Grace-fueled Discipleship

By Tammie Grimm

Did you know John Wesley never used the word “disciple” to refer to  persons who seek to follow Jesus? It’s true. Yes, he did use the word “disciple,” however, it was only in reference to the persons who were companions of Jesus during his earthly ministry and then carried on after Pentecost to help build and grow the church. He simply never used the term “disciple” in reference to himself or any of the “people called Methodist “ of his day. Rather, he referred to his contemporaries who were dedicated followers of Christ as either “Methodist” or “Christian.” When pressed to describe what it meant to be a “Methodist” or a “Christian” Wesley turned to scripture and created the turn of phrase by mashing up Philippians 2:5 with I John 2:6 to describe a Christian (or a Methodist) as one who has the mind that was in Christ so that they walk in the way Christ also walked (emphasis added). It’s a definition that still tracks today having resonance with contemporary descriptions of a disciple as one who is a follower of Jesus or is a friend to or companion with Jesus.

What is so great about Wesley’s description of a disciple (beyond the realization that he was mashing up verses long before DJ’s thought they were cool by doing it to recording artists) is that his provides nuance, reminding us that a Christian disciple is about engaging in doing things just like Jesus did and that their interior lives (thoughts, feelings, and impulses) were also consistent with Jesus. Actually, Wesley gives priority to Christlike desires and motivations (thinking and being like Jesus) that orders outward behavior. This description of a Christian disciple leaves room for mutual reinforcement between the two, that in doing things like Jesus we can become more like him in character and disposition as well.

Similarly, while Wesley didn’t use the term “spiritual disciplines” or “Christian practices” he didn’t neglect teaching or preaching about them. Instead, he used a term popular in his day, “means of grace,” to describe those everyday actions that persons participate in out of the desire that participation in them will help them grow in faith and Christlike character. And just as Wesley’s description of a disciple spans the ages, so too, does “means of grace” transcend time. By ascribing the means — whether they be signs, words, actions, or even practices, disciplines, and experiences — to be “of grace,” that is belonging to God, we can understand God often and regularly uses particular activities such as prayer, worshipping together, volunteering at the homeless shelter, etc. to help us grow and mature in Christian faith. Furthermore, we are offered the opportunity to realize that God could use just about any event or circumstance in our lives to convey his love that we might grow in Christlike character if we are so attuned.

Typically, we may call certain things we do as Christians, whether it be prayer, Bible study, worshipping and taking communion with others, volunteering at the local food bank or supporting a Christian missionary a spiritual disciplines or Christian practice. And by that, we mean that we do these things in order that we might grow closer to God. More often than not, our motivations might are not completely pure. We might engage in these actions in order to please others or for any range of selfish reasons. Thankfully, God is patient and wise and does not object to using our mixed motivations for his good! Through our continued and regular participation over extended periods of time, we can begin to understand that we’ve come to love God in newer and deeper ways. These actions become life-giving in ways that we may not have expected. It might be a challenge for many of us to articulate what these actions do within us. Richard Foster offers help when he says that the spiritual disciplines bring us joy as they liberate us from fear and self-absorption.

In considering Wesley’s chosen words and phrases, we discover that our participation in the spiritual disciplines, like our faithful discipleship, is — at some level — divinely inspired. It must be if we are to grow in Christlike character. Our human frailties don’t have staying power on their own. If we are to grow in Christlike character, we need to respond to God’s grace already present in our lives and be responsible with it through loving deed, word and action. Our faithful discipleship depends upon it.

Tammie Grimm is Associate Professor at Wesley Seminary in Marion, Indiana.