January 2, 2010
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New Year's resolutions? ... not "without God's help" (Jonathan Edwards)
Many of you are familiar with Jonathan Edwards' seventy resolutions. With each New Year many of us make new resolutions. There's nothing wrong with resolutions...unless we forget that each and every one of us is powerless to keep any resolutions we make apart from the power of God at work in us.
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
–Philippians 2:12-13
I've included a couple excerpts below from "The Works of Jonathan Edwards." The first is from Sereno E. Dwight's memoir of Edwards, and the second is what Edwards himself wrote at the beginning of his list of resolutions. (You can read all 70 resolutions here.)He [Edwards] was too well acquainted with human weakness and frailty, even where the intentions are most sincere, to enter on any resolutions rashly, or from a reliance on his own strength. He therefore in the outset looked to God for aid, who alone can afford success in the use of the best means, and in the intended accomplishment of the best purposes. This he places at the head of all his other important rules, that his whole dependence was on the grace of God, while he still proposes to recur to a frequent and serious perusal of them, in order that they might become the habitual directory of his life.
RESOLUTIONS
“Being sensible that I am unable to do any thing without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him, by his grace, to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake..."
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
–John 15:5
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Why not pray for the baptism of the Holy Spirit
why we need a new heart (Bible reading - Matthew 5)
Bible Reading: Ephesians 4 and 5-The New Man
"Follow me and I will make you fishers of men" | How are we to follow Jesus?
trusting the eagles' wings (reliance on the Holy Spirit)
Blessed dependence ~ "Leaning upon her beloved"
Postcards from God in England: sanctification is gloriously messy!
"As your days, so shall your strength be"
"Dependence" by William Cowper
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Comments (4)
This always encouraged me during my career days. I just knew God was going to bless me despite my stupid ideas--He owned the company. I was blessed so many ways just due to God's incredible mercy and provision. Then my children put their faith in Christ and have their unique struggles in living in this very fallen world. He has given me a much longer life than I desire--longer than any male on my dad's side of the family. Then He gave me a deep desire to just read the Bible over and over. Why? I allowed my mind to be terribly polluted as a teen. Reading the Word for years cleansed my mind as much as possible while residing in this body of flesh. He kept us together all these years so we could take care of mom and dad.
I think it is just wonderful how God takes care of us. I gave up on resolutions long ago, but I still have a little desire to try them, but I did not this years. I hope to do or not to do somethings, but God sure has to be the One who makes it happen.
blessings
frank
One of my fondest memories for 2009 was reading the biography of Jonathan Edwards and becoming familiar with his life and faith ...
@FRANK@revelife - Frank, You wrote: I gave up on resolutions long ago, but I still have a little desire to try them, but I did not this years. I hope to do or not to do somethings, but God sure has to be the One who makes it happen.
That's exactly it. We should be pressing on and we shouldn't be aimless, but we must always be mindful that without Him we can do nothing.
@bwebbjr - Wonderful! As you know, I love Christian bio., though I've only read little bits here and there about Edwards. I'm currently reading the second volume of ML-J's bio (still have about 30 years of his life to go...) Are you currently reading any biography?