When John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, was five years old, his family's home caught fire one night. (It is often thought that the fire was started by parishioners who were angry at his father, the priest of the local parish.) While his parents and siblings made it safely outside, Wesley was trapped in a room on the second story. Some men in the streets acted quickly and, standing on each other's shoulders, formed a human ladder so that they could reach him. They pulled him through the window and down to safety with his family moments before the house was engulfed in flames. Wesley's mother, Susannah, saw in these events God's saving hand at work, and she referred to her son as "a brand plucked from the burning" in reference to Zechariah 3:2. Not only did she believe that God had saved him from the fire, but she also believed that God had saved him for a special purpose.
One belief that we as United Methodists particularly emphasize is that God not only saves us from our sin but that God also saves us for holy living. Through our faith in God, we are forgiven of our sins and restored to a right relationship with God (that is, we are justified). This, however, is only the beginning. Along our continuing journey with God, we grow in our love of God and of our neighbors and become more like Jesus Christ (that is, we are sanctified). We are called to a special purpose - to feed the hungry, to visit the sick and imprisoned, to show mercy to the poor and and compassion to the hurting. Like in John Wesley's situation as a child trapped in a burning house, God saves us from wearisome burdens and troubling dangers so that we may be freed for the special purpose of sharing God's love in the world.
Questions for thought: From what has God saved you in your life? How is God saving you today? For what purpose has God saved you? How are you growing in your love of God and of your neighbors? What special purpose do you feel that God has in mind for you and your life?
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