Religious Affections

In Jonathan Edwards’s treatise The Religious Affections he expresses that true followers of Christ are characterized by love, faith, and joy. According to Edwards, the affections (heart, inclinations, will, passion) of a believer will be consumed for the Lord. So, where do your affections lie?

For although to true religion there must indeed be something else besides affection, yet true religion consists so much in the affections that there can be no true religion without them. He who has no religious affection is in a state of spiritual death, and is wholly destitute of the powerful quickening, saving influences of the Spirit of God upon his heart. As there is no true religion where there is no religious affections.

If the great things of religion are rightly understood, they will affect the heart. The reason why people are not affected by such infinitely great, important, glorious and wonderful things, as they often hear and read of in the Word of God, is undoubtedly because they are blind; if they were not so, it would be impossible, and utterly inconsistent with human nature, that their hearts should be otherwise than strongly impressed, and greatly moved by such things.