Renewed by the Spirit: Grace-Fueled Transformation for Heart and Life

In the Wesleyan tradition, being renewed by the Holy Spirit is a foundational concept that speaks to the transformative work of God’s grace in the life of a believer. For John Wesley, renewal is not merely a superficial change but a deep, inner transformation that affects every aspect of one’s life. This process, commonly understood as sanctification, is the work of the Holy Spirit in renewing our minds and hearts so that our behaviors and actions align with the character of Christ.

Wesley’s theology of sanctification revolves around the transformative power of grace, which enables believers to become more like Jesus. In his sermon “The New Birth,” Wesley describes the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit as a complete inward change: “Gospel holiness is no less than the image of God stamped upon the heart; it is no other than the whole mind which was in Christ Jesus; it consists of all heavenly affections and tempers mingled together into one.” This renewal is not achieved through human effort but is a divine gift made possible through the grace of God. The Spirit works to restore the imago Dei—the image of God—within us, an image that has been marred by sin. As the Holy Spirit moves within the believer, the heart is softened, the mind is enlightened, and the will is empowered to live in accordance with God’s will.

At the heart of this renewal is the reordering of human love. Wesley understood that sin corrupts not only our actions but also our affections, leading us to love things in ways that are disordered and out of proportion. The renewal of the Holy Spirit addresses this distortion by transforming our loves and desires. This love of God, which becomes the ruling affection in the heart of the believer, reorients the entire person. When our primary love is God, all our other loves—whether for people, possessions, or even ourselves—are ordered rightly.

Wesley was clear that this reordering of love was not simply an emotional change but a transformation that inevitably leads to changed behavior. He emphasized that sanctification, or Christian perfection, is not merely about avoiding sin but about growing in love and holiness. In his sermon “On Working Out Our Own Salvation,” Wesley writes, “God works in you; therefore you can work: otherwise it would be impossible.” If God does not work through His Spirit to renew us, then nothing in us could ever move toward the good or the holy. Every good thought, word, and work is the result of and response to the Spirit’s work within us. The Holy Spirit’s renewal is thus both an inward and outward process, shaping not only our affections but also our actions, as grace empowers us to live lives of holiness and love.

One of the hallmarks of Wesley’s theology is that the transforming work of the Holy Spirit is not just personal but also plays a communal role in the renewal of the believer. Such renewal is sustained through the means of grace. These means of grace, which Wesley divided into acts of piety and acts of mercy, serve as channels through which the Spirit’s transformative work continues in our lives. Acts of piety include practices such as prayer, reading and meditating on Scripture, fasting, attending the Lord’s Supper, and participating in Christian fellowship. These disciplines create space for the believer to encounter God, receive His grace, and be continually renewed in heart and mind.

Acts of mercy, on the other hand, include feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and other works of compassion that flow out of a heart transformed by grace. For Wesley, these acts of mercy are not optional but essential to Christian holiness. The Holy Spirit’s renewal of the believer is incomplete without a corresponding transformation in how we love and serve others. As Wesley notes in his sermon “On Visiting the Sick,” true religion requires not only loving God but also loving our neighbor. When we engage in acts of mercy, we embody the love of Christ in tangible ways, extending the grace we have received to those around us. These acts also serve to renew us as they align our hearts with the heart of God, who is always moved with compassion for the poor, the marginalized, and the oppressed.

True renewal begins in the heart, and it ends in service to God and others. To be renewed by the Holy Spirit is to undergo a profound transformation that starts deep within us and works its way outward. Just as I experienced a shift from striving for outward recognition to my work being done out of inward love for God and others, through the power of grace, the Holy Spirit reorders our loves so that we desire what God desires. As our affections are transformed, our behaviors naturally follow suit. This renewal is the essence of sanctification—the process by which we are made holy and conformed to the image of Christ.