Reflections on Jonathan Edwards’ Personal Narrative and Falling in Love Again with Your Lord for Men

by Scott Kaczorowski

I thought it would be helpful to provide for you the text of the resolution of Jonathan Edwards that Kevin Aker shared at the Falling in Love Again with Your Lord for Men study.  At 19 years old, Edwards wrote:

“On January 12, 1723. I made a solemn dedication of myself to God, and wrote it down; giving up myself, and all that I had to God; to be for the future, in no respect, my own; to act as one that had no right to himself, in any respect. And solemnly vowed, to take God for my whole portion and felicity; looking on nothing else, as any part of my happiness, nor acting as if it were; and his law for the constant rule of my obedience: engaging to fight, with all my might, against the world, the flesh, and the devil, to the end of my life” (From Personal Narrative, An Electronic Edition, Jonathan Edwards 1703-1758. Original Source: Jonathan Edwards: Representative selections. Ed. Clarence H. Faust and Thomas H. Johnson. New York: American book company, 1935. Copyright 2002. This text is freely available provided the text is distributed with the header information provided.)

These are challenging words.  These were challenging words even for Edwards.  The very next sentence that he wrote in his Personal Narrative was this: “But I have reason to be infinitely humbled, when I consider, how much I have failed, of answering my obligation.”

Maybe you feel like Edwards today reflecting on your best intentions.  If so, be encouraged.  This was not only Edwards’ experience.  The psalmist experienced something similar. I am struck by how Psalm 119 ends, given the passion and zeal for obedience to God’s Word that is expressed over the course of the previous 175 (!) verses.  Psalm 119:176 ends by saying, “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.”  We are to seek the Lord earnestly.  But as we do that, we must remember and set our whole hope on the fact that God is earnestly seeking us.

If you would like to read more of Edwards’ Personal Narrative, you can access an online version here:

http://mith.umd.edu/eada/html/display.php?docs=edwards_personalnarrative.xml&action=show

If you would like to read more of Edwards’ Resolutions you can find them posted on the Desiring God website here:

http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/articles/the-resolutions-of-jonathan-edwards

May the Lord Jesus Christ deeply and personally meet with you this week as you seek after Him!

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Reflections on The Sinfulness of Sin and Falling in Love Again with Your Lord

by Susan Sampson

Ralph Venning in 1669 wrote The Sinfulness of Sin.  I bought this book in the desire to see my sin more clearly so I can know the love of my Lord more greatly.  Listen to how our sin is described:  “In short, sin is the dare of God’s justice, the rape of his mercy, the jeer of his patience, the slight of his power, the contempt of his love…the upbraiding of his providence, the scoff of his promise and the reproach of his wisdom…It opposes and exalts itself above all that is called God.”

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23).

I want to know the one who freely and completely pardoned me of this by allowing himself to be slaughtered in my place!  “But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed” (Is. 53:5). 

“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin” (Rom. 4:7-8).

Jesus, the Son of God, is a person, not a philosophy!  Wow, do I need this continual reminder. “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and he rewards those who seek him” (Heb. 11:6).

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.  By his wounds you have been healed.  For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Pet. 2:24-25).

Lord, have mercy on me a sinner!  I want to return to you, the Overseer of my soul.  I want Jesus to be in control of me!  “I call to you; save me, that I may observe your testimonies” (Ps. 119:146).  I don’t want to live in my flesh any more.  I want to draw a line in the sand.  I don’t want to scoff like Namaan did when you told him to dip himself in the river 7 times.  Please give us grace to hear and believe and come up under your Word and do it because you have said so.  Your Word is truth.  Our feelings are not trustworthy!

We can’t do this apart from your grace.  We desperately need you!  Enable us by your grace to put our flesh to death and abide in you, the true vine.  “I am the vine; you are the branches.  Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (Jn. 15:5).

Ralph Venning describes sin in another way: “sin is the Devil’s image.”  But in Christ we are to be renewed in God’s image (Col. 3:10) as God created us to be: “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Gen. 1:26a).

Heavenly Father, may we have much grace to enable us to do as we were instructed to do in the lecture and not go to sleep tonight without making an intentional declaration, choosing by faith to resolve (as Daniel resolved not to defile himself) to no longer serve our flesh, but instead serve our Savior.

“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:56).

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The Cross and the Throne

by Angie Thomas

I am sitting here writing this at almost 11 am still in my pajamas.  It’s been one of those mornings.  It started with waking up at 5:45 out of a dream/nightmare where I was frantically searching for my new baby.  In my dream he was several months old and we were with a bunch of friends and family at this big convention and someone else was watching him for awhile and when I went to retrieve him, no one knew where he was.  I woke up to the emotions of fear and dread that I had lost my baby.  I stumbled into my rocking chair where I spend time with the Lord each morning and was plagued with doubts and questions from a conversation I had yesterday with some friends.  I kept calling out to the Lord to let me focus on His truths and His promises but my heart just felt tired and unable to focus.  I tried reading my study but could hardly concentrate.  I finally walked back into our bedroom and asked my husband if he would pray with me and for me.  He had also had a frustrating day yesterday.

As we began to pray the Lord reminded of what Laurie shared on Tuesday night during the lecture about the importance of the cross and meditating on it and what Christ’s sacrifice did and is accomplishing for us each and every day.  I sensed the Lord’s Spirit wash over me with reassurance and peace as I remembered how much Jesus suffered on the cross on my behalf.  His love for me was powerfully demonstrated there, even if today’s circumstances do not seem to be sending the same message.  The message of the cross for me, for you, for everyday in the muck and mire of this life is Christ loves you!

My light and momentary trials pale in comparison to His suffering, but also His glory!  Because of what He accomplished on the cross, Jesus now rules and reigns over every seeming obstacle in our days. Hebrews, 12:2 says, “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

I love verses that speak about God’s rule and His reign.  They encouraged me to press on this morning, to keep walking forward as we look to Jesus, high and lifted up, seated on His throne.

 Psalm 93:1: “The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed; he has put on strength as his belt. Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.”

Isaiah 6:1b, 3 (NIV): “I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. …And they were calling to one another: ‘Holy, holy,holy is the Lord Almighty, the whole earth is full of his glory.'”

Revelation 19:6: “Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, ‘Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.'”

So, I pray this encourages you today to see Christ and the cross and His throne and to keep pressing on.  Our physical realities are such a dim picture of what is going on in the spiritual realm.  I pray you would know His love for you in real and tangible ways.

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