Growing in Christ (1)

You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence isfullness of joy;
At Your right hand arepleasures forevermore. Psalm 16.11

A Divine and Supernatural Light
Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758)
“When the heart is sensible of the beauty and amiableness of a thing, it necessarily feels pleasure in the apprehension. It is implied in a person’s being heartily sensible of the loveliness of a thing, that the idea of it is pleasant to his soul; which is a far different thing from having a rational opinion that it is excellent.”

Edwards does not deny the importance of the mind in Christian growth – in “having a rational opinion” about the Lord and the things of faith. But he wants us to move beyond that, to the place where our hearts are more deeply engaged with the Lord, in knowing, loving, and delighting in Him in the depths of our being. Why do so many Christians find the study of Scripture, Christian doctrine, and other matters of the life of faith so tedious and, yes, even boring? Doubtless it is because they have never been taught how to learn Christ (Eph. 4.17-24) in any way other than a merely intellectual one, and their brains can only entertain so much knowledge. But when knowing the Lord becomes pleasurable, because in knowing Him we are engaging His glory, entering His presence, and partaking of Him, then study and learning will be a delight. And when study and learning are a delight, sustained Christian growth will follow. The challenge for church leaders, therefore, is how to lead people into that depth of knowing Christ, where God Himself meets, teaches, and transforms them.

Is study a delight for you? Do you relish hours spent meditating on Christian truth and seeking the presence of the Lord?

The calling to make disciples
As pastors and church leaders, making disciples is our primary calling. But we need to make sure we’re growing as disciples, and that our tools for disciple-making are in top condition. Our book, Fan into Flame, provides an overview of the work of disciple-making, together with helpful assessments to discover areas where you most need to grow. Order your copy by clicking here.

Pray for your people, pray for revival
Growing as a disciple and doing the work of disciple-making begin in the same place: prayer. If we neglect to pray, or if our focus for prayer fails to center on realizing revival, renewal, and awakening, then our growth in the Lord, and our work of making disciples, will always be lacking. Our free PDF book, Give Him No Rest, offers 28 days of morning and evening devotions, following Jonathan Edwards through three of his greatest works on prayer. Write us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and we’ll send you a free copy.

The Fellowship of Ailbe is supported through the generous and faithful gifts of those who benefit from and believe in our work. Does the Lord want to use you in this way? Please look to Him in prayer over this question. You can contribute to The Fellowship of Ailbe by using the Contribute button at our website, or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452. Thank you.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.All quotations from Jonathan Edwards, “A Divine and Supernatural Light,” in Edward Hickman, ed., The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol. Two (Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1995), pp. 12 ff.