Christian Classics: Excerpt from Sermon “Awake, Thou That Sleepest” by Charles Wesley
(Adapted from 20 Things You Should Read)
Yet on the authority of God’s word, and our own church, I must repeat the question, “Hath thou receives the Holy Ghost?” If thou hast not, thou art not yet a Christian. For a Christian is a man that is “anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power.” Thou art not yet made a partaker of pure religion and undefiled. Dost thou know what religion is? – that it is a participation of the divine nature; the life of God in the soul of man; Christ formed in the heart; “Christ in thee, the hope of Glory…”
…Thou hopest to be saved; but what reason hast thou to give of the hope that is in thee? Is it because thou art not like other men; but wise, or learned, or honest, and morally good; esteemed of men, and of a fair reputation? Alas! all this will never bring thee to God. It is in His account lighter that vanity. Dost thou know Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent? Hat he taught thee, that “by grace we are saved through faith; and that not of ourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast?” Has thou received the faithful saying as the whole foundation of thy hope, “that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners”? Hast thou learned what that meaneth?…
…O that in all these questions ye may hear the voice that wakes the dead; and feel that hammer of the Word, which breaketh the rocks in pieces! “If you will hear His voice today, while it is called today, harden not your hearts.” Now, “awake, thou that sleepest” in spiritual death, that thou sleep not in death eternal! Feel thy lost estate, and “arise from the dead.” Leave thine old companions in sin and death. Follow thou Jesus, and let the dead bury the dead. “Save thyself from this untoward generation.” Come out from among them, and be thou separate. and touch not the unclean things, and the Lord shall receive thee.”
“Christ shall give thee light.”
