2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.”
Do we truly understand and appreciate the length that God went for our salvation? No one who has realized something of the love of Christ, who died for us, can remain indifferent. Do the inclinations of our soul bend towards what is right in the eyes of the Lord? Does our will align with the will of God for our lives, and do we seek His holy will daily? Where does our heart prove its allegiance by our thoughts, words, attitude and actions? What do we demonstrate to the Lord by our life? The Scriptures tell us to test ourselves because the emotions and commotions of the ages then and now. Galatians 5:16-25 explains to us that the indwelling Spirit is in conflict with our old flesh, that compete for the affections of our heart; the dedication, devotion and desires of our mind, will and emotions daily. This examination humbles me to my knees; to rejoice in the Lord, because our Father God desires that we develop, expand, grow and increase our faith in action; indentifying and trimming off that which is unproductive and/or harmful in our walk with Him, while continually seeking godly knowledge and wisdom from above to produce increasing more heavenly fruit (of love, joy, peace, etc.) aligned with the mercy and grace given us through our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. May we stand up, anew, and boldly walk in His purposes.
Jonathon Edwards, in the year 1746, wrote: If true religion lies much in the affections, then we should do as much as possible to stimulate the affections towards godliness and holiness. Those books, types of preaching of the Word, and liturgies of worship that help us worship God in prayer and praises are to be encouraged, as they help to affect the hearts of those who do these things. But in these times, the apathetic way in which prayer and preaching are practiced no longer excites the affections. Rather, it causes disgust and only creates displeasure and contempt. If true religion lies so much in the affections, we should realize, to our shame before God, that we are not more affected with the great things of faith. It appears from what we have said that this arises from our having so little religion.
For God has given affections to man for the same purpose that He has given all the faculties of the human soul, namely that they might serve “man’s chief end,” to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever, which is the greatest business for which God has created him, namely the business of religion. Yet we find that people exercise the affections in everything else but religion! When it comes to their worldly interest, their outward delights, their honor and reputation, and their natural relations, they have warm affection and ardent zeal. In these things their hearts are tender and sensitive, easily moved, deeply impressed, much concerned, and much engrossed. They get deeply depressed at worldly losses, and highly excited at worldly successes. But how insensitive and unmoved are most men about the great things of another world! How dull then are their affections! Here their love is cold, their desires languid, their zeal low, and their gratitude small. How can the sit and hear of the infinite height, depth, length, and breadth of the love of God in Christ Jesus, of His gift of His infinitely dear Son offered as a sacrifice for the sins of men, and yet be so insensible and regardless?! Can we suppose that the wise Creator implanted such a facility of affections to be occupied in this way? How can any Christian who believes the truth of these things not realize this?
If the Creator has wisely made human nature in this maner, why then misuse our affections? Can we Christians find anything worthier to respond to with all of our affections than what is set forth to us in the gospel of Jesus Christ? Can anything be worthier to affect us than this? For the glory and beauty of the blessed Lord shine in all their luster in the face of an incarnate, infinitely loving, meek, compassionate, and dying Redeemer. All the virtues of the Lamb of God such as humility, patience, meekness, submission, obedience, love, and compassion, are shown us in such a way as to most deeply move our affections. We see too the awful effects of the nature of our sin which our Redeemer undertook and suffered for us. There we see in the most affecting way God’s hatred of sin and His wrath and judgment. As we see His justice and His wrath, we realize what a dreadful punishment was borne for our sins. What cause then have we to be humbled in the dust, that we are not moved more than we are?!
Colossians 1:9-12 “We have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.”
Jonathon Edwards’ words are as true today as when he first penned them, because these natural affections of the flesh and the world, destitute of holy affections of the Spirit of God, creep into the heart quietly and rarely recognized for the evil that they are. Edwards’ goal is not to convict and condemn, but to bring to light the real issue, realize our dependence on Almighty God, and refocus our hearts on Christ alone with eternal holy affections for true love and joy in life. This should be our goal also. Live every day, all day long, abiding in Jesus, enthusiastically moved in body, soul and spirit by the love of God, and in the joy of your salvation in Christ.
From my temporary corner office with a nice view of Columbia today,
Blessings, Brian
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