Today, I am using a statement from Jonathan Edwards diary, as a basis for comments I want to make about my struggle with sin [which will likely apply to many others].
That statement by Edwards and a few explanatory notes below were copied and pasted, from a post I did on Jonathan Edwards resolutions, based on a book written by Steven J. Lawson, about Edwards’ 70 spiritual Resolutions.
The purpose of that post was to help Christians improve their skills in self-observation, examination, journaling…. Edwards used his diary to record observations, work through them and more.
The problem I want to discuss was emphasized by the apostle Paul in following verses from Galatians:
Galatians 3:2 [ESV] Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?
My own observation of doing what Paul critiqued the Galatians of, could be partially summarized as follows: when I am given understanding by God’s Spirit, via reading and/or meditation on His Word or prayer, I take that blessed information and go about applying it in my fleshly strength.
What is wrong with that? I turn away from depending upon the Lord (via His word, prayer and other means of grace, see Acts 2:42) and return to my old autonomous mindset. Then I go about striving to accomplish a goal that I have set; that I believe will improve my spiritual state…; those sorts of actions likely only glorify me.
The biggest part of that problem is that I continue to depend upon myself; I know little about true dependence upon the Lord, about submission to His Spirit.
Such patterns of thinking and behaving in my Christian walk are keeping me stuck in place of independence [pride] wherein I often fail in my struggles against sin.
Jonathan Edwards’ observation applies to my problem; however, his observation does not state why the Spirit of God had withdrawn from him (whether it was because of sin; to teach him a lesson that would benefit him and others…?) but it speaks about how helpless he became when the Spirit withdrew.
That we know we are helpless in our conflicts with the world, the flesh and the Devil, if we do not have the Spirit of God going before us, is a great and foundational lesson we all have to learn.
We all learned to depend upon our own strength as we navigated our way through life before conversion; I personally did that for 53 years before I was born again, so habits of self-reliance were strengthened via many repetitions.
However, Edwards did not speak about how one learns to depend upon, to submit to God’s Spirit, but I know from other studies that is learned by abiding in His means of grace; striving for obedience; counting on His grace to enable you…. Yet I have been inconsistent in those also; and I definitely need much practice, or experience in those things.
[title of former post]
JONATHAN EDWARDS: A GLIMPSE INTO HIS SPIRITUAL JOURNEY, PART 1
[date, categories the post is in]
29 Jul 2020 [Michael A] Jonathan Edwards, NEW CHRISTIAN ORIENTATION, SANCTIFICATION, Self-examination, Study Helps
[intro to former post which I thought necessary to include here, as it is a comment from a preacher of import which died in the 20th century]
“I am tempted, perhaps foolish, to compare the Puritans to the Alps, Luther and Calvin to the Himalayas, and Jonathan Edwards to Mount Everest! He has always seemed to me the man most like the Apostle Paul. —D. MARTYN LLOYD-JONES” (Lawson, Steven J.. The Unwavering Resolve of Jonathan Edwards)
[paragraph from the body of the post that I find extremely important, it is a diary entry by Edwards]
Wednesday, Jan. 2, 1722–23. Dull. I find, by experience, that, let me make resolutions, and do what I will, with never so many inventions, it is all nothing, and to no purpose at all, without the motions of the Spirit of God; for if the Spirit of God should be as much withdrawn from me always, as for the week past, notwithstanding all I do, I should not grow, but should languish, and miserably fade away. I perceive, if God should withdraw His Spirit a little more, I should not hesitate to break my resolutions, and should soon arrive at my old state. There is no dependence on myself. [End quotation.]
It occurred to me this morning, as I realized my helpless state, and my need of the Lord’s Spirit, that I must have much to learn about submitting to Him.
I turned to Proverbs 2, because the initial verses talk about the kind of heart that cries out to the Lord for the necessities of the Christian walk.
I was moved to read commentaries on Proverbs 2: 5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.
[Emboldening is mine]
Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord,…. The grace of fear, and the exercise of it: which is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge, and is a treasure itself, Proverbs 1:7. By means of the Gospel the Lord works it in the hearts of his people by his Spirit; and by the same leads them into the riches of his special grace and “goodness”, which they are influenced by to “fear”, and the Lord for the sake of it: and particularly they are led hereby to the pardoning grace and mercy of God, which is with him, that he may “be feared”; and it is the Gospel which induces and encourages a true filial fear of God, by which men “depart from evil”; for that teaches them to deny all manner of sin, and to live a godly life and conversation: so that through a diligent search after the knowledge of the Gospel, and an attaining it, men come to have a spiritual, experimental, and practical understanding of the fear of God as a grace; and also, as it includes the whole worship of God, by means of Gospel light, they come to understand what sort of worship that God is to be worshipped with; that it is pure, spiritual, and evangelical, suited to his nature and will: what the ordinances of divine service are; and that these are to be kept as they were delivered, and in the exercise of faith, from a principle of love, and with a view to the glory, of God, without trusting to them or depending on them for salvation. And this is the advantage arising from a diligent search after the doctrine of wisdom, or the Gospel, and a knowledge and understanding of it; and is used as an argument encouraging to it; and another follows;
and find the knowledge of God; such a knowledge of God as is not to be found by the light of nature, in the whole volume of the creatures, and in all the writings of the philosophers; no, nor in the law of Moses; for though much of God and his perfections may be seen and known by the things that are made, and much of the will of God by the law he gave; yet by neither of these is the knowledge of God in Christ, which is “life eternal”. This only is to be found in the Gospel, and by means of it; here only it is brought to light; and through this men not only find it, but increase more and more in it: herein is a glorious display of his persons and perfections, of his counsels and purposes, of his covenant and promises, of his mind and will, with respect to doctrine and worship; and of the way of peace, life, and salvation, by Jesus Christ; which must serve greatly to engage and excite persons to a diligent search and pursuit after it. And all that is here said is designed to encourage a diligent search after divine things; for, as the poet (n) says, there is nothing so difficult but by searching may be found out.
Gill’s commentary copied and pasted from Bible Hub, click the following link to read other scripture and commentaries there https://biblehub.com/commentaries/proverbs/2-5.htm
STUDY RECOMMENDATIONS:
See, CATEGORIES, Jonathan Edwards, for the 3 post series which I quoted from above.
See posts on Prayer and Bible reading in CATEGORIES, Devotionals. Each post is a 3-5 minute video instruction by a biblical preacher from the past.