Means of Grace. Men’s Bible Study

Spirit and Truth Debrief

Lent

Lent is the 40 days leading to Easter, a time of penitence, preparation, reorientation to vitals parts of our faith.

Means of Grace

By ‘means of grace’ I understand outward signs, words, or actions ordained of God, and appointed for this end – to be the ordinary channels whereby he might convey to men preventing, justifying, and sanctifying grace….

The chief of these means are prayer, whether in secret or with the great congregation; searching the Scriptures (which implies reading, hearing, and meditating thereon) and receiving the Lord’s Supper, eating bread and drinking wine in remembrance of him; and these we believe to be ordained of God as the ordinary channels of conveying his grace to the souls of men. [II.1]

The means of grace, a broad and expansive category, encompass all the various ways that God channels his grace—again, the power of the Holy Spirit—to the faithful. God has given us these means that we might grow in him.

This term does not originate with Wesley. They inherited from Christians long before them and the protestant reformation. When the church got away from the 7 sacraments, the church did not abandon the important practices necessary for spiritual formation. Puritan movements long before Wesley, talked about means of grace. The most important ones were scripture, prayer, and holy communion. In the late 17th century and early 18th century, it began to expand to many practices. So when it came to Wesley, he began to talk about expanded categories:

The instituted means of Grace

The prudential means of grace

General means of grace

Instituted Means of Grace:

Prayer

Searching the Scripture

Holy Communion

Fasting

Christian Fellowship

Instituted: they are put forth by Jesus himself in the gospels. Wesley writes in his journal when talking about holy communion: “if a practice has been given by Christ by his precept and his example then it is an instituted means of grace.

Prayer: communication with God

To behold the glory of Jesus means that we begin to find Christ beautiful for who he is in himself. It means a kind of prayer in which we are not simply coming to him to get his forgiveness, his help for our needs, his favor and blessing. Rather, the consideration of his character, words, and work on our behalf becomes inherently satisfying, enjoyable, comforting, and strengthening

Scripture

The Bible is a form of divine communication meant to lead us more fully into the life of God. Put in theological terms, we might say that through the Bible we receive divine revelation, the purpose of which is soteriological. In other words, the purpose of God’s Word is salvation for the world. John Wesley believed that Scripture shows us “the way to heaven—how to land safe on that happy shore. . . . Here then I am, far from the busy ways of men. I sit down alone: only God is here. In his presence I open, I read his Book; for this end, to find the way to heaven.” 9 Or to put it in yet another way, God speaks to us through the Bible and leads us into salvation. God loves us and wishes us to return that love. When we do, we enter more fully into the divine life. The Bible is a “book of meeting.” 10 It draws us ever more deeply into a relationship with the God who came to us in Jesus Christ. In light of this, our first posture toward the Bible should be one of gratitude, not criticism. -David Watson

David F. Watson. Scripture and the Life of God

Holy Communion

Eucharist: Jesus coming through the bread. It does not change from bread into Jesus. God’s grace coming to us.

Fasting: Denying ourselves. Less of the distractions. TV, social media, alcohol, etc.

Christian Fellowship: Holy Conferencing.

Prudential Means of Grace:

Class Meetings and Band Meetings

In some context that is helpful and captures the heart of means of grace.

General Means of Grace:

Attitudes, dispositions, habits that bring us into an awareness of God’s constant practice

The exercise of the presence of God

Taking up your cross

Wesley talks about this much less often. The exercise of the presence of God. Self-denial. Obedience. Listening to the prompting of the Spirit. These are foundational for all the others.