Known by Fruit

Distinguishing Marks of Genuine Religious Affections
Selected Scriptures
2006.02.02
06SR Session Five

I suppose that some of you may be a little worn out after the last message on No Sure Signs, and I also anticipate that some of you are looking forward to some encouragement as we discuss those signs that are distinguishing marks of genuine religious affections. Remember, it is possible to know that you have eternal life; in other words, it is possible to have assurance of salvation. 1 John 5:2 and 13 reveals that confidence of our spiritual state is attainable.

In the previous message we considered the inconclusive marks of genuine affections. The goal was to expose counterfeit confidence and keep us from depending on inconclusive or insufficient evidence. Now we turn our attention to the distinctive, distinguishing marks of true, spiritual affections.

The distinguishing marks were primary for Jonathan Edwards. In The Religious Affections he devoted only 65 pages (with twelve points that’s a bit over 5 pages per point) to discuss what are no sure signs. However, this third and final part of his book is substantially larger, consuming 258 pages (with another 12 points at an average of 21.5 pages per point). And even that statistic is a bit misleading, as the 12th and final sign of gracious affections is given a whopping 74 pages. That is nine more pages than all the no sure signs together! Obviously he covers a lot of ground, but I have abridged and rearranged his material so that we might at least get an overview of this important subject.

Before considering the distinguishing marks themselves, Edwards begins Part 3 with three reminders. First, he reminds us that no one can know for sure someone else’s spiritual condition and that the ultimate judgment is God’s alone. Yet God’s Word does give us guidelines for discriminating between what is true and what is counterfeit so that we may be safe from our own deceiving hearts and false comforts.

Second, Edwards reminds us that there are no signs or marks to be found by Christians who are in sin or low experiences of love and grace that will make them feel better. When grace is small in a person’s life it will be hard to pinpoint. Not only that, but when someone is living in sin, that sin causes a defect in their ability to see. No signs can be given that will encourage us or satisfy us in that condition. Edwards says,

It is like giving man rules how to distinguish visible objects in the dark. (p.122)

And so it is useless for anyone to seek immediate, full assurance of salvation if sin’s influence is strong. It is fruitless labor to pour over past experiences to find fruit if there is none today. In fact, it is not God’s design that we should have assurance any other way than habitually killing sin and increasing in spiritual, holy living.

Assurance is not to be obtained so much by self-examination as by action. (p.123)

Some people scrutinize their belly-buttons so much that they are functionally paralyzed. Consequently there is nothing to examine since they’ve been sitting still. But if we want to make our calling and election sure, there is more work to do than simply listen to a sermon and check the boxes to see if we pass the test. We’ve got to get working. The apostle Peter makes this clear in 2 Peter 1:5-11:

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Edwards’ third word of introduction is his acknowledgment that even though he hoped these signs to be helpful, he knows that some hypocrites are so self-deceived that it usually does nothing to lay before them the most convincing evidences of their hypocrisy. But perhaps God would be pleased to use His truth to awaken unbelieving hypocrites to new life and also strengthen believers in their assurance of genuine, gracious affections.

Alright, so I’ve taken Edwards’ 12 distinguishing marks (over 258 pages) and turned them into six.

1. Genuine religious affections are spiritual.

Saying that genuine affections are “spiritual” is only helpful if we can idenfity what is truly spiritual and what isn’t. This is both a simple and difficult subject, misunderstood by many.

Each and every Christian has the Holy Spirit living inside of them as a down-payment on their eternal inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14). Edwards summarizes it this way,

The Spirit of God is given to true saints to dwell in them as His proper lasting abode; and to influence their hearts as a principle of new nature, or as a divine supernatural spring of life and action. (p.127)

That’s good enough. But how do we know when the Spirit is there, and when the affections are Spirit-produced and not originating from a counterfeit spirit or our own deceitful heart? It’s not like a light starts flashing on top of our head. So how do we know?

First, we recognize the Spirit’s work when we are convicted of sin. In fact, this is one of the Spirit’s primary tasks. False affections are not typically concerned with identifying sin or sorrowing over it. Counterfeit affections tend to ignore sin or rationalize it or redefine it. But the Spirit convicts us of sin.

John 16:8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:

Second, we also discern the Spirit’s work when we know and value Jesus. This too is one of the clear purposes of the Spirit: that we would prize Christ. Counterfeit affections have a self-focus and not about the great things of Jesus.

John 15:26 But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness about Me. 16:14 He will glorify Me, for He will take what is Mine and declare it to you.

Third, we perceive the Spirit’s work when we see the various facets of fruit He produces.

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control;

Note as well the primary purpose of the Spirit in Galatians 5: to keep us from gratifying the desires of the flesh (v.16). Those who are spiritual are those who belong to Jesus Christ and have “crucified the flesh with it’s passions and desires” (v.24). So the Holy Spirit is not necessarily someone that we feel, but someone we recognize through our holy behavior.

Romans 8:4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

The hypocrite is not interested in putting the flesh to death, but keeping his earthly passions and adding religious talk.

And even though there are more signs of the Spirit’s work, it is also important to mention we see the Spirit’s work when He illumines Scripture to us, that is, when He helps us to understand the Word. Those without the Spirit do not, they cannot, accept the things of His Word. That’s why the apostle Paul said,

1 Corinthians 2:14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

The Holy Spirit is not disclosing new revelation or dreams or fresh communication. Instead He helps us to understand better what He’s already written. He is not unveiling secret and hidden messages written in Scripture but bringing to light His original intent. Some people think that something is spiritual just because they can’t explain it. They think certain feelings or impressions or imaginations are spiritual. Instead, as Edwards summarizes,

The seal of the Spirit is the vital, gracious, sanctifying communication and influence of the Spirit and not any immediate suggestion or revelation of facts by the Spirit. (p.163)

So gracious affections are spiritual, and by spiritual we mean enabled by the Holy Spirit as we are sin-sensitive, Jesus-valuing, Scripture-understanding, and holiness-increasing.

2. Genuine religious affections are Godward.

One hitch with hypocrites is that they are pleased first or primarily with the benefits and happiness they receive from God, rather than being happy with or in God Himself. They don’t appreciate God as the greatest, but their affections for God come because they see what they get from Him. Edwards relates that,

They first rejoice and are elevated with it, that they are made much of by God; and then on that ground He seems, in a sort, lovely to them. (p.176)

The joy of hypocrites is in themselves…. What they are principally taken and elevated with is not the glory of God, or the beauty of Christ, but the beauty of their own experiences. They keep thinking with themselves, What a good experience this is! What a great discovery is this! What wonderful things I have met with…. They take more comfort in their discoveries than in Christ discovered. (p.177)

But true saints are not great talkers about themselves; they are talkers about the great Jesus. Genuine religious affections are not articulated with ourselves as the hero of every story, but of God as the Lord and Savior. The goal of spiritual life is not for Christians to get gifts from God, but to get God Himself. So God does not exist to serve Christians, but they to serve Him.

The the song Much of You by Steven Curtis Chapman is a spot on sample of this Godward posture. The first verse asks,

How could I stand here
And watch the sun rise
Follow the mountains
Where they touch the sky
Ponder the vastness
And the depths of the sea
And think for a moment
The point of it all was to make much of me

The refrain is a commitment,

I want to make much of You, Jesus
I want to make much of Your love
I want to live today to give You the praise
That You alone are so worthy of
I want to make much of Your mercy
I want to make much of Your cross
I give You my life
Take it and let it be used
To make much of You

A true saint forgets himself when he sees God. He doesn’t even want to be in the picture. Edwards admits,

It would be a diversion and loss which he could not bear to take his eye off from the ravishing object of his contemplation, to survey his own experience and to spend time thinking with (about) himself…. (p.178)

It is silly to spend time thinking about ourselves when we could be thinking about God. I was running on my treadmill one day, wrestling through this concept and trying to think about how to illustrate this. I was trying to be Edwardsian in my imagery, so we’ll see how that goes.

The difference between religious affections that are manward or Godward is like the difference between seeing your reflection in a mirror or in a window. The hypocrite prides himself that he’s not looking directly on himself, since he is looking away from himself. But in his looking out, he’s actually aiming to get a bigger or better view of himself. The true saint looks out, as it were, through a window at God. Though he could position himself to catch his reflection in the window, it would be ridiculous to focus on himself when the beauty and glory of God is visible. It would a a “diversion and loss which he could not bear.”

It isn’t that we don’t see and appreciate all the benefits and happiness in what God gives us. But these things are second in line, not first. God is first. We prize God’s infinite worth and precious value for its own sake.

That is the reason hypocrites don’t value God’s holiness. They can appreciate His power since that can get them out of trouble. They can appreciate His grace since that will cover their sins. But there is nothing in His holiness that they can appreciate. It doesn’t benefit them that He is holy. So Edwards wrote,

Wicked men and devils will see and have a great sense of everything that pertains to God, except the beauty of His moral perfections. (p.190) A true love to God must begin with delight in His holiness, and not with a delight in any other attribute. (p.183)

Genuine religious affections are Godward, not focused on ourselves and focused on God as He truly is in His sovereign holiness.

3. Genuine religious affections are truth-driven.

The antithesis of truth-driven affections are affections driven by experience and/or emotion. But Edwards points out,

Holy affections are not heat without light; but evermore arise from the information of the understanding. …Knowledge is the key that first opens the heart and enlargens the affections and so opens the way. (p.192)

That’s why Edwards took it has his pastoral duty to raise the affections of his hearers as high as he possibly could, so long as they were affected with nothing but the truth. The highest zeal and deepest affection is of no eternal benefit if it is not according to truth, just as the apostle Paul said of his kinsmen,

I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. (Romans 10:2)

So when Paul wrote to the Philippians he declared,

it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, (Philippians 1:9)

We should say two additional things about the truth that must drive our affections. First, spiritual understanding of truth is understanding of the Scriptures and not

in any new doctrinal knowledge, or in having suggested to the mind any new proposition not before read or heard of. (p.203)

Affections that are built on experiences, especially mystical experiences, are not stable. Subjective things are shifty and uncertain at best. But God’s Word is objecting and unchanging and more certain than any experience. Genuine affections are built on understanding of revealed truth, not personal, cryptic, inexplicable experiences or imaginations.

And second, spiritual understanding of truth is understanding of Scripture properly, not allegorical, fanciful or otherwise subjective interpretations. Edwards noted that,

It appears also that the affection which is occasioned by the coming of a text of Scripture must be in vain, when the affection is founded on something that is supposed to be taught by it, which really is not contained in it, nor in any other Scripture, because such supposed instruction is not real instruction, but a mistake and misapprehension of the mind. … Affections really arise from ignorance, rather than instruction, in these instances. (p.194)

We must never underestimate the necessity of proper hermeneutics and correct exegesis for the sake of understanding God’s truth that drives genuine religious affections.

This is one of the biggest problems with so many “church experiences”–that’s all they are, experiences. If affections are not grounded on truth, on God’s Word and His Word properly understood, then they are no sure signs. But truth-driven affections–truth from the Bible about God and His gospel–are distinguishing marks of genuine religious affections.

4. Genuine religious affections are nature-changing.

Though I suppose that this one should be obvious, it apparently is not. When the Bible talks about salvation and conversion and becoming a Christian, it uses language like “born again,” “new creatures,” “taking off the old man and putting on the new man,” “being made partakers of the divine nature” and so on. These images do not present genuine Christian life as an add-on or a surface level change or simply behavior modification. Genuine religious affections stem from an entirely different, completely changed, new nature.

Of all the changes, perhaps the single most affected part is our perspective on ourselves. That is to say, genuine religious affections are always distinguished by the presence of humility. Whereas the natural man and the hypocrite are always lifting themselves up, genuine affections cause a man to be low. We know we must decrease while Christ increases. Edwards defined this “evangelical humiliation” as the

sense that a Christian has of his own utter insufficiency, despicableness, and odiousness with an answerable frame of heart. (p.237)

Religious posers compare themselves with others. They think that they are not nearly as bad as most everyone else and figure that they have done numerous noteworthy religious things. They are like the Pharisee in Jesus’ parable who thanked God that he was not like others. They tend to be the hero of every story they tell.

But true saints compare themselves with God’s standard. And in proportion to God’s position and requirements, no one in this world is what they ought to be. The highest love that any have in this life is but skimpy, tepid, and diluted in comparison to what our obligations are. Edwards’ logic is watertight here.

The least sin against an infinite God has an infinite hatefulness or deformity in it; but the highest degree of holiness in a creature has not an infinite loveliness in it.

Our obligation to love and honor any being is in some proportion to his loveliness and honorableness, or to his worthiness to be loved and honored by us…We are surely under greater obligation to love a more lovely being than a less lovely; and if a Being be infinitely lovely or worthy to be loved by us, then our obligations to love Him are infinitely great, and therefore whatever is contrary to this love, has in it infinite iniquity, deformity, and unworthiness.

So much the greater distance between God and the creature, so much the less is the creature’s respect worthy of God’s notice or regard. A great degree of superiority increases the obligation of the inferior to regard the superior, and so makes the want of regard more hateful. But a great degree of inferiority diminishes the worth of the regard of the inferior; because the more he is inferior, the less he is worthy of notice; the less he is, the less is what he can offer worth…as he is little, and little worth, so is his respect little worth.

In other words, our wickedness is infinitely despicable and our best love is hardly admirable compared to what He deserves. Of course, we tend to overestimate our position and therefore underestimate the distance between ourselves and God. This is a monumental mistake.

Though the following illustration is far from Edwardsean, perhaps it will help to knock us off our proud pedestals.

Imagine that you are the curator of a worm farm. You have acquired an aquarium and collected a great number of worms for your colony. You provide your worm community with food, water, protection from attack, and all other things necessary for their pursuit of happiness. In return you require the group to follow, let’s say 10 commands. You even display those commands on a poster on the side of the aquarium for all to see. Most of the worms appreciate your care and oversight, so much so that they decided to hold weekly services to sing songs of thanks and praise.

But here are two very important questions. First, would that worm worship make you feel truly respected? When you were ignored at parties, would your self-image be boosted by remembering that at least the worms love you? Probably not. They are worms. Their admiration and submission is only worth so much.

And the second question is, what would you do if one of those worms disobeyed? Would you not find that utterly inappropriate and reprehensible? How dare a worm disregard you!

And though God is graciously more mindful of man than men are of worms, the point is in the parallel. The more we understand how infinitely great and holy God is the more we see how wicked and pathetic we are. And as we see the distance between us we will must be more humble. The best we can offer Him is worthless. The worst we can offer Him is infinitely bad. The more actually holy we get the more sense and sensitivity we will have to how holy we still are not. We will never imagine our humility to be low enough. As Edwards wrote,

It is really no argument of any great conviction of sin for some men to think themselves to be sinful beyond most others in the world; because they are so indeed very plainly and notoriously. (p.260)

So gracious affections come from a changed nature, and one evidence (on a great heap of evidences) of a changed nature is developing humility.

5. Genuine religious affections are relentless.

In other words, genuine affections are always increasing and developing. They are not stagnant nor are they easily satisfied with their attainments. They do not applaud themselves and pat themselves on the back for how far they’ve come. Truly spiritual affections are not easily satiated. They are always pressing and pushing to mature more.

The kindling and raising of gracious affections is like kindling a flame; the higher it is raised, the more ardent it is; and the more it burns, the more vehemently does it tend and seek to burn. (p.303)

A fire lit is a fire seeking to burn. Isn’t that exactly what we see of Paul?

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-14)

This is why in the New Testament, conversion is always seen as just the beginning. Men are to run the race with commitment and not stop until the course is completed. Believers are constantly striving and agonizing, wresting against principalities and powers, fighting, standing, pressing forward, crying to God day and night. Taking a break from the battle or calling a timeout during the fight is a sure way to be toast. Satan is not resting. Sin takes no breathers. That is why we must be ever alert and always active. Edwards dreadfully warns us away from half-heartedness:

Slothfulness in the service of God in His professed servants is as damning as open rebellion; for the slothful servant is a wicked servant and shall be cast into open darkness among God’s open enemies.

But gracious and genuine affections are not intermittent or listless, they are relentless.

6. Genuine religious affections are fruitful.

Not only is this the last and longest section in The Religious Affections it is also the most important. For Edwards the best proof was always here, not in talk, not in feelings, not in imaginations and impressions, but in the fruit of Christian practice. This implied three things about the Christian’s conduct:

1. That his behavior or practice in the world, be universally conformed to, and directed by, Christian rules.
2. That he makes a business of such a holy practice above all things; that it be a business which he is chiefly engaged in, and devoted to, and pursues with highest earnestness and diligence: so that he may be said to make this practice of religion eminently his work and business.
3. That he persists in it to the end of life: so that it may be said, not only to be his business at certain seasons, the business of the Sabbath days, or extraordinary times, or the business of a month, or year, or of seven years, or his business under certain circumstances, but the business of his life; it being that business which he perseveres in through all changes, and under all trials as long as he lives. (pp.308-309)

In other words, if a man’s affections are genuine and spiritual he will see Scripture as the definitive blueprint for right behavior, he will pursue of holy practice as the highest priority of his life, and he will be consistent and persevere in this for all his life. The apostle John clarifies the conclusive property of righteous practice in 1 John 3:6-10.

No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

And I mean, why wouldn’t our lives be fruitful? God has planned and prepared good works for us (Ephesians 2:10), He has made us dead to sin by our union with Christ (Romans 6), He has given us His Holy Spirit to enable holy living (Romans 8) and to produce fruit in us (Galatians 5). The Holy Spirit is the guarantee of finishing this for the future, so He who began a good work will be faithful to complete it. God is on our side! Edwards celebrates the certainty of divinely produces fruit:

No wonder that that which is divine is powerful and effectual; for it has omnipotence on its side. If God dwells in the heart, and is vitally united to it, He will show that He is God by the efficacy of His operation. (p.315)

This good fruit should be visible to others. Inconspicuous fruit is bad fruit. Our Lord not only declares that the true nature of a heart is disclosed externally and visibly but He also directs His followers to display good works for the sake of His Father’s glory.

Matthew 7:16 You will recognize them by their fruits.

Matthew 12:33 Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.

Matthew 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Edwards explains why the fruit illustration is so fitting:

The tree is made perfect in the fruit; it is not perfected in the first quickening of the seed and in its putting forth root and sprout; nor is it perfected when it comes up out of the ground; nor is it perfected in bringing forth leaves; nor yet in putting forth blossoms: but when it has brought forth good, ripe fruit; then it is perfected, therein it reaches its end; the design of the tree is finished: all that belongs to the tree is completed and brought to its proper effect in the fruit. (p.355)

Fruit is the point and the final part of the tree’s maturation process. Likewise for the Christian fruit is the main and most proper diagnostic. It is not talk or manner of speech or expressions of emotion, but fruit. As Edwards pointed out,

Passing affections easily produce words; and words are cheap. …Christian practice is a costly, laborious thing. (p.332, emphasis added)

Not only is good fruit visible to others but our good works are the chief evidences to our own consciences. Godliness is not in a heart that intends to do the will of God, but in a heart that actually does it.

It is therefore exceedingly absurd and even ridiculous for any to pretend that they have a good heart, while they live a wicked life, or do not bring forth the fruit of universal holiness in their practice. (p.348)

So,

Christian practice is the sign of signs. (p.369)

The more fruit of holiness, the more evidence of your affections being genuine. To the degree that your practice is influenced for God, that is the degree of your affections for God.

CONCLUSION

How important is it for us to be lively and relentless and humble and Christlike and truth-driven and Godward fruit-bearers. If we long to live and do everything for the love of God, these are the things that will mark us; they will distinguish us to the world and they will be great signs of assurance that divine grace is at work in us.

Edwards’ final assertion in The Religious Affections from 300 years ago applies equally for us:

(This kind of spiritually fruitful life) would above all things, tend to convince men that there is a reality in religion, and greatly awaken them, and win them, by convincing their consciences of the importance and excellency of religion. (p.382)