Assurance of faith. John Wesley believed that all Christians have a faith which implies an assurance of God’s forgiving love, and that one would feel that assurance, or the “witness of the Spirit”.
Conditional preservation of the saints: The conditional preservation of the saints, is the belief that believers are kept safe by God in their saving relationship with him upon the condition of a persevering faith in Christ.
Priesthood of all believers is the common priesthood of all Christians (a concept broadly accepted by all churches), while the term can also refer to a specific Protestant understanding that this universal priesthood precludes the ministerial priesthood (i.e., holy orders) found in some other churches, including Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy.
Sainthood. Methodism has historically followed the Protestant tradition of referring to sanctified members of the universal church as saints.
Four sources of theological authority: The Wesleyan Quadrilateral explicates the Methodist belief of prima scriptura. This method bases its teaching on four sources as the basis of theological and doctrinal development. These four sources are chiefly scripture, along with tradition, reason, and Christian experience.
Covenant theology s a biblical theology, a conceptual overview and interpretive framework for understanding the overall structure of the Bible.
Substitutionary atonement also called vicarious atonement, is a central concept within Western Christian theology which asserts that Jesus died for humanity, as claimed by the Western classic and paradigms of atonement in Christianity, which regard Jesus as dying as a substitute for others.
Imparted righteousness in Methodist theology, is that gracious gift of God given at the moment of the new birth which enables a Christian disciple to strive for holiness and sanctification.
Moral law: The Ten Commandments are religious and ethical directives, structured as a covenant document, that, according to the Hebrew Bible, were given by YHWH to Moses.
New birth: To be born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelical Christianity, that refers to a “spiritual rebirth”, or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one’s physical birth, being “born again” is distinctly and separately caused by the operation of the Holy Spirit, and it occurs when one is baptized in water (John 3:5, Titus 3:5).
Free will: humanity’s creation in the image of God included the ability to choose between right and wrong.
Outward holiness is a doctrine emphasizing holy living, service, modest dress and sober speech
Prevenient grace is a Christian theological concept that refers to the grace of God in a person’s life which precedes and prepares to conversion.
Real presence: The followers of John Wesley have typically affirmed that the sacrament of Holy Communion is an instrumental Means of Grace through which the real spiritual presence of Christ is communicated to the believer, but have otherwise allowed the details to remain a mystery.
Sanctification (growth in grace) Methodism teaches that sanctification has three components—initial, progressive, and entire: Methodism teaches that sanctification has three components—initial, progressive, and entire: We believe that sanctification is that work of the Holy Spirit by which the child of God is separated from sin unto God and is enabled to love God with all the heart and to walk in all His holy commandments blameless. Sanctification is initiated at the moment of justification and regeneration. From that moment there is a gradual or progressive sanctification as the believer walks with God and daily grows in grace and in a more perfect obedience to God. This prepares for the crisis of entire sanctification which is wrought instantaneously when believers present themselves as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, through faith in Jesus Christ, being effected by the baptism with the Holy Spirit who cleanses the heart from all inbred sin. The crisis of entire sanctification perfects the believer in love and empowers that person for effective service. It is followed by lifelong growth in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The life of holiness continues through faith in the sanctifying blood of Christ and evidences itself by loving obedience to God’s revealed will. —Articles of Religion, The Wesleyan Church
Sunday Sabbatarianism is the practice of observing Sunday as a day of worship and rest, rooted in early Christianity and shaped by various theological interpretations Christian perfection.
Second work of grace is a transforming interaction with God that may occur in the life of an individual Christian. The defining characteristics of the second work of grace are that it is separate from and subsequent to the New Birth (the first work of grace), and that it brings about significant changes in the life of the believer. In the Methodist, the Quaker and the Holiness Pentecostal traditions of Christianity, the second work of grace is traditionally taught to be Christian perfection (entire sanctification).
Baptism with the Holy Spirit: baptism with the Holy Spirit occurs through entire sanctification. Views on sin Methodism teaches that humans, though being born in total depravity, can turn to God as a result of prevenient grace and do good; this prevenient grace convicts humans of the necessity of the new birth (first work of grace), through which he is justified (pardoned) and regenerated. After this, to willfully sin would be to fall from grace. When the believer is entirely sanctified (second work of grace), his/her original sin is washed away.
Works of piety are certain spiritual disciplines that along with the “works of mercy”, serve as a means of grace, in addition to being manifestations of growing in grace and of having received Christian perfection (entire sanctification). All Methodist Christians, laity and ordained, are expected to employ them. The Works of Piety are: Prayer; Searching the Scriptures; Holy Communion; Fasting; Christian community; Healthy living.
Works of mercy: In Methodist teaching, doing merciful acts is a prudential means of grace Along with works of piety, works of mercy evidence growth in grace and are characteristic of those who have Christian perfection. In this sense, the Methodist concern for people at the margins is closely related to its worship. As such, these beliefs have helped create the emphasis of the social gospel in the Methodist Church.