tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34224102399919020862024-03-13T14:37:01.310-07:00The World's Ruined........ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reformation ChristianityJack Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281378425270530573noreply@blogger.comBlogger685125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422410239991902086.post-55984273309715259012024-01-30T12:54:00.000-08:002024-01-30T12:56:26.463-08:00Good News Indeed!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzo3Ydbg0SADmePHaY8VVNjAgnAupnKbyJEfkkQw1qznDf1z5C4naOfIRoKqQT2UYAXJuraVFDR6wfi3OjaEs3wn_ap0KQV4BJcD4thbpfNqQkg1xbSg_kUxh2kHcoED_entL_qNbs-0iNypEX0IT5E-Zwo3TDCTlvesYl4z06FRYbJlRvrzRFDMfeOKBX/s500/gospel.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="500" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzo3Ydbg0SADmePHaY8VVNjAgnAupnKbyJEfkkQw1qznDf1z5C4naOfIRoKqQT2UYAXJuraVFDR6wfi3OjaEs3wn_ap0KQV4BJcD4thbpfNqQkg1xbSg_kUxh2kHcoED_entL_qNbs-0iNypEX0IT5E-Zwo3TDCTlvesYl4z06FRYbJlRvrzRFDMfeOKBX/s320/gospel.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;"> Martin Luther wrote that Justification by Faith alone</span><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></i></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">was</span><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">“<b>the </b></span></i><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>article by which the church stands or falls</b></span><b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">”</span></b>.</i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">John Calvin </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">wrote that </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">“<b><i>it </i></b></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>is</i></b></span><b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> the </span><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">main </span></i></b><b><i>hinge on which religion turns</i></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">.” </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> And Thomas Cranmer wrote (Article XI) that:</span> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">“… <b><i>Wherefore, that we are justified by Faith </i></b></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>only, is a most wholesome Doctrine, and very full of comfort...</i></b></span><b><i>”</i></b><i> </i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> What these </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">three Reformers were attesting to was that the </span><b><i>gospel</i></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">, inasmuch as it </span><b><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">be</span></i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> <i></i></span><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">good </span></i></b><b><i>news</i></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> to those who hear it, is </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">embodied in the doctrine of Justification by Faith. Whether of Germany, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Switzerland, or England the Reformer's Biblical understanding of salvation led them to</span><p></p><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">conclude that to diminish or reject this doctrine of </span><b><i>faith alone</i></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> was to retreat from the good news of Jesus Christ and fall back into the </span><i>works-righteousness-justification</i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> fog of the Medieval Church.</span><br /><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="apple-style-span"><b><i><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; white-space: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="apple-style-span"><b><i><span style="color: black;">Sola Fideism</span></i></b></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; white-space: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i></i></b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; white-space: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> (by faith alone), a much misunderstood phrase, embodies the gospel. Dr. R.Scott Clark at <a href="http://heidelblog.wordpress.com/">Heidelblog</a></span><span style="color: black;"> writes that </span><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">sola fide</span></i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> is a shorthand way of saying that </span><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">“faith - receiving and resting in the perfect, finished, whole, active and passive obedience of Christ for his people - is the alone instrument through which a sinner is justified before God.”</span></i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> The questions then to be addressed is: <b><i>why and how is sola fide essential to the good news? </i></b>To answer that we must look to the Law.</span></span></span></span></span></i></b></span></span></span><br /><span style="color: black;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I think for many, who <span class="apple-style-span"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">look to diminish or dismantle </span><i></i></span><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">sola fide</span></span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> in God’s redemptive scheme, there exists an </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">underestimation of the absolute righteous demands of God’s law </span><i></i></span><i></i></span><i>(be ye perfect even as My Father is perfect)</i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> upon all mankind and the unbridgeable chasm between our most righteous works (filthy rags all before God's holy law) and the unblemished holiness required in order to stand justified before that law.</span></div><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">[Gal. </span></span><span style="color: #333333;">3:10-11] </span><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">For as many as are of the </span></i><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">works of the law are under a curse: for it is written, </span><b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Cursed is every one who continueth not in all </span></b></i><i><b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">things that are written in the book of the law, to do them.</span></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> <b></b></span><b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Now </span></b></i><span class="apple-style-span"><i><b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">that no man is justified by the law before God, is evident: for, The righteous shall live by faith…</span></b></i></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> [</span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Rom.2:5-6] </span><b><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up for thyself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; who will render to every man according to his works; </span></i></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> [3:8]</span><b><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> as it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one;</span></i></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> [3:19b-20a]… </span><b><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God: because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight…</span></i></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #333333;"><b><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><b><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">This is some </span><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">serious bad news! </span></i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> And there is nothing one can do to change the “rules of the game.” Yet something within us doesn’t buy this bad news as being quite as condemning as it really is. Something inherent resides within us (Calvin calls it the relic of the flesh) that supposes there is some </span><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">good </span></i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">we can and must bring to the table of God’s redemption. That </span><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">something </span></i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">which dwells within us is the sinful self-regard that </span><b><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">"thinks more highly of himself than he ought"</span></i></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> [Rom 12:8]. It is that which does not believe the truth that surely "</span><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">nothing good</span></i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> dwells within my flesh." And, despite agreeing with the law via the benefit of a new heart and right-will through regeneration, I yet slip into the sin (Rom. 7) which subtly insists that </span><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">my</span></i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> <i></i></span><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">righteous</span></i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> intentions, prayers, faith, meditations, experiences, and works have some inherent value in climbing a meritorious ladder to God.</span></span></span></i></b></span></span></span></span></i></b></span></span><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #333333;"><b><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span></i></b></span></span><span style="color: black;">It </span>doesn’t matter if one says, though erroneously, “but His grace has infused in me an inherent righteousness from which to live unto justification.” It is not an "on and off" proposition with the law. The law demands that I live not only in a righteous manner continually (no mulligans... we are forgiven - yet the Law demands complete holiness of life), but that my righteousness be as perfect as that of our divine Father in heaven... God Himself. That the creature should somehow ascend toward the holiness of the Creator and from within himself produce virtue that matches God's Righteousness is pride and folly in the extreme. Thus as Thomas Cranmer wrote in his <span style="color: black;">Homily on the Salvation of Man (Of Justification), </span><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>“but every man of necessity is constrained to seek </b></span></i><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>for another righteousness or justification, to be received at GOD’S own </b></span></i><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>hands...”</b></span></i></div><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="color: black;">Where </span></b></span><b><span style="color: black;">then </span></b>is “another righteousness or justification” to be found for the inherently unrighteous sinner<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">? </span><b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">And how then</span></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> is he to receive it at God’s own hands? </span><span style="color: black;"> </span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i><span style="color: #333333;"></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">But now apart from the law a righteousness of God hath been manifested… even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ… being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus… whom God set forth to be a propitiation, through faith, in his blood… that he might himself be just, and the justifier of him that hath faith in Jesus… We reckon therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.</span></span></i><span style="color: black;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></b><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">[<st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Rom. </st1:place></st1:country>3]</span></span></span></span></b></span></i></span></span></b></span></span></b></span></i></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span></span></b></span></i></span></span></b></span></span></b></span></i><span style="color: black;">This </span>good news of the Divine Transaction of the cross is that Jesus Christ, made like us, fully Man yet without sin, takes our sin upon Himself, bearing it and the condemnation and penalty rightly due our disobedience (to the law) by his suffering and death on the cross; but not only that. The penalty paid, He has risen in righteousness and, in exchange for our sins before the law, Christ now offers to his own the merit of His perfect obedience before that very law, which God imputes to us who receive it through faith... Christ's fulfilling of the Law for the redeemed. The penalty for man's sin demanded by God's law is paid. The perfection of obedience demanded of the law is accomplished; both by the infinitely worthy God-Man Jesus. God is now both the just (His law is not compromised) and the justifier of the unjust. </span></div><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">This Divine Transaction of grace rightly cuts against any pride of self-regard. <span class="apple-style-span"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.</span></i></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> [Romans 3:27]</span></span></span></span><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Regarding this justification <a href="http://heidelblog.wordpress.com/">Dr. R. Scott Clark</a> writes that, “</span><b><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">That faith</span></i></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> is never alone. [Yet] it does not justify </span><b><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">because</span></i></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> it is </span><b><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">not</span></i></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> alone. </span><b><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Those graces</span></i></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> that accompany justifying faith </span><b><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">do not constitute</span></i></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> <b><i></i></b></span><b><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">faith justifying</span></i></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span><b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Only Christ, the object of faith</span></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">, makes faith justifying. This is the difference between <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Rome</st1:place></st1:city> and the Reformation. For the Reformation, the accompanying graces </span><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">are evidence and fruit of true faith</span></i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">. They tell us that one has a living faith. In that way, they are necessary.”</span><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">It is good news because by a free gratuitous act of favor and love, God has sought out and rescued the sinner, who though justly under the condemnation of the law, receives forgiveness of sins and salvation through faith in Christ’s death and resurrection on his behalf. Through faith in Him the sinner receives the gift of this Divine Transaction, exchanging the filthy rags of his imperfect works for Jesus's penalty-bearing and perfect obedience in all of the law. Thus the one who trusts in Christ’s work is declared justified before the same law that once condemned him. This justification, completed and freely given, is not a blessing restricted solely to initial saving faith, but is the secure ground of the Christian’s life going forward from which all good works spring.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><b><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ </span></i></b><span class="apple-style-span"><b><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Jesus...</span></i></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><i> </i></b></span><span class="apple-style-span">[Rom. 8:1] </span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">This is the solid rock upon which the believer stands as he, with increasing gratitude, follows his Lord and Savior Jesus; Who, as his Advocate and Mediator in heaven, is ever his sure Justification before God. And by grace given, this sinner/saint walks in those good works </span></span><i><span style="color: black;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">which God hath before ordained that we should walk in </span></span></i><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">[Eph. 2:10b], not unto his own insufficient merit and righteousness, but unto the glory of God in Christ Jesus.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;"><b><i>Do we then make the law of none effect through faith? God forbid: nay, we establish the law.</i></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">[Rom. 3:31]</span><br /><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Good news</span></span></b><span style="color: #333333;"> of justification received through the gift of faith apart from any works of our own. </span></span><br /><span class="apple-style-span"></span><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="color: #333333;">Good </span></b></span><b><span style="color: #333333;">news</span></b><span style="color: #333333;"> of God’s freely given grace - <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">cleansing </i></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">from sin by Jesus’ blood and His righteous merit before the Law accounted to us </i></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">- apprehended by faith alone</i></b>. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This grace</i></b> sustains, upholds, and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">comforts as we, with increasing gratitude and trust in His finished work, yield ourselves to works of righteousness through the transforming work of the Holy Spirit.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"></span><b><span style="color: #333333;">Good news indeed! </span></b><b><i><span style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="apple-style-span"><b><i><span style="color: #333333;">... for by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, that no man should glory.</span> For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore prepared that we should walk in them.</i></b></span><b><i></i></b><span style="color: #333333;"> [Eph. 2:8-10] </span></span></span></i></b><span style="color: black;"><b><i>But </i></b></span><b><i><span style="color: black;">if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would </span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: black;">no longer be grace. </span></i></b><span style="color: black;">[Rom. 11:6]</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">Originally posted July 29, 2010</span></div>Jack Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281378425270530573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422410239991902086.post-1287923574417296182024-01-26T08:50:00.000-08:002024-01-26T08:52:35.817-08:00"And there is no health in us"... total depravity?<br /><p style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRZV9Zjvtj9YKWCa9n_Fd2IkcvrOD3FZwKxzvKMFUyT1zsx5ITC4PAzDrTDSSeFby7oB6XdITfjGcxCbVybzc8vY2CQa7SyrNq-3NzS04IEABoWhl78tYCFpvok2a5BAAQSsnyDghTFos/s320/Milhouse.png" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRZV9Zjvtj9YKWCa9n_Fd2IkcvrOD3FZwKxzvKMFUyT1zsx5ITC4PAzDrTDSSeFby7oB6XdITfjGcxCbVybzc8vY2CQa7SyrNq-3NzS04IEABoWhl78tYCFpvok2a5BAAQSsnyDghTFos/s200/Milhouse.png" width="188" /></a><b>"No... not that dreadful Calvinist doctrine!", exclaim</b>ed the Anglo-Catholic churchman in an tone of cultured-indignant outrage...</p><br />In a <a href="http://theworldsruined.blogspot.com/2011/02/predestination-39-articles-of-religion.html">previous post</a> I considered the case for the reformed doctrine of predestination being taught in Article 17 of the <a href="http://anglicansonline.org/basics/thirty-nine_articles.html">Thirty-Nine Articles</a>. But what about the reformed doctrine of total depravity? Is <i>it</i> likewise to be found in <b>the Anglican formularies</b> or is it merely a morbid innovation of of those "hyper-puritan Calvinists"? This question is posed in the context of the larger question that this blogger has explored, what is the historical Reformational heritage of the Anglican Church?<br /><br />First up we need a definition... <b>what is the doctrine of total depravity?</b> I like how this pastor defines it:<br /><div align="left"><i><b><span style="color: #330033;"><span class="Helvetica12" style="font-family: inherit;">What total depravity means then is that every area of man has been affected by the Fall: man's entire body, soul and spirit has suffered a radical corruption. </span></span></b><b><span style="color: #330033;"><span class="Helvetica12" style="font-family: inherit;">This does not mean that man is without a conscience or any sense of right or wrong, nor that every sinner is devoid of all the qualities that are both pleasing to men and useful to society, when those qualities are judged only by human standards. In addition, this does not mean that every sinner is prone to every form of sin...</span></span></b></i></div><div align="left"><b><span style="color: #330033;"><i><span class="Helvetica12" style="font-family: inherit;"></span></i></span></b><br /><div align="left"><b><span class="Helvetica12" style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b><span class="Helvetica12"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Perhaps "radical corruption" is a better term to describe our fallen condition than the historic term "total depravity."</span> "Radical" not in the sense of being "extreme," but radical in the sense of its original meaning, stemming from the Latin word for "root" or "core." Our problem with sin is that it is rooted in the core of our being, permeating our hearts. It is because sin is at our core and not merely at the exterior of our lives that Romans 3:10-12 declares: </span></b><b><span style="color: #000066;"><span class="Helvetica12">"There is none righteous, no not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one."</span></span></b></i></span></b></div><div align="left"><b><span style="color: #330033;"><span class="Helvetica12" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #000066;"><span class="Helvetica12"><i><br /></i></span></span></b></span></span></b></div><div align="left"><div><b><span style="color: #330033;"><i>Man, by nature, does not want to know God. "There is no one who seeks after God," as the above Scripture says. As Dr. Michael Horton noted, "We cannot find God for the same reason that a thief can't find a police officer."</i> [<a href="http://fccphx.homestead.com/TotalDepravity.html">Pastor John Samson</a>] </span></b></div><span class="Helvetica12">You've got to love that Horton quote, eh?</span><br /><br />Simply put, s<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">in has affected all parts of man. And this corruption touches the entire man - heart, emotions, will, mind, and body. In that respect <i><b>man is completely sinful, though not as sinful as he could be.</b></i> </span>So, is this doctrine to be found among the teachings of the <b>Thirty-Nine Articles</b> or the <b>Homilies</b> or <b>the prayers</b> <b>of the Book of Common Prayer</b>? Let's take a survey...<br /><div style="display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"><br /></div><b><span style="color: #330033;"><span class="Helvetica12" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span class="Helvetica12"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><i>Excerpts from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer...</i></span></span></b></span></span></b><br /><b><span class="Helvetica12" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span class="Helvetica12"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span">4th Sunday in Advent Collect</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"> <i>...</i></span></span></b></span></b><i> that whereas, <b>through our sins and wickedness, we are sore let and hindered in running the race</b> that is set before us...</i><br /><div><b><span style="color: #330033;"><span class="Helvetica12"></span></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Helvetica12" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span class="Helvetica12"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Morning Prayer Confession of Sin:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">And </span>there is no health in us.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, </span>miserable offenders.</i></span></span></b></span></b><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><b>The Lenten Collects</b>:</span> <i>Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins, and <b>acknowledging our wretchedness</b>...</i><br /><i>... Almighty God, who seest that we have <b>no power of ourselves to help ourselves</b>..<b>.</b></i><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Easter-Even Collect</b>:</span><i> ... so by continual mortifying <b>our corrupt affections</b> we may be buried with him...</i><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Easter Day Collect:</span></b> <i>... as by thy special grace preventing us <b>thou dost put into our minds good desires</b>... </i>[how else to interpret this than without God's special grace going before us we are incapable of even good desires, let alone any good, i.e. righteous, works]<br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">4th Sunday After Easter Collect:</span></b> <i><b>Almighty God, who alone canst order the unruly wills and affections of sinful men</b>...</i> [how else to take this than we have no power to rule over or against our sinful affections]<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><b>1st Sunday After Trinity Collect</b>:</span> <i>... through the weakness of our mortal nature <b>we can do no good thing without thee</b>...</i><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">9th Sunday After Trinity Collect:</span></b> <i>...that we, <b>who cannot do any thing that is good without thee</b>, may by thee be enabled to live according to thy will...</i><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">15th Sunday After Trinity Collect:</span></b> <i>...<b>because the frailty of man without thee cannot but fall</b>...</i><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">24th Sunday After Trinity Collect:</span></b> <i>...absolve thy people from their offences; that through thy bountiful goodness we may all be delivered from <b>the bands of those sins, which by our frailty we have committed... </b></i><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Holy Communion General Confession:</span></b> <b> </b><i><b>We acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness</b>, Which we, from time to time, most grievously have committed, By<b> thought, word, and deed</b>, Against thy Divine Majesty, Provoking most justly thy wrath and indignation against us.</i><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Prayer preceding kneeling at the Lord's Table:</span></b> <i><b>We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table.</b></i><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">The Commination:</span> </b> Ps. 51 - <i>Behold, <b>I was shapen in wickedness</b>: and in sin hath my mother conceived me.</i><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">The Commination Confession:</span></b> <i>...enter not into judgement with <b>thy servants, who are vile earth, and miserable sinners</b>; but so turn thine anger from us, <b>who meekly acknowledge our vileness</b>, and truly repent us of our faults...</i><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Psalm 14:1-8:</span></b> <i>The fool hath said in his heart : There is no God.</i><br /><i>2. <b>They are corrupt</b>, and become abominable in their doings : <b>there is none that doeth good</b>, no not one.<br />3. The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men : to see if there were any that would understand, and seek after God.<br />4. <b>But they are all gone out of the way, they are altogether become abominable : there is none that doeth good, no not one.</b><br />5. Their throat is an open sepulchre, with their tongues have they deceived : the poison of asps is under their lips.<br />6. Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness : their feet are swift to shed blood.<br />7. <b>Destruction and unhappiness is in their ways</b>, and the way of peace have they not known ; there is no fear of God before their eyes.<br />8. Have they no knowledge, that they are all such workers of mischief : eating up my people as it were bread, and call not upon the Lord?</i></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Psalm 53: 1-4:</span></b> <i>The</i> <i>foolish body hath said in his heart : There is no God.</i><br /><i>2. <b>Corrupt are they, and become abominable in their wickedness : there is none that doeth good.</b><br />3. God looked down from heaven upon the children of men : to see if there were any that would understand, and seek after God.<br />4. <b>But they are all gone out of the way, they are altogether become abominable : there is also none that doeth good, no not one.</b></i></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Psalm 58:3:</span></b> <i><b>The ungodly are froward, even from their mother's womb : as soon as they are born, they go astray, and speak lies.</b></i><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Article IX. Of Original or Birth Sin:</b> </span> <i>Original sin standeth not in the following of Adam (as the Pelagians do vainly talk), but it is the fault and corruption of the nature of every man that naturally is engendered of the offspring of Adam, <b>whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and is of his own nature inclined to evil, so that the flesh lusteth always contrary to the spirit; and therefore in every person born into this world, it deserveth God's wrath and damnation. And this infection of nature doth remain, yea, in them that are regenerated</b>, whereby the lust of the flesh, called in Greek phronema sarkos (which some do expound the wisdom, some sensuality, some the affection, some the desire of the flesh), is not subject to the law of God. And although there is no condemnation for them that believe and are baptized, yet the Apostle doth confess that concupiscence and lust hath itself the nature of sin.</i><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Article X. </span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Of Free Will:</span><i> </i></b><i>The</i><b style="font-style: italic;"> </b><i>condition of man after the fall of Adam is such, that he cannot turn and prepare himself, by his own natural strength and good works, to faith and calling upon God. <b>Wherefore we have no power to do good works pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace of God </b>by Christ preventing ( us that we may have a good will, and working with us when we have that good will.</i><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Article XIII</b>.</span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"> Of Works before Justification:</span> </b><i><b>Works </b></i><i><b>done before the grace of Christ</b> and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, <b>are not pleasant to God</b>, forasmuch as they spring not of faith in Jesus Christ, neither do they make men meet to receive grace, or (as the School authors say) deserve grace of congruity: yea, rather for that they are not done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done, <b>we doubt not but they have the nature of sin.</b></i><br /><br /><b><i>Update (5-8-2011):</i></b> And this tidbit - <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Article</b> </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=3422410239991902086&postID=4936686806133232453" name="14">XIV.</a> </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Of Works of Supererogation:</span> ... </i></b><i>Whereas Christ saith plainly, <b>When ye have done all that are commanded to do, say, We be unprofitable servants</b>. </i><br />[Me: That is, we bring nothing to the table when it comes to the demands of God's holiness, for we always fall short due to the corruption of our nature]<br /><br />And you may want to take the time to read these selected excerpts below as they are part of the authoritative doctrinal teaching (<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">see <b>Article</b> <b>XXXV. </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Of Homilies</i>)</span> for the the Church of England concerning the fallen state of man:<br /><b><i><br /></i></b><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b>Book I-</b></span>Homily #2 Of The Misery of All Mankind:</span></b> <i>... <b>And all men, of their evilness and natural proneness, were so universally given to sin</b> that, as the Scripture saith [Gen. 6:6] *God repented that ever he made man... And thus he setteth us forth, speaking by his faithful Apostle St. Paul: [Rom. 3:9–18] All men, Jews and Gentiles, are under sin. <b>There is none righteous, no, not one</b>; There is none that understandeth; <b>there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way; they are all unprofitable: there is none that doeth good, no, not one</b>. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used Craft and deceit; the poison of serpents is under their lips. Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and wretchedness are in their ways, and the way of peace have they not known: there is no fear of God before their eyes...</i><br /><br /><i>St. Paul in many places painteth us out in our colours, calling us the children of the wrath of God when we be born; saying also that<b> we cannot think a good thought of ourselves, much less we can say well or do well of ourselves</b>... And our Saviour Christ saith there is none good but God, and that we can do nothing that is good without him, nor no man can come to the Father but by him. He commandeth us all to say that we be unprofitable servants, when we have done all that we can do... He saith he came not to save but the sheep that were utterly lost and cast away...</i><br /><br /><i><b>We be of ourselves of such earth as can bring forth but weeds, nettles, brambles, briars, cockle, and darnel. </b> Our fruits be declared in the fifth chapter to the Galathians. [Gal. 5:[19–23].] We have neither faith, charity, hope, patience, chastity, nor any thing else that good is...</i><br /><br /><i><b>Let us therefore acknowledge ourselves before God, as we be indeed, miserable and wretched sinners... For truly there be imperfections in our best works... Let us therefore not be ashamed to confess plainly our state of imperfection; yea, let us not be ashamed to confess imperfection even in all our own best works</b>...</i><br /><br /><i>Thus we have heard <b>how evil we be of ourselves; how, of ourselves and by ourselves, we have no goodness, help, nor salvation, but contrariwise sin, damnation, and death everlasting</b>: which if we deeply weigh and consider, we shall the better understand the great mercy of God, and how our salvation cometh only by Christ... Hitherto have we heard what <b>we are of ourselves; verily, sinful, wretched, and damnable.</b></i><br /><i> </i><br /><i>Again, we have heard how that, <b>of ourselves and by ourselves, we are not able either to think a good thought, or work a good deed:</b> so that we can find in ourselves no hope of salvation, but rather whatsoever maketh unto our destruction... Let us also knowledge the exceeding mercy of God toward us, and confess that, <b>as of ourselves cometh all evil and damnation</b>, so likewise of him cometh all goodness and salvation; as God himself saith by the Prophet Osee: [Hos. 13:9] O Israel, thy destruction cometh of thyself, but in me only is thy help and comfort.</i><br /><br />Well... what do you think? Can a case be made that the reformed doctrine of total depravity is reflected in the Anglican formularies as exampled in the above quotes? It seems difficult to come to any other conclusion; a conclusion which magnifies the radical remedy that God provided for us miserable sinners: the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, God come in the flesh - the perfect holy one - on the cross for sinful humans. Nothing less was needed and because of the great mercy and love of God, nothing less was provided.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>[originally posted May 5, 2011]</div></div></div>Jack Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281378425270530573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422410239991902086.post-63971688165261541202023-11-11T16:17:00.002-08:002023-11-11T16:42:34.858-08:00Remembering Mac Laurie, Elder<span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Mac Laurie</b>, as his son Craig wrote a year ago in an email, "joined the Church Triumphant on November 12, 2022." I think of him often. He was a mentor and elder to many in his years of service to the Lord</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">. Also he was a dear and trusted friend, my elder, and co-elder with whom I served. Mac was 97 years old when he died and had served as an elder in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church for over 50 years. You can read David Winslow's Memoriam for Mac in the December 2022 issue of <i>New Horizon's Magazine</i> on page 21 <a href="https://opc.org/new_horizons/NH2023/NH2023Jan.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlhEC5OswpuMIgGJnPiYAGxlvQSDBvBrYByBIIQSEKI97k6snMi2M9qvt0GL8J9-U_izIdLs2U3Xf8nUwfkasmVrwqjXSBj5f_oizVB382riyyXT_svSFoVj3AlDheUL5qdjeDcWWgu4g2GwaBySGR7e5Cdoq_8fCQvakmB_HE_kLTXphY60T4OAwegZag/s640/Mac%20and%20Jack.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlhEC5OswpuMIgGJnPiYAGxlvQSDBvBrYByBIIQSEKI97k6snMi2M9qvt0GL8J9-U_izIdLs2U3Xf8nUwfkasmVrwqjXSBj5f_oizVB382riyyXT_svSFoVj3AlDheUL5qdjeDcWWgu4g2GwaBySGR7e5Cdoq_8fCQvakmB_HE_kLTXphY60T4OAwegZag/s320/Mac%20and%20Jack.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div>I miss Mac. The Church misses Mac. And I say that because an <i>elder</i> is what he was, i.e. a faithful shepherd of the Lord's flock. He looked after the souls of those not only "officially" in his congregation but also of many other Christians he came to know and love over the years. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Soon after my wife and I began attending El Camino OPC in 2010 we joined in with the Sunday school class that Mac was teaching. We were not yet members and were taking things slow. One particular Sunday Mac's class concerned the topic of God's Law. I don't remember any comment I may have offered as we discussed the topic, but it apparently registered a concern with Mac. Later that afternoon he showed up at our home. Here's what I wrote to him years later, a few weeks before his death about that incident:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I have contemplated the prospect of your going home to the Lord more than a few times this past year. After all, you had already been blessed with many years beyond the "allotted" three score and ten. One memory that kept popping up was of you coming to visit for the first time, on a Sunday after church. Barb and I had just started attending El Camino. You had led a Sunday school class in which the topic of the Law had been discussed. Concerned about my understanding of how to think on the matter, you showed up unannounced with something written by Robert Godfrey for my consideration and help. Well, only true shepherds of the Lord's sheep do that kind of thing. I knew then I had a true shepherd for an elder; an elder who became a much beloved friend.</span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">We weren't yet members but Mac was caring for our souls, two of Christ's sheep. Shepherds do that. That incident brought to mind a quote from the <i>16th century Reformer Martin Bucer:</i></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Those who are ordained to the care of souls and pastoral ministry in the church are to serve our Lord Jesus, the chief Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, in his lambs, that is, <i>all those elected to life</i>, in such a way that through their minsitry everything is shown and provided that our Lord has promised in his office of Shepherd. <i>This involves being concerned and through the word of God providing</i> that Christ's lambs, who are still straying from his flock and sheep-pen, should be gathered in... [Barb and I were not yet sheep of the fold at El Camino] - </span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>(<i>Concerning The True Care of Souls by Martin Bucer, p 69</i>)</b></span></blockquote><p>Over the next 12 years Mac and I had many conversations about many things such as the gospel of Christ, understanding the meaning of the law in various parts of the Bible, and covenantal theology. He impressed me with how deeply he cared about the truth of scripture in order to better safeguard the church from error and by his willingness to adjust his understanding when convinced to do so by God's Word. Always a learner, a disciple of Christ. </p><p>Even in his last year of life, six years after retiring from the El Camino OPC session and having moved over to the PCA, Mac was still involved, fighting battles for truth in Christ's church. Competing overtures over controversial issues regarding the qualifications for ordained ministers were being considered for the upcoming General Assembly. Mac shared with me his closing thoughts over these matters from an email he sent early in 2022 to a PCA pastor:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Dark days in the PCA, indeed, and destined to become darker, I fear. I find myself resentful that God has placed me in them. My heart cries "you've fought enough battles; you deserve to live out your remaining days free of strife." I'm not looking very good according to measure penned by Watts in his "Am I a Soldier of the Cross?"</span></blockquote><p>Transparent and always ready to consider his inadequacy as a servant... When I read those words of his I thought, "<i>no Mac...</i> c<i>lear evidence you are indeed looking very good</i>."</p><p>My sweetest memories are of the many times over the years that Mac, my wife and I got together for fellowship, discussions and prayer concerning our loved ones and Christ's Church. This became a regular part of our friendship. Most cherished was how Mac, in closing our times together and with pillows on the floor along side the sofa, would say,</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"To our knees!"</p></blockquote><p> ... leading us into prayer.</p><p><b>Heavenly Father</b>, we offer thanksgiving for Elder Mac Laurie who has departed this life in the certain hope of the resurrection. Amen.</p><p>_________________________________________</p><p>A post by Mac Laurie on The World's Ruined: <a href="https://theworldsruined.blogspot.com/2018/01/forsaken-more-thoughts-on-abhorring-and.html" target="_blank">Forsaken? More Thoughts on Abhorring and Loving The Sinner - Part 5</a></p>Jack Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281378425270530573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422410239991902086.post-91617645310600785682023-06-01T15:32:00.001-07:002023-06-01T15:32:50.335-07:00Calvin: Substitution - Why Jesus Died A Criminal’s Death <p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOo-kvTCQ9JV_St98JpQzgM-u972Df7GcRmXLvD1t5UCPlPw0IgFLES2RmoN-FNctYZRWUj18B56_p0z2ZjLo_exkHbTS2KSAreesV6km-zf81kk12LaFVqg693b_TF38ddsphNyRAjDUhmmZi9-4CWCbH0BmB1Q-h6Cbn8OdBTcGl0bEFfcnSINz6cQ/s2048/IMG_0946.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1330" data-original-width="2048" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOo-kvTCQ9JV_St98JpQzgM-u972Df7GcRmXLvD1t5UCPlPw0IgFLES2RmoN-FNctYZRWUj18B56_p0z2ZjLo_exkHbTS2KSAreesV6km-zf81kk12LaFVqg693b_TF38ddsphNyRAjDUhmmZi9-4CWCbH0BmB1Q-h6Cbn8OdBTcGl0bEFfcnSINz6cQ/s320/IMG_0946.jpeg" width="320" /></a><b>“When we read</b> that Christ was led away from the judgment-seat to execution, and was </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">crucified between thieves, we have a fulfillment of the prophecy which is quoted by the Evangelist, "He was numbered with the transgressors," (Isaiah 53:12; Mark 15:28.) Why was it so? That he might bear the character of a sinner, not of a just or innocent person, inasmuch as he met death on account not of innocence, but of sin. </span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">“On the other hand, when we read that he was acquitted by the same lips that condemned him, (for Pilate was forced once and again to bear public testimony to his innocence,) let us call to mind what is said by another prophet, "I restored that which I took not away," (Psalm 69:4.) Thus we perceive Christ representing the character of a sinner and a criminal, while, at the same time, his innocence shines forth, and it becomes manifest that he suffers for another's and not for his own crime. He therefore suffered under Pontius Pilate, being thus, by the formal sentence of the judge, ranked among criminals, and yet he is declared innocent by the same judge, when he affirms that he finds no cause of death in him. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><i>“Our acquittal is in this that the guilt which made us liable to punishment was transferred to the head of the Son of God, (Isaiah 53:12.) We must specially remember this substitution in order that we may not be all our lives in trepidation and anxiety, as if the just vengeance which the Son of God transferred to himself, were still impending over us.”</i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>John Calvin, Insitutes: Book 2.16.5</b></span></p>Jack Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281378425270530573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422410239991902086.post-45089450960436594952023-04-02T18:19:00.006-07:002023-04-06T10:17:30.605-07:00The Lord's Day Minimum Daily Requirement... Beggars Should Be Choosers (Part 3) - <p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXl0uASJmxV6NJo1o5pp4tVujfE2bP1yt-Z6dDBrTRNc_XF07C_8hhPfeVGsN8raQjP6QAZTzkLIpijDZItjhwch_CZ00rhQyYgkL-XzZdSHD3JObJwdel2yPp1qgPYPeuTPNLi7PHFNXiiOO_GwUalLPnS7DDL2LzRddamxlEERRdvyWcL4UT-El0FA/s1894/4%20men%20in%20stone.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1204" data-original-width="1894" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXl0uASJmxV6NJo1o5pp4tVujfE2bP1yt-Z6dDBrTRNc_XF07C_8hhPfeVGsN8raQjP6QAZTzkLIpijDZItjhwch_CZ00rhQyYgkL-XzZdSHD3JObJwdel2yPp1qgPYPeuTPNLi7PHFNXiiOO_GwUalLPnS7DDL2LzRddamxlEERRdvyWcL4UT-El0FA/s320/4%20men%20in%20stone.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">In this third and last segment of "Beggars Should Be Choosers" (<a href="https://theworldsruined.blogspot.com/2023/02/beggars-should-be-choosers-part-1.html">Part 1</a> and <a href="https://theworldsruined.blogspot.com/2023/02/beggars-should-be-choosers-part-2.html">Part 2</a>) I lay out some thoughts on <i>the</i> <i>importance</i> of what I am calling the <b style="font-style: italic;">Lord's Day Minimum Daily Requirement. </b>There are essentials that make up a kind of necessary <i>nutritional value</i> when choosing a local church.<i> </i>They are gospel-centered and helped this <i>beggar in </i>choosing a church home in an ACNA congregation. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">In <a href="https://theworldsruined.blogspot.com/2023/02/beggars-should-be-choosers-part-1.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a> and <a href="https://theworldsruined.blogspot.com/2023/02/beggars-should-be-choosers-part-2.html" target="_blank">Part 2</a> I gave a brief historical tour of my church experience in which I drew out several lines fundamental (IMHO) to the process of choosing a church. If you are to live the Christian life then you are meant to be a Christian <i>in a church.</i> You will choose a church. The thesis of this 3-part post is that when it comes to finding a local church <b><i>b</i></b><i><b>eggars (Christians) should be choosers</b></i>. It's in the local church where, so to speak, the rubber meets the road.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Some considerations I previously laid out in choosing a local church were <b style="font-style: italic;">Christ-centered worship, a set liturgy with its roots in the Reformation, a liturgy that isn’t pared down to mere outline, a church holding to a Reformed confession, a gospel-centered worship around the Lord’s Supper, and preaching that presents not law as the food for faith but Christ crucified as found in the gospel. </b>Let's take a closer look.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Christ-centered worship: </b>How does one measure that? Without any other qualifiers this descriptor ends up merely being something in the <i>eye of the beholder</i>. Any serious Christian church would claim to have Christ-centered worship. So, t</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">he question is </span><i style="font-family: georgia;">how do you define this</i><span style="font-family: georgia;">? Let me ask another question. How did Jesus define what it means to interpret and understand the written word? Two biblical texts come to mind -</span></p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>"You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life."</i> <i>John 5:39-40</i></span></blockquote><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.</i> Luke 24:27</span></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The minimum requirement necessary to interpret the Bible is that all of Scripture points to Christ. That is the Bible's purpose. So to understand Scripture is not to ask <i>does</i> a particular passage point to Christ, but rather <i>how</i> does it point to Christ. To read Scripture with a different focus is to miss seeing Jesus. From start to finish the Bible shows sinners the way to God. And again and again it </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">points</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> to Jesus Christ.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Similarly, church worship ought to have <i>ingredients</i> that point to and focus on the crucified, risen, and ascended Lord Jesus Christ. To ignore that focus is to miss what the Church is about. We worship God <i>in Christ</i>, come to God <i>through Christ</i>, are cleansed of our sin <i>by him</i>, and are spiritually fed <i>of him</i>. To minimize this end is to relegate Jesus to the margins of worship or as someone phrased it - <i>assume the gospel</i>. It would be like holding a banquet feast for hungry people but leaving most of the nourishing food off the table, i.e. not served. A feast is all about the food! There may be a menu at each setting listing the delicious delights, but the paucity of nourishment actually provided causes one to remain hungry. The problem may be that those holding the banquet don't realize how hungry people are (<i>analogy alert</i>). Faith needs to be fed and the food is Christ. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>A set liturgy with its roots in the Reformation:</b> Why? Well, the Reformation brought forth the clearest understanding of the gospel. And it is in the gospel that Christ Jesus is freely offered as food for saving faith; faith by which sinners lay hold of salvation. Simply put, church worship should point to Christ in the gospel as <i>the power of God for salvation to all who believe</i> (Rom 1:16}. Why a set liturgy? As I wrote before, few pastors are up to the task of developing a worship service that approaches what we already have been given. The temptation to innovate is great. And to innovate is an invitation to likely veer off course.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">One finds in the church liturgies of the Reformation such essentials as prayer to God through the mediator Jesus Christ, corporate general confession of sin, declaration of pardon to all who believe in Christ, reading of Scripture, the declaration of God's Law, a confessional creed, praise and song to God extolling salvation in Christ, the unveiled proclamation of the gospel in both the sermon and the administration of the Lord's Supper, and a final gospel blessing declared upon the congregation. Every week... and this never gets old. Rather these gospel elements are crucial for spiritual health and life just as our daily meals are necessary for the health of the body. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;">And a set Reformed liturgy serves as a kind of regulative principle protecting the believer from the less than edifying experiments or ad-libs (often weekly) that mark much of today's Protestant/Evangelical churches. </span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">In addition, a set Reformed liturgy serves a catechetical purpose as believers rehearse each week through prayer, confession of sin, declaration of pardon, etc.<i> the faith once delivered</i>. The grace and unmerited mercy of God in Christ become more internalized and deeply held through a <i>lather, rinse, and repeat</i> liturgical Christ-centered worship.</span><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>A liturgy that isn’t pared down to mere outline: </b><span>I mention this due to the tendency in some Reformed churches to have many, if not all, of the above essentials but unfortunately in brief bits or morsels that assume too much of what is left <i>unsaid</i>. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span>A minister of a church might say, "We know everyone here believes in the forgiveness of sins for all who repent and believe in Christ," ...</span></span></p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">but did your parishioners hear that affirmation from you every week or did you say to yourself, as I have heard and read confessional Reformed folk say, “We all know what the gospel is. Let us get on to the Christian life?... </span> </i></blockquote><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>There are more “tender reeds” and “dimly burning” wicks than we under shepherds know...”</i></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> (</span><a href="https://heidelblog.net/2023/02/why-reformed-folk-become-lutheran/" style="font-family: georgia;">R. Scott Clark</a><span style="font-family: georgia;">)</span></blockquote><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span>In a word, the gospel essentials should be unambiguous, repetitive, and full. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>A church holding to a Reformed confession: </b><span>It's in the confessions and catechisms of the Reformation* where one finds the clearest teaching on what is biblical Christianity. They give shape and direction to the worship of the church.** Simply put, they are essential to the church for staying the biblical course as she navigates the waters of this age.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span><b>A gospel-centered worship around the Lord’s Supper: </b><span>It's unfortunate when the celebration of the Lord's Table is condensed into an all-too brief ceremony at the end of the church service, almost as if it is tacked on. Often it's reduced to little more than reciting Christ's words of institution and the distribution of the bread and cup. <i>Why not a fuller unpacking of the mystery of this visible gospel in the prayers preceding and following the partaking?</i> The value of this can be seen in the communion liturgy found in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer.** In other words, a fuller serving of Christ and his finished work of the cross as we eat and drink of him through faith. The remembrance of Jesus Christ in the Supper ought to be a big deal, because it is. As Michael Horton states:</span></span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">“One of the reasons so many churches have gone to drama and other theatrical arts in worship is because the sermon and larger liturgical setting have failed to provide the sense that something dramatic is happening, as we gather before God.”</span></blockquote><p>If time is taken, the minister's eucharistic prayers and spoken words can accomplish that.</p></span><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span><span><b>Preaching that presents not law as the food for faith but Christ crucified as found in the gospel: </b>In other words, not mere teachings that are more at home in a seminary class. Not sermons that are mainly admonitions to being more faithful and obedient. Not primarily moral examples from the Bible to imitate. But a clear presentation from Scripture of the sinful plight of fallen man and God's free offer of salvation in Christ to all who believe the gospel. Again, this never gets old. All of scripture points to Jesus Christ. And all the Church needs is Jesus Christ.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span><span>See also - </span></span></span><a href="https://theworldsruined.blogspot.com/2013/06/preaching-potent-law-and-gospel.html" style="font-family: georgia;">Preaching: Potent Law and Gospel</a> and <a href="https://theworldsruined.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-persuasion-of-gospel-3.html" style="font-family: georgia;">The Persuasion of the Gospel (3)</a></p><p>________________________________________</p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">* The ACNA holds to a Reformed confession of faith in the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion -<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>“Continental historians, both Protestant and Catholic, rank the Church of England among the Reformed Churches as distinct from the Lutheran, and her Articles are found in every collection of Reformed Confessions." (Philip Schaff as quoted by J.I. Packer in his book <b>The Thirty-Nine Articles - Their Place and Use Today</b>, p 33) - <a href="https://theworldsruined.blogspot.com/2021/08/the-case-for-reformedcalvinist-roots-of.html"><span class="s1">https://theworldsruined.blogspot.com/2021/08/the-case-for-reformedcalvinist-roots-of.html</span></a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">**“The Book of Common Prayer liturgy is primarily a theological work, in that it was doctrine that guided Cranmer’s liturgical writings.” G. W. Bromily, Thomas Cranmer: Theologian.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">________________________________</span></p></div>Jack Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281378425270530573noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422410239991902086.post-67570731165402146592023-02-18T17:45:00.003-08:002023-02-18T18:21:19.241-08:00What Is "Acceptable Worship"?<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-R1WujQ4GWTzmFoTJJrwH-tMo0fDhrcuo4MgAXz0kLbtqUitAADVOqxClIG1k1cmVvMzidTdXlKNTahPEWuBG8vXiiMof1dkykCcsNrO5095ZaJqWyxwM5neAI8SG0bWXltEkThFz-QtppDz8M0dOhrXbNndMJatydropiguSkrk3zL7V1a3QBMFnag" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-R1WujQ4GWTzmFoTJJrwH-tMo0fDhrcuo4MgAXz0kLbtqUitAADVOqxClIG1k1cmVvMzidTdXlKNTahPEWuBG8vXiiMof1dkykCcsNrO5095ZaJqWyxwM5neAI8SG0bWXltEkThFz-QtppDz8M0dOhrXbNndMJatydropiguSkrk3zL7V1a3QBMFnag" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>Thoughts on an Acceptable Worship:</b></span></div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>"We all agree there should be truth in worship. But shouldn’t worship also be in truth? There’s a big difference between having truth in worship and worshipping in truth. Having truth in worship means you got some Bible in there. But worshiping in truth means the whole thing is by the Book. So the Bible commands us to worship acceptably (Heb 12). When the Bible commands acceptably, the Bible means the Bible. Where else would the Bible appeal the command than itself?</i></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><br /></i></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>"And there is order in Hebrews 12’s exposition of worship. We are called to offer “acceptable worship with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” Acceptable means worship accordingly. Reverence and awe means formality. Consuming fire means you should smell the charred remains of Nadab and Abihu in the smoke and tremble before your God asking only one question, “Has God commanded this worship?”" </i>- Jared Beaird, <a href="https://heidelblog.net/2022/07/the-antecedent-to-worship/" target="_blank">The Antecedent To Worship</a></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></blockquote><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span>Although I agree with the teaching that Rev. Beaird goes on to make in his essay regarding Reformed liturgical worship, I'm not sure that the writer's focus in Hebrews 12 is the regulative principle. Here's verse 28 that he refers to:</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span><br /></span></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>"Wherefore, receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have grace [or gratitude], whereby we may offer worship well-pleasing [acceptable] to God with reverence and awe." - Heb 12:28</i></span></span></span></div></blockquote><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span>It strikes me, that this verse follows on heels of the overall gospel theme</span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">of Hebrews, that</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span> of the necessity of <i>faith in Christ alone</i></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">for acceptance with God (</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span>as opposed to the ceremonial law-keeping of the Old Covenant); i.e. a</span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> lively faith in Jesus' blood shedding sacrifice for sins once for all, his eternal priesthood, and his mediation as revealed in </span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>the much more excellent</i></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> New Covenant.</span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />Here are some earlier verses in Hebrews that depict this theme of <i><b>faith in Christ for our acceptance with God</b></i>:</span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>"so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those <b>who through faith</b> and patience inherit the promises."</i> - Heb 6:12</span></div></blockquote><div><i style="color: #001320; font-family: Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><br /></i></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i style="color: #001320; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">"<b>a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God</b>...</i></span> <span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, <b>he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him</b>, since he always lives to make intercession for them."</i><i style="color: #001320; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"> </i></span><i style="color: #001320; font-family: georgia; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">- </i><span style="color: #001320; font-family: georgia; font-size: 16px;">Heb 7:19b, 24-25</span></div></blockquote><div><span style="color: #001320; font-family: georgia; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>"<b>Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance</b>... For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God <b>on our behalf</b>."</i> - Heb 9:15a, 24</span></blockquote><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>"<b>let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith</b>, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water... but my righteous one shall live by faith,</i></span></div></blockquote><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><br /></i></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>and if he shrinks back,</i></span></div></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>my soul has no pleasure in him.”</i></span></div></blockquote></blockquote><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><br /></i></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those <b>who have faith and preserve their souls</b>. "-</i> Heb 10:22, 38-39</span></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i style="font-family: georgia;">"<b>And without faith </b></i><span style="font-family: georgia;">[in Christ alone]</span><i style="font-family: georgia;"><b> it is impossible to please him</b>, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him."</i><i style="font-family: georgia;"> - Heb 11:6</i></p></blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;">And of course, </span><span face="Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #001320; text-align: justify; text-indent: 25px;"><i>"<b>l</b></i></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><b>ooking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith</b>"</i> -Heb 12:2 </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">that is at the beginning of the chapter under consideration.</span><div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Here is what <b>John Calvin </b>writes in his commentary on Hebrews 12:28 -</span></div><div> <blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">"He makes hence a transition to another exhortation, that we are to lay hold on that kingdom which cannot be shaken; for the Lord shakes us for this end, that he may really and forever establish us in himself. At the same time I prefer a different reading, which is given by the ancient Latin version, "Receiving a kingdom, we have grace," etc. When read affirmatively, the passage runs best, -- <i><b>"We, in embracing the Gospel, have the gift of the Spirit of Christ, that we may reverently and devoutly worship God."</b></i> If it be read as an exhortation, "Let us have," it is a strained and obscure mode of speaking. <i><b>The Apostle means in short, as I think, that provided we enter by faith into Christ's kingdom, we shall enjoy constant grace, which will effectually retain us in the service of God; for as the kingdom of Christ is above the world, so is the gift of regeneration."</b></i></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />And what does Scripture mean by <i>to worship in truth</i>? Looking to the apostle John:</span></div><div><div><br /></div></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>"Ye worship that which ye know not: we worship that which we know; for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth: for such doth the Father seek to be his worshippers." - </i></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">John 4:22-23</span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Those born of the Spirit and faith in Jesus are the true worshipers of God.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />Again, <b>John Calvin:</b><br /></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><br /></b></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">"It amounts to this, that God is not properly worshipped but by <i><b>the certainty of faith, which cannot be produced in any other way than by the word of God...</b></i></span></div></div></blockquote><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">"Now that they [the Jews] deny the Son, they have nothing in common with the Father... The same judgment must be formed concerning all who have <i><b>turned aside from the pure faith of the Gospel</b></i> to their own inventions and the traditions of men.</span></div></div></blockquote><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">"The worship of God is said to consist in the spirit, <i><b>because it is nothing else than that inward faith of the heart</b></i> which produces prayer, and, next, purity of conscience and self-denial, that we may be dedicated to obedience to God as holy sacrifices...</span></div></div></blockquote><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">In all ages God wished <i><b>to be worshipped by faith</b></i>, prayer, thanksgiving, purity of heart, and innocence of life; and at no time did he delight in any other sacrifices.</span></div></div></blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div>To worship God through faith in Christ alone is what makes our prayers, thanksgivings, and praises to be well-pleasing and acceptable to him.</div></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><br /></i></span></div></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Finally, Rev. Beaird's</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> thoughts on a gospel-centered liturgical worship are excellent. I very much appreciate these words near the end:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>"I prefer a liturgy structured: gospel, law, gospel. To begin and end with the gospel secures me in my only comfort in life and in death...</i></span></div></div></blockquote><div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><br /> </i></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>"Here’s my application, turn the gospel up to eleven every Lord’s Day. And for that, you will need a proper biblical liturgy."</i></span> </div></div></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The article is well worth reading > <a href="https://heidelblog.net/2022/07/the-antecedent-to-worship/" target="_blank">The Antecedent to Worship</a></span></p>Jack Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281378425270530573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422410239991902086.post-6519238294856575822023-02-14T14:58:00.004-08:002023-04-06T10:10:57.926-07:00Beggars Should Be Choosers (Part 2)<span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWXkcjM5xeFa0KCbJGf00yjWv_IIx6J4uMjtPSLfb28Ou4em894WlpClpP0aS3oFtkScYP8BtzwBs91UkxHng1zXW5wL5lv-vWUZKWX3gy_rdmv6sZTs2NJGZGBLvqqoqiwPB9ek5scqIpuJempnDgQDyMpzoPUTzcJXXEqn0rWTUDf67t5PWaunymbg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1294" data-original-width="2002" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWXkcjM5xeFa0KCbJGf00yjWv_IIx6J4uMjtPSLfb28Ou4em894WlpClpP0aS3oFtkScYP8BtzwBs91UkxHng1zXW5wL5lv-vWUZKWX3gy_rdmv6sZTs2NJGZGBLvqqoqiwPB9ek5scqIpuJempnDgQDyMpzoPUTzcJXXEqn0rWTUDf67t5PWaunymbg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div>From the previous post - "Yet when it comes to a finding home church, I want to suggest that <b style="font-style: italic;">Christians (beggars all) indeed should be choosers!</b>"<div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div>Picking up where I left off (<a href="https://theworldsruined.blogspot.com/2023/02/beggars-should-be-choosers-part-1.html" target="_blank">Part 1 - here</a>) in my non-magical <i>liturgical</i> history tour: </span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">W</span>e eventually landed in a small Anglican church. It was there that we began to not only appreciate but value the weekly repetition of the Holy Communion service in Book of Common Prayer - the reading of the Law, the unabashed and fully biblical general confession of sin, the declaration of absolution with the comforting words of Scripture, and the thoroughly gospel-centered Holy Communion liturgy. <br /><br />The effect of this historic and Reformed liturgy was like participating in a weekly catechism of <i>the faith once delivered to the saints</i>. The liturgical worship assumed nothing, but rather led the believers through the essential cycle of the Christian life: repentance, forgiveness, and gospel grounded obedience. That path was via the reading of the Law with its holy standard of perfection (<i>Lord have mercy</i>), the confession of sin which highlighted not only sins “<i>done and undone</i>” but ourselves as “<a href="https://theworldsruined.blogspot.com/2010/09/miserable-offenders.html" target="_blank">miserable offenders</a>”, the declaration of pardon for all those who trust in the gospel of Christ, the confession of faith (Nicene Creed), a full presentation of the gospel of Christ as the church worships at the Lord’s Table, and the final corporate prayer of thanksgiving acknowledging the great salvation that God has given us through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ. Finally beseeching God for grace to “do all such good works as thou has prepared for us to walk in through Jesus Christ.<br /><br />It was during this time that we were more and more moving towards the Reformed faith. There were many influences. Our son-in-law was attending Westminster Seminary California. So through that connection we began reading books on the Reformed faith, listening to the White Horse Inn, and eventually attending some of WSC’s annual winter conferences. At the same time due to our connection to Anglicanism I began exploring the riches of the English Reformation. <br /><br />It was at this point, despite our love of the BCP liturgy, that the lack of Protestant identification in this particular Anglican church became a deal-breaker for continued membership. The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion (a Reformed confession of faith) and other Reformed marks of religion were at best historical footnotes, at worse totally ignored. <br /><br />Wanting to be in a church that was more seriously confessional and identifiable as Reformed, we eventually pulled up stakes and landed in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and then a number of years later after relocating in the Presbyterian Church in America. <br /><br />For quite a while we confessionally had accepted not only the the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion but also the Westminster Standards. I wanted to be in a church that overtly held to a Reformed confession so at least when there was debate over doctrine or practice there would be an agreed upon arbitrator and guide. Everyone can claim to be biblical. Reformed confessions define what biblical means. Now we were in such a church… yes, a church holding to a Reformed confession but also were in a church that, though having a traditional liturgy, was less liturgically gospel-centered (think assumed gospel). <br /><br />Okay, this <i>a-little-history</i> section has stretched on longer than I planned. But certain important threads weave through it. <i><b>Christ-centered worship, a set liturgy with its roots in the Reformation, a liturgy that isn’t pared down to mere outline, a church holding to a Reformed confession, a gospel-centered worship around the Lord’s Supper, and preaching that presents not law as the food for faith but Christ crucified as found in the gospel. </b></i></span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><b>to be continued... [<a href="https://theworldsruined.blogspot.com/2023/02/beggars-should-be-choosers-part-1.html">Part 1</a> and <a href="https://theworldsruined.blogspot.com/2023/04/the-lords-day-minimum-daily-requirement.html">Part 3</a>]</b></i></span></div></div>Jack Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281378425270530573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422410239991902086.post-79642635964307931912023-02-11T20:42:00.004-08:002023-04-06T10:06:42.691-07:00Beggars Should Be Choosers (Part 1)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXuwLt_CSO8TYkmo9k4qjsto7JzaQlrLFjJfv9RJdlKVMhO9LS9_QTyP79hMIY5mhMTvI9WzapiG1f24Re2Iw5SFf5eAGSbcVkj7dlK2inXErYHIofzst9O-LTGVOIjzul7ruSlODh5w_TJcwZ-Y2SEN70LXAtj-UPiNuuDxidRbjgAqCNc6Bauabv0g/s1406/Soup%20lines.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1406" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXuwLt_CSO8TYkmo9k4qjsto7JzaQlrLFjJfv9RJdlKVMhO9LS9_QTyP79hMIY5mhMTvI9WzapiG1f24Re2Iw5SFf5eAGSbcVkj7dlK2inXErYHIofzst9O-LTGVOIjzul7ruSlODh5w_TJcwZ-Y2SEN70LXAtj-UPiNuuDxidRbjgAqCNc6Bauabv0g/s320/Soup%20lines.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">T</span>here’s truth in the saying, <i>“Beggars can’t be choosers”</i>. In other words, those in want should learn to be content with what is offered to them. Yet when it comes to finding a home church, I want to suggest that Christians (beggars all) indeed <i>should be choosers!</i> It’s with that thought I've entered the latter years of life, finding myself ever more dependent on and thirsting for the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and, as Paul wrote, him crucified; to find a church where</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> the gospel</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">, in word and sacrament, is central for the nourishing of one’s faith and comforting of the soul. This consideration is what has recently led me into fellowship with an Anglican congregation in the ACNA. But before unpacking the whys and wherefores of that decision first…<br /><br /><b>A little history:</b><br />My wife and I spent our early years as adult believers in a church group outside of institutional Christianity in what some call the house church movement. L</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">ooking back (the decade of the 1970s) we naively assumed our corporate experience reflected that of the first century church. We had a love of the saints and a joyful corporate worship. We believed in the centrality of Christ in Scripture and that our salvation was complete in him. We didn't need creeds or confessions. We had Christ! Yet we lacked a solid foundation in the doctrines of grace and had a very low view of the sacraments. There was a simplicity in our worship (no guitars or other instruments - only a cappella singing) eschewing the “restrictive liturgical structure” of the organized Church. In practice the focus was on a <i>subjective</i> “experience of the Lord”. Too often that subjective experience (feelings) shaped our walk, defining faith and truth rather than Scripture. Ah, the blinkered idealism and ignorance of the young and some not so young. As our time there came to an end I was coming to understand that our <i>brand</i>, if you would, had some weaknesses.</span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Two years later I was in seminary for a Masters program in Biblical Counseling. After graduating we eventually found ourselves helping organize a small home church. This lasted for about three years or so. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">As with most non-institutional churches our little group ran its course, leaving us churchless. Now for something completely different!</span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />Turning to organized Christianity, we began the somewhat foreign task of searching for a church. We sampled many of the offerings - Baptist, Independent Bible, Plymouth Brethren, Presbyterian, Eastern Orthodox, mega and small… and often we stayed home. <br /><br />On Sundays as we set out to try a new church we would tell the children that we were going on another church <i>“field trip”</i>. Our attempts at pumping up their enthusiasm had limited success. Over time the children were less enthused and less amused. And my earnestness was likewise waning. I was already skeptical of organized Christianity and now I was becoming disillusioned. The similar rote offerings of songs, hymns, specials, announcements, gospel-less sermons, and the rare Lord’s Supper more often than not left us wanting. Where was the Lord in all this? Were my expectations unrealistic?<br /><br />One Sunday morning we attended a service at an Episcopal church. It was the first time experiencing an Episcopal worship service (first for me, I think my wife had already been visiting). To say the least, I was sincerely surprised as the worship worked its way through the liturgy found in the Book of Common Prayer. I remember turning to my wife at one point and saying with surprise, “This is so Christ-centered!” It wasn’t supposed to be that way. After all, this<i> service-in-a-book</i> was the height of institutionalized and supposed fossilized Christianity! A change of mind had slowly begun. I tucked the observation away. <br /><br />What followed were several years without regular church attendance. We bought a sailboat and lived on it. That was my diversion. Our boat slip was not far from the Episcopal church mentioned above. Spiritually, I was at best treading water. My wife was attending church, certainly more often than I.<br /><br />Three years later, after moving across country, our church search started afresh. God (my dear wife as his instrument) was renewing in me a heart for Christ and his church. Below is something I jotted down and showed her during a visit to one evangelical church as the service plodded along:<br /><br /></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>“When one takes away the liturgy [the BCP in mind] with its Christ/Scripture centered content it is difficult, if not impossible, to replace it with something that doesn’t fall short of a holy worship - a definite problem for the modern church.”</i></span></div></blockquote><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />In a word, when it comes to Sunday weekly services, modern day liturgies often tend to be pared down and rather shallow liturgical outlines which fall short of a hoped-for-worship of God centered around the finished work of Jesus Christ. Their default setting consists in some combination of hymns, praise choruses, a teaching, maybe a “special” performance, prayers for various causes or sick members, an offering, announcements (the Lord’s Supper a rarity) which settles into a kind of going down the list and check-marking the boxes. In the words of Dr. Michael Horton, <i>the gospel is assumed</i> if not forgotten. Well-intentioned but misguided Lite-Law-teaching all too often is the main staple of sermons. All in all, it can be more like attending a Christian Rotary Club meeting than participating in a Christ centered corporate worship of our God and Savior.</span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><i><b>to be continued... [ <a href="https://theworldsruined.blogspot.com/2023/02/beggars-should-be-choosers-part-2.html">Part 2</a> and <a href="https://theworldsruined.blogspot.com/2023/04/the-lords-day-minimum-daily-requirement.html">Part 3</a> ]</b></i></span></div></div></div>Jack Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281378425270530573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422410239991902086.post-57254911932555471122022-10-25T10:10:00.002-07:002022-10-25T15:02:27.377-07:00John Calvin on Law and Gospel<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Section 7.</b> <b><i>Thus the Law is a kind of mirror.</i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxW9tSEJVjFLxZ7AD2haU19_IbnnPBTtdbxhxx3_29fMLvIroxtRvoM295O2TtWb_bGWQ7VWTTliA2PDZkBDoFcqDHS7P_i7yfudQhjH68-vqrs9dAuMVf_GPIvStHO1c4A1n6MEZqWxl4vi9lduqbLO4tUtZeIoaGArKuRJZNgHxH_B-9HeZhcRKcqw/s400/E5737D72-C37F-4A8C-8343-F47D978F9D47.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxW9tSEJVjFLxZ7AD2haU19_IbnnPBTtdbxhxx3_29fMLvIroxtRvoM295O2TtWb_bGWQ7VWTTliA2PDZkBDoFcqDHS7P_i7yfudQhjH68-vqrs9dAuMVf_GPIvStHO1c4A1n6MEZqWxl4vi9lduqbLO4tUtZeIoaGArKuRJZNgHxH_B-9HeZhcRKcqw/s320/E5737D72-C37F-4A8C-8343-F47D978F9D47.jpeg" width="320" /></a></i></b></span></div><p></p><p></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">As in a mirror we discover any stains upon our face, so in the Law we behold, first, our impotence; then, in consequence of it, our iniquity; and, finally, the curse, as the consequence of both...</span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Section 8.</b> <i><b>When the Law discloses our guilt, we should not despond, but flee to the mercy of God.</b></i> </span></blockquote><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">How this may be done. </span> </div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">But while the unrighteousness and condemnation of all are attested by the law, it does not follow (if we make the proper use of it) that we are immediately to give up all hope and rush headlong on despair. No doubt, it has some such effect upon the reprobate, but this is owing to their obstinacy. With the children of God the effect is different. The Apostle testifies that the law pronounces its sentence of condemnation in order "that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God," (Rom 3: 19). In another place, however, the same Apostle declares, that "God has concluded them all in unbelief;" not that he might destroy all, or allow all to perish, but that "he might have mercy upon all," (Rom 11:32): in other words, that <i><b>divesting themselves of an absurd opinion of their own virtue, they may perceive how they are wholly dependent on the hand of God; that feeling how naked and destitute they are, they may take refuge in his mercy, rely upon it, and cover themselves up entirely with it; renouncing all righteousness and merit, and clinging to mercy alone, as offered in Christ to all who long and look for it in true faith. In the precepts of the law, God is seen as the rewarder only of perfect righteousness, (a righteousness of which all are destitute), and, on the other hand, as the stern avenger of wickedness. But in Christ his countenance beams forth full of grace and gentleness towards poor unworthy sinners.</b></i></span></div></blockquote><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><b>John Calvin. Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 2.7.7 & 8</b></span></div>Jack Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281378425270530573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422410239991902086.post-6318291942500047262022-10-12T18:38:00.002-07:002023-04-11T15:17:13.447-07:00To Portray the Image of God...<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><div><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: georgia;">Portraying the Image of God</span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOtax0tQBoA375Z4RG5sGahLZnmIDHFic79JU3_z1INrg-o6FdL5T3N9po_09LcNd45v2lzDeSP5rRdSnvypNNvkck8FggeCwdaLAUdpQBPnkjzeFFc0ALk9pMIvJF4Q7X-cokAjgu2AUQ1btvfOuvADVliQ00iAg1pEfamh4k_vg7ipJSnTXVsy4npw/s640/9111AE09-FB08-44C8-A8D7-2ACF76CBD240.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOtax0tQBoA375Z4RG5sGahLZnmIDHFic79JU3_z1INrg-o6FdL5T3N9po_09LcNd45v2lzDeSP5rRdSnvypNNvkck8FggeCwdaLAUdpQBPnkjzeFFc0ALk9pMIvJF4Q7X-cokAjgu2AUQ1btvfOuvADVliQ00iAg1pEfamh4k_vg7ipJSnTXVsy4npw/s320/9111AE09-FB08-44C8-A8D7-2ACF76CBD240.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></b></div><p></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><b style="font-family: georgia;">In the 2nd Commandment</b><span style="font-family: georgia;"> God forbids the making of any image and the worshipping of it. It is one of the eight "Thou shalt nots" - prohibitions against certain thoughts and actions because they are sins - in the Ten Commandments, violations of God's moral will for man. To focus on them, rather than instilling obedience, brings us crashing head on into a brick wall of our disobedience! (Romans 5:20). </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The 2nd Commandment:</span></p><p class="p4" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><div><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments."</span></i></p></div></div></blockquote><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><div><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Why the prohibition against the making and use of images of God? As we said, it is sin. And any image made by man can only misrepresent the invisible Almighty God. Additionally, to include images in our worship directs us away from God's picture of himself he intended for man. </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">We use our eyes more than any other part of our bodies to understand how to relate to our world. And when it comes to relating to God we may underestimate the attraction of physical "seeing" or what 1 John 2:16 calls <i>the lust of the eyes!</i> John Calvin sheds some light on why the desire for images and other adornments in worship are so strong even among believers.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><div><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">- the words of Moses (Gen 31: 19), <i>When he relates that Rachel stole her father's images, he speaks of the use of idols as a common vice. Hence we may infer, that the human mind is, so to speak, a perpetual forge of idols…</i></span></p></div></div></blockquote><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><div><p class="p5" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><div><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">They [the Israelites] knew, indeed, that there was a God whose mighty power they had experienced in so many miracles, but they had no confidence of his being near to them, <b><i>if they did not with their eyes behold a corporeal symbol of his presence</i></b>, as an attestation to his actual government. They desired, therefore,<i style="font-weight: bold;"> to be assured by the image</i> which went before them, that they were journeying under Divine guidance. (Institutes of Religion, Book 1.11.8)</span></p></div></div></blockquote><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><div><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Lacking the inherent confidence that God really is near <i>to us</i> and <i>for us</i>, we, like the Israelites (given our bent), often seek a prop, something we can behold or grasp to assist and assure us. Rather than trusting in his Word alone we augment it with what seem benign additions, e.g. images and visual aids which, more or less, have become widespread standard fare in Christianity. Are images of Jesus/God really so bad? Well, yes... not only because they fall short of God’s mark, but these images, as well as many other outward visual "good idea" props (various adornments accompanying church worship), at a minimum distract from or undermine the means of imaging or portraying God revealed in his Word. Back to Calvin:</span></p><p class="p5" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><div><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Paul declares, that <b><i>by the true preaching of the gospel Christ is portrayed</i> </b>and in a manner crucified before our eyes, (Galatians 3:1.) Of what use, then, were the erection in churches of so many crosses of wood and stone, silver and gold, if this doctrine were faithfully and honestly preached, viz., Christ died that he might bear our curse upon the tree, that he might expiate our sins by the sacrifice of his body, wash them in his blood, and, in short, reconcile us to God the Father? From this one doctrine the people would learn more than from a thousand crosses of wood and stone. As for crosses of gold and silver, it may be true that the avaricious give their eyes and minds to them more eagerly than to any heavenly instructor. (Book 1.11.7)</span></p></div></div></blockquote><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><div><p class="p5" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">And the apostle Paul adds that in his preaching to the Galatians that Christ crucified was pictured:<br /></span></p></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><div><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that <i><b>Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed</b></i> as crucified.</span></p></div></div></blockquote><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><div><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">God images and portrays himself to us not in paintings or drawings, but in the gospel. God assures us of his love <i>in the gospel</i>. </span><i style="font-family: georgia;"><b>It is in the gospel that he shows himself in Christ to us</b></i><span style="font-family: georgia;">. Rather than with physical eyes, we see him with the eyes of faith. And we are assured of his nearness to us through hearing and believing the word of Christ (Romans 10:17).</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Philip *said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus *said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? (John 14:8-9)</span></p><p class="p5" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p class="p6" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The gospel is God's means of showing Christ to us. <b><i>Christ alone is the image of the invisible God</i></b><i> </i>(Colossians 1:15a) <b><i>and he is seen only through eyes of faith in the gospel.</i></b></span></p></div><br /></div>Jack Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281378425270530573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422410239991902086.post-79463434038330017512022-09-14T15:37:00.002-07:002022-09-14T15:39:45.078-07:00James Ussher and the Reformed Tradition, Anglicanism, and Justification…<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXjwHKaNAzMh8jOwcadskNnPlhvLExGQPPV_B0nbxPu0otTWIXtNznmcrf33GC8HyWHCClr9dCBSTImnjp973qW0SAmq5MnsXp5OisPO6iqtFI5lWOiwE5iQElYrFFRAHQP37_i9HKt29vfyPyKcCR0rwwlJSkfVJk2NXQKpm9bJmlj8I5GeNzavV1qQ/s1080/1D40F3BC-C2FD-4252-8766-936B25796C89_1_201_a.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXjwHKaNAzMh8jOwcadskNnPlhvLExGQPPV_B0nbxPu0otTWIXtNznmcrf33GC8HyWHCClr9dCBSTImnjp973qW0SAmq5MnsXp5OisPO6iqtFI5lWOiwE5iQElYrFFRAHQP37_i9HKt29vfyPyKcCR0rwwlJSkfVJk2NXQKpm9bJmlj8I5GeNzavV1qQ/s320/1D40F3BC-C2FD-4252-8766-936B25796C89_1_201_a.jpeg" width="222" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>James Ussher</b> is in some ways the forgotten man of Anglicanism, otherwise known during his time as the Church of England/Church of Ireland. Why do I say that? Well, because among much of today’s Anglicanism his influence is simply overlooked. One reason may be that Anglicanism in many of its modern variations has moved away from identifying as a Reformed Protestant Church. And Ussher was certainly Reformed and arguably the most influential Reformed Anglican theologian of the 1600s. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">And as such he doesn’t fit the latitudinal templates of recent times. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">As to his influence outside of Anglicanism, even though he didn’t attend, Ussher’s theology had a significant impact on the Westminster Assembly and thus the resulting Confession of Faith. For some Anglicans that’s just a bit too “Reformed!”</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">All that to introduce the following excerpt from Harrison Perkins’ book <b style="font-style: italic;">James Ussher and the Reformed Tradition </b><span>(</span>page 78).</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> One of the big debates at the Westminster Assembly was over a question concerning the imputation of Christ’s active or positive obedience to the believer as necessary for his justification. This was just one area of doctrine where Ussher’s theology was influential. Ussher connects Christ’s active obedience (fulfillment of the Covenant of Works where Adam failed) with the justification of those who trust in Christ. Perkins writes:</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The second point drawn from the eschatological dimension of a covenant is the importance of the concept of justification.<span style="font-size: xx-small;">186</span> Because Ussher argued that justification was a status that Adam could achieve in his state of innocence, justification cannot be limited to the remission of sins. Justification includes the attainment of positive righteousness. If Adam had completed his task, he would have fulfilled everything the law demanded; he would be justified. This is one factor that makes the doctrine of the imputation of Christ’s active obedience so important within the full scheme of Ussher’s doctrinal system. To attain an eternal condition of blessedness a person must be declared perfectly righteous,which remains the case even after the covenant of works was broken. The first Adam was the representative head that was supposed to fulfill the law for his posterity in the first covenant. According to Ussher, justification became a benefit of salvation in the covenant of grace because Christ was the second Adam who did fulfill the law and transfers that righteous status to all who accept it by faith.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">186</span> <span style="font-size: x-small;">The doctrine of justification and its links to the covenant of works are considered again in more extensive detail in Chapter 6.</span></span> </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: xx-small;">187</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-small;">Snoddy, <i>Soteriology</i>, 113-22.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">188</span> <span style="font-size: x-small;">CUL MS Mn.6.55, fol. 29r (sermon on Genesis 6:5, dated August 1642).</span></span></p></blockquote><p>___________________________________________________________</p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>The Irish Articles of Religion 1615</b>, authored by James Ussher:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Article </b></span><b><span style="font-family: georgia;">21. </span></b><span style="font-family: georgia;">Man being at the beginning created according to the image of God (which consisted especially in the wisdom of his mind and the true holiness of his free will), had the covenant of the law ingrafted in his heart, whereby God did promise unto him everlasting life upon condition that lie performed entire and perfect obedience unto his Commandments, according to that measure of strength wherewith he was endued in his creation, and threatened death unto him if he did not perform the same.<br /><br /><b>Article 35.</b> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Although this justification be free unto us, yet it cometh not so freely unto us that there is no ransom paid therefore at all. God showed his great mercy in delivering ns from our former captivity without requiring of any ransom to be paid or amends to be made on our parts; which thing by us had been impossible to be done. And whereas all the world was not able of themselves to pay any part towards their ransom, it pleased our heavenly Father of his infinite mercy, without any desert of ours, to provide for us the most precious merits of his own Son, whereby our ransom might be fully paid, the law fulfilled, and his justice fully satisfied. So that Christ is now the righteousness of all them that truly believe in him. He, for them, paid their ransom by his death. He, for them, fulfilled the law in his life; that now, in him, and by him, every true Christian man may be called a fulfiller of the law: forasmuch as that which our infirmity was not able to effect, Christ's justice hath performed. And thus the justice and mercy of God do embrace each other: the grace of God not shutting out the justice of God in the matter of our justification, but only shutting out the justice of man (that is to say, the justice of our own works) from being any cause of deserving our justification</span><span style="font-family: serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; text-size-adjust: auto;">.</span></span></p>Jack Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281378425270530573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422410239991902086.post-25922213289161275432022-09-09T15:06:00.008-07:002022-10-05T14:15:17.359-07:00Our Daily Descent<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"> <b>“What is man?”, the palmist asks.</b> In this life I doubt we come to the full answer. John Calvin pointed in the right direction when he wrote that in order </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">to get an idea of 'us' we need to start with God. For the truth of the matter is - <i>"</i></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt;"><i>it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves"</i></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt;">[Psalm 100].</span><p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh51NDNyNaH3RljiIrix3E3cBTIAwPQMXzKrUHphQ04egXF2mGby6SE5XvbFtPQ-h3lClU4lfKqEuBKSglEn-_JWXshBXdOdRenEd-q7figtL7cDZ_S_GzQZvx674SA22-dibWf2CpHhoBRJ6eB2GlxMI-4tU0NKXgF9TZoWEgf_vVNZ5RmpeoUFJzouQ/s2048/AF659B88-9CA0-4012-8C8D-4C92873626B4_1_201_a.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1342" data-original-width="2048" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh51NDNyNaH3RljiIrix3E3cBTIAwPQMXzKrUHphQ04egXF2mGby6SE5XvbFtPQ-h3lClU4lfKqEuBKSglEn-_JWXshBXdOdRenEd-q7figtL7cDZ_S_GzQZvx674SA22-dibWf2CpHhoBRJ6eB2GlxMI-4tU0NKXgF9TZoWEgf_vVNZ5RmpeoUFJzouQ/s320/AF659B88-9CA0-4012-8C8D-4C92873626B4_1_201_a.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">"Our wisdom, in so far as it ought to be deemed true and solid Wisdom, consists </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">almost entirely of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves. But as these are connected together by many ties, it is not easy to determine which of the two precedes and gives birth to the other. <i>For, in the first place, no man can survey himself without forthwith turning his thoughts towards the God in whom he lives and moves; because it is perfectly obvious, that the endowments which we possess cannot possibly be from ourselves; nay, that our very being is nothing else than subsistence in God alone."</i> - </span><b><span style="font-family: georgia;">Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin, Book 1.1</span></b><p></p></blockquote></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">If self-knowledge begins with God, then apart from God any view of ourselves is distorted. The high regard we hold ourselves in since the Fall not only muddies a right understanding but is at the core of what ails us as sinners. <b> </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I recently reread C.S. Lewis' </span><b style="font-family: georgia;">That Hideous Strength</b><span style="font-family: georgia;">. I picked it up again because the theme revolving around the N.I.C.E. reminded me of the still ongoing CDC involvement in the Covid 19 </span><i style="font-family: georgia;">pandemic mandates</i><span style="font-family: georgia;">. But I digress. What is relevant to this post is a small excerpt:</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">“There,” he said, “a very simple adjustment. Humans want crumbs removed; mice are anxious to remove them…”</span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">“How huge we must seem to them,” said Jane.</span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">This inconsequent remark had a very curious cause. Hugeness was what she was thinking of and for one moment it had seemed she was thinking of her own hugeness in comparison with the mice. But almost at once this identification collapsed. She was really thinking simply of hugeness. Or rather, she was not thinking of it. She was, in some strange fashion, experiencing it. <i>Something intolerably big, something from Brobdingnag was pressing on her, was approaching, was almost in the room.</i> <i>She felt herself shrinking, suffocated, emptied of all power and virtue.</i> She darted a glance at the Director which was really a cry for help, and that glance, in some inexplicable way, revealed him as being, like herself, a very small object. The whole room was a tiny place, a mouse’s hole, and it seemed to her to be tilted aslant — as though the insupportable mass and splendour of this formless hugeness, in approaching, had knocked it askew. She heard the Director’s voice.</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">“Quick,” he said gently,“you must leave me now. This is no place for us small ones, but I am inured. Go! - </span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><i>That Hideous Strength</i></b> <b>by C.S. Lewis.</b> </span><b style="font-family: georgia;">Chapter 8 </b><b style="font-family: georgia;">The Pendragon</b></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The presence of God was pressing upon Jane which necessitated a shrinking or humbling experience, a reorientation. Her inflated sense of self rapidly shrank to that of a mouse. She was uncomfortably thrown off balance as the Divine hugeness descended into that room. Jane, a sinner, was experiencing the beginning of self-knowledge which only comes when one encounters God. She was descending. John Calvin wrote:</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">… the inference to be drawn is that men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance, until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God. (Calvin, Book 1.1)</span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">To come into</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> the presence of our Creator shatters any illusion of creaturely independence and self-sufficiency. We are not our own and are undone before him. Apart from him we have no existence (Col 1:16-17). It is God who created us, as Genesis 1 teaches, and not we ourselves. The Christian life is one of being brought low to a restored (saved) position with God who is the only point of reference for all of creation.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The psalmist asks the question, </span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">what is man that you are mindful of him,<br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">and the son of man that you care for him?</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Yet you have made him <b>a little lower than the heavenly beings</b></i><a href="https://www.biblehub.com/esv/psalms/8.htm#footnotes"><br /></a></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">and crowned him with glory and honor (Psalm 8:4-5) ESV</span></blockquote><p> "Lower than..." <span style="font-family: georgia;">Our problem is not that we think too lowly of ourselves but too highly. We lift ourselves up. Yet God would have us brought lower (Luke 9:48b). Ever since Adam sinned man’s default orientation is to magnify himself. Most naturally we minimize our flaws and sins as we exalt ourselves in relation to others. Like crazed men we flee our created state of absolute dependence on God thinking our good lies in the opposite direction. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">This brings me to Thomas Cranmer’s <b>1662 BCP Office of Morning Prayer</b>. In this daily liturgy the Christian is given a path of reorientation or, more to the point, sanctification through the confession of sin and trust in the gospel. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">At the beginning of MP there are several opening Scripture verses that essentially diagnose our condition and plight as sinners. We need forgiveness and we need righteousness. The standard of the Law is put before us:</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">When a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. (Ezekiel 18:27) ESV</span> </blockquote><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">How does a sinner do this? He can’t. Morning Prayer then moves to an admonition, an appeal to all present to come down off our thrones. We are exhorted </span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>that we <b>should not dissemble nor cloak</b> [our sins and sinfulness] before the face of Almighty God our heavenly Father; but confess them with <b>an humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart</b>; to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same, by his infinite goodness and mercy. </i></span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Our descent continues.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">By nature we <i>dissemble</i> as to our true condition. Just think how difficult it is to honestly confess our sin to one we have offended. We don't want to go that low. We cloak and minimize our sin. In a word we need to approach the throne of grace with a sense of our dependency upon God: </span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old (Lam 5:21).</i> </span> </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation! (Psalm 38:22)</i></span></blockquote><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Or as Augustine wrote, <i>"G</i></span><i style="font-family: georgia;">od command what you will and grant what you command." </i></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The General Confession of Sin follows:</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>ALMIGHTY</b> and most merciful Father; We have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; And we have done those things which we ought not to have done; <i><b>And there is no health in us</b>. But thou, O Lord, <b>have mercy upon us, miserable offenders</b>.</i> Spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults. Restore thou them that are penitent; <i><b>According to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord</b></i>. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake; That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, To the glory of thy holy Name. </span><i>Amen</i>.</p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The confession of sin culminates in the acknowledgment of our condition. Due to our rebellion from God our Creator <i>there is no health in us… </i>we are<i> miserable offenders.</i> Brought lower still to our fallen, creaturely, and God-dependent state, the remedy of the gospel as declared in Christ Jesus is set forth! The minister then declares that through faith in Christ sins are forgiven: <b>God </b></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b style="font-style: italic;">pardoneth and absolveth all them that truly repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel! </b>The power to forgive sins is in the gospel.</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><br />I find it both amazing and uplifting that we then find only two psalms actually printed out in the 1662 BCP Morning Prayer office: Psalm 95 and 100. And they both echo the same truth.</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Psalm 95</span> </blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">6. O come, let us worship and fall down : and <b><i>kneel before the LORD our Maker</i>.</b><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">7. For he is the Lord our God : and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. </span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Psalm 100</span> </div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">2. Be ye sure that the Lord he is God : it is <i><b>he that hath made us, and not we ourselves</b></i>; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. </span> </div></blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><i>As his creatures, his sheep, his people</i> our blessing is found with and in Christ Jesus alone who<span face="Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #001320; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"> "</span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>being found in human form, humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Phil 2:8).</i></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">For he has made us and not we ourselves.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Psalm 100</span></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Jubilate Deo<br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">O BE joyful in the Lord, all ye lands : serve the Lord with gladness, and come before his presence with a song.<br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Be ye sure that the Lord he is God : it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.<br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">O go your way into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise : be thankful unto him, and speak good of his Name.<br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">or the Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting : and his truth endureth from generation to generation.</span></blockquote><p><u><span style="font-family: georgia;">Update Oct.5, 2022:</span></u></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">John Calvin on the meaning to be taken from Psalm 100, "it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture."</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Hence the Psalmist, after saying that the Lord "has made us," to deprive us of all share in the work, immediately adds, "not we ourselves." That he is speaking of regeneration, which is the commencement of the spiritual life, is obvious from the context, in which the next words are, "we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture," (Psalm 100:3.) Not contented with simply giving God the praise of our salvation, he distinctly excludes us from all share in it,<i> just as if he had said that not one particle remains to man as a ground of boasting. The whole is of God.</i> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Institutes: Christian Religion, Book 2.3.6</b></span></blockquote>Jack Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281378425270530573noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422410239991902086.post-51946805435228243512021-10-28T11:33:00.003-07:002021-10-28T11:33:53.281-07:00 Calvin: John 19.30 - “It is finished.”<span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEjmDd-eoEvBYGHAqRbg9n3Bq65iN2v83AASw0pZxhyQsIalT1Eq8gQP3l6_JQak3hc0s0Ae6CKbpFHy8whAdMAcZl4eOVid-ilKr54momeJ19N3IWAnUV0dyyF-APq8vrgsvjthC52EpQ/s1433/calvary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1433" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEjmDd-eoEvBYGHAqRbg9n3Bq65iN2v83AASw0pZxhyQsIalT1Eq8gQP3l6_JQak3hc0s0Ae6CKbpFHy8whAdMAcZl4eOVid-ilKr54momeJ19N3IWAnUV0dyyF-APq8vrgsvjthC52EpQ/s320/calvary.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /></div>"He repeats the same word which he had lately employed. Now this word, which </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Christ employs, well deserves our attention; for it shows that <i><b>the whole accomplishment of our salvation, and all the parts of it, are contained in his death.</b></i> We have already stated that his resurrection is not separated from his death, but Christ only intends to keep our faith fixed on himself alone, and not to allow it to turn aside in any direction whatever. The meaning, therefore, is, that <i><b>everything which contributes to the salvation of men is to be found in Christ, and ought not to be sought anywhere else</b>;</i> or -- which amounts to the same thing -- that the perfection of salvation is contained in him… <br /><br />"If we give our assent to this word which Christ pronounced, <i><b>we ought to be satisfied with his death alone for salvation, and we are not at liberty to apply for assistance in any other quarter</b></i>; for he who was sent by the Heavenly Father to obtain for us a full acquittal, and to accomplish our redemption, knew well what belonged to his office, and did not fail in what he knew to be demanded of him. <i><b>It was chiefly for the purpose of giving peace and tranquillity to our consciences that he pronounced this word, <u>It is finished</u></b><u>.</u></i> Let us stop here, therefore, if we do not choose to be deprived of the salvation which he has procured for us."<br />[emphasis added]<br /><br />Calvin, John. Complete Commentaries, Gospel of John</span>Jack Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281378425270530573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422410239991902086.post-60209556883874242682021-10-26T12:08:00.008-07:002021-10-28T04:39:31.385-07:00The Dog That Didn't Bark - Cranmer, Bucer, Vermigli, and Baptismal Regeneration<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBmbTbqQ_O6pQGcFsGBUqwBE4lS7VLw-OHTWZUff2g_xLBONxw94e8mLSMFRIIPGW3VnDyPUY9ryid9LJS4v5eI_VVTO-DJuHz1eMWVHhhAOPsUdoWZoguQvZXS8vyURR-RnyLIcJxPkDZ/s1334/642C45CF-61B5-4BEA-AF65-CA03EF34E7A0.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBmbTbqQ_O6pQGcFsGBUqwBE4lS7VLw-OHTWZUff2g_xLBONxw94e8mLSMFRIIPGW3VnDyPUY9ryid9LJS4v5eI_VVTO-DJuHz1eMWVHhhAOPsUdoWZoguQvZXS8vyURR-RnyLIcJxPkDZ/w225-h400/642C45CF-61B5-4BEA-AF65-CA03EF34E7A0.jpeg" width="225" /></a></div>For those unfamiliar with Sherlock Holmes mysteries the phrase 'the dog that didn't bark' comes from one of Holmes’ cases. In the story there's been a murder and apparently the killer was able to commit that crime without the nearby guard dog barking and raising an alarm. For Holmes this was the </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">crucial</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> clue that led to the identity of the murderer. The reason the dog didn't bark was that the canine was familiar enough with the killer as to not be alarmed. This clue pointed to the owner of the dog as the killer and thus another case was solved!</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">In the following excerpts Rev. Arthur Roberts points out the key clue that directs us to the position held by the Church of England on baptismal regeneration, 1549-1552. But as J.I.Packer <a href="https://theworldsruined.blogspot.com/2021/07/anglican-baptismal-regeneration-yes-or.html">writes</a>,</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>because of the caution with which the Prayer Book and Articles were phrased back in the sixteenth century--so as not to give offense to people who believed in baptismal regeneration--an ambiguity is there.</i></span></span></div></blockquote><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The book containing the clue is: </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-style: italic;"><b>A Review of The Book of Common Prayer, </b></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><b>Drawn Up At the Request of Archbishop Cranmer</b> </i>by Martin Bucer, Reg. Professor of Divinity at Cambridge</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Briefly Analyzed and Abridged </span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Arthur Roberts, M.A. </span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Rector of Woodrising, Norfolk</span></div></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">1853</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The prayer book under review was the 1549 version. Martin Bucer's and Peter Vermigli's (nonextant) separate documents of criticisms and suggestions greatly helped in Cranmer's revision which led to the more Reformed 1552 BCP.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">First some background laid out in the first part of the introduction, Roberts writes:</span></div><div><i style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></i></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;">[W]hen Cranmer contemplated an improved edition of the Liturgy, he was anxious to consult the judgments of two learned foreigners, Martin Bucer and Peter Martyr. These pious and highly gifted men had been drawn over to our shores by Cranmer's importunities, and promoted through his means, to the two chairs of divinity in our two Universities – Martyr to that of Oxford, and Bucer to that of Cambridge. A high proof, undoubtedly it was, of the confidence which he reposed in their theological ability when he submitted a work of such national importance, and which he and his colleagues had so carefully compiled, to their revisal and correction; but it was more — it was a proof of his own modesty and self-distrust, and of the unfeigned anxiety he felt to retain nothing in his Liturgy but what was thoroughly scriptural and sound...</span></i></div></blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>First, that it may be said to exhibit Peter Martyr's views and sentiments as well as those of Bucer; for, as Strype observes, — “Martyr agreed clearly in judgment with Bucer about the book, as he wrote to him..."</i></span></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />Roberts lays a bit of groundwork to enable the reader to see the clue that speaks so loudly from its silence:</span></span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>II . The reader will observe that the emendations proposed by Martin Bucer in the First Prayer - book of King Edward VI. were neither few nor unimportant, but involved, on the other hand, some fundamental points of doctrine.</i></span></span></div></blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>His concluding introductory remarks give us the clue that I am characterizing as the '<i><b>dog that didn't bark</b></i>'.</span><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i> III. <b>It cannot but be regarded as a singular circumstance that <u>not a word is said in these strictures upon that language of our Church in her Baptismal Service</u>, which has occasioned so much controversy — especially as both Bucer and Martyr, during the time of their Professorships, delivered their minds so strongly as to the separableness of the outward sign and inward grace in infant, as well as adult, baptism; which (strong Calvinists as they both were) was of course to be expected. This circumstance</b>, therefore, can only be accounted for by their considering our service to express nothing more than the language of charity and hope. It will be observed that, in dealing with the Confirmation Service, Bucer imagines the case of the catechumens being unregenerate, which sufficiently indicates his view of the subject. Doubtless had he so understood our formularie as divines of what are called, though not very correctly, the High - Church school, he would have taken great exception to them. As it is the men who think with him on the baptismal question may acquiesce as he in our baptismal forms though it were well, perhaps, if they were less capable of misapprehension.</i></span></div></blockquote><div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Does this settle the matter among Anglicans? No way, after all we're talking Anglicans here. But in my mind this bit of actual history adds some weight to the Reformed Anglican position on baptism. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Also see:</span></div><div><a href="https://theworldsruined.blogspot.com/2021/07/anglican-baptismal-regeneration-yes-or.html?m=0" style="font-family: georgia;">Anglican Baptismal Regeneration: Yes or No?</a></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Jack Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281378425270530573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422410239991902086.post-73501386086581367652021-09-11T06:43:00.004-07:002021-10-02T13:50:00.189-07:00Martin Luther's Church...<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"> <span style="color: #272727;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b style="font-size: 22.2346px;">“</b><span style="font-size: large;"><b>M</b></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>ay</b> a merciful God preserve me from a Christian Church in which everyone is a saint! I want to be and remain in the church and little flock of the fainthearted, the feeble and the ailing, who feel and recognize the wretchedness of their sins, who sigh and cry to God incessantly for comfort and help, who believe in the forgiveness of sins.</span><b><span style="font-size: large;">”</span></b></span></span></p></blockquote><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #272727; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-top: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Martin Luther, in <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Luther’s Works</em> (St. Louis, 1957), XXII:55.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #272727; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-top: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(H/T Gerda Inger)</span></p>Jack Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281378425270530573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422410239991902086.post-80787166340667819722021-09-07T18:54:00.000-07:002021-09-07T18:54:15.879-07:00Calvin: The Righteousness of Faith - The Righteousness of Christ<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><b><i></i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvYLXsWh0QwdHJfCSrsqw2On3HfJn5PnSspQyL9pxSz9Ixmp408w-BH2B98eQD8wzeKE-fOc_akCvTlryHEsBT1zZ25J__xbo0kAhnAv4bpl6CFb-UoHd7oHWZ_i2ZAbobEjQt2kUcAR86/s350/John+Calvin.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvYLXsWh0QwdHJfCSrsqw2On3HfJn5PnSspQyL9pxSz9Ixmp408w-BH2B98eQD8wzeKE-fOc_akCvTlryHEsBT1zZ25J__xbo0kAhnAv4bpl6CFb-UoHd7oHWZ_i2ZAbobEjQt2kUcAR86/s320/John+Calvin.gif" width="304" /></a></i></b></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><i><br /></i></b><b> “<i>Now in speaking of the righteousness of faith</i></b> <b><i>scripture leads us to quite another </i></b><b><i>place</i></b>; that is, it teaches us to turn our attention away from our works to regard only God's mercy and the perfect holiness of Christ. For it shows us this order of justification: that from the beginning God receives the sinner by His pure and free goodness, not considering anything in him by which He is moved to mercy except the sinner's misery, since He sees him completely stripped and empty of good works; and that is why He finds in Himself the reason for doing him good. Then He touches the sinner with a feeling of His goodness so that, distrusting everything he has, he may put the whole sum of his salvation in the mercy which God gives him. That is the feeling of faith, by which a person enters into possession of his salvation: when he recognizes by the teaching of the gospel that he is reconciled to God because, having obtained the remission of his sins, he is justified by means of Christ's righteousness. Although he is regenerated by God's Spirit, <i><b>he does not rest on the good works which he does, but is reassured that his perpetual righteousness consists in Christ's righteousness alone.”</b></i></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">John Calvin, <i>The Institutes of Religion: The First English Version of the 1541 French Edition</i></span></p>Jack Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281378425270530573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422410239991902086.post-33646934191572224622021-09-06T20:22:00.002-07:002021-09-07T18:57:52.408-07:00Calvin: Justification Explained<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNOpfxgCXhKgW7SvIdDInp_ob9zIybgXj8hWY4WPEQ83JD0wSU9V4EGwj3gi2mcMn04UKKLDjDWBNDEepPdSJC8ca_sS0wlZBotadRnm5glnhRbrH1lMCHP-HqGSbWnJVi2SEBphVW9Hr8/s300/calvin.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="281" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNOpfxgCXhKgW7SvIdDInp_ob9zIybgXj8hWY4WPEQ83JD0wSU9V4EGwj3gi2mcMn04UKKLDjDWBNDEepPdSJC8ca_sS0wlZBotadRnm5glnhRbrH1lMCHP-HqGSbWnJVi2SEBphVW9Hr8/s0/calvin.jpg" width="281" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>“Lest we stumble</b> <b>from the first step (which would happen if we entered into dispute </b><b>about something uncertain), we must first explain what these ways of speaking mean: "to be justified before God" and "to be justified by faith or by works."</b> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><i>“That person is said to be justified before God who is counted righteous before God's judgment and is acceptable to His righteousness.</i></b> Since iniquity is hateful to God, the sinner cannot find grace before His face; therefore, where sin is, there God's wrath and vengeance make themselves known. So that person is justified who is not counted as a sinner but as righteous, and for this reason he can rest tranquilly at God's judicial throne, before which all sinners stumble and are confounded. As when some person who was wrongly accused, when he has been examined by the judge and absolved and declared innocent, we say that he is justified in righteousness; so we say that a person is justified before God who, being separated from the number of sinners, has God as witness and proof of his righteousness.<b><i> So we say that a person is justified before God by his works when there is such a purity and holiness in his life that it deserves the name of righteousness before God, or when by the integrity of his works he can satisfy God's judgment. On the contrary, that person is said to be justified by faith who, being excluded from the righteousness of works, by faith grasps Jesus Christ's righteousness and, clad in that, appears before God's face not as a sinner but as righteous.</i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">“However, because the majority of people imagine a righteousness of faith mixed with works, let us also show (before we pass on) that the righteousness of faith is so different from that of works that if the one is established, the other is overturned. The apostle says that "he has counted all things as excrement to gain Christ and to be found in Him, not having his own righteousness which is of the law but that which is by faith in Jesus Christ, that is the righteousness which is from God by faith" (Phil. 3[8-9]). <i><b>We see here that he compares the two things as opposites, and shows that it is necessary for the one who wants to obtain Christ's righteousness to abandon his own.”</b></i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>John Calvin<i>, </i></b></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><i>Institutes of the Christian Religion: The First English Version of the </i></b></span><b style="font-family: georgia;"><i>1541 French Edition</i></b></p><div><br /></div>Jack Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281378425270530573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422410239991902086.post-15590139689795167002021-09-04T18:11:00.001-07:002021-09-04T18:13:24.345-07:00Calvin: Forgiveness of Sins and Imputation of Christ’s Obedience<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b> </b><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><b>The ground of our justification</b>, therefore, is that God reconciles us to himself, from regard not to our works, but to Christ alone, and, by gratuitous adoption, makes us, instead of children of wrath, to be his own children. So long as God looks to our works, he perceives no reason why he ought to love us. Wherefore, it is necessary to bury our sins, and impute to us the obedience of Christ (because [his is] the only obedience which can stand his scrutiny), and adopt us as righteous through his merits.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">John Calvin, <i>The Necessity of Reforming the Church</i></span></span></p>Jack Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281378425270530573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422410239991902086.post-67396984742057255592021-08-30T18:20:00.015-07:002021-08-31T18:34:00.898-07:00A Case for the Reformed/Calvinist Roots of Anglicanism<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>The case for the Reformed/Calvinist roots of Anglicanism</b> has been made by many Anglicans over the years; Augustus Toplady, J.C. Ryle, J.I. Packer to name a few. One can go back to primary sources such as the <i>Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion</i> which has always been included in the lists<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjue6B1G_tRfnXFbLKNTgFg99Hfmnr8ChTORmoVvKTXoTX_JpMHvh9uMJ9ePuUtM-cBaVi5d5ei5UU7Log_UEE5wAzTw9LJS6UUz107xg_9wmBS8H9uxmpWZApWXAo4k9BhYwYKwE140Kq7/s600/DC291199-217A-467D-A5FC-10E15A430724.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="441" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjue6B1G_tRfnXFbLKNTgFg99Hfmnr8ChTORmoVvKTXoTX_JpMHvh9uMJ9ePuUtM-cBaVi5d5ei5UU7Log_UEE5wAzTw9LJS6UUz107xg_9wmBS8H9uxmpWZApWXAo4k9BhYwYKwE140Kq7/s320/DC291199-217A-467D-A5FC-10E15A430724.jpeg" width="235" /></a></div><br /> of Reformed confessions along with the Westminster Standards and the Three Forms of Unity (Dordt, the Heidelberg Catechism, and the Belgic Confession). Unfortunately over the years the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion has undergone a number of reinventions by those who wished and largely succeeded to move the Church of England and worldwide Anglicanism away from its early Calvinist connections towards a more broad church or Anglo-Catholic position. Well, this just doesn't stand up when actual history is brought into focus.</span><p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>Continental historians, both Protestant and Catholic, rank the Church of England among the Reformed Churches as distinct from the Lutheran, and her Articles are found in every collection of Reformed Confessions... the theological interpretation of the Articles by English writers has been mostly conducted in a controversial rather than an historical spirit.</i> (Philip Schaff as quoted by J.I. Packer in his book <i><b>The Thirty-Nine Articles - Their Place and Use Today</b></i>, p 33)</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">One can have their own interpretation of the Articles, but not their own history. As Packer notes in the same book, <i>"it is crooked thinking when the case for redefining Anglicanism is presented as the verdict of Anglican history"</i> (p 36).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Below is an extended excerpt from what is commonly referred to as <i><b>Nowell's Catechism</b></i>. The catechism teaches the theology of Anglicanism as it stood a mere 16 years after the martyrdom of Thomas Cranmer when it was <b>officially adopted by the Church of England in 1572</b>. It presents the Reformed teachings on justification and good works echoing Calvin as well as unpacking doctrines found in the Westminster Confession of Faith (esp. Chapter 11 - Of Justification and Chapter 16 - Of Good Works) sixty years before the Westminster Assembly met! Go figure...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Dive in. Carefully read and you'll find <i>mainstream</i> Reformed soteriology as held by Anglicanism in its earliest years.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-weight: bold;">____________________________________________________</span></p><p></p><p><b style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: medium;">From Nowell's Catechism:</span></b></p><p><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Master: </b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Now thou hast declared the Creed, that is the sum of the Christian faith, tell me, what profit get we of this faith?</span><br style="font-family: helvetica;" /><br style="font-family: helvetica;" /><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Student: </b><i style="font-family: helvetica;">Righteousness before God, by which we are made.</i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span><br style="font-family: helvetica;" /><br style="font-family: helvetica;" /><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Master: </b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Doth not then our own godliness toward God, and leading of our life honestly and holily among men justify us before God?</span><br style="font-family: helvetica;" /><br style="font-family: helvetica;" /><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Student: </b><i style="font-family: helvetica;">Of this we have said somewhat already after the declaring of the law, and in other places, to this effect. If any man were able to live uprightly according to the precise rule of the law of God, he should worthily be counted justified by his good works. But seeing we are all most far from that perfection of life, yea, and be so oppressed with conscience of our sins, we must take another course, and find another way, how God may receive us into favour, than by our own deserving.<br /></i><br style="font-family: helvetica;" /><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Master:</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">What way?</span><br style="font-family: helvetica;" /><br style="font-family: helvetica;" /><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Student: </b><i style="font-family: helvetica;">We must flee to the mercy of God, whereby he freely embraceth us with love and goodwill in Christ, without any our deserving, or respect of works, both forgiving us our sins, and so giving us the righteousness of Christ by faith in him, that for the same Christ’s righteousness he so accepteth us, as if it were our own. To God’s mercy therefore through Christ we ought to impute all our justification .<br /></i><br style="font-family: helvetica;" /><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Master: </b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">How do we know it to be thus?</span><br style="font-family: helvetica;" /><br style="font-family: helvetica;" /><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Student: </b><i style="font-family: helvetica;">By the gospel, which containeth the promises of God by Christ, to the which when we adjoin faith, that is to say, an assured persuasion of mind and stedfast confidence of God’s goodwill, such as hath been set out in the whole Creed, we do, as it were, take state and possession of this justification that I speak of.<br /></i><br style="font-family: helvetica;" /><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Master: </b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Dost not thou then say that faith is the principal cause of this justification, so as by the merit of faith we are counted righteous before God?</span><br style="font-family: helvetica;" /><br style="font-family: helvetica;" /><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Student: </b><i style="font-family: helvetica;">No; for that were to set faith in the place of Christ. But the spring-head of this justification is the mercy of God, which is conveyed to us by Christ, and is offered to us by the gospel, and received of us by faith as with a hand.<br /></i><br style="font-family: helvetica;" /><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Master: </b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Thou sayest then that faith is not the cause but the instrument of justification; for that it embraceth Christ which is our justification; coupling us with so strait bond to him, that it maketh us partakers of all his good things?</span><br style="font-family: helvetica;" /><br style="font-family: helvetica;" /><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Student: </b><i style="font-family: helvetica;">Yea forsooth.</i><br style="font-family: helvetica;" /></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Master: </b>But can this justification be so severed from good works, that he that hath it can want them?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Student: </b><i>No: for by faith we receive Christ such as he delivereth himself unto us. But he doth not only set us at liberty from sins and death, and make us at one with God, but also with the divine inspiration and virtue of the Holy Ghost doth regenerate and newly form us to the endeavour of innocency and holiness, which we call newness of life.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Master: </b>Thou sayest then that justice, faith, and good works, do naturally cleave thogether, and therefor ought no more to be severed, than Christ, the of them in us, can be severed from himself.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Student: </b><i>It is true.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Master: </b>Then this doctrine of faith doth not withdraw men's minds from godly works and duties?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Student: </b><i>Nothing less. For good works do stand upon faith as upon their root. So far, therefore, is faith from withdrawing our hearts from living uprightly, that, contrariwise, it doth most vehemently stir us up to the endeavour of good life; yea and so far, that he is not truly faithful that doth not also to his power both shun vices and embrace virtues, so living always as one that looketh to give an account.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Master: </b>Therefore tell me plainly how our works be acceptable to God, and what rewards be given to them?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Student: </b><i>In good works, two things are principally required. First, that we do those works that are prescribed by the law of God; secondly, that they be done with that mind and faith which God requireth. For no doings or thoughts enterprised or conceived without faith can please God.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Master: </b>Go forward.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Student: </b><i>It is evident, therefore, that all works whatsoever we do, before that we be born again and renewed by the Spirit of God, such as may properly be called our own works are faulty. For whatsoever shew of brightness and worthiness they represent and give to the eyes of men, since they spring and proceed from a faulty and corrupted heart, which God chiefly considereth, they cannot but be defiled and corrupted, and so grievously offend God. Such works, therefore, as evil fruits, growing out of an evil tree, God despiseth and rejecteth from him.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Master: </b>Can we not, therefore, go before God with any works or deservings, whereby we may first provoke him to love us, and be good unto us?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Student: </b><i>Surely, with none. For Gos loved and chose us in Christ, not only when we were his enemies, that is, sinners, but also before the foundations of the world were laid. And this is the same spring-head and original of our justification, whereof I spake before.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Master: </b>What thinkest thou of those works which we, after that we be reconciled to God's favour, do by the instinct of the Holy ghost?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Student: </b><i>The dutiful works of godliness, which proceedeth out of faith, working be charity, are indeed acceptable to God, yet not by their own deserving; but for that he, of his liberality, vouchsafeth them his favour. For though they be derived from the Spirit of God, as little streams from the spring-head, yet of our flesh, that mingleth itself with them, in the doing by the way, they receive corruption, as it were by infection, like as a river, otherwise pure and clear, is troubled and mudded with mire and slime, wherethrough it runneth.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Master: </b>How then dost thou say that they please God?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Student: </b><i>It is faith that procureth God's favour to our works, while it is assured that he will not deal with us after extremity of law, nor call our doings to exact account, nor try them as it were by the square: that is, he will not, in valuing and weighing them use severity, but remitting and pardoning all their corruptness, for Christ's sake and his deservings, will account them for fully perfect.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Master: </b>Then thou standest still in this, that we cannot by merit of works obtain to be justified before God, seeing thou thinkest that all doings of men, even the perfectest, do need pardon?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Student: </b><i>God himself hath so decreed in his word; and his Holy Spirit doth teach us to pray that he bring us not into judgment. For where righteousness, such as God the Judge shall allow, ought to be throughly absolute, and in all parts and points fully perfect, such as is to be directed and tried by the most precise rule, and, as it were, by the plumb-line of God's law and judgment; and therefore our works, even the best of them, for that they swerve and differ most far from the rule and prescription of God's law and justice, are many ways to be blamed and condemned; we can in no wise be justified before God by works.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Master: </b>Doth not this doctrine withdraw men's minds from the duties of godliness, and make them slacker and slower to good works, or at least less cheerful and ready to godly endeavours?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Student: </b><i>No: for we may not therefore say that good works are unprofitable or done in vain and without cause, for that we obtain not justification by them. For they serve both to the profit of our neighbour and to the glory of God; and they do, as by certain testimonies, assure us of God's goodwill toward us, and of our love again to God-ward, and of our faith, and so consequently of our salvation. And the reason it is, that we being redeemed with the blood of Christ the Son of God, and having beside received innumerable and infinite benefits of God, should live and wholly frame ourselves after the will and appointment of our Redeemer, and so shew ourselves mindful and thankful to the Author of our salvation, and by our example procure and win other unto him. The man that calleth these thoughts to mind may sufficiently rejoice in his good endeavours and works.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Master: </b>But God doth allure us to good doing with certain rewards, both in this life and in the life to come, and doth covenant with us as it were for certain wages.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Student: </b><i>That reward, as I have said, is not given to our works for their worthiness, and rendered to them as recompence for deservings, but by the bountifulness of God is freely bestowed upon us without deserving. And justification God doth give us as a gift of his own dear love toward us, and of his liberality through Christ. When I speak of God's gift and liberality, I mean it free and bountiful, without any our desert or merit: that it be God's mere and sincere liberality, which he applieth to or salvation only whom he loveth and which trust in him, not hired or procured for wages, as it were a merchandise of his commodities and benefits used by him for some profit to himself, requiring again of us some recompence or price, which once to think were to abate both the liberality and majesty of God.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Master: </b>Whereas then God doth by faith both give us justification, and by the same faith alloweth and accepteth our works, tell me, dost thou think that this faith is a quality of nature, or the gift of God?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Student:</b> <i>Faith is the gift of God, and a singular and excellent gift. For both our wits are too gross and dull to conceive and understand the wisdom of God, whose fountains are opened by faith, and our hearts are more apt either to distrust, or to wrongful and corrupt trust in ourselves, or in other creatures, than to true trust in God. But God, instructing us with his word and lightening our minds with his Holy Spirit, maketh us apt to learn those things that otherwise would be far from entering into the dull capacity of our wits; and sealing the promises of salvation in our souls, he so informeth us that we are most surely persuaded of the truth of them. These things the apostles understanding, do pray to increase their faith.</i></span></p><p><i style="font-family: helvetica;">__________________________________________________</i></p><p><b><i style="font-family: helvetica;">In short, I affirm, that not by our own merit but by faith alone, are both our persons and works justified </i><span style="font-family: helvetica;">[i.e. accepted]</span><i style="font-family: helvetica;">; and that the justification of works depends on the justification of the person, as the effect on the cause. </i></b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">(John Calvin, <i>Acts of the Council of Trent with the Antidote</i>)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">See also this post: <a href="https://theworldsruined.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-recompense-of-good-works.html" target="_blank">John Calvin: The Recompense of Good Works</a></span></p>Jack Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281378425270530573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422410239991902086.post-53050512184900028992021-08-07T20:04:00.001-07:002021-08-07T20:28:36.853-07:00What meanest thou by this word “forgiveness”?<span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Master: </b></span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">What meanest thou by this word “forgiveness”? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNAr0FrcRsEVJzTpIfyVXc60PirFq9jlPtLJDf9HFurecY_HNa3ol0P5EhCnxt5V0flB9qlAV3ISJLhTug9no5CP0O81mcVmVtw00YPfO2pYOhBm8166c71jNWwsLKPm-lJ0mo8xhpMH9Z/s600/DC291199-217A-467D-A5FC-10E15A430724.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="441" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNAr0FrcRsEVJzTpIfyVXc60PirFq9jlPtLJDf9HFurecY_HNa3ol0P5EhCnxt5V0flB9qlAV3ISJLhTug9no5CP0O81mcVmVtw00YPfO2pYOhBm8166c71jNWwsLKPm-lJ0mo8xhpMH9Z/s320/DC291199-217A-467D-A5FC-10E15A430724.jpeg" width="235" /></a></div></span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Student:</b> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>That the faithful do obtain at God’s hand discharge of their fault and pardon of their offense: for God, for Christ’s sake, freely forgiveth them their sins, and rescueth and delivereth them from judgment and damnation, and from punishments just and due for their ill - doing.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Master:</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Cannot we then, with godly, dutiful doings, and works, satisfy God, and by ourselves merit pardon of our sins? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Student:</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>There is no mercy due to our merits, but God doth yield and remit to Christ his correction and punishment that he would have done upon us. For Christ alone, with sufferance of his pains and with his death, wherewith he hath paid and performed the penalty of our sins, hath satisfied God. Therefore by Christ alone we have access to the grace of God. We, receiving this benefit of his free liberality and goodness, have nothing at all to offer or render again to him by way of reward or recompense.</i></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Nowell’s Catechism 1572</b></span></div>Jack Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281378425270530573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422410239991902086.post-12733582171705241752021-07-25T06:32:00.005-07:002021-07-25T07:09:51.065-07:00The Benefits the Faithful Receive of the Death of Christ <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>From Nowell’s Catechism (1572):</b></span><br /><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Master</b>:</span> </div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Now rehearse me briefly and in a sum these most large benefits which the faithful receive of the death of Christ, and his most grievous pain. </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Student</b>:</span> </div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">Briefly, with the one only sacrifice of his death he satisfied for our sins before God, and appeasing the wrath of God, made us at one with him. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">With his blood, as with "most" pure washing, he hath washed and cleansed away all the filth and spots of our souls; and defacing with everlasting fulness the memory of our sins, that they shall no more come in the sight of God, he hath cancelled, made void, and done away the hand - writing whereby we were bound and convicted, and also the decree by the sentence whereof we were condemned. All these things hath he done by his death, both for the living and for the dead that trusted in him while they lived.</span></i></div></blockquote>Jack Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281378425270530573noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422410239991902086.post-58233509660740610032021-07-23T09:43:00.006-07:002021-08-04T16:02:12.734-07:00Anglican Baptismal Regeneration: Yes or No?<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVXBQyXoQAI0ck5GX38nkrB2U1gKYU-DE1wlGRtwkTK3FfctdIX9brCU_jqg0LuG3l-Jqh5PO3_DopfUXkVhILDYE1fWnQCpU1raUtXTENt7mA_mY7i18HSMJ3l1coN8zAJs5Dix0Vz9qp/s400/Packer+book.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVXBQyXoQAI0ck5GX38nkrB2U1gKYU-DE1wlGRtwkTK3FfctdIX9brCU_jqg0LuG3l-Jqh5PO3_DopfUXkVhILDYE1fWnQCpU1raUtXTENt7mA_mY7i18HSMJ3l1coN8zAJs5Dix0Vz9qp/s320/Packer+book.jpeg" /></a> J.I. Packer's excellent new and final book, <i>The Heritage of Anglican Theology</i>, shows the value of putting theology </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">in its proper historical context. An example is the selection below (pp 282-285) which helps bring clarification to often contentious debates over the Anglican doctrines of infant baptism and baptismal regeneration:</span></p><p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">"</span></b>A word must be said also about the doctrine of baptismal regeneration. In the early 1800s, the final court of appeal in matters of dispute about the doctrine of the Church of England was the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. Now, the Privy Council was a company of people who were thought of as the monarch's most intimate advisers. This committee was a subcommittee of that larger body consisting of experts in the law who functioned as the highest court of judicial appeal in England when legal questions arose about the meaning of the law. These were legal experts, all laymen, but competent at interpreting documents and checking the precedents of case law and so forth.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">One case that eventually came before the Judicial Committee involved a scholarly clergyman named George Cornelius Gorham. The case was brought by a High Church bishop in Exeter named Henry Phillpotts. Gorham had been nominated to a pastorate in Brampford Speke, Devon. Phillpotts suspected that Gorham was an evangelical, and indeed he was. Phillpotts asked him some questions at the bishop's discretion, which Phillpotts expected would expose Gorham's evangelicalism and allow Phillpotts to pronounce him unfit to minister in the Church of England and therefore to refuse to institute him to the pastorate for which he had been nominated in that diocese.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">One of the questions was whether Gorham believed in baptismal regeneration. Gorham said no. Phillpotts replied, in effect, "Then I am not going to institute you because the Prayer Book affirms baptismal regeneration, and the Articles do also."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Gorham, the learned man, replied that, on the contrary, that is an interpretation of the Articles and Prayer Book that some hold, but it is not the only possible interpretation, and it is not the interpretation that the authors of the Prayer Book and Articles--the sixteenth-century Reformers--held themselves. Phillpotts thought this was nonsense, but Gorham appealed the verdict of Phillpotts against him. Gorham was confident he could prove his case.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">So he took Phillpotts to court, demanding to be instituted to the pastorate to which he had been nominated. The case ended up before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. It took two years for the case to get there. During that time, an evangelical scholar named William Goode wrote a learned treatise canvassing all the Reformers who had ever hon into print on this subject. Goode's treatise was called <i>The Effects of Infant Baptism</i>, and the hinge of its argument was that all these Reformers had insisted that salvation is through being justified by faith alone, and without faith no one is justified.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">That, of course, does not match baptismal regeneration. In all that the Reformers said about the effects of infant baptism they did not go as far as affirming baptismal regeneration. They did celebrate the fact that the rite of baptism--water on the forehead, representing going under the water--symbolizes, signifies, and personalizes the promise of Christ, the promise of new life to those who will receive it through faith. In baptism, that promise is personally delivered to the candidate. This includes infant baptism, which Anglicanism has always regarded as consistent with the institution of Christ.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">As the infant grows up, he or she has to learn to exercise the faith that was in the hearts of the parents and godparents when they brought the child to baptism. Their faith was that God would work in their child's heart to bring that child to faith, and that God would sanctify the rite of baptism whereby, in his mercy, God would personalize the promise to this child. This would be explained to the child as soon as he or she were old enough to understand it. God then sanctifies all that as a means of grace to bring the child to a living, personal faith.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">William Goode demonstrated all this in <i>The Effects of Infant Baptism</i>, and in 1850 the Judicial Committee found that Gorham's view was a permitted interpretation of Anglican doctrine. His claim was vindicate, and Phillpotts had to institute him. Otherwise, Phillpotts would have been breaking the law.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Gorham case--decided in this way against a cherished Anglo-Catholic doctrine and decided by a company of laypeople, rather than by the clergy or by bishops--became a great cause of offense to High Churchmen and Anglo-Catholics who disagreed with the verdict (and with Gorham's view). Furthermore, they thought the church should settle its own legal problems, and that bishops and clergy--not secular lawyers--should be having the last word. One of the effects of the Gorham decision was quite a flurry of Anglican-Catholics becoming Roman Catholics. For the Church of England to settle matters of faith this way destroyed Anglican credibility, in their minds.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Today Anglo-Catholics who know about the Gorham judgment will smile and shake their heads and basically say, "It ought not to have been done that way." Remember, the verdict was only that George Gorham's interpretation of the church's foundational documents was possible. Certain of the Catholic clergymen will counter that is not the interpretation one ought to embrace. Thus, Anglican-Catholics go on maintaining baptismal regeneration.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Evangelical Anglicans, as you would expect, go along with the Gorham judgment, and they are backed by quite a bit of writing. But because of the caution with which the Prayer Book and Articles were phrased back in the sixteenth century--so as not to give offense to people who believed in baptismal regeneration--an ambiguity is there. It is a matter of fact, and some of us feel that this is a pity.<b><span style="font-size: medium;">"</span></b></span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Relevant portions of <i><b>The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion </b></i>[emphasis added]:</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>XI. Of the Justification of Man.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">We are accounted righteous before God, <i><b>only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by Faith</b></i>, and not for our own works or deservings. Wherefore, that <i><b>we are justified by Faith only</b></i>, is a most wholesome Doctrine, and very full of comfort, as more largely is expressed in the Homily of Justification.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>XXV. Of the Sacraments.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Sacraments ordained of Christ be not only badges or tokens of Christian men's profession, but rather they be certain sure witnesses, and effectual signs of grace, and God's good will towards us, by the which he doth work invisibly in us, and <i><b>doth not only quicken, but also strengthen and confirm our Faith in him.</b></i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">There are two Sacraments ordained of Christ our Lord in the Gospel, that is to say, Baptism, and the Supper of the Lord.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>XXVII. Of Baptism.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Baptism is not only a sign of profession, and mark of difference, whereby Christian men are discerned from others that be not christened, but it is also a sign of Regeneration or New-Birth, whereby, as by an instrument,<i> <b>they that receive Baptism rightly</b></i> are grafted into the Church; the promises of the forgiveness of sin, and of our adoption to be the sons of God by the Holy Ghost, are visibly signed and sealed, <i><b>Faith is confirmed, and Grace increased by virtue of prayer unto God.</b></i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Baptism of young Children is in any wise to be retained in the Church, as most agreeable with the institution of Christ. </span></p></blockquote>Jack Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281378425270530573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422410239991902086.post-90534080662353788602021-07-21T16:47:00.002-07:002021-07-21T16:47:43.157-07:00As we forgive those who trespass against us…<p><b><i> <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 17px;">“Every man should keep a fair-sized cemetery in which to bury the faults of his friends.”</span></i></b></p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 17px;">- Henry Ward Beecher, Clergyman</span>Jack Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281378425270530573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422410239991902086.post-87805436944404011782021-06-28T09:13:00.004-07:002021-06-28T21:08:30.753-07:00Food For Thought: Preaching Christ as Food for Hungry Souls<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzsJ6tCQ9ra34QyRHJAyJ0ydmioCYOy1rR3RhPySdet93f_wJhExIzmyLdhGYWZ-xSWmVeQeTpnfTaGx-p9YDRz5sXm-QbjLgkcQQbY5ou8tT6aCQTDwYUl8s97n-INjG-6xsS9Cih-xEC/s1632/tablesettings.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1232" data-original-width="1632" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzsJ6tCQ9ra34QyRHJAyJ0ydmioCYOy1rR3RhPySdet93f_wJhExIzmyLdhGYWZ-xSWmVeQeTpnfTaGx-p9YDRz5sXm-QbjLgkcQQbY5ou8tT6aCQTDwYUl8s97n-INjG-6xsS9Cih-xEC/s320/tablesettings.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span>The other day I came across this quote </span><span>from Charles Jefferson who wisely observed,</span></span></p><p></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>“When the minister goes into the pulpit he is the shepherd in the act of feeding, and if every minister had borne this in mind many a sermon would have been other than it has been. The curse of the pulpit is the superstition that a sermon is a work of art and not a piece of bread or meat… Sermons, rightly understood, are primarily forms of food. They are articles of diet. They are meals served by the minister for the sustenance of spiritual life.”</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">In light of the above I thought I'd repost this entry from July 2011:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span>Following up on my two posts (</span><a href="http://theworldsruined.blogspot.com/2011/06/my-sheep-preach-good-news.html">here</a><span> and </span><a href="http://theworldsruined.blogspot.com/2011/06/dispensing-food-word-and-sacrament.html">here</a><span>) concerning</span><span> </span><i>feeding the sheep</i><span> </span></b><span><b>through word and sacrament</b>, I want to present a couple of analogies to hopefully amplify what I think is lacking in much of the preaching in churches today.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span>As a thumbnail sketch: most pastors preach <i>from</i> the Bible. There is usually a text upon which the ser</span><span>mon i</span><span>s based. The passage is often presented in terms of its historical, doctrinal, and character settings. As one listens, he may hear that God is loving, gives grace, and that there is much to be thankful for as a believer. The listener is encouraged to trust in God's faithfulness as lessons are drawn from the verses. The believer is admonished to go forth with renewed obedience trusting in Jesus and the ever-present grace and help of the Holy Spirit. In the same way God was faithful to [list any number of Biblical characters], he is faithful to you, the present day believer. As the song says, "trust and obey - there's no other way..." What is missing?</span><br /></span><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span><b>Analogy #1: </b></span><span>Imagine you are plagued with a failing heart, one riddled with disease. You schedule an appointment with a skilled surgeon. You go to the hospital. You're taken into the operating room and the doctor enters. From his scholarly medical books he begins laying out before you the procedures that have been developed over many years that have been shown to be successful in curing heart disease. He explains in detail the countless individuals who have benefited from these amazing techniques. Step by step and precept upon precept the medical procedure is detailed. He concludes by explaining how one can be healed and live a normal life as a result of this amazing wonder of medicine. He smiles, shakes your hand, gives you a bill having finished what he came to do.</span></span></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span><b>Analogy #2:</b> </span> <span>Imagine that you and many others have been invited to a dinner party hosted by a highly-trained chef. You arrive at the restaurant in a very hungry state. Upon entering the reserved dining room you observe an elaborately prepared setting. The finest linen, expensive china dinnerware, sterling silver utensils, and fine crystal glasses adorn the table. Everyone sits down. The chef enters. Appetites are whetted and hopes run high for a much anticipated and needed satisfying feast.</span></span></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The chef then opens his cookbook and spends the next forty minutes describing how the meal is prepared. He shows pictures of each course of the dinner while reciting all the ingredients with their proportions and nutritional values. Most of all, he stresses how delicious, healthful, and sustaining the food is. He then thanks everyone for coming, bids them farewell until the next dinner party. The people leave, duly impressed and yet wondering what the aching, empty feeling in their stomach could mean. You think to yourself, "if only I can remember these recipes and apply them better to my life..."</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;">Preaching is more than good scholarly biblical exegesis. Sheep need to hear <i>why</i> they are hungry and that they are prone to look for food in all the wrong places. Sheep need to be fed.</span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><i>"</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><i>For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water" (Jer. 2:13) </i></span></span></span></div></blockquote></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> <span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="woj"> <i>"Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 0.5em;"><span class="xref" style="line-height: 0.5em; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-26273AC" title="See cross-reference AC">AC</a>)"></span></span> the food that endures to eternal life, which<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 0.5em;"><span class="xref" style="line-height: 0.5em; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-26273AD" title="See cross-reference AD">AD</a>)"></span></span> the Son of Man will give to you. For on<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 0.5em;"><span class="xref" style="line-height: 0.5em; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-26273AE" title="See cross-reference AE">AE</a>)"></span></span> him God the Father has <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 0.5em;"><span class="xref" style="line-height: 0.5em; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-26273AF" title="See cross-reference AF">AF</a>)"></span></span>set his seal."</i> (John 6: 27). </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"> </span></span></p></div></blockquote><div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">As Christians we all too often trust in our own judgments and seek our own misguided answers for what ails us. Or even more often, we settle into the dull despair of guilt and condemnation, wondering whether the problem is that there is something uniquely wrong <i>with me</i> (unlike other Christians!), which keeps me at a distance from God's favor. In this life believers will always be sinners/saints. We believe in Christ, seek to be faithful (in our better moments), and yet often wander in the fog of our own failed devices. We know something is wrong within. Exhortations to "trust and obey" only exacerbate the feelings of failure </span>and spiritual hunger.</span><br /><span><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>* Pastors</b>, <i>identify</i> what is going on in your sheep. <i>Diagnose it</i> for what it is... our sinful beliefs and behaviors that still wage war against the spirit. <i>Though saved by the grace of God, sheep come to the church service wearied and dirtied with dust from the week's past sojourn.</i> Then having rightly diagnosed the inward reality of doubt and self-directed ways of the sheep, wash their feet by once again <i>dispensing the heavenly food which is the Gospel. </i> <b><i>Proclaim</i></b> the Good News of Christ crucified that feeds, renews, sustains, and nourishes the believer's faith:</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></i><br /><span><i>Oh people of God, what you have failed to do... Jesus has done for you, in your place, by his perfect obedience. Even more! Jesus, by his death on the cross, paid your penalty and cleanses you from the filth of all your sin (past, present, and future) which sin so stubbornly assails your conscience. This is God's unbreakable covenant in Christ’s blood for you.</i></span><br /><span><br /></span><span>Christians need to hear that their sin which so easily entangles them is in fact that which qualifies them for the <i>remedy of heaven</i> declared in gospel (Luke 5:31-32). Real food - <i>Jesus Christ crucified and risen for you</i> - that removes sin and assures of God's love (Romans 5:8) now, tomorrow, and forever. Serve the gospel food that feeds one’s faith and brings forth renewed a heart which redirects the will and bears the fruit of good works.</span></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion</b>:</span></div></div></blockquote><div><div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-spacing: 2px; font-family: georgia;"><b> XII. Of Good Works.</b></span></i></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-spacing: 2px; font-family: georgia;">Albeit that Good Works, which are the fruits of Faith, and follow after Justification, cannot put away our sins, and endure the severity of God's judgment; yet are they pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ, and do spring out necessarily of a true and lively Faith insomuch that by them a lively Faith may be as evidently known as a tree discerned by the fruit.</span></i></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-spacing: 2px;"></span></i></span>Believers-still-sinners are fed by the Gospel preached; nourishing and strengthening a true and lively faith. </span><br /></span><blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">And I will <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 0.5em;"><span class="xref" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 0.5em; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NASB-20186AS" title="See cross-reference AS">AS</a>)"></span></span>bring Israel back to his pasture and he will graze on Carmel and Bashan, and his desire will be satisfied in the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 0.5em;"><span class="xref" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 0.5em; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NASB-20186AT" title="See cross-reference AT">AT</a>)"></span></span>hill country of Ephraim and Gilead. </span></b></i><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> In those days and at that time,’ declares the LORD, ‘search will be made for the iniquity of Israel, but <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 0.5em;"><span class="xref" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 0.5em; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NASB-20187AU" title="See cross-reference AU">AU</a>)"></span></span>there will be none; and for the sins of Judah, but they will not be found; for I will pardon those <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 0.5em;"><span class="xref" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 0.5em; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NASB-20187AV" title="See cross-reference AV">AV</a>)"></span></span>whom I leave as a remnant.’ (Jer. 50: 19-20)</span></b></i></span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>For<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 0.5em;"><span class="xref" style="line-height: 0.5em; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28038J" title="See cross-reference J">J</a>)"></span></span> while we were still weak, at the right time<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 0.5em;"><span class="xref" style="line-height: 0.5em; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28038K" title="See cross-reference K">K</a>)"></span></span> Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 0.5em;"><span class="xref" style="line-height: 0.5em; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28040L" title="See cross-reference L">L</a>)"></span></span> God shows his love for us in that<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 0.5em;"><span class="xref" style="line-height: 0.5em; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28040M" title="See cross-reference M">M</a>)"></span></span> while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore,<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 0.5em;"><span class="xref" style="line-height: 0.5em; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28041N" title="See cross-reference N">N</a>)"></span></span> we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 0.5em;"><span class="xref" style="line-height: 0.5em; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28041O" title="See cross-reference O">O</a>)"></span></span> the wrath of God. For if<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 0.5em;"><span class="xref" style="line-height: 0.5em; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28042P" title="See cross-reference P">P</a>)"></span></span> while we were enemies<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 0.5em;"><span class="xref" style="line-height: 0.5em; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28042Q" title="See cross-reference Q">Q</a>)"></span></span> we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 0.5em;"><span class="xref" style="line-height: 0.5em; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28042R" title="See cross-reference R">R</a>)"></span></span> his life. (Rom 5: 6-10)</i></span></blockquote></div></div>Jack Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281378425270530573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422410239991902086.post-66103809129213598602021-01-18T10:06:00.008-08:002021-01-18T12:00:16.212-08:00John Calvin: If You Keep My commandments, You will abide in My Love...<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>John Calvin </b>unpacks the intersection between our obedience to Christ’s commands and God’s love for us in Christ:</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>If you keep my commandments</b>, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1mpVdDWUylLZdQTBUCNXc_A42WqritvHtIuUej0dz_SKfqjZFJ4cbPRROo-IUbLVothoSzuUcfWgq41Ppa7P1jTA1XVUiCnktgV3G_0jlGqWJXMZMOQfqFAyQcoblPUrt7xutK9Lk5Z_/s196/justiceblind.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="196" data-original-width="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1mpVdDWUylLZdQTBUCNXc_A42WqritvHtIuUej0dz_SKfqjZFJ4cbPRROo-IUbLVothoSzuUcfWgq41Ppa7P1jTA1XVUiCnktgV3G_0jlGqWJXMZMOQfqFAyQcoblPUrt7xutK9Lk5Z_/s0/justiceblind.gif" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />Father's commandments and abide in his love. - John 15:10</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>For these two things are continually united, that faith which perceives the undeserved love of Christ toward us, and a good conscience and newness of life.</b> And, indeed, Christ does not reconcile believers to the Father, that they may indulge in wickedness without reserve, and without punishment; but that, governing them by his Spirit, he may keep them under the authority and dominion of his Father. Hence it follows, that the love of Christ is rejected by those who do not prove, by true obedience, that they are his disciples. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>If any one object that, in that case, the security of our salvation depends on ourselves</b>, I reply, it is wrong to give such a meaning to Christ's words; for the obedience which believers render to him is not the cause why he continues his love toward us, but is rather the effect of his love. For whence comes it that they answer to their calling, but because they are led by the Spirit of adoption of free grace? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>But again, it may be thought that the condition imposed on us is too difficult, that we should keep the commandments of Christ</b>, which contain the absolute perfection of righteousness, -- a perfection which far exceeds our capacity, -- for hence it follows, that the love of Christ will be useless, if we be not endued with angelical purity. <b>The answer is easy</b>; for when Christ speaks of the desire of living a good and holy life, he does not exclude what is the chief article in his doctrine, namely, that which alludes to righteousness being freely imputed, in consequence of which, through a free pardon, our duties are acceptable to God, which in themselves deserved to be rejected as imperfect and unholy. Believers, therefore, are reckoned as keeping the commandments of Christ when they apply their earnest attention to them, though they be far distant from the object at which they aim; for they are delivered from that rigorous sentence of the law, </span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">“Cursed be he that hath not confirmed all the words of this law to do them.” (Deuteronomy 27:26)</span></p></blockquote></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><i>John Calvin’s Commentary on the Gospel of John</i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Here are some related posts:</span></p><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Christ's Active Obedience: The End of the Law Unto Righteousness To Everyone That Believes -</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span><a href="https://theworldsruined.blogspot.com/2014/10/christs-active-obedience-end-of-law.html"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-weight: normal;">https://theworldsruined.blogspot.com/2014/10/christs-active-obedience-end-of-law.html</span></a></span></h3><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span><b>Obedience Envy?</b><span> -</span></span><span> </span><a href="https://theworldsruined.blogspot.com/2014/09/obedience-envy.html" style="font-weight: normal;"><span>https://theworldsruined.blogspot.com/2014/09/obedience-envy.html</span></a></span></h3><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> <b>Gratitude and Obedience: </b><a href="https://theworldsruined.blogspot.com/2019/07/gratitude-and-obedience.html">https://theworldsruined.blogspot.com/2019/07/gratitude-and-obedience.html</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Musings on Gratitude and Obedience</b> - <a href="https://theworldsruined.blogspot.com/2014/12/musings-on-gratitude-and-obedience.html">https://theworldsruined.blogspot.com/2014/12/musings-on-gratitude-and-obedience.html</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Justification to Life </b>- <a href="https://theworldsruined.blogspot.com/2015/07/justification-to-life-no-part-of-works.html">https://theworldsruined.blogspot.com/2015/07/justification-to-life-no-part-of-works.html</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Salvation Possessed By Faith — Expressed In Obedience</b> - <a href="https://theworldsruined.blogspot.com/2016/04/salvation-possessed-by-faith-expressed.html">https://theworldsruined.blogspot.com/2016/04/salvation-possessed-by-faith-expressed.html</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>Jack Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281378425270530573noreply@blogger.com4