A Faith that Reveals the Trinity

We believe the order of salvation is “God’s Actions – Our Response”

I John said it this way: “We love, because God first loved us.”

The One God has acted in our scriptures, traditions, and experience

as the Triune Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Our grace-enabled response can reveal the Trinity of God!

God’s action is all grace, which we believe has three characteristics.

1) prevenient or preventing grace – becoming aware of our need for God

2) justifying grace – having a right relationship with God

3) sanctifying grace – going on to perfection in God’s love

The three rules of Methodism go along with these characteristics

1) do no harm

2) do good

3) stay in love with God

There are three commitments which arise out of these rules

1) depend on God

2) conform to Christ

3) have confidence in the Holy Spirit

The 44 Standard Sermons of the Methodist Connection can be divided into 3 sections

1-15 Prevenient grace

16-30 Justifying grace (all based on the Sermon on the Mount)

31-44 Sanctifying grace

The “Cautions and Directions for the Greatest Professors of Methodism” are concerned with these three forms of grace, and our failure to respond in holiness of heart and life

1) pride (inner sin of the heart) and enthusiasm (outer sin in life) against prevenient grace

2) antinomianism (inner sin of the heart) and sins of omission (outer sin in life) against justifying grace

3) desiring anything but God (inner sin of the heart) and schism (outer sin in life) against sanctifying grace