We hear much about ‘Manifestos’ in the UK during the months leading up to a General Election. These are public declarations of policies and aims. They usually take the form of a series of promises made to prospective voters in order to gain support for a particular political party, in return for the fulfilment of these promises. Only time will tell if these promises manifest themselves and come to pass.

John Wesley, the famous 18th century Christian Preacher, offered the following manifesto. Not to gain support for himself or any particular Christian group or denomination. Wesley was speaking from a heart that desperately longed for men and women in this land to willingly submit to God’s greater Manifesto, which is His own public declaration of His love for all people and is made clearly known in His word, the Bible. There He declares to all, His love and the available, and guaranteed, promise of the forgiveness of sin and an eternal home in heaven. His desire is to see all saved from sin and for all to spend eternity in His presence.

“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.  For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.  This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.” (John 6:37-39)

Wesley’s manifesto:

1. Reduce the gap between rich people and poor people
2. Help everyone to have a Job
3. Help the poorest, including introducing a living wage.
4. Offer the best possible education
5. Help everyone to feel they can make a difference
6. Promote tolerance
7. Promote equal treatment for women
8. Create a Society based on values and not on profits and consumerism
9. End all forms of Slavery
10. Avoid getting into wars
11. Share the love of God with everyone
12. Care for the environment

He was also quoted as saying:

Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.

Wesley was a man who passionately sought to introduce as many people as he could to his Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, and he successfully made an eternal difference to countless people – in his time and to this day. Wesley said:

“Give me one hundred men who love only God - with all their heart and hate only sin - with all their heart, and we will shake the gates of hell and bring in the kingdom of God in one generation.”

His work and the Gospel message still continues to draw people to the truth of the salvation found only in Jesus - to this day.

God's greater manifesto

God continues to sorrow over the sinful and lost state of people. So much did He want to rescue people that He sent His beloved Son to bear in His own body, the absolute and final punishment for sin. ALL Sin. Now there exists a way for all to find eternal life through the sacrifice Jesus made for us when He died on the cross and rose again in victory.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (John 3:16-21)

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