May 24 and a person whose life was changed by The Holy Spirit
Today is the date (May 24) in 1738 the John Wesley experienced an assurance from The Holy Spirit that God had forgiven him and accepted him as a child of God. This may seem strange because of who John Wesley was.
John Wesley was raised in a pastor's home and received significant training from his father and mother in the home. Wesley also studied @ Oxford for the priesthood in The Anglican Church. He was part of a small group of students and graduates that met for spiritual growth there isn Oxford. They were considered radical by the other students because of their discipline in Bible study, prayer, fasting and serving the poor and prisoners
Wesley also served as a missionary to what is now the state of Georgia in the United States. His service there was a failure and he returned to England in great despair. This despair was not so much about ministry success but his continuing sense of not being accepted by God.
Then in his return to England he attended a small group meeting @ Fetter Lane in London. He writes in his journal that he attended this meeting reluctantly.
It was during this meeting that Wesley recorded in his journal that his heart "was strangely warmed" and that he received assurance from the Holy Spirit that his sins were forgiven. It is this assurance from the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:16) that Wesley received that became a central teaching of Wesley for the rest of his life.
Wesley believed that one could be a Christian without this sense of assurance but taught that it was a great blessing for any follower of Jesus.
REFLECT: How important do you think having an assurance from the Holy Spirit that one is a child of God is? Is this assurance for everyone? Is this assurance the same for everyone?