Utakatifu, Utakaso na Ukamilifu wa Kikristo — Sehemu ya 7: Utakatifu wa Moyo na wa Maisha: Nidhamu za Kiroho na Njia za NeemaHoliness, Sanctification, and Christian Perfection — Unit 7: Holiness of Heart and Life: Spiritual Disciplines and the Means of Grace

Mstari MkuuKey Verse

"Nao walidumu katika mafundisho ya mitume na katika kushirikiana, na katika kumega mkate na katika kusali." (Matendo 2:42, SUV)"And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers." (Acts 2:42, NKJV)

Malengo ya KujifunzaLearning Objectives

Utakapomaliza kipindi hiki, unapaswa kuweza:When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

1. Kufafanua "njia za neema" kwa maana ya Wesley na kueleza kwa nini alifundisha kwamba ni muhimu kwa utakatifu.1. Define "means of grace" in Wesley's sense and explain why he taught that they matter for holiness.

2. Kutaja njia tano za neema zilizoamriwa na kutoa Andiko kwa kila moja.2. Name the five instituted means of grace and give a Scripture for each.

3. Kutofautisha matendo ya utauwa na matendo ya huruma, na kueleza Kanuni za Jumla za Wesley za mwaka 1743.3. Distinguish works of piety from works of mercy, and explain Wesley's General Rules of 1743.

4. Kueleza ugomvi na Wamoravian kuhusu "utulivu" na jibu la Wesley.4. Describe the quarrel with the Moravians over "stillness" and Wesley's answer.

5. Kujibu shtaka kwamba njia za neema ni kujihesabia haki kwa matendo, na kupanga kanuni rahisi ya maisha kwa ajili yako na kanisa lako.5. Answer the charge that the means of grace are works-righteousness, and plan a simple rule of life for yourself and your church.

Sauti ya Kipindi HikiThe Voice of This Unit

Kozi hii imeandikwa kutoka ndani ya mapokeo ya Wesley kwa wanafunzi wa Wesley. Sisi ni wainjilisti wahafidhina tunaoshikilia kwamba Biblia ni Neno la Mungu na ndiyo mamlaka yetu ya mwisho. Vipindi vya awali viliuliza utakatifu ni nini. Kipindi hiki kinauliza mwamini hutembea ndani yake siku kwa siku jinsi gani. Hatudai kwamba nidhamu hutufanya watakatifu. Tunadai kwamba Mungu, ambaye peke yake hutakasa, ametupa njia za kawaida ambazo neema yake hutufikia. Wakristo wengine wanapopinga mafundisho haya, tunaeleza pingamizi zao kwa uadilifu kisha tunazijibu.This course is written from inside the Wesleyan tradition for Wesleyan students. We are conservative evangelicals who hold that the Bible is the Word of God and our final authority. Earlier units asked what holiness is. This unit asks how a believer walks in it from day to day. We do not claim that disciplines make us holy. We claim that God, who alone sanctifies, has given us ordinary paths along which His grace comes to us. Where other Christians object to this teaching, we state their objections fairly and then answer them.

Utakatifu wa Moyo na wa MaishaHoliness of Heart and Life

Wesley mara nyingi alieleza lengo la maisha ya Kikristo kuwa utakatifu wa moyo na wa maisha. Moyo ni sehemu ya ndani: mapenzi yetu, tamaa zetu na tabia zetu za ndani. Maisha ni sehemu ya nje: maneno yetu, mazoea yetu na matendo yetu. Hivi viwili haviwezi kutenganishwa. Waebrania 12:14 inasema, "Fuateni amani na watu wote, na utakatifu, ambao bila huo hakuna atakayemwona Bwana." Neno "fuateni" linatuambia kwamba utakatifu si zawadi inayomwangukia mtu aliyelala. Ni zawadi inayopokelewa na mtu anayekimbia kuelekea kwa Mtoaji.Wesley often described the goal of the Christian life as holiness of heart and life. The heart is the inward part: our loves, desires and tempers. The life is the outward part: our words, habits and deeds. The two cannot be separated. Hebrews 12:14 says, "Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord." The word "pursue" tells us that holiness is not a prize that falls on a sleeping man. It is a gift that is received by a person who is running toward the Giver.

Uzoefu wa Wesley mwenyewe huko Aldersgate mwaka 1738 (ulioelezwa katika Kozi 1 yetu) haukumaliza utafutaji wake wa njia za Mungu. Ulianzisha maisha yote ya mazoezi makini. Aliamini kwamba neema inayotuokoa ndiyo neema ileile inayokua ndani yetu, na aliuliza swali la vitendo: kwa njia zipi za kawaida Mungu hutoa neema yake kwa wale wanaoitafuta? Jibu lake ni fundisho la njia za neema.Wesley's own experience at Aldersgate in 1738 (told in our Course 1) did not end his search for God's ways. It began a lifetime of careful practice. He believed that the grace which saves us is the same grace that grows in us, and he asked a practical question: by what ordinary paths does God give His grace to those who seek it? His answer is the doctrine of the means of grace.

Njia ya Neema ni Nini?What Is a Means of Grace?

Katika mahubiri yake "The Means of Grace" (Njia za Neema) (1746), Wesley alifafanua njia hizo kuwa ishara, maneno au vitendo vya nje ambavyo Mungu ameviweka kuwa mifereji ya kawaida ambayo kupitia hiyo huwapa watu neema yake. Mambo matatu katika ufafanuzi huo yanastahili kuangaliwa.In his sermon "The Means of Grace" (1746), Wesley defined the means as outward signs, words or actions which God has appointed as the ordinary channels by which He gives His grace to people. Three points in that definition deserve attention.

Kwanza, Mungu ndiye anayeziweka. Sisi hatuzibuni njia hizo. Zinatoka katika Maandiko na katika mazoea ya Kristo na mitume.First, God appoints them. We do not invent the means. They come from Scripture and from the practice of Christ and the apostles.

Pili, ni mifereji na si vyanzo. Bomba halitengenezi maji. Vivyo hivyo, maombi au kufunga au Meza ya Bwana havina nguvu ndani yake vyenyewe. Nguvu ni ya Mungu. Mtu anaweza kutumia njia zote na asipate kitu ikiwa anatumainia tendo na si Mungu atendaye kupitia hilo. Wesley alionya kuhusu hatari hii moja kwa moja.Second, they are channels and not sources. A pipe does not make the water. In the same way, prayer or fasting or the Lord's Supper has no power in itself. The power is God's. A person may use all the means and gain nothing if he trusts the act and not the God who acts through it. Wesley warned about this danger directly.

Tatu, ni za kawaida na si njia pekee. Mungu yu huru. Anaweza kukutana na mtu wakati wowote na mahali popote. Lakini Mungu pia ametuambia mahali ambapo ameahidi kukutana nasi, na ni hekima kwenda mahali ambapo ahadi imetolewa.Third, they are ordinary and not the only way. God is free. He may meet a person at any time and place. But God has also told us where He has promised to meet us, and it is wise to go where the promise is given.

Njia ZilizoamriwaThe Instituted Means

Wesley alitaja njia tano ambazo Kristo mwenyewe aliziamuru. Maandiko yanaonyesha kila moja.Wesley named five means which Christ Himself ordained. Scripture shows each one.

Maombi. Hii inajumuisha maombi ya faragha, maombi pamoja na familia na maombi ya hadharani. Yesu alisema, "Bali wewe, unapoomba, ingia chumbani mwako, ukafunge mlango wako, ukamwombe Baba yako aliye sirini; naye Baba yako aonaye sirini atakulipa" (Mathayo 6:6). Katika maombi tunaomba, tunaungama, na tunasikiliza. Paulo anatuambia tuombe bila kukoma (1 Wathesalonike 5:17).Prayer. This includes private prayer, prayer with the family and public prayer. Jesus said, "But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly" (Matthew 6:6). In prayer we ask, we confess, and we listen. Paul tells us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Kuchunguza Maandiko. Wesley alimaanisha kusikia Neno likihubiriwa, kulisoma, na kulitafakari. Paulo aliandika kwamba Maandiko yote yamepuliziwa na Mungu, yana faida (2 Timotheo 3:16-17). Mtunga zaburi aliandika, "Moyoni mwangu nimeweka akiba ya neno lako, nisije nikakutenda dhambi" (Zaburi 119:11). Wesley alijiita "mtu wa kitabu kimoja" katika dibaji ya mahubiri yake, na aliwaomba wahubiri wake wasome kila siku. Katika makanisa yetu mengi si watu wote wanaoweza kusoma, kwa hiyo kusikia na kukariri ni muhimu zaidi.Searching the Scriptures. Wesley meant hearing the Word preached, reading it, and thinking about it. Paul wrote that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The psalmist wrote, "Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You" (Psalm 119:11). Wesley called himself "a man of one book" in the preface to his sermons, and he asked his preachers to read daily. In many of our churches the people cannot all read, so hearing and memorizing matter all the more.

Meza ya Bwana. Yesu alisema mezani, "Fanyeni hivi kwa ukumbusho wangu" (Luka 22:19), na Paulo alipitisha maneno hayohayo kwa Wakorintho (1 Wakorintho 11:23-26). Wesley alihimiza Meza ya Bwana ifanywe mara kwa mara. Alishikilia kwamba Meza ni zaidi ya ukumbusho: Kristo yupo kweli kwa mwamini kwa Roho, na Meza ni njia ambayo kupitia hiyo huilisha na kuiimarisha imani. John na Charles Wesley walichapisha Hymns on the Lord's Supper (Nyimbo juu ya Meza ya Bwana) mwaka 1745. Kozi 4, Kipindi 8, inasoma ibada hii kikamilifu.The Lord's Supper. Jesus said at the table, "Do this in remembrance of Me" (Luke 22:19), and Paul passed the same words to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). Wesley urged frequent communion. He held that the Supper is more than a reminder: Christ is truly present to the believer by the Spirit, and the Supper is a means by which He feeds and strengthens faith. John and Charles Wesley published Hymns on the Lord's Supper in 1745. Course 4, Unit 8, studies this sacrament in full.

Kufunga. Yesu alisema, "mfungapo," si "mkifunga" (Mathayo 6:16-18). Katika siku za Wesley Wamethodisti wa mwanzo walifunga mara kwa mara, na alipendekeza desturi ya kufunga siku maalum za juma. Kufunga si njia ya kumlazimisha Mungu. Ni njia ya kusema kwa mwili kwamba tunamwonea njaa yeye zaidi kuliko mkate. Lazima kufanywe kwa utulivu, bila maonyesho.Fasting. Jesus said, "when you fast," not "if you fast" (Matthew 6:16-18). In Wesley's day the early Methodists fasted regularly, and he commended the practice of fasting on set days of the week. Fasting is not a way to force God's hand. It is a way to say with the body that we hunger for Him more than for bread. It must be done quietly, without display.

Mazungumzo ya Kikristo (Christian conference). Msemo huu wa kale unamaanisha mazungumzo matakatifu na ushirika. Unajumuisha mkusanyiko wa waumini, kama katika Matendo 2:42 na katika Waebrania 10:24-25, inayotuhimiza tusiache kukusanyika pamoja bali tuhimizane katika upendo na matendo mema. Katika maisha ya Kimethodisti hili likawa mkutano wa darasa na kikundi cha band, ambavyo Kozi 1, Kipindi 4, vinaeleza.Christian conference. This old phrase means holy conversation and fellowship. It includes the gathering of believers, as in Acts 2:42 and in Hebrews 10:24-25, which urges us not to forsake assembling together but to stir up one another to love and good works. In Methodist life this became the class meeting and the band, which Course 1, Unit 4, describes.

Njia za BusaraThe Prudential Means

Kando ya njia tano zilizoamriwa, Wesley alisema juu ya zile zinazoitwa njia za busara (prudential means). "Prudential" maana yake ni ya hekima na zinazofaa kwa hali husika. Hizi ni kanuni za mazoezi ambazo Mkristo mwenye akili huzikubali ili kukaa karibu na Mungu. Zinaweza kutofautiana kutoka mahali hadi mahali. Mifano ni kulinda moyo wake mwenyewe, kujikana, kuchukua msalaba wake kila siku (Luka 9:23), kuchagua vitabu vyenye faida, na kujiunga na kikundi kidogo kinachomwajibisha. Njia zilizoamriwa zimewekwa na Kristo. Njia za busara huchaguliwa kwa hukumu. Kanisa katika kijiji kisicho na umeme litakuwa na mazoea tofauti na kanisa la jijini, lakini yote mawili yanahitaji mpango.Beside the five instituted means, Wesley spoke of what are called the prudential means. "Prudential" means wise and fitted to the case. These are rules of practice that a sensible Christian adopts to keep close to God. They may differ from place to place. Examples are watching over one's own heart, denying oneself, taking up one's cross daily (Luke 9:23), choosing useful books, and joining a small group that holds one accountable. The instituted means are fixed by Christ. The prudential means are chosen with judgment. A church in a village without electricity will keep different habits from a church in a city, but both need a plan.

Kanuni za Jumla za Mwaka 1743The General Rules of 1743

Mwaka 1743 Wesley aliandika "The Nature, Design, and General Rules of the United Societies" (Asili, Kusudi, na Kanuni za Jumla za Jumuiya Zilizounganishwa). Sharti pekee la kujiunga na jumuiya lilikuwa kutamani kukimbia ghadhabu ijayo na kuokolewa kutoka katika dhambi. Lakini wale waliobaki walitarajiwa kuonyesha matunda ya tamaa hiyo kwa njia tatu.In 1743 Wesley wrote "The Nature, Design, and General Rules of the United Societies." The only condition for joining a society was a desire to flee from the wrath to come and to be saved from sin. But those who stayed were expected to show the fruit of that desire in three ways.

1. Usifanye madhara, kwa kuepuka uovu wa kila aina.1. Do no harm, by avoiding evil of every kind.

2. Fanya mema, kwa kuwaonyesha watu wote huruma, kadiri ya uwezo.2. Do good, by showing mercy to all people, as far as there is power.

3. Hudhuria maagizo ya Mungu, yaani ibada ya hadharani ya Mungu, huduma ya Neno, Meza ya Bwana, maombi ya familia na ya faragha, kuchunguza Maandiko, na kufunga.3. Attend upon the ordinances of God, meaning the public worship of God, the ministry of the Word, the Lord's Supper, family and private prayer, searching the Scriptures, and fasting.

Zingatia kwamba kanuni hizi si orodha ya mambo yaliyokatazwa tu. Mbili kati ya tatu ni chanya. Zinaunganisha maisha ya ndani na ya nje. Kipindi 8 kitarudia Kanuni za Jumla kinapouliza jinsi ya kushika kanuni bila kuwa wa sheria tupu.Notice that these rules are not a list of forbidden things only. Two of the three are positive. They join the inner life with the outer life. Unit 8 will return to the General Rules when it asks how to keep rules without becoming legalistic.

Matendo ya Utauwa na Matendo ya HurumaWorks of Piety and Works of Mercy

Waandishi wa baadaye wa Wesley waligawa njia katika makundi mawili, na mgawanyo huo sasa ni wa kawaida. Matendo ya utauwa ni vitendo vinavyotuelekeza kwa Mungu: maombi, Maandiko, ibada, Meza ya Bwana, kufunga. Matendo ya huruma ni vitendo vinavyotuelekeza kwa jirani yetu: kulisha wenye njaa, kuvika walio uchi, kuwatembelea wagonjwa na wafungwa, kuwafundisha wasiojua, na kumjali mgeni. Yesu aliviunganisha vyote viwili aliposema, "kadiri mlivyomfanyia mmoja wa hawa walio wadogo, ndugu zangu, mlinitendea mimi" (Mathayo 25:40). Yakobo anasema, "Vivyo hivyo imani nayo, isipokuwa na matendo, imekufa nafsini mwake" (Yakobo 2:17).Later Wesleyan writers divided the means into two groups, and the division is now common. Works of piety are acts that turn us toward God: prayer, Scripture, worship, the Supper, fasting. Works of mercy are acts that turn us toward our neighbor: feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and the prisoner, teaching the ignorant, and caring for the stranger. Jesus joined the two when He said, "inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me" (Matthew 25:40). James says, "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead" (James 2:17).

Wesley alifundisha kwamba yote mawili ni njia za neema. Mtu anayeomba lakini hawasaidii maskini kamwe ana nusu ya dini, na mtu anayewasaidia maskini lakini haombi kamwe ana nusu nyingine. Upendo kamili una nyuso mbili, upendo kwa Mungu na upendo kwa jirani. Kipindi 9 kinasoma matendo ya huruma na utakatifu wa kijamii kwa undani.Wesley taught that both are means of grace. A person who prays but never helps the poor has half a religion, and a person who helps the poor but never prays has the other half. Perfect love has two faces, love for God and love for neighbor. Unit 9 studies the works of mercy and social holiness in detail.

Ugomvi Kuhusu UtulivuThe Quarrel over Stillness

Fundisho la njia za neema lilinolewa na mgogoro wa kweli. Mwaka 1738 na baada yake, Wesley na marafiki zake walifanya kazi kwa karibu na Wamoravian huko London, ambao walimsaidia katika kutafuta uhakika wa wokovu. Lakini mwaka 1739 na 1740 baadhi ya walimu wa Kimoravian, kati yao Philip Henry Molther, walifundisha kile kilichoitwa "utulivu" (stillness). Walisema kwamba mtu asiye na imani ya kweli hapaswi kutumia njia za neema kabisa, asiombe, asisome, asije kwenye Meza, bali awe kimya na angoje hadi imani itolewe. Waliogopa kwamba vitendo hivi vingekuwa matendo ya kujipatia wokovu.The doctrine of the means of grace was sharpened by a real conflict. In 1738 and after, Wesley and his friends worked closely with the Moravians in London, who had helped him in his search for assurance. But in 1739 and 1740 some Moravian teachers, among them Philip Henry Molther, taught what was called "stillness." They said that a person who lacks true faith should not use the means of grace at all, not pray, not read, not come to the Supper, but should be still and wait until faith is given. They feared that these acts would become works to earn salvation.

Wesley alikataa mafundisho haya. Alijibu kwamba Maandiko yanawaambia wanaotafuta waombe, watafute, na wabishe hodi (Mathayo 7:7), kwamba waumini wa kwanza walidumu katika mafundisho ya mitume, katika kumega mkate na katika kusali (Matendo 2:42), na kwamba Mungu kwa kweli amekutana na watu wengi walipokuwa wakingoja katika matumizi ya njia hizo. Mwezi Julai 1740 alijitenga na jumuiya ya Fetter Lane, kikundi kilichoongozwa na Wamoravian huko London, kwa sababu ya suala hili. Mgawanyiko huo ulisaidia kuunda jumuiya tofauti za Kimethodisti.Wesley rejected this teaching. He answered that Scripture tells seekers to ask, to seek, and to knock (Matthew 7:7), that the earliest believers continued in the apostles' teaching, in the breaking of bread and in prayers (Acts 2:42), and that God has in fact met many people as they waited in the use of the means. In July 1740 he separated from the Fetter Lane society, the Moravian-led group in London, because of this issue. The break helped to form the distinct Methodist societies.

Wanahistoria hawakubaliani wote juu ya sababu. Wengine wanasisitiza mafunzo ya Wesley ya Kianglikana ya kanisa kuu, yaliyothamini Kitabu cha Maombi, Meza ya Bwana na kufunga. Wengine wanasisitiza tofauti za Kimoravian katika theolojia na katika uongozi. Mambo yote mawili hakika yalikuwa ya kweli. Jibu la Wesley ni kwamba imani ya Wesley ilisimama juu ya Agano Jipya na juu ya uzoefu wa watu aliowajua, na kwamba mafunzo yake ya Kianglikana yalimwandaa kuona kile Maandiko yalikuwa yanafundisha tayari.Historians do not all agree on the cause. Some stress Wesley's high-church Anglican training, which valued the Prayer Book, the Supper and fasting. Others stress the Moravian differences in theology and in leadership. Both factors were surely real. The Wesleyan answer is that Wesley's conviction stood on the New Testament and on the experience of people he knew, and that his Anglican training prepared him to see what Scripture already taught.

Pingamizi la Kujihesabia Haki kwa MatendoThe Objection of Works-Righteousness

Pingamizi kali zaidi linatoka kwa wale wanaoogopa kwamba njia za neema hugeuka kuwa ngazi ya kwenda mbinguni. Baadhi ya Wakristo wa Kireformed na Wabaptisti wanasema kwamba maneno yote ya "kutumia njia" yanasikika kama Roma na kwamba wokovu ni kwa imani peke yake. Wanatukumbusha kwamba Isaya 58 na Mathayo 6 zinawalaani wanaofunga na kuomba kwa maonyesho. Wamoravian walikuwa na hofu hiyohiyo.The strongest objection comes from those who fear that the means of grace turn into a ladder to heaven. Some Reformed and Baptist Christians say that all the talk of "using the means" sounds like Rome and that salvation is by faith alone. They remind us that Isaiah 58 and Matthew 6 condemn those who fast and pray for show. The Moravians had the same fear.

Tunajibu kwa hatua nne. Kwanza, tunakubali kwamba wokovu ni kwa imani. Mahubiri ya Wesley "The Scripture Way of Salvation" (1765) yanafundisha kwamba tunahesabiwa haki kwa imani peke yake na tunatakaswa kwa imani. Pili, Wesley alifundisha kwamba njia hizo zina thamani tu kadiri zinavyoongoza kwenye kumjua na kumpenda Mungu. Mtu anaposimama hapo na kutulia katika tendo, tendo hilo huwa sanamu. Tatu, njia hizo hazimfanyi Mungu kuwa mdeni kwetu. Ni mahali ambapo tunakutana na Mungu anayetoa bure. Mkulima anayelima na kupanda hatengenezi mvua, lakini ni mpumbavu kama akikaa nyumbani na kungoja. Nne, pingamizi linathibitisha mno, kwa sababu Yesu mwenyewe aliomba, alifunga, alisoma Maandiko, na aliadhimisha sikukuu. Kama mambo hayo yangekuwa matendo tu, asingeyafanya.We answer in four steps. First, we agree that salvation is by faith. Wesley's sermon "The Scripture Way of Salvation" (1765) teaches that we are justified by faith alone and sanctified by faith. Second, Wesley taught that the means are valuable only as far as they lead to the knowledge and love of God. When a person stops there and rests in the act, the act becomes an idol. Third, the means do not put God in debt to us. They are the place where we meet the God who gives freely. A farmer who plows and plants does not make the rain, but he is a fool if he sits in the house and waits. Fourth, the objection proves too much, because Jesus Himself prayed, fasted, read the Scriptures, and kept the feasts. If those things were only works, He would not have done them.

Pingamizi la pili, la utulivu zaidi, linasema kwamba msisitizo juu ya nidhamu utawafanya Wakristo wawe na wasiwasi. Hatari hiyo ni ya kweli. Dhamiri nyororo inaweza kusagwa na orodha ndefu ya wajibu. Kwa sababu hii kanuni ya Wesley si kurundika mizigo bali kuwasaidia watu kukaa karibu na Chanzo cha neema. Ikiwa mazoezi yamekuwa mzigo unaoponda furaha, mchungaji anapaswa kuyapunguza kwa upole na kufundisha tena kwamba tunamjia Mungu kwa neema.A second, quieter objection says that a stress on discipline will make Christians anxious. That danger is real. A tender conscience can be crushed by a long list of duties. For this reason Wesley's rule is not to heap on burdens but to help people stay near the Source of grace. If a practice has become a burden that crushes joy, the pastor should gently lighten it and teach again that we come to God by grace.

Kanuni ya Maisha kwa MchungajiA Rule of Life for a Pastor

Mchungaji hawezi kuwaongoza watu kwenye njia asiyoitembea. Kanuni rahisi ya maisha, iliyojengwa juu ya njia hizo, inaweza kujumuisha sehemu hizi.A pastor cannot lead people into a path he does not walk. A simple rule of life, based on the means, might include these parts.

• Kila siku: wakati katika maombi na katika Neno, hata kama ni mfupi, na shukrani mezani.• Daily: time in prayer and in the Word, even if only short, and thanks at the table.

• Kila juma: ibada ya hadharani, siku ya kupumzika, wakati wa kufunga ikiwa afya inaruhusu, na tendo fulani la huruma kwa jirani.• Weekly: public worship, a day of rest, a time of fasting if health permits, and some act of mercy for a neighbor.

• Mara kwa mara: Meza ya Bwana, na kukutana na kikundi kidogo au rafiki mwaminifu anayeuliza, "Roho yako iko aje?"• Regularly: the Lord's Supper, and meeting with a small group or a trusted friend who asks, "How is it with your soul?"

• Kila mwaka: wakati wa mapumziko ya kiroho, kupitia upya na kufanya upya agano na Mungu.• Yearly: a time of retreat, review and renewal of the covenant with God.

Huu ni mfano, si sheria. Ugonjwa, umaskini na kazi zitabadilisha kile ambacho mtu anaweza kufanya. Jambo la msingi ni kwamba neema hutiririka kwa uhuru zaidi kwa wale waliotoa nafasi kwa ajili yake. Nyimbo za Charles Wesley pia hutumika kama njia ya neema, kwa sababu uimbaji hufundisha kweli kuu za wokovu moyoni na kwa wale wasioweza kusoma.This is a pattern, not a law. Illness, poverty and work will change what a person can do. The point is that grace flows most freely to those who have made room for it. Charles Wesley's hymns also serve as a means of grace, because singing teaches the great truths of salvation to the heart and to those who cannot read.

Matumizi ya KichungajiPastoral Application

Mchungaji Grace anahudumu katika kusanyiko katika mji unaokua. Msichana mmoja aliyeongoka miezi sita iliyopita anakuja kwake akilia. "Niliomba na kufunga kwa majuma mawili," anasema. "Nilitaka kuwa mtakatifu, lakini hakuna kilichotokea. Labda mambo haya hayafanyi kazi."Pastor Grace serves a congregation in a growing town. A young woman who was converted six months ago comes to her in tears. "I prayed and fasted for two weeks," she says. "I wanted to be holy, but nothing happened. Maybe these things do not work."

Mchungaji Grace anafanya mambo manne. Kwanza, anamshukuru msichana huyo kwa njaa yake na hamkemei. Pili, anaeleza kwamba kufunga na kuomba si mashine inayozalisha utakatifu, bali ni mahali pa kukutana na Yule anayeutoa, na kwamba Mungu mara nyingi hufanya kazi polepole. Tatu, anamuuliza kuna nini kingine katika juma lake, na anagundua kwamba msichana huyo hana mtu wa kuzungumza naye na hajashiriki Meza ya Bwana tangu aongoke. Nne, anamwalika kwenye mkutano wa darasa wa wanawake na kwenye meza Jumapili, na anampa Zaburi fupi asome kila asubuhi. Anamfundisha kutafuta matunda, kama uvumilivu na upendo zaidi, kwa miezi na si kwa siku.Pastor Grace does four things. First, she thanks the young woman for her hunger and does not scold her. Second, she explains that fasting and prayer are not a machine that produces holiness, but places to meet the One who gives it, and that God often works slowly. Third, she asks what else is in her week, and finds that the young woman has no one to talk with and has not taken the Lord's Supper since she was converted. Fourth, she invites her to a women's class meeting and to the table on Sunday, and she gives her a short Psalm to read each morning. She teaches her to look for fruit, such as greater patience and love, over months and not days.

MuhtasariSummary

Utakatifu wa moyo na wa maisha hupokelewa kwa neema ya Mungu, ambaye pia hutoa njia za kawaida ambazo kupitia hizo neema yake hufika. Katika "The Means of Grace" (1746) Wesley alifundisha kwamba njia hizo zimewekwa na Mungu, ni mifereji na si vyanzo, na ni za kawaida lakini si za kipekee. Njia tano zilizoamriwa ni maombi, kuchunguza Maandiko, Meza ya Bwana, kufunga, na mazungumzo ya Kikristo. Njia za busara ni mazoea ya hekima, ya mahali husika, yanayotusaidia kukaa karibu na Mungu. Kanuni za Jumla za 1743 zinatuita tusifanye madhara, tufanye mema, na tuhudhurie maagizo ya Mungu. Matendo ya utauwa yanatuelekeza kwa Mungu na matendo ya huruma yanatuelekeza kwa jirani, na yote mawili ni njia za neema. Wesley alikataa mafundisho ya Kimoravian ya utulivu na akaondoka jumuiya ya Fetter Lane mwaka 1740. Kwa shtaka la kujihesabia haki kwa matendo tunajibu kwamba wokovu ni kwa imani, kwamba njia hizo zina thamani tu kadiri zinavyoongoza kwa Mungu, na kwamba Kristo mwenyewe alizitumia. Mchungaji anapaswa kufuata kanuni rahisi ya maisha na kuwafundisha watu wake kufanya vivyo hivyo, bila kumponda mtu yeyote kwa mizigo.Holiness of heart and life is received by the grace of God, who also gives the ordinary means through which His grace comes. In "The Means of Grace" (1746) Wesley taught that the means are appointed by God, are channels and not sources, and are ordinary but not exclusive. The five instituted means are prayer, searching the Scriptures, the Lord's Supper, fasting, and Christian conference. Prudential means are wise, local practices that help us keep close to God. The General Rules of 1743 call us to do no harm, to do good, and to attend upon the ordinances of God. Works of piety turn us toward God and works of mercy turn us toward neighbor, and both are means of grace. Wesley rejected the Moravian teaching of stillness and left the Fetter Lane society in 1740. To the charge of works-righteousness we answer that salvation is by faith, that the means are valuable only as they lead to God, and that Christ Himself used them. A pastor should follow a simple rule of life and teach his people to do the same, without crushing anyone with burdens.

Usomaji ZaidiFurther Reading

• John Wesley, mahubiri "The Means of Grace" (Njia za Neema) (1746).• John Wesley, sermon "The Means of Grace" (1746).

• John Wesley, "The Nature, Design, and General Rules of the United Societies" (Asili, Kusudi, na Kanuni za Jumla za Jumuiya Zilizounganishwa) (1743).• John Wesley, "The Nature, Design, and General Rules of the United Societies" (1743).

• John Wesley, mahubiri "The Scripture Way of Salvation" (Njia ya Maandiko ya Wokovu) (1765).• John Wesley, sermon "The Scripture Way of Salvation" (1765).

• John Wesley, Journal (Shajara), maingizo kuhusu Wamoravian na jumuiya ya Fetter Lane.• John Wesley, Journal, the entries on the Moravians and the Fetter Lane society.

• John na Charles Wesley, Hymns on the Lord's Supper (Nyimbo juu ya Meza ya Bwana) (1745).• John and Charles Wesley, Hymns on the Lord's Supper (1745).

• Holiness Through the Ages (Utakatifu Katika Karne Zote), kitabu cha kiada cha Shahada ya Uzamili kwa kozi hii.• Holiness Through the Ages, the Master's textbook for this course.

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