Audio Transcript
Welcome to October. This month we’re celebrating the Reformation collectively — Martin Luther’s nice stand towards the pope and towards Rome’s religious abuses and theological errors. Luther didn’t stand alone, after all. Different males stood for this similar trigger, earlier than and after him — individuals like John Wycliffe, William Tyndale, Thomas Cranmer, John Knox, and John Calvin. And lots of different lesser-known names paid the last word value within the Reformation — women and men, even youngsters, who stood towards Rome, and who bled and had been burned and drowned for it. These tales of sacrifice are our focus within the month forward, in a 31-day tour you’ll be able to full in simply 5–7 minutes every day. It’s referred to as Right here We Stand. When you haven’t but, subscribe to the e-mail journey at the moment, on-line at desiringGod.org/stand. Or simply go to desiringGod.org and click on on the hyperlink on the highest of the web site. I hope you’ll be part of us in remembering the value paid for the religious blessings and spiritual liberties we take pleasure in at the moment.
Talking of church historical past, once more, the birthday of Jonathan Edwards falls on Saturday, October 5. Pastor John, on Monday we talked about Christian zeal — an old school phrase, however an vital one. You referred to as zeal an “important advantage” to Christian obedience. To make the case, you quoted Paul’s biblical exhortations, like in Romans 12:11: “Don’t be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.” And in Titus 2:14: “[Christ] gave himself for us . . . to purify for himself a individuals . . . who’re zealous for good works.” You then introduced up Jonathan Edwards and his seventy resolutions that he made as a younger man, particularly the one you’ll be able to recite from reminiscence after nearly fifty years because you first learn them — specifically, quantity 6: “Resolved, to reside with all my may, whereas I do reside.”
However right here’s at the moment’s query. Each you and Edwards are Christian Hedonists. And he’s a serious supply of your individual understanding of Christian Hedonism. Some extent that was not made clear final time, as you had been speaking about zeal: Does Edwards see a connection between zeal and enjoyment of God? Do you? Do you see a connection between zeal to reside with all our may for the glory of God and the Christian Hedonist’s ardour to maximise his pleasure in God?
Sure, and one of the simplest ways I believe to see it’s to observe a sure sequence of thought in Edwards’s thoughts and my thoughts that strikes from (1) zeal for the glory of God to (2) zeal for good deeds to (3) the interior motivation of these deeds in love for God or enjoyment of God or treasuring God (alternative ways to say the identical factor) to (4) the Christian Hedonist precept that we must always search to maximise — zealously search to maximise in each means we will — our pleasure in God now and ceaselessly.
Christian Hedonist Zeal
Let’s attempt to observe that sequence of thought. And we’re going to stumble upon one other superb decision of Edwards that actually brings readability to his Christian Hedonism.
1. Zeal for God’s Glory
Bear in mind, in Romans 12:11, Paul stated, “By no means flag in zeal, serve the Lord.” So, clearly, Christian zeal is directed towards serving the Lord. And for the reason that Lord is just not needy — he doesn’t want any servants to make up for any lack in himself — what which means is that we must always avail ourselves of his energy to do his bidding to make him look nice. I believe that’s what “serve the Lord” means.
“We should pursue pleasure with zeal, with ardour, with all our may.”
The apostle Paul stated, “Whether or not you eat or drink, or no matter you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). All the things in our lives ought to be calculated to make God look extra wonderful than individuals assume he’s. Edwards defines Christian zeal as “a fervent disposition or affection of thoughts in pursuing the glory of God.” That’s the first step.
2. Zeal for Good Deeds
This zeal for God’s glory implies being zealous for good deeds — good deeds to individuals — as a result of that is one essential means God is glorified. Titus 2:14 says that Christ died to create a individuals “who’re zealous for good [deeds].” Jesus stated in Matthew 5:16, “Let your mild shine earlier than others, in order that they might see your good works and provides glory to your Father who’s in heaven.” So, that’s step two. Zeal for God’s glory implies zeal for good deeds since that’s how Jesus stated we are going to glorify the Father. Or as Edwards says, Christian zeal is a “fervency of spirit that good could also be executed for God’s and Christ’s sake.”
3. Zeal from New Hearts
Step three is to appreciate that good deeds towards man and outward acts of worship towards God are of no religious worth with no new coronary heart that loves God, values God, delights in God, treasures God above all else. Jesus stated, “This individuals honors me with their lips, however their coronary heart is way from me; in useless [emptiness] do they worship me” (Matthew 15:8–9). Outward acts of worship with out inward affections of affection are nugatory. Jesus speaks of ethical acts of excellent deeds in the identical means: “You blind Pharisee! First clear the within of the cup and the plate, that the surface additionally could also be clear” (Matthew 23:26). They did all types of excellent deeds, the Pharisees did, however had been hypocrites, as a result of these deeds weren’t coming from the correct of coronary heart. They only needed to be seen by males.
So, if we would like our zeal for the glory of God to be actual, and we would like our zeal for good deeds to be morally vital in God’s sight, we should be modified on the within, in order that we worth and treasure God above all issues. Or to say it one other means, we should enjoyment of God, be glad in God, discover God to be our superior satisfaction in order that our outward acts of worship are genuine and our good deeds towards individuals serve to glorify the worth of God and never ourselves. Psalm 16:11: “In your presence there’s fullness of pleasure; at your proper hand are pleasures forevermore.” Tasting that proper now — tasting that within the coronary heart — is the center of worship.
And on the horizontal degree of excellent deeds, Jesus stated, “It’s extra blessed” — extra glad, extra pleased, extra satisfying — “to offer than to obtain” (Acts 20:35). We must always discover extra gladness in good deeds than in having safety and luxury and riches. That’s true now, in measure, and he says it’s true lavishly sooner or later. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all types of evil towards you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for excellent” — that’s an understatement! — “nice is your reward in heaven” (Matthew 5:11–12). Which ends up in step 4.
4. Zeal to Maximize Pleasure in God
If that is true, if worship is genuine as a result of our hearts are treasuring and delighting in and being happy with God above all issues, and if good deeds are morally vital due to the current expertise of gladness and blessedness and due to a future hope or reward in God, then we merely can’t be detached to the pursuit of pleasure in God himself and the enjoyment that comes from the overflow of that Godward pleasure into the lives of different individuals by good deeds. We will’t be detached to that pleasure. We should pursue it with zeal, with ardour, with all our may — which is what makes us Christian Hedonists.
Edwards on Zeal and Pleasure
Now, that was a protracted argument to get to the purpose that, sure, there’s a connection between zeal for God’s glory and being a Christian Hedonist. Right here’s the superb means Edwards related zeal with the pursuit of this pleasure in God. This simply boggled my thoughts after I first learn it. Quantity 22: “Resolved, to endeavor to acquire for myself as a lot happiness, within the different world” — that’s, in God, in heaven, or within the age to come back, not in earthly ease — “as I presumably can, with all the facility, may, vigor, vehemence, yea violence, I’m able to, or can deliver myself to exert, in any means that may be considered.” That’s simply off the charts. Zealous for pleasure. Zealous for happiness with God in heaven ceaselessly. That’s like saying, “Resolved, to reside with all my may whereas I do reside.”
There’s the connection between Christian Hedonism and zeal in his personal decision language. “To reside with all my may whereas I do reside” — specifically, within the pursuit of most pleasure in God, with him, ceaselessly, by no matter means on earth I can. After all, which means by doing as many good deeds as I can, even when it prices me my violent dying. That’s the purpose of referring to violence. It’s not violence towards others he’s speaking about, however the sort of violence that cuts off your hand or tears out your individual eye if it will diminish your doing of excellent and your avoidance of sin and your expertise of pleasure in God by loving different individuals.
So, my conclusion, Tony, is sure, there’s a highly effective connection in Edwards’s thoughts — there actually is in my thoughts — between zeal to reside with all our may for the glory of God and the Christian Hedonist ardour to maximise our pleasure in God. They arrive collectively as our pleasure in God extends itself to make God look nice by deeds of affection. We pursue our pleasure within the pleasure of others in God as a result of zeal for his glory and for his or her good impels us within the Christian Hedonist pursuit of most pleasure in God ceaselessly.
