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A Little Time With The 1689: Day 121

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Day 121

Of God’s Covenant.

Chapter 7, Paragraph 2.

“…and promising to give unto all those that are ordained unto eternal Life, His holy Spirit, to make them willing, and able to believe.“

Scripture Lookup

Ezekiel 36:26,27

John 6:44,45

Psalm 110:3

Reflection

In the Covenant of Grace, God freely offers life and salvation by Jesus Christ. In order to receive this salvation, however, there is a requirement: faith in Christ. Easy peasy, right? Make a decision today, get eternal life tomorrow? Some churches would have you think that if we simply mustered up our will, we could be saved.

There is a problem with the requirement of faith. We can’t do it on our own. Remember, Adam and Eve’s transgression resulted in our being utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to evil. Our very nature is corrupted. How can we have faith in Christ when we are unable to do good? If salvation was determined by our decision alone, the covenant would not be gracious. It would be a dangling, taunting opportunity ever out of our reach.

But God doesn’t just offer the covenant of grace with an outstretched hand, waiting to see who will take Him up on it. He raises those who are ordained to eternal life and regenerates them. The Holy Spirit makes them willing to believe. Not only that, the Holy Spirit makes them able to believe. You know what that means? Before the working of the Spirit, no one is able to believe. No one is willing to believe. The only reason why anyone trusts in Jesus is because the Holy Spirit has already done a work in them.

Salvation is all of Him! His covenant is not mostly grace, or 99.9% grace, but a covenant of grace, pure and simple.

At every point of the process of salvation this word is appropriate—“not of yourselves.” From the first desire after it to the full reception of it by faith, it is evermore of the Lord alone, and not of ourselves. The man believes, but that belief is only one result among many of the implantation of divine life within the man’s soul by God Himself.

-Charles Spurgeon, All of Grace

Questions to Consider

  • Have you ever considered how the Spirit worked in you even before you believed in Christ?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 120

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Day 120

Of God’s Covenant.

Chapter 7, Paragraph 2.

“…life and salvation by Jesus Christ, requiring of them faith in Him, that they may be saved;…“

Scripture Lookup

Romans 8:3

Mark 16:15,16

John 3:16

Reflection

God was pleased to make a Covenant of Grace with sinners. Did you get that? He was pleased. This was not a decision made begrudgingly. Sometimes as parents we are frustrated at the foibles of our children. “Now to go and fix everything for them again!” we sigh. But not so with God. While Adam and Eve broke God’s law, and plunged mankind into a state of sin and misery, Jesus Christ willingly came to save the elect.

This covenant of grace was not also done hastily. Adam’s disobedience did not take God by surprise, so that He had to scramble to redeem a people. The omniscient, omnipotent God decreed in Himself from all eternity all things that come to pass; the covenant of grace is no exception. It has been His plan from the beginning. He knows what horrid sinners we are, yet still saves us, for His glory.

All who believe in Jesus receive life and salvation, freely and immediately. There is no waiting period, no trial to see if you deserve it. If you are in Christ, you do not have to sit on pins and needles anticipating His reaction, and you do not have to walk on eggshells around Him for fear of losing His love. Sam Waldron describes it aptly:

God does not need to make covenants of swear oaths to us. His promises need no confirmation, yet God condescends to swear an oath to confirm them to us. The fact that He does so shows that God is at pains to assure his people of the utter certainty of his promises, of his faithfulness, of their utter security in his love and grace. Some people always like to keep you guessing. God is not like that. He wants us to be utterly certain of the security of our relationship with him.

–1689 Baptist Confession of Faith: A Modern Exposition

Rest in the promise of His covenant of grace. Has He spoken, and will not make it good? “…so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.” (Hebrews 6:18)

Questions to Consider

  • What are the requirements of the covenant of grace?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 119

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Day 119

Of God’s Covenant.

Chapter 7, Paragraph 2.

“Moreover Man having brought himself under the curse of the Law by his fall, it pleased the Lord to make a Covenant of Grace wherein he freely offereth unto Sinners,…“

Scripture Lookup

Genesis 2:17

Galatians 3:10

Romans 3:20,21

Reflection

God was under no obligation to rescue His people from their sinful estate. Man, failing to obey God, received the consequences of such disobedience. Sin entered the world, bringing with it misery, alienation from God, and death both spiritual and physical. Corrupted human nature was passed down to each person born by ordinary means. There was and still is no way for us to obtain life through keeping God’s law.

So yes, God could have stopped there. Adam and Eve blew it, we were all doomed, and God would still be perfectly just and good to leave us to our wretchedness and miserable fate. Yet He made a covenant. This solemn agreement gave the elect what was not deserved – it was, therefore, a Covenant of Grace.

This Covenant of Grace is not grudgingly given, but is freely offered to sinners. Free! How lavish, how generous is this grace that God provides! How great is the love bestowed upon His people!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!

-S. Trevor Francis

Questions to Consider

  • What makes the Covenant of Grace so gracious?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 118

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Day 118

Of God’s Covenant.

Chapter 7, Paragraph 1.

“The distance between God and the Creature is so great, that although reasonable Creatures do owe obedience unto Him as their Creator, yet they could never have attained the reward of Life, but by some voluntary condescension on God’s part, which he hath been pleased to express by way of Covenant.“

Scripture Lookup

Luke 17:10

Job 35:7,8

Reflection

Even though we have seen how far above us is God, we can still find it hard sometimes to grasp that He is so far above us. God is viewed as a buddy, rather than an infinitely wise and holy Being. Perhaps it is the result of how evangelicalism has emphasized the relationship between God and man: “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” So much emphasis is placed on what God can do for you, that we forget who He is, and how limited we are in comprehending Him.

There is such a vast difference between the creature and the Creator, though. Our allegiance is due to Him since He created us; He has no obligation towards us whatsoever. We do not deserve any reward for obeying Him, because obeying Him is what we were supposed to be doing all along. The reward of Life was not an inherent right given to Adam and Eve.

God, understanding the limitations of His creatures, freely chose to extend the offer of Life to them. His manner in doing this was by entering into a covenant. A covenant is a solemn commitment. By graciously entering into covenant with His creation, God promises blessing upon certain conditions.

When studying how God interacts with us by of covenant, we see His majesty in dealing with mere creatures such as ourselves. His benevolence towards us is not like the wide-eyed devotion of your pet dog. The love God bestows is far richer, far more precious, because He has to stoop from such a height to interact with us.

Questions to Consider

  • Have you ever reflected on the great divide between the Creator and His creation?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 117

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Day 117

Of the fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment thereof.

Chapter 6, Paragraph 5.

“… and although it be through Christ pardoned, and mortified, yet both itself, and the first motions thereof, are truly and properly Sin.“

Scripture Lookup

Romans 7:23-25

Galatians 5:17

Reflection

Even after repenting and believing in Christ, the corrupted nature inherited from Adam and Eve still remains with us. As such, although we are regenerated, we still struggle with sin. There are two snares believers can fall into while fighting this battle: forgetting that our sins are pardoned, and forgetting that it is still sin.

In Christ we are forgiven freely, fully, and immediately. Our corrupt nature and our past, present, and future sins have all been paid for through His perfect life and atoning work on our behalf. As we grow in our sanctification, we become more keenly aware of how corrupt we still are. We can easily focus too much on the murky vileness of our sin and fail to gaze upon the clear light of the Gospel.

Arise, my soul, arise,
Shake off thy guilty fears:
The bleeding Sacrifice
In my behalf appears:
Before the Throne my Surety stands,
My name is written on his hands.

-Charles Wesley

Rather than despairing too much of sin, some may fall into the other extreme: forgetting that we are still corrupt and that sin is still despicable. When we focus on grace so much that we no longer strive to keep God’s commands, then we cheapen the cost paid for our sin. When we are dismissive of our transgressions with a “God will forgive me” attitude, we take His mercy for granted.

Ye who think of sin but lightly
Nor suppose the evil great
Here may view its nature rightly,
Here its guilt may estimate.
Mark the Sacrifice appointed,
See who bears the awful load;
‘Tis the Word, the Lord’s Anointed,
Son of Man and Son of God.

-Thomas Kelly

Christian, do not be trite with your sin. It is a horrid reality that you will continue to sin in this life. Yet constantly look to Christ, and praise Him for what He has done for you. Praise Him for what He continues to do for you through the Spirit, and praise Him that He will one day remove all corruption from your being.

Questions to Consider

  • Are you prone to brood upon your sin, or to treat it too lightly?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 116

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Day 116

Of the fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment thereof.

Chapter 6, Paragraph 5.

“This corruption of nature, during this Life, doth remain in those that are regenerated:…“

Scripture Lookup

Romans 7:18,23

Ecclesiastes 7:20

1 John 1:8

Reflection

Repent, believe, and never sin again. Sounds good, doesn’t it? There are groups that do believe that Christians can reach a state of perfection in this life. But Scripture does not teach such a doctrine. While those in Christ are a new creation, and no longer slaves to sin, the corrupted nature inherited from Adam and Eve still remains. The Christian life is marked by a struggle with sin.

Oftentimes we read about the remaining corruption of sin in the believer, and we recognize it in ourselves. Yes, although we are called to holiness I still sin; yes, my struggle with sin is why Jesus came; yes, He has forgiven me and yes, He is sanctifying me. But do we recognize the same in our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ? Do we acknowledge that although they are called to holiness, they still sin? Do we realize that Jesus came due to their struggle with sin? That they are forgiven by Him, and are being sanctified by Him? May we be careful to be gracious with other Christians, knowing that they also are not perfect.

So as Christians, we press onward while fighting the corruption that remains in us. Thankfully, we are not alone in the fight. God Himself is renewing us, and it is by His strength that we are able to overcome. May we continue to lean upon Him and not ourselves, knowing that He is the only One who can change our fallen nature.

Questions to Consider

  • As a Christian, are you surprised when you sin?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 115

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Day 115

Of the fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment thereof.

Chapter 6, Paragraph 4.

“…do proceed all actual transgressions.“

Scripture Lookup

James 1:14,15

Matthew 15:19

Reflection

Everyone’s a sinner. Oddly enough, being a sinner has become like getting a participation trophy: everyone gets one, and so it’s not so special anymore. The horror of sin has become lessened in modern evangelical churches because being a downer doesn’t bring in the crowds. You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, right? So words with less serious connotations get thrown around – “mistakes”, “brokenness” – and sin gets relegated to a generalized “nobody’s perfect”.

It is true that nobody’s perfect, and we are broken. But that brokenness and imperfection is not something to accept; it is something to grieve. Adam and Eve lost something so precious in the Fall, and that was communion with God. Because of them, our nature is corrupted, and all our sin is a result of that nature. And our sin is a vile venom that poisons us and the world around us.

In short, sin is the dare of God’s justice, the rape of his mercy, the jeer of his patience, the slight of his power, the contempt of his love….We may go on and say, it is the upbraiding of his providence (Psalm 50), the scoff of his promise (2 Peter 3:3-4), the reproach of his wisdom (Isaiah 29:16).

-Ralph Venning, The Sinfulness of Sin

Reflecting on our fallen nature and the terribleness of sin is not pleasant, fun, or appealing. Yet it can be useful and encouraging. For when you realize how truly awful sin is, you begin to understand just how marvelous and wonderful was the sacrifice of Jesus. The depths of love He has to save sinners such as we are!

Questions to Consider

  • Have you been viewing sin lightly?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 114

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Day 114

Of the fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment thereof.

Chapter 6, Paragraph 4.

“From this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil,…“

Scripture Lookup

Romans 8:7

Colossians 1:21

Reflection

Springing from the original corruption of Adam and Eve, sin has infected every part of you, and every part of me. Our nature is fallen. We do bad things because we cannot but sin. Do good? Not possible on our own: “the mind set on the flesh…does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,” (Romans 8:7, NASB). Because of our fallen nature, we have no ability to do good. Not only can we not do good, we are totally unwilling to do good.

This can be a difficult truth to accept. We want so much to point to something good in us, to say “See! I’m not that bad!” But you don’t have that. I don’t have that. Stop clinging so tightly to your self-righteousness, because your self-righteousness is non-existent. “There is no one righteous” (Romans 3:10) There is no one who does good.

When we let go of our desperate desire to make ourselves righteous, and realize that we are wholly inclined to all evil, the provision of Christ is that much more glorious to us. For God’s righteousness becomes our righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. It is His perfect work we rest in, and nothing in ourselves. He justifies us, He sanctifies us, and He will glorify us. What a freeing deliverance He has granted to His people!

Questions to Consider

  • Can you see in your life how you were wholly inclined to evil before you came to know Christ?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 113

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Day 113

Of the fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment thereof.

Chapter 6, Paragraph 3.

“…spiritual, temporal, and eternal, unless the Lord Jesus set them free.“

Scripture Lookup

Hebrews 2:14,15

1 Thessalonians 1:10

Reflection

Adam and Eve, due to their disobedience, passed down a corrupted nature to every human born by ordinary generation. Because of this, we are slaves to sin, unable to free ourselves from the hold our fallen nature has on us. Without a Savior to free us from sin, we suffer spiritually, temporally, and eternally.

Looking at those unbelievers around us, it can be easy to think that their life isn’t all that bad. Sure, some have truly difficult and miserable lives, but most unbelievers don’t seem to be in dire distress. To think the plight of those without Christ isn’t that miserable, though, is to forget the common blessings God bestows on all His creation. Such thinking also misses how awesome and majestic He is, and how knowing such a Being is incomparable to anything this world offers without Him.

The miseries of this life are manifold. Spiritually, the unbeliever can never have peace. Their hope will always be shaken because it is not placed in Christ. While alive in this life, they are subject to the effects of sin in themselves and are sinned against by others. And when this life is over, the torment experienced for rebellion against God endures for eternity.

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

 – Romans 7:25

This is why the Gospel is such good news! Left to ourselves, there is no sure for our condition. But through Christ’s provision, we are no longer slaves to sin. We are adopted as sons of God. The only true God makes himself known to us. All trials draw us closer to Him, and we will spend eternity in His presence. Such grace is amazing.

Questions to Consider

  • Do you see how miserable life is without Christ?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 112

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Day 112

Of the fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment thereof.

Chapter 6, Paragraph 3.

“…the servants of sin, the subjects of death and all other miseries,…“

Scripture Lookup

Romans 6:20, 5:12

Reflection

You can’t change who you are.

That statement flies in the face of everything this world tells us. Children are told they can grow up to be anything they want to be. Adults encourage each other to not let anything – or anyone – get in the way of their dreams. Magazines applaud supposedly successful gender transformations. “Do it yourself” applies to all aspects of life.

Despite how high up the economic ladder you can climb, or how much weight you lose, or how you portray yourself to others, the fact is your nature is fallen and corrupted. “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” (Romans 3:23) We inherited this marred nature from Adam and Eve. This is who we are.

Because our nature is corrupted, we are servants of sin, or as some translations of Romans 6:20 say, slaves to sin. There is no program you can follow to stop sinning. No amount of positive self-affirmation will release you from its deathly grip over your life. On our own, we will never measure up to God’s law.

The world cries that we can change ourselves if we just work hard enough or think hard enough or follow the right system, Scripture declare that there is nothing that we can do to remedy our condition. Pride must be removed, and we must acknowledge that we need a Savior.

Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?

-Romans 7:24

Questions to Consider

  • Are you still trying to change yourself on your own strength?