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A Little Time With The 1689: Day 140

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Day 140

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 3.

“...in whom it pleased the Father that all fullness should dwell:…“

Scripture Lookup

Colossians 1:19

Reflection

 In Jesus we have everything necessary for salvation.

Do you believe that?

If we rely on our efforts to be as perfect as possible in order to merit salvation, we lessen Jesus. If we try to be authentic enough, or broken enough, or hip enough to merit salvation, we lessen Jesus. If we make Jesus out to be solely our moral example, we lessen Jesus. If we make Jesus out to be solely our best buddy, we lessen Jesus. We must never think we can add anything to Him. “Thou must save, and Thou alone!”

Considering the universal self-promotion that goes on nowadays, it may be easy to overlook the grandeur of Jesus. He did the will of His Father, and did so with humility. Yet when the Father exalts Him above all, and makes Him the means of reconciliation between sinners and God, then we better pay closer attention to who Jesus is. “In Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form…” (Colossians 2:9)

To add anything to Jesus’ mediatorial work on our behalf for justification undercuts the majesty and glory that is due Him. And ALL glory, honor and power are due Him, for He is not a lesser being than the Father or Spirit, but is equal with them. All fullness dwells with Him, and it is from this fullness found in Him that we as Christians receive every spiritual blessing. “For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.” (John 1:16)

Trust in Christ, then, with all your heart, and lean not on yourself.

God the Father is infinitely satisfied in Christ. He is all in all to Him. Surely if Christ is an object sufficient for the satisfaction of the Father, much more, then, is He an object sufficient for the satisfaction of any soul.

-Jeremiah Burroughs

Questions to Consider

  • Are you seeking fullness in Christ alone, or are you attempting to add to His fullness?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 139

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Day 139

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 3.

“...having in him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge;…“

Scripture Lookup

Colossians 2:3

Reflection

Do you seek wisdom? Do you long to grow in knowledge? Where do you go to find these things? Many look for enlightenment by following some self-help guru, or a best-selling book, or the philosophies of today. Some think if they could just get a special sort of knowledge, they could unlock all the secrets of the universe. But Jesus is the only One that contains all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

During His life on earth, Jesus grew in wisdom and stature. Through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in His human nature, Jesus was the wisest man to ever live. He became to us wisdom from God. (1 Corinthians 1:30) And how vast is that wisdom! “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” (Romans 11:33) His wisdom and knowledge are demonstrated throughout Scripture. It is Jesus that made the Father known. (John 15:15; 17:26) It is Jesus that sends the Helper to us to guide us into all truth, the truth that is His. (John 16:13-15)

You need not seek elsewhere for wisdom. Jesus has all the wisdom you need for a life of godliness. Look to Him, ask Him for it, and He will no deny you.

There is a fulness of wisdom in him, as he has perfectly revealed the will of God to mankind. Observe, The treasures of wisdom are hidden not from us, but for us, in Christ. Those who would be wise and knowing must make application to Christ. We must spend upon the stock which is laid up for us in him, and draw from the treasures which are hidden in him. -Matthew Henry

Questions to Consider

  • Are you seeking wisdom by going to Jesus, or are you looking elsewhere?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 138

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Day 138

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 3.

“The Lord Jesus in his human nature thus united to the divine, in the Person of the Son, was sanctified & anointed with the Holy Spirit, above measure;...“

Scripture Lookup

Psalm 45:7

Acts 10:38

John 3:34

Reflection

Why would Jesus, who always did the will of His Father, need to be sanctified by the Holy Spirit? Why was He anointed with the Holy Spirit? To sanctify means to make holy, or set apart. While the human nature and the divine nature of Christ are inseparably joined together, they are still distinct natures. The human nature of Jesus was sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In His very conception, the Holy Spirit set Him apart. He was born of a woman, yet not born by ordinary generation. The Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary, thus ensuring Jesus to be born without the corrupt sinful nature passed down from Adam and Eve.

As the Messiah, or “anointed one”, Jesus was empowered to carry out His role as mediator between God and man. Where did this anointing come from? From the Spirit. As a human, He held all the essential properties of being a man. That includes all the infirmities humans possess. How much stress can one man endure? How long can someone keep up such a ministry before physical ailments occur?  Jesus, in His human nature, was empowered by the Spirit to endure the agony and suffering necessary to atone for sin.

This sanctifying and anointing of the Spirit in Christ’s humanity was without measure. He was given all that was necessary for His task, and more so! We see through this the importance that the Trinity places on the redemption of the elect. All three persons determined to save a people for God’s glory. Our salvation is surely secure!

Questions to Consider

  • Have you ever considered the role of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ life?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 137

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Day 137

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 2.

“…So that two whole, perfect, and distinct natures were inseparably joined together in one Person: without conversion, composition, or confusion: which person is very God and very man; yet one Christ, the only Mediator between God and man.“

Scripture Lookup

Luke 1:27,31,35

Romans 9:5

1 Timothy 2:5

Reflection

Jesus is unique. This can make it confusing when trying to explain who He is, especially to those who are convinced that He was just a man, or just a spirit, but never both. From Scripture, however, we see that Jesus is man and God. So, how exactly does that work?

There is a mystery to how Jesus is both God and man, but there are things we can clearly say about Him. We know that He has a human nature, and we also know that He has a divine nature. There is nothing limiting Him from being fully man, and nothing that keeps Him from being fully God. We also know that as a man, He is perfect. This also is true of His divinity. There is no mingling of the two natures that would lessen His being a man or lessen His being God.

However, despite there being two natures, there is only one person: Christ. While the two natures are distinct, you can’t separate them: Jesus can’t be Jesus without His human nature, and He can’t be Jesus without His divine nature. To be Jesus is to be fully God and fully man. This is the only mediator between God and men. Any other Jesus will not do.

Such thinking about who Christ is may be new to you. It can be difficult! It sure is a lot easier to simply let people believe what they want about Jesus, and not have to work to explain the “hypostatic union” (the union of the two natures in the person of Jesus).  But if you don’t grow in your knowledge of Christ, how can you grow in your love for Him? And how will you give a defense against those who redefine Jesus? May we echo the hymn:

More about Jesus would I know,
More of his grace to others show,
More of his saving fullness see,
More of his love who died for me.

Questions to Consider

  • How does the hypostatic union affect your salvation?

How Much Do You Need the Church?

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To the reader of this blog, may I ask you some questions:

  • Do you love the church?
  • Do you believe that the church is still necessary or has the church become merely a convenience in your life?
  • Do you believe that church attendance is a necessary component of your sanctification?
  • Do you prize the local church or do you treat her like other commodities that you shop for?
  • Do you love your leaders or do you criticize them because they aren’t your favorite preachers?
  • Do you believe that you can gain more spiritual nourishment at home rather than at the local church?
  • Do you see the church as the bride of Christ purchased by His blood or is the church here merely to fit your agenda?
  • Does taking holiday vacations mean that you take vacations from the church?
  • Do you love the members of your local church or are they a burden to you?
  • Is corporate worship the high point of your week or do you treat it as part of your weekly to-do list?
  • Do you believe that sporadic church attendance harms your growth as a Christian?
  • Do you believe that you need pastors and elders who keep watch over your soul?
  • Have you blamed the church for the problems within our modern society?
  • Are you a “church shopper” because you are easily offended by the members of your local church?
  • Have you stopped praying for your local church and your elders?
  • Do you need a vacation from your local church in order to find God?
  • Do you love corporate worship on the Lord’s Day or is the gathered worship merely a “pick-me-up” for the week?
  • Have you stopped financially giving to the church because pastors are “crooked”?
  • Do you believe that you will eventually out-grow the need for the local church?
  • Do you merely endure the members of your local church so that you can get what you need from God on the Lord’s Day?
  • What is it about the church that you love?
  • Are you committed to the local church and its mission or are you seeking for a better deal?
  • Have you dismissed these questions because you believe that you aren’t the problem?

I’ve posed these questions not to bring shame, but to raise important heart issues. There have been wonderful books written that have expounded on the doctrine of the church and its importance in the life of the Christian. However, in spite of these works, many professing Christians continue to drift away from the local church and others reject the local church itself as a valid institution. George Barna’s research testifies to these contemporary attitudes towards the organized church. He writes that evangelicals

… are less interested in attending church than in being the church … [and] we found that there is a significant distinction in the minds of many people between the local church – with a small ‘c’ – and the universal Church – with a capital ‘C’. [They] tend to be more focused on being the Church … whether they participate in a [local] church or not.

This raises the question on whether one can actually love the universal church if they have ignored the local church. Barna goes on to write:

A common misconception … is that they are disengaging from God when they leave a local church. We found that while some people leave the local church and fall away from God altogether, there is a much larger segment of Americans who are currently leaving churches precisely because they want more of God in their life but cannot get what they need from a local church. They have decided to get serious about their faith by piecing together a more robust faith experience. Instead of going to church, they have chosen to be the Church, in a way that harkens back to the Church detailed in the Book of Acts.

Barna’s opinion seems to fit the ethos of our day because we live in a deeply anti-institutional and anti-authoritarian world that honestly believes that we can “piece together a more robust faith experience” outside the church. The purpose of this blog series is to challenge our understanding and commitment to the local church. This series will not be a scholarly exposition of the doctrine of the Church (since there are many good works on this topic), but it will be a series in which we search out our motives and uncover our hidden presuppositions regarding our view of the local church. If we aren’t careful and discerning regarding the influences within the age we live in, then even confessional Christians will gradually drift away from the local church.

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 136

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Day 136

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 2.

“…being conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary, the Holy Spirit coming down upon her: and the power of the Most High overshadowing her; and so was made of a woman of the tribe of Judah, of the seed of Abraham and David according to the Scriptures;…“

Scripture Lookup

Matthew 1:22, 23

Reflection

Is it Christmas time already? Kidding aside, due to the influence of our culture, we too often only consider the virgin birth of Jesus amidst buying gifts, decorating, and baking cookies. In the flurry of that season, the importance of the incarnation can be lost. Reflecting on the conception of Christ is not something to hold off on until winter, but a vital activity in understanding who Jesus is.

Jesus lived a life of perfect obedience to God’s law, and never sinned. But ever since Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, all their posterity descending from them by ordinary generation have inherited a corrupted nature. Jesus definitely was a descendant of Adam and Eve. He fulfilled the Scripture concerning the promise given to Eve, that there would be a Savior to come. He further fulfilled prophecy by being a descendant of Abraham, Judah, and David. His genealogy bears witness to His being the One that was to come. But how did He descend from Adam and Eve without inheriting a corrupted human nature?

The conception of Jesus was not ordinary. It was a miraculous event, with the Holy Spirit conceiving Jesus in the womb of the virgin Mary. Since He was not conceived by the normal way children are created, He did not inherit the corrupted nature of His first parents. Thus His human nature was pure, free from any drop of sin.

Some think that belief in the virgin birth is not necessary in order to be a Christian. (James White has addressed such notions here.) Without the miraculous conception of Jesus, however, His life would be tainted with a sinful nature. Such a Savior could never be the perfect One needed for our redemption. Scripture, God’s Word itself, has included the events concerning Jesus’ birth in its pages. Let us not be dismissive of such an event!

Questions to Consider

  • Do you tend to overlook the importance of the virgin birth of Jesus?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 135

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Day 135

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 2.

“…yet without sin:…“

Scripture Lookup

Romans 8:3

Hebrews 2:14,16,17

Hebrews 4:15

Reflection

How can someone be a human and not sin? We have never seen for ourselves what living a sinless life looks like. Everyone around us sins. We sin. Think of the best person on the planet today – guess what? They still sin. “Nobody’s perfect,” seems to be a universally acknowledged fact. Yet Jesus lived a sinless life. He was – and is – perfect.

Taking on human nature, the Son of God took upon Himself all the essential properties of being human. He had flesh and blood; he had a soul; as a human, He was made in the image of God. He also experienced weakness: fatigue, hunger, sadness. In all of that, though, He never sinned. When the Confession says “yet without sin”, it means that Jesus lived His life in perfect obedience to God’s law. Not one time did He break a commandment intentionally or inadvertently. His life was fully conformed to the law of God, in word, deed and thought.

Does it matter that Jesus was without sin? Yes! A sinful Jesus would be under the curse of Adam and Eve, since He would have inherited the corrupted nature. A sinful Jesus could not atone for others’ sins, as He would have to atone for His own. But since Jesus is sinless, we have a perfect, spotless Lamb who fulfills the law’s demands on our behalf.

Questions to Consider

  • How does Jesus’ sinless life affect you?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 134

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Day 134

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 2.

“The Son of God, the second Person in the Holy Trinity, being very and eternal God, the brightness of the Father’s glory, of one substance and equal with him: who made the World, who upholdeth and governeth all things he hath made: did when the fullness of time was come take upon him man’s nature, with all the Essential properties, and common infirmities thereof,…“

Scripture Lookup

John 1:14

Galatians 4:4

Reflection

Attacking the nature of Christ is the norm for numerous cults that claim to be “Christian”. Of course, they don’t say they are attacking his nature; they vehemently promote their “truth”. These heresies are not new; they have been circulating since the first century. How do we combat them? By knowing to the best of our ability who our Savior truly is.

The Son of God is God. He, along with the Father and the Holy Spirit, compose the Trinity. Even though He is the only begotten Son of the Father, He is not inferior to Him. This is the almighty Son, who created all things, and continues to uphold and direct all things! He, like the Father and Spirit, is immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, infinite in being and perfection. You cannot exalt the Son too highly.

Knowing the true nature of the Son, that He is fully God and thus far beyond our limits, we turn to that point in time, ordained since the beginning, where the Son takes upon Himself human nature. He does not appear as a man; He is a man. While fully God, He is also fully man. He is born; He thirsts; he hungers; He grows weary. What it means to be human, He is. He shares in our common infirmities.

Questions to Consider

  • How is the Son God? How is the Son like us when He took on human flesh?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 133

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Day 133

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 1.

“…Unto whom he did from all Eternity give a people to be His seed, and to be by him in time redeemed, called, justified, sanctified, and glorified.“

Scripture Lookup

Isaiah 53:10

John 17:6

Romans 8:30

Reflection

Christian, you are a gift.

I don’t mean in a “you’re such an awesome person” kind of way. After all, you are fallen in Adam, and although you are being made holy through the Holy Spirit’s work in you, you still have that lingering corrupt nature. We learned all about that back in chapter 7 of the Confession.

We also know that if we are Christians, we have been appointed to eternal life by God. Back in chapter 3, we learned that God chose a people out of His mere free grace and love. These people are redeemed by Christ, called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved. We read that already. So why repeat it in this chapter? Is anything different mentioned?

Adding to our knowledge of the saving work of Christ are these words: “unto whom He did from all eternity give a people to be his seed”. The Father, when He and the Son made the Covenant of Redemption, gave a people to the Son. All those who have believed in Christ are a gift from the Father to the Son. Jesus’ redeeming work on earth was not done so that some people might belong to Him. The Father ensured that there would be a people for Christ.

Christian, you are part of a people gifted to Jesus by the Father. You are born again to be His offspring, adopted by God. The attention to detail given concerning your salvation, as well as the salvation of the rest of the elect, leaves no room for error. Your salvation is secure; the Trinity has seen to it. You are a gift. Rejoice in that!

Questions to Consider

  • How secure is your salvation, if the Father has given you to Jesus?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 132

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Day 132

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 1.

“…and judge of the world:…“

Scripture Lookup

Acts 17:31

Reflection

“He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead…” – Nicene Creed

No one likes to be judged. Even the verb “judge” has the connotation of disapproval; rarely do you hear it used in cheerful conversation. When someone says “Don’t judge me!” they are really saying, “Don’t tell me my actions are wrong, since you don’t know my motivations or circumstances, nor do you have any moral high ground to decide my actions are wrong.”

When Jesus comes to judge the world, the cry of “Don’t judge me!” will fall silent. This judge has every right to determine what actions are wrong, for He has ruled what is right and wrong. He knows our motivations, for “the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword,… and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrew 4:12) He knows your circumstances because He decreed that they come to pass. He has the ultimate moral high ground to judge, for He walked this earth, tempted in every way that we are, yet He did not sin.

God chose and ordained His Son, Jesus, to judge the world. And the world will be judged – there is no free pass. No one will be able to stand on their own righteousness before Him, for all have sinned. Yet this righteous Judge, through His mercy and grace, has paid the penalty for sinners who have faith in Him. As His elect, we can look forward to His judging, for His righteousness covers us, and that righteousness is perfectly holy.

Questions to Consider

  • What is your reaction to Jesus as judge?