Monday, August 29, 2005

Jonathan Edwards On How Redemption Brings Glory To God


This is one example of how Jonathan Edwards has encouraged me to think about God's glory and has prompted me to Treasure Christ.


"By this contrivance (God's plan) for our redemption, God's greatest dishonor is made an occasion of His greatest glory. Sin is a thing by which God is greatly dishonored; the nature of its principle is enmity against God and contempt of Him. And man, by his rebellion, has greatly dishonored God. But this dishonor, by the contrivance of our redemption, is made an occasion of the greatest manifestation of God's glory that ever was.

"Sin, the greatest evil, is made an occasion of the greatest good. It is the nature of a principle of sin that it seeks to dethrone God; but this is hereby made the greatest manifestation of God's royal majesty and glory that ever was. By sin, man has slighted and despised God; but this is made an occasion of his appearing the more greatly honorable. Sin casts contempt upon the authority and law of God, but this, by the contrivance of our redemption, is made the occasion of the greatest honor done to that same authority, and to that very law. It was a greater honor to the law of God that Christ was subject to it and obeyed it. It was a greater honor to God's authority that Christ showed such great respect, and such entire subjection to it, than the perfect obedience of all the angels in heaven.

"By his sin man showed his enmity against the holiness of God; but this is made an occasion of the greatest manifestation of God's holiness. The wisdom of God has contrived that those attributes are glorified in man's salvation. "

-- from The Wisdom of God Displayed in Salvation. By Jonathan Edwards.

No comments: