Affection Quote by Jonathan Edwards
““Divines are generally agreed that sin radically and fundamentally consists in what is negative, or privative, having its root and foundation in a privation or want of holiness. And therefore undoubtedly, if it be so that sin does very much consist in hardness of heart, and so in the want of pious affections of heart, holiness does consist very much in those pious affections.””
About This Quote
Source Sermon: The Nature of Sin, 1741
Sin is fundamentally a lack of holy affection, a privation of goodness that manifests as a hardened heart.
In simple terms: Sin is the absence of love for God, leading to a cold heart.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate pious affections to counteract sin.
Themes
sin
holiness
spiritual deficiency
heart condition
Mood
reflective
serious
inspirational
Type
theological
didactic
expository
When to use this quote
- personal reflection
- prayer
- ethical decision making
- community teaching
- spiritual growth
Key Concepts
theology
moral philosophy
spiritual health
Questions to Reflect On
- How can one nurture genuine pious affections?
- What practices help prevent a hardened heart?
A Different Perspective
Human weakness can make it hard to maintain pious affections despite intention.
![“But it is doubtless true, and evident from [the] Scriptures, that the essence of all true religion lies in holy love; and that in this divine affection, and an habitual disposition to it, and that light which is the foundation of it, and those things which are the fruits of it, consists the whole…” quote by Jonathan Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2fd/jonathan-edwards-770_affection_but-it-is-doubtless-true-and-evident-fro_82879.jpg)
