Personal Holiness

For John Wesley, there was both an inward and an outward dimension to personal holiness. Inward holiness refers to the cleansing and renewing of our hearts and minds, which begins with faith. When we recognize God’s forgiving love in Jesus Christ, we are filled with love for God. Out of this love, the Holy Spirit cultivates thoughts and habits in us that are pleasing to God, including the love of our neighbors. With this inward change in place, outward holiness becomes possible. Outward holiness refers to words and actions that demonstrate loving obedience to God. Personal holiness, then, reflects the transformation of sinful lives into lives that demonstrate love of God and neighbor. Such renewal is made possible by the work of the Holy Spirit, which calls for and enables our response to God. Despite the apparent strength of sin Wesley was confident in the Holy Spirit’s ability to make personal holiness a genuine reality in our lives. -Wesley Study Bible pg 1454