Our Worldly Hearts, Like Thorns, Grow Naturally
A Lesson from Jonathan Edwards
Examine your faith. Have you cast off duties, particularly difficult ones? Have you been swallowed up by worldly interest, developed inordinate affection for money or sensual enjoyment? Or have you shifted off the responsibility of doing what is right? (Job 27:10, Luke 14:26, 1 John 3:9).
Earnestly watch, pray, and strive to be in His grace and not fall into temptation. In light of your weakness and your powerful enemies, ask God to help you stand firm, particularly in times of trial. Seek deeper roots so that you may bear fruit (Acts 14:22, 11:23, 13:43; Luke 21:34, 36; Ephesians 6:13-14, 3:16-17; 2 King 19:30; Joshua 13:5-7).
Many of us are like uncultivated ground, full of seeds and roots of thorns that have never been plowed (Matthew 13:7, 22).
But thorns grow spontaneously. Our worldly hearts—inordinate affections towards worldly pleasure, profit, and honor—choke off the word of God, so that fruit cannot grow (Jeremiah 4:3, 1 John 2:15, 1 John 2:16, Mark 4:18-19, Luke 8:14).
After the fall, human hearts bring forth such thorns. Intense worldly concern, affection, and pursuits naturally grow. We focus on being superior to others, greed over gain, and carnal pleasures. Not knowing any better happiness, we pursue worldly things above all else. They become the idol we worship (Genesis 3:17-18).
Such naturally and spontaneously growing thorns are useless, as they bear no fruit, and end in death. Furthermore, such pernicious growth wounds the soul, bringing no peace or rest, and causes intense conflicts and pain among people (Psalm 4:6, Isaiah 55:2, Jeremiah 17:11, Job 20:15, Romans 6:21, Ecclesiastes 5:12, James 4:1, Micah 7:4, 2 Samuel 23:6-7).
Our uncultivated ground needs to be plowed to create good soil. Conviction for our sins and repentance can break up our hardened hearts. See the vile nature of sin against God’s glory. Be convinced of the vanity of the world so that we might break from it. Let us deny ourselves and renounce our self-righteousness to kill these thorns. Then the seed of the gospel can flourish and bear abundant fruit (Matthew 13:7, Jeremiah 4:3).
Summary of a sermon by Jonathan Edwards, “The Thorns that Choke the Word.”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De_4qb15wQQ
Earnestly watch, pray, and strive to be in His grace and not fall into temptation. In light of your weakness and your powerful enemies, ask God to help you stand firm, particularly in times of trial. Seek deeper roots so that you may bear fruit (Acts 14:22, 11:23, 13:43; Luke 21:34, 36; Ephesians 6:13-14, 3:16-17; 2 King 19:30; Joshua 13:5-7).
Many of us are like uncultivated ground, full of seeds and roots of thorns that have never been plowed (Matthew 13:7, 22).
But thorns grow spontaneously. Our worldly hearts—inordinate affections towards worldly pleasure, profit, and honor—choke off the word of God, so that fruit cannot grow (Jeremiah 4:3, 1 John 2:15, 1 John 2:16, Mark 4:18-19, Luke 8:14).
After the fall, human hearts bring forth such thorns. Intense worldly concern, affection, and pursuits naturally grow. We focus on being superior to others, greed over gain, and carnal pleasures. Not knowing any better happiness, we pursue worldly things above all else. They become the idol we worship (Genesis 3:17-18).
Such naturally and spontaneously growing thorns are useless, as they bear no fruit, and end in death. Furthermore, such pernicious growth wounds the soul, bringing no peace or rest, and causes intense conflicts and pain among people (Psalm 4:6, Isaiah 55:2, Jeremiah 17:11, Job 20:15, Romans 6:21, Ecclesiastes 5:12, James 4:1, Micah 7:4, 2 Samuel 23:6-7).
Our uncultivated ground needs to be plowed to create good soil. Conviction for our sins and repentance can break up our hardened hearts. See the vile nature of sin against God’s glory. Be convinced of the vanity of the world so that we might break from it. Let us deny ourselves and renounce our self-righteousness to kill these thorns. Then the seed of the gospel can flourish and bear abundant fruit (Matthew 13:7, Jeremiah 4:3).
Summary of a sermon by Jonathan Edwards, “The Thorns that Choke the Word.”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De_4qb15wQQ