Above all, let us pray daily that our own Christianity may at any rate be genuine, sincere, real and true. Our faith may be feeble, our hope dim, our knowledge small, our failures frequent, our faults many. But at all events let us be real and true. Let us be able to say with poor, weak, erring Peter, “You, Lord, who know all things, know that I love You.”(John 21:17.)
Over the past two weeks Jeff Purswell has been answering some key questions about the relationship between the cross and the resurrection. Here's an index to the questions and Jeff's answers:
How Can God Decree Sin Without Sinning? Jonathan Edwards offers his explanation. (See below for my attempt at restating him.)
That we should say, that God has decreed every action of men, yea, every action that they do that is sinful, and every circumstance of those actions . . . and yet that God does not decree the actions that are sinful as sinful, but decrees [them] as good, is really consistent.
We do not mean by decreeing an action as sinful, the same as decreeing an action so that it shall be sinful; but by decreeing an action as sinful, I mean decreeing [it] for the sake of the sinfulness of the action. God decrees that it shall be sinful for the sake of the good that he causes to arise from the sinfulness thereof, whereas man decrees it for the sake of the evil that is in it. (Miscellanies #85, paragraphing added)
In other words, God can decree an action that is sinful for a human to perform, because he decrees it for non-sinful reasons.
A sin is only sinful because of the attitude of the heart in doing it. When humans sin, we are by definition rebelling against God. But in ordaining human sin, God doesn't rebel against himself. Rather, he ordains our sins with good ends in mind, which makes the act of ordaining them not sinful, since the attitude of his heart is not rebellious but righteous.
Some biblical expressions that seem to support this understading are Genesis 50:20 and Romans 11:32.
This quote by Jonathan Edwards on electing grace is breathtaking:
Make God the peculiar object of your praises. The doctrine of electing grace shows what great reason you have to do so. If God so values you, set so much by you, has bestowed greater mercies upon you than on all the ungodly in the world, is it too little a requital for you to make God the peculiar object of your praise and thankfulness? If God so distinguishes you with his mercies, you ought to distinguish yourself in his praises. You should make it your great care and study how to glorify that God who has been so peculiarly merciful to you. And this, rather, because there was nothing peculiar in you differing you from any other person that moved God to deal thus peculiarly by you: you were as unworthy to be set by as thousands of others that are not regarded of God, and are cast away by him forever as worthless and filthy.
Quoted in Chosen For Life by Sam Storms (h/t: J Solomon)
"If you, my reader, will not believe till you can understand all mysteries, you will never be saved at all; and if you allow self-invented difficulties to keep you from accepting pardon through your Lord and Saviour, you will perish in a condemnation which will be richly deserved. Do not commit spiritual suicide through a passion for discussing metaphysical subtleties."
Have you ever found yourself in prayer pleading a case before God when you suddenly get a sick feeling that either God is not listening or he's not willing to hear you? What do you do when that happens? Hopefully you haven't followed my example.
I have recently become painfully aware of a tendency of mine, when feeling inadequate to approach God, to try to bend his will through tears and contrite statements. Knowing that God will not despise a humble and contrite heart I've been seeking to make myself that way so that he would accept me and hear my pleas.
But there is a humbleness that does not flow from the gospel, and I frequently fall completely into its trap. It's the same humility that we see in men who flog and cut themselves and do other religious practices thinking that by these works God will finally hear their prayers. But true humility does not come through self-made regulations (Colossians 2:23).
The humility that pleases God (Psalm 51:17) isn't an outward show, but a response of faith to Jesus' work for us and nothing else. The place where we ought to go when we sense our unworthiness in prayer is straight to the cross where we put full trust in the righteousness of Jesus on our behalf, where he canceled the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands, nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2:14) .
We can be comforted when we pray, knowing that it is not our righteousness which gains us entrance into his presence (Hebrews 4:16), but that of Jesus, whose blood washes away the sins of all those who by faith trust in him alone.
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:1,2)
Strangely enough, while writing this I saw that Tullian Tchividjian's recent book touches on this subject, as mentioned on the Crossway blog!
“You shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet, ‘Holy to the
Lord
.’”
The holiness without which no one will see the Lord.—“God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”—We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.—“Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.”
“This is the law of the temple: the whole territory on the top of the mountain all around shall be most holy.”—Holiness befits your house, O
Lord
, forevermore.
“For their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.”—Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us . . . with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Ex. 28:36; Heb. 12:14; John 4:24; Isa. 64:6; Lev. 10:3; Ezek. 43:12; Ps. 93:5; John 17:19; Heb. 4:14, 16
is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.—His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.—Whether . . . the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours.—Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.
I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.—Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment.—My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Ps. 23:5; Ps. 34:8-10; Lam. 3:22, 23; Ps. 16:5, 6; 1 Cor. 3:22; Eph. 1:3; Phil. 4:11; 1 Tim. 6:6; Phil. 4:19 (Read full verses...)
Jesus is the true and better Adam who passed the test in the garden and whose obedience is imputed to us. Jesus is the true and better Abel who, though innocently slain, has blood now that cries out, not for our condemnation, but for acquittal. Jesus is the true and better Abraham who answered the call of God to leave all the comfortable and familiar and go out into the void not knowing wither he went to create a new people of God. Jesus is the true and better Isaac who was not just offered up by his father on the mount but was truly sacrificed for us. And when God said to Abraham, “Now I know you love me because you did not withhold your son, your only son whom you love from me,” now we can look at God taking his son up the mountain and sacrificing him and say, “Now we know that you love us because you did not withhold your son, your only son, whom you love from us.” Jesus is the true and better Jacob who wrestled and took the blow of justice we deserved, so we, like Jacob, only receive the wounds of grace to wake us up and discipline us. Jesus is the true and better Joseph who, at the right hand of the king, forgives those who betrayed and sold him and uses his new power to save them. Jesus is the true and better Moses who stands in the gap between the people and the Lord and who mediates a new covenant. Jesus is the true and better Rock of Moses who, struck with the rod of God’s justice, now gives us water in the desert. Jesus is the true and better Job, the truly innocent sufferer, who then intercedes for and saves his stupid friends. Jesus is the true and better David whose victory becomes his people’s victory, though they never lifted a stone to accomplish it themselves. Jesus is the true and better Esther who didn’t just risk leaving an earthly palace but lost the ultimate and heavenly one, who didn’t just risk his life, but gave his life to save his people. Jesus is the true and better Jonah who was cast out into the storm so that we could be brought in. Jesus is the real Rock of Moses, the real Passover Lamb, innocent, perfect, helpless, slain so the angel of death will pass over us. He’s the true temple, the true prophet, the true priest, the true king, the true sacrifice, the true lamb, the true light, the true bread. The Bible’s really not about you—it’s about him. HT: Collin Hansen & Justin Taylor
