Latest / Reformed Thinking / The Way of Holiness | Jonathan Edwards

Transcript

The Way of Holiness | Jonathan Edwards · Reformed Thinking

0:00
Imagine heaven, you know, Pearly gates, streets of gold, eternal
0:05
peace. Right, the classic picture.
0:07
Yeah, that whole image. Now imagine God just opens those
0:11
doors and let's absolutely everyone in, regardless of how
0:14
they lived or you know, what they loved.
0:16
That would be chaotic. Totally chaotic.
0:18
According to the 18th century theologian Jonathan Edwards,
0:21
within a single week, heaven would become a literal hell.
0:25
Wow, right? Welcome to Reformed thinking.
0:28
I am thrilled you, the listener, have joined us today.
0:31
We are setting out on a rigorous, extensive
0:34
investigation of Jonathan Edwards sermon The Way of
0:37
Holiness It. Is a phenomenal text.
0:40
It really is, and it draws its thesis from a fascinating
0:44
passage in the Old Testament, specifically Isaiah chapter 35,
0:48
verse 8. We have some massive theological
0:50
ground to cover today. Edwards isn't just, you know,
0:53
offering a mild ethical suggestion to his congregation
0:56
here. Definitely not.
0:56
He is making an ontological claim about the nature of God,
0:59
the nature of humanity, and the absolute necessity of
1:02
sanctification. As Protestants who hold to
1:05
historic Reformed theology, we recognize that Edwards is laying
1:08
out the stark realities of what it actually means to be fit for
1:12
the presence of a holy God. Spied on, but before we can even
1:15
touch Edwards's view of hell. Or, you know, his strict
1:19
requirements for heaven. We have to realize how he's
1:22
reading Isaiah. Right, he doesn't see it as just
1:24
ancient history. No, he reads it as a road map
1:27
for the future. He actually calls the book of
1:29
Isaiah 1/5 gospel. Which is a huge title to give an
1:34
Old Testament prophetic book. It's a massive title.
1:37
Why does he view Isaiah through such a distinctly Christian
1:40
lens? Well, to understand his
1:42
approach, you have to look at how the Puritans handled the Old
1:45
Testament. Edward sees the entire Bible as
1:48
one unified revelation of Jesus Christ.
1:51
He calls Isaiah 1/5 Gospel because Isaiah speaks so
1:54
comprehensively about the coming Messiah.
1:57
According to Edwards, Isaiah gives a detailed account of
1:59
Christ's birth, his life, his miracles, his passion.
2:02
And what he calls the gospel state, right?
2:04
Yes, precisely so. When Edwards reads the poetry of
2:08
Isaiah 35, he is looking at a glorious prophetic vision of the
2:13
New Covenant era. Let's look at the specific
2:16
geographical imagery Edwards pulls from the 1st 2 verses of
2:19
chapter 35. He talks about the conversion of
2:21
the heathen nations being compared to a wilderness, a
2:24
solitary desert place. The text, the wilderness, and
2:28
the solitary place shall be glad for them, and the desert shall
2:31
rejoice and blossom as the Rose. He is setting up this intense
2:35
visual contrast between death and absolute abundance.
2:39
He is establishing the sheer vitality of salvation.
2:42
Edwards notes that the spiritual wasteland is suddenly given the
2:46
glory of Lebanon and the Excellency of Carmel and Sharon.
2:49
Oh right, the geographical references.
2:51
Yeah, in the ancient Near East, Lebanon was famous for its
2:53
massive, strong cedar trees. Carmel was known for its extreme
2:57
fruitfulness and lush vineyards. And Sharon was the coastal
3:00
plain, right? Famous for its beautiful
3:02
flowers. You've got it.
3:04
So Edwards is saying that when Christ's Kingdom arrives in a
3:07
dead soul, it brings strength, fruitfulness and beauty.
3:10
The text lists immense privileges that accompany this
3:13
blooming desert too. Edwards quotes the Prophet
3:16
saying, Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble
3:20
knees. Yeah, the physical healing
3:21
imagery. He points out the eyes of the
3:23
blind being opened, the ears of the deaf unstopped, the lame man
3:27
leaping like a heart. Water breaks out on the parched
3:30
ground. It's beautiful.
3:32
In the habitation of Dragons, grass with reeds and rushes will
3:35
grow. It's a total reversal of nature.
3:37
And that reversal of nature is key to everything, Edwards will
3:40
argue later. You cannot just put a new coat
3:42
of paint on a desert and call it a garden.
3:44
Right, the soil itself must be altered.
3:46
Precisely, God provides the water of the Spirit to change
3:50
the fundamental ecology of the human heart.
3:52
That After establishing this joyful flourishing, Edwards
3:56
moves to the core text of his sermon.
3:58
Isaiah 35.8. Yes, which introduces a very
4:01
specific singular Hwy. running right through this new
4:05
blossoming Kingdom. Isaiah 35.8 says, And then
4:09
highway shall be there and away, and it shall be called the way
4:12
of holiness. The unclean shall not Passover
4:15
it. That phrasing is so specific.
4:17
It is. Edwards locks onto that phrase
4:20
and is adamant about the exclusivity of this path.
4:22
He says this highway is the common and only way to heaven,
4:27
for the way to heaven is but one.
4:29
He gives absolutely no room for alternative roads.
4:32
This runs completely counter to the modern mindset.
4:35
Totally. Today we expect customized
4:38
experiences. We assume there are multiple
4:41
valid paths to the same destination.
4:43
Sure. Your truth and my truth.
4:45
Right. But Edwards insists there are no
4:48
side paths. Some do not go to heaven in a
4:50
Broadway, while others take a narrow way.
4:53
Some do not go in an easy way, while others go in a difficult
4:56
way. It's all the same Rd.
4:57
Everyone who obtains salvation travels this exact same narrow
5:01
highway. I was actually thinking about
5:03
this concept while reading the source material, and it feels
5:06
very much like trying to execute a highly dangerous Alpine
5:10
ascent. Oh, I like that.
5:11
Like a mountain climb. Imagine tourists showing up at
5:14
the base of a massive, treacherous mountain K2.
5:17
A tourist might look for an easy shortcut or maybe a scenic
5:20
detour with a paved walkway and a handrail.
5:23
But K2 doesn't have hand rails. Exactly.
5:26
A seasoned Mountaineer knows there is no scenic detour.
5:29
There is only one rigorously marked trail that actually
5:33
reaches the summit. Any deviation leads off a Cliff.
5:36
That analogy captures the mechanics of what Edwards is
5:39
teaching so well. If you try to invent your own
5:42
route up K2, the terrain itself will destroy you.
5:45
The mountain does not adjust it's gradient for the casual
5:47
travel. That's a great way to put it.
5:49
Edwards says If we seek never so diligently, we shall never find
5:53
out an easier way to heaven than that which Christ has revealed
5:56
to us. He uses strenuous physical
5:59
language. He says travelers must rub hard
6:02
to get along and press forward. Rub hard to get along man.
6:06
That implies severe friction. It really does.
6:08
You are pushing against the world, the flesh and the devil.
6:11
It is not the language of a casual Sunday stroll.
6:14
He goes even further by referencing Christ's words in
6:17
Matthew 11, stating that the Kingdom of heaven suffers
6:20
violence and the violent take it by force.
6:22
This demands active exertion. So it's not a passive thing at
6:25
all. Not at all.
6:26
In Reformed theology, while justification is entirely an act
6:30
of God's free grace, sanctification involves our
6:33
active, strenuous participation. We are working out our salvation
6:37
with fear and trembling. Yeah, Edwards contrasts this
6:41
difficult highway of self denial and mortification with the
6:44
Broadway of sinful pleasures. So if we follow the K2 analogy,
6:48
the true believer is the Mountaineer with the ice axe and
6:51
the crampons actively fighting the elements, while the false
6:55
convert is sitting at base camp wondering why the summit isn't
6:58
coming to them. So Edwards demands active
7:01
exertion. But if this Alpine highway is so
7:04
exclusive and requires such intense effort, it prompts a
7:08
massive question. Who is kept off of it?
7:09
Right, who was actually kept off of this road?
7:12
This leads directly into his vivid, unsettling descriptions
7:15
of the Unsanctified. He focuses on the ninth verse of
7:18
Isaiah 35, which states no line shall be there, nor any ravenous
7:22
beast shall go up there on. And he's not talking about the
7:24
zoo. No, he quickly clarifies that
7:26
Isaiah is not talking about literal zoology.
7:29
He interprets this through a strict theological lens, buying
7:32
it to the wicked men of this world.
7:34
He reduces unregenerate humanity to the level of wild animals.
7:38
It's intense, he says. These people are more like lions
7:40
or ravenous beasts than like men, and he points to their
7:44
eager, raging, and lustful appetites as the proof.
7:48
He describes them as possessing an insatiable covetousness.
7:52
They are violently set upon the world and will have it whether
7:55
by right or by wrong. Wow.
7:56
He compares them to hungry wolves, tigers and poisonous
7:59
serpents. In his view, they care nothing
8:02
for the welfare of others. They're fellow men of the same
8:04
blood because they make a God of their bellies.
8:07
I have to push back here on behalf of the listener because
8:09
this language is jarring. It is definitely jarring.
8:13
How do we square this with modern sensibilities?
8:15
Today, society generally views humanity as inherently good.
8:20
We admit people are flawed. We say people have trauma, they
8:23
make mistakes, they have bad days.
8:25
But culture assumes the core of the human heart is decent.
8:29
How does a modern listener reckon with Edwards claiming
8:32
that unredeemed people are fundamentally predatory?
8:35
Well, to understand his logic, you have to examine the Reformed
8:38
doctrine of total depravity, which forms the bedrock of his
8:42
anthropology. OK, unpack that a bit.
8:45
Total depravity does not mean every human being is as evil as
8:48
they could possibly be. It means that sin has corrupted
8:51
every faculty of the human person, the mind, the will, the
8:55
emotions. The whole system is infected,
8:57
yes. When Edwards uses this animal
8:59
imagery, he is illustrating what happens when human beings
9:02
operate without the restraining and renewing grace of God.
9:05
So without divine grace, the human will just defaults to
9:08
self-interest. Precisely.
9:10
The human will is bound by its own desires.
9:13
A lion acts like a lion because it's nature dictates a must
9:16
consume meat. An unregenerate person acts out
9:19
of self-interest because their fallen nature dictates they must
9:21
satisfy their own ego, their own less and their own pride.
9:25
They ignore the glory of God and the genuine welfare of their
9:28
neighbor. So they operate on animalistic
9:30
instinct rather than divine likeness.
9:32
Yes, that's it. They are driven by consumption
9:34
and dominance rather than charity, humility and justice.
9:39
When he calls them beasts, he is pointing out that they have
9:42
abandoned the moral and spiritual faculties that are
9:45
supposed to elevate humanity above the animal Kingdom.
9:48
Well, yes, precisely. He highlights proud, invidious,
9:52
malicious dispositions, saying these are directly contrary to a
9:56
Christian spirit and temper. Therefore, the Prophet Isaiah
9:59
declares, none of these Rafness booths shall be found on the
10:01
highway to Zion, only the redeemed shall walk there.
10:04
Makes sense? Edwards even brings in
10:06
Revelation 21.27, stating that nothing that defiles or works
10:11
abomination shall enter into the New Jerusalem.
10:14
He sets up a permanent boundary. The way is a way of holiness,
10:18
and it cannot be polluted by wicked persons.
10:21
But Edwards does not just leave these beasts outside the gates
10:25
arbitrarily. He does not portray God as a
10:27
bouncer at a club, simply saying your name is not on the list.
10:30
Stay out. No, he doesn't.
10:31
He builds a massive rational argument for why they cannot
10:35
enter heaven. He starts this argument with a
10:38
shocking thought experiment. This is a classic Puritan
10:41
rhetorical device. He formulates the doctrine those
10:45
only that are holy are in the way to heaven.
10:48
Then he forces the congregation to imagine the opposite
10:50
scenario, to prove the absurdity of a heaven without holiness.
10:54
Right. He notes that many people are
10:56
not sensible enough of the necessity of holiness.
10:59
Almost everyone hopes for heaven.
11:01
Sure, everyone wants to go to a better place.
11:03
But here's the thought experiment for you, the
11:05
listener. What if everyone who simply
11:08
hoped for heaven actually got there?
11:10
What if there were no sanctification requirement and
11:13
God just opened the doors to humanity as it is?
11:15
Edwards answers his own hypothetical scenario with
11:18
brutal clarity. He says if everyone who hoped
11:20
for heaven got there, heaven by this time would have been full
11:23
of murderers, adulterers, common swearers, drunkards, thieves,
11:28
robbers and licentious debauchers.
11:30
You'll become a literal den of thieves, he says.
11:33
Heaven would be full of all manner of wickedness, just as
11:36
the earth abounds with it. He brings back the animal
11:38
imagery, stating there would be howling wolves, poisonous
11:41
serpents and devil's Incarnate as Judas was.
11:45
If you think about the implications, Edwards asks, What
11:48
a wretched place the highest heavens would have been by this
11:51
time. That pure, undefiled, glorious
11:55
place, the heavenly temple, would become like the earthly
11:58
temple of Jerusalem when Jesus had to cleanse it with a whip.
12:01
The royal palace of the Most High, the Holy Metropolis of the
12:05
Creation, would be turned into a mere hell.
12:08
Those are his actual words. Heaven would become hell.
12:10
He points out the ontological clash of natures that would
12:13
result. He says there would be a
12:15
horrible, dreadful confusion if you mixed all these elements
12:18
together in one domain. Picture the scene he paints.
12:22
You have the glorious presence of God the Father.
12:24
You have the glorified Lamb of God.
12:26
You have the heavenly dove, the spirit of all grace right.
12:28
You have the spotless glorified Saints.
12:30
You have the holy angels, and then mixed right in with them,
12:33
sitting at the same table. You have wicked men, beasts and
12:37
devils. He concludes there would be no
12:39
happiness there for those that are holy.
12:41
The environment would be entirely ruined.
12:44
Light and darkness cannot occupy the same space without friction.
12:47
Let us extract the core insight here, because it is staggering.
12:52
Paradise is not a geography, it is a state of alignment.
12:55
Oh, that is good. I want you, the listener, to
12:58
consider popular cultural depictions of the afterlife.
13:01
In movies and novels, we often see heaven portrayed as a
13:05
beautiful resort where everyone gets a peaceful eternity
13:08
regardless of their earthly character.
13:10
Like a giant golf course in the sky.
13:12
Yeah, exactly. The only requirement is that you
13:15
died. Edwards completely shatters this
13:17
assumption. That is a brilliant way to frame
13:19
it. Paradise is a state of alignment
13:21
with God. If you take a person who hates
13:24
classical music and lock them in the finest Symphony hall in the
13:27
world for eternity, that is not paradise for them.
13:29
Yo, it's torture. Right.
13:31
If you take a person who hates the law of God, hates the
13:33
holiness of Canaan, and hates the worship of God, and you
13:35
force them into the direct, unmediated presence of God, that
13:39
is hell. The friction of a misaligned
13:42
soul in a perfect geography will burn them up.
13:44
This brings Edwards to it to a critical pivot.
13:47
He states that sinners must not be so foolish as to entertain
13:50
hopes of heaven, unless they intend forthwith to set about
13:54
repentance and reformation of hardened life.
13:56
He establishes the absolute necessity of real, hearty,
14:00
sincere, inward and spiritual holiness.
14:03
A holiness that will stand by us forever and will not leave us at
14:06
death. Having established that heaven
14:08
cannot tolerate unholiness, we have to ask the practical
14:11
question. Right.
14:12
What does it look like? What does this required holiness
14:14
actually look like in practice? How do we define it so we can
14:17
recognize it? Edwards anticipates this need
14:20
for a definition. He structures his explanation
14:23
around 3 specific lights. He explicitly states that he is
14:27
not dividing holiness into distinct parts, as if you could
14:30
have one part without the others.
14:31
He says these are the same reality viewed from three
14:34
different angles. To give us a fuller
14:35
understanding, let us examine the first light, conformity of
14:39
the heart and the life unto God. Edwards starts this section by
14:43
warning against the danger of external religion.
14:46
He points out that whatever outward appearance men may make,
14:49
if it does not proceed from a most inward, Hardy and sincere
14:52
holiness, it amounts to nothing. He uses the historical example
14:56
of King a Messiah from the Old Testament.
14:58
Yes, a Messiah did that which was right in the sight of the
15:01
Lord, but the text explicitly says he did not do it with a
15:05
perfect heart. In Reformed thought, God is not
15:07
fooled by behavioral compliance because God searches the hearts
15:11
and tries the reins of the children of men.
15:14
Outward actions without inward affection are useless.
15:18
God must be worshipped in spirit and in truth.
15:20
But Edwards also attacks the opposite error just as fiercely.
15:23
He says whatever hypocritical pangs of affection a person
15:26
might claim to have in their heart is all to no purpose
15:29
unless it manifests in the tangible holiness of their lives
15:32
and conversations. You cannot claim internal love
15:35
for God while living like a ravenous beast, so inward
15:38
sincerity must match outward conduct.
15:41
He relies on the book of James to prove this mechanism.
15:44
James One talks about a man who seems religious but does not
15:47
bridle his tongue. That man's religion is vain.
15:50
Pure religion before God involves visiting the fatherless
15:54
and widows in their affliction and keeping oneself unspotted
15:57
from the world. He also cites James chapter 2.
16:00
Show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my
16:03
faith by my works. Even brings up the chilling
16:06
reality that the devils believe there is one God and they
16:09
tremble. Intellectual ascent without
16:10
behavioral change is dead. So the first light of holiness
16:13
demands total conformity of both the hidden heart and the visible
16:17
life to God. Moving to the second light,
16:19
Edwards defines holiness as the image of Jesus Christ, his
16:22
likeness produced in the Believer.
16:24
He's careful to specify what kind of conformity to God he
16:27
means. He clarifies.
16:29
We are not conforming to God's eternity or his Infinity or His
16:32
infinite power. Well, we can't become infinite
16:35
or omnipotent. Those are God's incommunicable
16:37
attributes. Correct.
16:39
Instead it is a conformity to his moral will, willing things
16:43
that are just, right, truly excellent and lovely.
16:46
It means perfectly. I'm whoring everything that is
16:48
really evil, unjust and unreasonable.
16:51
And it goes beyond just willing. Right.
16:54
Yes, it requires doing. Acting wholly, justly, wisely,
16:58
and mercifully imitating the character of God.
17:02
Edwards says this must become natural to the believer.
17:05
It must be the constant inclination and the new nature
17:08
of the soul, and this brings us directly to the person of Jesus
17:11
Christ. Jesus is perfectly conformed to
17:13
God because he is God Incarnate. He is the express image of the
17:16
Father. Edwards points out that Christ
17:18
is nearer to us in some respects than God the Father because he
17:22
acts as our mediator. He appeared in the form of a
17:24
servant taking on human flesh. We have seen his holy life
17:28
modeled in our own environment. We have a tangible example.
17:31
I love the specific phrasing Edwards uses here.
17:33
He says we have a copy drawn and an example set for us.
17:36
Holiness is the act of conforming to this copy.
17:39
He says if you diligently observe the life of Christ in
17:41
the four Gospels, you do not need to be at a loss to know
17:44
what holiness is. He quotes Matthew 11.29.
17:48
Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly
17:51
in heart. Edwards lists specific traits we
17:54
see model in the New Testament, wonderful instances of humility,
17:57
intense love to God, zeal for God's glory, steadfastness and
18:02
resisting severe temptations, and strict adherence to all
18:05
commands. He mentions condescension,
18:07
meekness, love to enemies, charity, and immense patience.
18:12
Reproducing Christ of these things is true holiness.
18:15
This brings us to the third light, conformity to God's laws
18:19
and commands, Edward says. When all God's laws without
18:22
exception are written in our hearts, then we possess
18:25
holiness. He points the listener to Psalm
18:27
119, where David speaks of his intense love and delight in
18:30
God's law. Oh, right, David says, Oh, how I
18:32
love your law. It is my meditation all the day
18:35
when a person genuinely feels what David declares.
18:37
God's law has been written in their heart.
18:39
And by law, Edwards means all precepts and commands,
18:42
especially as delivered in the New Testament.
18:45
He uses a striking phrase here. If you feel Christ's Sermon on
18:48
the Mount engraved on the fleshly tables of your hearts,
18:51
you are truly sanctified. It's a beautiful image.
18:53
Wait, if the standard is having the Sermon on the Mount engraved
18:56
on a heart, that feels absolutely impossible.
18:59
Jesus said be perfect therefore as your heavenly Father is
19:03
perfect. It does sound intimidating.
19:05
Is Edwards setting a standard of absolute flawless perfection for
19:09
the believer to enter heaven? Or is he talking about the
19:12
trajectory and the sincere affection of the heart?
19:14
Because if it's absolute perfection, that Alpine Highway
19:18
is going to be completely empty. That is a crucial distinction.
19:22
Edwards is speaking from the Reformed framework of
19:24
progressive sanctification. The requirement for flawless
19:28
profession is met by the imputation of Christ's
19:31
righteousness justification. But Edwards is focused here on
19:34
sanctification. Having the law engraved on the
19:37
heart means you possess A genuine supernatural love for
19:41
the commands of God, even while you stumble in your execution of
19:44
them. So you love the law even if you
19:46
fail it? Well, yes, the trajectory of
19:49
your soul desires the Sermon on the Mount, whereas the
19:51
unregenerate soul despises it. That makes sense.
19:55
It relates back to the New Covenant promise from Jeremiah
19:57
31, where God says He will put His law in their inward parts
20:01
and write it in their hearts. The believer begins to genuinely
20:05
love the commands. Edwards explains that God's
20:08
commands are pure, perfect, and holy.
20:12
They are the holiness of God put into writing when the soul is
20:16
conformed to them. The soul has the holiness of God
20:19
stamped upon it. He references Second Corinthians
20:21
3, right? Yes, talking about the Epistle
20:23
of Christ, written with the Spirit of the living God and the
20:26
fleshly tables of the heart. So the soul is molded and
20:29
fashioned according to the image of God, the example of Christ,
20:32
and the rules of the gospel. That is a staggeringly high
20:35
standard. It is the highest standard.
20:37
If this threefold conformity is required, we have to ask what
20:41
specific cosmic rules prevent the nonconformed from sneaking
20:44
into the eternal Kingdom. Edwards addresses this directly,
20:48
stating that those who do not possess this holiness are simply
20:50
not in the way to heaven. They are traveling a rogue that
20:53
will never ever bring them there.
20:55
He says they must alter their course, turn about and steer
20:58
towards another point entirely. He brings up Christ's teaching
21:01
that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle
21:05
than for a rich man to enter heaven.
21:07
It is possible with God's intervention, but Christ also
21:11
said positively that unless a man is born again, he cannot see
21:14
the Kingdom of God. No external profession of faith
21:17
matters. None.
21:18
Church membership means nothing. Circumcision avails nothing.
21:22
Only a new creature survives the judgment.
21:24
He drives this point home by referencing the Apostle Paul in
21:27
First Corinthians 13. You could attend public worship
21:30
every week, live outwardly moral lives, speak with tongues of
21:34
angels, understand all theological mysteries, have
21:37
faith to remove mountains, give all your goods to feed the poor.
21:41
And give your body to be burned at the stake.
21:43
Yes, but if you do not have charity, which Edwards equates
21:46
with inward holiness, meaning a supernatural love to God and
21:50
man, you are nothing. You're a sounding brass or a
21:52
tinkling cymbal. So we need real, spiritual,
21:55
active, vital, immortal holiness.
21:58
OK, so God's standard is set. Let us investigate the precise
22:01
theological reasons why God enforces this rule.
22:04
Edwards lays out what we can call the four pillars of
22:06
impossibility. These are the structural reasons
22:09
why an unholy person cannot be allowed into heaven.
22:12
The first pillar is God's justice.
22:14
Edwards explains that it is fundamentally contrary to God's
22:18
justice to make a wicked man eternally happy.
22:20
God is a God of infinite justice, Edwards says.
22:24
His justice obliges him to punish sin eternally.
22:29
Every single sin must be punished.
22:32
It is a cosmic Ledger that must be balanced.
22:34
This is the core mechanism of penal substitutionary atonement.
22:37
If the Sinner retains his sin, and it is not washed off by the
22:40
blood of Christ, and the person is not subsequently purified and
22:43
sanctified, that sin must be punished upon the individual.
22:47
Justice demands a payment. Yes, if the person is
22:50
sanctified, their sin has already been punished.
22:52
In the passion of Christ on the cross, the Ledger is clear.
22:56
But if they are unregenerate, it remains to be punished in their
22:59
eternal ruin. God has said he will by no means
23:02
clear the guilty so. Legal justice is the first
23:05
massive barrier. But even if we remove the legal
23:07
aspect of justice, isn't there an ontological problem like oil
23:11
and water? You hit the nail on the head,
23:12
and that brings us to the second pillar, God's nature.
23:16
It is impossible by reason of God's perfect holiness, that
23:20
anything should be united to God and brought to the enjoyment of
23:22
Him which is not holy in itself. The language Edwards uses here
23:26
is intense, visceral and almost offensive to modern ears.
23:30
It really is. He asks if it is possible that a
23:33
God of infinite holiness, who hates sin with a perfect hatred,
23:37
should embrace a filthy, abominable creature.
23:40
He describes the unsanctified person as a hideous, detestable
23:44
monster, more hateful than a toad and more poisonous than a
23:48
Viper. He uses that shocking imagery to
23:50
illustrate the ontological impossibility.
23:53
Light cannot unite with the darkness.
23:54
Fire cannot unite with ice. Edwards points out that even the
23:58
best hypocrite, the most beautifully painted sepulchre,
24:00
is hateful and base in the spiritual sense.
24:03
He. Asks how a loathsome being, the
24:05
very picture of the devil, could be a member of Christ or a child
24:08
of God, smiling in the enjoyment of God's love.
24:11
He says it is impossible for an unholy thing to be admitted to
24:14
heaven, as it is for God to cease to be God or be turned to
24:17
nothing. That is a staggering theological
24:20
claim. The impossibility of an unholy
24:22
person in heaven is mathematically equated with the
24:25
impossibility of God ceasing to exist.
24:28
God cannot love sin, and the joy of heaven consists entirely in
24:33
the enjoyment of God's love. If God hates your nature, heaven
24:37
is closed to you by definition. This moves us to the third
24:41
pillar, the defilement of heaven.
24:43
We touched on this with the thought experiment earlier, but
24:45
Edwards elaborates. He says an unholy person would
24:49
defile that holy place, the Holy of Holies.
24:51
Think about the fragility of a pure environment.
24:54
Modern psychology studies the impact of a single bad actor in
24:57
a healthy community. Oh sure, one toxic person can
25:00
ruin a workplace, a marriage, or a family system, right?
25:03
Heaven is a perfect, flawless ecosystem of love and worship.
25:07
One unrepented sin introduces a virus into that ecosystem.
25:10
Edwards says the presence of a wicked person would fright and
25:13
terrify the sanctified spirits. It would obstruct them in their
25:16
delightful ecstasies of devotion and praise.
25:19
It would confound the heavenly society.
25:21
He says just one unsanctified person would interrupt their
25:24
happiness and fill those regions all over with the loathsome
25:27
stench of his sin and filthiness.
25:30
Again, he uses visceral language.
25:32
Sin is a stench that ruins the atmosphere.
25:34
A holy God will not allow his sanctuary to be polluted.
25:38
Which brings us to the 4th and final pillar, the inherent
25:41
misery of sin. I want to build an analogy here.
25:45
People often view sin as an incredibly fun, wild party that
25:50
God stubbornly refuses to let them attend.
25:53
They think sin is enjoyable, it is fulfilling, and God is just a
25:56
cosmic killjoy ruining the fun with his arbitrary rules.
25:59
That is the great deception of the human heart, and Edwards
26:02
completely dismantles that view. He argues that the nature of sin
26:05
necessarily implies misery. Misery, yes, a soul that remains
26:09
sinful must, by a necessity of its own nature, remain
26:11
miserable. Why?
26:13
Because sin is a cruel tyrant, Edwards says.
26:15
Sin seeks nothing but the misery of its subjects.
26:18
In keeping God's commands there's great reward, but in
26:20
breaking them there's immense punishment.
26:22
Bill right into the ACT itself. He defines sin as a woeful
26:26
confusion and dreadful disorder in the soul.
26:29
Everything is put out of its proper place.
26:31
Reason which should govern the mind is trampled under foot.
26:35
And what takes over? Blind passion is advanced in the
26:38
room of reason, conscience is dethroned, and abominable lusts
26:42
sees the crown. When you describe it like that,
26:45
it sounds like psychological torture, Edward says.
26:48
As long as this disorder exists, there will unavoidably be a
26:51
dreadful confusion and perturbation in the mind.
26:54
The soul will be full of worry, perplexities, uneasiness is
26:57
storms and frights. Sin is not a fun party.
26:59
Sin is a parasite that eats the host from the inside out.
27:02
Therefore, even if it were legally possible that God should
27:05
desire to make a wicked man happy while he remains wicked,
27:08
the physics of the human soul would not allow it.
27:11
A sinful soul will naturally be miserable anywhere, even in
27:14
heaven. It is simply and absolutely
27:16
impossible for them to experience happiness when their
27:18
internal machinery is tearing itself part.
27:20
So we have these four massive pillars blocking the way.
27:25
God's justice demanding payment. God's holy nature repelling
27:29
darkness, the preservation of heaven's pure ecosystem, and the
27:33
inherently miserable, self-destructive nature of sin
27:36
itself. Those are heavy barriers.
27:38
Knowing these dire consequences and strict requirements, Edwards
27:42
forces his congregation and us into a corner of intense self
27:46
examination. This brings us to the terrifying
27:50
reality of self deception. Edwards applies his doctrine
27:53
directly to the listeners conscience.
27:55
He asks if none but those who are actively holy are in the way
27:58
to heaven, how many poor creatures are there that think
28:01
they're in the way to heaven who are absolutely not?
28:03
This is the chilling scenario. I want you, the listener, to
28:07
hear this clearly. You can see how Edwards is using
28:10
this as a rhetorical vice grip on his congregation.
28:13
He is systematically removing all of their psychological
28:15
safety Nets. He says there are many who think
28:17
they will undoubtedly enter heaven who do not have the least
28:20
grain of true holiness. They manifest none in their
28:23
lives. He identifies 2 specific types
28:25
of deceived people sitting in the pews.
28:28
First, those whose religion is a dormant, inactive sort.
28:31
They ascent to the creeds. They show up occasionally, but
28:34
there is no exertion, no mortification of sin.
28:37
This is effectively the same as having no religion at all.
28:40
The second type has nothing but what is external.
28:43
They possess the shell without the kernel.
28:45
They look like Christians, talk like Christians, and socialize
28:48
with Christians, but their hearts belong entirely to the
28:52
world. Edward says vast multitudes fall
28:55
into these two categories of deception.
28:57
The tragedy he describes is stepping out of this world,
29:00
crossing the threshold into an uncertain eternity, with the
29:03
firm expectation of finding oneself exceedingly happy in the
29:07
highest heaven, only to find oneself completely deceived and
29:11
sinking into the bottomless pit. That is an astonishingly heavy
29:14
concept to weigh. If we think we are on the road
29:17
to heaven but are actually walking the broad road to
29:19
torment, the fire will eventually undeceive us when it
29:22
is too late. To prevent this, Edwards
29:25
provides a diagnostic checklist. He gives 5 tests for the
29:28
listeners own conscience. Let's walk through these in
29:30
detail. Test #1 Meditating on God's
29:33
nature, Edward says to try and see if you can find a conformity
29:37
or a likeness in your own mind to God.
29:40
He clarifies. He's not talking about a
29:41
comparison in degree. We will never be as holy, as
29:45
pure, or as righteous as God. But is there a likeness in
29:49
nature? The holy soul finds genuine
29:52
pleasure and delight when meditating on God's nature
29:55
because it agrees with their new regenerated nature.
29:58
Do you actually like who God is? His justice, His wrath, His
30:01
sovereignty? Or do you only like a sanitized
30:04
version of God you invented in your own mind?
30:06
If an unholy person compared their nature to the true God,
30:10
the glorious light of God's holiness would quickly expose
30:13
their rottenness. Test #2 Resembling Christ Can
30:17
you see any resemblance in your daily life to the life of
30:20
Christ? Again, no copy will ever
30:21
perfectly match the original. We stumble and fail constantly.
30:25
But do you possess the same spirit, the same temper, the
30:28
same disposition, even to a lesser degree, that Jesus
30:30
manifested in his life and conversation?
30:32
When you are insulted, do you retaliate like a ravenous beast,
30:35
or do you exhibit the meekness of the Lamb?
30:37
Test #3 Loving the word. Is there an agreeableness
30:42
between your soul and the written word of God?
30:45
The Bible is the epistle of Christ.
30:47
Is that same epistle written in the affections of your heart?
30:50
This is perhaps the most penetrating question Edwards
30:53
asks. Do you obey God's commands by
30:56
choice? Is obedience what you would
30:59
choose to do even if God had not threatened to punish the breach
31:03
of them? That gets right to the root of
31:04
human motives. Are you obeying out of a genuine
31:07
love for the law, or are you just behaving well out of a
31:10
fearful desire to avoid hell? If the threat of hell were
31:13
removed, would you Sprint back to your sin?
31:16
If so, your heart is not holy. Test #4 Comparing with the
31:20
Saints, do you find a likeness between your heart and life and
31:24
the hearts and lives of the holy men described in Scripture?
31:26
Do you walk with God like Enoch did in the midst of a dark
31:29
generation? Do you distinguish yourself by
31:31
your piety in the face of wicked examples like Noah did?
31:34
It is easy to be holy when everyone around you is holy.
31:37
Noah stood completely alone against the entire world.
31:40
When you read about Abraham, Moses, and the prophets, do you
31:43
see the root of their faith in yourself?
31:46
When you read the Psalms, do you share David's brokenness over
31:49
sin? Do you possess an evangelical
31:52
spirit like the apostles? And finally, test #5 imitating
31:57
Heaven. Do you, in a tangible measure,
32:00
imitate the Saints and angels currently residing in Heaven?
32:03
The Saints and angels spend their duration aimed at the
32:05
glory of God. They love Him above all things,
32:08
they are delighted with the beauties of Jesus, they entirely
32:10
love one another, and they fiercely hate sin.
32:13
Edwards asks if you possess A heavenly temper in your daily
32:17
earthly conversations. Do your interactions at work, in
32:20
your home and in your community reflect the atmosphere of the
32:23
New Jerusalem? These five tests require brutal
32:25
introspection. They leave absolutely no room
32:28
for nominal cultural Christianity.
32:30
It strips away all the facades we build to convince ourselves
32:33
we are safe. After working through such a
32:35
heavy, demanding and frankly exhausting checklist, I have to
32:39
say I am relieved that Edwards closes his thoughts by focusing
32:42
on the sheer attractiveness of the end goal.
32:44
Same here. He transitions from strict
32:47
warnings into a beautiful exhortation to holiness.
32:51
He says the absolute necessity of escaping hell is a strong,
32:54
valid motive, but the amiable and excellent nature of holiness
32:57
makes it worthy of our most earnest seeking on its own
33:00
merits. This brings us to our final
33:02
section, the breathtaking beauty of sanctification.
33:07
Edwards aims to shatter a very common, very destructive
33:10
stereotype about strict religion.
33:12
He really does. He points out that many people,
33:15
right from childhood, drink in strange, warped notions of
33:18
holiness. The assume living a holy life is
33:21
a melancholy, morose, sour and unpleasant thing.
33:24
They think it means walking around with a scowl, constantly
33:27
judging others and never experiencing joy.
33:30
We look at the Pharisees and assume that is what holiness
33:32
looks like. Edwards counters this with
33:33
incredibly bright, beautiful language.
33:36
He says true Christian sanctification is ravishingly
33:38
lovely. It is the highest beauty and
33:40
amiableness in the universe, vastly above all other earthly
33:44
beauties. He calls it a divine beauty that
33:46
makes the soul heavenly. He says it makes the soul far
33:48
purer than anything here on earth.
33:50
In fact, compared to a sanctified soul, this whole
33:54
world with all its wealth and grandeur, is like Meyer's filth
33:58
and defilement. True holiness replaces all that
34:01
internal filth with a serene, calm and quiet nature.
34:05
He draws a sharp distinction between Christian holiness and
34:08
basic Stoic philosophy or Pagan morality.
34:12
A Stoic might control their passions through sheer
34:14
willpower, but Christian holiness is above heathen
34:18
virtue. Because it is sourced in the
34:19
Holy Spirit. Yes, it is of a more bright,
34:22
pure and delightful nature. What a sweet calmness, what a
34:25
calm ecstasy it brings to the soul, he asks.
34:28
Of what a meek and humble nature is true holiness, how peaceful
34:32
and quiet, he says. It changes the soul, renovating
34:34
it, making a little amiable and delightful image of the blessed
34:37
Jehovah. And I absolutely love this final
34:39
image he paints to closeout the sermon.
34:41
The gaze of the angels. Yes, he says, how many angels
34:44
stand with pleased, delighted and charmed eyes, and look, and
34:47
look with smiles and pleasure upon that soul that is holy?
34:50
What an incredible, captivating visual, the angels who exist in
34:54
the pure, blazing light of God's unmediated presence, looking
34:58
down at a human soul on earth and being absolutely charmed by
35:02
the beauty of the sanctification happening within them.
35:05
It is a remarkable conclusion to a very rigorous sermon.
35:08
He moves from the terrifying prospect of a defiled heaven
35:12
full of howling wolves and venomous serpents to the
35:14
captivating, serene beauty of a purified soul drawing the
35:18
admiring gaze of heaven. OK, let us recap the main
35:21
threads of our discussion today. We started with the single
35:24
rigorous highway to Zion, that difficult Alpine path where the
35:28
wayfaring men must press forward and take the Kingdom by force.
35:31
We looked at the beastly reality of human selfishness, where
35:34
unredeemed humanity, bound by total depravity, acts like
35:38
tigers and wolves. We analyzed the thought
35:40
experiment proving the absolute impossibility of an unholy
35:43
heaven, realizing that paradise is a state of alignment, not
35:46
just a location. And finally, we examine the
35:49
breathtaking beauty of a soul conformed to Christ.
35:51
I want to address you, the listener directly.
35:54
Consider Edwards 5 tests of self examination.
35:58
Try not to view them as a burden or a source of anxiety.
36:01
View them as a precise diagnostic tool for true
36:05
spiritual joy. Checking your alignment with
36:07
God's nature, Christ's character, and the Word of God
36:10
is how you ensure you were on the right path, avoiding the
36:13
terror of self deception. As we wrap up this deep dive
36:16
into reformed thinking, I want to leave you with a lingering
36:19
question, a final thought to Mull over based on everything we
36:22
have covered. We talked about how true
36:24
holiness results in a sweet calmness and a peaceful, quiet
36:27
nature. Given that standard, how does
36:30
our modern daily consumption of outrage media, fast-paced
36:33
entertainment, and constant digital arguments affect our
36:36
souls? Are our daily habits cultivating
36:38
the calm ecstasy of the heavenly Saints, or are they actively
36:42
feeding the ravenous beasts Edwards warned us about?
36:44
That theological X-ray of the soul might not be as clean as a
36:47
broken bone, but it reveals what we are becoming.
36:51
Thank you for joining us. Keep questioning, keep reading,
36:53
and keep pursuing the truth.