A Little Time With The 1689: Day 51

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Day 51

Of God and of the Holy Trinity

Chapter 2, Paragraph 3.

“…the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son, all infinite, without beginning, therefore but one God, who is not to be divided in nature and Being; but distinguished by several peculiar relative properties, and personal relations; which doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation of all our Communion with God, and comfortable dependence on Him.”

Scripture Lookup

John 15:26.

Galatians 4:6.

Reflection

The Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. This is different than what is taught in Eastern Orthodox churches, which claim that the Spirit proceeds only from the Father. Looking at John 15:26 and John 16:7, though, we see that the Spirit proceeds from the Son.

While the trinity is mysterious, it is important to know. Not only is it revealed truth from God, which is always wondrous and beneficial for us, it is also the basis of our “communion with God”. Without a knowledge of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we cannot have salvation. Zacharias Ursinus writes:

It is necessary…that all who will be saved, should have a knowledge of the one God, the eternal Father, the co-eternal Son, and the co-eternal Holy Ghost; for unless he is known as such an one as he has revealed himself, he does not communicate himself unto us, neither can we expect eternal life from him.

May we agree with the doxology, “Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost”!

Questions to Consider

  • Have you ever reflected on the doctrine of the trinity as the foundation of your communion with God?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 50

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Day 50

Of God and of the Holy Trinity

Chapter 2, Paragraph 3.

“…the Father is of none neither begotten nor proceeding, the Son is Eternally begotten of the Father;. ..”

Scripture Lookup

John 1:14, 18.

Reflection

“Begotten” is a term you don’t hear much anymore. So when we read that the Son is eternally begotten of the Father, we’re confused. What does that even mean?

First off, “begotten” means to father. If you read the King James Version of the Bible, you will see that so-and-so “begat” someone. For example, Adam “begot” Seth; he fathered Seth. We can also say that Seth was begotten of Adam. So when it states in the Confession that the Son is begotten of the Father, it means that the Father is the father of the Son.

Does this mean that the Son was created by the Father? NO!

This is where grammar is useful. The Son is begotten of the Father, not the Son was begotten! This is a continuous relationship between the Father and the Son. It is an eternal begetting that has always existed, and always will continue to exist.

C.S. Lewis explains it this way:

…God is a Being which contains three Persons while remaining one Being, just as a cube contains six squares while remaining one body. But as soon as I begin trying to explain how these Persons are connected I have to use words which make it sound as if one of then was there before the  others….We say that the First begets or produces the second; we call it begetting, not making, because what He produces is of the same kind as Himself. In that way the word Father is the only word to use. But unfortunately it suggests that He is there first – just as a human father exists before his son. But that is not so. There is no before and after about it.

Questions to Consider

  • Can you explain to someone the relationship between the Father and the Son?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 49

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Day 49

Of God and of the Holy Trinity

Chapter 2, Paragraph 3.

“…of one substance, power, and Eternity, each having the Divine Essence, yet the Essence undivided,..”

Scripture Lookup

Exodus 3:14.

John 14:11.

1 Cor. 8:6.

Reflection

God is one, and in this one being are three subsistences: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These are all of the same substance, power, and Eternity. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are of one substance. God is spirit. This means that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are spirit, because they are God. All three persons of the trinity are of one power. They all, being God, have the power of God. They are of one Eternity. There never was a time when the Father was not. There never was a time when the Son was not. There never was a time when the Holy Spirit was not.

All persons of the trinity have the Divine Essence. What does that mean? Oxford dictionaries defines essence as “the intrinsic nature or indispensable quality of something, especially something abstract, that determines its character”.  So the Father is fully God, the Son is fully God, and the Holy Spirit is fully God. No member of the trinity is more or less God than any other member.

Recall, though, that God is one. Therefore, the Divine Essence of God is undivided. There are not three divine beings who are fully God, but rather, three divine persons of which God subsists. Richard Barcellos writes, “The three persons do not each possess one third of the divine essence. The essence of God is indivisible (not separable into parts). The essence of God cannot be cut into parts – it’s all or nothing.”

Questions to Consider

  • Could you give a definition of the trinity if asked?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 48

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Day 48

Of God and of the Holy Trinity

Chapter 2, Paragraph 3.

“In this divine and infinite Being there are three subsistences, the Father, the Word (or Son), and Holy Spirit,…”

Scripture Lookup

1 John 5:7.

Matt. 28:19.

2 Cor. 13:14

Reflection

“Are there more gods than one?”

“No, there is only one God.”

The children’s catechism is so helpful to this sidetracked momma of many. When teaching my children these questions and answers over and over, the questions, answers, and Scripture verses are taught to me as well. I may not have the more “grown-up” catechisms memorized, nor all the ins and outs of the Confession, but I have a good foundation from which to build. And all of them agree that there is one God.

That God one is the starting point for understanding who God is. He is the only living God, the only true God, who is not made up of parts. It is important to remember that “we believe in one God”, as the Nicene creed begins.

Yet there is a fundamental doctrine of Christianity that sets it apart from any other conception of deity:

the trinity.

God does not have parts, yet He consists of three subsistences, or as some put it, persons. They are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God is not divided, but yet exists in three persons. We need to be careful how we explain the trinity lest we accidentally fall into heresy.

How can we wrap our heads around this? Well, as Sam Waldron writes, “This doctrine of the Trinity is and must for ever be a divine mystery.” Remember, if God is infinitely greater than we are, He is not going to be fully grasped by our finite minds. We base the truth of the trinity on Biblical support, but accept it upon faith.

God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

-Reginald Heber

Questions to Consider

  • What about the trinity would you like to further learn?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 47

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Day 47

Of God and of the Holy Trinity

Chapter 2, Paragraph 2.

“…and in all his Commands; to him is due from angels and men, whatsoever worship, service, or obedience as Creatures they owe unto the Creator, and whatever he is further pleased to require of them.”

Scripture Lookup

Revelation 5:12-14.

Reflection

Love so amazing, so divine,

demands my soul, my life, my all.

-Isaac Watts, “When I Survey The Wondrous Cross”

He is worthy.

In Western culture, rebellion and distrust of authority is the norm. Even with those leaders we like, we are apt to follow only as long as we choose. The moment we disagree with a policy, up go the arguments: “Who does he think he is?” “All leaders are corrupt!” “They can’t tell me what to do!” Naturally, this distrust extends to God. The unbeliever denies His existence, or defames His character, all in a vain effort to be autonomous. Like the poem Invictus by Henley, they want to be the master of their fate, the captain of their soul.

As sinners, this attitude of rebellion is nothing new: Adam and Eve, anyone? The nation of Israel, often called “stiff-necked”? Even when we become Christians, we tend to resist the demands of God when they are not agreeable to us. Got any idols in your life that you can’t live without? Do you want to be accepted by others, no matter what compromises may have to be made? Is your desire for comfort keeping you from following His commands?

When we study who God is, we cannot but come to the logical conclusion that yes, He is to be worshiped. Yes, He is to be served. Yes, He is to be obeyed. And yes, we ought to be willing to do whatever else He may require. Because He is worth it.

Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. -John 6:68

May we lay down our lives to be in submission to Him. May He help us to do so.

Questions to Consider

  • How are you cultivating a submissive heart to God?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 46

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Day 46

Of God and of the Holy Trinity

Chapter 2, Paragraph 2.

“…he is most holy in all his Counsels, in all his Works,…”

Scripture Lookup

Psalm 145:17.

Reflection

If you spend any time among Calvinistic or Reformed churches, you may hear the phrase “the whole counsel of God”. It is stressed that you want a church that preaches and teaches the whole counsel of God found in the Scriptures, everything that God has to say and teach us. Why is that important? What is so special about the counsel of God?

God’s counsels and works are “most holy”. When we come to Scripture and learn about God and His work of redemption in history, when we learn about His commandments and precepts, we are learning things that are righteous and good. His thoughts and actions are above any others.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

-Isaiah 55:8,9

If all of God’s counsels and works are most holy, wouldn’t we want to learn as much as we can of them? Wouldn’t we want to tell others as much as we could about this holy and righteous God and His ways? Yet many churches today seek the approval of man. They don’t want to teach the things that might be hard sayings (John 6) for fear of losing approval, money, or reputation.

Seek the churches that preach the whole counsel of God. Be thankful that they do!

Questions to Consider

  • Are there any counsels or works of God that you might have considered not holy?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 45

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Photo : The City of Toronto

Day 45

Of God and of the Holy Trinity

Chapter 2, Paragraph 2.

“…His knowledge is infinite, infallible, and independent upon the Creature, so as nothing is to him contingent, or uncertain;…”

Scripture Lookup

Ezekiel 11:5.

Acts 15: 18.

Reflection

We live in an era of information overload. Why do I need to know what so-and-so celebrity who lives thousands of miles away and whom I’ve never met eats, wears, and does? Why are televisions universal these days, popping up at restaurants, dentists’ offices, and airports, streaming constantly whatever topic is fashionable at the moment? It’s enough to make one want to crawl into a cave and live life as a hermit!

Yet God knows everything there is to know. His knowledge knows no limits. Not only does He know what Mr. Celebrity ate this morning, He knows what he was thinking when he ate it, how that meal was prepared, the chemical composition of the plate it was served on, and so on. He knows this about every single person on this planet as well, and this knowledge does not weary God.

God’s knowledge is without error. We can be so easily deceived by biased reports, shady sources and “fake news”. We can misunderstand the intent of what someone tells us, we can mishear what is said, and we can repeat incorrect information while believing that it is true. Not so with God. He never misunderstands, and discerns rightly, as He is truth.

We might not always know the right answer to a problem, or the correct course of action to take in a situation. But God does not need to wait to see what His creation will do before He moves next. He does not engage with creation as if it were a chess match, anticipating all the possible moves his creature might make so as to respond accordingly. He already knows what will happen.

How does it help us right now to know that God knows everything infinitely and infallibly? We know who to go to for help. We can bring our prayers and supplications before Him because nothing is beyond His knowledge. He knows what you need before you ask it (Matthew 6:8). He will never “tune out” from all that goes on in this world. We can rest in that.

Questions to Consider

  • Do you ever think that God doesn’t understand?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 44

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Day 44

Of God and of the Holy Trinity

Chapter 2, Paragraph 2.

“…in his sight all things are open and manifest,…”

Scripture Lookup

Hebrews 4:13.

Reflection

Why do we think we can hide from God?

We laugh at the baby who clasps her hands tight over her face so that we can’t see her. Silly thing! Of course we can see her. Yet she persists, thinking that she can be hidden from the world by shutting it out.

We read the account of Adam and Eve, who after eating the fruit, hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God. “How ridiculous!” we think. “God is everywhere. Didn’t they know that?”

And yet…

we think we can hide our thoughts, our misdeeds, our sins from God’s sight.

When I delivered my child via c-section, there were many in the operating room who saw parts of me that I prefer only my husband seeing. Through the paralyzing effects of the anesthesia, I was powerless to hide. The doctor made the incision, and my insides were exposed. If humans can see so much of us, how much more can God?

O God, you know my folly; the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you. -Psalm 69:5 (ESV)

He sees your sin. Don’t try to hide it from Him. Flee to Him for forgiveness.

Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need. -Hebrew 4:16 (NASB)

Question to Consider

  • Is there anything you are trying to hide from God?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 43

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Day 43

Of God and of the Holy Trinity

Chapter 2, Paragraph 2.

“…and he hath most sovereign dominion over all creatures, to do by them, for them, or upon them, whatsoever himself pleaseth;…”

Scripture Lookup

Daniel 4:25, 34, 35.

Reflection

God demonstrates His power and rule over His creation time and time again.

He divided the sea and delivered the Israelites (Exodus 14).

He uses a donkey to speak to Balaam (Numbers 22).

He raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11).

This same God is demonstrating His power and rule here and now.

He works ALL things – not all kinds of things, not a few things, but 100% – for the good of those that love Him, who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:38). How could He do so if He did not have sovereign dominion over His creation?

We may be struggling. Various events in the world, and possibly in our own lives, may confuse us. It may seem to us that God is not working among His creatures. Yet His word tells us otherwise, and His word is sure. Do not let the trials of this world loosen your grip from that truth!

Questions to Consider

  • Can you see God’s sovereign dominion over His creatures at this time?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 42

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Day 42

Of God and of the Holy Trinity

Chapter 2, Paragraph 2.

“…but only manifesting his own glory in, by, unto, and upon them, he is the alone fountain of all Being, of whom, through whom, and to whom are all things,…”

Scripture Lookup

Romans 11:34-36.

Reflection

This phrase of Chapter 2 is quite the lesson in prepositions, isn’t it?

(preposition: a word governing, and usually preceding, a noun or pronoun and expressing a relation to another word or element in the clause, as in “the man on the platform,” “she arrived after dinner,” “what did you do it for?” -Oxford Dictionaries)

“…manifesting his own glory in them…” God’s glory is manifested in his creatures. All people are created in God’s image, and that image is glorious. The fact that you breathe is a result of the glory of God manifesting itself in you.

“…manifesting his own glory by them…” God’s glory is manifested by his creatures.  We, along with the rest of creation, demonstrate His handiwork. Your life displays the glory of God.

“…manifesting his own glory unto them…” God’s glory is manifested to his creatures. The sun rises and sets another day. We see the glory of God displayed all around us.

“…manifesting his own glory upon them…” God’s glory is manifested upon his creatures. All creation benefits from the wonders of his glory. As Christians, we are keenly aware of God’s glory upon us. When we were dead in our trespasses and sins, Christ died for us. God has showered his glory upon us by making us alive in Christ, changing our hearts from a a heart of stone to a heart of flesh, and conforming us to the image of his Son.

Questions to Consider

  • Where do you see God’s glory in your life today?