A Brief Study of "Advice to Young Converts" by Jonathan Edwards: Part 3

This is the third post in a series inspired by the short book, "Advice to a Young Convert" by Jonathan Edwards. May God be glorified in it, and may his people, the church, grow and be edified by it, and most of all, may God's Holy Spirit convict men's hearts of their sin and grant them repentance and faith in His blessed Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

This is a letter written during the Great Awakening by Jonathan Edwards to a young woman named Deborah Hathaway, and was later published as a small book called: "Advice to Young Converts".

"3. When you hear sermons, hear them for yourself, even though what is spoken in them may be more especially directed to the unconverted or to those that in other respects are in different circumstances from yourself. Let the chief intent of your mind be to consider what ways you can apply the things that you are hearing in the sermon. You should ask, What improvement should I make, based on these things, for my own soul's good?"

The first thing this brings to mind is 2 Timothy 3:16, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." So often when reading our Bible or hearing a sermon we just sit there. "All scripture" means everything in the Bible is profitable, so if you're pastor is teaching and reading from the Scriptures, then we should pay attention. Asking ourselves, as Mr. Edwards says, "What improvement should I make, based on these things, for my own soul's good?". The reason for 2 Timothy 3:16 is given in verse 17, "That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." 

If we are Christians, sitting through a sermon means nothing if we don't apply it to our own lives. Perfection, being "thoroughly furnished unto all good works". If we aren't applying the truth of God's Word directly to our own lives, then we aren't ready to do "good works". 

There's an old saying that says, "You can't lead where you won't go, and you can't teach what you don't know." So, there is no testimony or witness for a Christian who isn't reading the Word of God and listening to Biblical teaching and preaching intentionally and thoughtfully.

How often I have sat in a pew and looked at the pastor, perhaps with my Bible open in my lap, and have been thinking of everything, but what is being taught. We may be able to keep our outward appearances acceptable before others, but God sees our hearts. He knows when we are sincere and when we are not.

"But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart."-1 Samuel 16:7
God's Word is so powerful. "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."-Hebrews 4:12

We are told in Romans 1:16 that the "gospel of Christ" is the very "power of God unto salvation".

"How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?"-Romans 10:14
"So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."-Romans 10:17
There is nothing more important for anyone than to listen to and study the Word of God. If we have time to watch tv or youtube or go online, then we have time to read the Bible. If we can listen to our favorite tv show or radio or podcast, then we can listen to a man called by God to preach and teach His Word. It's sad that we so often give greater respect to a movie or tv show than we do the very Word of God. Let us pray for repentance and forgiveness in this area, and ask that God would grant us the mercy to give His Word the honor it deserves from now on.