by Pastor John Kim
To the LBC family and friends!
Jonathan Edwards Resolution #43
Resolved, never, henceforward, till I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God’s; agreeable to what is to be found in Saturday, January 12, 1723.
Life is not about you. Jonathan Edwards already knew that at an early age and as you consider the whole of his life (read the biography by George Marsden or Iain Murray – both are great), you can see that he carried out the resolutions he wrote with the same spirit in which he wrote them, with a resolved heart and spirit.
Resolved, determined, committed, and with utmost conviction, to never, never, never, no never, until the day I die (because that’s when I will not have to wrestle with the sin which still entangles me, which will be cast away for eternity as I will receive the culmination of my salvation gift, the glorification of my being into perfect and eternal righteousness before God), will I act, behave, think, speak, conduct, or in any other way live as if my life belonged to me, but in having cast my life before the cross, having denied myself, have now become God’s through the redemption by which I was bought with the precious blood of Christ so that I would be forgiven of my sin and be reconciled to my Creator so that I might now be a slave to His lordship, that I no longer live for myself but for the one who died and rose again on my behalf so that I might be a living sacrifice that is holy and acceptable before God, committing every act, thought, word, and deed to the glory of God. I am resolved to the end by which I understand that it is only by the grace and mercy of God extended to me daily so that He might be the source of strength by which I might carry out my resolutions, knowing that on my own I will only fail with the utmost futility but by the empowering Spirit of God that resides within me, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me and fills me so that I might enjoy the blessings that have been bestowed on me from the heavenly places and so then carry out His good and acceptable and perfect will as richly communicated through the Scriptures so that the majesty and honor and glory of God would be displayed to all.
May God grant us the heart’s desire to live in such a resolute way.
In His grace,
Pastor John