Five discourses on the soul's eternal salvation in Vol I of the Works - Edwards - V - First discourse continued

Required readingFive discourses on the soul's eternal salvation in Vol I of the Works by Jonathan Edwards (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read the Fourth Point (IV. To answer objections).

My summary.

This week Edwards answers the following objections to the doctrine of justification by faith alone: 

(i) We frequently find promises of eternal life and salvation, and sometimes of justification itself, made our own virtue and obedience;

(ii) Our own obedience, and inherent holiness, is necessary to prepare men for heaven; and therefore is doubtless what recommends persons to God's acceptance, as the heirs of heaven;

(iii) Our obedience is not only indissolubly connected with salvation, and preparatory to it, but the Scripture expressly speaks of bestowing eternal blessings as rewards for the good deeds of the saints;

(iv) It may be objected against what has been supposed, (viz. That rewards are given to our good works, only in consequence of an interest in Christ, or in testimony of God's respect to the excellency or value of them in his sight, as built on an interest in Christ's righteousness already obtained,) That the Scripture speaks of an interest in Christ itself, as being given out of respect to our moral fitness;

(v) It is objected against the doctrine of justification by faith alone, That repentance is evidently spoken of in Scripture as that which is in a special manner the condition of remission of sins; but remission of sins is by all allowed to be that wherein justification does (at least) in great part consist;

(vi) The last objection I shall mention, is that paragraph in the 3rd chapter of James, where persons are said expressly to be justified by works.

What grabbed me

Once again, I liked Edwards' defence of the importance of good works, particularly in his summary statement at the end of the objections:  'What has been said in answer to these objections, may also, I hope, abundantly serve for an answer to another objection, often made against this doctrine, viz. that it encourages licentiousness in life. For, from what has been said, we may see that the Scripture doctrine of justification by faith alone, without any manner of goodness or excellency of ours, does in no wise diminish either the necessity or benefit of a sincere evangelical universal obedience. Man's salvation is not only indissolubly connected with obedience, and damnation with the want of it, in those who have opportunity for it, but depends upon it in many respects. It is the way to salvation, and the necessary preparation for it; eternal blessings are bestowed in reward for it, and our justification in our own consciences and at the day of judgment, depends on it, as the proper evidence of our acceptable state; and that even in accepting of us as entitled to life in our justification, God has respect to this, as that on which the fitness of such an act of justification depends: so that our salvation does as truly depend upon it, as if we were justified for the moral excellency of it. And besides all this, the degree of our happiness to all eternity is suspended on, and determined by, the degree of this. So that this gospel-scheme of justification is as far from encouraging licentiousness, and contains as much to encourage and excite to strict and universal obedience, and the utmost possible eminency of holiness, as any scheme that can be devised, and indeed unspeakably more.'

Justification by faith alone doesn't discourage good works. On the contrary, it encourages them!

Next week's reading

Read the Fifth Point (V. The importance of this doctrine).

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.