Signs That Don’t Show You Much

One of the more ambitious things I’ve done as a pastor, and perhaps one of the more foolish, was to assign Religious Affections as our staff book a number of years ago. Don’t get me wrong, I serve with a very bright, very mature team. But Jonathan Edwards parsing out the nature of true religious experience is not for the faint of heart.

In general, I think everyone found the non-signs more helpful than the signs, not that the signs are wrong, but they are harder to navigate and can lead one into unhealthy introspection. I wish every denominational leader, every elder, every youth group leader, every passionate teenager, and every old saint would pay attention to these non-signs. They would help some of us be more cautious about criticizing emotional experiences. And they would help others be more careful about crediting to the Holy Spirit what he may have nothing to do with

Here are twelve things Edwards says are “no certain signs that religious affections are truly gracious or not.” In other words, if you have affections like these, it doesn’t mean you are crazy, and it doesn’t mean you are filled with the Spirit.

1. They are raised very high.
2. They have great effects on the body.
3. They cause those who have them to be abundant in talking about religion.
4. They were not excited by one’s own contrivance or means.
5. They come with texts of Scripture brought to mind.
6. They come with an appearance of love.
7. They come in many kinds of affections.
8. They were fearful and now they perceive comfort.
9. They cause people to be zealously engaged in the external duties of worship.
10. They dispose people with mouths to praise and glorify God.
11. They have exceeding confidence that they are saved.
12. They are accompanied by moving testimonies which warm the hearts of the godly.

You can sense the tight rope Edwards is trying walk across. On the one hand, he doesn’t want people dismissing the revivals out of hand because some strange things were happening. On the other hand, he doesn’t want Christians simply to affirm anyone who speaks with enthusiasm and seems fired up for God. When you see people claiming a powerful religious experience, don’t be an unfeeling curmudgeon and don’t be unthinkingly credulous either.