In the previous post we considered the first three proofs from Scripture that true religion is found in the affections. Here are four additional evidences, summarized from Part I of Edwards’ book, The Religious Affections.
4. The saints are examples of great affections.
Those who are elevated as great examples in Scripture are those with great affections. King David was such an example, as “a man after God’s own heart” who wrote songs of intense love to God. He admired God’s glorious perfections. From his soul he desired and panted and thirsted after God. He exulted in God’s faithfulness, and grieved over his sin and the sins of the nation. One of my favorite passages of David’s desperate desire for God is Psalm 42:1-2.
As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?
The apostle Paul was also a man of considerable affections. Edwards observes from Paul’s letters
that he was, in the course of his life, inflamed, actuated, and entirely swallowed up by a most ardent love to his Lord, esteeming all things as loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Him, and esteeming them but dung that he might win Christ. (p.38)
Paul himself declared,
Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ. (Philippians 3:8)
A person doesn’t count everything as loss or rubbish unless they’ve found something else more desirable. Philippians 3:8 is a confession of affection for God and Paul demonstrated the reality of that commitment in his affection for others. He regularly spoke of his tender love for others like that of a nursing mother. He referred to his “bowels of mercy.” He wrote of conflict of soul for his sheep. At times people thought he was beside himself. He shed tears day and night. All those describe a life driven from the heart.
David and Paul are only two of God’s examples that the religion of distinguished saints is much in the affections.
5. The saints already in heaven have great affections.
Edwards observes that,
The way to learn the true nature of anything is to go where that thing is to be found in its purity and perfection. (p.43)
And therefore,
There is doubtless true religion in heaven and true religion in its utmost purity and perfection. (p.41)
If we could visit heaven we would see what true religion looks like. No one in heaven knows God and remains indifferent. There is no sin that soils their desires or behavior. And Scripture makes it clear that those in heaven have consummate, holy, animating, engaging love for God. Their joy is expressed in fervent and exalted praise. Thousands and thousands of creatures sing with loudest voice and hottest affection.
Revelation 5:11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders [the redeemed] the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”
It must be constant goose-bumps in heaven with so much affection and excitement. But as we anticipate that day we should remember that the nucleus of these affections ought to be present in us now.
The love and joy [and other affections] we have on earth is the beginning and dawning of the light, life, and blessedness of heaven. (p.42)
The difference between the affections of heaven and our affections is not nature and kind, but degree. Though theirs are unmixed and unpolluted, they are not an entirely new flavor. Ours is just a small taste of what we’ll partake of in heaven. But considering true religion in heaven educates us that true religion here and now is no less in the affections.
6. Jesus is the ultimate example of great affections.
Of all the examples of great affections, Jesus is preeminent. Edwards wrote that Jesus is
the perfect example of true religion and virtue, for the imitation of all, the Shepherd whom the whole flock should follow where He goes…was a person who was remarkably of a tender and affectionate heart, and His virtue was expressed very much in the exercise of holy affections. (p.40)
Jesus was full of zeal (John 2:17). He was often angry at sin (Mark 3:5). He had compassion on those with physical and spiritual needs. He wrestled with tears like drops of blood in His praying. His was a life dominated by affections.
And most importantly, He was and is the great example of love to God and man. His love for the Father is what enabled Him to overcome the natural fear and struggle when He faced the cross. It was not knowledge that moved Him to give His life on the cross. What motivated Christ’s sacrifice was His love.
7. The great sin of the heart is predominately hardness of heart.
The final scriptural proof that true religion is found in the affections is that lack of affections is a great sin.
Now by a hard heart is plainly mean an unaffected heart, or a heart that is not easy to be moved with virtuous affections, like a stone, insensible, stupid, unmoved, and hard to be impressed. (p.46)
How dangerous it is to have a hard heart. That is exactly what God hates. That is exactly the kind of disregard for God that is infinitely wicked, and that is exactly the kind of heart that will be judged. As the apostle Paul told the Romans,
But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. (Romans 2:5)
A hard heart is not necessarily missing knowledge, it is absent of affections. It is “impenitent,” unmovable, and unashamed. So God’s sends His grace to overtake the heart of stone and create a heart of flesh, one that is tender and sensitive and affected, and make that heart “easily susceptible of such affections” (p.47).
Everything in Scripture displays that true religion is placed not just in our knowledge about God, but in our love for God. Christianity has so much to do with the affections that,
the degree of religion is rather to be judged of by the fixedness and strength of the habit that is exercised in affection. (p.47)
In other words, true religion consists great in affections. Those affections might not always be as obvious as possible, but they will always be moving in some measure. Affections will demonstrate themselves over time, but make no mistake,
without holy affections, there is no true religion. (p.48)
In other words, if you don’t love God, if you are not drawn to Him, if He is not your greatest delight, you are not a Christian. Religious knowledge is not the issue nor are religious works. The issue is affections, stimulated by knowledge and manifested in works. The importance of affections should not be underestimated.
