Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758)
READ: 1 John 4
Like the Wesleys and George
Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards was a vital part of the First Great Awakening, and
the only key leader born and raised in America. As a young boy, Edwards was
captivated by the sovereignty of God – it was meditating on this quality that
brought him to fully commit to Christ. Edwards was serious and studious. He longed
to see vibrant Christian community – people of real faith and of unity of heart
and mind. He was neither theatrical nor emotional, but preached with inward
intensity and delivered convincing arguments, spellbinding crowds in his own
way. Also unlike Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards was not a travelling preacher;
rather he was committed to shepherding one church body.
Though he was a sound preacher,
Jonathan Edwards is known for his study and writings, which earned him the name
“America’s Greatest Theologian”. He wrote much on theology and on the
sovereignty of God. The church throughout the years has benefited greatly from
his paper: “Distinguishing Marks of a
Work of the Spirit of God”. Edwards had witnessed a fair bit of revival in
his day, but also witnessed many of those “revived” falling back into old
habits shortly thereafter. So he sought to discover how to tell if revival had
indeed taken place, information which has been a great source to revivalists
over the years. Over the course of his life, Edwards wrote a total of 1200
sermons and he was responsible for 50,000 being awakened to faith in
Christianity.
Jonathan Edwards was a man of
integrity – a quality that requires great faith. He was a loving husband, a
committed father, and a faithful missionary for the work of the Lord.
JOURNALING AND PRAYER
1. Where do you feel weak in your faith?
2. Ask God how He wants to grow your faith this summer. What does He want to do in your heart?
3. Thank God for what He has shown you, and pray that it would become a reality in your life.
