The Book Readers Guild: Orthodox Convictions of Ethereal Thinkers

"Wesley's “social holiness” did not simply mean “social justice.” Social holiness begins in Christian community, and therefore has everything to do with the internal life of the church. The fellowship of believers is the place where social holiness is cultivated and exercised, but it also spills over the boundaries of the church and reaches out to those who are outside of the fellowship."  - James Pedlar "John Wesley and the Mission of God, part 5: social holiness" - We are called to break down barriers... though having shifted from days of old, class barriers exist today. Today slender individuals are valued while the overweight are not. Successful, and people of position, are valued, while those who fail, and those who are weak, are lightly esteemed, even avoided. Those who seem intelligent are prized over the ignorant and uneducated. However, in the kingdom of God this should not be. Children of the kingdom  are not valued on the bases of who that person i

Biblical orthodoxy concerning truths we profess to define our convictions, by rigorous definition also holds implications beyond knowing what the bible correctly teaches. Right knowledge is certainly a fundamental responsibility of every believer, and a prerequisite for right relationship with God, but it can not in itself be defined as Christlikeness. The correct illumination of God's word comes with some proviso. God expects us to apply it. Faith and grace can not become the "pop" culture idiom for this generation. Grace and faith are not an excuse for bad or unwise behaviour, they do not imply we can live without restrictions. Good theology does not produce bad practices. It contributes to their demise. Good theology must translate into orthopraxy - honourable practices that extend beyond ourselves. This demonstrates esteem for God. Discipleship is the journey of developing both our inner and outer life. Consistent over-attention given to any one area

"Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have." Leviticus 19:36 "Weights, and scales, and measures were to be all according to the standard of justice. Surely no Christian man will need to be reminded of this in his business, for if righteousness were banished from all the world beside, it should find a shelter in believing hearts. There are, however, other balances which weigh moral and spiritual things, and these often need examining. We will call in the officer tonight. The balances in which we weigh our own and other men's characters, are they quite accurate? Do we not turn our own ounces of goodness into pounds, and other persons' bushels of excellence into pecks? See to weights and measures here, Christian. The scales in which we measure our trials and troubles, are they according to standard? Paul, who had more to suffer than we have, called his afflictions light, and yet we often consider ours to be he