Friday, March 23, 2007

Limited (effectual) atonement?

Many proponants of general atonement (Christ's death was intended for the redemption of every individual in the world) will use 2 Peter 2:1 to argue against effectual atonement (Christ death was intended for the redemption of the elect only):

2 Peter 2:1 presents people who are: "false teachers...who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master." The arguement goes that these people are clearly not Christians and yet the master they deny "bought them." i.e. paid for them by his cross.

John Owen, after explaining why a proponant of general atonement would have to do this, sets out the many things they have to prove to make this reading of 2 Peter 2:1 support general atonement:

"first, that by the Lord is meant Christ as mediator [this greek word for "Master" is used no where else for Christ in the New Testament]; secondly, that by buying is meant spiritual redemption by the blood of the Lamb; thirdly, that these false teachers were really and effectualy so redeemed, and not only so accounted because of the church; fourthly, that those who are so redeemed may perish, contrary to the express scripture, Rev. 14:4; fifthly, manifest the strength of this inference, "Some in the church who have acknowledged Christ to be their purchaser fall away to blaspheme him, and perish forever; therefore, Christ bought and redeemed all that ever did or shall perish;" sixthly, that that which is common to all is a peculiar aggravation to the sin of any one more than others;-I will assure them they shall have more work provided for them, which themselves know for a good part already where to find."

- John Owen The Death of Death in the Death of Christ

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Glorious Mystery - Chapter 20 (its been fun friends!)

Here we are dealing with the exercise of Christ's work on behalf of the church as he stands in heaven. Here are some truths which depend on Christ's priestly office:

1. Christ has entered heaven as our High Priest and has a vast number praising him, the church on earth "may also be herein comprised; but it is by virtue of communion with that above." (p. 253).

2. He has entered to not only be glorified but to work as if he is in a temple. Here was can consider: a) what the work is - Christ represents the church before God and sees all their affairs through. So that i) the atonement made for sin at the cross might be effective as he continually shows it the the Father. ii) to plead for the church against all the accusations of Satan. iii) to intercede for them so that they might receive all grace and covenant blesings. b) How this work is performed - i) Christ is adored in heaven and praised, the church on earth is united with the goings on in heaven and may sing praises to Christ and desire to live there. ii) Jesus is administering this worship and the glory of God is the end of it. We may here say some things about this worship - i) in heaven there is nothing carnal in the worship - no vain imaginings of men. ii) it is not a silent, mental worship but a vocal active worship. The glory of this worship consists in i) the order of things in heaven, all is orderly, after all heaven is a temple is which God dwells, where God sits on a throne. Christ stand before the throne, in his human nature, mediating for the people. Angels are around the throne continually. And so are the spirits of the just men made perfect. ii) The saints in heaven see God's glory in Christ fully anf so worship him rightly, we do not, we are "in the dust, the blood, the noise of the battle" (p. 257) and so miss the mark when it comes to the worship of Jesus. iii) It is an eternal, continual worship of God - how little we grasp it here below!

3. Jesus makes acceptable the worship of the church on earth. There are three things which may hinder our worhip - our sin, our weakness, and our unworthiness. But there are three things which counter these deficiencies: i) Christ's oblation of himself, ii) Christ's effective intercession, iii) Christ'd dignity.

4 and 5 have been lost in time - i was off line for a week and that is why this last one took so long...

6. Everything the Father requires of the Son he has given him strength to accomplish.

We will make two more investigations:

Everything Christ is doing for the church and against her enemies is done with divine power.

Christ’s obedience and atonement have meant God will bless the church and destroy its enemies with “a continuance of the administration of the offices of Christ is heaven” (p. 261).

These 2 things being true we will now inquire into them: 1. God has done it for the revealing of his glory. God has chosen to change the way by which he is glorified from the tabernacle to the Lord Jesus Christ. So a) the saints in the Old Testament did not have as full a picture of God’s glory as was given when Christ came. b) those who died after Christ lived on earth in a state more suited to heaven than those who died in the Old Testament. c) but in heaven all share the same vision of the glory of God.

2. it is done for Christ’s glory – he was not only glorified on earth in his suffering but also to be glorified in heaven after his sufferings.

3. God has a certain lot towards those who died in the faith: i) A) he has made it far better to serve him in heaven than to serve him on earth. B) It is far greater enjoyment of Christ in heaven than on earth – we may not know what it will be like with no bible, or sacraments, but “all the virtue of the streams is in the fountain” (p. 268). ii) There is a union between the church above and the one below – but it does not follow that we should pray to the church above – it does follow though that Christ is the centre of both as this is how they are united. iii) As we are prepared on earth for the Last Day, so the church in heaven are being prepared for the same.


Here are two ways these things affect the faith of the church on earth: i) faith is encouraged as it beholds Christ’s “exercise of his love, care, and compassion” (p. 270) in his office as mediator. ii) so that we might know and worship God, we are wholly dependant on God.

At the end all will be given to the Father, but there are somethings in heaven now which shall be the same even in that time. 1. Christ Jesus, in his human nature shall always be head of the creation. 2. He shall always be the way by which the saints worship God. 3. Christ will always be praised.

Monday, March 12, 2007

Glorious Mystery - Chapter 19 (You do the math!)

Here we are dealing with "the exaltation of Christ, with his present state and condition in glory during the continuance of his mediatorial office" (p. 235) That Christ is in heaven in the great confidence and hope of the Church - so we must take note of it in our thoughts on Christ. Chirst is continuing in his office in heaven until the end of this time, until every elect member is brought in.

In John 17:24 Jesus prays for the disciples to behold his glory, this does not mean the essence of his divine person, but a glory peculiar to himself – and it is not just the glorified state of his human nature. Chiefly this glory is the honour given to Christ by the Father – for the strengthening of our faith we consider these things:

Christ’s glory – how does it differ from that of the saints/ how is it similar. I) It differs in kind and nature in the following ways: a) His human nature is subsistent in the person of the Son of God. b) The communication between Christ’s human nature and God are unique. We only share by faith and the Spirit. c) So Christ is worthy of all divine worship – no other creature can attain to such a position. d) It was God’s choice to make Christ the means by which God’s glory was manifested. So our aim in faith is to behold the glory of God in the face of Christ. Which God has given us light to do yet we see it in a mirror dimly. So what do we see now: i) every believer sees an excellency in the mystery of Christ. This will happen in various degrees except in times of temptation and darkness. ii) as we see this measure of glory, we are given a chance to obey. iii) as we believe in Christ’s glory we are provoked to love him. iv) Christians should long for these things. v) heaven will satisfy these longings.

So what are our present longings for heaven? How much do we want the things which we now see in part? “According as our desires are after them, such and no other are our desires of the true heaven” (p. 245)

II) The glory of Christ’s human nature differing from ours after the ressurrection concerning the degrees of it. a) Christ's body is our resurrection pattern - but it stops at that, his is the best. b) his body contains a grace a grace of the same nature which we shall have in heaven, but his is a far greater grace.

Christ’s glory – as he acts as mediator. We will consider: 1) the way he entered the office in heaven. This first point may be considered in two ways, a) as his enthronement as King, triumphant: i) which was openly triumphant and glorious. ii) which ended in him being in heaven, him having crowns and a sceptre so we might realise that Jesus is King. iii) he triumphantly went to heaven so that FIRSTLY he might destroy his enemies and SECONDLY that he might rule his church, in terms of the souls of believers and the order of church govt. and worship and preservation. b) his ascent of the High Priest: i) to ascend and joyfully proclaim the year of jubilee. ii) he entered in the holy of holies, heaven itself to appear before the mercy seat. iii) he did it to appear before God for us. 2. the state and glory of the office. This was two-fold: he has a glorious power as King, and he has a glorious grace as High Priest.

Glorious Mystery - Chapter 18 (only 3 left!!!)

Here we are dealing with the nature of the person of Christ.

Owen is first going to talk about these things in such a way as to build up people who are already Christians - so that we do not fall into many heresies. Secondly, to manifest how distinct the relation between "the Son of God and the man Jesus Christ is" from any other relation God is able to have with man.

What the bible teaches in this instance can be put under 4 titles:

1. the Son of God assuming to himself a human nature. This happened both actively, the Son of God assumed a human nature and the human nature was passive in this work (it was assumed). We can observe some things here: a) This was an act not just of the Son but of the Trinitarian God (The Father designed it, the Spirit formed the flesh in the womb (Luke 1:35), the Son assumed the nature. b) This is the "only immediate [?] act of the divine nature on the human in the person of the Son" (p. 225) c) some distinctions between assumption and hypostatic union: i) assumption = the immediate act of divine. union = mediate act by virtue of the assumption. ii) Assumption = th act in which the Son and the human nature become one. union = relation of the natures in that one person. iii) Assumption = divine act, human passivity. union = the "mutual" (p. 226)relation of natures to one another.

2. The union of both the divine and human natures in one person. Things of another nature dwelt in the man Jesus Christ: a) The cause of this hypostatic union is "the free grace and favour of God towards the man Christ Jesus" (p. 227). For Jesus had nothing of grace in himself until the union occured. b) This union seperates Christ out from any other creature which ever walked on earth. c) This union provided Christ with the ability to perform his office. This union makes Christ to be called 'wonderful'. a) the most wonderful union is that of Father and Son and Spirit in one nature, which is more glorious than the union of divine and human in Christ - but the one we speak of is in a creature. b) An eminent substantial union is that of the human soul and the human body in one person, this is not how it worked with divine and human natures in Christ. For 1. soul and body make up ONE nature 2. soul added to body makes a new person - Christ was not a new person at his incarnation. 3. Soul and body are united by an external force, the two natures in christ are united by the divine one. 4. neither soul nor body exist apart from the other, but Christ's divine nature existed without the human. c) Christ's two natures were not mixed that they lost some properties else he would be neither God nor man. d) We must not (only on loose analogy) make an artificial union between the two natures. e) There is a union between God and believers in Christ, but the union of the divine and humans natures in Jesus is a union far greater than this.

Here are some errors of Nestorius who denied: "the true union of the person of Christ" (p. 230) He allowed 5 things about Christ: a) the divine nature dwelt in Chirst's body as one would in a house. But the word BECAME flesh. b) there was a union of affections: "The soul of God rested always in that man [Christ]" (p. 231) but all the time the Bible talks of God's affection for Christ it is talking about the love of the Father. c) Nestorius would allow that the same honour as the Son of God deserves can be given to the Son of man - but in denying the hypostatic union, he introduces idolatry. d) He allowed there to be an agreement between the will of God and the man Jesus - but this makes Jesus like the angels (which he is not - Heb. 2:16-17). e) he allowed for the name Son of God to be accomodated (only) to the Son of Man . But his name is not just accomadated to him, rather we are told that God shed his blood (Acts 20). These things he writes about can be considered true, but only if you recognise also the union between the two natures - which Nestorius did not.

Here are testimonies to the union: John 1:14 can mean either a) that the Word ceased to be what it ws and turned into human nature - this destroys the Divine Being. b) "continuing to be what it was, it was made to be also what it was not before" (p. 232). Phil. 2:6-8 - "the human nature is the nature of the person of him who was in the form of God" (p. 233). Isa. 9:6 - "the child and the mighty God are the same person, or he that is 'born a child' cannot be rightly called 'the Mighty God.'" (p. 233).

3. The communication of these two distinct natures. Here we consider: a) what is only from the divine nature to the human - i) What makes Jesus the Son. ii) what fills Jesus with all grace. iii) what gives Jesus' acts "worth and dignity" (p. 233). b) what is from both human and divine natures: i) Each nature keeps its own properties - there is no mixture ii) Each nature does that in christ which it must (divine - upholds the world; human - obeys, dies etc.). iii) All Christ's work cannot be said to be divine in one instance and human in another, but all is done by the one person Jesus Christ.

4. And this last point leads us to our last. Namely, the things said of Christ in Scripture: a) Some things are spoken of Christ and refer to his divine nature (John 1:1; Heb. 1:3); some things are spoken of him and refer to his human nature (Isa. 9:6; 53:3). b)Sometimes he is spoken of not in terms of either nature but in terms of his one person (head, king, priest, prophet). b) sometimes the properties of one nature are assigned to the other - "they crucified the Lord of glory" and, "the Son of man who is in heaven" (John 3:13). d) Sometimes Christ being discussed in one nature has ascribed to him that which belongs to both "according to the flesh, is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen" - Romans 9:5.

Owen almost makes the comment that this chapter could have been omitted but that many others in dealing with the person of Christ have included these things, so he had to.

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Glorious Mystery - Chapter 17

We must now consider evidences of divine wisdom we see in the work of redemption "in and by the person of Christ." (p. 206) Here are some of many examples:

1. We were created to serve God but in our sin set our will against that. The way by which we saved saved from this sinfulness is by Christ who was in a "state of absolute dominion [yet] he descended into a condition of absolute service" (p. 206). There was more honour for Christ in his pouring out of his life to be a servant, than there was dishonour in Adam the servant in his attempt to gain absolute dominion.

2. Adam was poor, all he had was not his but merely entrusted to him by God. In his poverty he sought to become rich by becoming like God. So Christ became poor for us that in him we might become rich.

3. Adam's sin consisted in disobedience, even though he had be charged by God to be obedient. It had to be rectified by one who was in the same nature, yet who did not have to obey the law for HIS salvation, so that he could obey it for everyone who would believe in him - God and Man: Jesus Christ.

4. God made man to be lord of all things below. But by sin, man lost this right. So God gave it to another, to his beloved Son. But this only came unto Christ as he bore our sin.

5. Sin meant our nature was forsaken, and the way back to God was by faith in him and love for him. Sin broguht discouragements such as Adam hiding in the garden, but in our recovery all these are dealt with by God's wisdom. And the work of God gives us great assurance, Owen will deal with a few. a) What we are meant to believe in to be saved is given to us by God in our nature: "That that god against whom we ahve sinned should speak unto us, and treat with us, in our nature, about a return unto himself, is the utmost that divine excelencies could condescend unto." (p. 211) b) Everything we fear on account of our sin is taken away by the truth of the gospel. such that if we reject the gospel that is not due to any old sin but by a new one - that of unbelief. c) We are to turn to God in love, there is no greater motivation to this than the love of the Father and Son for us, which is seen in god's rescuing of us. d) Since the fall we have had no model of what it is to live to God, in Christ's human nature we now have such a model.

6. God's work of rescuing us shows us how amazing it is to live for God, in obedience to him. It also shows us how foolish it is to resist him. God chose to show us what real knowledge of good and evil was. Wisdom was found inthe fear of God and obedience to him (Job 28:28) but we thought, with Satans help, that the way to be wise was to turn away from these thing and eat the forbidden fruit. "What have we attained by leaving that condition which the eternal son of God delighted in?" (p. 213) Since conversion God lays it on the heart of every Christian to desire tbhis obedience we had once rejected - as we now behold it in the glory of Christ.

7. God always gives blessing via inheritance. But he has not given it to us all at once for a) giving us all of heaven and earth in one go was to big for us. b) no mere creature could secure the inheritance and even if he could he might sin and lose it. But if entrusted to Christ (Gal. 3:17) all is met for i) he is partaker of the divine nature for the things entrusted to him, belong to him already. ii) He could not fail, because he could not sin - so: "this is the life and soul of all Gospel comforts, that the whole inheritance of grace and glory is vested in Christ, where it can never suffer loss or damage." (p. 215) iii) Jesus can keep us in him so that we will surely reach the inheritance.

8. God's wisdom was vindicated in Satan's destruction by Christ's work. Satan thought he had won at the fall and that this state would last forever. What God did was firstly to take away Satan's power and prey. this power Satan had got by deceit, unjust gain as he took what was God's, and he exercised this power in rage. BUT MAN WAS LAWFULLY CAPTIVE AS GOD GAVE MAN OVER TO THE DEVIL. But Satan was defested by Christ's obedience and sufferings.

9. God's wisdom is revealed in the fact that he sent the second person of the Trinity to execute this work. This is seen in: a) we lost God's image at the fall, but the Son is the express image of the Father - and so perfectly restored the image in those he saved. b) we were sons of God - but we lost this title due to sin. The Son of God recovered us by adoption. c) whereas all things come from the Father, they only come to us via the Son. He works to "execute, work, and accomplish all that originally proceedeth from the Father." (p. 219)

These things show us the wisdom of God - but how little we grasp it! But if we do not despise these things and seek to learn them, this is what we will get: 1. Our faith will be strengthened and God will then be more glorified in us. And we will be more assured as we behold that glory. 2. Our souls will transform to be like Christ as we behold Christ's face in these mysteries. 3. Our minds will move from being fixed on earthly things. 4. We are prepared to enjoy glory - which consisits in contemplating on God - as we think about these things

Friday, March 09, 2007

Glorious Mystery - Chapter 16 (2)

Now that we have seen that it was conducive to the divine nature to restore man after such a great sin and fall, we are going to discover the way by which mankind might be recovered so that God gets the glory.

Man by himself could not save himself, but there are two ways in which he might try: 1. He might try to obey God again in his own strength. but this was impossible for: a) he had by the first sin lost all power to yield obedience to God. We lost the image of God which, as we saw, was the way by which humans were able to fulfill the command. b) And man did not want to attempt his recovery. c) but even if man could, and wanted to, give obedience to God there would still not be glory given to God - because there is no satisfaction offered to God for the injury we caused to him. If peope were saved and it did not lead to the glory of God (such as the salvation of an impenitent, unbeliever) "implies a contradiction; for our salvation is eternal blessedness, in a participation of the glory of God." (p. 194)

2. Man would have to make satisfaction for sins as well as yielding new obedience. This would lead to a restoration of all things - but it still cannot be done by man due to the nature of their sin. Both points 1 and 2 show us that mankind cannot save themselves: "and unless we have a full conviction hereof, we can neither admire nor entertain the mystery of the wisdom of God in our reparation." (p. 195)

We must now inquire what was necessary for our restoration: 1. There needed to be an obedience yielded to God which brought him more glory than the disobedience brought him dishonour. So God gave the law, but the law still had to be accomplished by someone else if no one can keep the law, we might go around thinking the law is sin. Furthermore, God putting a picture of his holiness on us when he hade us in his image, it was right for us to have this "restored in our nature, and that with advantages above what it had in its first communication." (p. 196).

2. The disorder brought to God's rule by rebellion needed to be restored - this could not be done any other way than by the infliction of punishment. Indeed, God said: "in the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt die." "If he revoke and disannul this sentance, how shall the glory of his righteousness in the rule of all be made known?" (p. 196)

3. It was needed that the devil should lose the hold he had over man since the fall.

Without these three things, the restoration of man into right relationship with God was impossible. We are now going to "trace some footsteps of divine wisdom herein," and some things are necessary for God's wisdom to be seen in salvation such as: 1. the nature which sinned has to be the nature which is punished. Humans sinned humans should be punished - this was the wisdom of God and was what happened in God becoming man (Heb 2:14-16). 2. Christ was not just like us but from the same stock, hence the genealogy in Luke takes him back to Adam: "to manifest his relation to the common stock of our nature" (p. 198). 3. But this nature was seperate from us in terms of sin, else he could not fulfill the office of high priest whcih God had assigned to him.

Here we will consider in what way sin and spiritual defilement adhere to our nature. a) our entire nature was IN Adam as regards our participation in the sin. b) the other way is by the fact that we are naturally generated from Adam. SO the body in which our salvation was to be wrought had to be derived from our first parents, But not to have been in Adam at the fall or dervied from him by NATURAL generation. For this to happen it requires: "an effect of infinite wisdom beyond the conceptions of any created understanding." (p. 199) This occured in Jesus Christ who was "partaker of the nature that sinned, yet free from all sin" (p. 200)

It is evident that no man could effect salvation if he was a mere man. Here we come again to the divinity of Christ, and three things must be considered. 1. The obedience required for the establishment of God's glory after the fall could not be wrought by a mere man: "He who undertaketh this work must have somewhat that is divine and infinite." (p. 201) 2. Any obedience a man could offer God would only benefit himself, for he must satisfy for himself. But Jesus, being divine, did not owe any obedience to the law as he was above the law, so he could obey the law FOR US. 3. There were so many sin commited by so many people which needed to be paid for that no mere human could achieve this. But Christ's "intrinsic worth and excellency" being human AND divine that he could pay for them all. 4. The work of saving the church had to be done by a man in his appointed office, no mere man could fulfill this office. 5. To restore us rightly, we wou;d need to be brought back to that obedience to God which we had before the fall, worshipping and loving him. If Chirst (the one we are to love and glorify) is a mere man, we have not been brought back to that pre-fall state of worshipping GOD.

Thursday, March 08, 2007

Samuel Rutherford

Here are some quotes from Samuel rutherford...enjoy:

When Christ shall circle his glorious arm about your head and you rest in an infinite compass of surpassing glory, when glory (or ripened grace) shall be with you, above, and below, when feet of clay shall walk upon pure surpassing glory, then the thoughts of all your present soul-troubles shall be as shadows that passed away ten thousand years ago.

We want HIM! I should refuse heaven if Christ were not there. Take Christ away from heaven and it is but a poor, unheartsome, dark, waste dwelling. Heaven without Christ would look like a direful land of death. Ah, saith Christ, your joy must be full, John 14:3, then I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am there you may be also. I confess, mansions are but places of briars and thorns without Christ. I want heaven in order to have Christ, not Christ in order to have heaven.

Be content to wade through the waters betwixt you and glory with him, holding his hand fast, for he knoweth all the fords. Howbeit ye may be ducked, but ye cannot drown, being in his company; and ye may all the way to glory see the way bedewed with his blood who is thy forerunner. Be not afraid, therefore, when ye come even to the black and swelling river of death, to put in your foot and wade after him. The current, how strong soever, cannot carry you down the water to hell: the Son of God, his death and resurrection, are stepping stones and a stay to you; set down your feet by faith upon these stones, and go through as on dry land.

Heaven is no dream.

Glorious Mystery - Chapter 16 (1)

"An humble inquiry into, and prospect of, the infinite Wisdom of God, in the constitution of the person of Christ, and the way of salvation thereby." (p. 178)

1. As we investigate the constitution of the person of Christ and his work of redemption, we must consider the holy properties of the divine nature in them, which are: a) his Goodness b) his wisdom - by which he moves everything for his glory. c) his power - which is how he effects the moving of everything for his glory.

2. What else we discover about the character of God in the work of slavation can only be properly understood if we first grasped what he has saved us from - i.e. the nature of our sin, especially the first sin. There are three things to note here: a) We see God's honour and holiness "in the rejection of his image." (p. 181) What is peculiar about God's work of putting his image in man follows: i) God saying let us put our image on man, and him actually doing it, were two distinct acts (Gen. 1:26-27). this is not so with everything else done in creation, where God decreeing the thing IS him actually doing it i.e. "Let there be light; and there was light." ii) that there is a reference to the Trinity as God declares what he will do - "let US make man." iii) because it was a consultation between persons which led to the creation of man in God's image, testifies that it was a work of divine wisdom.

There are three reasons why God put his image on us: a) so he could represent his holiness and righteousness to his creatures. b) so that all the rest of creation might praise him as his glory os manifested c) We could be led to eternal enjoyment of God, because only with God's image could we fulfill the command to "do this and live." - "it was morally a power to live unto God in obedience, that we might come to the enjoyment of him in glory." (p. 183).

2. The entrance of sin involved man rejecting this image of God in himself. This meant all the above reasons for God putting his image on us were reversed: a) There was no longer any representation on earth of God's holiness and righteousness, "or any of the moral perfections of his nature." b) There was no way in which glory might be given to God by the rest of creation. c) man lost all power and ability to fulfill God's law and so enjoy God forever.

But what was especially heinous about this crime was that it cast contempt onto God's holiness, such a crime deserved to "perish eternally" (p. 185) - "unless there be some way whereby it may be more eminently exalted in the nature of man than it was debased and despised in the same nature." (p. 185).

We must now consider how we atempted to debase God in this sin, so that we might grasp the wisdom and glory of God in our salvation.

3. Sin brought disruption to God's government of the world. It was not becasue God chose to rule the world that he originally did so, but given who God is, it was "necessary" (p. 185). So god had to either not allow the fall, or make sure his glory was re-established, he did this by reducing the siner to his just punishment.

4. Man, by sinning, moved himself from under God's government to under the government of the devil. Seeing what we have done here should leave anyone to marvel at what God has done for us in Christ, but: "the great reason why the glory of God in Christ doth do little irradiate the minds of many, that it is so much neglected and despised, is because they are not acquainted nor affected with the nature of our first sin and apostasy." (p. 188)

We must consider some things here with regard to God's properties and our sinfulness: 1. After all these things (points 1-4) had happened was it right according to God's holy properties that "all mankind should be left eternall in this condition without remedy or relief?" or whether "our nature in some portion of it should be restored"? (p. 188) 2. Supposing a restoration to humanity was suited to God's wisdom and perfections, what might we learn from that wisdom? Firstly, it is consistent with God's character that he should want to restore humanity, for he created them to enjoy eternal life with him and bear his image - how could he turn his back on his own plan? But even though it was consistent with his character, it does not mean he was bound to restire us but freely chose to.

But, of course, it could be argued that because man had become so sinful, and ureparable to God's glory, that their restoration would be unsuitable to divine wisdom and goodness: But here Baxter answers two things: a) These people have not considered how much man fell by, it diminshed God's glory such that "it is only infinite wisdom that could find out a way for the salvation of any one of the whole race of mankind" (p. 191) b) Owen does think that if the only properties God has in himself were those manifested at creation, he would not have restored fallen man. But there are other properties in God such as: i) "love, grace and mercy" - although not revealed in creation, yet central to the nature of God. And these properties were compliant with God restoring our nature. ii) "divine goodness" - this was communicated in creation but not "to the uttermost." Becasue divine goodness is communicative, it was made manifest when God became man for our recovery.

An outline of Mr. Richard Baxter's critique of a Mr. John Owen's treatise titled: "the death of death in the death of Christ."

Richard Baxter critiques Owen's work in his appendix to his "Aphorisms of Justification." I have not as yet read this work, but compose the outline from John Owen's response to Richard Baxter's criticisms in Owen's "the death of Christ" which was published about two years after his contraversial "the death of death in the death of Christ."

Mr. Baxter "chose to stand in distance from [Mr. Owen] ... concerning the nature of the payment made for sin by the blood of Christ, - whether it be ejusdem [paying the same thing which was in the obligation to be paid by the sinner] or tantidem [paying that which is not the same which was in the obligation to be paid by the sinner but only in the gracious acceptation of the one offended - God]." (p. 436)

We will outline Baxter's arguements with regards to where he stands with respect to this oppostion to Owen.

Firstly Baxter says that Owen's question (about "paying the very thing that is in the obligation and paying so much in another kind") in the death of death in the death of Christ "is not [his] question, nor anything to it." This being the case, Mr. Owen is rightly confused as to why Mr. Baxter "plucked into the following dispute" in the first place (p. 437).

The reason is that Mr. Baxter thinks that the following question is different from that just quoted, and this is the one he wants to tackle: "Whether Christ paid the idem [the same] or the tantundem [equivalent] [price]?"

Now Mr. Baxter wants to know what Mr. Owen means when he says "not equivalent" - if Owen means that the price Jesus paid on the cross was not of equal value to what was required by the sinner then Owen "fights with a shadow" for no one (neither Baxter or Grotius at least) teaches such a doctrine (according to Baxter). But if Owen means by "not equivalent" that it does not fully deliver the debtor "without the intervention of a new conscession or contract of the creditor [i.e. God] ... then I [Baxter] confess Grotius is against him , and so am I." They are against him because Owen has argued that Jesus paid the same thing which was required by sinners, and will go on to argue that he did not make a refusable payment to God which is only effective because of the "gracious acceptance" of the creditor.

But let's be fair to Mr. Baxter by being clear about his arguement. Both him and Grotius (according to Baxter) do not hold that God accepted "less in value than was due, and so remitt[ed] the rest without payment." But rather Christ made "a refusable payment, which, though equal in value" God may have chosen to "accept according to the tenor of the obligation" which he did, which "is gracious acceptance."

One final point here is that Baxter distinguishes between the payment made by Christ, and the satisfaction of the creditor. The payment being equal in value, yet refusable by God.

All this may not be that helpful to that many people, i just need to get this arguement outlined for an essay and as you can see... its pretty complex. This is the first step.

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Glorious Mystery - Chapter 15

Here is the third respect we have to Christ in religion, which were begun in chapter 3. It is our own conformity to him "which is required of us." (p. 169). As we behold his glory, we have it implanted on our minds which then transforms our minds into his image. This image will be considered in two parts:
1. "the internal grace and holiness of the human nature of Christ" (p. 169) - conformity of the Christian to this is their duty. Here are some grounds natures and means to this pursuit: a) God in his human nature: "did not derive his nature from Adam in the same way that we do" (p. 170) and was thus full of grace and truth. b) This set us an example of what he would change us into, and what we ought to work for (Rom. 8:29). c) We can only grasp this in the gospel as it is only "perfectly exemplified in Christ" (p. 172). d) the life of God in us, the Holy spirit, and the original gospel duty, are to conform us to Jesus Christ. This is so that we would be like the image of God as was required in the Old Testament (Lev. 11:44) but of course the law could not achieve this.
For them that believe the gospel, their highest aim is to be like Jesus Christ. We will consider this in two ways a) what is required in this endeavour - a spiritual light to behold the excellence of Christ, else we will not conform unto him. If we do not behold the meekness and lowliness of heart (Matt. 11:29) Christ has we will not endeavour to conform unto them. As with all his qualities. b) what are we to do to fulfill the duty - to love those things we discover about Christ.
Two ways we labour unto this likeness of Christ: a) a hatred of all sin, in its beginnings. To do this you must behold the sinless perfection of Christ constantly. b) keep growing like him, always, in every way (every grace).
2. Christ's example in the work of obedience - we will consider some reapects in which Christ is our example. a) his love and willingness to attend to mankind. We are to follow this example (Phil 2:5, Eph. 5:2). b) his readiness for the cross. And we must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him (if we want to be his disciple).
The forth and final respect we have to Christ in religion is, the use of his person for believers concerning the their relation and duty to God. Some points here. a) the believer's sanctification b) the believer's justification. there are three heads under which these things may be considered: i) they are comunicated to us by the grace of Christ who is the head of the church. ii) the are obtained as we live the life of faith and we a) obey Jesus Christ b) keep becoming more like Christ. iii) also by a conviction that these things come only by the "actual exercise of faith on the person of Christ" (p. 178)

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

The cross in the Old Testament?

I was in a lecture the other day and Garry Williams was defending the idea that in the Old Testament we see cases where the punishment for one persons sin falls wholly on another and not on the one committed the sin. He helpfully took us to Leviticus 16; Deuteronomy 5:9; 2 Kings 2:26; Lamentations 5:7. I wonder if we can add another...

In Isaiah 39:5-8 we hear Isaiah prophect that: "the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up to this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the LORD."

Now I presume this is a judgemnt on Israel for the sins commited at the time of the prophecy or before, but Hezekiah, in his days, will have "peace and security" (Is. 39:8). Is this another example of the punishment deserved by one body being moved to another? Williams says: "that's interesting - I'm making a note to check it out properly when I return to this bit of my research!"

Glorious Mystery - Chapter 14

Here we are dealing with the "motives unto the love of Christ" (p. 161) When Jesus calls us to love him, as when God called Israel to serve him (Exodus 20) he reminds us of all the benefits we have as a result of his work for us. We will look at these under two headings:

1. The acts of Christ - Whatever he has done as prophet, priest or king, is to speak into the hearts of believers: "O love the Lord Jesus in sincerity." The work of Jesus is intimately linked with the fruits we receive from it in our own life, if man has notreceived the Lord Jesus, he will not love the Lord Jesus: "Let men pretend what they will. there needs no greater, no other evidence, , to prove that any one doth not really believe the things that are reported in the Gospel, concerning the mediatory actings of Christ ... that his heart is not engaged by them unto the most ardent lovetowards [Jesus'] person." (p. 163-164) If we are people who are not active in meditating on the work of Christ, then the Christian faith is not yet ours: "Hath he the heart of a Christian , who doth not often meditate on the death of his Saviour?" (p. 164) Them that reject the gospel do err greater than the angels who feel, for they were not redeemed and then turned, as the world has been.

2. The spring of the acts of Christ - Which is his love for us. We will speak of Christ's love for us under two heads. a) it is the spring of him taking our human nature and doing and suffering that which he did in it. This love: "carried him through the death and dread which he underwent in the accomplishment of it." (p. 166) Therefore those who cannot grasp the love of Christ in these things know nothing of being a Christian (Owen then renounces those who claim that throwing one's own love onto the person of Christ is fanciful and of the imagination). b) this love of Christ is perfect as to require a reciprocal love from humans. Christ died for us: "Though we were as deformed as sin could render us, and more deeply indebted than the whole creation could pay or answer" (p. 168)

Glorious Mystery - Chapter 13

We are now dealing with the "Nature, operations, and Causes of Divine Love, as it respects the person of Christ." (p. 150) God has given us an ability to love him, though many know this, they do not know how they are to love him. This divine love is more central to the mind of man than any other love, For:

1. God created us with the ability to love so that we would love him first and foremeost, not so we would turn to love created things. So "the placing of our love on anything before God, or above him, is a formal expression of our apostasy from him." (p. 151).

2. The only thing which perfectly commands our love are the "divine excellencies" (p. 151) anything else we will not be able to love absolutely, but the divine excellencies we will. If it was not for sin we would love God all of the time, and recognise him as worthy of such love.

3. God's goodness is the foremost object of divine love as it is comprehensive "of all that mercy, grace, and bounty, which are suited to give us the best relief in our present condition and an eternal future reward." (p 151-152). Since sin we have been unable to love God apart from that love and merfcy shown to us in Jesus Christ.

4. The nature of divine love: a) A desire in the soul to be united to the divine excellencies which we discover. God will not rest till he has brought us to him for our enjoyment of him, and we will not rest until he gets us there. When we sin on this journey we hate it. b) A desire to be like God, according to how much we are able. To be like God in outward form only is to make an idol of God, we are to be like him from our love of him. c) It will contain the giving of praise, honour, glory and thanks to God - "an outward expression of the inward complacency of our hearts in the divine perfections and their operations" (p. 155) AND it will contain an inclining of our minds unto the things which concern the glory of God. d) this love is a friendship love. And seperates those who are merely servants in the house from those who are servants and friends - to be a friend is to have been revealed the secrets of Christ's mind (John 15:15). God dwells in them and they in God.

Some things to note concerning divine love: 1. "The formal object of this love is the essential properties of the divine nature - its infinite goodness in particular." (p. 156). 3. The incarnation only adds to the reasons for our love to God.

The portrait of Jesus Christ in Scripture is to lead us to faith in and love for him. The Spirit so graphically describes Christ unto us for the express purpose that we might set our affections on him, love him.

All of God's goodness was made manifest in the person of Jesus Christ such that it is him we should love "above all, and cleave unto" (p. 158) Those that love God in Christ, no matter what there lot have more glory in the eyes of God than any throne of any monarch anywhere in the world. But some are not content with the picture of Christ in the Scriptures and so invent pictures and images to excite themselves. But "It is the eye of faith alone that can see this King in his beauty." (p. 160)

Monday, March 05, 2007

Glorious Mystery - Chapter 12

Here we are dealing with love: "The especial principle of obedience unto the person of Christ." (p.139) Jesus does not accept any obedience to him which does not come from love for him (John 14:15). Every believer is to love Christ, but the scriptures and experience show us that some fake to love Jesus:

1. A false pretence of love destroys the one who has it and often makes them scornful towards others. The first great act of hypocrisy was Judas in the garden, who kissed the one he was betraying.

2. "So there is, or may be, a false love unto him also. The persons in whom it is may in some measure be sincere, and yet their love unto Christ may not be pure, nor sincere...some decieve themselves in this matter" (p. 141) Some examples a) when people do not really believe in Christ, else how can they love him? b) when love arises for a false notion man has created about Christ. c) love may grow ("as to causes, motives, measures, and ends") which is not regulated by the Scriptures. d) there is a false love for Christ which fixes itself on objects - the Catholics do err here. e) flase loves which spring from uninformed minds. There are 3 evidences to defeat these uninformed pretences i) To presume you could love Jesus more than the apostles did in God's word is the height of presumption. ii) To love in a way not governed by Scripture is also the height of folly. iii) We are to love God with all of our minds, these men do not do this.

"Wherefore we plead for no other love unto the person of Christ but what the Scripture warrants as unto its nature." (p. 143) We will lok at love for Christ in two ways:

1. that Jesus is the object of divine love - this is seen a) in that the Son is the object of the love of the Father. All love seen in creation was given to point to this great love. And Jesus was the object of this great love in his incarnation also. This means nothing makes us more like God than our love for Jesus Christ. This also means that those who do not love Jesus do not have the image of God on them. b) The angels above love Christ proceeding from their sight of him. Some things here: i) men below and angels above have be reunited since the fall under Christ (Eph 1:10) in love, and so is the relationship of angels to Christ. ii) all the worship angels ascribe to Christ is animated by their love for him. Such love does not come from their greatness (for many great andgels fall) but from A) that they are disposed and able to cleave to God in love. B) that they have a reflex sense which noticing the glory and majesty of God, does turn to praise and love him. iii) The church is the other part of creation which is to love Christ. The church in the Old Testament could do it (read the Psalms!) Now he is revealed in the New Testament we are blessed to "render [Jesus] the direct object of our love." (p. 148) On John 21:15-17 and the reinstatement of Peter after his denials: "Without this love unto [Jesus], he requires none to feed his sheep, nor will accept of what they pretend to do therein." (p. 149)

BREAK!!! Owen now just deserves to speak for himself: "'He,' saith [Jesus], 'that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and mainfest myself unto him,' John 14:21; and verse 23, 'My father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." What heart can conceive, what tongue can express, the glory of these promises, or the least part of the grace that is contained in them? Who can conceive aright of the divine condescension, love, and grace that are expressed in them? How little a portion it is that we know of God in these things! But if we value them not, if we labour not for an experience of them according to our measure, we have neither lot nor portion in the gospel. the presence and abode of God with us as a Father, manifesting himself to be such unto us, in the infalliable pledges and assurances of our adoption - the presence of Christ with us, revealing himself unto us, with all those ineffable mercies wherewith these things are accompanied - are all contained in them. And these promises are peculairly given unto them that love the person of Christ, and in the exercise of love towards him." (p. 149) !!!!

Glorious Mystery - Chapter 11

Here we are dealing with the nature and causes of obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ. This picks up what was begun in chapter nine, it is the second head of "The respect which we have in all acts of religion unto the person of Christ [which] may be reduced under...4 heads." (p. 104) This one being obedience to Christ.

Jesus told his disciples to obey his commandments, else they are not his disciples. Owen is here working out whether Christ gave any new law in the gospel, "whereby our obedience to him is regulated" (p. 135). He says that the Old Testament law was in teo parts. a) the moral part of it. b) the institution of worship. In terms of a) Christ gave no new law: "Any such supposition is contrary to the wisdom and holiness of God in giving the law, and inconsistent with the nature of the law itself." (p. 135) But in terms of b) the law "was in this sense abolished by Christ" (p. 135) But christ gave a new way to worship (Heb. 3:3-6).

Some things may be added to clear up what we mean by obedience to Christ:

1. we must subject our souls and conciences to Jesus. 2. The reason he gets our obedience is because he is God in nature as well. 3. As Mediator he receives obedience also: i) he has enforced and confirmed the moral law of the Old Testament. We (the evangelical church) are not obliged "by the original authority of that law, but as it is confirmed unto us in the hand of our Mediator." (p. 137) ii) God has given all power to Jesus so that he can command obedience. iii) All judgement concrning this obedience is given to Jesus by the Father.

If we do not follow Jesus' institutions in our worship it is because of: "a loss of that subjection of soul and conscience unto him which is indispensibly required of all believers." (p. 139)

Glorious Mystery - Chapter 10

Here we are dealing with the "principle and spring" (p. 120) of assigning the divine honour to Jesus Christ - faith in him. In the Old Testament this was also the case, not just faith in God generally, but with respect to Christ. Here are some truths of that:

1. Genesis 3:15 - this verse conatins and expresses: "the only means of delivery from that apostasy from God"

2. The person of Christ was this "seed of woman" and this cannot be argued against, but some have tried in two ways. a) In Gen. 3:15 we hear only of a natural hostility between men and snakes in general - but not even Jews are guilty of this error who read it to refer to the Messiah! If it was only about a rule of nature and not a prohecy God would have given man no relief from the darkness into which they had just fallen. b) In Gen. 3:15 we hear of another way of salvation proposed to that of one in Christ. But if this is true, God has promised to send someone who is not Christ and so who must be rejected.

3. By the expiatory sacrifices established in the Old Testament. But some will argue these sacrifices were the inventions of men - not so, for: a) otherwise all the form of acceptable religion was from the will of man. b) All expiation sacrifices were foreshadowig the death of Christ - on which they all depended.

4. Our first parents believed in the promise of salvation through God's promise (Abel, enoch, Noah etc.). If you reject this message (and think it could be found in nature) you must prove three things. a) that there is another way of salvation. b) that men could find it without suernatural guidance. c) that you can participate in the BENEFITS of this promise without fulfiiling the obligations of it.

5. People (Enoch and Noah are mentioned) declared the promise of God to be true as they practiced expiatory sacrifices (Luke 1:70).

6. All other promises God gave afer gen. 3:15 were given to declare and confirm this promise: "or the way of salvation by the mediation of his Son" (p. 124).

7. Those who rejected the promise in Gen. 3:15 in the Old Testament: "were in no better condition than those have been, or would be, who have so fallen off or should so apostatize from Christian religion after its religion and profession."

8. Two things are evident from these considerations: a) No one could be saved any other way than by Jesus Christ, as was made known in Gen 3:15. b) faith in Christ was required from the entrance of sin into the world.

In Jesus' incarnation faith in him "is far more evidently and manifestly revealed and required." (p. 126) And this is the beginning of all divine honour and worship of Christ. This is our duty such that our eternal state rests on our believing or non-believing. It is heinous a crime to believe that to believe in Christ is just to believe the doctrine of the gospel, as if it was not expedient that he should be believed on before the age of the gospel. We are not only "to assent unto the truth of the doctrine revealed by him, but also to place our trust and confidence in him for mercy, relief and protection - for righteousness, life and salvation - for a blessed ressurection and eternal reward." (p. 127).

Proved by the our faith being called to be '"in him" or "on his name"' (p. 127) We are called to believe the doctrines revealed by Paul but not to believe in Paul as we are to believe in Jesus (1 Cor. 1:13, 15). John 14:1 tells us we are to believe in God the Father and Jesus seperately but with the same kind of faith. See also John 11:25-27; Gal. 2:20.

Confirming that it is our duty to believe in Christ: 1. Rom 10:14, we do not have a duty to believe in him on whom we do not call, we do have a duty to believe in him on whom we do call. 2. We are baptised into the name of Jesus as distinct from the person of the Father.

Faith in Christ may be considered in two ways:

1. in his person - a) each person of the Trinity is equally the object of faith, because they each partake of the divine nature which obliges us to believe. b) believing in Christ does not exclude the other persons, but includes them. Some considerations here... i) Christ is the object of faith becasue he has a divine nature. ii) this does not take anything away from the Father or the Holy Spirit - for all divine honour in believing is given solely to the divine nature. iii) there are three things to be considered in the faith we are called to have in Jesus: a) his divine nature is the object of this faith, if he had not this "I could not believe in him" (p. 131) b) in putting our faith in Jesus, we receive him as God AND man in the same person. this fits with point a) in that: "We believe in him because he is God; but we believe in him as he is God and man in one person" (p. 131). this last point gives us a distinct faith in Jesus from the Father as he is the only person of the Trinity to have flesh. c) Our motivation to this faith are the things which Jesus has done for us. Two things stated in regards to what has been said: i) the honour and faith given to the Son is equally placed on the Father and the Holy Spirit, due to their nature, but is peculiarly placed on Jesus as he is God and man, and as he has fulfilled the mediatorial role. ii) All of Christ is honoured and believed on here.

2. in his office as mediator - this is not different to, or contradictory to, point 1. If you deny points 1 and 2, you "renounce the Gospel" (p. 133). In his office Christ leads us to the Father: "No comfortable, refreshing thoughts of God, no warrantable or acceptable boldness in an approach and access unto him, can anyone entertain or receieve, but in this exercise of faith on Christ as the mediator between God and man." (p. 134)

Sunday, March 04, 2007

Romans 7...

David Field has very helpfully blogged his summary of Tom Wright's reading of Paul's letter to the Romans. It is here: http://www.davidpfield.com/other/Climbing-Mount-Romans.pdf
I want to share what I learned in Bible study this year, having turned up thinking that Wright's exegesis of the "I" as Israel was the correct reading.

In 7:7-13 we find not Israel but ADAM. He was the only human who was ever "alive" before the law came (7:9), everyone else has been dead since Adam, even before the law came (5:13-14).

But in 7:14-25 we find not Adam but a Christian man who has a new inner being (7:22, 25b) by the Spirit (7:6). This Christian, when he sees how sinful he is, is completely justified in turning to praise God as he has assurance God will rescue him from his sin through Jesus Christ (7:24-25a, see 8:11).

Enjoy - and would LOVE to know what you think...

Dick Lucas on Hebrews 11

In the not to distant past Dick Lucas spoke at St. Helens on Hebrews 11 (I say "not to distant past" because he was preaching from the ESV!). You can download them from: http://sthelens.audiop.org.uk/home free of charge. I will leave much of the exegesis for your discovery. What I want to put here is his teaching on the struggles which the Hebrews were facing, he mentions three from the context of chapter 11, all of which were tempting the Hebrews to stop running the Christian race (and they all begin with "S"!!!)

Suffering: "But recall fromer days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated" - Hebrews 10:32-33.

Shame: "Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising its shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God" - Hebrews 12:2.

Sin: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely" - Hebrews 12:1.

Of course Hebrews 11 is about exaples of faith in the Old Testament who we are to learn from and as we learn from them are to bear in suffering, despise the shame (pressing on through it to glory), and throw off our sin. But I will let Dick explain that to you!

Saturday, March 03, 2007

Glorious Mystery - Chapter 9

Here we are dealing with the nature and causes of the honour due to Jesus Christ. Some people think that there is no use of Christ in religion: "it proceeds on this supposition...that there is something in rleigion wherein the person of Christ is of no use at all;-a vain imagination" (p. 104). But there are four respects we have to Christ in releigion...

1. Honour - because he is divine and excellent. Those who worship him but deny his divine nature, worship a golden calf. In him taking a human nature, he in no way loses his divine right of worship: "but adds an effectual motive unto it" (p. 105) John 5:23 confirms that Christ is worthy of all divine worship.

But why would the Father want the Son honoured if the reason for the Sons honour is his divine nature - which the Father has to? 1. The honour in John 5:23 is to the distinct Son. 2. He does it so that no one thinks because Jesus is a servant and sent by God he is not worthy of divine honour.

Honour Jesus then with "divine, sacred, religious, and supreme honour...We do not honour the Father with one kind of honour, and the Son with another" (p. 106) "To honour the Son as we ought to honour the Father, is that which makes us Christians, and which nothing else will so do." (p. 107)

There are two duties by which wegive honour to Christ:

1st, Adoration - "humbly to bow down ourselves or our souls unto God" (p. 107) This is always due to Jesus Christ. "The principle thing that the heathen of old observed concerning the Christian religion, was, that in it 'praises were sung to Christ as unto God'" (p. 108). In Revelation 5: the object of worship = Christ. The motives to worship = what he has won for the church (redemption). The nature of the worship = a) "solemn protestation" (p. 109) b) "all divine honour and glory" (p. 109) c) the way of expressing that worship (by song). The adoration of Jesus is the same with that of God in its nature. But not of its "especial motives" (p. 109) For God the motives are the work of creation, and how his glory is manifested in that. For the Father the motives are "his love, grace and goodness...Eph. 1:4-5." But for the adoration of the Son the motive is redemption.

2nd, Invocation - which consists in two parts: a) ascribe to him all te divine properties which belong to God, this is vital to prayer. b) represent our will to Jesus as we call on him: "with an expectation of being heard" (p. 110). This is how the church is different from all idoalters - it calls on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. What makes a laful invocation? that it has the right object, [this being Jesus as "all the perfections of the divine nature are in him" (p. 111)] and the right motives [which Christ is the object of as all he hath one for us is great]. Such as Ex. 20:2-3 explains. If you make Christ not omniscient, omnipresent and with almighty power, you cannot pray to him - for this would be idolatry.

Ultimately we call on God the Father but it is in the name of Jesus the Son by the power of the Holy Spirit. But when should we call? 1. when we are distressed about temptations and desertion: "A time of trouble is a time of the especial exercise of faith in Christ." (p. 114). 2. when we discover glorious truths about Christ's person or his love for us. 3. When we are persecuted for Jesus' or the sake of the gospel: a) "They cannot but continually think and meditate on him for whom they suffer." (p. 116) b) christ is intimately connected with all the Christian's suffering. 4. When we grasp any grace which is in Christ Jesus: "it is a season of especial application unto him by prayer for the increase of it" (p. 117). We must want these graces as we are meant to be like him. 5. in the time of our death wheather natural, or violent for the sake of his name.

Jesus Christ interceedes to the Father for us, can we pray to him that he would interceed for us? 1. There is no example of it in Scrpiture so it would be dangerous. 2. Christ is honoured as he is God, not as he is mediator - as Christ is mediator so we ask the Father for things.

Glorious Mystery - Chapter 8

The Church in the Old Testament knew that in Christ were laid all God's counsels for their salvation. Peter's faith in Christ came from above, we must believe ours did also else we have no faith at all.

Gos gave the people of the Old Testament "prefigurations of [Jesus'] office and work." (p. 101). But there was a veil to them which there is not to us now such that: "The meanest believer may now find out more of the work of Christ in the types of the Old Testament, than any prophets or wise men could have done." (p. 101)

The first promise made by God was concerning Jesus' incarnation: Genesis 3:15.
A promise to Abraham was that "he should take his seed upon him, in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed" (p. 102): Gen. 12:3; 15:18; 22:18.
Jacob led his sons to believe that one would come who would gather in the nations: Gen. 49:10.
Job believed the Redeemer lived and would stand on earth: Job 19:25.
David had revealed to him the glory and person of the coming one: Psalm 2; 45...72.
Daniel believed God was going to show mercy for the sake of the Lord: Dan. 9:17.
All the prophets believed that the redeemer would come and people would turn from sin: Is. 59:20.

But as time went on this faith disappeared and Israel was ruined.

Friday, March 02, 2007

Who would've thunk it?

Hey I'm taking wisdom literature this term and we are studying Job for two hours on a friday. And you know how Job is righteous and blesses God even when he is afflicted ... yeah, well the word used for curse in the prologue is the same word as used for blessing!

So the verses which read curse:

1:5 "It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts"
1:11 "he will curse you to your face"
2:5 "he will curse you to your face."
2:9 "Curse God and die."

And the verses which read blessing:

1:10 "You have blessed the work of his hands"
1:21 "blessed be the name of the Lord"

Could all be turned on their heads! Indeed the author must be toying with us for the sin which the satan claims Job will commit is this sin of cursing (n.b. the word for blessing) God (1:11; 2:5). I do not believe we do turn them on their hjeads and a reading of these verses in context tells us which to opt for. But our minds from the start are crying out - what is a blessing from God? What is a curse from God? What is it to bless God? What is it to curse him?

Glorious Mystery - Chapter 7

Christ in his offices of prohet, priest and king is enabled to save the church. The entire book of Hebrews tells us how this is so. And we will think about how it is so for a while...

The types of prophet, priest and king in the Old Testament, even if they were Moses, were not the saviour of the church. So being the saviour does not rest on having one of these titles or not but: "on the person of him who was given unto us: as is fully attested, Isa. 9:6-7" (p. 86)

Two things were required of Christ that his offices (p,p,k) might be effectual. 1. He needed a human nature which was not his in his divine nature: "God could not die, nor rise again, nor be exalted to be a prince and a saviour, in his divine nature." (p. 86) 2. He needed more than a human nature. Following this last point...

he could not have been the great and singular prophet if merely a man. A) because Christ is prophet not to one nation but to the entire church throughout all time. Ai) The Son of God has cared for the church from the beginning. Aii) The Son of God was sent for the church by God the Father - Jesus discharged this care of the church in 4 ways: 1. "By personal appearances in the likeness of human nature...as an indication of his future human nature...so he appeared to Abraham, to Jacob, to Moses, [and] to Joshua." (p. 89). 2. By the ministry of the angels. 3. By sending his Holy Spirit for the earthly prophets. 4. By the Holy men who penned the New Testament. - All 4 were discharged by Christ, this was not a work for him who was no more than a man. So Christ has always been and is noe, prophet - not just in his earthly manisfestation.

B) Because Christ must comprehend the mind and will of God fully in his role as prophet - Christ was able to do this as he was both on earth during his ministry and in heaven (John 3:13).

C) Because he needed the Spirit to dwell in him: "in all the fulness of his graces and gifts" (p. 93) And by that he brought light to our darkened minds, bringing us to truth.

3 things are necessary for the benefit and comfort of divine truth. 1. Fullness - else we may fear the hidden. 2. Infalliability - Christ's infinite goodness secures this. 3. Authority - We needed the Spirit to help us understand Christ's teaching, so Christ needed and had the authority to send the Spirit in his role as prophet.

The same is true of his role as king. He does not jst rule over the church and the officers in it, although he does do that. To say that it consists here and here alone os a denial of his divine nature. Here are two examples...

1. His power and rule is extensive - all power in heaven and on earth. This is insepearable from the properties of God: "And where are the properties of God, there is the nature of God" (p. 97). His rule is not just a moral right to reign but a powerful acting by Christ. "Deprive him [Jesus] of omnipresence and omniscience, with infinite, divine power and virtue, to e acted at his pleasure in and over the whole creation-and you rase the foundation of all Christian faith and hope to the ground." (p. 98).

2. His ruel is internal and spiritual - every time a believer does good it from from the heavenly hand of Jesus their king. Two things are required here: a) That Christ knows the thoughts and motivations of each Christian - else how can he rule their thoughts and motivations. (which is a property of God alone). b) That Christ influences man mind and will by his power.

The same may be said of his role as priest. He died as man but God bought the church with his own blood.

So all his offcies are effective because they are his [the divine Jesus'] offices

Thursday, March 01, 2007

Glorious Mystery - Chapter 6

Divine truth is either a) God himself - for this look at Christ b) the counsel of his will - for this look at Christ.

the glory fo truth consists in two things: 1. Its light - any truth seperate from Christ cannot communicate any true light or understanding. 2. Its effiacy/ power - to make us like God, this is found in Christ and effects: "The mortification of sin, the renovation of our natures, the sanctification of our minds, hearts, and affections, the consolation of our souls, with their edification in all the parts of the life of God, and the like." (p. 81) So, "truths professed, if doctrinally seperated from him [Jesus] ...have no living power or efficacy in the souls of men." (p. 81)

All divine spiritual truth is either declarative of God or of what he requires of us. We can do neither without...Christ.

All evidence for spiritual truth depends on Jesus (example - proposition: "the dead are raised" response: "prove it!" rebutal: "Christ was raised!")

Anyone who denies the divinity of Christ rejects or distorts all other truths of divine revelation. Anyone who denies the divinity of Christ has a useless profession of the truth: "It [their faith] leads them not to Christ, it brings not Christ unto them." (p. 84)

Glorious Mystery - according to Mark

I've been looking at Mark's gospel recently... if anyone grasped what Owen is going on about in the "glorious mystery" book, he did!

Mark 1:1-3

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son 0f God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, "Behold, I send my messanger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight."

Three things here:

1. Mark call Jesus the "Son of God" i.e. he comes from God. If this title alone does not ascribe him divinity, Mark clears it all up for us in his Old Testament quotations. (which i always thought were about John the baptist, but even his comission is to do with the one who is to come after him, who is mighter than him.)

2. The first quote is God stating: "I will send my messenger before him [Jesus]" which everyone in first century Judaism would know in Malachi 3:1 reads - "I send my messenger and he will prepare the way before ME [i.e. God]"

3. The second quote is God stating john will proclaim: "Prepare the way of the Lord." - Not only was it blasphemy to call anything else Lord. But this quote from Isaiah does not, in Isaiah, use the title Lord for the one whose way is being prepared, but YHWH. This is the name God gave to Moses concerning who he, and he alone, was to be called (Isaiah 40:3; see Exodus 3:15).

There we are, another part of God's Word which presents Jesus as the person of God.

Glorious Mystery - Chapter 5

Our end in religion is to know God - "This is done perfectly only in the person of Christ, all other means of it being subordinate thereunto."

1. God is incomprehensible. 2. So we can have no direct knowledge of him but we see him as Moses saw him (Ex. 33:18-23). Angels cannot represent the glory of God, but we are so remote from comprehending God that we cannot conceive the limited reflections of him on these finite creatures. 4. Man ruined himself, becoming idolaters, trying to find other ways of worshipping not ordained by God. God does not want this a) God provided an image of himself to makind, they should not choose any other. b) anything man thinks up will be a false image of God. 5. God hath declared that a representation of himself was needful for man to allow measures between them. 6. "All this is done in the person of Christ."

In Christ two things are required 1. all the properties of the divine nature are manifested to us 2. we can receive and he can give them.

In Christ:
1. "A blessed representation made unto us of all the holy properties of the nature of God - of his wisdom, his power, his goodness, grace, and love, his righteousness, truth, and holiness, his mercy and patience." (p. 70)
2. "The most incomprehensible approach of the divine nature made unto ours, such as all the imaginations of men did ever infinitely fall short of." (p. 70)

The image God gave of himself (Col. 1:15) "is everyway approved of him" (p. 71). 1. The son is said to be in the Father - "their nature is one and the same" (p. 71) 2. But also the Son is with the Father: "in the distinction of his person" (p. 71)

But the Father is not the image of the Son, nor does he receive anything from the Son.

Christ may be considered in 3 ways: 1. only as God in his nature, not being the image of the Father for both are the same. 2. as the essential image of his Father's person - the eternal Son of God, with respect of his divine nature the Son of the Father. 3. as he took our nature upon him... in order unto the work of his mediation.

The Pharisees did not know god, the disciples did. Why? because the disciples knew Christ. Three things required for such an assertion: 1. Father and Son have same nature. 2. They need to be distinct. 3. the Son needs to be incarnate.

The Scripture, in proposing the above to be true, does so in order: "to draw men unto the diligent study of Scripture, wherein alone they are revealed and declared." (p. 74) distinction of word of God from Jesus the Word of God. The Bible "is the revelation and declaration of it [viz. the manifestation of God the Word in the flesh] unto us" (p. 74).

Consider 3 things: 1. Christ is the object of our faith. 2. The gospel is the means by which this is conveyed. 3. The Spirit enables us to behold the glory God in the face of Christ.

What does the glory of God do to with man? 1. God reveals himself gloriouisly, we tried to make an image for him , we are no different from those who did it in the Bible and therefore we must truat and reverence God more. 2. God is chiefly manifested in Christ by faith, therefore: "There is not the meanest believer, but-in the real exercise of faith in Christ-hath more glorious apprehensions of God, his wisdom, goodness, and grace, of all his glorious excellencies, than the most learned and wise in the world can attain unto, in the exercise of reason on the proper objects of it." (p. 77) 3. It is wrong to draw your knowledge of God fromthe light of nature and reject the clear revelation of God in Christ. This act will lead you to reject the divinity of Christ. 4. Knowing God any where other than Christ will have no effect on your life or the world.