis on experience. But as the Wesley brothers (and many others) were swept up in the Evangelical Revival, experience became a hallmark of the movement. We can read about the experiences of conversion, assurance, and even entire sanctification in many of the testimonies left by the early Methodists. And I encourage you to read them. These testimonies were inspiring then, and they’re inspiring now.

The Incarnation of Christ is at the heart of our faith, and so experience of Christ should be a part of the Christian life. St. John wrote about this in the first few verses 1 John when he talked about seeing, touching, beholding (i.e. experiencing) the Word of life. By the power of the Spirit, we continue to experience Christ, in the means of grace and most notably in the sacraments.

But what role does experience play when it comes to doctrine and the Christian life? This has always been a challenge for an experience-oriented movement. In the Fetter Lane Society where the Wesley brothers, Whitefield, and others first gathered at the beginning of the Revival, experience got out of hand. A group called the “French Prophets” became a part of the Society and made claims to ecstatic visions. One of these “prophets” claimed to have had a vision telling her who in the society should be married to who, including people already married! She broke up marriages. This ended when Charles Wesley came in and swiftly brought an end to the scheme; he was often leery of too much emphasis on experience.

At the same time, we can see that experience is a wonderful part of the Christian life, but (and here’s the key) it needs to be grounded in Scripture. Part of the reason for this is because we know that our experience isn’t always trustworthy. We are fallen and that fallenness impacts every part of our lives. A more grounded approach then, would be to say that we can experience the promises of Scripture , that we can experience the Christ revealed in Scripture, and the Holy Spirit promised in Scripture. But that experience needs to be grounded.

As Wesleyans, we should never relegate the experience of God, but we can be assured of its benefit when we ground it in Scripture, assured that the Spirit who raised Christ from the dead, the same Spirit who inspired the writing of Scripture itself, continues to work in our hearts and lives, a comfort and a blessing that we can trust.

P.S. I’m thrilled to announce the Second Annual Tennent Lecture, April 20th in Washington, DC. Dr. Timothy Tennent , Distinguished Fellow of the JWI and Methodist Chair at Beeson Divinity School, Samford University, will offer remarks on global Christianity. This event, held at 1023 15th St. NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC, will begin at 6:30 p.m. with the lecture to follow at 7. Please plan to join us!

Ryan N. Danker is director of the John Wesley Institute, Washington, DC. This is reposted from a weekly JWI newsletter that can be subscribed tohere.

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