The following sermon by Jonathan Edwards has been posted to give readers an example of Edwards’ preaching.
If you want to know more about Edwards from a contemporary pastor, see the book by Dr. Steven J Lawson: The Unwavering Resolve of Jonathan Edwards.
I plan do a few posts on this book, using quotations about topics that might be of interest to Christians struggling to run the Christian race. (The Kindle version is very reasonably priced.)
General topics this sermon addresses:
- God’s wrath, its nature, and that it is against unrepentant sinners
- God is just, He punished Christ for the sins of those who would believe, those who do not believe in Christ or His gospel message will pay the price for their own sin
- God is love, that is clearly seen in His mercy towards those who believe in His son, as in John 3:16
- Edwards points out the typical rationalizations Christians, and nominal Christians talk to themselves to wrongly quiet their own consciences – those reasonings will be consumed by the flames of God’s wrath against unrepentant sinners
- Albert N. Martin discusses a common error Christians make about God, in his sermon series on Psalm 1: they believe they might walk the Christian life in a lose manner, and that God will prohibit them from experiencing the natural consequences of their nonchalant walk – He will not, Edwards states the same in this sermon, by the metaphors of God’s wrath he uses, directly from scripture
- Jesus said in Matthew 7, that only a few will find the narrow gate and way and agonize to walk in it; He also said later in that chater that many will hear Him say, “I never knew you,” because they had constructed spiritual houses with no foundations (based not on biblical doctrine, but on their own fancies, that identifies 90% or more of the contemporary church)
- Jesus also said, in Matthew 13:18-30, that Satan sowed tares among the wheat (counterfeit believers among the true believers in the church) and that the Angels would separate them in the final judgment; therefore, many in the church are not true believers. True believers believe the Bible and follow it by God’s grace. It is not difficult to see that many Christians in 2020 make up their own way to be saved, to follow Christ, they ignore the Bible
- This sermon woke up the consciences of many during the great awakening of the 1730s and 1740s, wherein Edwards was a central preacher
For other posts in this blog on false conversions, see, Categories, Gospel Message (for 8 posts on the modern false gospel); see, New Christian Orientation for a post on the Sinner’s Prayer; also see, Categories, Jonathan Edwards; Doctrine / Theology; and Discernment.
For more on Jonathan Edwards in this blog, see, Categories: Jonathan Edwards. There are several great posts by Dr. Jeff Mayfield wherein he explains points from Edwards popular and very useful book, Religious Affections. He explains the 12 sure signs of being born again via very brief videos, and two 1-2 minute videos that provide history on Edwards.
Dr. Mayfield’s user friendly brief videos were also used for introducing other great Christian writers and pastors: see, Categories: John Owens; Thomas Brooks; Calvin’s Institutes.
Mayfield’s YouTube site is: Knowing to Love (use his name also, when searching).
The YouTube site from which the above video came is Christian Sermons and Audio Books. That site has teachings from many great Puritan preachers, reformers and great men of the faith.