Edwards begins his argument supporting the centrality and importance of affections to the Christian life with a look at 1 Peter 1:8: “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.” Written to believers suffering under intense persecution, Edwards […]
Gleanings from The Religious Affections (Part 1): The Glories, Evils, and Confusion of the Great Awakening
Jonathan Edwards’ classic work, The Religious Affections, is likely the greatest book ever written on the nature of the Holy Spirit’s work in the heart of a true believer or the essence of the true Christian life. Thoughtful reflection in its pages reaps the enormous dividends of greater understanding and appreciation of the infinite excellence […]
Lessons from Love and Contempt Toward Jonathan Edwards
In the early pages of his biography of Jonathan Edwards, Iain Murray catalogs an enlightening mix of opinions concerning the eighteenth-century theologian and pastor. At first blush, the extreme and opposite views of Edwards give the impression that people were not talking about the same man. Yet, they were, and therein lies a great lesson […]
To Know Him Is to Love Him
Boundless in knowledge and power; perfect in goodness, love, wisdom, and justice, God does all things with holy excellence. Indeed, holiness constitutes the beauty of His every attribute and action. We see God’s excellence most clearly in the person and work of Christ in love to the unlovely, goodness to the corrupt, mercy to the […]
Why Does Power Corrupt?
“Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”[1] Written in 1887, the words of Lord Acton ring proverbial by the witness of history and experience. On a grand scale, great power does seem to create great tyrants. Even religious authorities and institutions tend to act worse as they amass greater power. On a more […]
The Ultimate Evidence for the Divine Nature of Scripture
Have you ever heard that Scripture is no more than a human book, like Shakespeare or other classics? And have you felt unprepared to respond with historical and other arguments to convince the objector of its divine nature? Yet, while the proofs for Scripture as God’s Word are plentiful and helpful, the greatest evidence cannot […]
Overjoyed in Our Robe of Righteousness
As God is glorified in the display and communication of His holiness and happiness, and as that display and communication is by the grand medium of Christ in His redemptive work, so the saints’ happiness in heaven will be as participants in God’s ultimate purpose in viewing and loving Christ and His redemptive work. “The […]
