The sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” was given by Mr. John Edwards, a well-known minister, during the Great Awakening to a church congregation in hopes of educating them about the horrors of hell and alerting sinners that in order to be saved they need to turn to God for forgiveness. According to Mr. Edward’s beliefs, we as humans do not have the authority to judge a person’s sold or redemption as only God has this sovereignty. One idea that characteristically appears in the work of Edwards is that of human limitation. Mr. Edwards believes in the idea of human limitation and that no man is perfect or incapable of committing a sin, therefore we need to look to God for forgiveness and the opportunity of salvation.
The Great Awakening …show more content…
He instills fear in the audience, however, this fear is meant to lead his listeners to repent and humble themselves before the grace of God in hope of obtaining salvation. Although warning the people not to sin, Edward’s embraced the idea that because of original sin, man’s natural tendencies lean towards sin and man cannot by his own choice choose what is contrary to his desires. As Romans 8 says, “those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires”.The condition of the natural man is hopeless and unless man is filled with God’s Holy Spirit he is unable to change his inclinations. Without God, man will never choose Godliness, however, with God’s Holy Spirit man will always choose God in regard to salvation. In his sermon Mr. Edwards says “All the Means that there are of Sinners going out of the World, are so in God’s hands, and so universally absolutely subject to his Power and Determination, that it don’t depend at all less on the meer Will of God, whether Sinners shall at any Moment go to Hell, than if Means were never made use of, or at all concerned in the Case”. This meaning that in the end , no man has the power to judge a person’s soul or salvation other than God and he determines how we leave this
The Great Awakening …show more content…
He instills fear in the audience, however, this fear is meant to lead his listeners to repent and humble themselves before the grace of God in hope of obtaining salvation. Although warning the people not to sin, Edward’s embraced the idea that because of original sin, man’s natural tendencies lean towards sin and man cannot by his own choice choose what is contrary to his desires. As Romans 8 says, “those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires”.The condition of the natural man is hopeless and unless man is filled with God’s Holy Spirit he is unable to change his inclinations. Without God, man will never choose Godliness, however, with God’s Holy Spirit man will always choose God in regard to salvation. In his sermon Mr. Edwards says “All the Means that there are of Sinners going out of the World, are so in God’s hands, and so universally absolutely subject to his Power and Determination, that it don’t depend at all less on the meer Will of God, whether Sinners shall at any Moment go to Hell, than if Means were never made use of, or at all concerned in the Case”. This meaning that in the end , no man has the power to judge a person’s soul or salvation other than God and he determines how we leave this