A Fool Repeats His Folly
A Jonathan Edwards Sermon Summary
We may leave our evil path for awhile. But like a dog returning to its vomit, we tend to return to what was bad for us (Proverbs 26:11).
For awhile, we may become religious: Seek salvation, like Israelites searching for John the Baptist; grieve for our mistakes, like Saul’s bitter weep (1 Samuel 24:17, 26:21) and Ahab’s fasting (1 Kings 21:27); believe in Christ’s words (John 2:23-25); leave everything to follow Christ, like the disciple Judas (Matthew 19:27); or have affection for God, like the Israelites committing to follow God’s command (Matthew 13:20-21; Galatians 4:11, 15-16; Exodus 15:1-19; Deuteronomy 5:27, 29).
Like the Israelites, we can experience God’s majesty, as at Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:16-18, Exodus 32); numerous miracles (Exodus 13:21-22, 16:14-17, 32:8; Joshua 10:13; Luke 16:31); God’s judgment and punishments (Numbers 11:3, 16:41, 16:31, 21:6, 21:1); and God’s blessings (Deuteronomy 32:13-16, Isaiah 26:10).
Pain and suffering can bring us to God (Isaiah 1:5, Proverbs 27:22), but after our misery has subsided, our love for God may disappear quickly (Hosea 6:4).
We may behave well because of our love for worldly interest, honor, our children etc. But while we may be good in one area, our wickedness shows up in another.
Our original nature is corrupt and is the slave of sin (John 8:23, 34; Romans 7:14; Jeremiah 17:9, 13:23). Unless our nature is changed, our resolution to do good is built on sand (Matthew 7:26). We will return to our filth, gratifying our lust (2 Peter 2:20-22).
Without a change in nature, there is no sure foundation for our goodness. We may become worse than before (Mark 4:17, 1 John 2:19, Hebrews 10:38, Luke 14:29-30, Ezekiel 18:24).
By ourselves, we cannot change our nature (John 3:4). We need God to give us a new heart and make us holy.
With our sinful nature changed by God, we will have a new understanding; new conviction; and a new appetite for God’s word and imitating God’s character by doing just and holy things.
Summarized from a Jonathan Edwards sermon:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQZosI2QMPI&t=124s
For awhile, we may become religious: Seek salvation, like Israelites searching for John the Baptist; grieve for our mistakes, like Saul’s bitter weep (1 Samuel 24:17, 26:21) and Ahab’s fasting (1 Kings 21:27); believe in Christ’s words (John 2:23-25); leave everything to follow Christ, like the disciple Judas (Matthew 19:27); or have affection for God, like the Israelites committing to follow God’s command (Matthew 13:20-21; Galatians 4:11, 15-16; Exodus 15:1-19; Deuteronomy 5:27, 29).
Like the Israelites, we can experience God’s majesty, as at Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:16-18, Exodus 32); numerous miracles (Exodus 13:21-22, 16:14-17, 32:8; Joshua 10:13; Luke 16:31); God’s judgment and punishments (Numbers 11:3, 16:41, 16:31, 21:6, 21:1); and God’s blessings (Deuteronomy 32:13-16, Isaiah 26:10).
Pain and suffering can bring us to God (Isaiah 1:5, Proverbs 27:22), but after our misery has subsided, our love for God may disappear quickly (Hosea 6:4).
We may behave well because of our love for worldly interest, honor, our children etc. But while we may be good in one area, our wickedness shows up in another.
Our original nature is corrupt and is the slave of sin (John 8:23, 34; Romans 7:14; Jeremiah 17:9, 13:23). Unless our nature is changed, our resolution to do good is built on sand (Matthew 7:26). We will return to our filth, gratifying our lust (2 Peter 2:20-22).
Without a change in nature, there is no sure foundation for our goodness. We may become worse than before (Mark 4:17, 1 John 2:19, Hebrews 10:38, Luke 14:29-30, Ezekiel 18:24).
By ourselves, we cannot change our nature (John 3:4). We need God to give us a new heart and make us holy.
With our sinful nature changed by God, we will have a new understanding; new conviction; and a new appetite for God’s word and imitating God’s character by doing just and holy things.
Summarized from a Jonathan Edwards sermon:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQZosI2QMPI&t=124s