Latest / Reformed Thinking / How to Discern a True Work of the Holy Spirit | Jonathan Edwards

Transcript

How to Discern a True Work of the Holy Spirit | Jonathan Edwards · Reformed Thinking

0:00
Welcome to Reform Thinking I I want you to start by stepping
0:04
into a thought experiment with me today.
0:06
Imagine your local community, the town or the city where you
0:10
live right now suddenly experiencing a massive, sweeping
0:14
religious awakening. Almost overnight.
0:17
The local Taverns and bars simply empty out.
0:20
You walk down the Main Street of your town and instead of people
0:22
going about their usual business, you see individuals
0:25
weeping openly over their sins. You see young children gathering
0:29
in the town square, not to play, but to talk about theology and
0:32
the state of their eternal souls.
0:34
Church attendance absolutely skyrockets to the point where
0:37
the physical buildings cannot hold the crowds, and people are
0:39
spilling out the doors and listening through the windows.
0:42
But alongside all of this sudden intense piety, there is visible
0:46
chaos. People are crying out loudly
0:48
during the Sunday sermon. Some are physically collapsing
0:51
in the aisles. Others are exhibiting strange,
0:53
irregular behavior, trembling and shaking.
0:57
If you were standing in the middle of that situation,
0:59
watching all of this unfold in real time, how do you judge what
1:03
is happening? How do you determine if this is
1:05
the genuine Holy Spirit at work, or if it is just a mass
1:08
psychological delusion driven by emotional contagion and
1:12
hysteria? Today, our mission in this deep
1:14
dive into the source material is to answer that precise question.
1:18
We are opening up a classic treatise written by Jonathan
1:22
Edwards in 1741, right in the middle of the First Great
1:25
Awakening. The text is titled The
1:27
Distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God.
1:30
We have a stack of source material here which includes A
1:32
fascinating historical preface written by Reverend William
1:35
Cooper, followed by Edwards thorough, razor sharp analysis
1:39
of the 1st chapter of First John.
1:41
And as Protestant Christians who hold to Reformed theology and
1:44
adhere to the Westminster Confession, we are going to
1:46
examine how Edwards applies a high view of God's absolute
1:49
sovereignty, A realistic view of human depravity, and a firm
1:53
belief in the total sufficiency of Scripture to make sense of
1:55
incredibly chaotic human experiences.
1:58
We will finish looking at the historical background before
2:00
moving into the actual text so we can fully appreciate the
2:03
gravity of the situation. The historical setting provided
2:06
by William Cooper in his preface really is the key to grasping
2:10
the magnitude of Edward's work. Prior to this massive awakening,
2:14
the churches in New England were trapped in a remarkably dry,
2:17
dead period. Religion had become an external
2:20
formality. People were attending services
2:22
out of cultural habit, but genuine conversions were
2:25
incredibly rare. The spiritual vitality of the
2:28
entire region had withered away. Cooper provides a brilliant
2:32
theological framing for what happens next by comparing the
2:35
different dispensations of God's grace throughout biblical
2:38
history. He looks back at the Mosaic
2:40
dispensation, the era of the Old Testament law, and notes that it
2:44
was glorious, but it was darkened with types and shadows.
2:47
He then contrasts this with the Gospel dispensation, the era of
2:50
Jesus Christ in the New Covenant.
2:52
According to Cooper, the chief glory of the gospel era is that
2:55
it is the ministration of the Holy Spirit.
2:58
The old covenant letter kills, but the New covenant Spirit
3:01
gives life. The expectation of the gospel
3:03
age is the abundant liberal outpouring of the Holy Spirit to
3:06
produce numerous conversions and bring dead hearts to life.
3:10
But the stark reality in New England prior to 1741 was a
3:13
severe drought. Cooper actually quotes an
3:16
earlier minister, John Howe, who had predicted a coming shift.
3:20
How observed that during this spiritual drought, ministers did
3:23
not know how to speak living sense into souls.
3:26
Sermons would simply drop and die between the pulpit and the
3:29
pews. Ministers spoke without the
3:31
expectation of success, delivering accurate theological
3:34
lectures that failed to penetrate the conscience.
3:37
But How predicted that when the Spirit is finally poured out
3:39
again, sermons will hit completely differently.
3:42
Ministers will speak with a new authority, a new compassion, and
3:46
a serious urgency that breaks through hard hearts.
3:49
And according to Cooper, this is what New England suddenly
3:51
witnessed. The drought ended and the
3:53
floodgates opened. Preachers begin speaking like
3:56
men on fire, and the rock hard hearts of the populace begin
3:59
shattering under the weight of the gospel message.
4:01
The visible fruits of the sudden shift are staggering, and Cooper
4:04
provides these fascinating demographic details that show
4:07
this wasn't just a niche movement appealing to a specific
4:10
type of person. It hit every layer of society.
4:14
He notes that the revival swept up all ages and all classes of
4:18
people. You had elderly individuals,
4:20
people who had sat in church pews for decades without ever
4:22
experiencing a true conversion, suddenly waking up and becoming
4:26
monuments of Divine Mercy in their final years.
4:29
You had sprightly youth, the teenager and young adults who
4:32
were previously obsessed with the vanities of the world,
4:34
suddenly bowing to the gospel. Even little children were
4:38
praising God and discussing eternal truths with the gravity
4:40
that shocked their parents. And here is a highly notable
4:43
detail. Cooper specifically points out
4:46
the inclusion of marginalized groups.
4:48
He uses the biblical phrase Ethiopia has stretched out her
4:50
hand, referring directly to the conversion of enslaved black
4:54
people. He notes that poor Negroes were
4:56
being brought into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
4:59
The behavioral changes in Boston alone were drastic and
5:02
immediate. Taverns, dancing schools, and
5:04
places of frivolous amusement were practically abandoned
5:07
overnight. Young people started dressing
5:09
more simply, casting off their expensive, flashy ornaments
5:12
because they were now seeking inward, spiritual beauty
5:14
instead. Religion took over the public
5:17
square. It became the main topic of
5:19
daily conversation in homes, in the markets, and on the streets.
5:23
Private religious meetings multiplied.
5:25
People were flocking to evening lectures during the week,
5:28
viewing an evening in God's courts as vastly superior to
5:31
1000. Elsewhere, ministers had more
5:34
people knocking on their doors for spiritual counseling than
5:36
they could physically handle. It was a massive, visible
5:39
societal upheaval. But of course, whenever you have
5:42
a massive upheaval of the scale, you are going to get massive
5:46
opposition. That opposition is inevitable,
5:48
and Cooper addresses the skepticism head on.
5:51
In the preface, he explains why there was such fierce pushback
5:55
against the revival from various corners of society.
5:58
First and foremost, from a spiritual perspective, Cooper
6:01
argues that Satan hates this kind of work.
6:04
When the devil's Kingdom is shaken and his subjects are
6:07
deserting him by the thousands, he's going to rage and try to
6:10
discredit the movement by any means necessary.
6:13
But Cooper also examines the human reasons for the
6:15
opposition. He notes that some critics
6:18
simply lacked accurate information.
6:20
They were judging the revival based on exaggerated rumors from
6:23
afar. Others were offended because
6:24
they had never experienced anything like this in their own
6:26
lives. If this dramatic heart rending
6:29
conversion was the standard of true religion, then these
6:32
critics would have to admit their own foundation was flawed
6:34
and start all over again, which is a massive blow to the human
6:38
ego. But the most significant
6:39
theological reason for the pushback, and Cooper
6:41
specifically calls this out, is that the doctrines driving this
6:44
revival did not grow on Armenian ground.
6:47
The preaching centered heavily on man's total guilt, complete
6:50
corruption, and absolute impotence, followed by the
6:53
necessity of supernatural regeneration by the Spirit of
6:56
God alone, and free justification by faith in
7:00
Christ's righteousness. This connects directly to the
7:03
core Reformed belief that salvation is entirely a work of
7:06
sovereign grace. There is 0 room for human merit.
7:10
This inherently offends human pride.
7:12
People naturally want to believe they contribute something to
7:15
their salvation, that their morality or their intellectual
7:17
ascent is sufficient. When a movement comes along that
7:20
strips away all human boasting and attributes every single
7:22
conversion solely to the irresistible grace of God, human
7:26
nature is going to fight back aggressively.
7:28
With all this chaos and theological opposition swirling,
7:31
Jonathan Edwards steps into the fray to provide a framework for
7:35
judging the revival. His first major rhetorical move
7:38
in this treatise is brilliant. Before he gives the listener the
7:42
true positive marks of the Holy Spirit, he dedicates the entire
7:46
first section of his work to clearing the brush.
7:49
He lists nine negative signs. These are the specific things
7:52
that critics were pointing to as undeniable proof that the
7:55
revival was a fake mass delusion.
7:58
But Edwards flips the script entirely.
8:01
He argues that these nine things are neutral.
8:03
They do not prove that a work is from the Spirit, but they also
8:06
absolutely do not prove that a work is not from the Spirit.
8:09
They are the messy bark on the outside of the tree, not the
8:12
root or the fruit. Edwards says we cannot judge the
8:14
tree by the bark. Let's walk through these because
8:17
they are incredibly relevant for you, the listener, even today.
8:19
Yeah, let's do it. The first three negative signs
8:21
deal with the unusual and the physical.
8:23
Right. So sign #1 critics complained
8:25
that the revival was using unusual or extraordinary
8:28
methods, but Edwards counters that God is sovereign.
8:31
He is not locked into the specific methods or the quiet
8:34
traditions of the past. Prophecy indicates God will do
8:37
new things, strange things, to surprise both men and angels.
8:41
Sign #2 is a major point of contention physical effects on
8:45
the body the. Collapsing.
8:46
Yes, people were weeping, trembling, groaning, and
8:49
literally collapsing in exhaustion during the sermons.
8:52
Edwards unpacks this with amazing psychological insight.
8:56
He explains the mechanics of human nature.
8:58
The soul and the body are intimately united.
9:00
The body reacts to the mind. He points out that the reality
9:03
of hell is dreadful, and the reality of eternity is vast,
9:07
beyond human comprehension. If a human being suddenly gains
9:10
a clear, unclouded apprehension of eternal misery, if they're
9:13
truly see the gravity of their own sin and the absolute justice
9:16
of God's wrath, the fragile human body simply cannot handle
9:19
the weight of that reality. It just gives way.
9:22
Exact. Well, precisely.
9:23
The physical frame buckles under the intellectual and emotional
9:26
strain. We see this in natural temporal
9:29
situations constantly. If someone is in a war zone or
9:32
facing a sudden catastrophic emergency, their body shakes,
9:36
they cry out, they might even faint from sheer terror.
9:39
Why should we expect a lesser physical reaction when a person
9:42
is suddenly awakened to the reality of eternal destruction?
9:45
Conversely, if a person is granted a sudden, overwhelming
9:48
taste of the infinite glory of Christ and his dying love, that
9:51
immense joy can also overpower the physical senses.
9:55
The body is a weak vessel. It cannot contain the infinite
9:58
without cracking a little bit under the pressure.
10:00
Edwards is arguing that these physical manifestations are not
10:03
the Holy Spirit directly manipulating the body.
10:05
Rather, the Holy Spirit illuminates the mind to see
10:08
objective spiritual truth, and the body naturally reacts to the
10:11
overwhelming nature of that truth.
10:14
This is a crucial distinction in Reformed thought.
10:16
It removes the mysticism from the physical reaction and
10:19
grounds it in rational psychological reality.
10:22
Sign #3 is similar noise and stir about religion.
10:25
Critics wanted quiet, polite religion.
10:27
But Edwards argues that when the stakes are eternal, human nature
10:31
dictates there will be a commotion.
10:33
To make this abstract concept concrete for the reader, Edwards
10:36
uses some incredibly vivid analogies.
10:39
These really help you visualize the argument he is making.
10:42
To illustrate the terror of the awakened conscience, he uses a
10:45
variation of his famous spider web imagery.
10:48
He says imagine you saw yourself hanging over a massive pit full
10:51
of fierce glowing flames. Now imagine you are suspended
10:55
over that fire by a single incredibly thin thread.
10:59
You know the thread is weak. You know it cannot bear your
11:01
weight for long. You see nothing around you to
11:04
grab onto. In that moment, your body would
11:06
react involuntarily. You would scream.
11:08
You would tremble. You would likely collapse in
11:09
terror? Edwards asks.
11:12
If that is our natural reaction to a temporal fire, how much
11:14
more intense will reaction be when a Sinner realizes they are
11:17
hanging over the pit of eternal wrath by nothing but the mere
11:20
threat of God's sovereign patience?
11:22
The physical reaction is proportionate to the perceived
11:24
danger. Then he gives an analogy for the
11:27
positive side, the overwhelming joy.
11:29
He points to the biblical story of the Queen of Sheba when she
11:32
travelled to see King Solomon. She was so overwhelmed by his
11:36
wealth, his wisdom, and the glory of his Kingdom that the
11:38
biblical text says there was no more spirit in her.
11:41
She fainted. Her bodily strength was taken
11:43
away by the sheer majesty of what she saw.
11:46
Edwards says that Solomon was just a type, a shadow.
11:49
Christ is the antitype. He is the true and greater
11:52
Solomon. If a human queen fainted at the
11:54
sight of earthly glory, how much more will a Sinner faint when
11:57
the Holy Spirit opens their eyes to see the blinding infinite
12:00
glory and love of Jesus Christ? The physical collapse is a
12:03
natural consequence of a supernatural sight.
12:05
Moving to the next grouping of negative signs, Edwards
12:08
addresses human messiness and the role of the imagination.
12:12
Sign #4 deals with impressions on the imagination.
12:16
Critics argue that because people were having strong mental
12:19
pictures imagining heaven, imagining the fires of hell,
12:22
imagining Christ on the cross, the whole revival was just a
12:25
fantasy. Edwards defends the imagination
12:29
as a God-given faculty. He argues that human beings are
12:32
incapable of thinking about invisible spiritual things
12:35
without using mental imagery. Try to think about God or
12:38
eternity without a picture forming in your mind.
12:41
You cannot do it When affections are running high and emotions
12:44
are intense, Those mental pictures will naturally become
12:47
more vivid. The presence of a strong
12:49
imagination does not negate the presence of the Holy Spirit.
12:52
Sign #5 focuses on the use of example.
12:54
Critics said people were just copying each other.
12:57
If one person cried, others cried, suggesting it was just a
12:59
mob mentality. Edwards responds to God
13:02
frequently uses ordinary means. An example is a powerful
13:05
rational means of persuasion. If you see someone weaving
13:08
bitterly over their sins, it is completely rational response for
13:11
you to stop and consider the state of your own soul.
13:14
He outlines scriptural precedents for this, such as
13:17
Ruth being moved by Naomi's example to leave Moab and follow
13:20
the God of Israel. Sign number six is critical for
13:23
Reformed thinkers, imprudences and irregularities, critics
13:27
pointing to the messiness, the lack of tact, and the chaotic
13:29
zeal of the new converts as proof that God was not involved.
13:33
Edwards firmly counters that grace does not instantly make a
13:36
personal, wise politician or perfectly mature.
13:39
New converts possess massive zeal but still retain
13:42
significant remaining corruption, blindness and lack
13:45
of practical wisdom. He cites undeniable historical
13:48
examples. Look at the Corinthian church in
13:50
the New Testament. They had massive outpourings of
13:52
the Spirit, yet they were plagued by chaotic worship
13:54
divisions and severe irregularities.
13:57
Look at the Apostle Peter, a pillar of the church who fell
14:00
into sinful hypocrisy at Antioch.
14:02
Look at the early reformers like John Calvin, who exhibited
14:05
severe and sometimes excessive zeal.
14:08
If God only worked where there was absolute perfection and 0
14:11
human imprudence, He would never work anywhere on earth.
14:13
That brings us to the final three negative signs, which deal
14:17
with some of the heaviest and most common objections.
14:20
Sign number 7 and 8 address intermixed errors, satanic
14:23
delusions, and scandalous apostates.
14:27
Critics were pointing out that some people who claimed to be
14:29
converted later fell into weird theological errors, or they
14:32
eventually apostatized and went back to their sinful lives in a
14:35
scandalous way. The critics said this proved the
14:38
whole thing was a fraud. Edwards says absolutely not.
14:42
The existence of a fake coin does not mean that real gold
14:44
does not exist. In fact, counterfeits only exist
14:48
because the real thing is highly valuable.
14:50
He points right back to the Bible to prove this.
14:53
Judas was one of the 12 apostles.
14:55
He walked with Jesus, he preached, he performed miracles,
14:58
and he looked like a perfect convert until he betrayed the
15:00
Son of God. Nicholas the Deacon was chosen
15:03
by the early church because he seemed full of the Holy Spirit.
15:06
Yet he later became the head of a vile heretical stack to
15:08
mention in the Book of Revelation.
15:10
Tares always grow alongside the wheat.
15:13
Satan will always sow weeds in God's field.
15:15
The presence of frauds does not invalidate the genuine
15:18
believers. It's unavoidable.
15:20
Yes, and finally, sign #9 tackles the preaching of the
15:23
terrors of the law. Critics hated the fact that
15:26
ministers were preaching about Hellfire and God's wrath with
15:28
such intensity. They wanted calm, soothing
15:32
sermons that did not upset anyone's sensibilities.
15:34
Edwards uses the famous house on fire analogy here.
15:37
He says, imagine you are a parent and you see your child
15:40
inside a house that is entirely engulfed in flames.
15:43
The child is fast asleep and completely unaware of the
15:46
danger. Would you walk up to the house
15:48
and politely, calmly whisper, excuse me, you might want to
15:51
consider exiting the premises? No, you would scream, you would
15:54
yell, you would break down the door to drag them out.
15:56
Edwards argues that if a minister truly believes his
15:59
congregation is heading for eternal conscious torment,
16:02
speaking calmly about it would prove he's either completely
16:05
insane or he does not actually believe the doctrine he is
16:07
preaching. Warning people of hell with
16:09
extreme urgency, pathos and volume is the most rational,
16:13
loving act a minister can possibly perform.
16:16
After clearing away all that brush, after proving that
16:19
physical collapsing, loud noise, human imprudence, and even the
16:22
presence of hypocrites do not disprove a work of God, Edwards
16:25
transitions to the core of his argument.
16:28
He asks the vital question, How do we actually judge a spirit?
16:33
The answer, dictated by the Reformed doctrine of sola
16:36
scriptura, is that we must use the infallible rule of the
16:39
Scripture. We can't rely on our gut
16:41
feelings, our cultural preferences, or our personal
16:44
definitions of decorum. Edwards limits himself strictly
16:47
to the criteria laid out by the Apostle John in First John
16:50
chapter 4. John wrote this chapter
16:52
specifically to help the early church distinguish the true
16:55
Spirit from the many false prophets and counterfeits that
16:58
were flooding the world at that time.
17:00
Edwards extracts 5 positive, undeniable marks of the true
17:03
Holy Spirit from this text. If these 5 marks are present in
17:06
a movement, we can be absolutely certain that God is the author,
17:09
regardless of how messy the human execution might be.
17:12
We will break down these 5 marks 1 by 1 mark #1 Found in verses 2
17:17
and three of first John 4 is that the true spirit raises the
17:20
esteem of the historical Jesus. The text says every spirit that
17:23
confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God.
17:27
This means the movement must point directly to the Jesus
17:30
revealed in the Gospels. That is correct.
17:33
Edwards explains that the true Spirit will always point people
17:35
directly to the Jesus of history.
17:38
This is the Jesus who was born of a virgin in Bethlehem, who
17:41
lived under the law, and it was physically crucified outside the
17:44
gates of Jerusalem. The Spirit will not point to
17:46
some vague, mystical or fantastical Christ.
17:49
Edwards specifically critiques the Quaker concept of the light
17:52
within here. That concept tended to detach
17:55
people from the objective historical work of Jesus and
17:58
focus them inward on the subjective feeling or personal
18:00
revelation. The devil possesses A bitter,
18:03
implacable hatred for the true Savior.
18:05
He mortally hates the story of redemption.
18:07
Therefore, Satan will never operate in a way that makes
18:10
people love, trust, and rely more heavily upon the historical
18:12
Jesus of Nazareth. If a movement makes Jesus more
18:15
precious to the soul and elevates his historical
18:17
sacrifice, it is undeniably of God.
18:20
Mark #2 drawn from verses 4 and 5 is that the true spirit
18:23
operates against Satan's Kingdom.
18:26
Satan's Kingdom is defined by the world, the lust of the
18:29
flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
18:32
We see this mark in practice when a movement actively kills
18:35
worldly lusts. People lose their eager desire
18:38
for earthly wealth, for status, for frivolous pleasures.
18:41
Instead, their consciences are awakened to the horror of sin.
18:44
They become deeply concerned about their eternal state.
18:46
The logic here is devastating to the critics arguments.
18:50
Consider Satan's primary objective.
18:52
He wants to keep sinners comfortable, numb, and asleep on
18:55
their way to destruction. He wants to lull the conscience
18:58
into a false sense of security. Therefore, Satan would never
19:02
actively awaken a conscience to see the dreadfulness of sin.
19:06
A terrified, awakened conscience is the absolute worst thing for
19:09
the devil's agenda, because a soul in distress will
19:12
immediately seek a cure. They will run to the cross for
19:15
relief. As Jesus argued against the
19:17
Pharisees. Satan does not cast out Satan.
19:20
The devil is not going to show you the holiness of God and the
19:22
depth of your own depravity. If a movement is characterized
19:25
by deep conviction of sin and a renunciation of worldly idols,
19:29
that is the undeniable fingerprint of the Holy Spirit
19:32
at work. That leads perfectly into mark
19:34
#3 drawn from verse 6. The true Spirit causes a greater
19:38
regard for the Holy Scriptures. Edward points out that the devil
19:40
absolutely hates the Bible. For thousands of years, the
19:43
devil has felt the stinging smart of that specific sword.
19:46
Every text is a dart that torments him and he will do
19:48
anything to keep people away from it.
19:50
This ties back so beautifully to the Reformed doctrine of Sola
19:53
Scriptura, the belief that Scripture alone is our supreme
19:56
authority. A spirit of delusion will always
19:59
try to lead people away from the objective written word.
20:02
Full spirits will elevate private revelations, subjective
20:05
feelings, or the traditions of men above the Bible.
20:08
They will say, look at this new vision, or trust the light
20:11
within you, or listen to this new prophet.
20:14
But the true Holy Spirit who authored the Scriptures will
20:17
always lead people back to the text.
20:19
He establishes them, and it's truth.
20:21
If a movement causes people to hunger for the Bible, to read it
20:24
more diligently, and to submit their lives to its commands, you
20:27
can rest assured the devil is not behind it.
20:30
The Prince of Darkness will never lead men to the sun.
20:33
Mark #4 is also found in verse sense.
20:35
The true spirit operates as a spirit of truth.
20:38
He undeceives men and brings them into the light.
20:40
This means the Spirit convinces people of objective reality.
20:44
He brings them out of the fantasyland of sin and into the
20:46
harsh, beautiful light of truth. What is that reality?
20:50
That God is infinitely holy. That human life is incredibly
20:53
short and uncertain, that we possess immortal souls, that we
20:57
are severely depraved by nature and completely helpless to save
21:00
ourselves, and that we desperately need a savior.
21:03
Satan's entire Kingdom is upheld by darkness, lies, and
21:07
illusions. He tells us we have plenty of
21:09
time, that our sins aren't that bad, That God doesn't really
21:11
care. When those illusions are
21:13
shattered and a person is made sensible of things as they truly
21:16
are, that is the spirit of truth at work doing them a massive
21:18
kindness by waking them up to reality.
21:20
Finally, we arrive at mark #5 which takes up the rest of first
21:24
John chapter 4. It is the crown jewel of the
21:27
Marks. The true Spirit operates as a
21:29
spirit of love to God and man. But we have to look at this
21:33
carefully because it is not just a generic sentimental affection.
21:36
This is a very specific type of love.
21:39
It is a love drawn directly from seeing the free, sovereign grace
21:42
of God in Christ Jesus. It is a love that arises when a
21:44
person realizes I was an enemy of God, utterly unworthy, and
21:48
yet He loved me and sent His Son to be the propitiation for my
21:51
sins. This requires us to
21:53
differentiate true Christian love from counterfeit love,
21:56
which Edwards does masterfully. Counterfeit love is
21:59
fundamentally rooted in self love.
22:01
For example, people in wild, fanatical sex often boast of
22:05
their great love for one another, but they only love each
22:07
other because they agree on their strange peculiarities and
22:10
the rest of the world mocks them.
22:12
Their love is essentially a shared tribalism.
22:15
It makes them feel special and elite.
22:17
True divine love, on the other hand, is fundamentally humble.
22:21
It is attended with a crushing sense of a person's own
22:23
littleness, vileness and total insufficiency.
22:27
It annihilates human pride. When you see a love that is
22:30
marked by self diffidence, self emptiness and poverty of spirit,
22:33
a love that extends even to enemies, you were looking at the
22:36
unmistakable operation of the Spirit of God, pride and malice
22:40
of the defining traits of the devil.
22:42
Humble love is the absolute antithesis of Satan's nature.
22:45
Having established this infallible touchstone, Edwards
22:48
brings down the verdict. He applies this five point
22:51
checklist to the 1741 awakening in New England.
22:54
He is testifying from his own first hand observation, having
22:58
lived through it and pastured people through it.
23:00
He says look at the facts. People are turning away from the
23:02
vain pursuits of the world. They are weeping over their
23:05
sins. They are clinging to their
23:06
Bibles. They are esteeming the
23:08
historical Jesus as their only hope, and they are exhibiting a
23:11
massive broken hearted humility. Therefore, Edwards concludes,
23:15
regardless of the noise, regardless of the fainting,
23:18
regardless of the few hypocrites who fall away, this movement is
23:21
definitively, undeniably a massive work of the Spirit of
23:24
God. Having established that verdict,
23:26
Edwards then turns his attention back to the skeptic standing on
23:29
the sidelines, and he delivers a very severe warning.
23:32
The warning Edwards delivers here is chilling.
23:34
He compares the modern skeptics of the revival to the Pharisees
23:38
of the New Testament. The Pharisees rejected Jesus
23:41
because he did not fit their carnal preconceived
23:43
expectations. They wanted a conquering king.
23:46
Jesus came as a suffering servant.
23:48
They wanted pristine, polite religion.
23:50
Jesus healed on the Sabbath and ate with tax collectors.
23:53
Edwards warns the skeptics that God's works, much like his
23:56
words, always contain stumbling blocks.
23:59
God intentionally orders things in a way that will offend human
24:02
sensibilities in order to test our dispositions.
24:05
To demand a perfect revival entirely free of human messiness
24:08
or imprudence is sheer folly. Edwards uses a striking analogy.
24:13
He says waiting for a perfect revival is like a fool standing
24:16
by a river, waiting for all the water to run by so he can cross
24:18
on dry ground. It is never going to happen.
24:21
But the most severe part of his warning deals with the risk of
24:23
the unpardonable sin. The Pharisees committed this sin
24:26
by looking at the obvious, undeniable miracles of Jesus,
24:29
which were clearly the work of the Holy Spirit, and attributing
24:32
them to the power of the devil, specifically against their own
24:35
inward conviction. Edwards warns that attributing
24:38
this massive, obvious work of the Holy Spirit in New England
24:40
to Satan is the most dangerous spiritual position a human being
24:44
can take. It is playing with eternal fire.
24:46
After delivering that heavy warning to the opposers, Edwards
24:49
pivots. He turns his attention to the
24:52
enthusiastic supporters of the revival.
24:54
This is where his pastoral brilliance really shines.
24:58
Even though he has just spent dozens of pages aggressively
25:01
defending the revival against critics, he does not give its
25:05
supporters a free pass. In fact, he heavily critiques
25:08
them. He offers friendly counsel,
25:10
exhorting them to be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
25:14
He knows that defending the revival from external critics is
25:17
only half the battle. The other half is guarding the
25:19
revival from internal corruption.
25:21
Right. And this internal corruption
25:23
usually stems from one primary threat, which Edwards identifies
25:26
as spiritual pride. He calls pride the worst Viper
25:30
in the human heart. It is the first sin that ever
25:32
entered the universe, and it is the most secret, deceitful sin
25:36
imaginable. Edwards warns the zealous
25:38
supporters that the devil is incredibly subtle.
25:40
If Satan cannot stop the revival through external opposition, he
25:43
will try to destroy it from the inside by inflating the egos of
25:46
the believers. Oh.
25:47
That makes total sense. The devil will use a person's
25:50
high spiritual experiences, their deep comforts in their
25:53
zeal to make them think they are God's special favorite or that
25:56
they are an extraordinary prophet chosen to instruct the
25:59
rest of the church. This spiritual pride sneaks in
26:03
under the disguise of extreme piety.
26:05
Edwards points out that even the Apostle Paul, the greatest of
26:08
the apostles, was not immune to this danger.
26:11
After Paul had visions and was caught up to the 3rd heaven, God
26:14
had to give him a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to
26:17
Buffett him specifically to keep him from becoming conceited.
26:21
If the Apostle Paul needed active preventative measures
26:23
against spiritual pride after a massive spiritual high, how much
26:27
more do ordinary believers need to be strictly on guard?
26:30
To combat this creeping pride, Edwards expands his counsel by
26:34
warning the zealous against relying on impulses.
26:37
This was a huge problem during the awakening.
26:38
People would get a strong mental impression or random Bible verse
26:41
would pop into their head, and they would immediately interpret
26:44
it as a direct, undeniable instruction from heaven, telling
26:47
them what to do or predicting the future.
26:49
Edwards completely rejects this practice.
26:51
This requires us to look at the theological distinction Edwards
26:54
draws between extraordinary gifts and ordinary grace.
26:58
Impulses, direct revelations, and prophecies belong to the
27:01
category of extraordinary gifts, like speaking in tongues or
27:04
performing miracles. These were given to the early
27:06
church during its infancy to establish the gospel message.
27:10
But ordinary grace, things like faith, hope, and divine love is
27:14
vastly superior. Highlighting Reformed theology,
27:17
Edwards points out that Satan grace is the very image of God
27:20
and the soul. It secures eternal life.
27:23
Extraordinary gifts do not save you.
27:25
Judas cast out demons and performed miracles, but he
27:28
remained a child of the devil and went to hell.
27:30
Balaam prophesied, but he was wicked.
27:33
Edwards argues that the Bible is the completed sufficient rule
27:36
for faith and practice. We do not need new revelations
27:39
or sudden impulses to guide us. We need to rely on the objective
27:42
word of God and the ordinary exercise of Christian prudence.
27:45
Chasing after impulses is like abandoning the reliable guidance
27:49
of the North Star to follow a flickering will of the wisp end
27:52
of the swamp. Alongside his rejection of these
27:54
impulses, Edwards offers a robust defense of human learning
27:57
and study. During the heat of the revival,
28:00
some people were claiming that because the Holy Spirit was so
28:02
active, ministers didn't need to go to seminary or even study for
28:06
their sermons anymore. They thought human education was
28:09
a hindrance to the Spirit. Edward shuts this down
28:12
completely. He argues that just because the
28:14
Spirit is active, it does not negate the need for preparation.
28:17
He uses a simple logical comparison.
28:20
A four year old child who possesses saving grace is not as
28:22
equipped to teach a congregation as an educated adult who
28:25
possesses that exact same degree of grace.
28:27
God uses human means and study as the means of acquiring
28:30
knowledge. We also need to examine Edward's
28:33
strict prohibition against judging the spiritual state of
28:35
others. In the zeal of the revival, many
28:39
new converts, feeling the fresh heat of their own salvation,
28:42
took it upon themselves to declare who else was truly saved
28:46
and who was a hypocrite. They wanted to draw a hard line
28:49
and separate the true Saints from the fake ones.
28:52
Edwards calls this massive arrogance.
28:55
He points to biblical examples to prove that humans are
28:57
entirely incapable of reading the heart.
29:00
King David, a man after God's own heart and a prophet, could
29:03
not see the hypocrisy of his close friend and counselor, a
29:06
Hittophel. A Hittophel seems like a perfect
29:09
St. until he betrayed David. Similarly, the 11 disciples had
29:13
absolutely no idea that Judas was a fraud.
29:16
They trusted him enough to make him the treasurer.
29:18
This ties directly to the Reformed doctrine of the visible
29:21
versus the invisible church. The visible church consists of
29:24
everyone who makes a credible profession of faith.
29:27
The invisible church consists of the true elect, not only to God.
29:30
Edwards argues that it is God's exclusive prerogative to
29:33
separate the wheat from the tares at the final judgement.
29:36
When humans arrogate to themselves the authority to weed
29:39
out the hypocrites and create a perfectly pure, visible church
29:42
on earth, they are not only arrogant, they're usurping the
29:46
throne of Christ. Edwards concludes this section
29:49
with a pastoral call for gentleness.
29:51
He tells the zealous supporters not to attack the opposers with
29:54
angry, bitter zeal. If you truly have the Spirit,
29:57
act like a lamb, not a screaming swine.
30:00
Furthermore, he advises them to use the biblical principle of
30:03
putting new wine into new bottles.
30:05
By this he means they should avoid shocking people with
30:07
unnecessary innovations in worship or bizarre new practices
30:10
just for the sake of being radical.
30:13
If a practice is not strictly necessary for the gospel, leave
30:15
it be. Do not create extra stumbling
30:18
blocks. So as we wrap up this massive,
30:21
detailed look at Edward's thought, let's summarize the
30:23
core take away for you, the listener.
30:25
True spiritual discernment does not mean looking at the messy,
30:28
noisy human bark of the tree. It means looking at the root and
30:32
the fruit. Does the movement point people
30:34
to the biblical historical Jesus?
30:36
Does it kill worldly sin and awaken the conscience?
30:39
Does it drive people to the scriptures?
30:40
And most importantly, does it produce a deep, self emptying,
30:43
humble love for God and neighbor?
30:45
If those marks are present, God is at work, no matter how
30:48
chaotic the external circumstances might appear.
30:51
That framework challenges us to our core.
30:54
It forces us to examine our own hearts and our own theological
30:58
comfort zones. We rely so heavily on our
31:01
preferred structures and our NEAT, orderly traditions, But
31:04
Edwards point out that the Holy Spirit operates as a sovereign
31:07
wind. He blows where he wishes, and he
31:10
often disrupts our carefully curated religious spaces in
31:13
order to bring about genuine awakening.
31:16
Which leaves us with a final, provocative thought to Mull
31:19
over. We look back at history, we read
31:21
by the Pharisees or the critics of the Great Awakening, and we
31:24
comfortably assume that we would have been on the right side.
31:26
We think we would have recognized Jesus.
31:28
We think we would have supported Edwards.
31:30
But if a massive movement of God happened in your town tomorrow,
31:34
complete with loud weeping, strange physical behavior, and
31:37
chaotic, unpolished zeal, would your demand for neat, polite,
31:41
controlled religion cause you to reject the Holy Spirit?
31:44
Thank you for joining us for this deep dive into the source
31:47
material. We will see you next time.