Jonathan Edwards on Being Pilgrims on Our Way to Heaven

They were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. (Hebrews 11:13-14)

This earth is not our final home. How does that shape the way we live? How do we live in a way that shows that are seeking a different homeland? 

Jonathan Edwards preached a sermon on Hebrews 11:13-14 entitled "The Christian Pilgrim; or The True Christian Life, a Journey Towards Heaven." Below are some excerpts that might help you live in the world as a Christian bound for the heavenly country. What I find helpful is the way he does not deny the goodness of the gifts we have here in the present age. He just puts them in proper orbit around God. I also find the "journey" metaphor helpful (it is biblical, after all). A person who is traveling will stop and rest and enjoy the sights. However, he or she does not stop and set up a permanent home there. 

Seek God's Kingdom

We should seek first the kingdom of God, Matt. vi. 33. He that is on a journey, seeks the place that he is journeying to. We ought above all things to desire a heavenly happiness: to go to heaven, and there be with God, and dwell with Jesus Christ. 

Keep Good Gifts in Perspective (Enjoy them, don't cling to them) 

If we are surrounded with many outward enjoyments, and things that are very comfortable to us; if we are settled in families, and have those good friends and relations that are very desirable; if we have companions whose society is delightful to us; if we have children that are pleasant and hopeful, and in whom we see many promising qualifications; if we live by good neighbors; have much of the respect of others; have a good name; are generally beloved where we are known; and have comfortable and pleasant accommodations; yet we ought not to take our rest in these things. We should not be willing to have these things for our portion, but should seek a higher happiness in another world. 

We should not merely seek something else in addition to these things, but should be so far from resting in them, that we should choose and desire to leave these things for heaven; to go to God and Christ there. We should not be willing to live here always, if we could, in the same strength and vigor of body and mind as when in youth, or in the midst of our days; and always enjoy the same pleasure, and dear friends, and other earthly comforts. We should choose and desire to leave them all in God’s due time, that we might go to heaven, and there have the enjoyment of God. 

We ought to possess them, enjoy and make use of them, with no other view or aim, but readily to quit them whenever we are called to it, and to change them for heaven. And when we are called away from them, we should go cheerfully and willingly. ...

... We ought to look upon these things as only lent to us for a little while, to serve a present turn; but we should set our hearts on heaven as our inheritance forever.

Don't Get Distracted from Pursuing Your Homeland (don't get too comfortable here)

He that is going a journey, is not wont to rest in what he meets with that is comfortable and pleasing on the road. If he passes along through pleasant places, flowery meadows, or shady groves; he does not take up his content in these things. He is content only to take a transient view of these pleasant objects as he goes along. He is not enticed by these fine appearances to put an end to his journey, and leave off the thought of proceeding . . .

Remember that God is the Source and Substance of all True Joy

To go to heaven, fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. Better than fathers and mothers, husbands, wives or children, or the company of any, or all earthly friends. These are but shadows; but the enjoyment of God is the substance. These are but scattered beams; but God is the sun. These are but streams; but God is the fountain. These are but drops; but God is the ocean. 

Work Hard to Keep Your Heart Fixed on Heaven 

Labor to have your heart taken up so much about heaven and heavenly enjoyments, as that you may rejoice at any time when God calls you to leave your best earthly friends, and those things that are most comfortable to you here, to go to heaven, there to enjoy God and Christ. 

On that last point, I encourage you to start a list of the wonders of heaven. Just look at it once a month or so and add a new thing to that list each time.  

"The Extraordinary Life of Helen Roseveare"

I just listened to a podcast about the life of missionary Helen Roseveare (from the Gospel Coalition). She was a single woman who served as a medical missionary in the Congo for much of her life. She was honest about her struggles, sorrows, doubts, and God's faithfulness in it all. I encourage you to listen to this talk on her life (the podcast is about 45 minutes long).

A Caution to Young, Culture-Embracing Evangelicals

Spurgeon on the "Warning" Passages

A while back I did a series on the preservation and perseverance of the Saints.  This was a look at how God preserves those who belong to Him and how those who truly belong to God will persevere in the faith until the end.  While reading an article by Tom Schreiner on this issue at Credo Magazine, I came across this quote from Charles Spurgeon on the issue of the warning passages (passages that warn us that we must persevere in the faith).  He is saying the reason for these passages which say we must persevere in the faith is that they are one of the means by which God causes those who truly belong to Him to persevere.

But,’ says one, ‘You say they cannot fall away.’ What is the use of putting this ‘if’ in, like a bugbear to frighten children, or like a ghost that can have no existence? My learned friend, ‘Who art thou that repliest against God?’ If God has put it in, he has put it in for wise reasons and for excellent purposes. Let me show you why. First, O Christian, it is put in to keep thee from falling away. God preserves his children from falling away; but he keeps them by the use of means; and one of these is, the terrors of the law, showing them what would happen if they were to fall away. There is a deep precipice: what is the best way to keep any one from going down there? Why, to tell him that if he did he would inevitably be dashed to pieces. In some old castle there is a deep cellar, where there is a vast amount of fixed air and gas, which would kill anybody who went down. What does the guide say? ‘If you go down you will never come up alive.’ Who thinks of going down? The very fact of the guide telling us what the consequences would be, keeps us from it. Our friend puts away from us a cup of arsenic; he does not want us to drink it, but he says, ‘If you drink it, it will kill you.’ Does he suppose for a moment that we should drink it. No; he tells us the consequences, and he is sure we will not do it. So God says, ‘My child, if you fall over this precipice you will be dashed to pieces.’ What does the child do? He says, ‘Father, keep me; hold thou me up, and I shall be safe.’ It leads the believer to greater dependence on God, to a holy fear and caution, because he knows that if he were to fall away he could not be renewed, and he stands far away from that great gulf, because he know[s] that if he were to fall into it there would be no salvation for him.

Perseverance: Wrapping it Up

Well, it has taken almost two semesters, but I am finally going to draw this series to a close.  The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints is one that brings joy the Christian's heart.  It can be abused and misunderstood, but as we see it shine forth from the pages of Scripture, we see that the true doctrine is beautiful.  I pray that this brief study has been an encouragement to you.  In closing, let's take some lyrics from the hymn “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” as our departing prayer.

               O to grace how great a debtor 

               daily I'm constrained to be!

               Let thy goodness, like a fetter,

               bind my wandering heart to thee.

               Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,

               prone to leave the God I love;

               here's my heart, O take and seal it,

               seal it for thy courts above. 

May God preserve you in his love so that you persevere until the end.

Perseverence: How can I have assurance I am saved? pt. 4

 Here is the fourth and final question.


4. Is the general trajectory of my life one of spiritual growth? 
2 Peter 1:5-7 speaks of growing in your Christian walk.  Peter goes on to say that if these things are increasing in your life (i.e. spiritual growth), you will avoid being unfruitful in ministry (v. 8).  He then says that if you "practice these qualities" (i.e. spiritual growth), "you will never fall" (v. 10).  Instead, you will be making your calling and election sure (v. 10).

This doesn't mean you never struggle with sin or have times of spiritual decline.  It is to say, however, that your overall trajectory is one of spiritual growth.  Perhaps an illustration from Dr. Jay Adams will be helpful to illustrate what I mean.  Think of a person walking up a set of stairs with a yo-yo in her hand.  As she goes up the stairs she is also sending the yo-yo down and back up into her hand.  That yo-yo has a lot of ups and downs, but the overall trajectory of it is up the stairs.  In a similar way, we may have ups and downs in the Christian life, but a true Christian should see long-term, slow and steady growth in godliness.

I encourage you to take some time and evaluate yourself with the above questions.  Another worthwhile exercise is to study the book of 1 John.  John gives us the purpose of his short letter when he says, "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life." (5:13 emphasis added).  Go through 1 John and note various "tests of eternal life."  Examine your life honestly before God using those tests.

Perseverence: How can I have assurance I am saved? pt. 3

Here is question three as we seek to find assurance of salvation.


3. Do I have a love for God's people?
1 John 2:9 says, "Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness."  If you are indwelt by the Holy Spirit you love others whom he indwells.  You are brothers and sisters in Christ.  A true love for God's people will express itself in a desire to be around them.  Otherwise you just love the idea of loving God's people instead of actually loving God's people.

Perseverence: How can I have assurance I am saved? pt. 2

Last time we looked at one question to help you examine yourself to see if you should have assurance of salvation. Let's look at question number two now.


 2. Do I see evidence of the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit in my heart?
Your heart is the real you.  It is the seat of your thinking and affections.  Apart from Christ, a person's heart is evil, seeking to live for self, and has no true love for Jesus or holiness.  However, at salvation, the Spirit of God gives us new life- he regenerates us and gives us a new heart (Titus 2:5).  How can you know if this has happened?

The Holy Spirit provides subjective witness in our hearts that we belong to God (Rom. 8:15-16).  This subjective, inward testimony is then seen in our outward life as the Holy Spirit makes us more holy.  The fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control) begins to be develop and blossom in your life.  A non-believer can't produce these things at the truest level.  He can staple fake fruit on the tree of his life, but he can't produce the reality of this fruit apart from the working of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 7:16-20).  


Other outward evidence of the Holy Spirit's regenerating work is obedience to God's commands.  Jesus says that if you love him you will keep his commandments (John 14:21).  John says,

Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, ⁵but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: ⁶whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked (1 John 2:4-6).

James 2:17-18 says that our saving faith (which alone saves us) is not alone.  It produces good works.  Living, saving faith works.

One more piece of evidence that the Holy Spirit has indeed given you new life is that you love God and do not love the world.  1 John 2:15-17 says,

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶For all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. ¹⁷And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

If you have this new life in you, your affections are new.  You are not drawn to the world's pleasures and empty promises that are in opposition to God.  Instead, you love God and seek to do his will in this world.  You forsake the fleeting pleasures of sin for the everlasting pleasures of knowing God.  It's not that you avoid happiness or joy.  It is, instead, that you find true joy and happiness which is only found in knowing and obeying God.

This is what a regenerate heart looks like, and a regenerated heart is one that is sealed by God's Spirit.  Next time we'll look at question 3.

Perseverence: How can I have assurance I am saved?

As I draw to a close, perhaps all this has got you wondering, "How can I know I am saved?".  That is a good question.  Let's finish our study on the doctrine of perseverance by looking at four questions that will help.


1. Are you trusting in Jesus for salvation right now?
Scripture continually affirms the present, ongoing trust true believers exhibit in Christ (John 3:16, Col. 1:3, Heb. 3:14).  This doesn't mean you always trust Christ perfectly or that you never have doubt.  It does mean that you are presently trusting him for your salvation.  If you are trusting Jesus alone for the forgiveness of your sins and hope of eternal life right now, this is good evidence you belong to him.

Next time well look at the next question.

Perseverance: Fitting the Comfort and Warning Together

As you read about the warning and comfort of this doctrine, you may be thinking I am engaging in some crafty form of doublespeak.  It may sound like these two points (warning and comfort) contradict one another.  But remember that the doctrine teaches us that we persevere in the faith because God preserves us.  So, a person who is truly saved will persevere till the end (the warning reminds us of this responsibility), and a true Christian is secure because God keeps those who belong to him so that none are lost (the comfort reminds us of this truth). 

God has ordained the ends (our salvation) and the means (how he causes us to persevere).  He uses means such as the fellowship and accountability we have with other believers in the church (Hebrews 3:12-13), the knowledge we get from his word (2 Tim. 3:16-17), and the strength we gain from prayer (Matt. 26:41).  He even uses the warning passages of Scripture to call us to preserve (Hebrews 10:26-30).

Let me draw your attention to one passage in particular to illustrate these truths.  Hebrews 12:3-11 makes it clear that the true child of God will not wander from God indefinitely.  The reason is that God, as a good Father, disciplines his children. 

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons (vv. 7-8).

Sometimes we joke about God striking us with lightning for disobeying him.  What is scarier, however, is if the lightning never comes.  If God allows a person to go on in sin without bringing discipline then that person is an illegitimate child and not a son, which is to say that God is not his Father.  God disciplines those who belong to him.  A true child of God will persevere till the end because his loving, heavenly Father keeps him securely.

So, it is not a contradiction to say that this doctrine provides both a warning and a comfort.  Both are true and biblical.  A genuine Christian can sin severely, but the difference is that he or she cannot live a habitual life of sin without God bringing discipline on him or her.  The true Christian perseveres because his Father preserves him.

Perseverance: A Comfort

The doctrine of perseverance not only provides a warning to us, it also provides a comfort.  The comfort is for those who are truly saved and is found in the promise "that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6).  God began this work of my salvation, and he will complete it.  That is a promise.  The person who has been truly converted and made into a child of God will not be cast out of the Father's house.

In other words, my salvation is not dependent upon me, my goodness, or the strength of my faith.  It isn't more or less secure based on how good I did today or how faithful I was at reading my Bible yesterday.  It is based on God, the righteousness of Christ, and his powerful hold on me (see Romans 8:31-39 and John 10:27-29).  It is based on God, his nature, and his unchanging faithfulness to his promises.  He promises to save those who truly repent and believe in Jesus as the only means of salvation.  Since he does not lie and does not change in relation to his promises, this hope is secure for believers (Numbers 23:19). 

 
So, when you fail and sin, remember that your salvation is secure because of the righteousness of Christ and the promise of God.  Speaking of genuine Christians, the First London Confession of the Baptists written in 1646 says, "Though many storms and floods arise, and beat against them, yet they shall never be able to take them off that foundation and rock, which by faith they are fastened upon.”