Religious Affections (Part 1)
March 17th, 2007
(By Nathan Williams)
Since we have been doing the Q & A on eschatology this week, we decided to go with something completely different today.
If you have never read Jonathan Edwards’s Religious Affections, you are truly missing out on a monumental Christian work. This treatise will not only challenge you in the way you think about your own salvation, but it will challenge you to think more deeply about everything in your life. In many ways, reading Edwards for the first time is like discovering a world which you knew very little about. His thoughts are profound and very much worth the time and effort to understand.
Edwards states his own purpose for writing Religious Affections in the preface to the book. He desires to discuss, “What are the distinguishing qualifications of those that are in favour with God, and entitled to his eternal rewards?” Or stated another way by Edwards himself, “What is the nature of true religion? And wherein lie the distinguishing notes of that virtue which is acceptable in the sight of God?” Edwards seeks to explain as only Edwards can what characteristics are truly signs of a genuine believer in Christ and what signs do not necessarily indicate saving faith.
There is a wealth of knowledge to be gained from Religious Affections. However, for this particular post I want to narrow in on the second section of the book. This portion is entitled, “Showing what are no certain signs that religious affections are truly gracious, or that they are not.” Edwards points to twelve signs that you cannot rely on to confirm the operation of grace in your heart. We’ll give a short synopsis of some of these signs to hopefully whet your appetite for more.
I. “It is no sign, one way or other, that religious affections are very great, or raised very high.”
His basic argument is that you cannot trust high emotional fervor as a sign of true conversion. Often times we view those with huge emotions as those who are simply putting on a show. Scripture very much puts true religion in the affections and many of the most revered believers in the Bible experienced very immense emotions concerning the things of God. Many Christians seem nervous about those who experience strong religious emotions, but Edwards points to multiple passages of Scripture that commend strong emotions. We are told in I Peter 1:8 to be “rejoicing with joy unspeakable, and full of glory.” Psalm 68:3 says, “But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God; Yes, let them rejoice with gladness.” However, Edwards is quick to explain that ultimately you cannot trust strong emotions as evidence of grace. There are many instances in Scripture where strong religious fervor did not indicate salvation. The multitudes were strongly affected after the resurrection of Lazarus, but were not truly saved. Edwards summarizes by saying, “In a word, it is the concurring voice of all orthodox divines, that there may be religious affections raised to a very high degree, and yet nothing of true religion.”
II. “It is no sign that affections are truly gracious, or that they are not, that they cause those who have them, to be fluent, fervent, and abundant in talking of religious things.”
Sometimes when we see someone speaking much of religious things, we brand them a hypocrite and throw them into the same category as the Pharisees. On the other side of the coin, many people hear someone talk often of spiritual things and immediately assume that that person is obviously a true believer. There is a careful balance to be maintained when dealing with conversation concerning spiritual things. It may come from a heart that is in fact overflowing with grace and longs to speak of what the Savior has done, or it may come from a selfish heart desiring attention and approval.
III. “It is no evidence that religious affections are saving, or that they are otherwise, that there is an appearance of love in them.”
Many may argue that love is the chief of the Christian affections and cannot be duplicated by someone who is unregenerate. Edwards argues that love is the most excellent of all Christian virtues and that is exactly why Satan will attempt to counterfeit it. Men do not counterfeit that which is worthless, only that which is valuable. He does point out that love is a very difficult virtue to imitate, but that there will be many attempts at it. “It is evident by the Scripture, that there may be strong affections of this kind, without saving grace…”
IV. “It is no certain sign that affections have in them the nature of true religion, or that they have not, that they dispose persons to spend much time in religion, and to be zealously engaged in the external duties of worship.”
Scripture teaches that those who are true believers will spend much time in exercising religious duties. Acts 2:46-47 says, “And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” Edwards goes on to list many religious duties that Christians are eager to be engaged in from singing to gathering for worship to sharing the gospel with unbelievers. However, he is careful to note that an eagerness to be engaged in religious duties is often found in those who are unbelievers. The Pharisees are a perfect example of this. They were relentlessly engaged in religious duties, but were obvious hypocrites in the exercise of them. The bottom line is that according to Edwards we cannot trust external duties to indicate saving faith.
I believe Edwards’s Religious Affections provides a timely word for us in the 21st century. In a day when our churches are filled with those who profess to be saved, but show little real evidence of salvation, it is important for us to sit at the feet of Edwards and allow him to explain what are the genuine signs of saving faith and what are not. While this has been a far to short synopsis of a few of the things Edwards discusses, I trust it will prod you to pick up this old classic and discover the riches of Edwards. I’ll come back, perhaps next Saturday, with some of the signs Edwards believes do identify true saving faith in an individual.
“It may come from a heart that is in fact overflowing with grace and longs to speak of what the Savior has done, or it may come from a selfish heart desiring attention and approval.”
The bottom, bottom line is do you love Christ. A genuine love for the Lord and Savior, which desires to obey Him, and hates not doing it.
I will definitely have to get this book. Thanks for sharing this.
Well I have started it. Lets see how far I get in a week.
I can already tell it will be similar to reading Spurgeon. I believe in todays world we need to be always reminded just how wretched and sinful we are and not have our ears tickled (there is way too much of that going on). We need to fall at our Saviour’s feet and weep for our wretchedness as well as for the loving mercy and grace of God!
It’s been an excellent week!!
donsands, et al,
The bottom bottom line is not “do you love Christ.”
The bottom bottom line is does Christ love you. It is not that we first love Christ, but that he loves us first and died for us. In fact nothing is of us first. If you have anything it is because it is given to you, 1 Cor 4. The strength of the love that you have for Christ is in accordance with what he gives you. And, if you think that you are loving Christ, think again. “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” You sin everyday, so everyday you prove that you do not love Christ, but even in your unfaithfulness, he remains faithful because he cannot deny (hate) himself. Thank God for grace. Grace, such a misappropriated name for some churches.
Having read Edwards, several times, he comes to the final conclusion that no one knows except the individual himself truly knows the condition of his heart. And, even at that, sin that so weighs down a brother may give him no rest in assurance and he may surely die under such a burden. The primary sign to the believer is repentence and that is marked not by a turning from sinning to doing good deeds, but ceasing from any labor. The summary is judge rightly, love mercy and walk humbly. Judge yourself rightly, show mercy in the same way you have been shown mercy and hang your head, for you deserve nothing as an unfaithful servant.
Though no one can take comfort in the sin that so easily besets them, Hebrews 12 tell us to lay it aside and not let it entangle us, but we are rather to fix our attention on Christ, the author (here the word means first in the faith or the one who leads, “archegos”) and its completion (teleiotes). There is nothing left to boast about. Christ has done it all, the creator of faith, the giver of faith, the liver of faith and it perfect fulfillment. In Christ is the only comfort. Neither in our being born again or our continuing sanctification, is if fininshed, but it is finished in Christ. So, sin lends nothing to assurance and that should go without saying, but in doing good we are only assured that He is faithful to remember our works which he both wills in us and does by the power of the Holy Spirit. Good deeds are then a tertiary means of assurance. The primary being the witness of the Spirit that we are the Children of God and the secondary, the Word himself to whom the Spirit always directs us. Curiously, behavior is always second to doctrine. For, it is the truth that sets us free to do. And, as the Scripture says, “I will exalt my word above my name.” And, it is by the Spirit that that is accomplished.
One needs to be cautioned when exalting works or good deeds above the testimony of the Spirit and the word. Hyper-pietism distracts from the glory of Christ who is made evident to the world not by our works of charity or the keeping of law, but by the Gospel preached, not lived. There is always fruit, for Jesus was sent to call those who the Father had given him so that they would bear much fruit. It is not a matter of if, but when. But, the fruit that God desires is a contrite heart and a broken spirit, and no man can know that except the individual and God for it is written, no man can know another man’s pain, man looks on the outward appearance, but God upon the heart.
Too much time has been spent condemning the world for their sinful behavior by a church that is in every way just as sinful and except for the grace of God would be just as condemned. When we start again to preach a gospel of repentance from self sufficiency and to “rest,” from our own labors we will again be the Church of Christ. There was a man named Moody who passsed a drunk in the gutter and was reported to have said, “Except for the grace of God, there go I.” But, Christ, from that gutter looking up at Moody, said, “because of the grace of God here am I. So, do not look down upon your brothers. But, up to God who justifies the ungodly. If a man comes into your congregation dressed in the robes of sin and another man comes in dressed in robes of righteousness, what do you do? Do you say of the man who is rich in spiritual things, word and deed, he takes a seat in the front. It is the poor drunken with sin, Christian however, the one who shows no external signs of goodness that is the least in the kingdom. It is the Solomon and David, and Samson. But, just to let us know that we are not good at judging the heart, it is also the Samuel.
So, take caution, have John Mac sit among the most sinful of the flock and learn that he is one of them. Move the really “spiritual ones” among you to the back row and show more tender mercies and greater honor to the weak and less comely members of the body and you will inch a little to a fuller understanding of Edwards.
Thomas,
I agree the reason I love Christ is because He first loved me. Amen and amen!
I was speaking of how a person who has been loved by Christ knows he is loved by Christ our sovereign Lord.
I believe it is because we love Him. That is the bottom, bottom line for me.
At one time I didn’t love Him, in fact I hated Him, and didn’t even know it.
“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which he loved me” has changed my heart, and “the love of God has been poured out in my heart by the Holy Spirit who was given to me.”
And “if my heart condemns me, God is greater than my heart, and knows all things”, and I know that I am a sinner, and I condemn myself a lot, however, I also know that I love the Lord, and it’s only by His grace, and by His mercy, and because He first loved me.
I also love people, because God took my heart of stone and gave me a new heart.
I appreciate your response, and I agree with what you say for the most part.
God bless, and have a blessed Lord’s Day.
“There is always fruit, for Jesus was sent to call those who the Father had given him so that they would bear much fruit.”
I believe that fruit is love.
Thomas,
Ah, yes, but if we love Christ we will keep His commandments. So everyday we prove we love Him as we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome. It is true that we love Him because He first loved us. He has poured out His love within our hearts through His Holy Spirit and we are rooted and grounded in this love. His love does not reside in those who are not His. So if we are truly His we can not help but love Him and it is this love that compels us to no longer live for ourselves, but for Him who died and rose again on our behalf.
We work out that which has been inwrought. We are working out while He is at work in us, and it is this work, this good work, that He has begun that He will complete. But in the middle of all of this is sin. The sin that is present in our members, waging war against the law our our mind. Sin, the great weapon of the enemy which has caused the death of all mankind, which seeks to master us. It is in the battle against sin that our love is proven. The issue is not do we still sin, because we do, but the issue is do we battle against sin, do we strive against sin, are we actively resisting sin. We are to watch and pray that we would not enter into tempation for the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Are there those who are weaker in the faith, those who are less mature? Yes, Paul talks about them in I Corinthians 3:1-3, Romans 14&15, and the author of Hebrews in 5:11-6:3, and 12:12-13. James 3:2 also alludes to it. Those of us who are more mature, including John Mac, do not have to “sit” with those who are less mature to understand that we sin. In fact, it is just the opposite. It is written that those who have been forgiven much love much. Does this mean that those who were more egregious and pervasive in their sin are the ones who love more? No, it means that it is those who see their sin for what it is and understand the depth of their depravity, who, therefore, understand the depth and the riches of the mercy and compassion of God, who then love Him more. This is something that happens as we work out our salvation and grow in Him. Let us, therefore, not think that we have arrived, but realize that we have not and continue to press on toward the goal of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
donsands, et al,
The bottom bottom line is not “do you love Christ.”
The bottom bottom line is does Christ love you. It is not that we first love Christ, but that he loves us first and died for us. In fact nothing is of us first. If you have anything it is because it is given to you, 1 Cor 4. The strength of the love that you have for Christ is in accordance with what he gives you. And, if you think that you are loving Christ, think again. “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” You sin everyday, so everyday you prove that you do not love Christ, but even in your unfaithfulness, he remains faithful because he cannot deny (hate) himself. Thank God for grace. Grace, such a misappropriated name for some churches.
Amen, Thomas!
After all, as Matthew 7 describes, He’s not going to sit on the throne asking each person, “Do you love Me?”, He’s going to tell the Father whether or not He knows them/you.
It will be those standing there going “But Lord!” who will be claiming love for Him. “But Lord, didn’t we do X, Y, and Z in your name?!” Essentially, “Look at how much we loved you!” and yet He says they are LIARS because they lived as though He never gave them a law to obey. They are lawless and unregenerate yet they claimed to be Christians. This is why deeds demonstrate true saving faith, and this is why each can be known by their fruit.
Paul Washer does an excellent exposition on Matthew 7 in several of his sermons that are online to listen to at various sites. I know it is in the Youth Conference message, I think also in Examine Yourself message, and the ‘True Gospel’ and ‘Biblical Assurance’ series.
His introduction is also VERY important to his argument. Essentially, if you buy his introduction then he has already won the debate. The non-linear nature of human psychology demands that the affections (hatred of sin, love of God, etc) be an integral part of conversion. This blows the whole “barren-tree gospel” movement out of the water.
“After all, as Matthew 7 describes, He’s not going to sit on the throne asking each person, “Do you love Me?”, -Jay
This is exactly what the risen Lord asked Peter wasn’t it.
“Peter do you love me? Then feed my sheep”. Peter loved the Lord, and he even told the Lord, “Lord you know all things, You know I love You!”
Jay, do you love the Lord? If yes , then He calls you to serve Him, because you love Him. AND IF YOU LOVE HIM, THEN IT’S BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED YOU.
I went over why I believe this is so in my earlier comment, so I won’t go into it again.
Morris Brooks’ comment was excellent as well. I appreciate his thoughts on this matter.
“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” John 14:23
And we show are love for the Lord the most, by loving the least of these.
And he who does not love me will not keep My words”. If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord come!” 1 Cor. 16:22
The people in Matthew 7:21-23 were not claiming to love Jesus, but claiming to have done three specific things in His name, prophesying, casting out demons, and performing many miracles/works of power (Hmm, sounds like a certain persuasion today). These people were trusting on their sensational religious works for their salvation, but were not doing the will of the Father and therefore were workers of iniquity/practicers of lawlessness. What is the will of God that we are to do? It is that we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, on Him alone, on His person and His finished work for our salvation. There can be nothing more and there is nothing less.
The context that this sensational claim is made in is interesting because in vs 12-14 Christ says that the gate is wide and the way is broad that lead to destruction, but the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few there be that find it. (My friend, Bill, has made the comment that both gates have the same sign,”This way to Heaven”) In vs 15-20 Christ tells us to beware the false prohphets who come to us in sheep’s clothing , but that we will know them by their fruits (see also Hebrews 13:7). Then in vs 24-29 Christ says that it is the wise man who hears His words and acts on them, but the fool is the one who hears His word and does not act upon it(see James 1:22).
Christ is the narrow gate and the narrow way. Religion is the broad way, religion says chart your own course to God, choose what you want to believe, what you want to do, believe that there is something you can do to achieve right standing before God. False prophets tell you they know the way, so follow them. They will always lead you away from Christ never to Him. We can know them by their fruits, the result of their conduct and not be led astray by their sensational works and claims. It is the wise man who hears Christ say “I am the way, the truth, and the life. Come to the Father through Me.” and then follows Christ and Him alone. It it is the fool who hears the same words, but decides to make his own way, chart his own course, and great is His fall.
In essence these are the same things that Jonathan Edwards was talking about in his treatise on Religious Affections. These things that men, religious men, do with zeal, with fervor, with all the externals and vernacular, but are far from Him.
Can someone please explain what it means to rest from labors since we are to not grow weary in doing good ?
Ray,
It would be more of a rest for your soul; a Matthew 11:28 type of rest I would think.
We now have peace with God, and there’s now no condemnation for those who come to Christ, and are in Christ.
And our burdens and yokes are lighter and easier.
Ray B.
Can someone please explain what it means to rest from labors since we are to not grow weary in doing good ?
First of all it’s helpful to quote the scripture correctly.
Heb 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 11 Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
It doesn’t say “rest from labors” as if we aren’t going to do anything. It says, “ceased (or rested) from HIS OWN works.” In other words you stop doing your own self-directed and self-empowered works. You seek to only do those works that God directs and the Holy Spirit empowers.
In salvation this would mean that you cease from doing any of your own works of righteousness to justify yourself and you put your faith only in the completed work of Christ to save you. You “rest” from your own efforts to save yourself and rely entirely on faith in Christ to save you. That is the “rest” (from your own works) of faith.
In our onging works or labors for the Lord we must give up any sense of self sufficiency.
1. For Direction: We cannot direct our own way.
Jer 10:23 O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.
Pro 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
2. For Strength and Ability: We must not trust ourselves in any way.
Phi 3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
2Co 3:4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; 6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
1Pe 4:11 Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Phi 2:13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
Remember what Jesus said:
Joh 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
Hope this helps.
Yours in Christ,
Riley
Thank you for your input. Yes , I realize what the passage said in Matthew. I thought maybe someone was using a new theological statement. Or at least new to me.
“So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, buy now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;” Phil 2:12
“Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you-unless indeed you fail the test?” 2 Cor 13:5