How do you know if the professed spirit at work in you, your church, or a stated preacher of God is the “Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ” as opposed to an “unclean spirit of Satan masquerading as an angel of light?”
The following excerpt was written by the dear man of God and celebrated American Theologian, Jonathan Edwards. It is from a document written in defense of the “First Great Awakening” as a true biblical work of the One True God in contradistinction to a delusion of Satan (which many professors of religion declared it to be, even those who had formerly prayed for biblical revival...until it came to pass, at which time they began to pray against it!). The “First Great Awakening” was a notorious revival of biblical religion in the 1740's across the English-speaking world that was mightily spoken against.
I desire to use it as a defense and general measuring rod of the workings of God's Spirit again in our day, lest the following fearsome warning of King David fall upon the professing Christians of our generation: “Because they regard not the works of the LORD, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up.” (Psalm 28:5)
Please consider if these are the fruits of the spirit that have been driving/working in you or not, reader. Whether you be an Open Air Preacher, Theologian, Seminarian, Evangelist, Pastor, Laymen, Heathen, Governor, Human Being, or whosoever you may be. As you consider in fear and trembling, please REMEMBER that as many Churches, Denominations, Individuals, etc., “as are led by the Spirit of God [and not another], they [alone] are the sons of God.” (Romans 8:14) - ALL OTHERS WILL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD! May the Lord have mercy.
Jonathan Edwards:
“As to this work, there are many things concerning it that are notorious (commonly reported and known), and which, unless the apostle John was out (in an error) in his rules*, are sufficient to determine it to be in general the work of God. The Spirit that is at work, takes off persons’ minds from the vanities of the world, and engages them in a deep concern about eternal happiness, and puts them upon earnestly seeking their salvation, and convinces them of the dreadfulness of sin, and of their own guilty and miserable state as they are by nature. It awakens men’s consciences, and makes them sensible of the dreadfulness of God’s anger, and causes in them a great desire and earnest care and endeavour to obtain his favour. It puts them upon a more diligent improvement of the means of grace which God has appointed; accompanied with a greater regard to the Word of God, a desire of hearing and reading it, and of being more conversant with it than they used to be. And it is notoriously manifest, that the Spirit that is at work, in general, operates as a Spirit of truth, making persons more sensible of what is really true in those things that concern their eternal salvation: as, that they must die, and that life is very short and uncertain; that there is a great sin-hating god, to whom they are accountable, and who will fix them in an eternal state in another world; and that they stand in great need of a saviour. It makes persons more sensible of the value of Jesus who was crucified, and their need of him; and that it puts them upon earnestly seeking an interest in him.” (Jonathan Edwards- Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God, section III)
*Rules - Five biblical tests Edwards drew from 1 John 4 to be tested against any work claiming to be of God at any time and place, which he had just finished detailing in the first two sections of this treatise, and in which the above quotation is summarizing: RULES, WHICH HE EXPOUNDS UPON ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURES WHEREBY A BIBLICAL WORK OF THE TRUE SPIRIT AND POWER OF GOD CAN AND OUGHT TO BE DETERMINED.
The following excerpt was written by the dear man of God and celebrated American Theologian, Jonathan Edwards. It is from a document written in defense of the “First Great Awakening” as a true biblical work of the One True God in contradistinction to a delusion of Satan (which many professors of religion declared it to be, even those who had formerly prayed for biblical revival...until it came to pass, at which time they began to pray against it!). The “First Great Awakening” was a notorious revival of biblical religion in the 1740's across the English-speaking world that was mightily spoken against.
I desire to use it as a defense and general measuring rod of the workings of God's Spirit again in our day, lest the following fearsome warning of King David fall upon the professing Christians of our generation: “Because they regard not the works of the LORD, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up.” (Psalm 28:5)
Please consider if these are the fruits of the spirit that have been driving/working in you or not, reader. Whether you be an Open Air Preacher, Theologian, Seminarian, Evangelist, Pastor, Laymen, Heathen, Governor, Human Being, or whosoever you may be. As you consider in fear and trembling, please REMEMBER that as many Churches, Denominations, Individuals, etc., “as are led by the Spirit of God [and not another], they [alone] are the sons of God.” (Romans 8:14) - ALL OTHERS WILL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD! May the Lord have mercy.
Jonathan Edwards:
“As to this work, there are many things concerning it that are notorious (commonly reported and known), and which, unless the apostle John was out (in an error) in his rules*, are sufficient to determine it to be in general the work of God. The Spirit that is at work, takes off persons’ minds from the vanities of the world, and engages them in a deep concern about eternal happiness, and puts them upon earnestly seeking their salvation, and convinces them of the dreadfulness of sin, and of their own guilty and miserable state as they are by nature. It awakens men’s consciences, and makes them sensible of the dreadfulness of God’s anger, and causes in them a great desire and earnest care and endeavour to obtain his favour. It puts them upon a more diligent improvement of the means of grace which God has appointed; accompanied with a greater regard to the Word of God, a desire of hearing and reading it, and of being more conversant with it than they used to be. And it is notoriously manifest, that the Spirit that is at work, in general, operates as a Spirit of truth, making persons more sensible of what is really true in those things that concern their eternal salvation: as, that they must die, and that life is very short and uncertain; that there is a great sin-hating god, to whom they are accountable, and who will fix them in an eternal state in another world; and that they stand in great need of a saviour. It makes persons more sensible of the value of Jesus who was crucified, and their need of him; and that it puts them upon earnestly seeking an interest in him.” (Jonathan Edwards- Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God, section III)
*Rules - Five biblical tests Edwards drew from 1 John 4 to be tested against any work claiming to be of God at any time and place, which he had just finished detailing in the first two sections of this treatise, and in which the above quotation is summarizing: RULES, WHICH HE EXPOUNDS UPON ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURES WHEREBY A BIBLICAL WORK OF THE TRUE SPIRIT AND POWER OF GOD CAN AND OUGHT TO BE DETERMINED.
Jonathan Edwards
Below are some pertinent verses WARRANTING and/or COMMANDING the duty of all Christians to examine/try/judge the spirits (in individuals, churches, denominations, etc.) that profess to be of Jesus Christ:
“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”
(Matthew 7:15-20)
“Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.”
(Matthew 16:6-12)
“And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces, And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts: Which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.”
(Mark 12:38-40)
“And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you: For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.”
(Mark 13:5-6)
“And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not: For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.”
(Mark 13:21-23)
“Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time? Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?” (Luke 12:56-57)
“Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”
(John 7:24)
“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
(Acts 17:11)
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
(Romans 12:1-2)
“Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.”
(1 Corinthians 14:29)
“For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.”
(Ephesians 5:8-10)
“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”
(1Thesallonians 5:21)
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”
(1 John 4:1)
“I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars.”
(Revelation 2:2)
