Today is Aldersgate Day, and it marks 275 years since John Wesley recorded these words in his journal …
In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther’s Preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation, and an assurance was given to me that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.
This experience was huge for Wesley and for the people called Methodists who follow in his footsteps. Prior to May 24, 1738, Wesley was a Christian, serving in Christian leadership. But after that fateful day, he was a new person!
This story reminds me of the disciples Jesus interrupted on the road to Emmaus, hours after his resurrection. After Jesus left, the two disciples said to each other, “Weren’t our hearts on fire when he spoke to us along the road and when he explained the scriptures for us?” (Luke 24.32, CEB)
When was the last time your heart was strangely warmed and your passion for God increased?