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Colossians 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Jonathan Edwards appealed to peoples 'affections," of which he had a far greater grasp of their meaning than I. However, this is worthy of exploration, for as it is written: "Set your AFFECTION on things above, not on things on the earth."
It immediately goes on to say in the next verse, "For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." Thus, the "killing" of one affection, while yet the quickening of another affection that hungers for the things of God; the things that are of God, yea, ALL things that are of God.
Indeed, David when preparing for his son Solomon to build the temple, said, "Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of mine own proper good, of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house. (ratza= delight, favor, pleasure) -1 Chronicles 29:3
He further prays, "I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto thee. O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee: And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things..." (1 Chronicles 29:17-19)
See how David in his own affections, his delights, and pleasure, not only set them up on the house of God, but has gone over and above?
Of Titus it is said his inward affection was more abundant toward the Corinthians: that being also translated elsewhere as "bowels" - not as we think of bowels today, but of a deep inward part, the seat of the tender emotions. 2 Corinthians 7:15 "And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him."
Gal 5:24 "And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. This is "pathema", as "pathos" : an affection of the mind, to suffer; a passionate desire. But one does suffer when they have such an affection unfulfilled: even a pining away due to an unfulfilled affection - a longing, which is not sinful itself, as one were missing a loved one who is parted from them. It can become a harmful affection, as Galatians warns, when it's an obsession, such a sinful relationship of the flesh, an addiction where one pines for the things they're addicted to, whether or not a physical addiction like nicotine, alcohol, drugs, or a psychological addiction such as pornography, gambling, thrill seeking, even overworking. After all, "pathos" is where we get the word pathological from.
"Splanchon" is a Greek word often translated "bowels," heart or tender mercies, is also affections, so that we see in Philippians 1:8 "For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ." That's the deep inner compassion and longing for out of pure desire. And here, the Apostle is referring to Christs affection, thus showing we are to be in Christ, put on Christ, and Christ in us: the union of Christ and the believer, as the Scriptures so command.
And Philippians 2:1-2, "If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind."
In Philemon 20 Paul writes, "Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord." - Refresh my bowels, that is affections: that he is beseeching, which is like urgently and fervently asking someone to do something- he is beseeching Philemon to receive Onesimus even as he, Paul, himself (vs 17) This is an example of true deep fellowship and Christian brotherhood; That is hugely lacking in the church today. In fact, there seems to be a "wall of separation" among believers: a distance, and it is not of God!
I can write this in tears, that I have been in churches where the Pastor will tell everyone to shake everyone's hand, or hug someone, or hug 10 people, and only a few handshakes or hugs are exchanged. And why should the Pastor even have to tell the congregation to do this? Wasn't that way 35 - 40 years ago. Oh, how this affection of loving the brethren is so lacking!
People just stare strait forward, even avoid others, or they get in their little cliques, or just leave in a hurry to go about their day. It seems some just can't wait to get out of church. They go, they feed, they leave. Almost like a dog or a cat rushing to it's bowl, gobbling down the food, and when done, off they go. And, I've noticed this in MANY a church, of differing denominations. And I've got to admit, I'm sometimes guilty of this myself, though I do try to reach out to those around me, nor am I the first out the door. More often I like to remain and fellowship if possible.
I just don't see too much of Philippians 2: the fellowship of the Spirit, bowels, or affections of mercies, having the same love, being of one accord. No wonder the church is weak, and the world calls us hypocrites. Sometimes, you know they are not just mocking, they are making a rational observation that happens to be correct! John 13:34-35, Jesus says, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."
You know in the 1980s I saw this a lot more? Maybe from 85 till the mid 90s. Everyone seemed truly glad to see one another. Pastor rarely had to tell anyone to shake hands or hug because it was naturally being done, and there was genuine fellowship, and it was sweet. But alas, as it is written, the love of many has waxed cold, they are without natural affection: in fact Paul goes on to warn in the last days they will also be heady and high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. And the Scriptures warn about being haughty, thinking yourself above others, conceited...
So what must we do with 1 John 2:8-9? "He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him." Or 3:18 "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth." And how about 1 John 4:21 "And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also..."
I didn't even expect this message to go here where it did. I think it turned down this road at Philemon, which I was led to go to specifically because I rarely go to it. I set out to explore affections, and to explore some various aspects of affections. I stuck to the Bible only, and did not consult any other preachers written works, though I did use the Strongs and the Vines dictionaries and lexicon. I only made mention of Jonathan Edwards appealing to affections at the beginning.
Yet I fear, and it is a grave concern, that many may not be in Christ, for their affections are not in the right places, but rather on self: heady, high-minded, even haughty. Spiritual pride can be a soul crusher, and I know this from experience. I speak to myself as much as anyone. Why are so many without compassion? "For they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love: yes they'll know we are Christians by our love..." The song goes. We used to sing that all the time in the 80s. I've heard it in church once in the past 7 years, maybe twice. That song goes right along with John 13 we read earlier, " By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."
Then there's John 15:12 & 17, "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you...These things I command you, that ye love one another." In fact in John this thing is commanded thrice, which shows the extreme importance of it. Jesus was explicitly giving it as a COMMAND that His followers love one another.
Look at Ruth 1:16-17. She is moved in affections when she bonds with her mother in law Naomi. In this same way we should bond both with the LORD, and there should also be such a bond of fellowship in the local assembly of the saints. Ruth 1:16-17 "And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me." Powerful! Powerful stuff here!
We see in Acts 2:44-47, "And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."
Oh now I must pray Isaiah 29:24, "They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine." And, Deuteronomy 16:20 "That which is altogether just shalt thou follow..." Is not Christ calling upon His people to be in more unity: is He not stirring the affections of some, and I would pray all? Let Him in! Quench not the Spirit of the Living God! O Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me! There is a worthy song to sing right there.
I will leave off with 1 Peter 3:8, "Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous..." Amen.
Here is what Edwards believed: Edwards is clear: 'the affections are no other, than the more vigorous and sensible exercises of the inclination and will of the soul' (Edwards 1957: 96). An affection, for Edwards, is not an emotion, but is a certain kind of willing (ie., a vigorous and sensible willing)
The soul is capable of perception and speculation, which he names as the understanding, and the soul inclines or is averse to what is beheld, which he names as an act of inclination or will. While he freely uses the term ‘faculties’, it is a mistake to think of the understanding and the will as ‘faculties’ that understand and will respectively; a person does not have an understanding and a will as distinct entities in the soul. Rather, persons understand and persons will. One of the important implications of this focus, Edwards claims, is that there cannot ‘be a clear distinction made between the two faculties of understanding and will, as acting distinctly and separately, in this matter’ (Edwards 1957: 272). Furthermore, the difference between a normal act of the will and an affection is simply ‘the degree and manner of exercise’ (p. 97). As an act of willing, an affection can be negative or positive, but to qualify as an ‘affection’, it must be a vigorous inclination of the will. (On the union of the body and the soul, and the bodily response to affections, see Edwards 1957: 98.) Affections are not synonymous with passions, therefore, because passions are more sudden and violent to the body (i.e. violence to the ‘animal spirits’ and the ‘motion of fluids’ according to Edwards’ understanding of human physiology), whereas affections are a more abiding movement of the will.
True religious affections are formed only through spiritual understanding or enlightening of the mind by the illumination of the Holy Spirit. True religious affections are grounded in the conviction of the historical truth of the gospel, not subjective reasonings or imaginings.
Because religious affections are only possible through the infusion of the Spirit in the soul, when issues of discernment arise, one cannot simply address the teleology of an affection, but must attend to the inner movement of the heart. In Edwards’ words, ‘True religion is evermore a powerful thing; and the power of it appears, in the first place, in the inward exercises of it in the heart, where is the principal and original seat of it’ (Edwards 1957: 100). As a movement in the heart, and because the fount of this work is the Spirit in the soul, Edwards turns to the language of sense and perception to articulate the phenomenology of this event. The problem this creates for discernment concerns the nature of this new sense of the heart given in regeneration. He claims that there is a ‘new inward perception or sensation of their minds, entirely different in its nature and kind, from anything that ever their minds were the subjects of before they were sanctified’, and argues that this ‘new sensation’ is discovered in the ‘faculties’ of the soul but is available only through the work of the Spirit in the elect.
Jonathan Edwards appealed to peoples 'affections," of which he had a far greater grasp of their meaning than I. However, this is worthy of exploration, for as it is written: "Set your AFFECTION on things above, not on things on the earth."
It immediately goes on to say in the next verse, "For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." Thus, the "killing" of one affection, while yet the quickening of another affection that hungers for the things of God; the things that are of God, yea, ALL things that are of God.
Indeed, David when preparing for his son Solomon to build the temple, said, "Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of mine own proper good, of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house. (ratza= delight, favor, pleasure) -1 Chronicles 29:3
He further prays, "I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto thee. O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee: And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things..." (1 Chronicles 29:17-19)
See how David in his own affections, his delights, and pleasure, not only set them up on the house of God, but has gone over and above?
Of Titus it is said his inward affection was more abundant toward the Corinthians: that being also translated elsewhere as "bowels" - not as we think of bowels today, but of a deep inward part, the seat of the tender emotions. 2 Corinthians 7:15 "And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him."
Gal 5:24 "And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. This is "pathema", as "pathos" : an affection of the mind, to suffer; a passionate desire. But one does suffer when they have such an affection unfulfilled: even a pining away due to an unfulfilled affection - a longing, which is not sinful itself, as one were missing a loved one who is parted from them. It can become a harmful affection, as Galatians warns, when it's an obsession, such a sinful relationship of the flesh, an addiction where one pines for the things they're addicted to, whether or not a physical addiction like nicotine, alcohol, drugs, or a psychological addiction such as pornography, gambling, thrill seeking, even overworking. After all, "pathos" is where we get the word pathological from.
"Splanchon" is a Greek word often translated "bowels," heart or tender mercies, is also affections, so that we see in Philippians 1:8 "For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ." That's the deep inner compassion and longing for out of pure desire. And here, the Apostle is referring to Christs affection, thus showing we are to be in Christ, put on Christ, and Christ in us: the union of Christ and the believer, as the Scriptures so command.
And Philippians 2:1-2, "If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind."
In Philemon 20 Paul writes, "Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord." - Refresh my bowels, that is affections: that he is beseeching, which is like urgently and fervently asking someone to do something- he is beseeching Philemon to receive Onesimus even as he, Paul, himself (vs 17) This is an example of true deep fellowship and Christian brotherhood; That is hugely lacking in the church today. In fact, there seems to be a "wall of separation" among believers: a distance, and it is not of God!
I can write this in tears, that I have been in churches where the Pastor will tell everyone to shake everyone's hand, or hug someone, or hug 10 people, and only a few handshakes or hugs are exchanged. And why should the Pastor even have to tell the congregation to do this? Wasn't that way 35 - 40 years ago. Oh, how this affection of loving the brethren is so lacking!
People just stare strait forward, even avoid others, or they get in their little cliques, or just leave in a hurry to go about their day. It seems some just can't wait to get out of church. They go, they feed, they leave. Almost like a dog or a cat rushing to it's bowl, gobbling down the food, and when done, off they go. And, I've noticed this in MANY a church, of differing denominations. And I've got to admit, I'm sometimes guilty of this myself, though I do try to reach out to those around me, nor am I the first out the door. More often I like to remain and fellowship if possible.
I just don't see too much of Philippians 2: the fellowship of the Spirit, bowels, or affections of mercies, having the same love, being of one accord. No wonder the church is weak, and the world calls us hypocrites. Sometimes, you know they are not just mocking, they are making a rational observation that happens to be correct! John 13:34-35, Jesus says, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."
You know in the 1980s I saw this a lot more? Maybe from 85 till the mid 90s. Everyone seemed truly glad to see one another. Pastor rarely had to tell anyone to shake hands or hug because it was naturally being done, and there was genuine fellowship, and it was sweet. But alas, as it is written, the love of many has waxed cold, they are without natural affection: in fact Paul goes on to warn in the last days they will also be heady and high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. And the Scriptures warn about being haughty, thinking yourself above others, conceited...
So what must we do with 1 John 2:8-9? "He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him." Or 3:18 "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth." And how about 1 John 4:21 "And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also..."
I didn't even expect this message to go here where it did. I think it turned down this road at Philemon, which I was led to go to specifically because I rarely go to it. I set out to explore affections, and to explore some various aspects of affections. I stuck to the Bible only, and did not consult any other preachers written works, though I did use the Strongs and the Vines dictionaries and lexicon. I only made mention of Jonathan Edwards appealing to affections at the beginning.
Yet I fear, and it is a grave concern, that many may not be in Christ, for their affections are not in the right places, but rather on self: heady, high-minded, even haughty. Spiritual pride can be a soul crusher, and I know this from experience. I speak to myself as much as anyone. Why are so many without compassion? "For they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love: yes they'll know we are Christians by our love..." The song goes. We used to sing that all the time in the 80s. I've heard it in church once in the past 7 years, maybe twice. That song goes right along with John 13 we read earlier, " By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."
Then there's John 15:12 & 17, "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you...These things I command you, that ye love one another." In fact in John this thing is commanded thrice, which shows the extreme importance of it. Jesus was explicitly giving it as a COMMAND that His followers love one another.
Look at Ruth 1:16-17. She is moved in affections when she bonds with her mother in law Naomi. In this same way we should bond both with the LORD, and there should also be such a bond of fellowship in the local assembly of the saints. Ruth 1:16-17 "And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me." Powerful! Powerful stuff here!
We see in Acts 2:44-47, "And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."
Oh now I must pray Isaiah 29:24, "They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine." And, Deuteronomy 16:20 "That which is altogether just shalt thou follow..." Is not Christ calling upon His people to be in more unity: is He not stirring the affections of some, and I would pray all? Let Him in! Quench not the Spirit of the Living God! O Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me! There is a worthy song to sing right there.
I will leave off with 1 Peter 3:8, "Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous..." Amen.
- Note:
Here is what Edwards believed: Edwards is clear: 'the affections are no other, than the more vigorous and sensible exercises of the inclination and will of the soul' (Edwards 1957: 96). An affection, for Edwards, is not an emotion, but is a certain kind of willing (ie., a vigorous and sensible willing)
The soul is capable of perception and speculation, which he names as the understanding, and the soul inclines or is averse to what is beheld, which he names as an act of inclination or will. While he freely uses the term ‘faculties’, it is a mistake to think of the understanding and the will as ‘faculties’ that understand and will respectively; a person does not have an understanding and a will as distinct entities in the soul. Rather, persons understand and persons will. One of the important implications of this focus, Edwards claims, is that there cannot ‘be a clear distinction made between the two faculties of understanding and will, as acting distinctly and separately, in this matter’ (Edwards 1957: 272). Furthermore, the difference between a normal act of the will and an affection is simply ‘the degree and manner of exercise’ (p. 97). As an act of willing, an affection can be negative or positive, but to qualify as an ‘affection’, it must be a vigorous inclination of the will. (On the union of the body and the soul, and the bodily response to affections, see Edwards 1957: 98.) Affections are not synonymous with passions, therefore, because passions are more sudden and violent to the body (i.e. violence to the ‘animal spirits’ and the ‘motion of fluids’ according to Edwards’ understanding of human physiology), whereas affections are a more abiding movement of the will.
True religious affections are formed only through spiritual understanding or enlightening of the mind by the illumination of the Holy Spirit. True religious affections are grounded in the conviction of the historical truth of the gospel, not subjective reasonings or imaginings.
Because religious affections are only possible through the infusion of the Spirit in the soul, when issues of discernment arise, one cannot simply address the teleology of an affection, but must attend to the inner movement of the heart. In Edwards’ words, ‘True religion is evermore a powerful thing; and the power of it appears, in the first place, in the inward exercises of it in the heart, where is the principal and original seat of it’ (Edwards 1957: 100). As a movement in the heart, and because the fount of this work is the Spirit in the soul, Edwards turns to the language of sense and perception to articulate the phenomenology of this event. The problem this creates for discernment concerns the nature of this new sense of the heart given in regeneration. He claims that there is a ‘new inward perception or sensation of their minds, entirely different in its nature and kind, from anything that ever their minds were the subjects of before they were sanctified’, and argues that this ‘new sensation’ is discovered in the ‘faculties’ of the soul but is available only through the work of the Spirit in the elect.
