Jonathan Edwards
SECTION 4
True Christians – A Peculiar People (Cont’d)
This truth also suggests to us a few additional reflections.
a) Christians need to bear with one another. They are all of one family. Christians share relationships with each other that they do not share with anyone else in the world. Christians might be from different earthly races, but they are of the same race together in Christ. They are all the children of the same universal Church of God. They are all children of Abraham. They are the seed of Jesus Christ. They are the offspring of God.
When born again, they are also instantly the children of the same Father. God quickens them all by the same Word and Spirit. They are all of one family, and should therefore love each other as such. 1 Peter 3:8, “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another; love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous.”
It is very ugly for those who are God’s children to have a spirit of hatred and ill will one toward one another. It is very ugly to not be helping, assisting, and supplying each other’s needs. They need to look out for one another and never be spiteful or revengeful toward each other. Let Christians take heed to walk so that they do not shame their family.
b) You are part of a very special family. It is more honorable than if you were the offspring of kings, and had royal blood in your veins. You have heavenly blood. You are of the seed of Jesus Christ, and are the children of God.
You are of a noble race and should value it. Those of such rank and privilege on earth value themselves highly. They take pride in their family, their titles, their coats of arms, and like to tell of the exploits of their famous forefathers. How much more careful should you be to honor your family? Make sure that you do not behave yourself in a manner unworthy of the great God, the eternal and omnipotent King of heaven and earth, whose offspring you are!
Because of your heritage, there are many things simply beneath you. Other people are totally earthly-minded, groveling like moles in the earth. You cannot allow your soul to cleave to earthly things. Earthly things need to be ignored and despised by those of heavenly descent.
You must not indulge in the lusts of the flesh, allowing your soul to be immersed in filth. This is unworthy of you, but a delight to beasts. You should be temperate in the gratification of any carnal appetite. It is surely a disgrace to God for those who are counted as His people to dwell in this dunghill. It is unworthy of your noble descent to be governed by your passions. You should be guided by higher principles of reason and virtue with respect to the glory and honor of God.
Christians should seek those things that will honor their birth. They should seek spiritual wisdom, and knowledge of worthy and noble things. They should seek more and more closeness with God, their great Father and family Head. They should make every effort to act like God by immitating His ways. They should seek heavenly-mindedness, and those noble desires that are after heavenly and spiritual enjoyments. At the same time Christians should hold trifles and unholy things of this world in contempt. They should strive for attitudes that show genuine Christian love, and desire devotion and quiet moments with their Father.
c) We see here why Christians have different natures and attitudes from the rest of the world. They hate those things that the rest of the world loves, and love those things that the rest of the world hates. The world cannot believe that a life of faith can bring happiness. They wonder what delight could possibly take place in meditation and prayer, yet they find no happiness in what they do themselves, 1 Peter 4:4, “Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot; speaking evil of you.” The reason for this is that they are of a different race, and with different natural desires.
It is normal for people from different families to have different desires. The natural attitudes and desires of parents are often passed down to their children. Indeed, we are all alike in many ways, because we all are of the same blood originally. We are all descendants of Adam and Noah. However, Christians are born again of another spirit, and are different from the rest of the world. They naturally have different attitudes and beliefs that the world shuns.
Revelation 1:6, “And hath made us kings and priests unto God, and his Father to him be glory and dominion, for ever and ever.”
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