05/30/2026
The Character of a Christian: An article by Ryan N. Danker (for Juicy Ecumenism)
“A Methodist is one who has ‘the love of God shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost given unto him.’” -John Wesley
One of Wesley’s finest works is a short piece that he wrote in 1742 toward the beginning of the revival in Britain called “The Character of a Methodist.” ( https://pages.uoregon.edu/sshoemak/323/texts/Wesley%20Character.htm ) I remember reading this as a teenager and even at that time it struck me that he was simply describing a Christian.
While Wesley spends some time at the beginning of the work trying to define the term “Methodist,” the meat of the piece can be seen when Wesley argues that a Christian is one who not only professes the faith but practices the faith.
When he gets to the question “Who is a Methodist, according to your account?” he writes:
A Methodist is one who has ‘the love of God shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost given unto him’; one who ‘loves the Lord his God with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his mind, and with all his strength’. God is the joy of his heart, and the desire of his soul, which is constantly crying out, ‘Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee!’ My God and my all! Thou art the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever!
A Methodist, according to Wesley, “is therefore happy in God” meaning that he has contentment and purpose. Everlasting life springs up within him “overflowing his soul with peace and joy” and “‘Perfect love’ having now ‘cast out fear’, he rejoices evermore.”
He “cannot but rejoice whenever he looks upon the state wherein he now is,” having received the benefits of Christ’s atoning work by faith.
And out of this peace and joy, he “prays without ceasing” with “true prayer, the lifting up the heart to God.”
This life is marked by love, described by Wesley using the words of 1 John 4:21, “he who loveth God, loves his brother also” and echoing Mark 12:33, “And he accordingly ‘loves his neighbour as himself’; he loves every man as his own soul. His heart is full of love to all mankind, to every child of ‘the Father of the spirits of all flesh.’”
Wesley’s description of a Methodist, or a Christian rather, is full of grace-fueled hope in the transforming work of God, both in our lives and then flowing into the lives of others. Such a life has Christ at its center. In fact, borrowing from a more contemporary source, we could say that the life of a Christian only makes sense by looking at the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
What a beautiful hope! And a hope that we can experience now.
Ryan N. Danker is director of the John Wesley Institute, Washington, DC. This is adapted from a weekly JWI newsletter that can be subscribed to here: https://nextmethodism.org/subscribe/
