John Wesley's self-examination questions
- John Wesley's self-examination questions from 250 years ago focused on spiritual accountability and personal character.
- The self-examination questions bring up issues such as hypocrisy, honesty, trustworthiness, devotion to scripture, prayer, and relationships with others.
- The self-examination questions that Wesley used asked people to reflect on their behaviors, attitudes, and the sincerity of their faith.
How do you match up?
Here are 22 questions similar to those John Wesley gave to members of his
discipleship groups around
250 years ago.
The questions have their origin in the spiritual accountability group started by Wesley when he
was a student at Oxford — a group that detractors called "The Holy Club." The first list
appeared about 1729 in the preface to Wesley's second Oxford Diary. Similar
questions appeared in his 1733 A Collection of Forms of Prayer for Every Day in the
Week. In 1781, Wesley published a list of questions like this one in The Arminian
magazine.
- Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
- Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?
- Do I pass on to other people what has been said to me privately and in confidence?
- Can I be trusted?
- Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habits?
- Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?
- Did the Bible live in me today?
- Do I give the Bible time to speak to me every day?
- Am I enjoying prayer?
- When did I last speak to someone else of my faith? [ conversation starter springboards ]
- Do I pray about the money I spend?
- Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
- Do I disobey God in anything?
- Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is troubled or uneasy?
- Am I defeated in any part of my life?
- Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy, or distrustful?
- What do I do in my spare time?
- Am I arrogantly proud?
- Do I thank God that I am not like other people, especially like the Pharisee who despised the publican?
- Is there anyone I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold resentment toward, or disregard? If so, what am I doing about it?
- Do I grumble or complain constantly?
- Is Christ real to me?
"Encourage one another daily . . . so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." -- Hebrews 3:13
-- Howard Culbertson,
"No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself, and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true" — Nathaniel Hawthorne in The Scarlet Letter
Afterword: Overview of Wesley's Self-Examination Tool
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, used a series of self-examination questions
to advocate for spiritual growth and personal accountability within his "societies." These questions were a tool to provoke self-reflection. They guided members to assess their moral integrity, commitment to living by Christian principles, and their progress in personal holiness. The questions probed various facets of a person's spiritual life. These questions covered prayer habits, treatment of others, stewardship of time and resources, and purity of heart. By having believers regularly engage with these self-examination questions in small accountability groups, Wesley sought to create a culture of mutual support, transparency, and accountability. Within a structure designed to create communal encouragement and growth in discipleship, the self-examination questions strengthened the bonds of fellowship among members.
What Can We Learn from John Wesley Today?
There are at least six ways in which John Wesley's influence on the Church can be seen today:
- Wesley made clear the importance of personal faith, justification by faith, and the pursuit of holiness. His theological viewpoints, often referred to as "Wesleyan theology," continue to influence the beliefs of many Christians today.
- Wesley's preaching style and emphasis on personal conversion played a key role in the revival movements in Britain and the USA of the 18th century. His open-air preaching and fervent evangelism led to the conversion of many people and kindled a revival that impacted all of Christianity.
- Wesley was very concerned with social issues. Those included poverty, injustice, and inequality. He believed that true Christian faith should manifest itself in social action and care for the marginalized. This emphasis on serving the poor and standing up for social justice continues to influence many Christian churches today.
- Wesley's organizational genius is evident in the discipleship structure he established. He developed a system of classes and societies to nurture and support believers. Many other churches have adopted similar discipleship models influenced by Wesley's methodology.
- Wesley's vision extended beyond the borders of Great Britain. He promoted the spread of the Gospel through missionary work, particularly in the British colonies.
- Wesley placed a strong emphasis on congregational singing as a means of spiritual formation and worship. He wrote numerous hymns himself. His brother, Charles, was one of the most prolific hymn writers in history. Their hymns are marked by rich theological content and emotive expression.
An acrostic on "holiness"
More on sin
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