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How to Know If You Are a Real Christian | Jonathan Edwards · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome to Reformed Thinking, the show where we really get
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into the details on questions of faith in life.
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So here's a big one. How do you truly know if you
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belong to God? I mean, lots of people have
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beliefs about where they stand, maybe based on feelings or what
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they've always heard or even, you know, powerful emotional
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moments. But what if those beliefs, even
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the really sincere ones, aren't actually rooted in God's saving
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grace? What if we're looking in the
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wrong places today? We're not just asking, we're
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diving deep with Jonathan Edwards, one of history's
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sharpest thinkers, to unpack his, well, pretty radical
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answer. It might even be a bit
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unsettling. Here, the deep dive.
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We unpack the sources you give us, pull out the key ideas, and
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hopefully give you a shortcut to being well informed, maybe with
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a few interesting facts and some good conversation along the way.
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Our goal, like always, is to guide you through this material,
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helping you see what really matters.
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And today, we're focusing squarely on Jonathan Edwards and
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his thoughts on basically how to know if you are a real
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Christian. Our mission for this deep dive
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is to figure out the real signs of God's work in a heart, you
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know, distinguishing those from experiences that look religious,
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maybe feel religious, but don't actually come from God.
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We're working from quite a bit of material on Edward's
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excerpts, analysis, a study guide, a briefing document, even
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a timeline, all focused on his view of genuine spiritual
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experience. So yeah, we've got plenty to
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talk about, lots of angles to consider as we think about what
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makes faith real. All right, let's jump right in
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then. Edward starts by, well, tackling
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some beliefs that are so common, so ingrained, it can feel a bit
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jarring when he questions them. It's like he's asking us to
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completely rethink how we measure a spiritual state.
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Think about that question you often hear in evangelism, right?
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If you die today, why should God let you into heaven?
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A very, very common answer. And Edwards knew this is just,
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well, I believe in God. And you know, on the surface
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that sounds right, doesn't it? Isn't belief foundational?
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It seems like the obvious starting point.
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But then you hit James 2.19. James says yeah, believing in
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one God is good, necessary even. But then he answered that huge
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caution. Even the demons believe that and
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shudder. And Edwards points out this
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isn't just believing God exists. Like philosophically, Yeah, it
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includes believing he's holy, that he hates sin, he's
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truthful, and crucially, that he's promised judgement and he
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will carry it out, his belief in his attributes.
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So while intellectually agreeing God exists as a start, you have
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to, like Hebrews 11.6 says, believe he exists and rewards
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those who seek him. Edwards is clear that belief by
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itself doesn't secure God's favor.
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It doesn't prove what he calls saving grace.
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Yes, saving grace. That's such a key term for
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Edwards. He doesn't just mean God being
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generally kind, you know, his goodness to everyone.
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Saving grace is that specific supernatural work God does in
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someone's heart. It's completely undeserved and
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it fundamentally changes the person it leads them to.
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True faith secures their salvation.
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It's a real internal alteration, not just a agreeing with facts
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or having a certain feeling. And Edward saw other common
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ideas people rely on that just aren't sufficient proof.
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Like what? Well, like thinking I'm not as
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bad as that person over there, you know, comparing yourself
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sideways instead of against God's perfect standard.
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Right, the relative goodness argument.
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Exactly or relying on family history.
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And my parents were believers, so I must be OK.
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The inherited faith idea. Or even just church membership,
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baptism taking, communion thinking.
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Those outward actions guarantee acceptance, Edwards argues.
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They're all insufficient because they might lack that genuine
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internal spiritual change. They can be formed without
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substance. OK, that makes sense.
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What about knowledge? That seems like a strong
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candidate, someone knowing a lot about God and the Bible.
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You see this all the time. People who can talk really
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eloquently about Scripture, maybe quote huge chunks.
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They can discuss theology like the Trinity with precision or
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preach a really compelling sermon about Jesus.
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Yeah, seemingly very knowledgeable.
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Right, the ability to explain salvation, maybe even help
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others understand Christianity, engage in debates.
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It feels like that must mean genuine faith is there.
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I mean, that kind of knowledge can build up churches, correct?
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Errors seem really beneficial. It definitely can appear that
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way. Yet Edwards says even that
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doesn't prove saving grace. It's deep intellectual
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understanding, sure. But intellect alone, no matter
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how sharp, isn't the ultimate test for Edwards.
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That's a really vital distinction he makes, and it
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leads into another area powerful religious experiences and strong
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feelings. These are often held up as proof
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to someone might have this intense feeling, this sense of
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the spiritual world being real and significant, feeling the
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weight of eternal things. Like a deep conviction.
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Exactly. Maybe even what Edwards
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described as overwhelming conviction about sin, leading to
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intense reactions like weeping and gnashing of teeth,
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understanding sins, consequences, dreading God's
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judgement. Or maybe it's a sudden awareness
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of how huge eternity is, how short lice is, how precious time
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feels. Yeah, there's aha moments about
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life's meaning. Or a clear, almost physical
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sense of God's majesty, His power, especially coming
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judgment. These are strong, often
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overwhelming feelings. They definitely sound like they
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could convince someone they've met God.
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They absolutely could. They can shake a person right to
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their core. But Edwards still asks, is the
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mere presence of these feelings, however strong enough proof of
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true grace? Or do we need to look deeper?
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And. What about the positive side?
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Joy, peace, even love? Those feel like the goal, right?
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The hallmarks of Christian life. We talk about joy in the Lord,
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the peace that passes understanding, loving God,
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loving neighbor. Surely those are good signs.
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They are often seen that way, yes.
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But Edwards pushes back. Even here, he questions if just
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having those feelings without digging into where they come
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from is sufficient proof. Could those positive, seemingly
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spiritual emotions also come from something?
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Well, less than saving grace. That's exactly the question he
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forces us to ask. Wow, OK, if even joy and peace
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aren't definitive on their own, what is?
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This is where his argument gets really interesting.
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It really does. And this is where he uses that
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striking example, the demons. He brings us right back to James
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2.19. Even the demons believe that and
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shudder. This single verse shows that
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mere belief, even belief in God's existence and attributes,
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isn't saving faith. Because they do believe.
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Oh. Absolutely.
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They don't just believe God exists, they believe He's holy,
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He hates sin, He's truthful, He's promised judgement, and he
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will absolutely execute it. They understand his attributes,
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His moral government, His total sovereignty, probably more
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clearly than most humans do. And then that knowledge makes
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them shudder, not rejoice, not submit, but tremble and dread.
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Precisely. It's knowledge combined with
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terror, not love. So if they have the belief, the
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knowledge, what's missing? What separates their terrifying
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belief from saving faith? Well, Edwards reminds us of
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Satans original state. Before his fall.
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He was a chief Angel, full of wisdom, powerful right there in
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God's presence, understanding divine things.
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His rebellion, his sin didn't destroy, his natural intellect,
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his memory, his mental quickness.
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They remained. He still has vast knowledge from
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before the fall and immense mental capacity now.
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Scripture calls him crafty. Right, exactly.
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More crafty than other creatures.
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It points to a sharp intellect. He knows a lot about God, the
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universe, everything really. His knowledge isn't gone, just
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corrupted, twisted toward evil ends.
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It's almost frightening to think about that level of intelligence
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focused on opposing God. What else does Edward say?
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Satan knows. Well, it's not just abstract
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stuff, Edwards points out. Satan was likely there at
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creation. Remember Job 38, when the
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morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?
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So. We saw it happen.
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He saw it. He knows how God made the world,
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how he governs every single event with absolute control, and
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he's watched God's plan of redemption unfold through
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history. Adam, Eve, Noah, Abraham, David.
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Not just watching, actively fighting against it.
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And he paid special attention to Jesus Christ.
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He watched him closely, saw the miracles, heard the words.
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Because Christ's work is the source of Satan's ultimate
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defeat and ongoing torment, He's a deeply interested, hostile
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observer. Plus, he knows heaven and hell
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personally. That perspective must be unique.
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It is. He knew heaven from his time as
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an Angel, and he knows hell intimately.
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Edwards calls him its first resident, experiencing its
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torments for millennia. This first hand knowledge gives
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him a terrifying understanding of God's perfect justice and
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holiness. And he knows the Bible, too.
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Well enough to quote it or misquote it.
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When tempting Jesus in the desert, he twists scripture.
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Plus, he's had centuries, millennia, studying human
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hearts, watching us, learning our weaknesses.
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That's why he's so good at imitating true religion,
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transforming himself into an Angel of light like Paul says in
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Second Corinthians to deceive people.
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So the ability to talk theology, know the Bible, even look super
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religious. None of that's a reliable sign,
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because Satan himself could mimic all of it expertly.
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That's the core of Edwards point there, and it extends to
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feelings too. Demons have strong, real,
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intense thoughts and feelings. Think of Matthew 8 when they cry
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out to Jesus. What do you want with the Son of
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God? Have you come here to torture us
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before the appointed time? That sounds like real fear.
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It is. It's dread borne from knowing
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exactly who Jesus and what awaits them.
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They shudder because they know God and their judgement is
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certain. The feelings are real.
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They're powerful, based on knowledge.
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But Edwards insists they are not holy.
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They don't come from the Holy Spirit.
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Their feelings of terror and hatred, not reverence or love.
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Exactly. And he says damned human beings
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in hell experience something similar.
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They grasp the value of salvation, then through
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suffering they understand eternity, life's shortness, sin,
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stupidity. But it doesn't produce love or
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humility, just regret and continued enmity.
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So the intensity or even the accuracy of the knowledge of
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feeling isn't the differentiator, it's the kind of
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knowledge of the source of the feeling.
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Precisely. Which brings us to what Edwards
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identifies as the critical missing piece, the qualitative
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lack. He says demons, even though they
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know all these facts about God, his power, justice, holiness,
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they haven't a clue about what God is like in terms of his
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beauty and loveliness. He compares it to a blind person
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not knowing colors. Yes, exactly.
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Imagine being blindfolded in a museum.
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You can be told everything about the paintings, artists, size,
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history, technique. You can know all the facts.
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But without sight, you can't experience the beauty, the
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color, the way it moves you visually.
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OK, I see. Demons perceive God's awesome
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majesty, His terrifying power, His perfect justice.
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They know it with certainty, But they never get even a glimmer of
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his beauty, His inherent attractiveness, His loveliness.
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It's knowing about him without truly seeing him in his glory.
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And here's the really stark part.
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The more demons know about God, the more they hate him.
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Why? Because God's beauty is centered
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in His Holiness, His moral excellence.
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And that's what they despise most.
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It's the very thing they hate, because God's holiness is the
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complete opposite of their corrupted nature.
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It condemns them. Wow.
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That the thing that makes God beautiful is the source of their
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greatest hatred. That's a profound spiritual
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inversion. It's absolutely key to
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understanding true versus false experience.
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Edwards notes that even on Judgement Day, wicked people
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will see Christ's outward glory, his power, his justice.
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They'll be utterly convinced he's the rightful judge, but
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they still won't see his beauty, his loveliness.
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That knowledge won't save them. It'll just increase their
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terror. So the guy in principle Edwards
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gives us is this If a demon can experience it or possess it,
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whether it's belief, knowledge, fear, conviction, even certain
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kinds of religious understanding, then it's not a
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sure sign of God's saving grace in a human heart.
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The difference lies in seeing the loveliness of Christ, a
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spiritual sight unique to a heart changed by God.
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That completely reframes how we might evaluate our own
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experiences, doesn't it? It forces us to look much deeper
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than just the surface phenomena. OK, so if these common signs
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aren't reliable, where do these seemingly religious but
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ultimately unholy feelings come from?
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Edwards points to two deceptive roots, natural understanding and
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self love. Let's unpack natural
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understanding first. Right.
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This is basically the built in human ability, part of our
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created nature, to grasp truths about God.
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Intellectually, we can understand concepts like His
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Holiness, His infinite nature, His power.
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It's a cognitive capacity. And this allows us to see our
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own flaws in comparison. Yes.
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It lets people recognize their own sinfulness, their
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limitations, their weakness when measured against God's
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perfection and might. It also helps us grasp the
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reality of eternity, it's vastness, how short life is, how
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time is slipping away toward that eternal state.
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These are big, impactful truths. They are, and they can make a
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strong impression, cause fear, maybe even a desire to escape
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punishment. But Edwards is firm.
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This understanding, while real, isn't saving grace.
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It's the same kind of intellectual understanding
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demons have. They grasp these truths, too,
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and their dread comes from applying this natural
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understanding to their own loss condition.
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It's rational fear, not loving submission.
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OK, so natural understanding gives us the facts, but not the
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right response. Then there's self love.
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Edwards sees this as a powerful force in both human and demonic
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hearts. That basic drive we all have to
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seek our own well-being, our own advantage.
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What benefits me? And this is where it gets really
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subtle and deceptive in religious contexts.
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Edwards shows how self love can make religion seem important,
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can create a longing for salvation, but purely out of
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self-interest. Wanting what God can do for me,
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not wanting God himself. Exactly.
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Wanting escape from hell, Wanting blessing, wanting
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happiness? Edwards asks.
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If your love for God only arises because you think God loves you
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or because you heard Christ died for you, where does that love
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really come from? He says it comes from self love.
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Yes, pointing to Luke 6. If you love those who love you,
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what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love
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them. This reciprocal, self interested
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love isn't unique to believers, and critically, it's present in
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demons to their deepest drive is for their own preservation,
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their own relief from torment. If they could imagine being
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saved, it would be entirely for their own benefit, not out of
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love for God's holiness. He even uses that that thought
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experiment right about demons imagining forgiveness.
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Yes, it's quite striking, he says.
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Imagine if demons, even knowing their hopeless situation, could
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somehow conceive that God might forgive them, might become their
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friend, given their intense fear and misery, Their self love
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would produce overwhelming feelings, immense joy, wonder,
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gratitude, just at the possibility of personal benefit.
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Which proves that powerful, positive emotions can arise
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purely from self-interest, not from genuine grace or love for
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God himself. Precisely, it decouples the
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feeling from the source, which then leads Edwards to explain
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why humans can feel joy, peace and love when demons generally
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don't, even if the root might still be self love and
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unregenerate people. How does he explain that
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difference? He points to God's and grace.
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This is the Holy Spirit's work restraining wickedness in the
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world. Generally, demons are
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unrestrained. They're as wicked as they can
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possibly be. But common grace keeps human
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society from completely falling apart.
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It holds back the full expression of sinfulness.
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So it's not that the source of the feeling is different, but
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the conditions are different. Humans are restrained in a way
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demons aren't. Exactly.
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There's also God's natural blessings he gives to everyone.
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Rain, sun, relationships, simple pleasures like music, food,
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health. These create a baseline of
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potential contentment. And crucially, humans widely
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hear the Gospel message, the hope that Jesus came to rescue
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sinners. So hope enters the equation for
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humans. Right.
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Demons have no hope, but humans hear this message of hope.
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Combine that with natural understanding judgement is real
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and self love. I want to escape judgement and
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be happy and you can get positive feelings about God and
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salvation. People respond to the idea of
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being saved, the potential benefit to themselves, even if
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their hearts haven't been spiritually changed to love God
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for his own sake. The root, Edwards argues, can
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still be self love. And what's the end result of
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these kinds of experiences, the ones rooted in natural
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understanding and self love? Edwards says pride is an
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inevitable outcome. It's the devil's special sin, as
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First Timothy puts it. Even if it looks like humility
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sometimes. Especially then, it's often
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veiled. This kind of experience becomes
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fascinated with itself, with its own spirituality.
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It thrives on outward display, seeking recognition.
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It might produce zeal, a lot of religious activity.
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But Edwards clarifies, it's not a zeal for good works done for
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God's glory. Instead, their religion becomes
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a service of self. It's about what I get, how
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spiritual I look, not truly loving and serving God.
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That's the danger he highlights, which leads us finally to the
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positive side. What is the true source?
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What distinguishes genuine spiritual experience from all
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these counterfeits? Edwards boils it down to one
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thing. The core difference is a sense
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of the overwhelming holy beauty and loveliness of the things of
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God. Beauty and loveliness, not just
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power or knowledge. Exactly.
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And central to that is the superlative beauty and
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loveliness of Jesus. This isn't just knowing facts
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about Him, it's the heart being held captive by the
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attractiveness of the divine. Edward sees this inner drawing,
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this captivation, as the unmistakable sign of God's
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supernatural work in a soul. He calls it a divine light,
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right? A supernatural light shining in
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the heart. How is this different from just,
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you know, understanding things about Jesus, which demons do?
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It's fundamentally different. This divine light is what makes
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saving belief possible. Paul talks about it in 2nd
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Corinthians 4. God made his light shine in our
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hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of
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God in the face of Christ. Think of it like this.
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You can read a detailed description of honey.
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No, it's chemical composition, it's viscosity where it comes
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from. That's like natural
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understanding. But the divine light is like God
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letting you taste the honey, experiencing its sweetness
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directly. It's not just knowing about the
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glory of God, but seeing it, perceiving its beauty and
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sweetness in the person of Christ.
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So it's experiential, not just informational.
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Deeply experiential, it convinces the soul, not just the
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mind, that Christ is sufficient, that he's the only adequate
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rescuer and mediator between us sinners and a holy God.
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It's a heart level conviction born of seeing his loveliness.
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And this, Edward stresses, is what demons and the wicked in
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hell never ever experience. It's a higher spiritual knowing,
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a gift only God gives. They see power, majesty, terror,
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never loveliness. So this side of Christ's beauty
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does something profound to the heart and will.
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It's not just adding information, it changes the
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person fundamentally. It absolutely does, Edward says.
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This site captivates the wills and draws the hearts of men.
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Remember the contrast with Judgement Day.
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The wicked see Christ's power and authority.
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They're overwhelmed, but their hearts remain hostile.
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They're forced to submit, but they still hate Him.
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But, Edward says, a single ray of the moral and spiritual glory
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of God and of the supreme loveliness of Christ shown into
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the heart overcomes all hostility.
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It breaks down the rebellion from the inside out.
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It's not just forcing the will, but changing the desire.
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Precisely the soul becomes inclined to love God, drawn as
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if by an omnipotent might, so the whole person willingly
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accepts and embraces Christ. It's not coercion, it's
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liberation, a powerful, irresistible drawing.
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This site allows the Sinner to see how precious Christ's blood
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is, how sufficient it is to pay for sin, bringing true rest.
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This, for Edwards, is saving faith.
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Like Jesus said, everyone who looks to the sun and believes
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gets this eternal life. It starts with that spiritual
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seeing. And this genuine site leads to a
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totally different kind of love and joy than the self-centered
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ones we discussed earlier. Not just more intense, but
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different in kind. Completely different.
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Seeing God's glory in Christ causes a supreme, genuine love
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for God. This love isn't based on what
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God can do for us, or fear of punishment or hope of personal
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gain. It comes from seeing the
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excellent loveliness of God's nature itself.
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Just seeing who he is, His Holiness, justice, mercy, wisdom
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as supremely beautiful and attractive.
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Apart from any self-interest, Edwards says this love is far,
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far above anything from self love.
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Loving God for God's own sake. Yes, and that love produces a
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spiritual and holy joy in the soul.
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It's a joy in God, delighting in Him, not in ourselves or our
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experiences. It's joy that God exists, that
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He is who He is, perfect and glorious.
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It finds its ultimate satisfaction in Him alone, and
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that kind of joy naturally pushes self aside.
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It's a joy demons can't touch because they can't see.
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God's holiness is lovely. Yeah, this is incredibly helpful
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in understanding the source. Now let's talk about the
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results. If this side of Christ's beauty
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truly changes the heart and will, what does that look like?
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What are the outward signs, the fruits, that show this change is
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real? That's crucial because Edwards
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insists true faith is never just internal.
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It always bears fruit. It changes how we live.
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The first fruit he mentions is true desires.
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After God's things. He uses that image, natural,
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free desires, like a baby desiring milk out of these feels
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so instinctive, so pure. Like a baby just wants milk, not
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for complex reasons, just because it's life giving.
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So true spiritual desire isn't forced.
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It's not driven by fear of missing out or wanting rewards.
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It's an unforced, deep longing for God Himself, for his
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presence, His truth, his ways. Exactly because he is seen as
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beautiful and good in himself. It's a contrast to the fearful
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longings of demons who just want to escape doom.
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True desires are for God's things, His glory to be known,
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His will to be done, His Kingdom to advance, His righteousness to
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prevail. Because those things themselves
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are seen as excellent and lovely, not primarily for how
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they benefit us personally. It's an appetite for God
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Himself. That makes a lot of sense.
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OK, next fruit. Genuine humility.
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Edward says that seeing the awesome, holy, glorious beauty
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of Christ kills pride and humbles the soul.
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When you see God's true loveliness, it shines a light on
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your own sinfulness, your own ugliness by contrast.
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Right, it's not self hatred but a right sizing.
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Yeah, seeing God as He is makes you see yourself accurately.
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It makes God appear bigger and bigger and and smaller and
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smaller. This is so different from those
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false experiences that, as you said, actually feed pride, even
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if it's disguised as humility. People could be proud of their
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zeal, proud of their love. For God, absolutely.
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Spiritual pride is very subtle. But true grace, born from seeing
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God's loveliness doesn't lead to showing off or self of
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promotion. It leads to genuine lowliness of
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mind. That humility is a really
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important indicator. Pride is, after all, the
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original sin, the devil's signature.
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Where pride thrives. True grace likely isn't present.
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OK then, a holy heart in life shown in good works, Edward
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says. Someone with genuine grace will
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actually hate every evil and respond with holiness.
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It's a deep aversion to sin itself, not just fear of getting
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caught or facing consequences. Yeah, a change in disposition
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towards sin. And he contrasts this with the
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zeal from false experiences. That zeal might look active, but
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it's not a zeal for good works that honor God.
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It's still a service of self. Their actions, even religious
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ones, are ultimately self motivated, seeking validation,
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reward, avoiding punishment rather than flowing from love
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for God's glory and. Then he backs this up with
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Scripture. Right, James 2 again.
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Yes, James 2.1920 You believe that there is one God, good.
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Even the demons believe that and shudder.
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Faith without deeds is useless. Edwards concludes from this that
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deeds, good works, are necessary evidence of genuine grace in the
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heart, not the cause of salvation, but the proof of it.
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And first John as well, right? First, John two, we know that we
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have come to know him if we obey his commands.
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The man who says I know him but does not do what he commands is
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a liar. Edward's logic is simple.
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If your heart is truly captivated, ravished, as he
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sometimes puts it, by the beauty of Christ, the only possible
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response is a life that desires to be like Him, a holy life.
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And the final fruit sounds like the culmination of all this
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eternalize begun. Edwards calls the inner goodness
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and true religion that comes from this sight of the beauty of
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Christ, God's greatest gift. It really is the pinnacle in his
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view. It includes the best parts of
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what Saints and angels experience in heaven and even
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participation in Christ's own spiritual life.
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And it's not just something we wait for, right?
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It starts now. Yes, that's the key.
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Eternal life begun. Those who possess this gift, the
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spiritual life from God, can never die spiritually.
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It's already started. He describes it as participating
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in God's own beauty, a share in His Holiness.
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He connects it to verses like Second Peter, one about
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participating in the divine nature, and Hebrews 12 about
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sharing God's holiness through discipline.
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It's like having heaven start inside you.
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Exactly. It leads to what First John 4
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calls a mutual indwelling Whoever lives in love lives in
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God, and God in them. And this makes a person, even
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here on earth, as happy and as blessed as any creature in
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existence because their deepest needs are met in God.
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And Edwards stresses how exclusive this gift is.
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It's only for God's special favorites, his children.
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Unlike earthly riches like gold or diamonds, which God gives
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broadly, even, as Edwards bluntly says to wicked people,
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dogs and pigs in his strong language, material wealth is
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common. The spiritual gift is unique to
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God's own. So it's a mark of true divine
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favor, far beyond anything worldly.
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Absolutely. Its origin is purely divine.
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Flesh and blood can't produce it, only God's Spirit, and it
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was purchased by Christ. This inner life, this holiness,
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was the special gift which Christ died to obtain for His
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elect. It's the highest sign of His
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love, the best fruit of His suffering, most precious
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purchase of His blood. Having this gift means the soul
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should ever perish. It's like a divine seed planted
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within. So this eternal life begun is
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the guarantee of finally reaching heaven.
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It's the down payment, so to speak.
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That's a good way to put it. Edwards calls it the dawning of
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the light of glory. It comes from heaven.
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It has a heavenly quality, and it guarantees the person will
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get to heaven. There it will be, made perfect
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and increased, and the Saints will shine forth as the sun in
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the Kingdom of their Father. It's impossible for someone with
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this divine life within them to ultimately perish.
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It's God's own life ensuring their arrival and eternal
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flourishing. So we've really covered a lot
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today, haven't we? And it all comes back to that
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core distinction Edwards makes. Discerning true salvation isn't
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about how dramatic the feelings are or how much knowledge
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someone has. It's about the source of the
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experience. Does it come from a supernatural
26:34
site of Christ's beauty and the results it produces genuine
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humility, love for God, holiness that eternal life begun.
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That difference between what demons know and feel and what a
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true believer experiences hinges on that unique God-given
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perception of God's holy beauty in Christ.
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It's a qualitative difference. It separates the real from the
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counterfeit. So thinking about all this, if
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seeing Christ's holy beauty truly is God's greatest gift,
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the start of eternal life, participation in God's own
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nature, what does that mean for how you, listening right now,
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approach God day-to-day? How could this understanding
27:08
change your prayer, Maybe moving beyond just asking for things to
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spending time just beholding Him, adoring Him?
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How might it shift your worship, making it less about chasing an
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emotional high and more about genuine adoration for who He is?
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And what about pursuing holiness?
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Could see it not as a list of rules, but as the natural result
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of delighting in Christ's beauty.
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Make you feel less like a burden and more like a joyful response.
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We really encourage you to think more about this deep dive about
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the challenging questions Edwards raises.
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Consider these truths as you continue your own walk of faith.