A Whole Savior, a Whole Gospel
“If the man may preach, because the Saviour died for him, why not the woman, seeing He died for her also? Is He not a whole Saviour, instead of a half one?” — Jarena Lee, 1849
When Jarena Lee declared, “If the man may preach because the Saviour died for him, why not the woman, seeing He died for her also?” she wasn’t merely defending her right to speak — she was proclaiming a theology of wholeness. To Jarena, salvation was not partial, conditional, or confined. Christ’s redeeming love reached every soul, and His Spirit equipped every believer to serve. Hers was not the cry of rebellion, but the conviction of revelation — that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is whole: it saves fully, sanctifies deeply, and calls universally.
By the time of her death in 1849, Jarena Lee had preached across thousands of miles, breaking barriers of race and gender that the world thought unshakable. Yet she did not see herself as an exception, but as a witness — proof that the same Spirit who filled the apostles still breathes life into the least expected vessels. Her story reminds us that a half Gospel can never heal a broken world. Only a whole Savior, freely offered to all, can bring full redemption.
A Gospel for Every Voice
Jarena Lee’s life stands as a living sermon — a declaration that the Gospel of Jesus Christ belongs to all.
Born in 1783, without formal education, she found in Scripture a truth deeper than law or custom: that salvation is not partial, nor grace selective. Christ is a whole Savior, redeeming and empowering both men and women, rich and poor, Black and white.
Lee’s conviction was not theoretical — it was forged through suffering, isolation, and obedience. She preached because she could not do otherwise. Like the prophet Jeremiah, she confessed that the Word of God burned within her “like fire shut up in my bones.”
Holiness of Heart and Life
Jarena’s message was simple but revolutionary: salvation is not merely pardon — it is transformation.
“He told me the progress of the soul from a state of darkness … consisted in three degrees: conviction, justification, and entire sanctification.”
She believed that sanctification — a heart fully devoted to God — was available to every believer. This holiness was not a privilege of the educated or the ordained, but the gift of a living Spirit to any heart humble enough to receive it.
Her own sanctification became the source of her authority. When she prayed, “Lord, sanctify my soul for Christ’s sake,” she said it was as though lightning darted through her — a sign that the Spirit had claimed her fully. That holy fire never left her.
The Power of a Whole Gospel
Jarena Lee’s theology was large enough to hold both heaven’s fire and earth’s suffering.
She preached repentance with tears, endurance through trial, and the hope of glory for the weary. She could testify:
“I have ever been fed by His bounty, clothed by His mercy, comforted and healed when sick, succored when tempted, and everywhere upheld by His hand.”
Her Gospel was whole — not divided by gender or race, not confined to pulpits or pews. It was a Gospel that reached the margins, speaking redemption into fields and kitchens, forests and city streets. She proclaimed that “God is no respecter of persons,” and her very life proved it.
Her Legacy Still Burns
Jarena Lee’s voice still echoes today — in every woman who preaches the Word, in every believer who follows God’s call despite opposition. She reminds the Church that the Spirit cannot be contained by human order or custom.
When Jarena died around 1849, she left behind no wealth, no position — only a blazing testimony. Through her faith and courage, she helped shape the soul of the A.M.E. Church and planted the seeds of equality that would grow long after her death.
Her story remains a challenge and a comfort to us: that obedience is the truest measure of faith, and that a whole Savior still calls us to proclaim a whole Gospel.
Reflection
- Where have I limited the reach of God’s grace — in others or in myself?
- What would it mean to live and speak as though Christ truly were a whole Savior?
- How can I honor Jarena Lee’s legacy by empowering the voices God is still raising today?
Prayer
O Christ, our whole Savior,
break every boundary that divides Your children.
Fill us with the fire of Your Spirit —
the same fire that burned in Jarena Lee.
Sanctify our hearts, steady our steps, and strengthen our voices
to proclaim Your whole Gospel to the whole world.
May our lives, like hers, shine with Your unquenchable love.
Amen.
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