Christ’s Death: Our Acquittal and our Freedom

This is our acquittal: the guilt that held us liable for punishment has been transferred to the head of the Son of God [Isa. 53:12]. We must, above all, remember this substitution, lest we tremble and remain anxious throughout life–as if God’s righteous vengeance, which the Son of God has taken upon himself, still hung over us.

–John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, ed. John T. McNeill, 2 vols., Library of Christian Classics (Westminster John Knox Press, 1960), 1:509-10.

Related Reads

“Even when He hated us, He loved us”

The love, therefore, wherewith God loveth, is incomprehensible and immutable. For it was not from the time that we were reconciled unto Him by the blood of His Son that He began to love us; but He did so before the foundation of the world, that we also might be His sons along with His Only-begotten, before as yet we had any existence of our own. Let not the fact, then, of our having been reconciled unto God through the death of His Son be so listened to or so understood, as if the Son reconciled us to Him in this respect, that He now began to love those whom He formerly hated, in the same way as enemy is reconciled to enemy, so that thereafter they become friends, and mutual love takes the place of their mutual hatred; but we were reconciled unto Him who already loved us, but with whom we were at enmity because of our sin. Whether I say the truth on this, let the apostle testify, when he says: “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” He, therefore, had love toward us even when we were practising enmity against Him and working iniquity; and yet to Him it is said with perfect truth, “Thou hatest, O Lord, all workers of iniquity.” Accordingly, in a wonderful and divine manner, even when He hated us, He loved us; for He hated us, in so far as we were not what He Himself had made; and because our own iniquity had not in every part consumed His work, He knew at once both how, in each of us, to hate what we had done, and to love what He had done.

– Augustine of Hippo, NPNF, VII:411.

Books by Augustine

Van Til on Prelapsarian Grace

The Protestants therefore argued for the necessity of Scripture because man, the creature, has sinned against God. He has broken the covenant. Salvation is an ethical matter. Man was created perfect. He needed no grace as a creature. To be sure, he needed and received God’s favor. Sometimes Reformed theologians have called this grace. But then the word is used in a broader sense. So Bavinck speaks of it. Then too, man as a creature, though perfect, needed supernatural revelation. God’s revelation to him in nature was supplemented by God with his supernatural word communication. This was to tell man of his destiny and to make him self-conscious as a covenant being. But all this betokens no defect in the creature as such. The ideas of creation and covenant are supplemental one to another.

– Cornelius Van Til, A Christian Theory of Knowledge (Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1969), 163.

Books by Van Til

Christ’s Fecund Obedience

[...] Christ not only acquired what Adam lost but also what Adam, in the way of obedience, would have gained.

– Herman Bavinck, God and Creation, vol. 2 of Reformed Dogmatics, 4 vols., ed. John Bolt, trans. John Vriend (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2004), 543.

Bavinck Books

Brief: The Rule of Love: Broken, Fulfilled, and Applied — by J. V. Fesko

Back in July I posted a brief note about Christ the Center’s interview with Rev. Dr. John Fesko on his latest book, The Rule of Love: Broken, Fulfilled, and Applied. Now having had the chance to read the book myself I want to heartily commend this concise 136 page study on one of the most neglected and misunderstood aspects of the Christian life: the Ten Commandments as our rule of love.

What does it mean that the Decalogue is our rule of love? Do the Ten Commandments matter to Christians beyond battles over whether the Decalogue ought to be allowed in American courtrooms and public schools? How does the Law apply to the church today? Fesko answers these questions by looking at each of the 10 commands and unfolding them in the light of their historical, covenantal, and redemptive contexts.

Fesko’s explanations are clear, concise, and creative. You may find yourself thinking more than once, “I’ve never looked at it that way before.” (See especially the chapter on the Fourth Commandment.)

The structure of the book is easy to follow. Each chapter is divided into three sections: (1) the command in its original setting; (2) the command in the light of Christ; and (3) the command’s connection to the church. And the conclusion of each chapter includes a handful of review questions, facilitating personal and small group study.

In a word, while this brief book certainly does not say the last word on the Decalogue (nor does it claim to), it does provide a wonderful first word on how the “Ten Words” serve as a rule of love in Christ’s church.

Related Books on the Ten Commandments

More Books by Rev. Dr. John Fesko

Review: Redemption Accomplished and Applied — by John Murray

ISBN: 9780802811431 — Worldcat; Google Books
Publisher: Eerdmans (1955)
Genre: Systematic theology
Reading Level: college
Worthy read? Yes
Price: $9.75 @ WTS Books

What is this book about?

This book is about the atonement (6, 9) as it is viewed objective and subjectively, that is, the atonement seen both from the perspective of historia salutis (i.e. Christ’s once-for-all accomplishment of redemption) and ordo salutis (Christ’s application of redemption to his church). On the former, professor Murray treats the necessity, nature, perfection, and extent of the atonement; on the latter, he explains effectual calling, regeneration, conversion (faith and repentance), justification, adoption, sanctification, union with Christ, and glorification. Therefore, professor Murray treats succinctly the various topics that you may find in a larger dogmatics or systematic theology textbooks under the sections on the work of Christ and/or soteriology.

This little book’s great importance lies in how it introduces the reader to the big picture of Christ’s mediatorial work. Without understanding that Christ first accomplishes salvation for us and then dispenses his benefits to us (i.e. objective accomplishment, then subjective application; historia salutis, then ordo salutis) Christians are led into all manners of Pelagian heresies (i.e. most of what passes for American “Christianity” these days); for, without Christ’s full, objective mediatorial work, we are left in a sea of subjectivity, without a perfect law-keeper, without a perfect satisfaction, without an advocate before the Father, without a great High Priest in the heavenlies praying for us and ministering his Gospel benefits to us. In a word, then, this book is about the big picture of how the Gospel works: Christ accomplishes salvation for us; then, Christ applies salvation to us.

What is the book’s context?

John Murray (1898-1975) was a minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and a professor of systematic theology at Westminster Theological Seminary. This book is primarily didactic, rather than polemic. Professor Murray sets forth his arguments plainly from Holy Scripture. The few polemical elements that enter into Murray’s purview are aimed at 20th century liberalism (31) and mysticism (77, 168). All in all the reader can expect a straightforward, humble explanation of the atonement from a Reformed perspective.

What is unique about the book’s content?

Readers will appreciate Murray’s keen ability to succinctly define theological terms, such as: propitiate (30), sin (32), faith (107), justification (119), et. al. Thus, Murray leads you along and teaches you along the way, rather than speaking over your head.

Also, Professor Murray is an organized and systematic thinker. His arguments proceed in outlined form and follow logical sequences. You may disagree at points with Murray’s argument; but, you will probably never complain of Murray being unclear or disorganized.

Furthermore, Reformed readers will appreciate Murray’s confessional sensibility and creativity. The Westminster Confession and Catechisms are always humming implicitly just below the surface, popping up explicitly at times in Murray’s thoughts.

Criticisms

The one aspect of Murray’s presentation I found odd is the chapter on “union with Christ” (ch. 9). I don’t mean odd in the sense of wrong, quite the contrary–This chapter was perhaps my favorite of the whole book! However, it seems odd in the sense of out of place in Murray’s line of thinking.

In Murray’s argument, the eternal aspect of redemption precedes and grounds the entire accomplishment and application of redemption (163-164). In other words, union with Christ “is in itself a very broad and embracive subject” which “when viewed, according to the teaching of Scripture, in its broader aspects it underlies every step of the application of redemption” (161). If the eternal grounds the temporal at “every step,” then it would seem more appropriate to move the chapter on union with Christ to the beginning of the book, allowing the eternal plan to ground both the accomplishment and the application of redemption. Such a re-arrangement of chapters would allow God’s glory to come into its own as, to use the Reformed dogmatics terms, the pactum salutis would precede and ground both the historia and ordo salutis (or, to use trinitarian concepts, the opera Dei ad intra precede and ground the ad extra).

Murray’s own comments at the start of ch. 9 indicate that he himself was not comfortable with how he arranged the placement of ch. 9. However, my contention is that the principles Murray was driving at when discussing the eternal union with Christ ought to be strengthened so as to come into their rightful place in relating the heavenly realm to the earthly, giving full priority and preeminence to the former. Such an effort to ground redemption fully in God’s eternal glory may require a new title as well: Redemption Planned; Redemption Accomplished; Redemption Applied.

Review: The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith – Tim Keller

The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith
Author: Timothy Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, NYC
Publisher: Penguin Group; 160 pages; hardcover
ISBN: 0525950796

Overview

This easy-reading book explains Jesus’ famous parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15. However, instead of focusing on the wayward younger brother, Pastor Keller focuses upon the elder brother, the one who does not enter the feast. By following Jesus’ emphasis on the elder brother, Keller seeks to show that being religious (i.e. moralism) is just as sinful in God’s eyes as being rebellious (i.e. licentiousness); for both “religion” and “irreligion” are rooted in the same heart posture against God: autonomy. Thus, the climax of Jesus’ parable is a stringent rebuke to all “elder brothers” who attempt to put God in their debt through the pretext of religious obedience and service.

Reflections

This is a good book. It explains basics of the gospel and confronts common misconceptions head on. It is a quick read with short and well-organized chapters, and it is the sort of book that can easily be given as a gift. Because moralism (and all its arrogant accouterments) is rampant in the church, and because anti-church-type people see through moralism’s pretexts better than anyone (i.e. “the church is just a bunch of hypocrites”), this book would be a great conversation-starter/gift to both Christians and skeptics alike.

Constructive Criticisms

While I truly think this is a good book and well worth reading, it leaves room for improvement in the following areas:

1. Ostentatiousness

This small book makes too large a claim: It takes upon itself the burden of explaining all of Christianity through the lens of one simple parable and solving all the problems of religion through the categories of moralism and liberalism. Throughout the book there are multiple claims that sound as if all the ideas in Jesus’ parable are revolutionary and novel–as if the other 65 book of the Bible and the previous generations of God’s history of redemption have nothing to say about man’s relation to God and about the twin problems of moralism and licentiousness; as if in one simple parable Jesus re-defines everything we’ve ever known about the Christian life.

For example, the chief difference between Keller’s book/sermon (which, BTW, the book is simply an extended sermon) and the sermon by Ed Clowney upon which Keller’s is based, is that the latter is published simply as one sermon among many others. That’s what Keller’s book is–one good sermon; It needs a lifetime of others to go with it.

Accordingly, the book’s marketing blurbs almost make the book sound like a “secret key” to unlock a hidden meaning in Jesus’ parable and all the mysteries of the Christian life. If the book would claim less, it could accomplish its purpose–to proclaim the Gospel from one of Jesus’ parables–more powerfully.

2. Subjective focus

Most of Keller’s exegesis focuses on the subjective thinking, feeling, and behavior of the parable’s actors, and most of Keller’s application is aimed at the subjetive transformation of the modern reader. While we never want to lose a proper focus on the subjective, throughout the book the objective side of the Gospel is not allowed to shine as brightly as it does in Scripture.

For example:

• Resurrection life, one of the chief objective benefits of the Gospel, is not mentioned in Keller’s exegesis, even though this benefit is found in the climax of father’s joy in both Act I and Act II of the parable (v. 24 and v. 32).
• The redefinition of sin in ch. 3, which focuses on the subjective responses of moralism and licentiousness, needs to be set against the objective backdrop of God’s holiness.
• The redefinition of “lostness” in ch. 4 would have better followed Scripture by bringing the objective nature of sin and misery due to man’s Fall into view (along with the subjective results) rather than focusing almost exclusively on man’s subjective lapses into moralism or licentiousness.
• Even where the objective accomplishment of the Gospel is brought into view (most notably in ch. 5), the focus remains solely on Christ’s atonement without any focus on the other objective benefits of the duplex gratia Dei, such as the positive righteousness of Christ that is given to believers as they are brought into an estate of salvation.

Admittedly, this small book is not meant to be a whole theology–but, that’s precisely why I wish it had a less ostentatious claim and a more narrow focus.

Related Resources

Listen to Tim Keller’s sermon: The Prodigal Sons (MP3)

Download Ed Clowney’s sermon (free PDF) and/or listen to class lectures from Keller and Clowney’s joint preaching class, at Crossway’s blog.

Read Clowney’s collection of sermons, which includes “Sharing The Father’s Welcome”:

The Prodigal God Reviewed Elsewhere

• Tim Challies gives a detailed review.
• Camden Bucey gives a good summary and review.
• Phil Ryken gives a short blurb/recommendation.
• Bob Hayton, a former “elder brother,” announces the book and reflects on Clowney’s sermon. [Thanks, Bob, for the Crossway link.]
• The Westminster Bookstore Blog introduces the book and links to interviews with Keller, etc.

“while I live, temptations will not die” – Rutherford Thursdays No. 17

To Robert Gordon of Knockbrex – Seeing Christ more clearly through tribulation’s lens

My Very Worthy and Dear Friend,

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you. Though all Galloway should have forgotten me, I would have expected a letter from you ere now; but I will not expound it to be forgetfulness of me.

Now, my dear brother, I cannot show you how matters go betwixt Christ and me. I find my Lord going and coming seven times a day. His visits are short; but they are both frequent and sweet. I dare not for my life think of a challenge of my Lord. I hear ill tales, and hard reports of Christ, from the Tempter and my flesh; but love believeth no evil. I may swear that they are liars, and that apprehensions make lies of Christ’s honest and unalterable love to me. I dare not say that I am a dry tree, or that I have no room at all in the vineyard, but yet I often think that the sparrows are blessed, who may resort to the house of God in Anwoth, from which I am banished.

Temptations, that I supposed to be stricken dead and laid upon their back, rise again and revive upon me; yea, I see that while I live, temptations will not die. The devil seemeth to brag and boast as much as if he had more court with Christ than I have; and as if he had charmed and blasted my ministry, that I shall do no more good in public. But his wind shaketh no corn. I will not believe that Christ would have made such a mint to have me to Himself, and have taken so much pains upon me as He has done, and then slip so easily from possession, and lose the glory of what He has done.

Nay, since I came to Aberdeen, I have been taken up to see the new land, the fair palace of the Lamb; and will Christ let me see heaven, to break my heart, and never give it to me? I shall not think my Lord Jesus giveth a dumb earnest, or putteth His seals to blank paper, or intendeth to put me off with fair and false promises. I see that now which I never saw well before.

(I) I see faith’s necessity in a fair day is never known aright; but now I miss nothing so much as faith. Hunger in me runneth to fair and sweet promises; but when I come, I am like a hungry man that wanteth teeth, or a weak stomach having a sharp appetite that is filled with the very sight of meat, or like one stupefied with cold under water, that would fain come to land, but cannot grip anything casten to him. I can let Christ grip me, but I cannot grip Him. I cannot set my feet to the ground, for afflictions bring the cramp upon my faith. All I dow do is to hold out a lame faith to Christ, like a beggar holding out a stump instead of an arm or leg, and cry, ‘Lord Jesus, work a miracle! ‘Oh what would I give to have hands and arms to grip strongly.

(2) I see that mortification, and to be crucified to the world, is not so highly accounted of by us as it should be. Oh how heavenly a thing it is to be dead and dumb and deaf to this world’s sweet music! As I am at this present, I would scorn to buy this world’s kindness with a bow of my knee. I scarce now either see or hear what it is that this world offereth me; I know that it is little that it can take from me, and as little that it can give me.

(3) I thought courage, in the time of trouble for Christ’s sake, a thing that I might take up at my foot. I thought that the very remembrance of the honesty of the cause would be enough. But I was a fool in so thinking. Christ will be steward and dispenser Himself and none else but He; therefore, now, I count much of one dram weight of spiritual joy. Truly I have no cause to say that I am pinched with penury, or that the consolations of Christ are dried up. Praise, praise with me.

Remember my love to your brother, to your wife, and G.M. Desire him to be faithful, and to repent of his hypocrisy; and say that I wrote it to you. I wish him salvation. Write to me your mind agent C.E. and C.Y., and their wives, and I.G., or any others in my parish. I fear that I am forgotten amongst them; but I cannot forget them.

The prisoner’s prayers and blessings come upon you. Grace, grace be with you.

Your brother, in the Lord Jesus.

Aberdeen, Feb. 9, 1637

Who is Robert Gordon of Knockbrex?

Robert Gordon lived in the next parish to Anwoth. He was a prominent figure in Church life in Scotland.

About “Rutherford Thursdays”

• See my introduction.
• Selection from His Letters is a public domain text hosted by CCEL. I have arranged and formatted Rutherford’s text and Hugh Martin’s editorial comments, added headings, paragraph separations, etc., for presentation on this blog.
• Letters of Samuel Rutherford is a nice print edition of Rutherford’s letters for under $5.
• For a brief biographical sketch of Rutherford’s life, see Hugh Martin’s forward to Selections. And see Martin’s glossary for help with outdated vocabulary.
• Rutherford Resources:
  • Samuel Rutherford by Andrew Thompson. This book, now freely available via Google Books, presents two parts: First, a biography of Rutherford’s life; Second, a selection of Rutherford’s letters entitled “Honey from the Honeycomb.”
  • Fire and Ice index to S. R.
  • Samuel Rutherford: A New Biography of the Man & His Ministry. This biography by Kingsley G Rendell provides an excellent introduction to Rutherford’s life and work.

N. T. Wright’s The Climax of the Covenant: A Reformed Read Through Chs. 1-4

Download and Summary

• Download A Reformed Read Through N. T. Wright’s The Climax of the Covenant, Chs. 1-4 (PDF)
• Or read this paper online.

Abstract: In The Climax of the Covenant N. T. Wright’s exegetical arguments toward Christ’s covenantal fulfillment of the Old Testament offer a rich harvest of biblical-theological and covenantal insights. However, compared to other Reformed covenantal theologians, a lack of robust thinking about mankind’s prelapsarian covenantal state may be a small weakness in Wright’s beginning that leads to larger errors at the end of his conclusions.

Read and Respond

Climax was my first entree into Wright’s massive (and growing!) corpus. I welcome any critiques and suggestions of my preliminary evaluations, especially from readers more seasoned in Wright’s writings.

Wright-Related Resources

A Weekly Sign of Hope in Sabbath Rest

In a world full of hurt we need to be reminded often of our hope. Such is the purpose of the weekly Sabbath rest lived by God’s people. Professor Gaffin explains:

We obscure the meaning of the Lord’s Day if we detach it from the other six days of the week. The weekly cycle—which structures human existence in virtually every time and place—itself provides a kind of “philosophy of history.” The pattern of six days of activity interrupted by one day of rest is a continuing reminder that human beings are not caught up in a meaningless flow of days, one after the other without end. History has a beginning and an ending. We are heading toward final judgment and the consummation of all things.

Every time we remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy, it encourages us to “think big.” It reminds us of the truly large picture we are part of as God’s redeemed children. The weekly Sabbath is a God-given sign that our lives are not meaningless and without purpose. Every time we neglect to consecrate the Sabbath day to God, we actually steal hope from ourselves. Every time we fail to keep the day holy to God, we actually obscure our witness to the world of hope in Christ. Every Sabbath day is a gracious reminder that our “labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Cor. 15:58). (Quoted from “A Sign of Hope” by Dr. Richard Gaffin. Paragraph break added.)