Uncategorized

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 160

/ Reformed Baptista / Leave a comment

Day 160

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 6.

“…Being the Same yesterday, and today, and for ever.”

Scripture Lookup

Hebrews 13:8

Reflection

Jesus is steadfast in His role as mediator.

All the elect throughout time benefit from Jesus’ life and sacrificial death. The means of obtaining eternal life is the same for all His people; it is only through faith in Him that anyone receives it. From the Old Testament, to today, to the great-great-grandchildren of Millennials, the way of salvation has never changed: trust in the saving work of the Messiah.

Jesus does not waver in preserving His people. He intercedes on their behalf night and day, without fail. No one can snatch them out of His hand. The good work begun in them will be brought to completion. His Church will never fail.

Undefeated, Jesus remains a victorious king over all creation. He will never be overthrown from His reign. His power and might never waned, and there is no fear of Him ever weakening.

He who saved His people in the past, who preserved them, who spoke on their behalf to His Father, is the same One who saves, preserves, and intercedes now. He is constant; He is unchanging; He is the same. You can trust Him.

Yesterday.

Today.

And forever.

 

Questions to Consider

  • Do you tend to take Jesus’ constancy for granted, or do you tend to doubt that He is steadfast?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 159

/ Reformed Baptista / Leave a comment

 

Day 159

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 6.

“… and the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world,…”

Scripture Lookup

Revelation 13:8

Reflection

Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

While Jesus died in a particular point in time, He is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Before time began, the Son freely agreed to be the redeemer of the elect. It was ordained that He would take on human flesh, live a sinless life, endure the wrath of God on the cross, and purchase an inheritance for His people. Because this was purposed in eternity past, the virtue, efficacy, and benefit of Jesus’ life and death were bestowed on His elect in every age.

The Israelite slaves in Egypt were told to slaughter a lamb and to spread its blood over the doorposts of their homes. In this way, when the tenth plague came, a plague that brought death, the Lord passed over the houses that showed the blood. Like the Passover lamb, Jesus saved His people from death through the shedding of His blood.

Once again we remember that salvation was God’s plan from the beginning. He has full control and knowledge of this universe. No event in history has ever been outside of His providence, and that includes the redemption of sinners. Jesus satisfied divine justice by fulfilling the law that we could not, and receiving the punishment we deserve. Because of Him, we are counted as righteous. The Lamb that was slain is our Savior.

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!

 

Questions to Consider

  • Does knowing that Jesus is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world bring comfort?

 

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 158

/ Reformed Baptista / Leave a comment

12095558265_8107068da7

Day 158

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 6.

“Although the price of redemption was not actually paid by Christ until after His incarnation, yet the virtue, efficacy, and benefit thereof were communicated to the elect in all ages, successively from the beginning of the world, in and by those promises, types, and sacrifices wherein He was revealed, and signified to be the seed which should bruise the serpent’s head;…”

Scripture Lookup

1 Corinthians 10:4

Hebrews 4:2

1 Peter 1:10, 11

Reflection

Jesus has purchased the redemption of the elect. All who repent and trust in Him receive eternal life. There is no other way of salvation. But what about those who lived before Christ? Were any of them saved? How were they saved if they didn’t know about Jesus, His perfect life and His death on the cross?

God’s elect have lived throughout time, including the time before Christ. Since the Fall of Adam and Eve, a Savior was promised that would crush the serpent’s head. While those of the Old Testament period did not know the name of the Messiah, they knew He would be coming and looked forward to that day. Through the sacrificial systems they knew they needed atonement, and that a greater sacrifice than bulls and goats was needed for full atonement. The promises given to them by God ensured that He would supply a Savior, and prophecy foretold of the life of the Messiah. The types they witnessed symbolized aspects of Christ’s work. Thus by believing God and trusting in the Messiah that was to come were the Old testament saints saved.

The redemption of Christ reaches back in time to those who eagerly awaited His coming. Its virtue, effectiveness, and benefits are the same for those believers who lived before Christ as they are for believers who have lived since. One group looks forward; the other group looks back. Both receive grace, mercy, and eternal life because of the one mediator, Jesus Christ.

Questions to Consider

  • Isn’t it comforting to know that all the elect receive salvation in the same way – through Christ?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 156

/ Reformed Baptista / Leave a comment

17390083176_bce8952c85

Day 156

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 5.

“The Lord Jesus by his perfect obedience and sacrifice of himself, which he through the Eternal Spirit once offered up to God, hath fully satisfied the Justice of God,...“

Scripture Lookup

Hebrews 9:14, 10:14

Romans 3:25,26

Reflection

How many times must a truly righteous Jesus offer Himself as a sacrifice for His people? Only one. Think about it: a perfect savior makes a perfect sacrifice. If another sacrifice is necessary, then the first sacrifice was not perfect. Thankfully, Jesus does not need to be sacrificed over and over. He was without any spot or blemish of sin, and could endure the infinite wrath due to sin. He offered Himself up once, and that is enough.

The sacrifice of Christ is over. It is done. It is finished. We have no need to “re-present” it, as Roman Catholics do in the mass day after day. The work of redemption has ceased! Jesus is now in heaven, reigning and sitting at the right hand of the Father!

Since Jesus’s offering up of Himself only needed to happen once, we have assurance that those who trust in Christ are forgiven. God’s justice is FULLY satisfied.

My sin—O the bliss of this glorious thought!—
My sin, not in part, but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more;
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

-Horatio Spafford, It Is Well With My Soul

Not a little satisfied, not somewhat satisfied, but fully. When we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) Why is He just? Because Christ’s offering has fully satisfied the justice of God.

Do not trick yourself into thinking that Christ is not enough to save you. There is no need for “salvation insurance” in the form of saints, Mary, adding your works to Christ, or adopting any other practice that claims to get you into heaven. Only Christ is sufficient. He is all you need.

Questions to Consider

  • Is Christ enough for you?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 155

/ Reformed Baptista / Leave a comment

17101225576_89feaa3544

Day 155

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 4.

“…and shall return to judge men and angels at the end of the world.“

Scripture Lookup

Acts 10:42

Romans 14:9,10

Acts 1:11

2 Peter 2:4

 

Reflection

Jesus will judge you.

It is fitting that Jesus is the judge of the world, because all things were made for Him and through Him. He reigns from on high, seated at the right hand of the Father. Have you ever heard of a king that was unable to judge His people as well? All authority has been given to Jesus, and that includes determining who will receive blessing and who will receive punishment.

When this world ends, Jesus will judge not only you and the elect, but all of mankind, and even the angels. All will give an account for their deeds, and Jesus will judge accordingly. Angels that rebelled against God will receive everlasting torment. Those men who have not believed and trusted in Christ will also receive everlasting torment. The elect will receive eternal life.

The world attempts to persuade you that justice does not exist. Time after time acts of violence and rebellion occur with no consequence.  Life is not fair, the world cries, and thus we must look out for ourselves. But justice does exist. We know this, because Jesus came. He suffered, died, rose, and ascended just as He said. And He said that there will be a time of judgement. He will keep His word; we do not need to doubt Him. He is just, and He will judge.

Questions to Consider

  • Will Jesus judge impartially? What will be your plea when you stand before Him?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 154

/ Reformed Baptista / Leave a comment

11618565593_17d5c6f6d6

Day 154

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 4.

“… and there sits at the right hand of His Father making intercession,…“

Scripture Lookup

Romans 8:34

Hebrews 9:24

Reflection

After Jesus ascended into heaven, He sat down at the right hand of the Father. What does that mean? Rather than declaring that there is furniture in heaven, “sitting at the right hand” means that He is in the place of highest favor with the Father. Christ is exalted by His Father, attaining again the glory He shared with Him before the world began. He is reigning over all, holding the universe together.

With Christ’s work of redemption complete, and with Him now ruling in the heavens, is He finished with humanity? Not at all! Despite His power, despite His prestige, Christ is still the mediator on our behalf. He intercedes for us. Think of it: we have connections to the infinite, most Holy God! Jesus has not left us to ignore us; He continues to pray for us. If the prayers of a righteous man avails much, as it says in James 5:16, how powerful are the prayers of Jesus, who knew no sin!

In the midst of the hard, trying days when we fail and feel friendless, you are not forgotten: Jesus is interceding for you. Right now, as you read this, He is interceding for you. He will continue to intercede for you while you live on this earth. Thank you, Lord, for Your mercy and goodness to us!

Questions to Consider

  • How does the intercession of Christ affect your life right now?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 152

/ Reformed Baptista / Leave a comment

7136251793_c4b87e713e

Day 152

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 4.

“…on the third day He arose from the dead with the same body in which He suffered;…“

Scripture Lookup

1 Corinthians 15:3,4

John 20:25,27

Reflection

Jesus was true to His word.

He died on the cross. His body was taken down, wrapped in burial cloths, and shut in a tomb. The tomb was guarded by Roman soldiers. There was no way that body was going to get out of there.

And yet…three days later, the stone was rolled away, the cloths were folded at the tomb, and Jesus appeared to His disciples. This was no apparition! It was truly Him, in the same body that a couple days earlier had been lifeless. The marks from the nails were still there. It was Him! What He said came to pass.

With the resurrection of Christ we see the importance of the body. The Son of God was not made flesh only to cast it off once His work of redemption was complete. Instead He remained with the body He always had on earth, only now glorified. He still intercedes for us with that same body. We who are in Christ will also be resurrected with glorified bodies.

Because of the resurrection, we can be confident that those who are in Christ will not remain dead. Our bodies will be fully redeemed and conformable to His. Jesus has proved true.

Questions to Consider

  • How does the resurrection of Christ affect your life right now?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 151

/ Reformed Baptista / Leave a comment

33041618714_24e8e50d1a

Day 151

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 4.

“…was crucified, and died, and remained in the state of the dead; yet saw no corruption:…“

Scripture Lookup

Acts 13:37

Reflection

Jesus died on the cross.

“It is finished!” He said, and gave up His spirit. The Roman soldiers there saw He was dead. His body was prepared for burial. It was shut up in a tomb. He was dead.

There are groups that vehemently deny this fact. He only lost consciousness, they say. This way they can explain away what happened to His body three days later. But Jesus actually died. There was no ordinary way of reviving Him. His spirit was separate from His body.

His death continued for three days. Why three? Because that’s how long He said it would last: “for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. ” (Matthew 12:40); “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). The Pharisees remembered that He said He would rise after three days, and secured the tomb with a Roman guard. During that time, Jesus remained dead.

The sacrificial work needed to atone for His people was complete in Jesus’ death. His body lay in the tomb. Yet it would not experience the effects of death. Christ’s body did not decay and turn to dust like other human bodies. The penalty due to sin paid for, there was no need for Jesus to remain dead. Indeed, God would not let Him undergo decay…

Questions to Consider

  • What has Christ’s death accomplished for you?

Loving the Local Church

/ theroadofgrace / 2 Comments

As mentioned in the previous blog, the local church is the ordinary and primary means in which God sanctifies and grows believers, which means that church membership is non-negotiable for Christians. However, the trends in church membership and church attendance have created a new category of Christians in social science research who “love Jesus but not the Church”. We know that there is significant pressure from the unbelieving world to reject the institutional church. However, the sad reality is that the most popular polemics against the institutional church comes from other Christians. There have been numerous blogs in which professing Christians air their disgust for institutional Christianity. This mentality appears to be pervasive within our culture, but it’s an attitude that is contrary to the core teachings of the New Testament.

I don’t speak about this topic from an air of aloofness or indifference. About 10 years ago, I was once part of the crowd of Christians who loved Jesus but was burned by multiple local churches. As a Christian, I’ve been a member of churches in which individuals have been found guilty of sexual molestation of minors; individuals have been involved in adulterous relationships; individuals have split churches due to gossip, slander, and tertiary doctrinal matters (such as head coverings); elders have been found guilty of financial exploitation of its members; and members have harbored resentment towards other members for years. Observing the faults of various local churches drove me away from the institutional church. However, it was the testimony of older saints (who have walked through worse issues within the local church) who reproved me of this attitude. The central passage worthy of consideration is the following

If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. 1 John 4:20-21

Let those words sink in. Nothing can be plainer: it is impossible to love God without loving your brother. Applying this to the church, to say that “I love Jesus but not the Church” means that you do not love Jesus. This may be a harsh statement to some, but it’s the direct teaching of the New Testament. How can you claim to love Christ yet you are unwilling to love those for whom Christ has died? How can you claim unending love for Christ, yet you are unwilling to stick through the difficulties of your local church? The Apostle John makes even more penetrating statements regarding the necessity of loving your brothers:

By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another… We know that we have passed out of death into life because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in Him. 1 John 3:10-11, 14-15

Let this passage sink in. The Apostle John connects our love for fellow brothers with our individual salvation. In other words, one is deceiving himself if he believes that he can truly know God apart from loving his brothers. The objection that usually follows is that it is possible to love fellow Christians without joining or committing to a local church. However, John continues his exhortation

By this we know love, that He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. 1 John 3:16-18

This was the passage that cut me to the core as a young Christian. Practically, how is it possible to lay down your life for your brothers apart from local church? It’s easy to love your select group of Christian friends, but you don’t have the authority to pick and choose who are the members of your local church. If you aren’t committed to the fellow members of the body in the local church, can you honestly say that your love is “in deed and in truth”? There are many who are willing to point out the sins and flaws of members within their local church, but they are unwilling to aid in their sanctification. Is this truly the heart of someone who genuinely loves their brother?

There are many who will use the hypocrisy of the institutional church as a reason to reject her, but they rarely ever see their own hypocrisy. It is hypocritical to decry radical individualism within American Christianity while, at the same time, rejecting the community that God has formed in your local church. It’s hypocritical to say that the Church has become nothing more than a social club while, at the same time, rejecting the diversity of gifts, viewpoints, and personalities that God has formed in your local church. This is the mentality of one who is “dating the church” and then criticizes her to strangers after the breakup. As our Savior has said, you must take the log out of your own eye so that you can see clearly how to the speck out of your brother’s eye (cf. Matthew 7:5). In other words, you are not in position to judge the sins and blemishes of the institutional church until you are committed and willing to lay your life down for the members of your local church.

This is a call for perseverance and patience towards the local church. If you have walked away from the local church, I implore you not to forsake the local assembly. If you are a member of local church, I implore you not to keep your brothers and sisters at a distance. For those who are committed to your local church, I pray that you will excel still the more. I’ll end this blog with a quote from Thabiti Anyabwile:

…The proper response to the church, the church of worship, the people of God when they look upon the church isn’t critique and evaluation. It isn’t to spot all the limitations… The proper response of a heart oriented toward God that loves God and loves all that God does is, ‘Oh my God! Oh how staggering! Oh how beautiful … He’s my God and we are His people. Oh my God, look at the church!’

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 149

/ Reformed Baptista / Leave a comment

12525865345_97a8067003

Day 149

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 4.

“…being made sin and a curse for us;…“

Scripture Lookup

2 Corinthians 5:21

Reflection

Jesus underwent the punishment for sin that we rightly deserve. He became sin and a curse for us. How can that be? Jesus never sinned and He wasn’t defiled by sin. So how could He be made sin for us? How could the innocent Christ be a curse?

Our sin – our transgressions, our corruption, our lack of adherence to God’s law – was imputed onto Christ when He died on the cross. It was attributed vicariously to Jesus, even though He was guilty of none of it. He was the scapegoat, the one who took the fall although innocent.

When Adam and Eve fell, the human race was plunged into a state of misery. Not only is this life filled with toil and grief, eternal punishment awaits as the result of our sin. Because of sin, we are cursed. Jesus, however, became the curse for us. All the consequences due to our transgression, He took upon Himself. Undeserving of the slightest drop of God’s wrath, Christ endured all of it.

Christian, Jesus became your sin, and the curse due to your sin. All this was done so that you may be the righteousness of God. There is no condemnation for you, because Christ was condemned in your place. Do not turn again to sin, but live freely due to Christ!

Questions to Consider

  • If Jesus became sin and a curse for you, how does that affect your daily life?