What I learned from Edwards (part 1)

I recently listened to an audiobook of The Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards on a long trip out to Michigan and back.  I want to highlight a few things that I thought were helpful in "reading" the book.

Edwards' book is divided into three sections:
Part I: CONCERNING THE NATURE OF THE AFFECTIONS AND THEIR IMPORTANCE TO RELIGION
Part II: SHOWING WHAT ARE NO CERTAIN SIGNS THAT RELIGIOUS AFFECTIONS ARE GRACIOUS, OR THAT THEY ARE NOT.
Part III: SHOWING WHAT ARE DISTINGUISHING SIGNS OF TRULY GRACIOUS AND HOLY AFFECTIONS.

Before I go on, my reader should understand that Edwards' book is a pretty extensive and highly philosophical treatment of some complicated issues pertaining to the Christian life.  If you have time and want to wade through the whole book, be prepared to do some re-reading (or rewinding) and some deep thinking.  For those that may not want or be able to spend that much time, I would suggest starting with the Introduction and  Part I (it's not very long comparatively) and then reading the introduction and thesis statements of each point of Part II and Part III.

Having said all that, this post will focus on Part I.

In Part I of The Religious Affections, Jonathan Edwards will argue for the importance of affection and its proper display in religion.

He begins with an exposition of 1 Peter 1:8 which says, "whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory."  From this verse Edwards sees "two kinds of operation, or exercise of true religion": (1) Love to Christ and (2) Joy in Christ.  Therefore, argues Edwards, holy affection to God is at the heart of true religion.  He supports this doctrinal statement with ten points where he argues from the nature of man and gives various examples of Scripture's priority on affection to God.

Finally, Edwards draws three inferences:

1.       We may hence learn how great their error is, who are for discarding all religious affections, as having nothing solid or substantial in them.

2.       If it be so, that true religion lies much in the affections, hence we may infer, that such means are to be desired, as have much of a tendency to move the affections.

3.       If true religion lies much in the affections, hence we may learn, what great cause we have to be ashamed and confounded before God, that we are no more affected with the great things of religion.

As he lists these, Edwards explains the background which spurs these inferences.  The collective religious mind during the time of the writing of this book, was largely skeptical to any display of affection in organized religion.  This was a pendulum swing (if you will) away from the previous movement that placed all evidence of salvation on the high display of affection.  Edwards warns that Satan, through these extremes, attempts to uproot true religious affection either by encouraging undue emphasis on it as the sole means for assurance or by encouraging its negligence resulting in dead formalism.

If, however, as Edwards argues, "true religion lies much in the affections," then (this is inference #2) we should encourage the expression of affection to God in our religion.  Also, (inference #3) we should be ashamed before God at how little we are moved by His grace toward us.


So, in evaluation, there is much we can learn from this first part of Edward's book.  First, affection is intended by God to be a great part of religion.  God made us to act largely from the affections.  Let's not shun affection as if it were not as noble as mental assent or reason.  In light of who God is, what He has done, how He has revealed Himself to us in His Word, our affections should rise up in worship!  We should also encourage such affection in corporate gatherings.

Second, we should never look at the display of affection as proof of true religious affection.  We need to be biblically discerning of what is happening in us and around us.  It's easy to get caught up in something because of what it feels like.

I think Edward's calls for balance at the beginning of his book.  Let's not ignore affection or put undue importance on it.

Those are my thoughts; I would encourage you to read this first part.  If you already have, please, weigh in!