JONATHAN EDWARDS AND THE PLEASANTNESS OF RELIGION

One of my favorite sermons of Jonathan Edwards is his sermon titled The Pleasantness of Religion. He preached this message in 1723. It is a wonderful sermon that I read every once in a while for fresh perspective and . The central theme of his sermon based upon Proverbs 24:13-14, is "It would be worth the while to be religious, if it were only for the pleasantness of it."

Edwards gives what I would consider one of the great appeals to Christianity. He raises five arguments for the pleasantness or attractiveness of Christianity. He knows that for most people Christianity is not seen as a path of pleasantness. Many unbelievers think that all the real pleasures must be denied, and many believers think that the troubles and sorrows of the Christian life outweigh the pleasures. Therefore, Edwards states the opposite in his amazing assertions. For Edwards, Christianity is pleasant because:

1. Religion does not deny a man the pleasures of sense, only taken moderately and with temperance and the right manner.
Edwards shows us that all mankind are given pleasures to enjoy in this life by God. The Christian takes from God and enjoys them in moderation. “Religion allows of the enjoyment of sensitive delights temperately, moderately, and with reason, but the wicked man gluts himself with them.”

2. Religion sweetens temporary delights and pleasures Christianity makes earthly pleasures that much more delightful and enjoyable.
The reason being because they enjoy the gifts from above with the awareness that they are gifts from the true source of delight, God Himself! So there is a double pleasure in both the gifts and the giver of the gifts.

3. There is no pleasure but what brings more of sorrow than of pleasure, but what the godly man either does or may enjoy.
I love this one! There is no pleasure that godly people may not enjoy except those that bring more sorrow than pleasure. God would never have us enjoy things that inevitably lead to sorrow in themselves. Or to put it in the astonishing way that makes it understandable: Christians may seek and should seek only those pleasures that are maximally pleasurable-that is, that have the least sorrows as consequences, including in eternity. Edwards shows us that for the non-Christian, every pleasure they experience on this earth without the pleasures of Christianity that God offers will eventually lead to sorrow. “All pleasures of sin for the most part bring more sorrow than pleasure in this life.”

Think about this, the very things in this life that make you happy, will eventually make you sad. Oh how I have discovered this the older that I get. But Christianity promises that invariably the consequences of our religion will be pleasurable.

4. Christianity brings no new troubles upon man but what have more of pleasure than of trouble
There are no troubles that befall the Christian except those that will bring more pleasure than trouble with them, when all things are considered. He speaks of the three necessary sorrows of the Christian life: Repentance, self denial, and bearing reproach. In regards to what he calls the “sweet-sorrow of repentance
Edwards writes,
“There is repentance of sin: though it be a deep sorrow for sin that God requires as necessary to salvation, yet the very nature of it necessarily implies delight. Repentance of sin is a sorrow arising from the sight of God's excellency and mercy, but the apprehension of excellency or mercy must necessarily and unavoidably beget pleasure in the mind of the beholder. 'Tis impossible that anyone should see anything that appears to him excellent and not behold it with pleasure, and it's impossible to be affected with the mercy and love of God, and his willingness to be merciful to us and love us, and not be affected with pleasure at the thoughts of [it]; but this is the very affection that begets true repentance. How much so ever of a paradox it may seem, it is true that repentance is a sweet sorrow, so that the more of this sorrow, the more pleasure.”

In regards to the necessary sorrow of self-denial, Edwards says, “Self-denial will also be reckoned amongst the troubles of the godly. . . . But whoever has tried self-denial can give in his testimony that they never experience greater pleasure and joys than after great acts of self-denial. Self-denial destroys the very root and foundation of sorrow, and is nothing else but the lancing of a grievous and painful sore that effects a cure and brings abundance of health as a recompense for the pain of the operation.”

Self-denial serves the fullest delight in God. And the beginnings of delight in God will enable us to deny ourselves the things which seem pleasant (what Hebrews 11:25 calls "the fleeting pleasures of sin"), but in the end will destroy our joy. This is what Jesus argues for self-denial in Mark 8:34-35, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it.”

Finally, in regard to the necessary sorrow of afflictions and reproaches Edwards says that a believer who is reproached...

“ordinarily can . . . return into the arms of Jesus, his best friend, with the more delight . . . Reproaches are ordered by God for this end, that they may destroy sin, which is the chief root of the troubles of the godly man, and the destruction of it a foundation for delight.”

This is exactly what Matthew 5:1-2; James 1:2; Acts 5:41; and Hebrews 10:34 so profoundly and wonderfully proclaim!

5. The Christian enjoys spiritual pleasures that are far better than any other pleasures.
Edwards writes,
“The pleasures of the soul are far better than of the body, for that is most excellent and has the highest faculties…capable of the greatest delights and most excellent gratifications.”

Edwards concludes his sermon by saying, “It is well worth the while to be religious (i.e. a Christian), if it were only for the pleasantness of it.”

I pray that we would have this view of our faith and that our experience of Christianity would be refreshingly sweet and ongoing in its pleasantness. I pray that our Christianity would be so pleasant in our experience that men would see our pleasant deeds and glorify the Father who is in heaven. If it is not, may we strive through prayer, knowledge, reading, thinking, feeling, and longing for the pleasures that come supremely in knowing Christ and His heavenly rule. It is well worth while for me to be a Christian for the pleasantness of it!

Enjoying the pleasantness of Christianity,
Pastor Bill