A RESPONSE TO DR. W. STANLEY JOHNSON'S PAPER,
"CHRISTIAN PERFECTION AS LOVE FOR GOD"

by
William M. Arnett

The main thrust of Dr. Johnson's illuminating paper is his growing conviction that love for God is central to John Wesley's idea of perfection. He believes this is a neglected emphasis among holiness writers and interpreters of Wesley. His clearly stated purpose is "to clarify the nature and central role of the concept of love for God in Christian perfection according to Wesley's vision." Various facets of the subject have been presented under ten headings. The writings of Wesley have been probed, so that approximately 34 of the 43 footnotes are references to Wesley's writings.

Though love for God is central in Christian perfection, Dr. Johnson is careful to point out that it is not a mere man—centered achievement. On the contrary, it is man's response to God's prior love. It is God's descending love to persons that makes possible an ascending human love for God.

Perhaps it could have been pointed out more strongly that the initiative is God's. In fact, sometimes God is said to kindle love in man, as stated in Deuteronomy 30:6, "The Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, 90 that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live." As Leon Morris states in his recent book, Testaments of Love (A Study of Love in the Bible), "thus even wholehearted human love for God is not a purely human product, springing from unaided human resources. It is a result of God's love working in men's hearts" (p. 41). "We love," John writes, "because he first loved us" (I John 4:19). And it must be forever emphasized that it is at Calvary's cross where Jesus laid down His perfect life for sinners that we find the true meaning of love (agape—I John 3:16; 4:9, 10).

An interesting aspect of Dr. Johnson's paper is that love for God includes eros. In other words, the activity of Divine love is augmented by the self's love for God which involves all the passions and affections of the soul. The word, eros, is not found in the New Testament. Dr. Morris in the book previously cited, says eros can be beautiful (p. 122). For example, "romantic love at its best is a wonderful, pure love, lofty and ennobling. No Christian ought to be critical of this love, considering the Bible's teaching on the subject" (e.g., the Song of Songs). He concludes that eros has two principal characteristics: it is a love of the worthy and it is a love that desires to possess. Agape, however, is in contrast at both points: it is not a love of the worthy, and it is not a love that desires to possess. On the contrary, it is a love given quite irrespective of merit, and it is a love that seeks to give (p. 128).

Still another significant topic emphasizes that "love for God is the dynamic of holiness. " It is the principal dynamic, which, as a fire, burns up the dross of sin. This brings to mind Wesley's letter to Walter Churchey in 1771:

Entire sanctification, or Christian perfection, is neither more nor less than pure love; love expelling sin, and governing both the heart and life of a child of God. The Refiner's fire purges out all that is contrary to love....

Letters (Telford. ed.) V:223

Thus the heart or core of entire sanctification or Christian perfection is expressed in three words by Wesley: "LOVE EXPELLING SIN." Since the carnal mind (Romans 8:7) is the greatest impediment to heart purity, the aspect of cleansing or crucifixion should be one of the important factors or emphases in Christian perfection. As Charles Wesley wrote:

Refining fire, go through my heart,

Illuminate my soul;

Scatter thy life through every part,

And sanctify the whole.

The outreach of love for God is love for our neighbour. Dr. Johnson rightfully warns that love for neighbour should not be a substitute for love for God, but rather "love of our neighbour springs from the love of God." Furthermore, it is a love utterly regardless of condition or position. Jesus gave an unforgettable illustration of such love in the account of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10, whose heart and ministry went out to the poor battered fellow at the side of the road. As Guy H. King points out, that demonstration of love is (1) love for the unknown, (2) love for the unattractive, (3) love for the unprofitable, and (4) love for the unfriendly (New Order, p. 63).

There is one final observation I would like to make. If love for God is made possible by God's love for man, it seems to me there should be a strong emphasis on the sacrificial love of God, expressed supremely in Christ's death on the cross. Divine love pays the price for man's redemption. It was beyond the gate at Jerusalem that Jesus died that He might sanctify the people with His own blood (Hebrews 13:12). Jesus also loved the Church and gave Himself for it in order that He might sanctify it (Ephesians 5:25, 26). These great Biblical truths need to be emphasized again and again in the message of Christian perfection. Love for God—yes! It is significant that both the Apostles, Paul and John, frequently mention God's love for man, and among human responses is love for God and love for our fellowmen (cf. Morris, op. cit., p. 170f.)