by Pastor John Kim
To the LBC family and friends!
Jonathan Edwards Resolution #53
Resolved, to improve every opportunity, when I am in the best and happiest frame of mind, to cast and venture my soul on the Lord Jesus Christ, to trust and confide in him, and consecrate myself wholly to him; that from this I may have assurance of my safety, knowing that I confide in my Redeemer. (July 8, 1723)
This resolution is very loaded with thoughts to consider as we are challenged to “improve every opportunity” to live out very deliberately and purposefully the following actions:
1. To cast and venture my soul on the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. To trust and confide in the Lord Jesus Christ
3. To consecrate myself wholly to the Lord Jesus Christ
These three actions really are one and the same – a total dedication and devotion that exercises a genuine faith and utter dependence on the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ as Lord should receive the fullness of my submission to Him, not only as an issue of obedience, but as an issue of trust. It is because He is the only One that I can truly and confidently trust with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my mind.
You could almost see this as a process in which I “cast” my soul on Christ, where I present my life to Him and exercise a daily confiding through communicating and entrusting of my life, every part of it to the smallest detail. I am then reminded to be a living sacrifice that is daily consecrated to the worship of Christ.
This should happen particularly when I am in the best and happiest frame of mind. It should only happen when we feel needed and desperate, though those are obvious times that we tend to turn to Christ. It should happen when things are going well, when I am experiencing blessing and plenty and am enjoying life as God has graciously provided for us is so many ways. This in turn helps provide a genuine sense of assurance, knowing that my safety is not dependent on just how I feel or my circumstances but rather through the exercise of placing my faith daily in submitting my life to Christ.
The last phrase is one that I think is very significant.
4. To confide in my Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ
Jesus is my Redeemer. He has saved me from the penalty of sin by paying the price of my sin. He has literally bought me back. He has rescued me from death and hell. He is the One that I can truly confide in because I can truly trust Him. He redeemed me while I was a sinner. There are no surprises of my sinfulness to Him – that’s the whole point of why He had to come save me. If we only took the time to really fix our eyes on our Savior and savor and value the preciousness of who He is and what He has already done on the cross, the only appropriate and fitting response would be to cast my soul into His hands, to trust and confide in Him regarding all that I deal with in life, and to consecrate myself, to devote myself, to dedicate my life and present it to Him daily as an act of worship (Romans 12:1) – it would indeed by what is the most important response that I could give to the One who has delivered me from the wrath of God.
Do you confided in Jesus Christ? Do you go to Him first and foremost, not only in the day of trouble but in the days of happiness? Do you thank Him and rejoice when God has blessed you and not think that it was due to your own ability or means? Do you understand that all we have, we have been given? There is so much that really makes it easy to see that we should look to Christ daily. I hope you will confide in Him regularly.
Have a wonderful rest of the week!
In His grace,
Pastor John