No Sure Signs

Inconclusive Signs of Religious Affections
Selected Scriptures
2006.02.01
06SR Session Four

We are commanded to disbelieve certain things. In his book, The Distinguishing Marks of a Work of God, Edwards basically exposits and expands on one verse that requires disbelief.

1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

This text was the benchmark and the basis for Edwards’ book as well as for much of his ministry. He saw it as a biblical mandate to unbelief. Obviously this is not the kind of unbelief or lack of faith that is typical in a non-Christian who rejects Christ. Rather the kind of unbelief required in 1 John 4:1 functions as a red flag, as warning flare against certain claims when the evidence is inconclusive. We are not to believe everything that everybody tells us.

R.C. Sproul put it this way:

Any claim to spiritual power is to be tested to see if the claim can be validated by the work of God. This rests on the axiom that not all spirits are holy. (The Spirit of Revival, p. 23)

Testing the spirits is necessary not only because there are many teachers spreading fiction and falsehoods, but also because their claims are typically appealing, likable, and easy to swallow.

Edwards likens this to the problems faced by the Israelites’ in the Old Testament. Their biggest threat was not enemies warring against them–as dangerous as those enemies were. Instead, their greatest problem was the false prophets among them. The spin of the false prophets always seemed to be more popular than the truth.

And there are false prophets and deceiving spirits in the church today. The influence and work of the Holy Spirit is often imitated by counterfeit spirits, even by Satan himself (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:14). That is why it is absolutely critical to recognize what are true and reliable signs of genuine religious affections and what are not.

That is our goal. Soon we will look at Part III of The Religious Affections in which Edwards attempts to provide us with clear, distinguishing marks of genuine affections. But first we are going to consider Part II in which Edwards describes those things that are “No Sure Signs.” Here he attempts to answer the question, What are not reliable signs? These are things that don’t prove–one way or another–whether there is a true work of grace; a Holy Spirit empowered work in a person’s life.

We’ve tried to establish that God demands our religious affections, since our affections for Him are what most magnify Him. Everything we do should be for the love of God. We’ve seen that Scripture everywhere makes our affections not only the source of all we do, but the most fundamental aspect of following God.

And some of you may be thinking to yourselves, “I’ve got religious affections. I like certain things about God, church, and the Christian life.” Maybe some of you think you have had great spiritual experiences and therefore you assume that your experience must be genuine. But there are some things that are no sure signs.

Now let me say two more things before we look at what are no sure signs.

First, neither Edwards or I are making the claim to know “for sure” who are Christians are who are not. Edwards goes out of his way on numerous occasions to say that even though the Scripture gives us much instruction on how to tell the true from the false, the final judgment is God’s alone.

That does not mean, however, that we are not to consider these distinguishing marks. In fact it is crucial for shepherds to help protect and lead the sheep. Even though we cannot always distinguish between the wheat and the tares, that is not permission to ignore the evidence we have. We ought to be gracious in our dealings with those that give evidence of being posers, but we will answer for our faithlessness if we allow them to continue in their deception.

This study then is of great importance not only to shepherds but also to you. This is an excellent time to examine and consider the state of your own soul. There is no greater danger in the world than the deception of thinking yourself to be safe when in reality you are least secure. By the way, this also means you should be primarily concerned with examining your own heart–rather than those around you.

Second, this is hard stuff. Some of you who are Christians, who have been made alive by the Spirit and who have spiritually sensitive hearts will probably hear things that will cause you to question your salvation. That is appropriate, at least to a certain extent. The apostle Paul called everyone in the church to:

1 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.

And the more sensitive you are, the more likely you will be to take this seriously. Pray that God will help you to evaluate and examine in a balanced way, heeding the warnings but not going overboard.

But others do need Edwards’ teaching from Scripture to come down as a hammer on their hard hearts or as an ice pick to shatter their frozen heart. Discerning what are no sure signs may obliterate their counterfeit confidence and cause them to seek God with genuine religious affections.

There are four primary areas, or four no sure signs that I want us to consider. Edwards actually lists twelve inconclusive signs in Part II, but it would be almost impossible to cover each one of those as its own separate point as well as the fact that some of them overlap a bit anyway. So I’ve tried to summarize them under four main categories, though I’ll end up referencing ten of Edwards’ twelve throughout.

1. Just because you have religious affections is no sure sign.

Now we’ve labored to say in this series that there is no true religion without religious affections. Love, joy, gladness, zeal, sorrow for sin, etc., are all fundamental to real Christian living. On the other hand, it is no evidence that religious affections are of a spiritual and gracious nature just because someone has affections, or even because those affections are great.

For example, the Israelites were greatly affected at the Red Sea and were praising God wonderfully for His work of deliverance.

Exodus 14:31 Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses. 15:1 Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying, “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. 2 The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.”

Yet it was just a short while later that they had all but forgotten God and complained against Him.

Exodus 16:3 and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

At Mt. Sinai they exclaimed “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.”

Exodus 19:7 So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. 8 All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord. 9 And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.”

But they didn’t even wait for Moses to come back down before they committed gross idolatry.

Exodus 32:1 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 4 And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” 6 And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.

Or how about on Palm Sunday the crowds cried out with loud voices, “Hosanna to the Son of David, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” (John 12:12-13). But for some that great and affectionate cry turned to another cry just a few days later, “Crucify Him, crucify Him” (Matthew 27:15-23). Just because you have affections doesn’t prove anything.

It is also no sure sign that a person has many different kinds of affections.

As from true divine love flow all Christian affections, so from a counterfeit love in like manner naturally flow other false affections. (p.78)

Just as men can have kind of temporary sorrow like King Saul or a kind of false joy like those stony-ground hearers (Matthew 13:20-21), so they can have many different affections and it be no sure proof.

Consider again the crowd on Palm Sunday in John 12:12-18. They were following Jesus because they had seen Him raise Lazarus from the dead. They seemed to have admiration, a degree of reverence in laying down their garments for Him to walk on, they had high praises to Him and earnest desires for the coming of God’s Kingdom which they supposed Jesus was about to set up, and they appeared very zealous on His behalf. But many of these were the same ones who turned on Him and sought His death. There was no proof of true faith in their worship and many affections.

What’s more, there are certain things that move people that do not require the Holy Spirit. For example, it is natural for a man to fear hell. And it is natural for that man to feel a sense of peace and joy that he has escaped that eternal punishment. There are some who receive this word with great gladness. But after a while, the cares of this world choke out that faith and prove that initial excitement to be worthless.

In fact, even such strong and numerous affections that affect the body are no sure signs.

Just because you get all tingly or your heart starts pounding or you tremble or you cry–nothing is proven for sure one way or the other. Any affection that is strong enough has an effect on the body. Watching a movie, cheering on your favorite sports team, watching a loved one suffer–all can affect the body, and they may have nothing at all to do with God.

Great effects on the body certainly are no sure evidence that affections are spiritual; for we see that such effects oftentimes arise from great affections about temporal things, and when religion is in no way concerned. (p.59)

Just because you are really moved or excited in worship doesn’t mean you aren’t moved more by the beat or the harmony or the lighting.

And one additional element, just because you can’t explain how you came to feel the way you do, or how you have so numerous or strong affections that affect your body is no sure sign that your affections are genuine. While it is true that genuine affections are produced supernaturally, that is, by the Spirit in such a way that we can’t fully comprehend,

There are other spirits who have influence on the minds of men besides the Holy Ghost. We are directed not to believe every spirit, but to try the spirits whether they be of God. There are many false spirits, exceeding busy with men, who often transform themselves into angels of light, and do in many wonderful ways, with great subtlety and power, mimic the operations of the Spirit of God. (p.64)

Now only that, but even God’s Spirit can work in a common, non-saving way.

Hebrews 6:4 For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 if they then fall away,

So just because you have religious affections, many of them, various kinds of them, of such a degree that they affect your body, even that you can’t explain–that is no sure sign of being a true Christian.

Some of you have had momentous and meaningful moments, responding to a sermon or some retreat weekend. You spoke of the changes God made in your heart and how you were committed to loving and praising Him more. And by this time your heart has grown cold and your obedience of little concern to you. Those kind of affections are no sure signs.

2. Just because you do religious things is no sure sign.

Just as having religious feelings or senses doesn’t prove anything, so here are additionally no sure signs. You can think about religious things, talk about them, be committed to doing them, even to the extent of publicly worshiping God, and that still be no sure guarantee.

Obviously a true Christian thinks about Christ and Scripture, but you can think about Christ and the Bible and not be a Christian. In fact, it can go so far that passages of Scripture can come to your mind at different times in ways you can’t explain and that is no sure sign. Edwards observes,

What evidence is there that the devil cannot bring texts of Scripture to the mind, and misapply them to deceive them? …(I)f Satan did presume and was permitted to put Christ Himself a mind of texts of Scripture to tempt Him, what reason have we to determine that he dare not, or will not be permitted to put wicked men in mind of texts of Scripture to tempt and deceive them? (p.71)

And it doesn’t even take the devil to do this. Our own hearts are wired to deceive us (Jeremiah 17:9). Most of us get regular, heaping servings of Bible teaching, so it will not be a great surprise if your own deceitful heart/imagination brings up texts at other times that you take as a special thing. But this is no sure sign.

And not only may you think about religious things, but you can even talk a lot about religious things, and that is no sure sign. Yes, true Christians will talk much about Christ and the things of Christ. Yes, out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. But this is no proof that what is in the heart is there by grace!

As a tree that is over-full of leaves seldom bears much fruit; and as a cloud, though to appearance very pregnant and full of water, if it brings with it over-much wind, seldom affords much rain to the dry and thirsty earth.

As Solomon noted,

Proverb 25:14 Like clouds and wind without rain
is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give.

So Edwards concludes,

False affections, if they are equally strong are much more forward to declare themselves than true, because it is the nature of false religion to affect show and observation, as it was with the Pharisees. (p.64)

And going a step further, thinking nor talking much nor doing many religious things is a sure guarantee. Going to church doesn’t prove anything. Serving in ministry isn’t sure evidence. Preaching isn’t even a guarantee of genuine religious affections.

Yes, the tendency of a true work of grace is to cause Christians to delight in religious exercises: Bible reading, prayer, service, corporate worship, etc. They will naturally have a desire and zeal to do these things and spend much time in them. But sadly this is no sure sign. A tendency to be much involved and busy with religious things is no proof.

The Israelites were regular in their offering of sacrifices, but at times God called these sacrifices–that He had commanded them to make–abominable because it was merely external. The Pharisees made long prayers and fasted twice a week but their affections were counterfeit.

Jesus explains that He has no relationship with some who serve vigorously in His name.

Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

And look at the next paragraph:

Matthew 7:24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

To a casual observer there are very few differences between the genuine and the counterfeit. Both are busy building a house. Both houses are apparently in the same vicinity–visible to one another. Both houses were pretty much the same; same floor plan, same materials. But even though there was a lot of action and business above the ground, there were massive differences in the foundation.

Time and difficulties proved the foundation. And so nothing is certain because persons spend much time and energy in religious activity, doing religious things.

Matthew 7:13 Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

The people on the broad road, having entered through the broad gate, are not irreligious and inactive people. They believe they are on the right way and that they are busy with the right things. They are surrounded by others who have the same confidence. But it is no proof that you are walking a religious road…if it is not the right road.

The final two inconclusive signs are shorter but no less significant.

3. Just because other people think your religious affections are genuine is no sure sign.

Yes, it is right and appropriate and helpful to get confirmation from others in the body of Christ as they are able to encourage us and help us identify signs of grace. However, there are a few reasons why affirmation from others cannot be foolproof.

First, it is ultimately impossible to infallibly know another person’s heart. All we can see is the external. And while that enables us to know a lot in many cases, that knowledge is never perfect or omniscient. It is hard to distinguish between the wheat and the tares at a certain point in the growing season. Besides, God does not need or seek input from others as He judges the genuineness of our affections. He is the one with whom we have to do.

Second, the other person could be immature. They might not have much wisdom or discernment or experience in these things. Asking an illiterate person if you are reading well is probably not going to furnish useful feedback.

Third, the other person might be deceived about their own condition. They might be on that same broad road too, and patting each other on the back isn’t going to change the destination.

Fourth, the other person might be giving you the benefit of the doubt in charity/love. Edwards wrote,

When there are many probable appearances of piety in others, it is the duty of the saints to receive them cordially into charity, and to love them and rejoice in them as their brethren in Christ. (p.111)

And if we are to accept those appearances, but those appearances are excellent counterfeits, we may not be able to spot the difference. Just because God helps us love someone doesn’t mean He isn’t helping us love a hypocrite.

In the worst case scenario, you may have the common influences of the Holy Spirit, joined with the delusions of Satan, and a wicked and deceitful heart. It might manifest itself in a sweet nature, a good doctrinal knowledge, and a long acquaintance with the common way Christians talk. You may have everyone fooled, but the confidence of others about your soul is no sure sign.

4. Just because you yourself are really confident that your religious affections are genuine is no sure sign.

There is a place for assurance of faith in the life of a believer. You may not be feeling a lot of that assurance right now, but it is possible. 1 John 5:13 says that it is possible to know that you have eternal life.

However, just because you think you do is no sure sign. You may have fooled others; you may be fooling yourself.

The Pharisees never doubted for a moment that they were saints, that they were the best of saints, and that there were great differences between them and others. They weren’t going hope to their wives expressing uncertainty about their spiritual condition.

Those serving the Lord in Matthew 7:21-23 seem utterly surprised. “Lord, Lord, did we not?” They don’t seem to have thought for a moment that something was wrong. For that matter, even those who killed Jesus did so confident that they were serving God’s will. But they were severely wrong. Edwards observes,

(W)hat blindness and deceit, what self-flattery, self-exaltation, and self-confidence reign in the heart of a hypocrite; we need not at all wonder that their high opinion of themselves, and confidence of their happy circumstances be as high and as a strong as a mountain. (p.100)

A hypocrite is unlikely to know his own blindness or hardness of heart. That is the point of being blind: you can’t see it. That is the point of a hard heart: you can’t feel it. And the devil does not assault the hope of a hypocrite as he does the hope of the saint. The devil is not an enemy to the hypocrite. Why would he bother one of his own?

Some professors have great confidence in their state even in the midst of serious sins. Sin doesn’t shake their assurance. That’s when they use religious arguments to justify their sin, and cry “salvation by faith alone,” forgetting that genuine faith results in works. You cannot convince them that the cistern they’re drinking from is empty. Even if you hold a mirror right in front of their nose they won’t believe their face is dirty.

And they really hate it when other people question. They count it a sin to doubt their state. So they are untouchable. They vaguely remember some distant experience or some past prayer, and their hope is rested entirely on that.

But you realize, that doubt is not only good, but necessary at the appropriate times for a true Christian? Edwards points out the benefit of uneasiness when he wrote,

When their love decays and the exercises of it fail or become weak, fear should arise; for then they need it to restrain them from sin, and to excited them to care for the good of their souls; and go to stir them up to watchfulness and diligence in religion. (p.108)

God doesn’t want you to have assurance if you are in sin and out of love with Him. It is vain for you to pour over past experiences in order to get peace and assurance if you are currently in the wrong. That is contrary to the way God has made it to be.

Yet some never doubt and have the greatest confidence. But that is no sure sign that their affections are genuine or spiritual.

CONCLUSION

So just because you had or have some religious affections, or are involved in religious activity, just because other people think you’re legit, or just because you have the greatest self-trust–in and of themselves these things don’t prove anything.

Our next task is to consider the distinguishing marks of genuine religious affections, but the point of studying no sure signs is to keep you from resting on inconclusive or insufficient evidence. Please don’t rest your case on unreliable testimony. Instead,

2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.