August 4, 2009

• How's your spiritual appetite? (Jonathan Edwards)

  In the "Religious Affections" Jonathan Edwards wrote about twelve signs that reflect true affections of true Christians. The eleventh of these signs is that there will be an ever-increasing spiritual appetite for God and holiness as well as an increasing hatred for sin. I believe it serves as a good follow-up to last week's posts on Isaiah 6 and the tongue and our need for the new heart.

  XI. Another great and very distinguishing difference between gracious affections and others is, that gracious affections, the higher they are raised, the more is a spiritual appetite and longing of soul after spiritual attainments increased. On the contrary, false affections rest satisfied in themselves. The more a true saint loves God with a gracious love, the more he desires to love him, and the more uneasy is he at his want of love to him; the more he hates sin, the more he desires to hate it, and laments that he has so much remaining love to it; the more he mourns for sin, the more he longs to mourn for sin; the more his heart is broke, the more he desires it should be broke the more he thirsts and longs after God and holiness, the more he longs to long, and breathe out his very soul in longings after God: the kindling and raising of gracious affections is like kindling a flame; the higher it is raised, the more ardent it is; and the more it burns, the more vehemently does it tend and seek to burn. So that the spiritual appetite after holiness, and an increase of holy affections is much more lively and keen in those that are eminent in holiness, than others, and more when grace and holy affections are in their most lively exercise, than at other times. It is as much the nature of one that is spiritually new born, to thirst after growth in holiness, as it is the nature of a new born babe to thirst after the mother's breast; who has the sharpest appetite, when best in health. 1 Pet. 2:2, 3, "As new born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious." The most that the saints have in this world, is but a taste, a prelibation of that future glory which is their proper fullness; it is only an earnest of their future inheritance in their hearts, 2 Cor. 1:22, and 5:5, and Eph. 1:14. The most eminent saints in this state are but children, compared with their future, which is their proper state of maturity and perfection; as the apostle observes, 1 Cor. 13:10, 11. The greatest eminency that the saints arrive to in this world, has no tendency to satiety, or to abate their desires after more; but, on the contrary, makes them more eager to press forwards; as is evident by the apostle's words, Phil. 3:13, 14, 15: "Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press towards the mark.—Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded."
  
  Edwards reminds us the Christian's spiritual appetite ought to be ever increasing:

  And the Scriptures everywhere represent the seeking, striving, and labor of a Christian, as being chiefly after his conversion, and his conversion as being but the beginning of his as work. And almost all that is said in the New Testament, of men's watching, giving earnest heed to themselves, running the race that is set before them, striving, and agonizing, wrestling not with flesh and blood, but principalities and powers, fighting, putting on the whole armor of God, and standing, having done all to stand, pressing forward, reaching forth, continuing instant in prayer, crying to God day and night; I say, almost all that is said in the New Testament of these things, is spoken of, and directed to the saints. Where these things are applied to sinners' seeking conversion once, they are spoken of the saints' prosecution of the great business of their high calling ten times. But many in these days have got into a strange antiscriptural way, of having all their striving and wrestling over before they are converted; and so having an easy time of it afterwards, to sit down and enjoy their sloth and indolence; as those that now have a supply of their wants, and are become rich and full. But when the Lord "fills the hungry with good things, these rich are like to be sent away empty," Luke 1:53.

  How's your spiritual appetite?
  Are you in good spiritual health?
  How ardent is your flame of affection for God?
  Are you longing after God?
  
  How do you view your sin?
  Does your sin make you uneasy?
  Do you hate your sin?
  Do you lament your sin?
  Are you mourning your sin?
  Is your heart broken over your sin?

  Do you have an ever-increasing appetite for God and holiness?
  Are you hungering and thirsting after God and holiness?
  Do you have an ever-increasing desire to grow in holiness?

  Along with the Psalmist are you honestly able to say:

  How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!
  My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD:
  my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.
  (Psalm 84:1-2, KJV)

  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
  Matthew 5:6

  For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

  –Romans 6:10-14

  
  See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. 4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.
  

  –I John 2:1-9

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  Related posts:

  • Fourth Sunday of Advent: Are you preparing Him room?
  • Bible Reading: Where are the good figs? (Jeremiah 24)
  • Things to Look for in a Church - Solomon's Temple #5: Humility before God Leading to Confession, Repentance and Fruits Worthy of Repentance
  • Bible Reading: Job 2:1 - "Again" (To press on we must always be mortifying sin | John Owen)
  • Thanksgiving Eve: How hungry are you for Him?

  Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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