Category Archives: Religious Affections

August 1, 2019 · 12:00 pm

“What will we do for Him, if we will not feast with Him?” by Richard Sibbes

“Christ hath both will, and skill, and power, and authority to feed us to everlasting life, for the Father sent Him forth, and sealed Him to that purpose.

All the springs of our joy are from Him (Psalm 87:7). Our duty is to accept of Christ’s inviting of us.

What will we do for Him, if we will not feast with Him?”

–Richard Sibbes, “Bowels Opened: or, A Discovery of the Near and Dear Love, Union and Communion Betwixt Christ and the Church, and Consequently Betwixt Him and Every Believing Soul, Delivered in Diverse Sermons on the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Chapters of the Canticles,” The Works of Richard Sibbes, Volume 2 (ed. Alexander Balloch Grosart; Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1639/2001), 2: 34.

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Tagged as Communion with God, Gospel, Heart work is hard work, Jesus Christ, Joy, Love for Christ, Religious Affections, Richard Sibbes, The Glorious Feast of the Gospel, The Works of Richard Sibbes

July 26, 2019 · 12:00 pm

“Those things that are held forth to us in the gospel of Jesus Christ” by Jonathan Edwards

“Is there anything which Christians can find in heaven or earth so worthy to be the objects of their admiration and love, their earnest and longing desires, their hope, and their rejoicing, and their fervent zeal, as those things that are held forth to us in the gospel of Jesus Christ?

In which, not only are things declared most worthy to affect us, but they are exhibited in the most affecting manner.

The glory and beauty of the blessed Jehovah, which is most worthy in itself, to be the object of our admiration and love, is there exhibited in the most affecting manner that can be conceived of, as it appears shining in all its luster, in the face of an incarnate, infinitely loving, meek, compassionate, dying Redeemer.

All the virtues of the Lamb of God, His humility, patience, meekness, submission, obedience, love and compassion, are exhibited to our view, in a manner the most tending to move our affections, of any that can be imagined.”

–Jonathan Edwards, Religious Affections (ed. John E. Smith and Harry S. Stout; vol. 2, Revised edition.; The Works of Jonathan Edwards; New Haven: Yale University Press, 2009), 2: 123–124.

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Tagged as Christian Theology, Gospel, Jesus Christ, Jonathan Edwards, Joy, Religious Affections, The Dying Love of Christ, The Works of Jonathan Edwards

April 4, 2018 · 12:00 pm

“To know God is to live” by Herman Bavinck

“Mystery is the lifeblood of theological reflection. From the start of its labors, dogmatic theology is shrouded in mystery. It stands before God the incomprehensible One.

This knowledge leads to adoration and worship: to know God is to live.

Knowing God is possible for us because God is personal, exalted above the earth and yet in fellowship with human beings on earth. Good theology puts this knowledge of God on public display.

It resists allowing theology to degenerate into rhetoric, a theology merely of words. It seeks the heart of the matter, knowing God in order to worship Him, to love Him, and to serve Him.

Such theology is never a dry and academic exercise. It is eminently practical and superlatively fruitful for life.

The knowledge of God in Christ, after all, is life itself (Psalm 89:16; Isaiah 11:9; Jeremiah 31:34; John 17:3).”

–Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, Abridged in One Volume, Ed. John Bolt (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2011), 147-148.

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Tagged as Christian Theology, Doxology, God, Herman Bavinck, Jesus Christ, Knowing God, Mystery, Reformed Dogmatics, Religious Affections, Worship

December 28, 2017 · 12:00 pm

“Biblical theology gives us the framework to read Scripture” by Matthew Emerson

“Biblical theology is inherently practical because the Bible is inherently practical. The Bible is not only for information but also for transformation.

Further, these two go hand in hand. As we understand better how to read Scripture, we understand its message better and, therefore, are better able to be transformed by it.

Biblical theology gives us the framework to read Scripture. Yes, other tools are needed, but without this big picture, without our topographical map, it’s easy to lose our place in the forest because we are so busy looking at individual trees.

Biblical theology helps us to see where we are in the forest and to make our way toward the end of our trail, the end of all biblical trails, the person and work of Jesus. As we strive toward that end, biblical theology tells us which turns we need to take to stay on that main Christological path.

In doing so, it orients our devotion, mission, doctrine, counseling, and preaching and teaching toward that same goal.”

–Matthew Emerson, The Story of Scripture: An Introduction to Biblical Theology (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2017), 88.

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Tagged as Biblical Theology, Gospel, Jesus Christ, Matthew Emerson, Reading, The Story of Scripture

June 15, 2017 · 12:00 pm

“A doxological tone that glorifies Him” by Herman Bavinck

“The essence of the Christian religion consists in the reality that the creation of the Father, ruined by sin, is restored in the death of the Son of God, and re-created by the grace of the Holy Spirit into a kingdom of God.

Theology is about God and should reflect a doxological tone that glorifies Him.”

–Herman Bavinck, Eds. John Bolt and John Vriend, Reformed Dogmatics, Volume 1: Prolegomena (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2003), 61.

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Tagged as Delighting in the Trinity, Dogmatics as Worship, Glory of God, God and Creation, Herman Bavinck, Jesus Christ, Knowledge of God, The Reformed Dogmatics, Theology, Trinity, Worship

December 4, 2016 · 1:00 pm

“Nothing puts life into men like a dying Saviour” by Charles Spurgeon

“The best preaching is, ‘We preach Christ crucified.’

The best living is, ‘We are crucified with Christ.’

The best man is a crucified man.

The best style is a crucified style: may we drop into it!

The more we live beholding our Lord’s unutterable griefs, and understanding how He has fully put away our sin, the more holiness shall we produce.

The more we dwell where the cries of Calvary can be heard, where we can view heaven, and earth, and Hell, all moved by His wondrous passion—the more noble will our lives become.

Nothing puts life into men like a dying Saviour.

Get you close to Christ, and carry the remembrance of Him about you from day to day, and you will do right royal deeds.

Come, let us slay sin, for Christ was slain.
Come, let us bury all our pride, for Christ was buried.
Come, let us rise to newness of life, for Christ has risen.

Let us be united with our crucified Lord in His one great object.
Let us live and die with Him, and then every action of our lives will be very beautiful.”

–Charles H. Spurgeon, “To Lovers of Jesus: An Example,” in The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, Vol. 31 (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1885), 31: 202.

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Tagged as Charles Spurgeon, Gospel, Holiness, Jesus Christ, Mortification, Sanctification, Union with Christ, Vivification

March 3, 2016 · 7:00 pm

“The tallest and strongest saint” by Jonathan Edwards

“All gracious affections have a tendency to promote this Christian tenderness of heart, that has been spoken of: not only a godly sorrow; but also a gracious joy; Psalms 2:11, ‘Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.’

As also a gracious hope; Psalms 33:18, ‘Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy.’ And Psalms 147:11, ‘The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, and in them that hope in his mercy.’

Yea the most confident and assured hope, that is truly gracious, has this tendency. The higher an holy hope is raised, the more there is of this Christian tenderness.

The banishing of a servile fear, by a holy assurance, is attended with a proportionable increase of a reverential fear.

The diminishing of the fear of the fruits of God’s displeasure in future punishment, is attended with a proportionable increase of fear of his displeasure itself: the diminishing of the fear of hell, with an increase of the fear of sin.

The vanishing of jealousies of the person’s state, is attended with a proportionable increase of jealousy of his heart, in a distrust of its strength, wisdom, stability, faithfulness, etc.

The less apt he is to be afraid of natural evil, having “his heart fixed, trusting in God,” and so, “not afraid of evil tidings” [Psalms 112:7]; the more apt is he to be alarmed with the appearance of moral evil, or the evil of sin.

As he has more holy boldness, so he has less of self-confidence, and a forward assuming boldness, and more modesty. As he is more sure than others of deliverance from hell, so he has more of a sense of the desert of it.

He is less apt than others to be shaken in faith; but more apt than others to be moved with solemn warnings, and with God’s frowns, and with the calamities of others.

He has the firmest comfort, but the softest heart: richer than others, but poorest of all in spirit: the tallest and strongest saint, but the least and tenderest child amongst them.”

–Jonathan Edwards, A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections (1754), in The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol. 2, Ed. Paul Ramsey (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1957), 364.

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Tagged as Humility, Jesus Christ, Jonathan Edwards, Joy, Poor in Spirit, Religious Affections, The Glory of Christ, The Works of Jonathan Edwards

January 1, 2016 · 7:00 am

“The most important business of your life” by George Mueller

“We have, through the goodness of the Lord, been permitted to enter upon another year, and the minds of many among us will no doubt be occupied with plans for the future and the various fears of our work and service for the Lord.

If our lives are spared, we shall be engaged in those: the welfare of our families, the prosperity of our business, our work and service for Christ may be considered the most important matters to be attended to; but according to my judgment the most important point to be attended to is this: above all things see to it that your souls are happy in the Lord.

Other things may press upon you, the Lord’s work may even have urgent claims upon your attention, but I deliberately repeat, it is of supreme and paramount importance that you should seek above all things to have your souls truly happy in God Himself! Day by day seek to make this the most important business of your life.

This has been my firm and settled condition for the last five and thirty years. For the first four years after my conversion I knew not its vast importance, but now after much experience I specially commend this point to the notice of my younger brethren and sisters in Christ: the secret of all true effectual service is joy in God, having experimental acquaintance and fellowship with God Himself.

But in what way shall we attain to this settled happiness of soul? How shall we learn to enjoy God? How shall we obtain such an all-sufficient, soul-satisfying portion in Him as shall enable us to let go the things of this world as vain and worthless in comparison?

I answer, this happiness is to be obtained through the study of the Holy Scriptures. God has therein revealed Himself unto us in the face of Jesus Christ.

In the Scriptures, by the power of the Holy Ghost, He makes Himself known unto our souls… [Therefore] The very earliest portion of the day we can command should be devoted to the meditation on Scriptures.

Our souls should feed upon the Word…. This intimate experimental acquaintance with Him will make us truly happy.

Nothing else will…. In God our Father, and the blessed Jesus, our souls have a rich, divine, imperishable, eternal treasure. Let us enter into practical possession of these true riches; yea, let the remaining days of our earthly pilgrimage be spent in an ever increasing, devoted, earnest consecration of our souls to God.”

–George Mueller, A Narrative of Some of the Lord’s Dealings with George Mueller, Written by Himself (Muskegon, Mich.: Dust and Ashes Publications, 2003), 730-732. It is excerpted from a sermon the 59-year-old Mueller preached to his congregation at a New Year’s service.

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Tagged as Bible Reading, Christian Hedonism, George Mueller, Happy New Year, Joy, New Year Resolution, Puritanical

March 9, 2015 · 7:00 pm

“Religious affections” by J.C. Ryle

“The second caution that we learn from the parable of the sower, is to beware of resting on mere temporary impressions when we have heard the word. Our Lord tells us that the hearts of some hearers are like rocky ground.

The seed of the word springs up immediately, as soon as they hear it, and bears a crop of joyful impressions, and pleasurable emotions. But these impressions, unhappily, are only on the surface. There is no deep and abiding work done in their souls.

And hence, so soon as the scorching heat of temptation or persecution begins to be felt, the little bit of religion which they seemed to have attained, withers and vanishes away.

Feelings, no doubt, fill a most important office in our personal Christianity. Without them there can be no saving religion. Hope, and joy, and peace, and confidence, and resignation, and love, and fear, are things which must be felt, if they really exist.

But it must never be forgotten that there are religious affections, which are spurious and false, and spring from nothing better than animal excitement. It is quite possible to feel great pleasure, or deep alarm, under the preaching of the Gospel, and yet to be utterly destitute of the grace of God.

The tears of some hearers of sermons, and the extravagant delight of others, are no certain marks of conversion. We may be warm admirers of favorite preachers, and yet remain nothing better than stony-ground hearers.

Nothing should content us but a deep, humbling, self-mortifying work of the Holy Ghost, and a heart-union with Christ.”

–J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on Luke (vol. 1; New York: Robert Carter & Brothers, 1879), 1: 251–252.

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Tagged as Faith, Feelings, Gospel according to Luke, Hearing, J. C. Ryle, Jesus Christ, Listen, parable, Preaching, Religious Affections, The Parable of the Sower, Word of God

December 8, 2014 · 10:30 pm

“Live much in the smiles of God” by Robert Murray M’Cheyne

“Learn much of your own heart; and when you have learned all you can, remember you have seen but a few yards into a pit that is unfathomable.

‘The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?’ Jeremiah 17:9.

Learn much of the Lord Jesus. For every look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ. He is altogether lovely. Such infinite majesty, and yet such meekness and grace, and all for sinners, even the chief!

Live much in the smiles of God. Bask in His beams. Feel His all-seeing eye settled on you in love, and repose in His almighty arms.

Cry after divine knowledge, and lift up your voice for understanding. Seek her as silver, and search for her as for hid treasure, according to the word in Proverbs 2:4.

See that Proverbs 2:10 be fulfilled in you. Let wisdom enter into your hearts, and knowledge be pleasant to thy soul; so you will be delivered from the snares mentioned in the following verses.

Let your soul be filled with a heart-ravishing sense of the sweetness and excellency of Christ and all that is in Him.

Let the Holy Spirit fill every chamber of your heart; and so there will be no room for folly, or the world, or Satan, or the flesh.

I must now commend you all to God and the word of His grace. My dear people are just assembled for worship.

Alas! I cannot preach to them tonight. I can only carry them and you on my heart to the throne of grace. Write me soon.

Ever yours,

Robert Murray M’Cheyne”

–Robert Murray McCheyne, “Letter to Mr. George Shaw of Belfast (9/16/1840)” in Memoir and Remains of the Rev. Robert Murray McCheyne, Ed. Andrew A. Bonar (Edinburgh; London: Oliphant Anderson & Ferrier, 1894), 252.