Jonathan Edwards - Christian practice is plainly spoken of in the word of God as the main evidence of the truth of grace

Christian practice is plainly spoken of in the word of God, as the main evidence of the truth of grace, not only to others, but to men's own consciences. It is not only more spoken of and insisted on than other signs, but in many places where it is spoken of, it is represented as the chief of all evidences. This is plain in the manner of expression from time to time. If God were now to speak from heaven to resolve our doubts concerning signs of godliness, and should give some particular sign, that by it all might know whether they were sincerely godly or not, with such emphatical expressions as these, the man that has such a qualification or mark, "that is the man that is a true saint, that is the very man, by this you may know, this is the thing by which it is manifest who are saints and who are sinners, such men as these are saints indeed;" should not we look upon it as a thing beyond doubt, that this was given, as a special, and eminently distinguishing note of true godliness?

But this is the very case with respect to the sign of grace I am speaking of; God has again and again uttered himself in his word in this very manner, concerning Christian practice, as:

- John 14, "he that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me." Thus Christ in this place gives to the disciples, not so much to guide them in judging of others, as to apply to themselves for their own comfort after his departure, as appears by every word of the context. And by the way I would observe, that not only the emphasis with which Christ utters himself is remarkable, but also his so much insisting on, and repeating the matter, as he does in the context:
- verse 15, "If ye love me, keep my commandments."
- Verse 23, "If a man love me, he will keep my words."
- And verse 24, "He that loveth me not, keepeth not my sayings."
- And in the next chapter over and over: verse 2, "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit; he purgeth it."
- Verse 8. "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples."
- Verse 14, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you."
- We have this mark laid down with the same emphasis again, John 8:31 "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed."
- And again 1 John 2:3, "Hereby do we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments."
- And verse 5, "Whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected; hereby know we, that we are in him"
- And chapter 3:18, 19, "Let us love in deed, and in truth; hereby we know that we are of the truth." What is translated hereby would have been a little more emphatical if it had been rendered more literally from the original, by this we do know.
- And how evidently is holy practice spoken of as the grand note of distinction between the children of God and the children of the devil, in verse 10, of the same chapter? "In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil."
- Speaking of a holy, and a wicked practice, as may be seen in all the context; as verse 3, "Every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself even as he is pure."
- Verses 6-10, "Whosoever abideth in him, sinneth not whosoever sinneth, hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you; he that doeth righteousness, is righteous, even as he is righteous: he that committeth sin is of the devil. Whosoever is born of God sinneth not. Whosoever doeth not righteousness, is not of God."
- So we have the like emphasis, 2 John 6: "This is love, that we walk after his commandments;" that is (as we must understand it), this is the proper evidence of love.
- So 1 John 5:3, "This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments."
- So the Apostle James, speaking of the proper evidences of true and pure religion, says, James 1:27, "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father, is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."
- We have the like emphatical expressions used about the same thing in the Old Testament, Job 28:28: "And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding."
- Jer. 22:16, 16, "Did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice? He judged the cause of the poor and needy: was not this to know me? saith the Lord."
- Psal. 34:11, &c. "Come, ye children, unto me, and I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile; depart from evil, and do good; seek peace and pursue it."
- Psal. 15, at the beginning, "Who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly," &c.
- Psal. 24:3, 4, "Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart," &c.
- Psal. 119:1, "Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord."
- Verse 6, "Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect to all thy commandments.''
- Prov. 8:13, "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil." So the Scripture never uses such emphatical expressions concerning any other signs of hypocrisy, and unsoundness of heart, as concerning an unholy practice.
- So Gal. 6:7, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."
- 1 Cor. 6:9, 10, "Be not deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, &c., shall inherit the kingdom of God."
- Eph. 5:5, 6, "For this ye know, that no whoremonger nor unclean person, &c, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ, and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words."
- 1 John 3:7, 8, "Little children, let no man deceive you; he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous; he that committeth sin is of the devil."
- Chap. 2:4, "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him."
- And chap. 1:6. "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth."
- James 1:26, "If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain."
- Chap. 3:14, 15, "If ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish."
- Psal. 125:5, "As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity."
- Isa. 35:8, "A high way shall be there, and it shall be called the way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it."
- Rev. 21:27, "And there shall in no noise enter into it, whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie." And in many places, "Depart from me, I know you not, ye that work iniquity."


- Jonathan Edwards (Religious Affections, Part III, Section XII-II)