Jonathan Edwards on holiness in 1722:
“I felt a burning desire to be in every thing a complete Christian; and conformed to the blessed image of Christ; and that I might live, in all things, according to the pure, sweet and blessed rules of the gospel.”
The glorious paradox of Christianity is that if we pretend our sin does not exist, it will haunt us all our lives. But if we own our sin, Jesus will take it from us.
There is nothing better--nothing more wonderful, joyful, rich, transforming, clarifying, beautiful, amazing--than communion with God, with the Father in his love, with the Son in his grace, and with the Holy Spirit in his comfort. Don't let ANYthing keep you from this.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, is bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”
Christ speaking in John 12:24-25
“On the saints’ part, all that is required is their free, willing agreement to receive, embrace and submit to the Lord Jesus as Husband, Lord, and Saviour, to abide with Him, subject their souls to him to be ruled by him forever.”
-John Owen, Communion With God
“The highest of all God’s commands is this, that we hold up before our eyes the image of his dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Every day he should be our excellent mirror wherein we behold how much God loves us and how well, in his infinite goodness, he cared for us…”
-Luther