19
Dec
2009

The Source of Unbelief

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19 Dec 2009

Jonathan Edwards gives a persuasive explanation of the source of unbelief in men:

If men are wholly unable to believe of themselves, or unless God works faith in them, yet that is no argument that they are not chargeable with the blame of their own unbelief: for though man can’t believe in Christ of himself, yet that is no argument that he can’t reject him of himself. ‘Tis no argument that because one of two opposites is of God, that therefore the other is so too; but the contrary. If sweet water proceed from a certain fountain, that is no argument that bitter water is from the same fountain; but on the contrary, an argument that it is from some other source (James 3:11). Sinners, in laying the blame of their rejection of Christ to God from that, that all faith must be of God, and not of themselves, argue in this manner: God is the fountain of all light and, therefore, he must be the fountain of all darkness too; he is the author of all good and, therefore, the blame of all evil must be laid to him: whereas it would certainly be more natural and rational to argue contrariwise. If the sun be the fountain of light, then certainly darkness don’t come from the sun, but that must proceed from some other cause. If all faith and receiving Christ be from God, and that be true in John 6: 44, “No man can come to me, except the Father that hath sent me draw him,” then ’tis natural to suppose that unbelief is not of God, but of ourselves. ‘Tis no argument that man can’t hate Christ of himself, because God is the bestower of all love to Christ.1

1. Jonathan Edwards The “Miscellanies,” (Entry Nos. 501-832) (WJE Online Vol. 18) (New Haven: Yale University Press) p. 407

About Post Author

Nick Batzig is the senior pastor of Church Creek PCA in Charleston, SC and an associate editor for Ligonier Ministries. Prior to serving at Church Creek, Nick was a pastor at Wayside PCA on Signal Mountain, TN. Formerly, Nick served as the founding pastor of New Covenant Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Richmond Hill, GA and as the editor of Reformation21 and the Christward Collective--sites of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. He frequently writes for Tabletalk Magazine, Reformation 21, He Reads Truth, and the Christward Collective. Nick was also the host of East of Eden, a podcast devoted to the Biblical and Systematic Theology of Jonathan Edwards. You can friend him on Facebook here and follow him on Twitter @nick_batzig

1 Response

  1. Jesse Wisnewski
    Reply

    @ Nicholas:

    Thank you for posting these thoughts from Edwards. In finishing a paper for my class on Philippians via Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, I came across your blog in search for exactly this Edward’s quote.

    My work is focusing upon living worthy of the Gospel (1.27-30) and I was addressing the role of God in the salvation of the Philippians and the destruction of their opponents in vs. 28.

    I took the time to browse around and liked what I so, so I added you an your crew to my blogroll. Keep up the good work and I imagine I’ll comment around at some point in time.

    Cheers, JW.

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