Formed for the Glory of God: Learning from the Spiritual Practices of Jonathan Edwards

193 Pages·2013·2.068 MB·English

by  Kyle Strobel

F o r m e d
For the
g l o r y go d
oF
l e a r n i n g f r o m t h e S p i r i t u a l
P r a c t i c e s o f J o n a t h a n ed w a r d s
K y l e S t r o b e l
“Jonathan Edwards was the most brilliant mind America has ever pro-
duced. I once took an entire year to read through his complete body of
work. The wisdom was staggering. Now, another brilliant mind, my dear
friend Kyle Strobel, has made Edwards accessible to everyone, on the
critical issue of spiritual formation through godly habits and attitudes.
This is an important book that can change your life.”
Rick Warren, Saddleback Church
“If you are among those either unacquainted with Jonathan Edwards or
simply afraid to read him, this book is for you. As best I can tell, what
Kyle Strobel has done here is largely unprecedented in Edwardsean
studies. With Edwards as tour guide, he has taken us on a journey, both
deeply theological and eminently practical, into what it means to live
Christianly. If biblical spirituality is something you cherish and long for,
you can do no better than join Strobel, together with Edwards, in this
profoundly life-changing exploration. Highly recommended!”
Sam Storms, Lead Pastor, Bridgeway Church, Oklahoma City
“We sometimes imagine that ‘spiritual formation’—the Spirit’s work of
conforming us to the image of God’s Son—is something accomplished
on our own. But in reality, God has graciously given us the gift of
teachers and the community of saints. These wise guides can lead us
and help us, through their teaching and example, pointing us to Christ.
We could not ask for a more profound guide than the great theologian
Jonathan Edwards. In these pages his gifted interpreter Kyle Strobel
shows us a better way—a way less traveled—for how to live the Christian
life bound to the Son in love. A feast awaits all those with eyes to see.”
Justin Taylor, managing editor, The ESV Study Bible; coeditor
(with John Piper), A God-Entranced Vision of All Things
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Formed
for the
Glory of God
Learning from the Spiritual
Practices of Jonathan Edwards
KYLE STROBEL
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InterVarsity Press
P.O. Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426
World Wide Web: www.ivpress.com
Email: [email protected]
©2013 by Kyle Strobel
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from
InterVarsity Press.
InterVarsity Press® is the book-publishing division of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA®, a
movement of students and faculty active on campus at hundreds of universities, colleges and schools of
nursing in the United States of America, and a member movement of the International Fellowship of
Evangelical Students. For information about local and regional activities, write Public Relations Dept.,
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, 6400 Schroeder Rd., P.O. Box 7895, Madison, WI 53707-7895,
or visit the IVCF website at www.intervarsity.org.
Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version,
copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All
rights reserved.
While all stories in this book are true, some names and identifying information in this book have been
changed to protect the privacy of the individuals involved.
Cover design by Cindy Kiple
Images: Forest path: © Christine Amat/Trevillion Images
ISBN 978-0-8308-8439-1 (digital)
ISBN 978-0-8308-5653-4 (print)
To Brighton
I pray that you grow to see the beauty of the Lord
and be captivated by his grace.
I love you.
To Kelli
I pray that the Lord continues to unveil his beauty, grace,
love and glory and lead us in his way. Ours is an
uncommon union, and you are my cherished
partner on this journey of grace.
I love you.
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Contents
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Part One: A Journey into Beauty
1 A Journey to See Clearly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2 Mapping the Way of Love . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
3 Walking in Affection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Part Two: Tools for the Journey
4 Spiritual Disciplines as Means of Grace . . . . . . . 69
5 Knowledge of God and Knowledge of Self . . . . . . 94
6 Meditation and Contemplation. . . . . . . . . . . 113
7 Jonathan Edwards’s Spiritual Practices . . . . . . . . 143
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Appendix 1: Praying with Jonathan Edwards . . . . . . . . . 169
Appendix 2: Practicing Conference with Jonathan Edwards . 171
Appendix 3: Going on Retreat with Jonathan Edwards . . . 173
Appendix 4: The Jonathan Edwards Project . . . . . . . . . 176
Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
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Acknowledgments
T
his book has been a real joy to write. After four years of
academic study on Jonathan Edwards it was truly a blessed time to
work on a project that, I trust, honors his memory by focusing on
something so close to his heart. There are, of course, many people
in my life who have made this project all the more of a blessing. I
extend my thanks to my editor, Drew Blankman, for your work and
encouragement on this project, and to IVP for buying Biblica just so
you could publish my book (I’m kidding, Cindy). Of the many
friends who encouraged me and helped me on this project, three in
particular stand out. Jamin Goggin, your thoughts, edits and will-
ingness to talk through this process helped me in more ways than
you know. Kent Eilers, in your busy schedule you never refuse to
read something for me, and your thoughts are always poignant and
fruitful. James Merrick, talking through ideas with you has always
been incredibly illuminating, and it was no different with this project.
I deeply appreciate the friendship that you three provide, and your
desire to bridge gaps between the academy and the church. Your
friendship is truly a gift from God.
Furthermore, I received incredibly valuable feedback from other
friends regarding this project, and their suggestions, insights and cri-
tiques helped make this a better and more readable book. For that, I
am very grateful. Fred and Linda Wevodau, thank you for taking the
time to read the first section and walk me through your thoughts.
Your friendship and role in our lives has been such a blessing.
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