The Effects Of Conversion And Revival On The Church

The setting of “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” demonstrates it does not matter where sinners are they can still go to Christ. When Edwards speaks how the door to go to Christ is open he says, “Are not your souls as precious as the souls of the people at Suffield, where they are flocking from day to day to Christ” (435). Edwards compares the people of Enfield to another town to demonstrate how easy it is to repent for their

Edwards opens his sermon by expressing the idea that men are subject to the whims of God and that those who refuse to welcome God are held out of hell by nothing more than the simple pleasure and mercy of God’s hand. He appeals to the pathos of his listeners

Finney warned of hell vividly who promised salvation to converts. He rejected the notion of man as a sinful creature with a preordained fate. He instated every person had a choice to lead a Christian life and a life of sin.

Finney believed that revivals were human creations. Finney believed that sin was voluntary and people can live perfectly.

According to the “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” Jonathan Edwards ', main purpose was to scare the audience and tell them that they are doomed to spend their lives suffering from God 's wrath in hell. His sermons were intended as a wake-up call for those who underplayed the majesty of a holy God and overemphasized their own worthiness as a decent, hard-working, successful citizens. Edwards believed strongly that only a genuine conversion experience should qualify a person for church membership. Jonathan Edwards did a good job of persuading sinners to renounce their sins and reconcile with themselves with God and their neighbor. For me the importance of the sermon was that the tragedy of the natural man 's rejection of God is to fall into "The Hands of an Angry God." He fiercely targets the “natural men” who are people who live their lives according to strictly natural impulses, desires and plans. Edwards tells his parishioners that they only reason they are alive and the only reason they woke up this morning is because God allowed them to.

In his “Faithful Narrative,” Edwards attempts to justify the “unusual” number of conversions in his community. He begins his narrative about “the Surprising Work of God” by explaining the geography of the town of Northampton in conjunction with a discussion of the general state of mind of its people. He notes, in introduction,

Currently, the future of his congregation members’ lives is very grim: death in eternal flames, powerless to escape, all due to the wrath and whim of God. However, he informs his audience that all across the colonies Christ is accepting all repentant applicants into Heaven. Once they convert, he promises that his pitiful audience will rejoice, sing, and revel in God’s glory, shed of the burden of eternal damnation.

During the course of the LDB481-17: Faith and Life Issues, Ms. Sams did not understand of the concept of vocation, before enrolling in the course. Nor, she has never heard the concept of vocation during at that time her twenty-two years on Earth. As she considers herself, a free spirit and a humanist regarding religion, Ms. Sams continues to note that she does not follow a particular religion. However, she keeps an open mind to how an individual’s religion has transformed his or her life. As a free spirit, by primarily having an open mind to the religious faith of Christianity, Ms. Sams assures that the spirit of God lives within each individual; regardless if he or she believes or does not believe in the spirit of God.

Well respected puritan minister Jonathan Edwards, in his sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” (1741), establishes the consequences of unrepentant sinners. Edwards’s purpose is to impress upon the puritan congregation the repercussions of refusing to repent to God. He establishes a bold tone in order to petrify the members of the puritan congregation with the thought of going to hell. Edwards most powerful rhetorical strategy is his use of pathos along with his development of a strong ethical and logical foundation.

In Jonathan Edwards's sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," he uses imagery, allusion, and metaphors to convince his congregation to be reborn. In the first paragraph, Edwards declares, "...that natural men are held in the hand of God, over the pit of hell..." Jonathan Edwards uses this passage to scare his congregation through frightful examples. The excerpt gives the image that if we remain as "natural men", our doom is inevitable.

Textual-“The Faith, in that wild frontier, is like a buried treasure; they guard it, but they do not know how to use it to their soul’s salvation. A word, a prayer, a service, is all that is needed to set free these souls in bondage. I confess I am covetous of that mission. I desire to be the man who restores these lost children to God.” (p. 207).

In Edwards’ “Personal Narrative” a more laid back approach is being used to describe his relationship with God. Edwards’ narrative is much different from his powerful sermons like “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”. We see throughout the narrative that Edwards’ had fallen astray from the ideals of christianity. He says, “But in process of time, my convictions and affections wore off; and I entirely lost all those affections and delights, and left off secret prayer, at least as to any constant performance of it; and returned like a dog to his vomit, and went on in ways of sin” (p. 335). In this, I find Edwards to be very truthful, however, I feel that he would not admit to just how many times he had fallen astray.

Jonathan Edwards was a fiery man who passionately immersed himself in his work as a pastor. These personality traits are reflected in his most well-known sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” at which even modern day readers would find themselves shrinking away from. Another prevalent influence on the sermon was an event that Edwards could basically be considered the “father” of, a religious revival known as the Great Awakening. Around him Edwards began to see that people were becoming more concerned with material possessions and worldly matters than religion. People were beginning to reject the concept of predestination and believed that if they were good then their souls could be saved. Jonathan Edwards thus spat out his response to such

The most important factor assuring the continuing importance of the Church in Western society between 1200 and the 1520s; is that the Church is the body of Christ, everyone who accepts that Jesus Christ died for their sins is a part of this Body. Believing in Jesus makes you apart of the body of Christ; anyone who accept Jesus in to their hearts is a part of the body. There are many parts of a body all doing their role to accomplish one goal even some parts that you didn’t even know about. As long as Jesus or God remains a part of this world, through History and Theology taught to the next generations the Church will continue. It will continue always with ups, downs and change.

Sir Thomas Mallory’s Le Morte d'Arthur is a classic piece of literate that reveals the depths of mankind in numerous ways. Man is a complicated creature, greatly influenced by a variety of circumstances and often the choices made in those times mold man into who he or she will become. The lens for which one views beauty and goodness can be greatly affected by these experiences. As I have spent time reflecting on Mallory’s writing, it is apparent that he used several key themes to explain his views of man; those being identity, fate, love, family, and redemption. These themes parallel much of scripture and when paid attention to, can help one understand the truths of Scripture on their Christian journey.