Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God Meaning

Jonathon
Edwards was a Puritan minister who preached hellfire and brimstone during a period in history
known as The Great Awakening. 

During this time, there was a waning interest
in religion and Edwards took a part in making his congregation understand that all mankind
stands at the mouth of hell.  He was particularly known for his references to hell and how each
day, every person must fight the battle to keep his soul from being drawn into temptation, and
from the mouth of hell itself. 

"His sermons were
intended as a wake-up call for those who underplayed the majesty of a holy God and
overemphasized their own worthiness as decent, hard-working, successful
citizens."

"He begins his sermon by pointing out four features of
walking on a slippery slope: The threat of destruction is constant, that destruction is imminent
and it is self-generated, and the delay of that destruction is due to Gods restraining hand. He
is clearly establishing here the foolhardiness of those who choose to walk in such slippery
places and that a fatal slide into the yawning abyss is an inescapable
certainty."

He emphasizes that the day of repentance
is at hand, seek forgiveness now, the time has come, you do not want to be caught after the
opportunity for God's mercy has past.  He injects a great urgency into his appeal, feeling like
he had to save his flock from damnation.

He believes that Christianity is the
one true religion.  Therefore your salvation depends on your belief in Jesus Christ as your
savior.

"For the unconverted, therefore, and for the
unredeemed sinner and those who have not embraced Christ as savior, perdition is but a breath
away.  Only faith in Christ will bear them up. That may not save their life, for they are mortal
still, but it will save their soul."