1689

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 109

/ Reformed Baptista / Leave a comment

14743914066_be4d65d833

Day 109

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

Chapter 6, Paragraph 3.

“They being the root, and by God’s appointment, standing in the room, and stead of all mankind; the guilt of the sin was imputed, and corrupted nature conveyed, to all their posterity descending from them by ordinary generation,...“

Scripture Lookup

Romans 5:12-19

1 Corinthians 15:21,22,45,49

Reflection

“Legacy” is a popular term nowadays. People are concerned about what kind of legacy they will  leave after they are gone. What deeds will they be remembered for? What family life did they establish? Adam and Eve did leave a legacy behind them, but it is safe to say that what they left, imputation of guilt and a corrupted nature, is not something anyone would desire to have. Yet our first parents definitely had a profound impact on all the generations that have come after them.

Adam represented the human race when he disobeyed God’s command to not eat of the fruit. This standing in our stead is sometimes referred to as Adam being our “federal head”.  He was in covenant with God, and failed to keep that covenant. As our representative, when he fell, we fell with him. His guilt is imputed to us. We are declared guilty due to his transgression, much like how when a leader of a nation declares war, the residents of that country are now considered at war with the opposing nation as well.

Not only are we declared guilty because of Adam and Eve’s sin, the corrupted nature they possessed after they sinned has been transmitted down to us. Every child conceived normally with human parents has this corrupted nature. Notice, though, that the Confession makes note that it is all of Adam and Eve’s posterity who descend from them by ordinary generation that receive this fallen nature. Was there anyone who was a descendant of Adam and was not born by ordinary means? Yes – Jesus! As a descendant of Adam, yet conceived miraculously, Jesus did not have the corrupted nature conveyed to Him.

Questions to Consider

  • If corrupted nature is conveyed by ordinary generation, then is the virgin birth an important doctrine?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 108

/ Reformed Baptista / Leave a comment

3703572785_03a3b25f6a

Day 108

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

Chapter 6, Paragraph 2.

“…and wholly defiled, in all the faculties, and parts, of soul, and body.“

Scripture Lookup

Titus 1:15

Genesis 6:5

Jeremiah 17:9

Romans 3:10-19

Reflection

When Adam and Eve sinned, their transgression caused death to come upon all of us. There is not one part of our selves that is not affected by the Fall. All parts of our soul and body are defiled by sin.

The world we live in does not want to admit this. “Sure, some people are bad, and nobody’s perfect, but there’s still some good in them too!” they say.  We cling desperately to the idea that we can fix ourselves. Self-help gurus sell thousands of books to their devotees based upon the idea that there is some good in the self. We can make ourselves better; we can overcome on our own strength. If I just think positively enough, if I just do enough good deeds, if I just…

Scripture is clear that no part of the sinner is clean unless covered by the blood of Christ. This is why it is vital to depend wholly on God for salvation. Our very beings are defiled, and are unable to perform any act of righteousness. We are helpless to overcome the sin that infests our whole being. We must look to Christ:

Not the labors of my hands
Can fulfil thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears for ever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and thou alone.

-Augustus M. Toplady

Questions to Consider

  • Is it hard to accept that mankind is wholly defiled?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 107

/ Reformed Baptista / Leave a comment

7037322581_7149638df0

Day 107

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

Chapter 6, Paragraph 2.

“…all becoming dead in Sin,…“

Scripture Lookup

Romans 5:12 etc.

Reflection

Why do people die? Death is one of the realities of this world that early on we realize, but why it exists is not a subject on which much conversation is spent.  We waver between realizing the horror of death, to numbly skimming over news of it. But why is death so universal, so horrible? The Bible explains how death entered the world.

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden, they created a rift that death rushed in to fill. Physically, their bodies would no longer keep going. They would die. But there was another aspect to death that Adam and Eve brought into the world through their transgression. Sin brought spiritual death. Without communion with God, who “is the alone fountain of all Being” (LBCF 2.2), there can be no spiritual life. We breathe, and eat, and move throughout the day, but our bodies are counting down until they finally stop. Our souls, however, are stillborn until regenerated by the Holy Spirit.

Every death is a reminder that we need Christ. “I am the way, the truth, and the life,…” (John 14:6)  “I am the resurrection and the life;…” (John 11:25) “…Christ, who is our life,…” (Colossians 3:4) Let us not shy away from the reality of death, but use it to point sinners to the One who gives life abundantly.

Questions to Consider

  • Is the truth that all are dead in sin a hard one to accept?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 106

/ Reformed Baptista / Leave a comment

32715851393_7a4e822eba

Day 106

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

Chapter 6, Paragraph 2.

“Our first Parents by this sin, fell from their original righteousness and communion with God, and we in them, whereby death came upon all;…“

Scripture Lookup

Romans 3:23

Reflection

We have a personal stake in what happened in the Garden of Eden. More than just a story of origins, the events recorded in Genesis 2 and 3 relate an essential truth: you are not good. No one is. Because Adam sinned, we have inherited death.

You see, Adam and Eve were not just the first human beings who also happened to sin. Adam had a particular role as the representative of humanity. God’s command to not eat of the tree was not in the same vein as a parent telling their child to not take a cookie. It was a covenant. Adam was promised life if he obeyed; death if he did not. As humanity’s representative, Adam’s action in disobeying meant that all of the human race suffered the consequences.

When Adam and Eve sinned, human nature was scared, marred, shattered, twisted, distorted, mangled, and made unfit to be what it was made to be.

-Richard C. Barcellos, Better Than The Beginning

This is the fundamental reason why we sin. Our nature is corrupt – it no longer has the righteousness that our first parents originally had. We all fall short of the glory of God, and without intervention are unable to have communion with Him. The effects of the Fall affect us universally and personally.

Questions to Consider

  • Have you ever reflected on how Adam’s disobedience affects you personally?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 105

/ Reformed Baptista / Leave a comment

11970141595_6656bfbd02

Day 105

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

Chapter 6, Paragraph 1.

“...yet he did not long abide in this honour; Satan using the subtlety of the serpent to seduce Eve, then by her seducing Adam, who, without any compulsion, did willfully transgress the Law of their Creation, and the command given to them, in eating the forbidden fruit; which God was pleased according to His wise and holy Counsel to permit, having purposed to order it, to his own glory.“

Scripture Lookup

Genesis 3:12,13

2 Corinthians 11:3

Reflection

The paradise of Eden did not last. God had commanded Adam, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day you eat from it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:16,17). Immediately following the command of God we read of the creation of Eve, a helper suitable to Adam. Their relationship with each other and with God was harmonious.

Satan, however, through the serpent questioned Eve about God’s command. Notice in Genesis 3:1 how he turned God’s command on its head: “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?'” We as readers know that this is not true, and Eve did as well. Yet in her answer to the serpent she showed her weakness. For she added that not only eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but touching it as well would lead to death. While no disobedience had yet occurred, there was already confusion as to what was God’s command.

What deceit from the serpent! He not only contradicted God’s word – “You surely shall not die!” – but he appealed to a desire that on the surface seems reasonable – “you will be like God”. Isn’t being like God, the holy and wise Being, a noble endeavor? Eve saw that the tree was desirable to make one wise, so she ate from it. Foolish Eve! She encouraged her husband to eat, and he freely did so. They broke God’s law. Sin had entered into paradise.

We may shake our heads at the naivete of Eve, or try to make excuses for her. Yet how often are we amiss at knowing God’s word? How often do we hear professing Christians justifying questionable actions that God has not commanded or has even forbidden as attempting to be more godly? “God knows my heart.” We must be sure that we understand what God has commanded, and we must be sure that we obey His commands, not what we think would please Him. Thankfully, He has given us His Spirit to guide us into all truth and to enable us to obey. To Him be the glory.

Questions to Consider

  • Are you treasuring God’s word in your heart that you might not sin against Him (Psalm 119:11)?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 104

/ Reformed Baptista / Leave a comment

6919623872_be67374d63

Day 104

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

Chapter 6, Paragraph 1.

“Although God created Man upright, and perfect, and gave him a righteous law, which had been unto life had he kept it, and threatened death upon the breach thereof;...“

Scripture Lookup

Genesis 2:16,17

Reflection

“Meanwhile, back at the ranch…”

When we last saw Adam and Eve in the Confession, they had just been created by God. Owning a reasonable and immortal soul, having the Law of God written in their hearts, and able to fulfill His law, they were happy and holy. While they had the ability to change their will and transgress the instruction of not eating the fruit, they were blissfully with God and creation.

“We interrupt this program to discuss divine providence.”

Swerving to the next chapter, the Confession discussed the Providence of God. Wait! What was going to happen to Adam and Eve? Why talk about providence at this point? Because by discussing how God upholds and directs all creatures and things, how He uses (or not, as He pleases) various means to fulfill His purposes, how even the sinful actions of men are part of His determinate counsel, and how He takes care of His church in a special manner, the backdrop has been laid to understand what will happen next with our first parents.

“Tune in next time…”

For without an understanding of providence, it is easy to think that the actions of Adam and Eve took God by surprise. He had created them. He set them up in the Garden of Eden. He gave them a command which if obeyed sustained their life. They had the power to fulfill this command – why would it all go so horribly wrong? Yet God was governing all things according to His decree even then, and there in the Garden was disposing all things for the good of His church.

Questions to Consider

  • After reflecting on divine providence, does the account of Adam and Eve look different to you?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 103

/ Reformed Baptista / 1 Comment

23098868995_d3c56804e0

Day 103

Of Divine Providence

Chapter 5, Paragraph 7.

“As the Providence of God doth in general reach to all Creatures, so after a most special manner it taketh care of his Church, and disposeth of all things to the good thereof.“

Scripture Lookup

1 Timothy 4:10

Amos 9:8,9

Isaiah 43:3-5

Reflection

God upholds, directs, disposes and governs all creatures and things. But in a special way He takes care of His church. The carrying out of all things is for the good of the church!

It is not a small thing to belong to the people of God. For since you are a member of the Church, all of Providence is being dispensed for your good! So when God works all things together for the good of those that love Him, that is the special care He takes with you. Whether it be a trial or a delight, both are blessings from Him.

Sometimes it does not seem like God is taking special care of His church. Strife and conflict within a local church, members who one day stop attending and vanish, and persecution from the world discourage and tempt us to doubt His word. Yet Jesus said, “…upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it.” (Matthew 16:18) We must remember that He does keep His Church and not lose heart.

What a wonderful Providence of God, that takes care of those that are His in an unique manner, that all should be for our good. What a merciful and infinitely wise God, that gives us such treatment though we do not deserve it. What a powerful God, who orchestrates all that comes to pass and preserves His Church. Praise be to Him!

Questions to Consider

  • Is it easy or difficult for you to see the special manner in which God takes care of His church?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 102

/ Reformed Baptista / Leave a comment

2553825128_71e71b4165

Day 102

Of Divine Providence

Chapter 5, Paragraph 6.

“…whereby it comes to pass that they harden themselves, under those means which God uses for the softening of others.“

Scripture Lookup

Exodus 8:15,32

Isaiah 6:9,10

1 Peter 2:7,8

Reflection

The wicked and ungodly do not have all things work for their good. God’s grace is withheld from them, so that they remain in unbelief. The common graces they enjoyed may be removed from them, and the way is paved for them to fulfill their evil desires. Freely choosing and delighting in such a life, the wicked harden their hearts. Amazingly, the same means that spur the ungodly further from God are used to soften the hearts of His children. What causes one to decay is the same thing that will cause one to grow. So which one is happening for you?

Sin should never be something that the Christian takes lightly. Yes, the penalty for our sin has been paid for by Jesus, and yes, it is grace that saves us. But, “are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? May it never be!” (Romans 6:1) While the believer still has the remaining corruption of sin in him, there shouldn’t be a pattern of ongoing willful sin in his life. Scarily, some are deceived into believing they are righteous when their lives show no evidence of struggling against sin.

When we consider how God sometimes gives over the wicked to their own lusts, we learn to see just how beautiful repentance is. For godly sorrow that leads to repentance is evidence that God has drawn us to Himself! He is increasing our dependence upon Him, and drawing us closer to the Being that has all life, glory, goodness, blessedness in and of Himself! What a gift!

May we then ever turn to Christ, and submit to His care all that befalls us.

He is ever doing you good; be you always abounding in His work. His providence stands by you in your greatest distresses and dangers; do not flinch from God when His service and you duty is compassed about with difficulties. O be active for that God who every moment is active for you.    -John Flavel

Questions to Consider

  • Are you heeding Scripture’s call to “harden not your hearts” (Hebrews 3)?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 101

/ Reformed Baptista / Leave a comment

Day 101

Of Divine Providence

Chapter 5, Paragraph 6.

“…and withal, gives them over to their own lusts, the temptations of the world, and the power of Satan,…“

Scripture Lookup

Psalm 81:11,12

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12

Reflection

It is a fearful thing to consider how providence unfolds for the wicked and ungodly. God sometimes removes the restraints in their life that have kept them from further sin. Like shoppers waiting for the store doors to open on Black Friday, as soon as there is an opening for sin the ungodly rush in to take advantage of it.

Free from God’s restraints, the wicked are given over to their desires. The flesh, the world, and the devil consume them, and the wicked freely choose it. The lusts of the flesh are not a struggle for them. The world, and all the sinful opportunities it contains, encourages licentiousness. “Just do it!” “Embrace your passion!” There is no call for self-restraint, and the ungodly embraces such abandon. Allegiance to Satan is demonstrated proudly.

What makes this even more tragic, though, is that they freely choose this life of sin and misery. They have no desire for the truth. In fact, they believe that As 2 Thessalonians 2:11 shows, they believe what is false, “in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.”

God may lessen His restraint on the wicked, but those in Christ He conforms to the image of His Son: “But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.” (2 Thessalonians 2:13) While the ungodly fall prey to their own lusts, let us look to Christ, the author and perfecter of our faith, and ask Him for help in laying aside the sin which so easily entangles us.

Questions to Consider

  • Knowing how God leaves the ungodly to their own lusts, are you turning to Him for aid in combating your own?

A Little Time With The 1689: Day 100

/ Reformed Baptista / Leave a comment

4498023112_81cd13ee79

Day 100

Of Divine Providence

Chapter 5, Paragraph 6.

“…and exposeth them to such objects as their corruption makes occasion of sin;…“

Scripture Lookup

Deuteronomy 2:30

2 Kings 8:12,13

Reflection

Normally I don’t have much trouble understanding what is meant in the Confession, but this time I admit the language made me pause. What does this phrase mean? God sometimes exposes the wicked and ungodly to things that, as wicked and ungodly people, they use to sin.

Now God does not tempt the wicked. “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.” (James 1:13) But He does decree events that enable the wicked to further condemn themselves. They are no longer checked by circumstances that would restrain them, so when opportunity to sin appears, they take it.

The immensity of providence, the fine-tuning of every detail for God’s purposes, is awesome and fearful. Even with those who rebel against Him, He is fully in control. Praise Him for His infinite wisdom and justice!

Questions to Consider

  • How do you respond to God’s providence concerning the wicked?