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