Deep Dive into Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards - It Is No Certain Sign That the Religious Affections Which Persons Have Are Such as Have in Them the Nature of True Religion, Or That They...

Based on the sources, differentiating true religious devotion from external religious practices is not straightforward, as outward actions alone are not a certain sign of genuine faith. While true grace does tend to cause individuals to delight in religious exercises and be zealously engaged in them, leading them to spend much time in worship, this disposition is explicitly stated to be no sure evidence of grace.This is because false religion can also lead people to be exceeding abundant and zealous in external practices, even dedicating vast amounts of time to them. Examples from scripture like the Israelites whose extensive services were "abominable to God," the Pharisees who made long prayers and fasted, and Ezekiel's hearers who delighted in hearing but did not act, show that intense outward activity can lack true spiritual connection. Historical instances of recluses, hermits, and even a seemingly devout neighbor observed by the author further illustrate that outward appearance of devotion is not reliable proof of inner grace.Therefore, according to the sources, you cannot differentiate true devotion solely by observing the presence, intensity, or time spent on external religious practices. While these practices are characteristic of true grace, they are not a certain or sufficient test because they can also originate from sources lacking true spiritual affection.Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologianPatreon: patreon.com/edi_reformed