I have been reading through Jonathan Edwards on True Christianity in the mornings. The authors of the book go through the sermons and writings of Edwards to show that he dealt with nominal Christianity (i.e., Christianity in name only) in his day just as we do in ours. And the answers to such nominalism are very much the same as well.
One of the chapters of the book looks at the reality of conversion, and includes several “marks of true conversion.” We must always be careful to label things in such a way (i.e., that conversion to Christianity always looks exactly like this), but the marks noted here are helpful in identifying the spiritual fruit which should ordinarily be a part of the Christian life.
The marks include:
- Love for Christ
- Hatred of Sin
- Love for the Word
- Love for Truth and the Things of God
- Love for Believers
Edwards notes that if the Holy Spirit is at work, then there will be ordinary, observable signs, such a “raised esteem” of Jesus Christ (not just that there was such a person, but that He was and is the Son of God, Lord and Savior). There will be a recognition of the dreadfulness, guilt, and misery of sin. There will be a love for the Bible that goes beyond respecting it — it will be seen as the word of God which He “has appointed and inspired to deliver to His church [as] its rule of faith and practice.” Believers in Christ will thus respond to the divine truth they find in the Scriptures as this is impressed upon their hearts by the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit will operate as a spirit of love for God and man. These things Edwards says should be evident in those who have come to know true Christianity.
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