“Resolved, never to allow any pleasure or grief, joy or sorrow, nor any affection at all, nor any degree of affection, nor any circumstance relating to it, but what helps religion.” (Resolution 45)
This powerful and provocative thought from Edwards needs to be applied to each church today. While he made this as a personal resolution, surely this should be part of church covenants today. It is far more powerful and biblical in the way to make decisions Wthan Roberts’s Rules of Order. The only way to retain a biblical order in the church is for the church to make decisions based on love for God. The church should never allow any decision or program to be made apart from this paraphrase of Edwards’ resolution: This church shall never allow any individual’s or any collection of individual’s pleasure or grief, joy or sorrow, not any affection at all, nor any degree of affection, nor any circumstance relating to it, but what is prayed over and decided to be that which is our of love for the glory of God and the advancement of His kingdom.
Imagine how different a church business meeting would be if this would be adopted as a model. In reality, if this happened business meetings would be far shorter and prayer meetings would be longer. What would it look like if the concern for the types of songs and the style of music were guided by this resolution? What would it look like if the version of the Bible used would focus on this resolution as its guideline? What would it look like if Sunday Schools followed this resolution? What would it look like if the preaching truly followed this resolution? If this resolution is a picture of the Great Commandment, then our churches should follow this resolution.
Let us also remember the 44th resolution from a few days ago. “Resolved, that no other end but religion shall have any influence at all on any of my actions; and that no action shall be, in the least circumstance, any otherwise than the religious end will carry it.” Each church should remember this in their planning and praying for worship services and business meetings as well. I see resolution 44 as being a statement of the Great Commandment while 45 reaches even deeper into the inward man. Imagine a church covenant that had this as the heart and primary statement within the covenant? Imagine a group of people within one body covenanting together to pursue the glory of God like this individually and as a group?
The Great Commandment, as the Greatest Commandment, should have the greatest influence on the life of each church. What else should guide the church? Rather than the church being guided by marketing techniques and growth programs, shouldn’t the church be focused on loving God first and foremost? After all, what else should a church be doing? If a church is not being driven by the love of God above all, wouldn’t the gathering of the people then simply be an idolatrous gathering?
If a church gathers to worship and the love of God is not the primary motive, then by simple definition that church is not there to worship God and it is worshipping a god of its own imagination. If a church does evangelism that is moved by other means and motives than love for God and His glory, then its very evangelism is idolatrous. If a church does not have God as its primary motive in worship, then it is not worshipping God but some idol. If a church has a Sunday School that does not have God as its primary love and motivation, then it is a Sunday School that is being done in an idolatrous way. If the preaching and praying are not done out of motives that are primarily out of love for the glory of God, then the preaching and praying are done for other gods as well.
This resolution of Edwards must be seen as a simple and direct application and perhaps exegesis (in a way) of the Greatest Commandment. The questions for the practice of a church are virtually unlimited. However, a few questions are in order: 1. What pleasures and joys are driving the services and ministries of your church? 2. What griefs and sorrows drive the services and ministries of your church? 3. Are affections displayed in your church? If so, what are they moved by and what or whom do the go toward? 4. What are the circumstances in your church that move people affection or action? 5. What types of affections or passions are revealed in your business meetings? 6. What moves the decisions at your business meetings? 7. What determines the music at the church you attend? 8. What determines the content of the preaching? 9. What do people pray for? 10. Why are people interested in missions and evangelism? 11. Why aren’t they interested in missions and evangelism? Whatever is not of love is simply worthless.
God Loves... Himself 
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