What John Wesley Meant by Grace: The Different Types of Grace Explained | by Talia Meadows | Mere Christianity | Medium

What John Wesley Meant by Grace: The Different Types of Grace Explained

Talia Meadows
Mere Christianity
Published in
3 min readJun 13, 2022

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Popular Graphic Arts, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

John Wesley (1703–1791) was a religious leader in the 18th century who preached about the concept of grace. He believed that there were different types of grace, which I will explore in this article.

John Wesley was an English cleric and theologian who was a leader of the Methodist movement. Wesley is largely credited with bringing Methodism to the forefront of the evangelical Christian movement. In addition to his work with the Methodist Church, Wesley also had a significant impact on the development of the Holiness movement.

Born in Epworth, Lincolnshire, Wesley was educated at Charterhouse School and Christ Church, Oxford. He was ordained in the Church of England in 1725 and became increasingly involved with the Moravian Church. In 1735, he went to Georgia in America as a missionary, but he returned to England two years later due to ill health.

While at Oxford, Wesley came under the influence of the pietistic movement which emphasized personal faith and individual salvation. After his return from America, Wesley began holding meetings for small groups of students which were eventually known as the “Holy Club.” The members of the Holy Club would meet regularly for prayer, study, and fasting. They also practiced methods of self-examination and accountability to one another.

Wesley’s meetings eventually attracted larger numbers of people and became known as the “Methodist Society.” The Methodist Society was formally organized in 1744, with Wesley serving as its president. Methodist societies were established in Britain and Ireland, as well as in several American colonies.

Under Wesley’s leadership, the Methodist movement grew rapidly. Wesley emphasized preaching and evangelism, and he also advocated for social reform. He opposed slavery and supported the abolitionist movement. He also worked to improve conditions for workers, helped to found Methodist schools and colleges, and spoke out against child labor.

Today, Methodism is a worldwide denomination with over 75 million members. John Wesley is considered to be the father of Methodism.

Three types of grace

According to Wesley, there are three types of grace: prevenient, justifying, and sanctifying. Each type of grace is important for our salvation and spiritual growth. Let’s take a closer look at each type!

Prevenient grace is the grace that God gives us to enable us to respond to the gospel. It is also known as “enabling grace” because it gives us the power to do things we couldn’t do on our own.

Justifying grace is the grace that forgives our sins and makes us right with God.

Sanctifying grace is the grace that transforms our lives and enables us to live holy lives.

A prevenient grace example would be when someone is called to ministry and they have a desire to do it, but they don’t feel like they are qualified. God gives them the grace to enable them to do what He has called them to do.

A justifying grace example would be when we repent of our sins and ask God for forgiveness. He forgives us and makes us right with Him.

And a sanctifying grace example would be when we are struggling with a sin in our life and God gives us the power to overcome it.

All of these types of grace are important for our spiritual journey. We need prevenient grace to be able to respond to God’s call. We need justifying grace to be forgiven and made right with God. And we need sanctifying grace to grow in our faith and become more like Christ.

Which type of Grace do you need in your life today?

Pray that God would give you the grace you need to grow in your faith journey. Ask him to show you areas of your life where you need sanctifying grace. And thank him for his prevenient and justifying grace in your life!

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