When Was Christ Born?

When was Christ born? – Parchment and Pen

 

Grace to You and [then] Peace, part 3

“Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ” Gal 1:3 (KJV)

In the first two postings in this series we looked at the logical relationship between grace and peace, and how that grace is always necessarily the antecedent to peace in the Scriptures. We also learned what grace is – grace is the undeserved mercy and favor of God. From the Bible, we saw that grace is opposed to works (merit) and that it is the very means of our salvation. As such, I presented scriptures that present the grace of God as the cause of both our justification and regeneration.

One of the clearest Scripture passages that outlines how that the grace of God alone is the sole cause of our justification can be found in Romans 3:19-26. We’ll complete our look at grace with the scripture and commentary below.

All Men Are Guilty

Rom 3:19-20: Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

By law here, the Apostle Paul does not refer exclusively to the Law of Moses under the Old Covenant given upon Mt. Sinai, which was for the Jews only, typified those things that would be revealed under the New Covenant, and was fulfilled with and done away by the perfect obedience and death of Jesus Christ under that law – thus fulfilling it and bringing it to conclusion. Rather, Paul is referring to a universal moral law in which the universe was created. This universal moral law of obedience is the very image of Holy God stamped upon mankind in his original creation. This is the moral obligation of every man and it is by a failure to obey, or rather a rebellion against this universal moral law, that “all the world may become guilty before God.” Therefore, as someone who has broken the law and is now subject to its just penalty, there is nothing left in this moral law that can make one perfect. The law has done its work by revealing a “knowledge of sin” in us and condemning us by it.

Righteousness of God

Rom 3:21-23: But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Now that men have broken their obligation to their creator, is there no hope? The Scriptures (law and prophets) bear witness to another Covenant (“A mutual agreement of two or more persons or parties”, Webster, 1913), or arrangement, between God and man. This arrangement is not a covenant that places a moral obligation upon man – he has already failed that and forfeited all inherent righteousness.  No, it is not a arrangement of moral perfection by virtue of good works or deeds, but rather one of pure unmerited grace.  The very Creator of the universe would enter into His creation as a surety for His own people, to act as a vicarious agent to secure the salvation which was forfeited by sin and rebellion.  Jesus Christ, the Son of God, contracted with all those that would believe in him as a representative who would live out the perfectly obedient life, demanded by the law, on behalf of his people AND that he would bear the just sentence of condemnation demanded by the law in place of those that have offended.

Thus, even though one is an offender, he may receive the very righteousness of God, by taking hold of this gift of grace by faith.  The gift is for “all them that believe”, not any particular nation or ethnicity. All men have fallen into sin and all may receive forgiveness of sin by taking hold, by faith, of the substitution made by Christ Jesus.

Surety: “One who is bound with and for another who is primarily liable, and who is called the principal; one who engages to answer for another’s appearance in court, or for his payment of a debt, or for performance of some act; a bondsman; a bail.”  Webster’s 1913 Revised Unabridged Dictionary.

Justification By Grace

Romans 3:24-26:  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Those who receive this justification (being declared “not guilty” in the high court of God’s justice – in spite of having offended) do so “by” the grace of God alone and “through” the redemption of Christ Jesus alone!  This means that grace is the cause of our salvation – “justified freely by his grace”.  In other words, the reason God justifies sinners is due to His own free unmerited mercy and grace only.  The legal grounds upon which he carries out this grace in the justification of sinners is “through” the redemption of Christ Jesus.  In other words, God is not offering a free pardon on the grounds of grace alone, otherwise He would be unjust.  Rather, on the basis of grace, He substitutes the righteous life and sacrificial death of His Son to make restitution for our sins and to merit eternal life on our behalf.  Grace then is the “reason” God saves sinners and the atonement made by Christ is the “grounds” on which He does it.

Redeem: “To ransom, liberate, or rescue from captivity or bondage, or from any obligation or liability to suffer or to be forfeited, by paying a price or ransom; to ransom; to rescue; to recover; as, to redeem a captive, a pledge, and the like.”, Webster’s 1913 Revised Unabridged Dictionary.

This sacrifice of Jesus Christ, turns away the just anger of God, the Righteous Judge, toward our sin and reconciles Him to us. This is called Propitiation (“The act of appeasing the wrath and conciliating the favor of an offended person”, Webster 1913).

I will say more concerning the reconciliation of God and man in the next post. For now, it is enough to understand that it is by God’s grace ALONE aside from the merit of man that salvation has come to men in the form of a substitute. Anyone attached to Christ by faith, therefore, has full “remission of sins”. In this way, God is both Just and Holy and yet merciful. He punishes sins and yet is merciful and forgiving to those who sin.

To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Rom 3:26, KJV

We can join in the Julia H. Johnston in praising the glorious grace of Almighty God as we reflect on this hymn:

Grace Greater Than All Our Sin

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.

Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold,
Threaten the soul with infinite loss;
Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,
Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.

Dark is the stain that we cannot hide.
What can avail to wash it away?
Look! There is flowing a crimson tide,
Brighter than snow you may be today.

Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,
Freely bestowed on all who believe!
You that are longing to see His face,
Will you this moment His grace receive?

Refrain

Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin.

 

Galatians 1:18-24 Text w/Notes

18 ἔπειτα μετὰ τρία ἔτη ἀνῆλθον εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα ἱστορῆσαι Κηφᾶν, καὶ ἐπέμεινα πρὸς αὐτὸν ἡμέρας δεκαπέντε· 19 ἕτερον δὲ τῶν ἀποστόλων οὐκ εἶδον, εἰ μὴ Ἰάκωβον τὸν ἀδελφὸν τοῦ κυρίου. 20 ἃ δὲ γράφω ὑμῖν, ἰδοὺ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ ὅτι οὐ ψεύδομαι. 21 ἔπειτα ἦλθον εἰς τὰ κλίματα τῆς Συρίας καὶ τῆς Κιλικίας. 22 ἤμην δὲ ἀγνοούμενος τῷ προσώπῳ ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις τῆς Ἰουδαίας ταῖς ἐν Χριστῷ, 23 μόνον δὲ ἀκούοντες ἦσαν ὅτι ὁ διώκων ἡμᾶς ποτε νῦν εὐαγγελίζεται τὴν πίστιν ἥν ποτε ἐπόρθει, 24 καὶ ἐδόξαζον ἐν ἐμοὶ τὸν θεόν.

Audio

—-

ἔπειτα (18 and 21) adv then or thereupon (BAGD) in regards to time ; ἱστορῆσαι aor. inf. of ἱστορέω + acc. pers., visit a person for the purpose of inquiry (LSJ) ; Κηφᾶν acc of Κηφᾶσ, Aramaic for Peter, means rock (πέτροσ) ; οὐκ…εἰ μὴ εἰ μὴ means “except” after a negative (BAGD VI8a) ; τὰ κλίματα district, region, or province (2 Cor 11:10, Rom 15:23) all ver. transl. “regions” ; Συρίας part of W. Asia bounded on N. by Taurus Mts., E. by Euphrates, S. by Palestine, and W. by Med. Sea, Cilicia is its neighboring Province in Asia Minor (see Acts 15:23,41), its capitol is Antioch ; Κιλικίας SE corner of Asia Minor, its capitol is Tarsus, home of Paul ; ἤμην impf ; ποτε … ποτε both at one time (in the past), double usage not special? ; ἐπόρθει impf pillage, make havoc of, destroy, annihilate τὶ (1:13, Acts 9:21) (BAGD) ; ἐν ἐμοὶ causal ;

 

Evangelicals and Catholics Together, Second Try…

If at first you don’t succeed…

It seems that for “principalities, powers, and rulers of the darkness of this world”, if at first you don’t deceive Evangelical Christians, try a new tactic.

Is the Manhattan Declaration the latest in Satan’s schemes to subvert the Gospel of grace by blurring the dividing line between the true Gospel Church and the “church” of Rome?

More below…

John MacArthur’s Response
Further Thoughts on the Manhattan Declaration from James White
James White responds to MacArthur
Frank Turk’s Excellent/Thoughtful Response

 

The Morning Star of the Reformation

John Wycliffe

John Wycliffe is often cited as the Morning Star of the Reformation because he was the first public and notable person during the scholastic age to publicly prefer the Word of God to that idolatrous antichrist – the pope of Rome. Romanists love to direct their venom at Martin Luther, as though his reliance on Scripture alone was some new or novel idea. Truly, from the time of the Early Church Fathers to the present era, there have been that true Israel within Israel that feeds itself upon the Word of God without admixture of the idolatry and sacrilege of men.

Said Wycliffe,

“Even though there were a hundred popes and though every mendicant monk were a cardinal, they would be entitled to confidence only in so far as they accorded with the Bible.”

“Trust wholly in Christ; rely altogether on his sufferings; beware of seeking to be justified in any other way than by his righteousness. Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ is sufficient for salvation.”

And Wycliffe translated these life-giving words into English for the first time:

“For God louede so the world, that he yaf his `oon bigetun sone, that ech man that bileueth in him perische not, but haue euerlastynge lijf.”

 

Sermon on Justification by Grace

The below link will take you to a sermon by Charles Spurgeon preached on Lord’s Day morning, April 5, 1857. The topic is

Justification by Grace

and the passage preached is:

“Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” Rom. 3:24.

—> Spurgeon Sermon

————————

Brief Outline

I The redemption that is in Jesus Christ

A. The ransom price paid for a slave
B. All the ransom price paid at once – “It is finished”
C. All the ransom price paid by Christ alone
D. The ransom price was accepted by God

1. Resurrection
2. Ascension

II The effect of the ransom

A. Forensic Justification

1. Not a pardon
2. Declaration of “Not Guilty”
3. We are guilty and justified – not humanly possible

B. How God justifies a sinner

1. Imputation of guilt
2. Vicarious suffering

C. Characteristics of justification

1. No longer guilty of any sin
2. Imputation of Christ’s righteousness
3. Justification is irreversible – Rom 5:1

a. No condemnation for one justified
b. No accusation for one not guilty

III The manner of giving justification

A. Free by His grace

1. Price already paid
2. “Whosoever will may come…”

B. He gives grace for faith then grace for good works

Oh! believe on Christ, poor sinners; believe on Christ. Ye who know your guilt and misery come, cast yourselves upon him; come, and trust my Master, and as he lives, before whom I stand, you shall never trust him in vain; but you shall find yourselves forgiven, and go your way rejoicing in Christ Jesus.

 

Grace to You and [then] Peace, part 2

“Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ” Gal 1:3 (KJV)

In my last post I noted how that the Apostles usually opened their epistles with a wish of grace and peace upon their readers. I also mentioned how that in NT writtings, peace always follows upon grace. Although this may be nothing more than a popular expression, it is interesting to note that the order is never reversed, especially given that peace with God, for a fallen person, is only achievable in so for as God is merciful and graciousness.

What is Grace?

The English word ‘Grace’ has several meanings dependent upon usage. Webster’s 1913 Revised Unabridged Dictionary defines two important and relevant uses – the theological and legal – as follows:

Theol – The divine favor toward man; the mercy of God, as distinguished from His justice; also, any benefits His mercy imparts; divine love or pardon; a state of acceptance with God; enjoyment of the divine favor.

Legal – The prerogative of mercy execised by the executive, as pardon.

The underlying Greek word χάρις (charis) can have as many different meanings as it’s Latin and English derivatives.  The word χάρις can be used to describe favor, gracefulness, beauty, kindness, goodwill, etc. (LSJ).  Although in this epistolary greeting, the Apostle may have in mind a wish of God’s blessing/favor  and peace, in much of Paul’s usage, special attention is given to the idea of undeserved mercy. The way in which the word is customarily used is in contrast to the idea of human performance or achievement – Greek: ἔργον, which connotes works, deeds, or effort (LSJ).

A few good examples from the writing of the Apostle that clearly demonstrate this contrast are:

And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
Rom 11:6

Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began
2 Tim 1:8-9

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:8-9

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Tit 3:5-7

In each of these quotations regarding God’s work of grace in the salvation of men, grace is contrasted with the work (or merit) of man. In Rom 11:6, Paul clearly states that if God’s mercy were earned (in this case by the nation of Israel), then grace could no longer be gracious. In the opening lines from 2 Timothy, Paul reminds Timothy that our salvation is the result of God’s purpose and calling by grace and not according to our works. In Ephesians, Paul explains that salvation is a gift of God and not earned. Because of this no one has any ground on which to boast. In the passage from Titus, again Paul states that salvation is not dependent upon works of righteousness which we have done, but that we are saved by mercy, which he equates with grace in verse 7.

When we think about the importance and centrality of grace in the plan of God for our salvation, we can understand the Apostle’s righteous indignation (Galatians 1) at those that have “removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel” and follow those that “pervert the gospel of Christ” and in his inspired anger pronounced this imprecation, “If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

Truly the Gospel of Grace is the very heart and center of all Christian doctrine.

AMAZING GRACE

John Newton (1725-1807)

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

T’was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
‘Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

—————-

All of Grace

 

Grace to You and [then] Peace

“Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ” Gal 1:3 (KJV)

The Apostle Paul frequently wishes God’s grace and peace upon those who read his letters. We find this formula in Rom 1:7, 1 Cor 1:3, 2 Cor 1:2, Gal 1:3, Eph 1:2, Phil 1:2, Col 1:2, 1 Thes 1:1, 2 Thes 1:2, and Phlm 1:3. Paul wishes grace, mercy, and peace in 1 Tim 1:2, 2 Tim 1:2, Tit 1:4 as does Peter in 1 Pet 1:2 and 2 Pet 1:2, as does John in 2 John 1:3. John also uses grace and peace in Rev 1:4. All this is enough to suggest that a wish of grace and peace is most likely a common form of epistolary address or perhaps an early form of Christian salutation.

It is interesting to note that in every instance, peace follows grace. There is a very logical progression from receiving grace from God to having peace with God. The link which logically connects these two is reconciliation. The grace of God (unmerited favor) leads to reconciliation, which results in peace. In the next post, I’d like to define grace and peace and show how that reconciliation is the logical link between the two.

GRACE -> RECONCILIATION -> PEACE

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
2 Cor 5:17-21 (KJV)

 

Baptists and Reformation

James Dolezal, a seminary student at WTS, explains the origins of the Anabaptists and the English Baptists and discusses the relation of the Baptists to the Reformation. This is a very interesting discussion of Baptist history and the differences between Baptists and Anabaptists, and the distinction between General and Particular Baptists.

Credo Baptist History

Another useful primer on Baptist history can be found here:

True Baptist Trail

 

NOT WHAT MY HANDS HAVE DONE

We sang this beautiful song by Horatius Bonar during Lord’s Day worship this morning.

NOT WHAT MY HANDS HAVE DONE

“By grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.” Eph 2: 8-9

Not what my hands have done can save my guilty soul;
Not what my toiling flesh has borne can make my spirit whole.
Not what I feel or do can give me peace with God;
Not all my prayers and sighs and tears can bear my awful load.

Your voice alone, O Lord, can speak to me of grace;
Your power alone, O Son of God, can all my sin erase.
No other work but Yours, no other blood will do;
No strength but that which is divine can bear me safely through.

I praise the Christ of God; I rest on love divine;
And with unfaltering lip and heart I call this Savior mine.
My Lord has saved my life and freely pardon gives;
I love because He first loved me, I live because He lives.