Jonathan Edwards: “RESOLVED!”
(Pastor Terry L. Reese; Valley GBC, Armagh,
PA, 1/29/24)
Jonathan
Edwards (1703-1758), colonial Congregationalist minister, was a great preacher
and revivalist in Colonial America, noted for his leadership role in the First
Great Awakening and the great sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an
Angry God" (1741).
He
also served as a missionary to the American Indian and as an early President of
Princeton University. Not only a powerful preacher, Edwards was also a voluminous
writer and is to this day widely regarded by many Christians as the greatest
theological mind that North America has ever produced, defending Calvinist
orthodoxy.
Despite
all of this, his own Northampton church, with the encouragement of his own
kinsmen, the Williams Family, voted him out of the pulpit (without any
arrangement for financial support) for opposing the Half-Way Covenant and
insisting that communicants have a profession of saving faith (Mark 6:4)! He
resettled at a smaller church (Stockbridge) on the edge of the wilderness—where
he enjoyed a lively ministry to the American Indian (despite continuing
agitation from the Williams family).
Around
New Year’s, many commit themselves to making resolutions—many of which fall by
the wayside by the end of January! During his youth, Jonathan Edwards committed
himself to a series of resolutions. Here is a brief sampling, for our
reflection:
UNTO THE GOD… The First and Greatest
Commandment
6 “Resolution One:
I will live for God. Resolution Two: If no one else does, I still will.”
God is FIRST! And if that makes
us non-conformists, so be it!
Matt.
22:36-38: “Teacher, which is the
great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD
YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’
“This is the great and foremost commandment.
Rom
12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,
that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,
which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good,
and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
» “Resolved, that
I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God's glory, and my own good, profit
and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the
time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence.
Eph. 1:3-14: “…unto the praise of his glory.” [vv. 6, 12, 14—with ref. to the Trinity]
Westminster Shorter Catechism (1646-47): Question 1. What is the chief end
of man? Answer. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him
forever.
½ “Resolved, to
be continually endeavouring to find out some new contrivance and invention to
promote the aforementioned things.”
Use all you have unto God’s glory! Your mind,
and your time, natural talents, money, resources (Luke 16:9-11—using
unrighteous mammon for HIM; Matt. 25:14-30—the Parable of the Talents).
1Pet.
4:10: As each one has received a gift, employ it
in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God…
Prov.
3:9-10: Honor the LORD from your wealth and
from the first of all your produce; so your barns will be filled with plenty and
your vats will overflow with new wine.”
2Cor.
9:6-8: Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will
also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under
compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. God is able to make all grace
abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may
have an abundance for every good deed…
A
Disciplined & Prioritized Life
¹ “Resolved,
never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I
possibly can.”
Eph 5:15-17 Look carefully then how you walk, not as
unwise but as wise, making the best use
of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but
understand what the will of the Lord is.
¹ “Resolved, to live with all my
might, while I do live.”
Eccl. 9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with
your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to
which you are going.
John 9:4 We must work the works of him who sent me
while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.
À “Resolved, to
inquire every night, before I go to bed, whether I have acted in the best way I
possibly could, with respect to eating and drinking.”
The body is a temple; honor God with it
(health & testimony)! In all things, glorify Him!
1Cor
6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy
Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
(20) For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God
in your body.
1Cor
10:23 All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable.
All things are lawful, but not all things edify.
1Cor
10:31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do
all to the glory of God.
COUNTING THE DAYS…
 “Resolved,
to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances
which attend death.” (Eccl.
7:1-4)
Ps 103:15-16 As for man, his days are like grass; he
flourishes like a flower of the field;
for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no
more.
Ps. 39:5 “Behold,
You have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing before You…
Ps. 90:10 The
years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their
span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.
Ps. 90:12 So
teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.
 “Resolved,
never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour
of my life.”
Tomorrow is not guaranteed us (cf., the Rich Fool—Luke
12:20)—do not boast in it!
Jas.
4:13-15: Come now, you who say, "Today or
tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage
in business and make a profit." Yet you do not know what your life will be
like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then
vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live
and also do this or that."
 “I frequently
hear persons in old age say how they would live, if they were to live their
lives over again: Resolved, that I will live just so as I can think I shall
wish I had done, supposing I live to old age.”
À “Resolved, that
I will live so, as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.”
That we could all be like Abraham & Job—who
died “full” (Gen. 25:8, Job 42:17); satisfied, and in a state of shalom…
À “Resolved, I will act so as I think
I shall judge would have been best, and most prudent, when I come into the
future world.”
The sanctifying import of eschatology!
Rom 14:10-12:
For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.
For it is written, “AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, TO ME EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW, AND
EVERY TONGUE SHALL CONFESS TO GOD.” So then each one of us will give an account
of himself to God.
[The Judgment Seat of Christ: cf., 2Cor.
5:10; 1Cor. 3:12-15; Parables of the Minas (Luke 19:11-27) & the Talents (Matt.
25:14-30)]
2Cor. 5:9-10: Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at
home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the
judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in
the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
1John 3:2-3: Beloved, now we are children of God, and it
has not been manifested as yet what we will be. We know that when He is
manifested, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies
himself, just
as He is pure.
2Pet. 3:11-14: 11Since all these things are thus
to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to
be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12waiting for and hastening the coming
of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and
dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13But
according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in
which righteousness dwells. 14Therefore, beloved, since you are
waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without
spot or blemish, and at peace.
Matt. 25:21: "His master said to him, 'Well done,
good and faithful slave.’”
Trust in God
and in His Sovereignty
¼ “Resolved, when I feel pain, to
think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.”
We receive infinitely better than we deserve
(Dave Ramsey’s life-motto)! God reminded a self-pitying Jeremiah of this (Jer.
15:19).
Rom. 5:8: “…while
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
1Tim.
1:15: It is a trustworthy statement, deserving
full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among
whom I am foremost of all.
Further, the thorn in the flesh (2Cor.
12:1-10) serves a holy purpose…
Job 37:13: "Whether for correction, or for His world, Or for
lovingkindness, He causes it to happen.”
¼ “Resolved, to examine carefully, and
constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt
of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it.”
Like Job, we place God in the dock…
Job 40:8: "Will
you really annul My judgment? Will you condemn Me that you may be justified?
¼ “Resolved, to cast away such things,
as I find do abate my assurance.”
Many things serve to do this: backsliding,
false doctrine, lack of trust…
Rom
8:31-39 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
(32) He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us
all, how will He not also
with Him freely give us all things? (33) Who will bring a charge against
God's elect? God is the one who justifies;
(34) who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes,
rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for
us. (35) Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or
distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
(36) Just as it is written, "FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO
DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED."
(37) But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him
who loved us. (38) For I am convinced that
neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present,
nor things to come, nor powers, (39) nor height, nor depth, nor any
other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus
our Lord.
Inward Motivation;
Self-Glorification & Pride
º “Resolved, if I
take delight in it as a gratification of pride, or vanity, or on any such
account, immediately to throw it by.”
Prov.
16:18: Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a
fall.
1Pet. 5:5: You
younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe
yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD,
BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.”
Isa 57:15
For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy,
"I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of
spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of
the contrite.”
Isa. 66:2:
"But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit,
and who trembles at My word.”
Matt 5:3 "Blessed
are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
2Tim.
3:1-2a: But realize this, that in the last days
difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self…”
À “Resolved, to act, in all respects,
both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had
committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and
that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in
myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to
God.”
1Tim.
1:15: It is a trustworthy statement, deserving
full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among
whom I am foremost of all.
[cf., Luke18:9-14; Phar. & Pub.]
Love for
our Neighbors (The Second Great Law); Benevolence, Self-Control…
» “Resolved to do
whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind
in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many
soever, and how great soever.”
Matt.
22:39: "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS
YOURSELF.”
[Lev. 19:18; James 2:8]
Ž “Resolved,
never to do anything out of revenge.”
Rom
12:17-21 17Never paying back evil for evil
to anyone, respecting what is good in the sight of all men, 18if
possible, so far as it depends on you, being at peace with all men, 19never
taking your own revenge, beloved—instead leave room for the wrath of God. For
it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. 20“BUT
IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR
IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.” 21Do not be
overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Ž “Resolved,
never to suffer the least motions of anger to irrational beings.”
Set aside the “road rage!” The unregenerate
and reprobate are trapped in an animal existence; it is pointless (and
dangerous) to stoop to their level.
Ž “Resolved,
always to do what I can towards making, maintaining, establishing and
preserving peace, when it can be without over-balancing detriment in other
respects.
Heb.
12:14: Pursue peace with all men, and the
sanctification without which no one will see the Lord…
A truism: a special blessing unto the godly:
Prov.
16:7: When a man's ways are pleasing to the LORD,
He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
However, sometimes doctrinal error &
sin requires correction (2 Tim. 3:16), organizational division
(Acts 15:36-41), and even discipline (Matt. 18, 1Cor. 5)—but we endeavor
to speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15).
6 “Resolved,
never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonour, more or
less, upon no account except for some real good.”
Ž “Let there be
something of benevolence, in all that I speak.”
Our words are the overflow of what’s in the heart!
Matt.
12:36-37: “But I tell you that
every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in
the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words
you will be condemned.”
James
3:6-10: 6And the
tongue is a fire, the very world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among
our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course
of our existence, and is set on fire by hell. 7For every kind of
beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been
tamed by mankind. 8But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless
evil and full of deadly poison. 9With it we bless our Lord and
Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God. 10From
the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not
to be so.
The
Disciplines…
6 “Resolved, to
study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may
find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.”
Ps.
119:103: How sweet are Your words to my
taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
2Tim.
2:15: Be diligent to present yourself approved to
God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word
of truth.
Ps.
119:14-16 I have rejoiced in the way of Your
testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate on Your precepts and
regard Your ways. I shall delight in Your statutes; I shall not forget Your
word.
2Tim.
3:16-17 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable
for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so
that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
6 “Resolved,
never to count that a prayer, nor to let that pass as a prayer, nor that as a
petition of a prayer, which is so made, that I cannot hope that God will answer
it; nor that as a confession, which I cannot hope God will accept.”
Col. 4:2: “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in
it with an attitude of thanksgiving…”
Dr. Constable: “The
most important practice to perpetuate in relation to God is prayer. That is so
because in prayer we call on God to work, and we express our faith in
Him. Throughout this epistle Paul's emphasis has been on the believer's
union with Christ and the complete adequacy that that union
produces. The Christian who does not pray is demonstrating independence from
God (cf. John 15:5). It is only as we ask God to work that He will
accomplish many things (James 4:2). Consequently Paul urged his readers to
devote themselves to prayer, to give it constant attention and priority.
Perhaps the main problem we face when we do pray is concentration.
Therefore Paul reminded his readers to keep alert in prayer and to express
gratitude always in view of God's goodness and grace to them.”
Goals &
Purpose; the Holy & Sanctified Life
Ž “Resolved, to
strive to my utmost every week to be brought higher in religion, and to a
higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before.”
Which direction? Are we going forward? Or, are we moving towards
cold indifference and backsliding? There is no standing still in the Christian
Life.
Titus 2:11-14 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing
salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly
passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present
age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God
and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all
lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are
zealous for good works.
6 “Resolved,
never to give over, nor in the least to slacken, my fight with my corruptions,
however unsuccessful I may be.”
Ready to do battle! Putting on the full
armor of God (Eph. 6)! Standing in contrast to today’s easy-going,
cliff-hugging, entertainment-oriented, antinomian & autonomian
neo-evangelicalism…
Rom.
13:12-13: The
night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds
of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing
and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and
jealousy.
Our open-witness & observable behavior
should be non-conformist; let us live “as in the day.” Three
general classes of wickedness are observed here, each of which is defined by two
terms that the believer should put-off. These are intemperance, impurity,
and discord.
1) INTEMPERANCE.
“Carousing” & “drunkenness”—disordered behaviors
involving the lack of self-control that are even disreputable to the pagan
world…
2) IMPURITY.
“sexual
immorality”
(all forms of sexual immorality) & “sensuality” (“unbridled lust,
excess, licentiousness, lasciviousness, wantonness…”); a parade of immorality.
3) DISCORD.
“quarreling,” or “strife.” (unhealthy
competition; a desire to be “#1” at all costs); “jealousy,” which is
another word for envy—anger at the success of others or anger at your failures
when compared with others.
Question: What percentage of
your conversation is evil? Malicious & destructive?
These filthy rags have to GO! Put on
Jesus, instead (Rom. 13:14)!
Rom. 13:14: But put
on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its
lusts.”
Dr. Albert Barnes,
on “putting on” Christ: “The phrase to ‘put on’ a person, which seems a harsh expression in our
language, was one not infrequently used by Greek writers, and means to imbibe
his principles, to imitate his example, to copy his spirit, to become like him…
So the Greek writers speak of putting on Plato, Socrates, etc. meaning to take
them as instructors, to follow them as disciples. Thus, to put on the Lord
Jesus means to take him as a pattern and guide, to imitate his example, to obey
his precepts, to become like him, etc. In ‘all’ respects the Lord Jesus was
unlike what had been specified in the previous verse. He was temperate, chaste,
pure, peaceable, and meek; and to “put him on” was to imitate him in these
respects…”
1Thess.
5:21-22: But examine everything carefully; hold
fast to that which is good; abstain from
every form of evil.
Personal
Testimony/Reputation
6 “Resolved, never
to do anything, which if I should see in another, I should count
a just occasion to despise him for, or to think any way the more meanly of
him.”
6 “Whenever I
hear anything spoken in conversation of any person, if I think it would be
praiseworthy in me, Resolved to endeavor to imitate it.”
Prov.
22:1: A good reputation is more desirable than
great wealth, and favorable acceptance more than silver and gold.
Eccl. 7:1: A good
name exceeds the value of fine perfume, and the day of someone's death exceeds
the value of the day of his birth.
1Tim. 3:7: He must
be well thought of by outsiders, so he doesn't fall into disgrace and the trap
set for him by the devil. [Pastoral
qualifications]
Being mindful of our reputations even to the
point of curtailing our legitimate liberties with regard to things that may be
misunderstood is LOVE for others (Rom. 14:13-20)!
Taking
Inventory; Self-Examination
À “Resolved, if
ever I shall fall & grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions,
to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.”
1Cor.
11:31: But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would
not be judged.
This is a call to self-judgment. But how am I to judge
myself? By bringing my inmost thoughts, my ways, my outward behavior into the
light of the Word of God and asking myself, “Are these thoughts of mine, is
this behavior of mine, in accordance with what is here written?”—Ironside
Ž “Being sensible that I am unable to
do anything without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable
me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for
Christ’s sake.”
John 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.”
Ž “Remember to read over these
Resolutions once a week.”
We never “arrive” until our glorification!
1Cor.
10:12: Therefore let him who thinks
he stands take heed that he does not fall.
