You are here100307 - Reading #3 - pg 19
100307 - Reading #3 - pg 19
This will be the final week I'll include the entire reading to give participants a chance to acquire the book. (see the Welcome post for details).
Discussion questions are located on the bottom of this post.
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EXERPTS FROM: Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards
1. Engagement of the Heart
The kind of religion that God requires, and will accept, does not consist in weak, dull, and lifeless "Wouldings" - those weak inclinations that lack convictions - that raise us but a little above indifference. God, in his word, greatly insists that we be in good earnest, fervent in spirit, and that our hearts be engaged vigorously in our religion: "Be fervent in spirit serving the Lord" (Rom. 12:11).
"And now, O Israel, what does the Lord you God require of you? To fear the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul" (Deut 10:12). This fervent, vigorous engagement of the heart is the fruit of a real circumcision of the heart that alone has the promise of life: "And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your children, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul that you may live" (Deut 30:6).
2. Holy Affection
If we are not earnest in our religion, and if our wills and inclinations are not strongly exercised, we are nothing. The importance of religion is so great that no halfhearted exercise will suffice. In nothing is the state of our heart so crucial as in religion, and in nothing is lukewarmness so odious.
True religion is a powerful thing. The power of it appears, first, in the inward exercises of the heart (which is the seat of all religion). Therefore, true religion is called "the power of godliness," in contrast to the external appearances of it, ie, the mere "form": "Having the form of godliness but denying the power of it" (2 Tim 3:5). The Spirit of God is a spirit of powerful holy affection in the lives of those who have a sound and solid religion. This is why it is written that God has given his people the spirit of power, and of love, and of a sound mind) 2 Tim 1:7).
When we receive the Spirit of God, we receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost who is like "fire," and along with it the sanctifying and saving influences of God. When this happens, when grace is at work within us, it sometimes "burns" within us, as it was for Jesus' disciples (Luke 24:32).
3. The Exercising of the Will
The work of religion has been compared to the doing of exercises, wherein we desire to have our hearts engaged in God. Metaphors like "running the race," "wrestling with God," "striving for the great prize," and "fighting with strong enemies" are often used to describe the exercises we engage in.
But true grace has varying degrees. There are some who are new in the faith - "babes in Christ" - in whom the inclination to engage in these exercises is weak. Yet every one of us who has the power of godliness in our heart will be inclined to seek the things of God. And whatever our state, this power will give us strength enough to overcome our weak inclinations so that these holy exercises will prevail over our weaknesses.
For every true disciple of Christ loves him above father and mother, sister and brother, spouse and children, houses and land - yes, even above his own life. From this it follows that wherever true religion is, there is a will that moves that person to spiritual exercises. But what we said before must be remembered: the exercising of the will is nothing other than the affections of the soul.
4. The Spring of Action
The nature of human beings is to be inactive unless influenced by some affection: love or hatred, desire, hope, fear, etc. These affections are the "spring of action," the things that set us moving in our lives, that move us to engage in activities.
When we look at the world, we see that people are exceedingly busy. It is their affections that keep them busy. If we were to take away their affections, the world would be motionless and dead; there would be no such thing as activity. It is the affection we call covetousness that moves a person to seek worldly profits; it is the affection we call ambition that moves a person to pursue worldly glory; it is the affection we call lust that moves a person to pursue sensual delights. Just as worldly affections are the spring of worldly actions, so the religious affections are the spring of religious actions.
5. A Heart Deeply Affected
A person who has a knowledge of doctrine and theology only - without religious affection - has never engaged in true religion. Nothing is more apparent than this: our religion takes root within us only as deep as our affections attract it. There are thousands who hear the Word of God, who hear great and exceedingly important truths about themselves and their lives, and yet all they hear has no effect upon them, makes no change in the way they live.
The reason is this: they are not affected with what they hear. There are many who hear about the power, the holiness, and the wisdom of God; about Christ and the great things that he has done for them and his gracious invitation to them; and yet they remain exactly as they are in life and in practice.
I am bold in saying this, but I believe that no one is ever changed, either by doctrine, by hearing the Word, or by the preaching or teaching of another, unless the affections are moved by these things. No one ever seeks salvation, no one ever cries for wisdom, no one ever wrestles with God, no one ever kneels in prayer of flees from sin, with a heart that remains unaffected. In a word, there is never any great achievement by the things of religion without a heart deeply affected by those things.
6. True Religion
The Holy Scriptures clearly see religion as a result of affections, namely, the affections of fear, hope, love, hatred, desire, joy, sorrow, gratitude, compassion and zeal.
The Scriptures see religion as the result of holy fear. Truly religious persons tremble at the Word of God. It is his holiness that makes them fear. The fear of God is a great part of godliness.
So also, hope in God and in the promises of God, according to the Scriptures, is a very important part of true religion. It is mentioned as one of the three great things of which religion consists (1 Cor 13:13). "Happy is the one whose hope is in the Lord" (Ps. 146:5). It is spoken of as the helmet of the Christian soldier, "the hope of salvation" (1 Thess 5:8). It is a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul (Heb 6:19).
7. Participation in the Blessings
So, also, love is given a high place in the Scriptures as a proper affection. We are called to love God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and our neighbour. The texts that speak of the importance of love are too many to mention. The contrary affection - hatred - is also a part of true religion. "As the deer pants after the watering stream, so my soul pants after you, O Lord" (Ps. 42:1-1). Jesus also said, "Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled" (Matt 5:6). This holy thirst is spoken of as a condition of participation in the blessings of eternal life.
Also, the Scriptures speak of joy as a great part of true religion. "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he shall give you the desires of your heart" (Ps 37:4). It is mentioned among the principal fruits of the Spirit of grace: "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,…" (Gal 5:22).
8. A Pleasing and Acceptable Sacrifice
Religious sorrow, mourning, and brokenness of heart are also frequently spoken of as a great part of true religion, a distinguishing quality of the saints. "Blessed are they that mourn," said Jesus, "for they shall be comforted" (Matt 5:4). It is also a pleasing and acceptable sacrifice to God: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise" (Ps. 51:17).
Another affection often mentioned is gratitude, the exercise of which much of true religion consists, especially as exercised in thankfulness and praise to God. This is spoken of so much in the Book of Psalms and other parts of the Bible I need not mention any particular texts.
In addition, the Holy Scriptures also speak of compassion as an essential affection in true religion, so much so that all of the good characters in the Bible demonstrate it. The Scriptures choose this quality as the one which will determine who is righteous: "The righteous show mercy" (Ps.37:21). It is our way of honouring God: "He that honours the Lord shows mercy to the poor" (Prov 14:31). Jesus himself said it is the way we obtain mercy: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy" (Matt 5:7).
9. Missing from the Lukewarm
Finally, zeal is spoken of as a very essential part of true religion. It is spoken of as something which Christ had in mind for us when he paid for our redemption: "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works" (Titus 2:14). It was also the essential thing missing from the lukewarm Laodiceans (Rev 3:15-16).
I have mentioned only a few texts out of an innumerable multitude to show that throughout the Bible, true religion is placed in the affections. The only way to deny this claim is to use some rule other than the Bible by which to measure the nature of true religion.
BIBLE SELECTION: DEUTERONOMY 10:12-22
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
1. According to Edwards, what is "the spring of action," the source of motivation behind everything we do?
2. Think of a time when you decided to get involved in some activity (e.g., joining a club, learning a new sport, going to a church). What were the "affections" that led to it?
3. Edwards believes that "no one is ever changed, either by doctrine, by hearing the Word, or by the preaching or teaching of another, unless the affections are moved by these things." Describe a time when you were suddenly moved by a doctrine or a Bible verse or a sermon, and were subsequently changed.
4. According to Deuteronomy 10:12-13, what are the "affections" and what are the "actions" that are required of us?
5. Beginning in section 6, Edwards lists and describes nine affections that Scripture encourages us to have: holy fear, hope, love, holy desire, joy, religious sorrow, gratitude, compassion, and zeal. Which of these affections have you felt the most? In which would you most like to see growth?
Richard Foster writes: We today desperately need this lesson because a modern myth abounds that true objectivity must be passionless. As a result, we analyze and dissect the spiritual life without the slightest personal involvement or commitment and think we understand it. But the spiritual life cannot be understood in this detached way. We understand by commitment. And we enter into commitment and sustain commitment by what Edwards rightly calls "holy affections."
Shalom!
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Reflection question 2:
I recall when I moved to Courtice, that I had a desire to find a local United Church that I would connect with. I found that at Faith. The Spring of Action behind this was desire and hope. Desire to find a great Church, and the hope that I would feel at home, just as I did at my Church back home. Both desire and hope moved me to engage in spiritual activities. In section five, the line "our religion takes root within us only as deep as our affections attract it" has me thinking about my desire and hope for spirituality. I guess they (spring of action) are so strong that religion and spiritualiy take root because desire and hope are attracting it ?
3:I find it hard to believe that "no one is ever changed, either by doctirne, by hearing the Word, ....." Many people have changed - ex: those in correction institutes who have, through Spring of Action (so I think), have accepted God and turned their lives around to become better people and citizens. Throughout life, I have changed ! I recall Larry's sermon on Paradigm Shift. That sermon challenged me, moved me, and help take me to another level of understanding of what is going on my life.
I agree with you that people can change after hearing the Word. You site examples of people in correctional institutions, but I don't think we need to go that far. Hearing and reflecting on a good sermon, for example, or simply a kind act, can be motivation for change. We become seekers when we become aware of the desire to seek more. A kind word or deed, a thoughtful conversation or an inspiring sermon can, indeed, be a catalist for change. The catalist which springs us into action and fills us with some affection.
Edwards believes that "no one is ever changed, either by doctrine, by hearing the Word, or by the preaching or teaching of another, unless the affections are moved by these things." Describe a time when you were suddenly moved by a doctrine or a Bible verse or a sermon, and were subsequently changed.
During a sermon, the minister projected a painting onto the giant screen at the front of the church. The painting was of a young girl sitting on her bed. The room around her was dark and sparse, her nightdress simple and worn. She was shown in complete simplicity, unadorned and poor, so clearly ordinary that for some reason I assumed she was Mary Magdalene. The very fact that I could make such a mistake had an immediate impact on me. In the painting a beam of light shines through a window onto a girl. She is illuminated, drawn out of the dark towards us, vulnerable, human, chosen for her particular journey. It’s a very beautiful and moving painting. Had the sermon not lead me to realize the painting was of the Virgin, I may have gazed on it for quite a long time before realizing my mistake. It was my mistake that changed me. The two Mary’s always seemed to me to embody the only two choices for a woman to frame her own identity. If you were good, you could identify with the Virgin, and if you were not, well, you were that other sort of woman. The details didn’t matter: it was an either/or dichotomy. There was no grey area in this equation. One of the problems in the earlier part of my religious journey was that I could not fully believe in the Virgin birth, yet I could easily fully believe the story of Mary Magdalene. Her story seemed more probable. For starters it was more realistic, and in that sense more reliable. I could identify more closely with this more credible portrait, whereas the Virgin could not be lived up to but was consistently held up to us as an attainable possibility. There is that something that permeates the ether between the painting and the observer, an invisible force that pulls the observer right into the scene, and I felt I had been invited right into the privacy of the Virgin’s room and welcomed into the mystery. It was as if the sub-conscious were tweaked, and I realized that it was never about the dichotomy between good woman/bad woman but about the mystery of God’s intervention. It was this, that changed me.
I am always amazed at the folks who think that they can ever be truly objective. You can be passionless, but no one can ever separate out their own life story and approach any situation with complete objectivity. We all see the world in the light of our own history and I don't believe we can ever just look at the facts, no matter what Joe Friday says. We can't even agree on what the facts are much of the time! So when we talk about our spiritual selves, we are even less objective than when we talk about why the price of oil goes up on the weekends. We are invested in our belief systems whether we acknowledge that we have any or not and we will be passionate.
Having said all that I would take exception to the statement: "Religious sorrow, mourning, and brokenness of heart are also frequently spoken of as a great part of true religion, a distinguishing quality of the saints." I think that when we place this kind of emphasis on sorrow, we run the risk of validating unnecessary sorrow and hardship as if it were a ticket to Godliness. It has been an instrument of great hardship and persecution over the years and it is not a necessary part of faith development IMHO.
I agree that it isn't necessary to live life as the saints in order to live faithfully. What comes to mind though for me with Dillard's sentence is Psalm 51 where we are told that God does not require sacrifices, but that the sacrifices of God are a broken and contrite heart. For a long time I recited this psalm, and was comforted by it, although I remained confused about that particular line. The psalm is one that I have focused on when I have known in my own heart to have failed, or when I have found it difficult to forgive someone else who has failed, and over time that line came to mean to me that God required me to open my heart to my own failings, to really mourn the suffering I had caused either myself or others, and forgive myself; and, this in turn helped me to forgive others because I could feel authentic grief at either my own shortcomings or my inability to overlook an-other's. I think this mourning refers to regret and a willingness to let go of a personal sense of self righteousness so that God has room to slip back into your heart. Sometimes without real grief, we can become stuck in old patterns. Sorrow often precedes renewal. I think what Dillard is saying is that by allowing for sorrow you open the door to compassion and mercy, which the saints were known to demonstrate. I don't think he is suggesting a life long commitment to unnecessary suffering. Unnecessary suffering does not lead to growth, but rather confines a person to a too narrow experience of what it means to be human. However, self examination with a truly open heart, although painful, leads to a greater understanding and use of faith.