THE STRANGELY WARMED HEART OF JOHN WESLEY
In the year 1738, on a quiet evening in Aldersgate Street, London, a man named John Wesley attended a small meeting that would later be remembered in history. He went there with a restless heart, burdened by doubts and a sense of inadequacy. The service was ordinary, the people unremarkable, but the reading that evening struck his soul: the preface to the Epistle to the Romans by Martin Luther. As the words spoke of justification by faith, Wesley felt a mysterious stirring—a sense that his heart had been strangely warmed. He knew, in that instant, that he was trusting in Christ, and that faith had brought him peace.
Yet Wesley did not make that moment the centerpiece of his ministry. He rarely, if ever, referred to it again in his sermons or writings as though it were some cataclysmic turning point. Instead, he continued to preach the sufficiency of Christ, the power of His blood, and the certainty of salvation by faith. His preaching did not hinge on feelings or extraordinary experiences. Even after that evening, Wesley wrestled with doubts, with struggles of conscience, and with the weight of his own human frailty. What carried him forward was not the memory of a warm heart, but the unshakable truth of what Christ had done.
We do not need a “strangely warmed heart” to know that we are saved. We do not have to wait for a sudden surge of emotion, a dramatic vision, or a fire that lights up our chest. The heart of salvation lies not in our experience but in the finished work of Jesus Christ. He died, was buried, and rose again for our sins. Faith does not wait for sensation—it simply trusts. The Bible declares that the moment we believe, we are justified, our hearts are reconciled to God, and peace is ours (Romans 5:1–2).
Like Wesley, we may struggle; doubts may press, our conscience may condemn, and fear may rise. Yet even in those moments, Christ’s work stands firm. He does not demand a mystical encounter to prove His love. He asks only that we look to Him, believe in Him, and rest in the certainty of what He has accomplished. Every moment of peace, every drop of assurance, flows not from our emotions but from His faithfulness. Our hearts can be still, even in the absence of feeling, because the Savior is steadfast and unchanging.
Let us fix our eyes on Christ rather than on fleeting experiences. Let us follow Wesley’s example: appreciating a moment of stirring if it comes, but never depending on it. Salvation is not the product of emotion—it is the gift of God through faith. When we truly believe, when our minds are set on Him and His finished work, our souls are safe, and our hearts can rest. In Christ, we have all we need; no extraordinary warming is required.
Lord Jesus, help me to trust in what You have done rather than what I feel. Keep my heart fixed on Your finished work, steady in faith even when my emotions waver, and give me the peace that comes from knowing You alone are enough. Amen.
BDD
