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Jumpstarter 10 of 10

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True Greatness  /  John Wesley  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 10
Wesley warns against “meddlers” who laugh others out of costly-plain convictions, tells people to avoid such tempters, and even urges cutting off “sinful friendship with the ungodly” that pulls one back into conformity; what kinds of relationships and social pressures most shape your conformity today (family teasing, church culture, friendships), and what concrete steps—today, not “tomorrow”—would obedience require if Wesley’s counsel is accurate?
Another way to ask: What people or pressures most push you to fit in (family jokes, friends, church culture)? If Wesley is right about avoiding those influences, what specific step should you take today, not later?

Direct Answer Wesley’s counsel assumes conformity is strongly shaped by relationships—mockers, fashionable Christian crowds, family pressure, and friendships with those “fond of fancy dress.” If he is right, obedience may require immediate steps: distancing from those who pressure you to compromise, refusing their influence, and making a firm decision “this day” to renounce both the friendship and the conformity.

Support from Transcript:

  • He describes “meddlers” who “reason, rally, and laugh you out of it,” and pleads: “not to do the devil’s work any longer.”
  • He advises avoidance: “either beg them to be silenced or else just leave the room,” and “avoid these tempters with all possible care.”
  • He names family pressure: relatives “teasing me continually,” then answers with grace: “there is strength laid up… His grace is sufficient for you.”
  • He warns about fearing man: “He who loveth father… husband or wife more than me is not worthy of me.”
  • He connects relapse to relationships: friendship with those “fond of fancy dress” and “friendship with the world is enmity with God.”
  • He demands immediacy: “now, today… Do not delay until tomorrow, lest you delay forever.”
Discussion Follow-ups Who are the “tempters” in your life right now, and what would it look like—concretely—to “leave the room” or cut off the influence without delay?

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