Here’s the GTY article, which is by a Jeremiah Johnson: Blog Post -
Thanks, that does explain a few things. My mistake.
We are reading Jerry Wragg & Paul Shirley’s book Free to Be Holy for NGA’s Ethics class. So far it has been helpful.
In Ch 2 they quote an article by Dane Ortlund, Increasingly Beautified: Jonathan Edwards’ Theology of Sanctification.
From Wragg & Shirely:
It is trendy to speak of spiritual growth as animated and propelled by a “hunger for beauty,” or “affectionate feelings for God.” Rather than talk of “submission to Christ,” many Christians prefer more aesthetic and emotion-laden concepts to describe what activated and motivates Christian obedience. Spiritual maturity is gained and measured by emotional affection rather than humble faith–trusting and obeying. And while not every emphasis on emotions today should be cautioned against, the church is increasingly aligning with the culture’s paradigm shift toward the sensual. (38)
And now Ortlund:
In authentic sanctification, the will is not pushed, but pulled—that is, the will is not pushed by threats of punishment or fear of judgment or appeasing of others, but rather pulled by a hunger for beauty, for God. The key question, in sanctification, is not, Are you getting better? The key question is: What do you want?
For Ortlund, commanding someone to do something with consequences attached will result in false sanctification. They have not been pulled, but pushed. Of course this is flat out unscriptural:
Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (2 Cor 7:1)
As for “beauty”, I’m no Edwards’ scholar, but there is only one quote given by Ortlund where Edwards talks about the beauty of God:
‘What an honor must it be,’ preached Edwards, ‘to a creature who is infinitely below God, and less than he, to be beautified and adorned with this beauty, with that beauty which is the highest beauty of God himself, even holiness’ (WJE 10:430).
For Edwards, the beauty of God is holiness. But Ortlund immediately goes on to say this:
Holiness is not only a moral category for Edwards but also an aesthetic category. Growth in godliness is not just about becoming more obedient but, more fundamentally, about becoming more beautiful. Beholding and communing with Beauty Himself, we become a little more like that ourselves. Holiness is contagious. The Holy Spirit has united us to Christ and set up residence within us.
“Beauty Himself.” Notice his capitalization. Perhaps this is Ortlund’s god. Yikes…
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This guy is awful. Such a panderer. Love,
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Somewhere along the way, Dane Ortlund seems to have forgotten that sanctification is going to be hard work. So, no doubt, have many others.
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