Wesley’s General Rules as a Blueprint for Discipleship

by Kevin M. Watson

In my Sunday School class someone recently commented, “Christianity is not complicated. But it is really hard.” I think she meant that it is not difficult to understand the basic Christian message, or even to understand what Christians should do. The challenge of the Christian life isn’t knowing what to do – it is doing it.

John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, had a remarkable ability to communicate the content of Christian faith and life. Perhaps more important for Wesley’s legacy was his development of a method that would help people practice their faith. In Wesley’s lifetime, Methodists were simply people who consistently practiced this method.

Wesley clearly outlined his blueprint for discipleship in a short document known as “The General Rules.” There was only one requirement, according to the “General Rules,” for joining the Methodists, “a desire to flee from the wrath to come, to be saved from their sins.” Wesley believed that if the desire for salvation were genuine it would be shown by the way one lived their life. For Wesley, belief and practice were intimately related. If someone really seeks to be saved from their sins, their life will be changed.

Wesley outlined three General Rules that he expected to be observed by those who were earnestly seeking salvation. The first rule was “do no harm.” By this, Wesley meant that one cannot make progress in the Christian life if they do things that cause separation from God. The second rule was “do good.” Wesley believed that those who were seeking salvation should do all that they could to actively love others. Finally, the third rule was “attend upon the ordinances of God.” Another way of saying this is practice the instituted means of grace. Under this rule Wesley listed the following practices: worship, preaching and teaching the Scriptures, receiving the Lord’s Supper, prayer, reading the Bible devotionally, and fasting or abstinence.

At the beginning of the General Rules, Wesley described the beginning of the Methodist movement when several people who were desperately seeking salvation came to him for guidance. Wesley gathered these people together so that they could “watch over one another in love.” As this group grew, Wesley eventually divided all Methodists into small groups called classes, so they could continue to watch over one another. Each week the class leader did three things: 1) they received what class members were willing to give to the poor; 2) they asked each member how they were doing spiritually; and 3) they offered specific advice or suggestions based on individual circumstances.

Wesley’s blueprint for discipleship involved a two-fold process, because Wesley realized that when people try to keep the General Rules on their own, they often failed. The first step, then, in Wesleyan living is simply practicing the General Rules. The second step is joining with others for support and accountability in the Christian life. Wesley found that when Christians practiced this two-fold process, the result was growth in faith and holiness.

United Methodists are the spiritual heirs of this method. Wesley has left Methodism a straightforward and simple way to present the essence of Christian life – to watch over one another as we seek to do no harm, do good, and practice the means of grace. The difficult question facing contemporary United Methodists is not: What should we do? It is: Are we willing to do it?

John Wesley crafted an approach to the Christian life that helps us know what to do. But more importantly it shows us how to do it. If we watch over one another in love and hold each other accountable for keeping the General Rules, I believe we will grow in our faith, and be molded and shaped by the love of God in Christ.

Kevin M. Watson is the author of A Blueprint for Discipleship: Wesley's General Rules as a Guide for Christian Living. Watson is an ordained elder in the Oklahoma Conference of The United Methodist Church. He is currently working on a Ph.D. in Church History and Wesley Studies at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. He also co-authored Reclaiming the Wesleyan Tradition: John Wesley's Sermons for Today. Watson blogs at http://deeplycommitted.com.

Recommended Reading

A Disciple’s Journal: Daily Bible Reading and Guidance for Reflection
This journal will help you connect the inner spiritual life with the actions of Christian discipleship and help you maintain balance between works of piety and works of mercy.
Available from Discipleship Resources at www.UpperRoom.org/bookstore or (800) 972-0433 for $12.00.

Blueprint for Discipleship: Wesley’s General Rules as a Guide for Christian Living
Methodist Christians sometimes exhibit the most unchristian attitudes and behavior. People notice. And it's reflecting badly on the church, but we can — individually and collectively — correct the problem.
Available from Discipleship Resources at www.UpperRoom.org/bookstore or (800) 972-0433 for $13.00.

Opening Ourselves to Grace
This four-video, six-week Bible study presents a clear and contemporary understanding of Wesleyan spiritual practices.
Available from Discipleship Resources at www.UpperRoom.org/bookstore or (800) 972-0433 for $24.00.

Upcoming Events

WesleyanInstitute

October 22-24, 2009
Holman United Methodist Church
Los Angeles, CA
www.WesleyanInstitute.org

Recommended Reading

The United Methodist Way

This 20-minute Flash presentation shows how following John Wesley's rules in both doctrine and practice leads to transformed lives and a transformed world.
Download for use in your church

Covenant Discipleship web site:
www.gbod.org/smallgroup/cd

Andrew Thompson’s blog:
www.genxrising.com

Kevin Watson's blog:
http://deeplycommitted.com/

Dan Dick's blog:
http://doroteos2.wordpress.com/

John Wesley’s Sermons
http://gbgm-umc.org/UMHISTORY/Wesley/sermons/

Duke Center for Studies in the Wesleyan Tradition
www.divinity.duke.edu/
wesleyan/texts/

Methodist Review: A Journal of Wesleyan and Methodist Studies
www.methodistreview.org