In the Winter issue of Covenant Discipleship Quarterly we included an excerpt from Section One of Forming Christian Disciples: The Role of Covenant Discipleship and Class Leaders in the Congregation by David Lowes Watson. In this issue we complete that section.

How One Lives
Jesus . . . made clear that being his disciples will be costly. Sometimes people will thank us for the gospel; sometimes they will hate us.

The measure of our love for Jesus will always be our obedience. The world cannot tell what is in our hearts except by how we live.

Jesus told us to love one another, which means helping each other to be obedient to his teachings as proof that we love him. Jesus does not demand perfection from us, but he does expect loyalty.

Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:26-27.

You are my friends if you do what I command you. John 15:14.

Now by this we may be sure that we know him, if we obey his commandments. Whoever says, “I have come to know him,” but does not obey his commandments, is a liar . . . . whoever says, “I abide in him,” ought to walk just as he walked. 1 John 2:4-6.

An Excerpt from the Journal of John Wesley
March 8 1747
On Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, I examined the classes [at Gateshead]. I had been often told it was impossible for me to distinguish the precious from the vile, without the miraculous discernment of spirits. But I now saw, more clearly than ever, that this might be done, and without much difficulty, supposing only two things: First, Courage and steadiness in the examiner. Secondly, Common sense and common honesty in the Leader of each class. I visit, for instance, the class in the Close, of which Robert Peacock is Leader. I ask, “Does this and this person in your class live in drunkenness or any outward sin? Does he go to church, and use the other means of grace? Does he meet you as often as he has opportunity?” Now, if Robert Peacock has common sense, he can answer these questions truly; and if he has common honesty, he will. And if not, some other in the class has both, and can and will answer for him. Where is the difficulty then of finding out if there be any disorderly walker in this class, and, consequently, in any other? The question is not concerning the heart, but the life. And the general tenor of this, I do not say cannot be known, but cannot be hid without a miracle.

Faith and Works
During the summer of 1738, Wesley visited the Moravian community at Herrnjut. On his return to England, he noted in his Journal for October 29 that, while “doubtful of [his] own state,” he came upon the words in his Testament that by works faith [is] made perfect” [James 2:22]. On November 12, he “began more narrowly to inquire what the doctrine of the Church of England is concerning the much-controverted point of justification by faith.”

The issue was as old as the Reformation; indeed, as old as the church itself. To what extent are good works necessary for our salvation? To what extent does failure to make them a priority of our discipleship detrimental to and even destructive of Christian faith? Wesley’s answer was twofold: Forgiveness and reconciliation are matters of the heart; but discipleship is a matter of how one lives. Undue emphasis on good works can deny God’s grace, (“works righteousness”), but lack of good works can cheapen it (“antinomianism”). Good works are not necessary to earn our salvation, but they are necessary to keep it.

Reproduced with permission of David Lowes Watson.

Dr. Watson is the author of Covenant Discipleship: Christian Formation through Mutual Accountability, Class Leaders: Recovering a Tradition, and other books.