How Did Charles G. Finney Sinners Bound To Change Their Own Heart

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Charles G. Finney wrote Sinners Bound to Change their own Heart in or around 1836. The following is some background information on the time period and of Finney himself. In the early nineteenth-century there was a second Great Awakening. Finney held long meetings on revival in New York. He used very vivid and colorful language in his sermons. Finney gave a promise of salvation. He promoted the doctrine of free will and of a possible chance at salvation. Finney very much insisted that everyone is a free agent. The second Great Awakening made an enterprise out of Christianity and Finney was a part of it. This article appealed to me because of my strong faith and how he compared religion and politics. We get a first person perspective of the religious …show more content…

If a person becomes a giver then they are less of a receiver. Finney, if he realized it or not had referenced the golden rule, which a lot of people are familiar with. He then talks politics. He talks a little bit about our decision to change who we want to lead or govern us as a nation. Finney says something about a two party system, which we have today. He compares Satan as one party and Jehovah as another party. He goes on to say when we change sides, or in this case a party we gain new friends and make enemies with our old friends. He talks about the law makers in the government system and how everyone else waits to find out what is the new rules and regulations are. Finney references part of the bible, the Lord’s Prayer. He goes to say that Ministers need to defend the sinners of the world, much like a lawyer defends an accused in front of a jury. Finney is insistent in saying we should not wait for the “calling” but instead go after it. He stresses the importance of reading the bible and going to church. Finney also mentions that we are not promised another day. And lastly, he mentions that when we are on our death beds or have passed away, and we have not had a change of heart then there was a lost opportunity. Finney thought the government and even society is consumed with materialistic ideas, and it is still true even