Jonathan Edwards was a Puritan preacher in the 1700s.
He was well known as one of the preachers of the religious revival known as the “Great Awakening.”
His most famous sermon is called, “Sinners in the hands of an angry God.”
This sermon is full of fear.
He says, “The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you…He is of purer eyes than to bear to have you in His sight; you are ten thousand times more abominable in His eyes as the most hateful venomous serpent is in ours.”
Is this an accurate portrayal of who God is?
No it is not, this does not describe the heart of God toward sinners.
I believe we can see and understand Jonathan Edwards through two stories, the story of Jonah and the story of the prodigal son.
God was wanting to save the city of Nineveh, yet Jonah ran the opposite way.
Here is the great prophet and yet he didn’t listen to the Lord.
God prepared a fish, a plant and a worm for Jonah.
These three obeyed God better than the prophet.
Jonah preached a turn or burn message.
He went through the city in one
day shouting, “In 40 days Nineveh will be overthrown.”
Thankfully they turned, but Jonah was upset because he wanted them gone.
He said, “I knew you were a gracious and compassionate God.”
The turn or burn preaching is not what we need today, we need to preach the gospel of grace.
Yes, there is a punishment for sin, and not everyone will be saved - only those who believe.
Fear is not the answer, we need to speak the truth in love.
Is this how we should identify ourselves today?
Should we view our life as though we are a spider dangling over hell?
I don’t think so. We still sin and are in need of a savior, but that is not our identity anymore.
God doesn’t even look at mankind that way.
He is more accurately portrayed in the story of the prodigal son.
The son wanted his inheritance early, the Father gives his to him.
The son spends his money and ends up eating the pigs’ food because of his hunger.
Yet this entire time while the son was off, the Father waited for him.
When his son finally came back, he ran to his son.
That is our God, He is the one who has compassion on every sinner.
Even during the life of Jesus, he ate with the worst.
He did not see them as worms or have hatred towards them.
Sinners deserve punishment and a penalty for their sins.
If we do not receive it, there will be an eternal death.
That is not because God wants this, it is because they have chosen the path of destruction.
While Jonathon Edwards preached the sermon on hell we know, there is one quote I would like us to think about.
He said, “There is no love so great and so wonderful as that which is in the heart of Christ.
He is one that delights in mercy.
He is ready to pity those who are in suffering and sorrowful circumstances…Parents are often full of kindness towards their children, but there is no kindness like Jesus Christ’s.”
To me this is how we need to know God.
No one gives their life for a spider, Jesus did.
We are to know that we are in the hands of a loving God.