The United Methodist House at Chautauqua, NY hosted a solid exposition of Wesleyan doctrine today thanks to its chaplain this week, Hood Theological Seminary President Albert Aymer
“We are all sinful,” Aymer explained. “We can’t save ourselves. We’re like drowning people. You need someone to save you.”
Aymer is a native of Antigua and for 19 years has served in North Carolina at Hood, which is associated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church. He previously served at United Methodism’s Drew Seminary, a United Methodist church in New Jersey, and the General Board of Global Ministries. He described Hood Seminary as America’s most racially diverse, with no race in majority.
“Scripture is primary,” Aymer said, noting that Methodism is not sectarian and has always occupied a “cherished place in the one, holy catholic, apostolic church. “We use the creeds,” he added, with the Nicene Creed offering a “definitive view of Jesus Christ.” Methodists don’t have any unique doctrines of our own, he explained, but doctrinal emphases.
There is no new doctrine, Wesley taught, but he offered four universal teachings that are Methodism’s core, Aymer said. “All people need to be saved. All people can be saved. All people can know they’re saved. All people can be saved to the uttermost.”
“We sin in thought,” Aymer said. “We sin in word. We sin in deed. The first thing is to ask His forgiveness. God has grace and God pardons.” Wesley was Arminian in doctrine and taught that “nobody is so messed up that they’re outside God’s grace and mercy and ability to forgive.”
Wesley also taught assurance of salvation, Aymer recalled. “You don’t save yourself. The sure word of God tells you that. Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” Assurance is realized through the “fruit of the Spirit on our lives,” including love, joy and meekness.” Aymer said: “The Spirit Himself bears witness to our spirit.”
Methodists also believe in Christian perfection and scriptural holiness, which Aymer described as “loving God a little more every day.” Being saved to the uttermost means growing in grace through the “undeserved love of God,” Aymer concluded.
Aymer recounted as a student pastor nervously being sent to meet a woman dying of cancer in Jamaica. When she told him she looked forward to seeing her Lord, he understood the Wesleyan emphases of salvation and assurance.
Several dozen listening Chautauqua participants sat on the front porch of the United Methodist House, which celebrates its 125th anniversary this year.
Comment by George Babbitt on August 20, 2013 at 4:04 pm
The “Chautauqua Experience” Package
$1838 per person/per week
Is that all?!?!
Comment by Steve Finnell on August 21, 2013 at 8:24 am
HAS BELIEVED WHAT?
Jesus said “He who has believed and and has been baptized shall be saved.” (Mark 16:16) The question remains. Has believed what?
BELIEVED WHAT?
John 20:31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
1. You have to believe the Scriptures.
2. You have to believe Jesus is the Christ.
3. You have to believe Jesus is the Son of God.
BELIEVED WHAT?
Galatians 3:26-27 For you are Sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
1. You have to believe you are Sons of God through faith.
2. You have to believe you were baptized into Christ.
BELIEVED WHAT?
Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace
1. We must believe that it is only because of Jesus shedding His blood that we can have forgiveness from our sins.
BELIEVED WHAT?
Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip preaching the good new about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.
1. You have to believe the good news about Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God before you are baptized, not at some future time. There is no record of unbelieving infants being baptized.
BELIEVED WHAT?
1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Jesus Christ,
1. You must believe there is one God.
2. You must believe Jesus Christ is mans only mediator.
BELIEVED WHAT?
John 8:24 ‘Therefore I said you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”
1. You must believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
BELIEVED WHAT?
John 4:41-42…..42….this One is indeed the Savior of the world.”
1. You have to believe that Jesus is the Savior of all who will accept Him.
BELIEVED WHAT?
Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
1. You must acknowledge Jesus as Lord.
2. You must believe God resurrected Jesus from the grave.
BELIEVED WHAT?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through
Me.
1. You must believe Jesus is the truth.
2. You must believe He is the only way to the Father.
BELIEVED WHAT?
Acts 15:11 But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.”
1. You must believe you are saved because of God’s grace and not because of keeping the Law of Moses or your good deeds.
BELIEVED WHAT?
Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and is a rewarder of the those who seek Him.
1. You must believe that God exists.
2. You must believe that God rewards those who seek Him.
BELIEVED WHAT?
1 Thessalonians 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
1. You must believe in the resurrection of Jesus.
BELIEVED WHAT?
Acts 4:12 And there is salvation is no one else; for there is no name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.
1. You must believe that Jesus is the only Savior.
BELIEVED WHAT?
Acts 2:40-41 And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!”41 So then, those who had received the his word were baptized; and that day there added about three thousand souls.
1. They believe Peter’s word. Peter’s word was, that Jesus was Lord and Christ and that God raised Him from the grave. Peter told the believers to repent and be baptized in water so their sins could be forgiven. (Acts 2:22-38)
BELIEVED WHAT?
Mark 16:16 He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved…
Why do men not believe what Jesus said?
Why do men not believe teaching of the apostles?
Jesus said this to some Jews. John 8:45 But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me……47 He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”
When Jesus said “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved, was He telling the truth? Why do men not believe that?
The words of Jesus was that of the Father. The words of the apostles were the words of Jesus. To reject the words of Jesus and the words of the apostles is to reject the word of God the Father.
John 14:24 He who does nor love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.
The words of the apostles, including the apostle Paul’s, came from Jesus.
John 14:25-26 “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. . 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to remembrance all that I said to you.
Galatians 1:1-12 1 Paul, an apostle…..12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
BELIEVED WHAT?
They believed Jesus when He said “Who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved”
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Comment by John S on August 28, 2013 at 7:17 am
Steve, I find the extensive self promotion on someone elses blog crude and uncalled for. Also given the misspellings, grammar and formatting errors, to say nothing of a pronounced love for proof texting, I think you need to redo your cut and paste source.
Comment by John S on August 28, 2013 at 7:19 am
Can we get Aymer (Rev, President, Mr.? I’m not sure which is correct from the article) a Bishopric?
Comment by gary on October 14, 2013 at 5:44 pm
No, God doesn’t need your help to save you.
Baptists and evangelicals are correct: sinners MUST believe to be saved. But you will not find one passage of Scripture that states that the sinner must make a “decision” to believe. The sinner must believe, but it is God who makes the decision for him to believe.
Acts 13:48 (ESV)
48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.
This passage of Scripture points out the great fallacy of (Arminian/Free Will) Baptist and evangelical theology: The sinner does not assist or even cooperate in his salvation. The sinner is a passive participant in his salvation. Yes, he believes, but he believes because he was appointed before the world existed to believe, not because HE makes a free will decision to do so.
God chooses who will believe…the sinner chooses to reject Christ and send himself to hell. Christ died for all and desires all to be saved. God has predestined NO ONE to hell.
The Arminians and the Calvinists are both wrong.