Seven Resolves That Still Shape the Soul
DID YOU KNOW
Advent is a season of holy resolve. As the Church waits for the coming of Christ, we are invited not only to remember His first arrival but to examine the posture of our own hearts. Few figures in Christian history help us do this with more clarity than Jonathan Edwards. Living in the ferment of early American Christianity and standing alongside voices such as George Whitefield, Edwards articulated a faith that was deeply thoughtful, rigorously disciplined, and passionately centered on God’s glory. His famous “Resolves” were not abstract ideals; they were practical commitments shaped by Scripture and lived under the sober awareness that life belongs wholly to God. During Advent, when we prepare room for Christ, these resolves offer enduring insight into what a life oriented toward God can look like.
Did you know that Edwards believed the glory of God should govern every action of daily life?
Edwards’ first resolve is striking in its scope: he committed himself to do nothing—whether small or great, bodily or spiritual—that did not tend toward the glory of God. This was not religious perfectionism but theological clarity. Edwards understood that God’s glory is not diminished by human obedience; it is displayed through it. Jesus Himself expressed this same orientation when He prayed, “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do” (John 17:4). In Advent, we are reminded that Christ entered the ordinary rhythms of human life—work, family, obedience—not to escape them but to redeem them. Paul echoes this vision when he exhorts believers to glorify God in their bodies (1 Corinthians 6:20) and to be “filled with the fruit of righteousness… to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:11).
What makes Edwards’ resolve so compelling is that it refuses to divide life into sacred and secular compartments. Every word spoken, every choice made, every task undertaken becomes an offering. This perspective challenges the modern tendency to reserve God’s glory for worship services alone. Advent presses us to ask whether Christ’s coming reorders not only our theology but our habits. Edwards reminds us that holiness is not confined to moments of devotion; it is woven into daily faithfulness, where even unseen obedience reflects God’s worth.
Did you know that Edwards viewed spiritual struggle as evidence of grace, not its absence?
In his second resolve, Edwards committed never to slacken his fight against sin, no matter how unsuccessful he felt. This is a deeply pastoral insight. Edwards knew that discouragement often masquerades as humility. When believers stumble repeatedly, they are tempted to conclude that grace has failed them. Scripture tells a different story. Paul urges believers to offer themselves to God as instruments of righteousness because they have been “brought from death to life” (Romans 6:13). The struggle itself assumes new meaning when viewed through the lens of redemption.
Advent is not sentimental; it is honest about darkness. Christ comes into a world still entangled with sin, and into hearts still learning obedience. Paul’s own confession in Romans 7—that he does not do the good he wants to do—does not end in despair but in the assurance of “no condemnation” (Romans 8:1). Edwards’ resolve echoes this biblical realism. Persistence in repentance is not hypocrisy; it is faith in action. Growth often looks less like victory and more like refusal to surrender. Edwards’ insight encourages believers to persevere, trusting that grace is at work even when progress feels slow.
Did you know that Edwards linked spiritual maturity with disciplined speech and charitable judgment?
One of Edwards’ most countercultural resolves was his commitment never to speak evil of another in a way that dishonors them. This was not silence in the face of truth, but restraint born of love. Scripture consistently ties speech to spiritual health. Paul instructs believers to “get rid of all… slander” (Ephesians 4:31), while Proverbs warns that words can destroy reputations as easily as they can reveal wisdom (Proverbs 11:9). In an age—both then and now—where criticism spreads quickly, Edwards recognized that unguarded speech corrodes both community and conscience.
Advent heightens our awareness of this discipline. As we await the Prince of Peace, our words either prepare a way for Him or clutter the path with division. Edwards understood that the tongue reveals the heart. Speaking charitably does not mean ignoring error; it means refusing to let pride masquerade as discernment. This resolve invites believers to ask whether their words tend toward healing or harm, toward building Christ’s body or fracturing it.
Did you know that Edwards believed true assurance grows through Scripture-centered self-examination?
Several of Edwards’ resolves center on Scripture and self-examination. He resolved to study the Bible so consistently that he could plainly perceive growth in understanding, and to examine carefully whatever caused him to doubt God’s love. This balance is essential. Edwards did not advocate introspection detached from Scripture, nor Scripture study divorced from self-awareness. The Bereans exemplified this posture when they examined the Scriptures daily to test what they heard (Acts 17:11). Paul later urged believers to “examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith” (2 Corinthians 13:5).
In Advent, this practice becomes especially meaningful. Waiting invites reflection. Edwards’ insight reminds us that doubt is not always an enemy; it can be a signal pointing to areas where trust needs strengthening. Scripture becomes both mirror and lamp, revealing where grace is needed and where God is already at work. Growth in grace, as Peter later exhorts (2 Peter 3:18), is not accidental. It is cultivated through attentive engagement with God’s Word and honest prayerful reflection.
As Advent draws us nearer to the coming of Christ, Edwards’ final resolve offers a fitting culmination: to live entirely as God’s possession. “We belong to the Lord,” Paul declares (Romans 14:7–8). This is not loss of self but fulfillment of purpose. To live as God’s own is to be freed from the exhausting project of self-definition. Edwards’ resolves invite us to consider whether our lives are oriented toward God’s glory, sustained by perseverance, shaped by charity, grounded in Scripture, and yielded in trust.
Take time this season to reflect on one resolve that speaks most directly to your own walk. Advent is not only about preparing for Christ’s arrival; it is about preparing our hearts to receive Him anew.
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Greg Johnson
New Salem Baptist Church