The Holy Beckoning

It is not surprising that John Wesley brought the Holy Spirit to the forefront in his preaching.  His very personal experience at Aldersgate greatly altered his view of the way God worked in the heart of the sinner and the believer.  Grace truly became all sufficient in a way he had never before known.  And the saving response to that all sufficient grace was not something which could be passed from one generation to another, or something which could be known through strict adherence to church law and ritual,  but instead, it was that faith response of the heart which was prompted by the Holy Spirit.    

Romans 8:15 became a key passage for Wesley as he preached his message of a personal faith in Christ Jesus.  "...When we cry 'Abba! Father!' it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ..."   How often we have thought of the beginning of our faith as something which originates in us and which is known by us because of some intentional action on our part.  The more we pause to consider what has happened, the more we come to realize how much it is about God and how little it is about us.    

It is God's beckoning which enables us to respond in faith.  It is a beckoning that begins with what Wesley called "prevenient grace."  It is a beckoning that we see most clearly as we come to Golgotha and behold the Lamb of God sacrificing His life as a sin offering for each and everyone of us.  And it is a beckoning that is heard in the deep places of our spirit as the Holy Spirit whispers our name and becomes as One who says, "Listen!  I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.  (Revelation 3:20)