The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards

"I am tempted, perhaps foolish, to compare the Puritans to the Alps, Luther and Calvin to the Himalayas, and Jonathan Edwards to Mount Everest! He has always seemed to me the man most like the Apostle Paul."

-Martin Lloyd-Jones

     I am quickly learning that the legacy of Jonathan Edwards is rivaled by few, if any. A bold statement, I know, but I would be comfortable in saying I am not alone in making it. In reference to Lloyd-Jones' statement, quoted above, Dr. Steven J. Lawson has said that, "It was Jonathan Edwards in essence who stood on the shoulders of Calvin, and Luther, and the reformers, and climbed up a little higher, and stood on the shoulders of the Puritans, like John Owen and Thomas Watson and other great divines, and he went all the way to the top of the mountain range, as it were, and had the clearest view of God, and of systematic theology, and the inner workings of the truth of scripture."  That's quite a lofty claim. How is it, then, that Lloyd-Jones was led to this opinion of Jonathan Edwards in the “mountain range” of Church history?  What led him to say that Edwards stood, in spiritual stature, above men such as Calvin, Owen, Luther, etc?   Well, let's take a moment and observe some of the hallmarks of Edwards' legacy.  Truth be told, there are quite a few, so we'll only look briefly at those that have clearly shaped its foundation.

     Firstly, in examining the preaching of Edwards, his sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", is without a doubt, the greatest sermon to ever be preached in the United States.  As a young man, I still recall my Junior year of American Literature, the day my professor took book in hand, and passionately read to us all in soliloquy for fifty-minutes straight. She didn't do this often, so what did she set aside on this particular day to read to us, you ask? Take a wild guess. Yep, that's right. “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” Straight through, with immense passion!  To my amazement, upon finishing, my professor explained to the class that Edwards had likely read his own manuscript very plainly that day in Enfield, Connecticut, and in a rather dry tone as well.  (“Those poor people,” I thought to myself, “No wonder they're dead.”) Though he's most well-known for this particular sermon, it was during the 18th century that Edwards' preaching ministry as a whole, alongside George Whitefield, is credited as the main driving force behind the first great-awakening. This sermon, no doubt, was one of its catalysts.  (So that's why my teacher wouldn't allow any of us to leave the class during Edwards' sermon, not even for a restroom break!.. Hrrrmm...  If I ever have students, I'm doing the same thing to them!...)  OK!--Next sentence already!

     In regards to his status as a theologian, Edwards showed himself to be a master conductor of words, similar to that of a skilled composer.  Throughout his life he masterfully strung together piece after piece of some of the greatest theological treatises of not just the past 300 years, but of the past two millennia.  To do this day he is widely regarded as the most prolific philosopher America has ever known.  Some will even venture as far to say the greatest mind this world has ever known. As an educator Edwards is known for having, before his death, assumed the presidential office at the College of New Jersey, now known as Princeton University.  With pen in hand, Edwards is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.  His magnum opus, no doubt, "The Freedom of the Will", has been called...  (Ok, I'm taking myself to seriously. I really just want to give you the proper perspective of the level of Edward's writing.)...  "Freedom of the Will", has been called by Dr. R.C. Sproul, "The greatest book ever to be written on American soil."  (What the heck is R.C. Sproul's favorite book, anyway!?  Probably, "The Bondage of the Will", by Luther.  Sheesh!--Bias just a little?!?  Well, I guess that's OK.  Greatest American book is still a pretty hefty compliment, I suppose...  I wonder what R.C. Sproul would say is the greatest un-great american book of all time...  probably Twilight.  You know!... if Will Smith ever became a Christian, he could write a book called "The Bondage of the Will Smith."  "Der Knechtschaft des Will Smith."  OK!--it's "next sentence" time!)

     In concluding our brief analysis of Edwards' accomplishments, it's no wonder Lloyd-Jones went as far to make such a statement regarding Edwards' relationship to God.   Think about it: Edwards is arguably the greatest preacher who preached what is arguably the greatest sermon ever to be preached.  He's been called the greatest American writer, who wrote what is arguably the greatest book ever to be written on, "American soil."  To this day he is widely regarded as the greatest American philosopher, not just by Christians, but secularists as well.  There are even some who would go as far to suggest in the mind of Edwards we find the greatest thinker this world has ever known.  These are all astonishing accomplishments, and regardless of whether or not we agree with them all, to think that all these opinions would all find their way to one-man is bewildering, and that's an understatement.  To quote Dr. Lawson once more, he says, (and I implore you to read carefully) "It is an amazing thing that all those lines would intersect in one person...  All of this did not merely happen; nothing just merely happens!"  


     Doesn't it make you wonder, just a bit?  If nothing just merely happens, how exactly did it happen?  How did, as Lawson asked, all these lines intersect in one person?  Upon observing these opinions concerning Edwards and his incredible legacy, one can't help but ask the question: "Just what was Edwards secret to accomplishing all these magnificent feats?"  We must logically agree with Dr. Lawson; all of Edwards' life accomplishments didn't just happen by coincidence.  After all, nothing happens accidentally.  Mark my words, dear reader, the only place you'll ever find legacy and luck co-existing side by side together, is in this sentence.  (Or perhaps one similar to it.)  Legacy doesn't just happen; it's planned.  No one just wakes up one day and by chance lives a life that makes an impact on the world.  Not the way Edwards did.  With all that being said, the legacy that Edwards left behind can be traced back to his days as a young man, only 18 years of age.  It was at that time that Edwards' fervor for God's glory was planned out, with pen and paper.  Yes, it was at this young age that Edwards' determination for the gospel of Christ was set before him, line by line.  It was at this time that Edwards' devotion to living a life of legacy and dying a life of legacy can all be traced back to one single piece of writing.  How did it all happen, we ask?...

The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards.

     That's right!  Edwards' Resolutions!  "Huh?", you say.  Well, for anyone who isn't familiar... it was at the young age of 18 and 19 that Jonathan Edwards sat down and wrote out a list of 70 resolutions, which became the stepping stones he walked on throughout his life.  It was by these resolutions that he would live his life by till the day he died. If you haven't read them yet, I suggest you do.  Within these resolutions lie some of the weightiest, Theocentric, and heavenward oaths ever to be written by a man.  Their determination is mind-boggling.  Their unwavering tenacity ignites and inspires passion for God.  They are firm in their commitment to the gospel and to true-religion.  Edwards wrote these resolutions, it would seem, in an attempt to preach to his own heart, and to act as a constant reminder of one central message: that all mankind has but one purpose; to glorify God. And so as we read Edwards' resolutions, we shouldn't be surprised at all at the legacy this man left behind, for it is in these resolutions that we see the foundation for the house Edwards built throughout his lifetime. These resolutions would determine how he would spend his time. Where he became employed. Who he married. How he raised his children. How he spent his money. How he treated his wife. How he treated others. Where he lived. In essence: how he lived, and how he died. Every single facet of Edwards' life would find its roots in these resolutions. In other words if Edwards' life was to be compared to a road, these resolutions were the guard-rails that kept him straight as he walked the path. They had but one purpose: to constantly direct his eyes back to God. While he was living he would constantly return to these resolutions to be reminded of the original plan. 

     With all that being said... I'm not a professional writer, nor am I a church-historian! I just want to examine Edwards' resolve for the glory of God, and perhaps learn something from him! I'll be going through several of his resolutions each blog, however long it may take. So I'm really just writing this blog to 1) tell you I'm going to be blogging about these resolutions, 2) invite you to learn and be challenged with me, 3) to make you smile, maybe even laugh, but for sure cry, and 4) to provide my reasoning behind studying the writings of a fallible man. After all, if we have any desire at all to to know how it is that Edwards accomplished such incredible things, we must first examine our motives behind this desire. So I would like to offer you, my reader, a good reason. Only one. To live as Edwards lived. Behind the question, “What helped Edwards to live the way he lived?”, should be the question, “How can I live the way Edwards lived, that I might glorify God?”

     John Piper in his book, “A God Entranced Vision of All Things: The Legacy of Jonathan Edwards”, quotes Mark Noll saying, “Edwards’ piety continued on in the revivalist tradition, his theology continued on in academic Calvinism, but there were no successors to his God-entranced world view. . . . The disappearance of Edwards’ perspective in American Christian history has been a tragedy.” Noll words speak the truth. Why should we study Jonathan Edwards? We desperately need to have a “God-entranced world view”, as he words it. When we read about the way Edwards lived his life, we're naturally led to ask, “How can I live like that?”

     In conclusion, herein lies my motivation for our study of Edwards' resolutions. If Edwards glorified God the way he did, and these resolutions provided the foundation for his way of life, we can learn much from them. Understanding they are not scripture, the Word of God must never be substituted for the word of man.  Nevertheless, I wholeheartedly believe there is much profit to be gained in examining these resolutions.  If we study anything with the mindset centered around the question, “How can this help me to most glorify God?”, we'll remain safely within the realm of Theocentric studying.  And if we desire to leave Christ-centered legacies, we must plan to do so!  After all, it's just as Dr. Lawson said, "Nothing just merely happens!"  We must be people of the happening, not the just happened!  It may take a year or so, but I hope you'll share this journey with me.  Soli Deo Gloria, Saints!

-zach

1 cor. 2:2

Glory to the Father, glory to the Christ!  

Glory to the Spirit; our hearts in these suffice. 

A, B, C. 1, 2, 3.

I am grateful to have the privilege to study God's word at the Los Angeles Bible Training School.  For three years now it has been a such a valuable means of grace in my life that my words fall short in explanation.  Show me a school that offers college-level Bible education, that's cheap, sound in doctrine, and church-oriented all at the same time, and I'll show you a thousand that aren't.  There is a famine in this land of the Word of God, the Church is in great need, and the Los Angeles Bible Training School is one of her mightiest reservoirs-a place where pastors and teachers from local Churches can come learn how to study the Word of God for themselves.  LABTS doesn't just feed men fish, it teaches them how to fish, and then because of its high view of ecclesiology, instructs them to do the same to others.  To my utter astonishment, I've even heard one professor comment, "Our mission is to shut this school down!  Why?  Because when it's all said and done, we'll know the Lord's Church is being fed by men who teach the Word of God, and who don't need a school to train them how to rightly divide."


In my three years at the school I have yet to shake the hands of the men and women the Lord uses to allow we students to attend for such an inexpensive price.  LABTS charges only 50 dollars a semester, to anyone, as long as they're a born-again Christian, and receives most of their funds from generous donors who share in the school's vision.  Whoever these generous men and women are, every semester I grow more eager to serve the Lord the way you do.  I'm in awe, and can't begin to imagine what your rewards will be in heaven.  I am indebted to you, dear friend, and pray the Lord will graciously allow me to make your acquaintance someday.  


With all that being said, LABTS has a slogan, "Set your heart to study the Word of God."  That slogan is derived from the seventh chapter of Ezra, verse 10.  The text reads, "For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel." (Ezra 7:10)  Recently in my personal study time, I sat down and reflected on just how meaningful this verse is and how important it is to have as a slogan for all those who are studying the Word of God.  Allow me a moment to point this out to you, because I think I can help us both understand exactly why the school chose to have this verse permeate throughout their motto.  Upon first reading the text, it's easy to rush through without taking careful notice of detail (as is usually the case with any section of holy script).  I invite you to take note with me of the three steps Ezra took leading up to his instructing the children of Israel. 

"For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel."

Ezra 7:10

1) He set his heart to STUDY the Word of God diligently.  It was an ongoing work that Ezra had resolved in the core of his being to do.  He gave himself to the work of studying each jot and each tittle till he knew them inside and out.

2) Secondly, Ezra PRACTICED his study.  In other words his learnings became his life, and that which he studied was fleshed out in his own personal walk.  Ezra wasn't like those spoken of in the book of James who are described as hearers of the word, and not doers.  These men were like those who looked in a mirror and saw their natural face, but upon walking away immediately forgot what kind of person they were.  Ezra did no such thing, for he had resolved in his heart not only to study the statutes of the Lord, but to walk in them.


3) Lastly, and only lastly after doing these things, Ezra began to TEACH the Word of God to the people of Israel.


A couple thoughts to close this blogpost...  Know this, reader: before we can begin to teach and instruct others the way of the Lord, we must first be people who walk in the way. 

 Before I can begin to give the Word to others, my life must be given to the Word. 

This is must be done both in study and in practice.  As the famous saying goes, "You can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?"  Secondly, before we can know how to live at all, before we can even as so much have a hint as to how we are to walk in this world, we must first be students of The Book!  For how will we ever be able to live that which we don't know?  And lastly, these three steps are meant to be an unbreakable chain.  Wise is the man, wise is the woman, who strives with all fervor to follow these steps in order.  A, B, then C.  1, 2, then 3.  And remember: it will all be accomplished by His grace, and for His glory.

Soli Deo Gloria, Saints! 
-zach 
1 Cor. 2:2


Lord, pray you stay fast my heart, that I may keep my own words, lest I bring hypocrisy to fruition.  Knowing I'm weak, and apart from thee I can do nothing, I set my heart to STUDY the Word of God, after that to PRACTICE what I study, and lastly to come alongside others and TEACH them to do the same!  
Kyrie Eleison, LORD.

Quotable...

"The Design of the universe... is very magnificent and shouldn't be taken for granted.  In fact, I believe that is why Einstein had so little use for organized religion, although he strikes me as a basically very religious man.  He must have looked at what the preachers said about God and felt that they were blaspheming.  He had seen much more majesty than they had ever imagined, and they were just not talking about the real thing.  My guess is that he simply felt that religions he'd run  across did not have proper respect... for the author of the universe."  (emphasis added)

-Charles Misner

“…L;XJg_WdTh()Jf@$Hfdh@#T(J@$E!!!!!!!!!!..."

"For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things To Him be the glory forever. Amen."

-The Word of God

Romans 11:36

            I recently heard this puritan quote used in reference to the election and divine will of God.  The quote went something like this..."We must not think that God does a thing because it's good and right, but rather the thing is good and right because God does it..."  (Richard Baxter)  Though I wouldn't agree with Baxter on other Theological fronts, this insight of his can be very helpful to anyone treading through deep waters and studying the Doctrines of grace...  Predestination.  Election. etc...  But this bit of wisdom has truly encouraged me on so many other levels as well...

            The fact that so many of the things in my life didn't turn out the way I wanted them to is an extremely potentially discouraging menace!  This living plague, who I've codenamed, "WORRY", (But is really just named SIN) creeps its way toward me daily, knowing all my deepest regrets, seeking to rip my soul into pieces...  There are even some days I fear it will finally snatch me, once and for all, and devour me whole...  But in the face of God's sovereignty WORRY can do nothing but be annihilated!- completely shattered into an oblivion.  All quiet on the front of my soul, I discover that this phantom menace seeking to destroy me all along was actually birthed simply by the fact that I forgot who God is.  Ever done that, reader?  Or perhaps the better question; "Has anyone ever NOT done that!?"  I mean, think about it!  How many of our problems would be solved if we just remembered who God is?!  I once heard a professor of mine say, "In the beginning was... God!  Just stop and think for a moment, because that should just solve it all right there!"  Our flesh seeks to reason with us and speaks, "A seemingly innocent error...  It's no big deal!  This sort of thing just happens all the time!"  Suddenly the spirit convicts!-the Word rebukes!- and the voice of reason speaks out in boldness!-

How dare you?!

            Even now, as I write, I carelessly suppress my mind from truly comprehending the audacity of my mistrust!  John Piper has once said, "The height of your sin is measured by the One you are sinning against, and it is an infinite height!"  The fact that I am so easily swayed by these repugnant claims, and then quick to toss it aside as if it's no big deal leaves me in a pitiful state...  Covered in tears, and utterly astonished yet again at the act of my foolishness, I cry out to my Lord, "Have mercy, Jesus!"  As my soul is flooded with sorrow, drowning in its despair, the Person of GOD sets my heart aflame!  My thoughts are scattered before His Holy character...  Everything He does is good simply because...

He does it?

            How can that be?  It doesn't take long for my mind to understand that I cannot understand what I do not desire to understand, yet terribly need to understand...  A.W. Tozer seems to hint at this truth in his classic book, The Knowledge of the Holy, when he says, " What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us."  Tozer then seemingly contradicts himself in the very next chapter when he essentially bears witness to the fact that our minds can not understand the person of God!  We have most undoubtedly arrived at a curious paradox...  For who can fathom the unfathomable?  Who would not be terrified at the thought of the perfect glory of God radiating before their impure eyes, burning their corneas to dust?  Who can stand before that which is infinitely wonderful−wonderful to the point of no end?  Do you want to die?  Stand before God, His holiness, without being clothed in the righteousness of Christ alone, and surely you will.

            You, my reader, may not perceive us Christians as passionate as we claim to be concerning our God...  And perhaps it can be speculated that we are not as passionate as we ought to be.  I believe this to be so for many of us, including yours truly.  So I will not disagree with you when you argue that our vocabulary is terribly "un-original" when we say, “Repent, and worship! Our God is Holy!”  But I believe there is a deeper explanation for this...   If we for all of eternity were to search the deepest, farthest, reaches of the glory of God, we would still not have even come close to fathoming the unfathomable...  That is to say, that in the entire universe there does not exist such language (forget vocabulary) to give full justice to the holiness, the glory, the goodness of our God.   And so  "when we've been there 10,000 years," even after we "see Him as He truly is," knowing Him "face to face," we will still fall short of words.  Perhaps we will still be left only to say,

                                                                                                                              

"Our God is good!”

            Everything He does is good simply because He does it?  How can that be?  What splendor!  What majesty!  How can it be?  That there exists a Person, so magnificent, that everything He does is good simply because He does it.  What kind of God is this?  How deep are the depths of the riches of both the wisdom and knowledge of God?  How unsearchable are the unsearchable judgments and unfathomable ways of Him who has saved us?  Who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor?  Who has first given to God that it might be paid back to him again?  How can it be?  And so I’m left… speechless...  Only able to type one of these "things" (whatever you'd call this) :

“...L;XJg_WTfdh()J@$Hfdh@#T(J@$EG_)!!!!!!!!!!!!#$!!!!!!!!#%%%%%%%!!!!!!!!!!!!(!#JG_@$258f24558a4uySRHSfDFH!!!_H)gjrjhfaeIO$_@I$)_I!#_IDSfGL:KSD:LK!(#*@#*!!!!!!!!!!!!#)*!_#()JGDPU_)@!#24SDGgdg582DSHSDgA458YE GSDG!#541228!!!!!#%@#%@#%~~~!!!!!!!!!!4sdGHH584fd5825821!#T34y………………..”




            Praise be to our God, for through Jesus Christ He has made the impossible possible!  Namely, that in Christ it is possible for sinners to be found forgiven, and to search and tell of His infinite goodness for all eternity!  To the praise of His glorious grace!  "...And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.  What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies..."

Let the redeemed say, "Amen!  Amen!"

Grace and peace, Saints.

-zach

1 Cor. 2:2