Archives For Reformed Theology

Reflections on issues that arose from the Reformation: Justification, God’s sovereignty, etc.

“Feel Free to Express Yourself to God… But Don’t Get Crazy!”

Luke Geraty —  October 22, 2012 — 6 Comments

If you desire to fit in with Charismatics, you have to learn how to use 2 Cor. 3:17b:

“… where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

If you are an exegete, or at the very least a careful reader of Scripture, you’ll notice that I did not use the entire verse. Nope, just the last half… the part that emphasizes that the Holy Spirit brings freedom. The next time you find yourself hanging out with some Charismatics, drop that verse after someone shares something or expresses themselves and you’ll receive many looks of approval and a few hearty amen’s. Trust me on that one.

I’ve been hanging out with Charismatics for a long time. I’m part of their guild since I’m a Continuationist, though that doesn’t mean I’m a Pentecostal or that I’m convinced that all of the practices that happen in this stream of Christianity are… good wise legit the Holy Spirit.

Now if I’m honest, every time I hear people quote that verse in a way that gives a stamp of approval for everything that has either happened or is about to happen, I want to scream. How un-charismatic of me, I know. But it’s true. That verse has been the “proof-text” for some of the most bizarre activities I have ever seen. And it’s always used in a way that suggests that if you have any questions about certain practices, you most definitely are a legalistic-person-who-keeps-God-in-a-box-and-absolutely-despises-the-work-of-the-Holy-Spirit-because-you-are-so-busy-quenching-his-work. Yes, that is a technical term.
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Dispensational, Covenant, & New Covenant Theology

Luke Geraty —  September 17, 2012 — 2 Comments

For anyone involved in the theological schools known as Dispensationalism, Covenant Theology, or New Covenant Theology, you may be interested in reading several reviews of Kingdom through Covenant: A Biblical-Theological Understanding of the Covenants, written by Peter J. Gentry and Stephen J. Wellum. Kingdom through Covenant is a proposed third option when considering the strengths (and weaknesses) of Dispensationalism and Covenant Theology. Both “systems” of reading the Bible have a large number of advocates and have been represented well within academia. Thus, Gentry and Wellum provide a somewhat controversial work in that they are going to challenge some pretty strong opinions in the world of evangelical theology.

The Gospel Coalition asked several scholars to review this new work, which I think may be helpful for those interested in evaluating it’s ideas. The reviews are as follows:
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In Baptism, Biblical Theology, Books, Ecclesiology, Reformed Theology, Reviews, The Kingdom of God , , , , , , , ,
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Culver on the Purpose of Election

Luke Geraty —  September 5, 2012 — Leave a comment

One of my favorite systematician writes:

“An examination of some of the relevant passages reaps the following fruit of teaching. Believers have been chosen by God ‘to the praise of his glory’ (Eph. 1:11, 12); to ‘show forth the praises’ of the One who called them (1 Peter 2:9 KJV); to live holy blameless lives (Eph. 1:4); to be fully sanctified, i.e. ‘conformed to the image of his [God’s] Son’ (Rom. 8:28, 29); to ‘go and bear fruit’ (John 15:16). It is hence, an error to think of election apart from the high and holy ends which God had in mind when He did it.

The success of the plan of redemption could not be guaranteed—as all God’s eternal counsels are—apart from divine initiative at every stage of the plan (ordo salutis). On account of sovereign election, God knew from the beginning who would populate heaven and a renewed earth. ‘[T]he Lamb’ was ‘slain’ from ‘the foundation of the world’ (Rev. 13:8) and the inhabitants are ‘those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life’ (Rev. 21:27). These facts of Scripture in no wise encourage any one to presume on God’s grace in this regard, because divine sovereignty and human responsibility are juxtaposed in many a biblical declaration, perhaps never more starkly than in this verse: ‘But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his”, and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity” ’ (2 Tim. 2:19).” (Robert Duncan Culver, Systematic Theology: Biblical and Historical, 677).

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Striking the Balance Between Comfort & False Conversion

Luke Geraty —  August 19, 2012 — 6 Comments


As an advocate of what is essentially a Reformed perspective regarding issues related to soteriology, I fully subscribe to the idea that those whom God has chosen for salvation shall, in the end, be saved. I would gladly affirm what the Westminster Confessional describes concerning the Perseverance and Preservation of the Saints.

“They, whom God hath accepted in His Beloved, effectually called, and sanctified by His Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved. (Phil. 1:6, 2 Pet. 1:10, 1 John 3:9, 1 Pet. 1:5,9)” (Westminster Confession of Faith, XVII)

But I’m not a fan of the title “eternal security” because I don’t believe it rightly emphasizes the importance of both God’s sovereign work in carrying us to completion along with the fact that people are responsible to respond to God’s grace. And I absolutely deplore the term “once saved, always saved” because it has been used to undermine the biblical concept of sanctification and has polluted the water around the issue of salvation. Frankly, there have been innumerable people who have walked around believing that they can live however the want while doing whatever they want because they “made a decision” at some point and were “saved.” This is where I find a lot to commend with Scot McKnight’s recent book, The King Jesus Gospel. Yes, you can be a “Calvinist” and still love much of McKnight’s work and even say, “Amen” to his Jesus-centered theological constructs… especially when the kingdom of God is so prevalent in his writings!
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In Biblical Counseling, Christian Living, Gospel, Missional, Reformed Theology, Soteriology , , , , , , ,
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Heinrich Bullinger on Justification

Luke Geraty —  August 13, 2012 — 6 Comments

Heinrich Bullinger, the 16th century Swiss Reformer, wrote a book with a typically long title:

“The grace of God that justifies us for the sake of Christ through faith alone, without good works, while faith meanwhile abounds in good works.”

Would you agree or disagree with this definition of Justification?

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For the Calvinists Too Reformed for Church

Luke Geraty —  August 9, 2012 — Leave a comment

James K. A. Smith writes a letter to a “young Calvinist” named Jess and touches upon a real issue:

“That’s a common enough temptation, Jess. I understand it. I’ve been there. But step back and think about what you’re saying: it’s as if you’re saying you’re “too Reformed” for any church! How un-Reformed is that?! It seems to me that the Reformed tradition makes us all the more aware of our own personal faults and shortcomings – the myriad ways we fall short of God’s holiness – as well as our utter dependence on the unmerited grace of God. How odd would it be to conclude, then, in the name of being “Reformed,” that no church is “good enough” for us? In the name of Calvinism, you end up spurning the gritty particularity of what John Calvin cared about the most: the church – and not the church as some abstract, ethereal, pure ideal, but the church in Geneva, the congregations he knew and loved.” - Letters to a Young Calvinist: An Invitation to the Reformed Tradition

Ha ha! Yeah, if you are so Calvinistic that you have become too Reformed for every church that exists, you need to… *drum roll*… slap yourself.

In Ecclesiology, Reformed Theology
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God’s Meticulous Sovereignty in Tornadoes

Luke Geraty —  March 11, 2012 — 1 Comment

When tornadoes, storms, floods, or other natural disasters and accidents happen, lots of questions get raised. John Piper, a man I greatly respect and have been blessed by, hasn’t been afraid to address the big questions that arise when they happen. In 2009 a tornado struck downtown Minneapolis and Piper addressed it. When the recent tornadoes went through the Midwest, again, Piper addressed it.

Theologically speaking, I agree with Piper’s assessment of God’s sovereignty over these issues. I simply take issue with how Piper discusses this subject as I don’t find his methods as helpful as others do. And of course, I’m not alone in being critical of his point, though that’s not the point of this post. Continue Reading…

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Michael Horton’s Approach to Israel

Luke Geraty —  February 6, 2012 — 6 Comments

Concerning the future of Israel, Supercessionism, and a Reformed approach to the issue, Michael Horton writes,

“So while some amillennialists regard all of the saving promises to Israel as fulfilled in the new covenant church without remainder and dispensationalists treat them as fulfilled only in a revived theocracy of Israel in the millennium, Paul’s argument in Romans 9-11 seems more complicated. While Israel is the church and the church is Israel, this spiritual nation will be enlarged in the last days – this time, with a great influx of ethnic Jews. As I have argued, I do not believe that the New Testament teaches that the church is a replacement for Israel but rather that Gentiles have been grafted into the vine of the true Israel, from which the original nucleus of new covenant disciples emerged. Salvation has come to the world through the Jews; Jesus was sent to the Jews; the gospel was first brought to the Jews, and the kingdom grew from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. In the end, it will be brought full circle, from the ends of the earth back to Jerusalem again.” (The Christian Faith, 949-50).

As far as I can tell, this seems to be the view of Jonathan Edwards, J. C. Ryle, and, I think Charles Spurgeon. Interesting.

In Eschatology, Israel, Reformed Theology , , , , ,
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“NeoReformed” is the new “Hyper-Calvinist”

Luke Geraty —  January 24, 2012 — 5 Comments

As I’ve been thinking through the responses to my question, “Who are the NeoReformed?” (an open invitation for you to weigh in on). I’ve got to be honest, no one who uses that term has given me an answer. Lots of great comments though.

When Scot McKnight writes that the “neo-Reformed are more committed to tradition than to the sacred text,” he essentially takes on the same type of attitude that critics of Reformed theology use when they suggest that Calvinists do not pray and do not evangelize.

“NeoReformed” is the new “Hyper-Calvinist” of our age.

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An Open Invitation: Who Are the “NeoReformed”?

Luke Geraty —  January 22, 2012 — 39 Comments

Those who are opposed to the young Reformed movement (think Young, Restless, Reformed) often refer to it as the NeoReformed. Scot McKnight thinks he may have invented that term (“NeoReformed”). His reason for thinking that is because back in 2009 he write a blog on it – “Who are the NeoReformed?”

McKnight suggested that the NeoReformed are a “new form of Fundamentalism” and suggests that they could also be called the “NeoFundamentalists.” What kind of characteristics does he suggest the NeoReformed have? He wrote,

“The NeoReformed, for a variety of reasons, some of them good, don’t recognize that evangelicalism as a village green. Instead, they want to build a gate at the gate-less village green and require Reformed confessions and credentials to enter onto the village green. Put differently, they think the only legitimate and the only faithful evangelicals are Reformed. Really Reformed. In other words, they are “confessing” evangelicals. The only true evangelical is a Reformed evangelical. They are more than happy to call into question the legitimacy and fidelity of any evangelical who doesn’t believe in classic Reformed doctrines, like double predestination. The palpable observation here is that many of us think the NeoReformed are as attached to Tradition (read Westminster etc) as they are to sola scriptura.”

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Calvinism + Methodism = ????

Luke Geraty —  December 26, 2011 — 5 Comments

Yeah, this blog’s title sounds like an impossibility. Today’s Methodists and Wesleyan’s descend from the lineage of Jacobus Arminius by way of John Wesley. These brothers and sisters disagree with significant doctrinal concepts that I believe to be true, yet have much to contribute to the Christian tradition! Did I mention that I’m one of those Calvinists who love Wesley? I am. You don’t have to agree with everything people say in order to love them and appreciate lots of things they did and taught. And Wesley would take great issue with today’s liberal Methodists too.

But what about Calvinist Methodists? Are their such a thing? Let’s just start by saying two words: George Whitefield. Whitefield, my favorite person from the Great Awakening, was a Calvinist Methodist who also loved Wesley. But who were these Calvinist Methodists? Were there others? What makes their tradition unique?
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Truth Deserves Love & Zeal!

Luke Geraty —  December 8, 2011 — 2 Comments

You can’t really talk about the Protestant Reformation without thinking about Martin Luther, right? And even though he stood on the shoulders of others who went before him (Tyndale, Wycliffe, etc.), he most assuredly changed the world. Europe was not the same after Luther, both the landscape of Christianity and the landscape of society.

Thus, Lutheranism has become one of the main branches of the Christian tradition and finds representatives throughout the world. From North America to Australia, Luther’s theology has impacted people’s understanding of the Christian faith in many ways. Be it positive or negative, people have opinions on Martin Luther!
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A Reformational Spar on Election: Lutherans & Calvinists Can Be Friends!

Luke Geraty —  November 2, 2011 — 2 Comments

From time to time I find myself reading through sections of John Theodore Mueller’s Christian Dogmatics. Mueller’s contribution is basically a systematic theology from a confessional Lutheran perspective that some would consider ultra conservative. It’s doctrinally rich and stylistically about as dry as they come, but one of the reasons I enjoy reading it so much is because Mueller pulls absolutely no punches and has no problem making statements that clarify how committed to confessional Lutheranism he is. In other words, the theology found in the Lutheran tradition is orthodox and everyone else is heterodox. But fear not, “true believers may be found even in heterodox churches… as by the grace of God they still retain the fundamentals of the Gospel” (p.558).

At any rate, reading through his section on the doctrine of Election, I found an interesting quote:

“As a matter of fact, the right relation of faith to eternal election is this, that saving faith, wrought by the Holy Ghost, belongs into election as the means by which the object of election is accomplished. In other words, God in His eternal counsel of grace decreed to save His elect saints through faith in Christ Jesus, Eph. 1, 3-8; 1 Pet. 1, 2; or we may say, from eternity He graciously endowed the elect with faith and therby separated them from the lost world…” (p.598-9)

Boy, this sure sounds Calvinistic! In fact, the Westminster Confessional, perhaps the most popular Reformed statement of faith, states:
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Has the Calvinism vs. Arminianism Debate Run Its Course?

Luke Geraty —  October 28, 2011 — 5 Comments

This week there was some discussion amongst the members of the Society of Vineyard Scholars, of which I am a member. Someone asked a question regarding how the Vineyard stands regarding Calvinism and Arminianism, and there were quite a few interesting responses, including mine. Interestingly, one of the last comments was that this is a “theologically useless debate.” This type of attitude is reflected in a lot of people’s reaction to such topics, especially when swinging swords about “eternal security” or “losing one’s salvation.”

Part of me wants to agree, and another part of me wants to push back on that type of thinking. I guess I just think statements like that need to be fleshed out a bit more.

I’m in 100% agreement with the fact that often times the subject of God’s sovereignty and human choice are so polarized that fruitful discussion does not take place. The “discussions” quickly become “debates” and sometimes name-calling and judgmental statements are made that simply do not build up the Body of Christ. Such “debates” are probably adequately described as “useless.”
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Heaven includes more than just Calvinists!

Luke Geraty —  August 18, 2011 — Leave a comment

Excellent reminder:

“There is no soul living who holds more firmly to the doctrines of grace than I do, and if any man asks me whether I am ashamed to be called a Calvinist, I answer—I wish to be called nothing but a Christian; but if you ask me, do I hold the doctrinal views which were held by John Calvin, I reply, I do in the main hold them, and rejoice to avow it.  But far be it from me even to imagine that Zion contains none but Calvinistic Christians within her walls, or that there are none saved who do not hold our views.  Most atrocious things have been spoken about the character and spiritual condition of John Wesley, the modern prince of Arminians.  I can only say concerning him that, while I detest many of the doctrines which he preached, yet for the man himself I have a reverence second to no Wesleyan; and if there were wanted two apostles to be added to the number of the twelve, I do not believe that there could be found two men more fit to be so added than George Whitefield and John Wesley.  The character of John Wesley stands beyond all imputation for self-sacrifice, zeal, holiness, and communion with God; he lived far above the ordinary level of common Christians, and was one ‘of whom the world was not worthy.’  I believe there are multitudes of men who cannot see these truths, or, at least, cannot see them in the way in which we put them, who nevertheless have received Christ as their Savior, and are as dear to the heart of the God of grace as the soundest Calvinist in or out of Heaven.” (Charles Spurgeon, Autobiography: Volume I, The Early Years,, p. 173)

HT: Ray Ortlund

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Philip Rhyken on Catholics: Keeping Protestants Humble

Luke Geraty —  August 16, 2011 — Leave a comment

“Sometimes we forget that Luther, Calvin, and the rest of the Reformers were born and bred within the Roman church. When Catholics were catholic, they were Catholic too, and it was within the Roman church that they came to saving faith in Jesus Christ. To be sure, the pope would not tolerate their plain teaching of the gospel, so eventually they were thrown out of the church. But God can and does carry out his saving work to this day, even where his gospel is not preached in all its clarity.” (Philip Ryken, My Father’s World, 230-231).

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Are Your Actions Consistent w/ the Gospel?

Luke Geraty —  July 20, 2011 — Leave a comment

I think all of us probably do things that bring compromise to certain areas that we believe are important. Some people call those compromises “hypocrisy” and others refer to it as being “two faced.” When referring to spiritual matters, some have even called it “spiritual adultery.” Whoa… that’s heavy. I’m sure most of us do not want to be compromise ourselves on important matters, especially related to our faith in Christ.

In Galatians 2, we find that Peter is hanging with a bunch of Gentiles who have converted from paganism to Christ and he’s enjoying a nice meal with them. Paul is also there, probably reflecting on how the gospel breaks down cultural barriers, right? I imagine that the sight of seeing Peter eating with Gentiles was certainly moving. Yes, a Jewish man was eating with Gentiles and ignoring the cultural “rules of engagement.” Enter the problem.

James, the half-brother of Jesus, sent some Jewish believers to Antioch, where this meal was taking place. James was one of the primary leaders of the Jerusalem church, which was markedly Jewish (it was Jerusalem, duh!). When these Jews arrived, we see that Peter withdrew from socializing and eating with the Gentiles (Gal. 2:12). This was too much for Paul to handle. What was Paul’s concern? Paul writes immediately of two noticeable problems:

  1. He saw the Jews acting hypocritically (Gal. 2:12); and
  2. Barnabas was led astray (Gal. 2:13).

These are significant problems. Hypocrisy is always harmful to gospel proclamation and gospel expansion and being led away was initially why Paul was so upset with the Galatians (cf. 1:6-9). This is no doubt why Paul mentions Barnabas. But those are not the only problems that Paul saw. He writes,
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An even-handed “third way” between Piper and Wright: Michael F. Bird’s JETS contribution

Luke Geraty —  July 13, 2011 — 15 Comments

Yesterday my copy of the latest JETS came in the mail and I was pleasantly surprised to find an article by Michael J. Bird – “What is There Between Minneapolis and St. Andrews? A Third Way in the Piper-Wright Debate” (pp. 299-309). It is one of the most engaging articles on the debate between John Piper and N. T. Wright that I have read in quite some time. To be honest, I’d become pretty bored with the New Perspective  on Paul (NPP) until the ETS annual meeting dedicated the main sessions to addressing it. The papers presented by Wright and Thomas Schreiner were very interesting to read and the interaction was quite good. But up until yesterday, I’d become bored again. Then I read Bird’s article.

Let me provide some background for those who are completely unaware of what has been probably one of the most controversial debates within the Evangelical world for the past couple of years. Maybe you’ve been living under a rock. Or maybe you just don’t swim in certain theological waters. Either way, this subject has been seen as both controversial and important. Here’s the breakdown:
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A.W. Pink on Election’s Design

Luke Geraty —  June 16, 2011 — Leave a comment

“God’s design in our election was that we should be holy: “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him” (Eph. 1:4). There has been much difference of opinion among the commentators as to whether this refers to that imperfect holiness of grace which we have in this world, or to that perfect holiness of glory which will be ours in the world to come. Personally, we believe that both are included, but that the latter is chiefly intended; and so we shall expound it. First, of that perfect holiness is heaven. That this is the prime reference appears from the amplifying clause “and without blame before him:” it is such a holiness that God Himself can find no flaw in. Now the imperfect holiness which the saints have personally in this life, though it be a holiness before God in truth and sincerity, yet it is not one “without blame:” it is not one God can fully delight in.” (Pink, The Doctrines of Election and Justification)

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The Sovereign “Heart-Opening” and the Human Response

Luke Geraty —  June 1, 2011 — Leave a comment

I’ve had my share of theological discussions about the sovereignty of God and human responsibility, or the debate on whether one is a Calvinist or an Arminian. Everyone has their verses that they bring to the table and their perspective and opinion and experiences and those conversations can be really fun.

Well, this morning I was flipping through the pages of Russell D. Moore’s Adopted for Life since it has been awhile since I’ve read it and I think my wife and I are becoming increasingly pulled in that direction (to adopt! not give our kids up!). It’s a great book on the subject, if not the best.

C. J. Mahaney wrote the foreward to Moore’s book and I found a couple of his sentences on the sovereignty of God and his own response to God’s grace that I thought I’d share it. He writes,

“I didn’t even realize [my serious sin condition] until my friend Bob began to share with me the good news that Christ died for my sins. As I listened, God opened my heart to understand and believe the gospel. I turned from my sin and trusted in Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death for my sins. In that moment, I was adopted into a new family. God the righteous Judge became my merciful Father.” (p. 13).

I appreciated this brief statement because it highlights both the sovereign work of God (“God opened my heart to understand and believe the gospel”) and human responsibility (Bob shared the gospel with C. J., C. J. turned from his sin and trusted in Christ).

No matter what perspective we come from, I think we need to be careful not to ignore these two central concepts, especially since to elevate one and to ignore the other puts us on very dangerous ground.

What do you think? Have you struggled with these two tensions?

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Richard Baxter’s Reminder to Pastors

Luke Geraty —  May 10, 2011 — 1 Comment

Richard Baxter, the insightful pastor of pastors, writes,

“See that the work of saving grace be thoroughly wrought in your own souls. Take heed to yourselves, lest you be void of that saving grace of God which you offer to others, and be strangers to the effectual working of that gospel which you preach; and lest, while you proclaim to the world the necessity of a Savior, your own hearts should neglect him, and you should miss of an interest in him and his saving benefits. Take heed to yourselves, lest you perish, while you call upon others to take heed of perishing; and lest you famish yourselves while you prepare food for them. Though there is a promise of shining as the stars, to those ‘who turn many to righteousness,’ that is but on supposition that they are first turned to it themselves. Their own sincerity in the faith is the condition of their glory, simply considered, though their great ministerial labors may be a condition of the promise of their greater glory. Many have warned others that they come not to that place of torment, while yet they hastened to it themselves: many a preacher is now in hell, who hath a hundred times called upon his hearers to use the utmost care and diligence to escape it. Can any reasonable man imagine that God should save men for offering salvation to others, while they refuse it themselves; and for telling others those truths which they themselves neglect and abuse? Many a tailor goes in rags, that maketh costly clothes for others; and many a cook scarcely licks his fingers, when he hath dressed for others the most costly dishes. Believe it, brethren, God never saved any man for being a preacher, nor because he was an able preacher; but because he was a justified, sanctified man, and consequently faithful in his Master’s work. Take heed, therefore, to ourselves first, that you he that which you persuade your hearers to be, and believe that which you persuade them to believe, and heartily entertain that Savior whom you offer to them. He that bade you love your neighbors as yourselves, did imply that you should love yourselves, and not hate and destroy yourselves and them.” (The Reformed Pastor, p. 53-54)

Baxter’s words leave quite an echo in my soul. My prayer is that my own relationship with the Lord would be so deep and life-giving that I would never fall victim of preaching to others what I ought to have heard and responded to and obeyed, myself.

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John Bunyan on Being Saved…

Luke Geraty —  May 3, 2011 — Leave a comment

“The miseries from which they that shall be saved shall by their salvation be delivered, are dreadful; they are no less than sin, the curse of God, and flames of hell for ever. What more abominable than sin? What more insupportable than the dreadful wrath of an angry God? And what more fearful than the bottomless pit of hell? I say, what more fearful than to be tormented there for ever with the devil and his angels? Now, to “save,” according to my text, is to deliver the sinner from these, with all things else that attend them. And although sinners may think that it is no hard matter to answer this question, yet I must tell you there is no man, that can feelingly know what it is to be saved, that knoweth not experimentally something of the dread of these three things, as is evident, because all others do even by their practice count it a thing of no great concern, when yet it is of all other of the highest concern among men; “For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Matt 16:26).” – (John Bunyan, vol. 1, Saved by Grace, p. 337)

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John Calvin on the Death of Christ

Luke Geraty —  April 27, 2011 — Leave a comment

“The Creed next mentions that he “was dead and buried”. Here again it is necessary to consider how he substituted himself in order to pay the price of our redemption. Death held us under its yoke, but he in our place delivered himself into its power, that he might exempt us from it. This the Apostle means when he says, “that he tasted death for every man,” (Heb. 2:9). By dying he prevented us from dying; or (which is the same thing) he by his death purchased life for us (see Calvin in Psychopann). But in this he differed from us, that in permitting himself to be overcome of death, it was not so as to be engulfed in its abyss but rather to annihilate it, as it must otherwise have annihilated us; he did not allow himself to be so subdued by it as to be crushed by its power; he rather laid it prostrate, when it was impending over us, and exulting over us as already overcome. In fine, his object was, “that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage,” (Heb. 2:14, 15). This is the first fruit which his death produced to us. Another is, that by fellowship with him he mortifies our earthly members that they may not afterwards exert themselves in action, and kill the old man, that he may not hereafter be in vigour and bring forth fruit. An effect of his burials moreover is that we as his fellows are buried to sin. For when the Apostle says, that we are ingrafted into the likeness of Christ’s deaths and that we are buried with him unto sin, that by his cross the world is crucified unto us and we unto the world, and that we are dead with him, he not only exhorts us to manifest an example of his death, but declares that there is an efficacy in it which should appear in all Christians, if they would not render his death unfruitful and useless. Accordingly in the death and burial of Christ a twofold blessing is set before us—viz. deliverance from death, to which we were enslaved, and the mortification of our flesh (Rom. 6:5; Gal. 2:19, 6:14; Col. 3:3).” (John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, II.XVI.VII)

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Michael Horton on Union w/ Christ

Luke Geraty —  April 26, 2011 — Leave a comment

Michael Horton writes,

“What a wondrous thing it is that even though Jesus Christ has been exalted to the throne of God, absent from us in the flesh, we may nevertheless only now be united to him in a manner far more intimate than the fellowship enjoyed by the disciples with Jesus during his earthly ministry. Having united himself to us in our flesh, in our sins, in our suffering and death, he now unites us to himself in his new-creation life by his Spirit.” (p.587)

Yes, what a wondrous concept! Our union with the risen and ascended Lord is “far more intimate” that the fellowship that Jesus had with the Twelve. That’s hard for me to imagine, yet that is what Scripture teaches. When Paul encouraged the Romans to know that “if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his” (Rom. 6:5), he was most certainly encouraging them to look beyond themselves and see their union with the Lord of Lords. And this union is far more wondrous than a momentary experience. Horton goes on to write that,

“Union with Christ is not to be understood as a “moment” in the application of salvation to believers. Rather, it is a way of speaking about the way in which believers share in Christ in eternity (by election), in past history (by redemption), in the present (by effectual calling, justification, and sanctification), and in the future (by glorification). Nevertheless, our subjective inclusion in Christ occurs when the Spirit calls us effectually to Christ and gives us the faith to cling to him for all of his riches…” (ibid.)

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Dietrich Bonhoeffer on “Who Determines if God is Found”

Luke Geraty —  April 20, 2011 — 1 Comment

Bonhoeffer wrote to his brother in law, Rüdiger Schleicher, the following:

“If it is I who determine where God is to be found, then I shall always find a God who correspond to me in some way, who is obliging, who is connected with my own nature. But if God determines where is to be found, then it will be in a place which is no immediately pleasing to my nature and which is not at all congenial to me. This place is the Cross of Christ. And whoever would find him must go to the foot of the Cross, as the Sermon on the Mount commands. This is not according to our nature at all, it is entirely contrary to it. But this is the message of the Bible, not only in the New but also in the Old Testament…” (Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Prophet, Martyr, Spy, 137, emphasis mine)

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