John Wesley on Baptism, Sanctification, and the New Birth

John Wesley presents his viewpoint on water baptism and its relationship to the new birth, which he discusses in his sermon entitled, “The New Birth” (Sermon 45 in Wesley’s Works, vol. 6, pp. 65–77).

Baptism and the New Birth

Wesley brings up that baptism is not the new birth mentioned as the born again experience in texts like John 3:3–6. Although baptism is a sacrament that Christ ordained, it is “a sign and seal of regeneration by his Spirit. Here it is manifest, baptism, the sign, is spoken of as distinct from regeneration, the thing signified” (Sermon 45: IV.1, p. 73).

Likewise, the new birth does not necessarily accompany baptism. Wesley says, “There may sometimes be the outward sign, where there is not the inward grace” (IV.2, p. 74).

Sanctification and the New Birth

At the same time, the new birth is not the same as sanctification, but it begins the work of holiness: “A child is born of a woman in a moment, or at least in a very short time: Afterward he gradually and slowly grows, till he attains to the stature of a man. In like manner, a child is born of God in a short time, if not in a moment. But it is by slow degrees that he afterward grows up to the measure of the full stature of Christ. The same relation, therefore, which there is between our natural birth and our growth, there is also between our new birth and our sanctification” (IV.3, p 75).

For Wesley, people who claim to be born again because they are baptized have missed the mark. They deny their baptism by every deliberate sin they commit “every act of uncleanness, drunkenness, or revenge; by every obscene or profane word; by every oath that comes out of your mouth” (p. 76). There must be both inward and outward holiness, and that begins with the new birth.

Wesley’s Prayer

The bottom line according to Wesley is that all must be born again. Wesley encourages this prayer for the person who desires the new birth:

“Lord, add this to all thy blessings, —let me be born again! Deny whatever thou pleasest, but deny not this; let me be ‘born from above!’ Take away whatsoever seems thee good,—reputation, fortune, friends, health, —only give me this, to be born of the Spirit, to be received among the children of God! Let me be born, ‘not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever’; and then let me daily ‘grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!” (p.77).