The World's Ruined: Marriage, the World, and the Gospel...

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Marriage, the World, and the Gospel...

Some thoughts rumbling about in my head regarding the recent Supreme Court marriage ruling:

The cultural environment is arguably becoming more anti for the Christian church in America, though hardly rising to anything I would would label as persecution. Certainly not a pleasant thing for Christians and possibly even more so for pastors going forward. But I wondering if this development, this increase in antithesis between Christ’s kingdom and the kingdom of this world, may be something that ends up helping to clarify the gospel call to believe in Christ. Similarly, as when the antithesis of Law and Gospel is diminished things get dangerously fuzzy concerning the role of believer's faith and works in their salvation, maybe also the lack of antithesis between church and state in America muddies the church's identification with Christ's kingdom that is not of this world. The result? Too many in the world end up seeing the church as only a “clean club” and hearing her message as just one of many vying to establish its own particular beatific vision of how life should be lived in America. The gospel's offense of the cross, though not intended, sadly ends up taking a back seat. Just wondering…

The Constitution, fairly read, indeed should protect the free exercise of religious belief. But maybe the time is here when the world in the person of the State isn’t inclined to read the 1st Amendment fairly. The words of Jesus are helpful and comforting to me:

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

Update: The Bible doesn't teach that the role of the church is to get the world to shape up or back off, but to proclaim the gospel, calling sinners out of the world into the kingdom of Christ. To the Church: preach Christ and him crucified. The rest, we are promised of God, will fall into place...

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The Mere Mercy of God

This calling of Abram is a signal instance of the gratuitous mercy of God. Had Abram been beforehand with God by any merit of works? Had Abram come to him, or conciliated his favour? Nay, we must ever recall to mind that he was plunged in the filth of idolatry; and God freely stretches forth his hand to bring back the wanderer. He deigns to open his sacred mouth, that he may show to one, deceived by Satan's wiles, the way of salvation.

But this is done designedly, in order that the manifestation of the grace of God might become the more conspicuous in his person. For he is an example of the vocation of us all; for in him we perceive, that, by the mere mercy of God, those things that are not are raised from nothing, in order that they may begin to be something.

-John Calvin, Genesis, (Banner of Truth), p. 343

"Nor the faith also does not shut out the justice of our good works, necessarily to be done afterwards of duty towards GOD (for we are most bounden to serve GOD, in doing good deeds, commanded by him in his holy Scripture, all the days of our life): But it excludes them, so that we may not do them to this intent, to be made good by doing of them. For all the good works that we can do, be imperfect, and therefore not able to deserve our justification: but our justification doth come freely by the mere mercy of God..." (Thomas Cranmer - Homily of Justification)

Justification-Sanctification/Law-Gospel

In short, I affirm, that not by our own merit but by faith alone, are both our persons and works justified; and that the justification of works depends on the justification of the person, as the effect on the cause. (John Calvin, Acts of the Council of Trent with the Antidote)

The law guides, directs, commands, all things that are against the interest and rule of sin. It judgeth and condemneth both the things that promote it and the persons that do them; it frightens and terrifies the consciences of those who are under its dominion. But if you shall say unto it, “What then shall we do? this tyrant, this enemy, is too hard for us. What aid and assistance against it will you afford unto us? what power will you communicate unto its destruction?” Here the law is utterly silent, or says that nothing of this nature is committed unto it of God: nay, the strength it hath it gives unto sin for the condemnation of the sinner: “The strength of sin is the law.” But the gospel, or the grace of it, is the means and instrument of God for the communication of internal spiritual strength unto believers. By it do they receive supplies of the Spirit or aids of grace for the subduing of sin and the destruction of its dominion… (John Owen, A Treatise of the Dominion of Sin and Grace)

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Marriage, the World, and the Gospel...

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