My last post used two videos by Dr. Jeff Mayfield to show how the Holy Spirit helps the weak. While I was checking that post, and listening to the videos again, it occurred to me that a seeming major goal of the Holy Spirit in His dealings with us is to teach us appropriate affections for the things of God. Furthermore, that seems to be a major component of sanctification; in addition to appropriate attitudes, such as those inherent in the beatitudes.
Something that was not apparent in Dr. Mayfield’s videos, but is very related the matter of sanctification; learning self-observation; examination; assessment… is the ability to identify thoughts and to see their connectedness to our affections and conduct.
The material below is intended to instruct in those areas; and to teach journal writing. That may seem like unnecessary stuff to you, but if you read the posts about how Jonathan Edwards established spiritual goals, assessed his spiritual state and progress; and processed relationship difficulties, then you will see that he used those skills daily.
There are several posts from this blog linked below; each has a brief summary of how it is beneficial for your Christian walk:
FIRSTLY: the following post explains, what Jonathan Edwards called ‘the struggle of faith.’ If you look at the 5 stages I have pasted in, you will see that the last stage has to do with correct religious affections. As I listened to Dr. Mayfield’s videos in the last post, I realized that he was indicating that the Holy Spirit was addressing incorrect affections; therefore, Mayfield’s comments were addressing how the Spirit leads Christians to develop correct affections for the Lord.
If you haven’t listened to the 5 and 7 minute videos of the last post, then please do, to get more from this post.
The 5 stages of the struggle of faith:
[Identify which stage you are at while reading; and note that the last stage is that of possessing genuine religious affections; by the way, in the CATEGORY of Jonathan Edwards, there are posts by Jeff Mayfield from Edwards’ book, Religious Affections, that explain what those appropriate affections look like. Edwards wrote the book after his research about conversion experiences that occurred during the Great Awakening of the 1735 and 1740; many people who claimed to be converted, fell away later; he wanted to understand how that could happen. The struggle of faith was what occurred in the people who experienced real conversions – that is why it is very important to know its stages, so you can assess the quality of your own conversion.]
Edwards established a 5 stage process which he termed, the struggle of faith: 1) horror of being eternally lost; 2), the sinner’s attempt to stop sinning via his will power; 3), realization that only God can save him from sin; 4), conviction, the sinner beginning to see that God’s judgment is just; 5), awakening to God with genuine religious affections.
The following prominent Christians spent many years between stages 1 and 5 of Edwards standard of assessment for genuine conversion:
John Calvin, 12 years; Wesley, 23 years; Whitefield, 10 years; Fox, 12 years; Edwards, 5 years; Brainerd, 9 years; Newton, 6 years; Spurgeon, 4 years….
[FYI: about your own conversion: it took me more than a decade to identify the major ways in which I tried to stop sinning on my own, that is point two above. I have been a Christian for 15 years presently, and I am growing in my belief of point four, but still have much to learn about points 2 and 3 [as of this 11-28-21correction]. I could never have ascertained either of those things without self-observation; self-examination; self-assessment; abiding in God’s appointed means of grace and so on. Those are the types of things taught by Jonathan Edwards in the posts I linked below and in the beatitudes…. All those people who signed a card to be born again and went on in their merry way down the broad road without forsaking any of their sins…are truly not converted. The important question for you is, what are YOU doing?]
Link to Sinner’s Prayer post which contains the 5 stage struggle of faith:
SECONDLY: inherent in the last post (with Dr. Mayfield’s videos) was encouragement to begin self-observation, listening for or looking at what the Holy Spirit is doing in one’s life to bring awareness of coldness or loss of fellowship in one’s relationship with the Lord.
Two other posts in this blog teach much about that, they are summarized below:
The following link will take you to a post that shows how Jonathan Edwards used his journal to make observations; assess his feelings, mood, conduct, spiritual walk / struggles; and motives. I am linking the 1st of 3 posts.
Each of the three posts on glimpses into Edwards’ spiritual life focused on a different aspect of that life; and on different skills to derive from his journaling; they are 3 medium length narrative posts. The following link is to post 1, post two and three are linked at the bottom of the preceding post:
Link: https://sheeplywolves.com/jonathan-edwards-a-glimpse-into-his-spiritual-journey/
THIRDLY: the following link is about self-examination. It teaches one how to learn thought and feeling identification and to process feeling problems that occur in relationships. By knowing this information, you will readily understand the spiritual activities Edwards was doing in his journal and you will be able to begin these activities at your own pace if you should desire.
If you read those posts, then it should be clear to you that Edwards knew how to identify his thoughts and feelings and to process them and rethink situations to help him in his relationships and enable him to target thinking errors, pray for God’s help regarding them, etc.
The following link, is to the self-exam packet.
Link: DOWNLOADABLE SELF-EXAM -2- docx
FOURTHLY: the next linked post is about spiritual helps. It defines important Christian doctrines such as justification and faith via 1-5 minute videos; it also provides some foundational narrative instruction:
Link: https://sheeplywolves.com/study-helps-a-checklist/
LASTLY: I am recommending two categories that are very related to all the above.
The first of the two categories contains posts about the beatitudes: Beatitude Life (narrative explanations of the beatitudes); and True Kingdom Citizen (video explanations of the beatitudes, using excerpts of the sermons of 1-3 pastors in each post).
Why is it important to understand the beatitudes?
The beatitudes are Christ’s description of what a true, born-again believer looks like. The first beatitude is poverty of spirit; the second is, mourning for sin; the third is meekness; then hungering and thirsting for righteousness; the fifth talks about the blessing of the merciful.
After one is born again, the Holy Spirit begins working these qualities into him. So, one will be shown just how helpless he is to save himself (that is, he will be shown his spiritual bankruptcy). Such teaching includes understanding how impossible it is to free oneself from sin (that is a very broad topic, as you will discover – the pollution of sin goes to the core of your being and taints everything you think, feel, desire, do…); the second beatitude, mourning for sin, is the direct outflow of one’s growing understanding that he is helplessly stuck in the quicksand of sin without Christ; and that he is sinning all the time. Meekness flows out of that; then one is moved to depend upon Christ, hungering for His word (see Proverbs 2:1-10) and praying… which are MEANS by which grace comes to him….
In other words, the beatitudes apparently closely follow the process of sanctification.
In my posts, I strove diligently to make that clear. And if you are looking for connections among these various ideas, then it should be clear that the beatitude life posts fit nicely with the 5 stage struggle of faith; these both are apparent in the following category of spiritual disciplines.
So, how does that help me, you may be wondering?
When you become better at self-observation, examination, assessment… (as in Edwards diary), you will be able to see some of the Holy Spirit’s work in your life. Seeing His work in your life will provide assurance that you are genuinely saved. Knowing you are genuinely saved, will strengthen your faith in that you will be able to get up and get back in the race after falling into sin….
Such work is very painful. It requires that we be humbled, separated from the world, conformed to Christ’s image…but if you are truly born again, the Holy Spirit will be working these things in you.
All the means of grace (Bible reading, prayer, hearing preaching, taking the Lord’s supper, fellowship with other believers) are intended to humble and to encourage believers.
The second category I want you to explore is Spiritual Disciplines:
In this category, there are posts on two books: 1) Spiritual Disciplines For The Christian Life – those posts discuss various aspects of the Christian life and provide tools to aid in growth: there are a couple of posts on how to biblically meditate; how to pray through scripture, and more. 2) A book by Jeremiah Burroughs: The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment: there are several posts on it, using 15 minute blocks of an audio book and discussing those.
Burroughs’ may be difficult, but he provides much teaching on an absolutely necessary topic to every Christian’s life, learning to receive affliction from God’s hand.
Even if you are striving diligently to be obedient, God will be afflicting you to conform you to the image of Christ; separate you from the world…. I provided links in the first post to the kindle and audible versions available at Amazon. I have listened through the Audible version at least 5 times presently and I can say with certainty that I had only ascertained via personal observation, Bible study, self-examination…the past 15 years, about a quarter of the topics Burroughs addresses.
[I listen upon rising until after breakfast; and at night when preparing for bed; while doing chores like mowing grass; working on my house. It is on my iphone; and I use headphones when necessary.]
Most of the book is about how to remain quiet under the hand of God; to be submissive without murmuring. That is about receiving His affliction without whining or running away by seeking diversions (e.g., worshipping the idol of entertainment, sports, etc., to avoid experiencing the unpleasant feelings of God’s afflicting hand). He identified so many ways we all flee from or provoke God when He is providing experiences we need to be conformed to the image of Christ. (This is a broad description, but if you listen to one post you will better understand.)
Burroughs shows his readers that the things we do to escape God’s hand amount to disobedience; and they prohibit us from being content; he concludes the book by discussing how to be content.
A peripheral benefit of reading Burroughs is that one gets much understanding about how the Holy Spirit works in believers lives. After reading him, you will see these things in scripture very easily.
Another book that teaches about Christian affliction, and that is an easier read (and available at Amazon for around $15) is The Afflicted Man’s Companion, by Rev. John Willison, 1727. Willison’s book enables one to understand how God uses affliction; and it will enable you to begin seeing it everywhere in scripture; but he does not go nearly as deeply into the matter as Burroughs; and Burroughs enables the afflicted one to understand that he is blocking his own contentment by his escapism, rebellion, disobedience….