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A Little Time With The 1689: Day 131

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Day 131

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 1.

“…the heir of all things,…“

Scripture Lookup

Hebrews 1:2

Reflection

God ordained Jesus, His only begotten Son, to be the heir of all things. All things, not just an earthly kingdom to rule, or governance of a spiritual realm, or even a little planet in the cosmos. Every last particle is to be Christ’s. A man with that much power, and yet we can fully trust Him, for He is good. It is astounding to contemplate.

How much the Father values the Son! “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased” is repeated several times in the New Testament. God exalted Christ so highly for His work on our behalf that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. (Philippians 2:9-11) If the Father finds delight in Jesus, and appoints Him heir over all things, shouldn’t that tell us that Jesus is not someone to overlook in any way? Our world is so flippant about its blasphemy concerning Jesus. It is, sadly, to be expected from them. But shouldn’t the church be zealous for Jesus’ reputation just as the Father is? Yet how often is our savior, the heir of all things, taken for granted by His very own sheep? How often do Christians cheapen His name when they purchase plastic “Jesus” action figures or share visual misrepresentations of Him? Simply because the heir of all things humbled Himself to tabernacle among us does not mean we should be careless in how we refer to Him.

Since Jesus is the heir of all things, He is deserving of the utmost reverence. As His elect, we also ought to be that much more diligent in revering Him, for He shares that inheritance with us. Romans 8:16-17 states: “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,  and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” We are fellow heirs with Christ! We receive the blessings of His inheritance! May we be ever thankful for such a provision, and mindful of it when we are tempted to despair of any “lack” we experience in this life.

Questions to Consider

  • Do you long for Jesus to receive His full inheritance?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 130

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Day 130

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 1.

“…Head and Savior of his Church…“

Scripture Lookup

Ephesians 1:22,23

Reflection

Ask people on the street who the head of the church is, and you would probably receive different answers. Some may say the Pope. Some may say their pastor, or elders. Some may point to their deacon board, or general assembly. Those answers would be incorrect. There is only one head of the church, and that is Christ.

Jesus is the only savior of His church. There is salvation in no one else, as Acts 4:12 states. He alone laid down His life for her, that she might live. The Christian owes His very existence as a Christian to Jesus. Even the name, “Jesus”, points to His role as savior of his church: “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21) The church is His; her well-being He takes personally.

Since Jesus is our savior, it naturally follows that He is our Head. He alone is to lead the church. The church should not govern itself after the traditions and opinions of men, but is to follow the laws and directives given to us by Christ through His word. Are we, as His church, striving to follow His lead?

Questions to Consider

  • Do you prefer Jesus as savior or as head, rather than embracing both of His roles in your life?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 129

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Day 129

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 1.

“…and King;…“

Scripture Lookup

Psalm 2:6

Luke 1:33

Reflection

Christ is King!

Out of the three offices that God ordained Jesus to fulfill, that of King seems to be the most well-known. While I know of churches titled “Christ the King”, and cards and posters that declare “Jesus is King”, I am hard-pressed to recall any poster extolling Jesus as priest. And with the multitudinous diversity of church names present here in the southern United States, I still have yet to see a church entitled “Christ the Priest”! The truth that Jesus is King can sometimes be so commonly declared that it may seem matter-of-fact to us. But there is nothing trite about Jesus’ reign.

Christians take comfort in knowing Jesus is king. But what is He king of? We know that since Jesus is fully God, He is sovereign over all things. Yet He is king of the elect in a special way. He subdues rebellious sinners and makes them willing subjects, ready to serve Him. As king He determines the laws of His kingdom. Through His perfect kingship, He protects His people, defends His people, and vanquishes His enemies.

Therefore, when we read that Jesus is King, we should not allow the commonality of that phrase to dull our affection for Him. Rather, our praise and allegiance should rise up within us! His rule is just and merciful. We can depend on Him to rule wisely, and need not fear to follow His commands. His protection of us is iron-clad; our enemies are surely doomed. What a majestic and mighty king!

Questions to Consider

  • Have you ever considered how Jesus is king?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 128

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Day 128

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 1.

“…priest,,…“

Scripture Lookup

Hebrews 5:5,6

Reflection

Jesus was ordained by God to fulfill the role of a priest. Not only a priest, but a high priest, chief among all priests. What does Jesus do in His role as a great high priest?

Priests served as mediators between God and His people. In ancient Israel, they constantly offered up sacrifices on behalf of the people. Being men, they understood the frailties and weaknesses of men. Appointed by God, Jesus was not like the priests that sacrificed in the tabernacle and temple in the Old Testament. First of all, He was not of the tribe of Levi. Only descendants of Levi were to be priests. Yet God appointed Him priest according to the order of Melchizedek. The priests that worked in the temple offered up various sacrifices for sin daily; Christ offered Himself. The high priest in the Old Testament offered atonement for the people, but also had to atone for himself. Christ had no need to atone for His sins, because He had none. He willingly atoned for the sins of His people even though there was no obligation for Him to do so. The Levitical priests died and were replaced; Jesus lives forever, holding His priesthood permanently, interceding on behalf of His own.

Christ’s role as high priest as making Him aloof and far away from us. While He is in an exalted position, He is our mediator between us and God. He can sympathize with our weaknesses, because He was tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. We can boldly come to God through His perfect priestly role. Do not hesitate to avail yourself of Him for grace and mercy!

For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever.

-Hebrews 7:26-28

Questions to Consider

  • Have you ever considered how Jesus is a priest?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 127

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Day 127

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 1.

“… the prophet,…“

Scripture Lookup

Acts 3:22

Reflection

Jesus was ordained to fulfill many roles. One of those roles is that of prophet. How is Jesus a prophet? He is a prophet in that He brings the Word of God to the people. The gospel of John calls Him “the Word”, and “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) He revealed the will of the Father. (John 6:40) Several times He declared that He spoke not on His own initiative, but on behalf of His father. The Father Himself called people to listen to the words Jesus spoke: “While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” (Matthew 17:5) It was Jesus that expounded the Scriptures to the disciples on the road to Emmaus. Jesus thus fulfilled the role of prophet, and continues to do so today. (Hebrews 1:1)

Questions to Consider

  • Have you ever considered how Jesus is a prophet?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 126

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Day 126

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 1.

“It pleased God in His eternal purpose, to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus his only begotten Son, according to the Covenant made between them both, to be the mediator between God and man;…“

Scripture Lookup

Isaiah 42:1

1 Peter 1:19,20

Reflection

Torn from communion with God due to Adam’s disobedience, mankind cannot enjoy fellowship with God without intervention. Thankfully, God was pleased to send a mediator, someone who would reconcile sinners with God. That someone was Jesus.

God the Father was pleased to choose his only begotten Son as the savior of the elect. The Son was pleased to go, willingly laying aside His glory and humbling Himself to become a man. This covenant of redemption between them paved the way for the covenant of grace, where sinners obtain eternal life and salvation through faith in Christ.

When the fully divine Son was clothed in human flesh and became man, He was named Jesus, for “He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21) Jesus is wholly unique, for no one else is fully God and fully man. Only Jesus was ordained to be the mediator between God and man. He is alone in His perfect obedience to the law, and His atoning sacrifice is solely sufficient for sinners. He is the One to look to for strength in our walk as Christians, because He has done it, and done it perfectly. There never has been and never will be anyone like Him.

For all His uniqueness, however, Jesus has much in common with His people. He was chosen from eternity past by God for His purposes. He experienced life as a human: growing, learning, eating, sleeping. He was tempted in every way as we are, but without sin. He understands the frailty of the human body, because His body experienced death. Thus He is the perfect One to sympathize with our weaknesses, because He’s been there. There never has been and never will be anyone who can relate to us like Him.

Questions to Consider

  • Have you pondered how Jesus is the perfect mediator between God and man?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 125

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Day 125

Of God’s Covenant.

Chapter 7, Paragraph 3.

“…and it is alone by the Grace of this Covenant, that all the posterity of fallen Adam, that ever were saved, did obtain life and blessed immortality; man being now utterly incapable of acceptance with God upon those terms, on which Adam stood in his state of innocency.“

Scripture Lookup

Hebrews 11;6,13

Romans 4:1,2, &c.

Acts 4:12

John 8:56

Reflection

All the elect, all who have ever been saved throughout history, all who have obtained everlasting life, have been saved through the covenant of grace. There is not one way of salvation for those before Christ and a different way after Christ. There is not another way to gain eternal life apart from this covenant. There is salvation in no one else, and no other name under heaven by which men must be saved. The covenant of grace, in which life and salvation are freely offered to sinners who believe in Jesus Christ, is our only hope at redemption.

Why is the covenant of grace the only way to be saved? Because the other option has become forever out of our reach, thanks to Adam. We can never obey God perfectly in our own strength. It is impossible. We are weak, fallen creatures. Some might try to excuse their imperfection, claiming that God is pleased with good intentions, but they forget that God is a holy and righteous God. He cannot abide in the presence of sin. Good intentions are not enough to fulfill the law. We need the righteousness of Christ Himself, the One who not only intended to fulfill the law, but actually did fulfill the law on behalf of his sheep. We need His atoning sacrifice. Only through belief in Him can there be any acceptance by God.

Therefore all who have been saved, have been saved through the covenant of grace. Those men and women of old who looked forward to the coming of the Savior – they were saved through the covenant of grace. Those disciples in the New Testament who believed in Jesus – they were saved through the covenant of grace. Those believers of a millennium ago, those who believe now, and those who will have faith in Christ in the future – all are saved through the beautiful covenant of grace. There is no room for boasting. There is no place for superiority. It is by grace we have been saved.

Questions to Consider

  • Is it difficult to accept that the covenant of grace is the only way the elect are saved?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 124

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Day 124

Of God’s Covenant.

Chapter 7, Paragraph 3.

“…and it is founded in that eternal covenant transaction that was between the Father and the Son about the redemption of the elect;…“

Scripture Lookup

2 Timothy 1:9

Titus 1:2

Reflection

Through the Confession so far, we learned that God has decreed all things that come to pass. This also includes the Son taking on human flesh and laying down His life for sinners, that covenant of grace revealed in the gospel. The agreement between the members of the Trinity to redeem those sinners is called the covenant of redemption.

In eternity past, God the Father and God the Son solemnly agreed to save the elect. The Father sent His only begotten Son so that whoever believes will not perish. These who believe are given to the Son by the Father. (John 10:29) The Father raised Jesus from the dead, and has set Him at His right hand, glorifying Him with the glory they shared in eternity past.

The Son lived a life of perfect obedience to His Father. Was the Son forced to do this? No way! The Son willingly came to earth, because He desired to do the will of the Father. He made the Father known. He did the works of the Father. (John 14:12) He laid His life down for His sheep, and the Father loves Him for this.

The Holy Spirit supported Jesus through His life and aided Him in His ministry. In each step of His sinless life, the Lord relied on the Spirit to enable Him to keep the Law perfectly in His humanity. That same Spirit that helped Jesus is sent to His disciples, and applies Christ’s work to them.

Because of God’s faithfulness in keeping the covenant of redemption, we who are in Christ now receive the blessings of the covenant of grace. We are accepted by the Father because of the Son. We know the Father because the Son has made Him known. The Holy Spirit confirms that we are children of God. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

Questions to Consider

  • How does the covenant of redemption affect your view of the gospel?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 123

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Day 123

Of God’s Covenant.

Chapter 7, Paragraph 3.

“...and afterwards by farther steps, until the full discovery thereof was completed in the New Testament;…“

Scripture Lookup

Hebrews 1:1

Reflection

The covenant of grace, revealed in the gospel, was first introduced in Genesis.  But over time, Scripture provided clues that shed more light on this savior. Eventually, in dazzling splendor, the covenant of grace was fully displayed in the New Testament.

In Genesis we learned there would be a seed of the woman who would bruise the head of the serpent. Other details were not given then, but further clues concerning the redemption of sinners peek out from the remaining pages of the Old Testament. The tabernacle pointed to the one who would dwell among His people. The sacrificial system showed that a sacrifice must be made for sin. The Psalms spoke of how God would not let His holy one see decay. Isaiah prophesied of this Messiah who would be born in Bethlehem, of whose government there would be no end.

Finally, the New Testament declares the fullness of the gospel. Jesus Christ, fully man and fully God, lived a life of perfect obedience to the law. Through His death, he atoned for the sins of His elect. Raising from the dead, He demonstrated His power over death, ensuring that those who believe in Him will have eternal life.

Thus step by step the covenant of grace was revealed in the gospel, first in prophecies and types and shadows, then in full splendor as the New Testament records the life and finished work of Jesus. Knowing this gospel, we can read the Old Testament not as a collection of interesting historical accounts, but as a foundation that supports the radiance of the New. We also can rejoice that the discovery of the covenant of grace was completed in the New Testament, and that we need not seek any more revelation.

Questions to Consider

  • How is your view of the Old Testament affected by knowing the covenant of grace is revealed by steps in it? How is your view of the New Testament affected by knowing the covenant of grace is fully revealed in it?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 122

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Day 122

Of God’s Covenant.

Chapter 7, Paragraph 3.

“This covenant is revealed in the gospel; first of all to Adam in the promise of salvation by the seed of the woman,...“

Scripture Lookup

Genesis 3:15

Reflection

Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. Realizing their sin, racked with shame, they hid themselves in an attempt to avoid God. Of course that was impossible. When God asked him if he sinned, Adam shifted the blame to Eve. Confronted by God, Eve stated that the serpent deceived her. God then turns to the serpent and explains the curse due to his deception:

“Because you have done this,
Cursed are you more than all cattle,
And more than every beast of the field;
On your belly you will go,
And dust you will eat
All the days of your life;
 And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her seed;
He shall bruise you on the head,
And you shall bruise him on the heel.”

Couched in the serpent’s curse is a glimmer of hope for sinners. Despite the transgression of our first parents, despite the corrupt nature inherited by all born of ordinary generation, there will be those who do not walk in step with the serpent. There will come a seed that will bruise the head of Satan.

Genesis 3:15 is called the protoevangelium. It is here that we first see the Gospel proclaimed. A savior is coming. Right from the beginning, sinners could look forward to His arrival. Like the first gray moments of dawn, the covenant of grace is revealed hazily, but its presence is undeniable.

Questions to Consider

  • Knowing the covenant of grace is revealed in Genesis, is the Bible disjointed or is it cohesive?