Promoting True Revival: What God’s People Ought to Do | Jonathan Edwards

Deep Dive into Thoughts on Revival by Jonathan Edwards - Showing Positively, What Ought to Be Done to Promote This WorkJonathan Edwards's text outlines specific, positive actions required to promote spiritual revival. He begins by arguing that believers must remove stumbling blocks by openly confessing their faults and repenting. Those who opposed the revival must admit their error, while overly zealous supporters who violated Christian rules must also humble themselves. Edwards stresses the need for extraordinary meekness, patience, and mutual forbearance, warning against bitterness, name-calling, and hasty attempts to fix church corruption without waiting on God.Individuals are urged to examine their own hearts to ensure they have truly experienced the revival, with a special warning to older generations and a plea for Arminians to reconsider their views. Ministers bear a heavy responsibility; they must ensure their own salvation, possess immense zeal, and actively collaborate by fasting and praying together. Similarly, colleges must function as genuine nurseries of piety that prioritize the spiritual state of their students rather than just human learning.Edwards highlights the role of wealthy and influential individuals, urging them not to be ashamed of their faith and to finance the spread of the gospel, religious texts, and schools. For the broader congregation, Edwards identifies several critical duties. He calls for a significant increase in fasting and prayer, even proposing a unified, church-wide day of prayer across America to seek the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, he encourages more frequent observance of the Lord's Supper. Crucially, Edwards insists that moral duties, especially charitable giving to the poor, are far more important to God than external acts of worship and directly result in spiritual blessings. Finally, he suggests congregations publicly renew their covenants with God and proposes publishing regular accounts of the revival to inspire others.Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologianYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReformedExplainerWorship Music: https://suno.com/playlist/3a498d0f-c90e-4981-8aa7-59834e7239f7https://buymeacoffee.com/edi2730