#Values: Values are definitions of what we hope will identify us. These articles are primarily intended for those who wish to join us in this project—whether through prayer, donation, or collaboration.
As we are united with Him, we aspire to reflect His character according to His Word, living in His grace and being guided by the Holy Spirit. This calling is not a heavy burden but a response of love that moves us to live with faith, hope, and love toward God and others.
Beta Values #4: A Holy People
Jesus did not come merely to change how we think or feel, but to make us different. As true man, He represents us: He is the new Adam, whose obedience initiates the path of salvation. But as God, He transforms us with His love and power, making us participants in His life.
Salvation is a gift from God, received by grace through faith, but it has a purpose: to produce a transformed life in us (Ephesians 2:8–10). It is not only about receiving forgiveness, but about being renewed into the image of Christ. To grow in salvation is to grow in holiness, in love, and in the fullness of Christ. As Galatians 5:14 says, “For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” We do not obey the law as a burdensome duty, but in light of Christ, we do so as a natural response to God’s love in us (1 Corinthians 13; 1 John 4:9–11; Matthew 11:28–30). The closer we draw to God, the more we grow in love and the less power sin has over us.
The goal of salvation is Christ formed in us—and this is available to all. It is the work of the Holy Spirit in us that transforms us into a new creation, empowering us to love as God loves. Holiness, then, is the image of God stamped on our hearts, reflected in a life of gratitude to God and goodness toward others.
Believers are in relationship with the Father, conformed to the image of the Son, and transformed by the presence of the Holy Spirit.
— Ben C. Blackwell and R. L. Hatchett, in Engaging Theology
Our sin is serious, but thanks be to God, it is no match for God’s comforting and transforming love.
— William H. Willimon, in This We Believe
God’s call to holiness was never intended to be a burden, but a gift that frees us to live abundant lives by rescuing us from the destructive power of sin. Leaving behind the legalism that once hindered our movement, The Free Methodist Wayinvites every believer to embrace the saving work of the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to love and serve God and others in joyful obedience.
— Book of Discipline, Free Methodist Church, 2023
The primary goal of the Wesleyan movement is the transformation of the human person into the likeness of Jesus Christ, which includes the cooperation between human beings and God’s transforming grace. This description is synonymous with the well-known word sanctification. This goal of transformation is reflected in Galatians 4:19: “My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.”
— Mark Maddix, in Essential Beliefs
When God writes His name on our hearts and when we allow Him to reign in our lives, only then can we love ourselves and others rightly.
— Diane Leclerc, in Essential Beliefs
We can say that sin is, at its core, anti-love, and that love, at its core, leaves no room for sin. This articulation is the reason Wesley used the phrase “love excludes sin.” If the heart is full of love, there is no longer any room for sin.
— Diane Leclerc, in Essential Beliefs
Good works are the fruit of faith in Jesus Christ, but works cannot save us from our sins or from the judgment of God. As expressions of faith and Christian love, our good works—done in reverence and humility—are acceptable and pleasing to God. However, God’s grace cannot be earned through good works.
— Book of Discipline, Free Methodist Church, 2023
A Holy People: As we are united with Him, we aspire to reflect His character according to His Word, living in His grace and being guided by the Holy Spirit. This calling is not a heavy burden but a response of love that moves us to live with faith, hope, and love toward God and others.
— Book of Discipline, Free Methodist Church, 2023