John Wesley's Three Simple Rules: A Guide to Holiness

When John Wesley organized the Methodist societies in 1743, he gave their members a rule of life in three brief commands: Do no harm. Do good. Attend upon all the ordinances of God. What sounds like common sense turns out to be a deeply theological program. These Three Simple Rules, as Rueben Job named them in his 2007 book, encode Wesley's entire vision of the sanctified life.

Rule One: Do No Harm

Wesley's first rule is not passive - it is a call to active resistance against evil. His original list of harms to avoid included: taking the name of God in vain, profaning the Sabbath, drunkenness, fighting and quarreling, doing to others what we would not want done to us, and charging excessive interest. The rule names specific vices because Wesley was a practical theologian who knew that 'avoid evil' needs concrete content.

Rule Two: Do Good

The second rule is equally specific. Wesley enjoined his people to give food to the hungry, clothing to the naked, and to visit those who were sick or in prison. He also included acts of spiritual good: instructing the ignorant, admonishing sinners, and encouraging believers. Wesley saw no division between social concern and spiritual care - both were expressions of love for God and neighbor.

Rule Three: Attend Upon the Ordinances of God

The third rule is the one most often neglected today: attending upon the ordinances of God. Wesley listed public worship, the ministry of the Word, the Lord's Supper, family and private prayer, and searching the Scriptures. These are the means of grace - the channels through which God's sanctifying power flows. Without them, the first two rules quickly become moralism.

A Theology in Three Rules

Read together, the Three Simple Rules map the shape of Christian holiness: avoidance of sin (the negative dimension), active love of neighbor (the outward dimension), and dependence on God's grace through the means He provides (the devotional dimension). Wesley believed that Christians are saved not merely from sin's guilt but from sin's power - and that this transformation requires both the grace of God and the cooperation of the human will.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are John Wesley's Three Simple Rules?

Wesley's Three Simple Rules are: Do no harm, Do good, and Stay in love with God (or 'Attend upon the ordinances of God'). Originally written as guidelines for early Methodist societies, they summarize the Wesleyan vision of practical holiness in three memorable principles.

Are the Three Simple Rules in the Methodist doctrinal standards?

The rules come from Wesley's 'General Rules' written in 1739 for the United Societies. They are not a creed but a practical behavioral guide. The General Rules are included in the United Methodist Book of Discipline as one of the foundational documents of Methodist identity.

What does 'stay in love with God' mean in Wesley's rules?

Wesley's original phrasing was 'attending upon all the ordinances of God' — meaning the means of grace: public worship, Scripture reading, prayer, fasting, and the Lord's Supper. These practices are the channels through which God's love is received and sustained. The contemporary paraphrase 'stay in love with God' captures the relational heart of this practice.

How do the Three Simple Rules relate to Wesley's doctrine of sanctification?

The rules embody Wesley's conviction that salvation involves not just justification but sanctification — the ongoing transformation of the believer into Christlike love. 'Do no harm' and 'do good' express love for neighbor; 'stay in love with God' expresses love for God. Together they are the practical shape of entire sanctification.

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