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1. The Nature of Religion The Bible informs us that man was created in the image of God. When he fell in sin, he did not entirely cease to be the image-bearer of the Most High. The seed of religion is still present in all men, though their sinful nature constantly reacts against it. Missionaries testify to the presence of religion in some form or other among all the nations and tribes of the earth. It is one of the greatest blessings of mankind, though many denounce it as a curse. Not only does it touch the deepest springs of man's life, but it also controls his thoughts and feelings and desires.
But just what is religion? It is only by the study of the Word
of God that we can learn to know the nature of true religion. The
word 'religion' is derived from the Latin and not from any word
that is found in the original Hebrew or Greek of the Bible. It is
found only four times in our translation of the Bible,
In the light of Scripture we learn to understand that religion is a relation in which man stands to God, a relation in which man is conscious of the absolute majesty and infinite power of God and of his own utter insignificance and absolute helplessness. It may be defined as a conscious and voluntary relationship to God, which expresses itself in grateful worship and loving service. The manner of this religious worship and service is not left to the arbitrary will of man, but is determined by God.
2. The Seat of Religion. There are several wrong views
respecting the seat of religion in man. Some think of religion
primarily as a sort of knowledge, and locate it in the intellect.
Others regard it as a kind of immediate feeling of God, and find
its seat in the feelings. And still others hold that it consists
most of all in moral activity, and refer it to the will. However,
all these views are one-sided and contrary to Scripture, which
teaches us that religion is a matter of the heart. In Scripture
psychology the heart is the central organ of the soul. Out of it
are all the issues of life, thoughts, feelings, and desires,
3. The Origin of Religion. Particular attention was devoted during the last fifty years to the problem of the origin of religion. Repeated attempts were made to give a natural explanation of it, but without success. Some spoke of it as an invention of cunning and deceptive priests, who regarded it as an easy source of revenue; but this explanation is entirely discredited now. Others held that it began with the worship of lifeless objects (fetishes), or with the worship of spirits, possibly the spirits of forefathers. But this is no explanation, since the question remains, How did people ever hit upon the idea of worshiping lifeless or living objects? Still others were of the opinion that religion originated in nature-worship, that is, the worship of the marvels and powers of nature, or in the widespread practice of magic. But these theories do not explain any more than the others how non-religious man ever became religious. They all start out with a man who is already religious.
The Bible gives the only reliable account of the origin of religion. It informs us of the existence of God, the only object worthy of religious worship. Moreover, it comes to us with the assurance that God, whom man could never discover with his natural powers, revealed Himself in nature and, more especially, in His divine Word, demands the worship and service of man, and also determines the worship and service that is well-pleasing to Him. And, finally, it teaches us that God created man in His own image, and thus endowed him with a capacity to understand, and to respond to, this revelation, and engendered in him a natural urge to seek communion with God and to glorify Him.
To memorize. Scripture passages bearing on:
a. The Nature of Religion:
b. The Seat of Religion.
C. The Origin of Religion.
For Further Study of Scripture.
a. What elements of true religion are indicated in the following
passages:
b. What forms of false religion are indicated in the following
passages:
c. Name six instances of true religion.
Questions for Review
1. Is religion limited to certain tribes and nations?
2 .How can we learn to know the real nature of true religion?
3. What terms are used in the Old and New Testament to describe
religion?
4. How would you define religion?
5. What mistaken notions are there as to the seat of religion in
man?
6. What is the center of the religions life according to
Scripture?
7. What different explanations have been given of the origin of
religion?
8. What is the only satisfactory explanation?
1. Revelation in General. The discussion of religion naturally leads on to that of revelation as its origin. If God had not revealed Himself, religion would have been impossible. Man could not possibly have had any knowledge of God, if God had not made Himself known. Left to himself, he would never have discovered God. We distinguish between God's revelation in nature and His revelation in Scripture.
Atheists and Agnostics, of course, do not believe in revelation. Pantheists sometimes speak of it, though there is really no place for it in their system of thought. And Deists admit the revelation of God in nature, but deny the necessity, the reality, and even the possibility of any special revelation such as we have in Scripture. We believe in both general and special revelation.
2. General Revelation. The general revelation of God is prior to
His special revelation in point of time. It does not come to man in
the form of verbal communications, but in the facts, the forces,
and the laws of nature, in the constitution and operation of the
human mind, and in the facts of experience and history. The Bible
refers to it in such passages as
a. Insufficiency of general revelation. While Pelagians, Rationalists, and Deists regard this revelation as adequate for our present needs, Roman Catholics and Protestants are agreed that it is not sufficient. It was obscured by the blight of sin resting on God's beautiful creation. The handwriting of the Creator was not entirely erased, but became hazy and indistinct. It does not now convey any fully reliable knowledge of God and spiritual things, and therefore does not furnish us a trustworthy foundation on which we can build for our eternal future. The present religious confusion of those who would base their religion on a purely natural basis clearly proves its insufficiency. It does not even afford an adequate basis for religion in general, much less for true religion. Even gentile nations appeal to some supposed special revelation. And, finally, it utterly fails to meet the spiritual needs of sinners. While it conveys some knowledge of the goodness, the wisdom, and the power of God, it conveys no knowledge whatever of Christ as the only way of salvation.
b. Value of general revelation. This does not mean, however,
that general revelation has no value at all. It accounts for the
true elements that are still found in heathen religions. Due to
this revelation gentiles feel themselves to be the offspring of
God,
3. Special Revelation. In addition to the revelation of God in nature we have His special revelation which is now embodied in Scripture. The Bible is preeminently the book of God's special revelation, a revelation in which facts and words go hand in hand, the words interpreting the facts and the facts giving substance to the words.
a. Necessity of special revelation. This special revelation became necessary through the entrance of sin into the world. God's handwriting in nature was obscured and corrupted, and man was stricken with spiritual blindness, became subject to error and unbelief, and now in his blindness and perverseness fails to read aright even the remaining traces of the original revelation, and is unable to understand any further revelation of God. Therefore it became necessary that God should re-interpret the truths of nature, should provide a new revelation of redemption, and should illumine the mind of man and redeem it from the power of error.
b. Means of special revelation. In giving His special or
supernatural revelation God used different kinds of means, such as
(1) Theophanies or visible manifestations of God. He revealed His
presence in fire and clouds of smoke,
c. The character of special revelation. This special revelation of God is a revelation of redemption. It reveals the plan of God for the redemption of sinners and of the world, and the way in which this plan is realized. It is instrumental in renewing man; it illumines his mind and inclines his will to that which is good; it fills him with holy affections, and prepares him for his heavenly home. Not only does it bring us a message of redemption; it also acquaints us with redemptive facts. It not only enriches us with knowledge, but also transforms lives by changing sinners into saints. This revelation is clearly progressive. The great truths of redemption appear but dimly at first, but gradually increase in clearness, and finally stand out in the New Testament in all their fullness and beauty.
To memorize. Scripture passages bearing on:
a. General Revelation:
II Pet. 1:21. "For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit."
For Further Study:
a. Mention some of the appearances of the Angel of Jehovah. Can
he have been a mere angel?
b. Name some examples of revelation by dreams.
c. Mention some cases in which God revealed Himself in visions.
d. Can you infer from the following passages what the miracles
recorded reveal?
Questions for Review
1. How do general and special revelation differ?
2. Where do we meet with the denial of all revelation of God?
3. What is the position of the Deists as to revelation?
4. What is the nature of general revelation?
5. Why is it insufficient for our special needs, and what value
does if have?
6. Why was God's special revelation necessary?
7. What means did God employ in His special revelations?
8. What are the characteristics of special revelation?
Helpful Links:
1. Revelation and Scripture. The term 'special revelation' may be used in more than one sense. It may denote the direct self-communications of God in verbal messages and in miraculous facts. The prophets and the apostles often received messages from God long before they committed them to writing. These are now contained in Scripture, but do not constitute the whole of the Bible. There is much in it that was not revealed in a supernatural way, but is the result of study and of previous reflection. However, the term may also be used to denote the Bible as a whole, that whole complex of redemptive truths and facts, with the proper historical setting, that is found in Scripture and has the divine guarantee of its truth in the fact that it is infallibly inspired by the Holy Spirit. In view of this fact it may be said that the whole Bible, and the Bible only, is for us God's special revelation. It is in the Bible that God's special revelation lives on and brings even now life, light, and holiness.
2. Scripture Proof for the Inspiration of Scripture. The whole Bible is given by inspiration of God, and is as such the infallible rule of faith and practice for all mankind. Since the doctrine of inspiration is often denied, it calls for special consideration.
This doctrine, like every other, is based on Scripture, and is
not an invention of man. While it is founded on a great number of
passages, only a few of these can be indicated here. The Old
Testament writers are repeatedly instructed to write what the Lord
commands them, Ex, 17:14; 34:27;
3. The Nature of Inspiration. There are especially two wrong views of inspiration, representing extremes that should be avoided.
a. Mechanical inspiration. It has sometimes been represented as
if God literally dictated what the human authors of the Bible had
to write, and as if they were purely passive like a pen in the hand
of a writer. This means that their minds did not contribute in any
way to the contents or form of their writings. But in view of what
we find this can hardly be true. They were real authors, who in
some cases gathered their materials from sources at their command,
b. Dynamic inspiration. Others thought of the process of inspiration as affecting only the writers, and having no direct bearing on their writings. Their mental and spiritual life was strengthened and raised to a higher pitch, so that they saw things more clearly and had a more profound sense of their real spiritual value. This inspiration was not limited to the time when they wrote the books of the Bible, but was a permanent characteristic of the writers and affected their writings only indirectly. It differed only in degree from the spiritual illumination of all believers. This theory certainly does not do justice to the biblical view of inspiration.
c. Organic inspiration. The proper conception of inspiration holds that the Holy Spirit acted on the writers of the Bible in an organic way, in harmony with the laws of their own inner being, using them just as they were, with their character and temperament, their gifts and talents, their education and culture, their vocabulary and style. The Holy Spirit illumined their minds, aided their memory, prompted them to write, repressed the influence of sin on their writings, and guided them in the expression of their thoughts even to the choice of their words. In no small measure He left free scope to their own activity. They could give the results of their own investigations, write of their own experiences, and put the imprint of their own style and language on their books.
4. The Extent of Inspiration. There are differences of opinion also respecting the extent of the inspiration of Scripture. a. Partial inspiration. Under the influence of Rationalism it has become quite common to deny the inspiration of the Bible altogether, or to hold that only parts of it are inspired. Some deny the inspiration of the Old Testament, while admitting that of the New. Others affirm that the moral and religious teachings of Scripture are inspired, but that its historical parts contain several chronological, archaeological, and scientific mistakes. Still others limit the inspiration to the Sermon on the Mount. They who adopt such views have already lost their Bible, for the very differences of opinion are proof positive that no one can determine with any degree of certainty which parts of Scripture are, and which are not inspired. There is still another way in which the inspiration of Scripture is limited, namely, by assuming that the thoughts were inspired, while the choice of the words was left entirely to the wisdom of the human authors. But this proceeds on the very doubtful assumption that the thoughts can be separated from the words, while, as a matter of fact, accurate thought without words is impossible.
b. Plenary inspiration. According to Scripture every part of the
Bible is inspired. Jesus and the apostles frequently appeal to the
Old Testament books as 'scripture' or 'the Scriptures' to settle a
point in controversy. To their minds such an appeal was equivalent
to an appeal to God. It should be noted that of the books to which
they appeal in this fashion, some are historical. The Epistle to
the Hebrews repeatedly cites passages from the Old Testament as
words of God or of the Holy Spirit (cf. p. 18). Peter places the
letters of Paul on a level with the writings of the Old Testament,
II Pet. 3:16, and Paul speaks of all Scripture as inspired,
We may safely go a step farther and say that the inspiration of
the Bible extends to the very words employed. The Bible is verbally
inspired, which is not equivalent to saying that it is mechanically
inspired. The doctrine of verbal inspiration is fully warranted by
Scripture. In many cases we are explicitly told that the Lord told
Moses and Joshua exactly what to write,
5. The Perfections of Scripture. The Reformers developed the doctrine of Scripture as over against the Roman Catholics and some of the Protestant sects. While Rome taught that the Bible owes its authority to the Church, they maintained that it has authority in itself as the inspired Word of God. They also upheld the necessity of Scripture as the divinely appointed means of grace over against the Roman Catholics, who asserted that the Church had no absolute need of it, and some of the Protestant sects, who exalted the "inner light," or the word of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of the people of God, at the expense of Scripture. In opposition to Rome they further defended the clearness of the Bible. They did not deny that it contains mysteries too deep for human understanding, but simply contended that the knowledge necessary unto salvation, though not equally clear on every page of the Bible, is yet conveyed in a manner so simple that anyone earnestly seeking salvation can easily gather this knowledge for himself, and need not depend on the interpretation of the Church or the priesthood. Finally, they also defended the sufficiency of Scripture, and thereby denied the need of the tradition of the Roman Catholics and of the inner light of the Anabaptists.
To memorize.
Passages bearing on:
a. The inspiration of Scripture:
b. The authority of the Bible:
c. The necessity of the Bible:
a. The clearness of Scripture:
e. The Sufficiency of Scripture.
Cf. the passages under c. above.
For Further Study:
a. Do the traditions of men have authority?
b. Did the prophets themselves always fully understand what they
wrote?
e. Does
Questions for Review
1. What is the relation between special revelation and Scripture?
2. What different meanings has the term 'special revelation'?
3. Can we say that special revelation and Scripture are identical?
4. What Scripture proof can you give for the inspiration of the Bible.?
5. What are thee theories of mechanical and dynamical inspiration?
6. How would you describe the doctrine of organic inspiration?
7. What about the theory that the thoughts are inspired but not the words?
8. How would you prove that inspiration extends to every part of Scripture, and even to the very words?
9. How do Rome and the Reformers differ on the authority, the necessity, the clearness, and the sufficiency of Scripture?
1. The Knowledge of God. The possibility of knowing God has been denied on several grounds. But while it is true that man can never fully comprehend God, it does not follow that he can have no knowledge of Him at all. He can know Him only in part, but nevertheless with a knowledge which is real and true. This is possible because God has revealed Himself. Left to his own resources, man would never have been able to discover nor to know Him.
Our knowledge of God is twofold. Man has an inborn knowledge of God. This does not merely mean that, in virtue of his creation in the image of God, he has a natural capacity to know God. Neither does it imply that man at birth brings a certain knowledge of God with him into the world. It simply means that under normal conditions a certain knowledge of God naturally develops in man. This knowledge is, of course, of a very general nature.
But in addition to this inborn knowledge of God man also acquires knowledge of Him by learning from God's general and special revelation. This is not obtained without efforts on man's part, but is the result of his conscious and sustained pursuit of knowledge. While this knowledge is possible only because man is born with the capacity to know God, it carries him far beyond the limits of the inborn knowledge of God.
2. The Knowledge of God as Known from Special Revelation. While it is not possible to define God, it is possible to give a general description of His being. It is perhaps best to describe Him as a pure Spirit of infinite perfections. The description involves the following elements:
a. God is a pure Spirit. The Bible contains no definition of God. The nearest approach to it is found in the words of Jesus to the Samaritan woman, "God is spirit." This means that He is essentially spirit, and that all the qualities which belong to the perfect idea of spirit are necessarily found in Him. The fact that He is pure spirit excludes the idea that He has a body of some kind and is in any way visible to the physical eye. b. God is personal. The fact that God is spirit also involves His personality. A spirit is an intelligent and moral being, and when we ascribe personality to God, we mean exactly that He is a reasonable Being, capable of determining the course of His life. At present many deny the personality of God and simply conceive of Him as an impersonal force or power. However, the God of the Bible is certainly a personal God, a God with whom men can converse, whom they can trust, who enters into their experiences, who helps them in their difficulties, and who fills their hearts with joy and gladness. Moreover, He revealed Himself in a personal form in Jesus Christ.
c. God is infinitely perfect. God is distinguished from all His
creatures by infinite perfection. His being and virtues are free
from all limitations and imperfections. He is not only boundless
and limitless, but also stands out above all His creatures in moral
perfection and in glorious majesty. The children of Israel sang of
the greatness of God after they passed through the Red Sea: "Who is
like unto Thee, Jehovah, among the gods? Who is like Thee,
glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?"
d. God and His perfections are one. Simplicity is one of the fundamental characteristics of God. This means that He is not composed of different parts, and also that His being and attributes are one. It may be said that God's perfections are God Himself as He has revealed Himself to man. They are simply so many manifestations of the divine Being. Hence the Bible says that God is truth, life, light, love, righteousness, and so on.
To memorize. Passages proving:
a. That God can be known:
b. That God is n Spirit:
c. That God is personal:
d. That God is infinite in perfection:
For Further Study:
a. Do not the following passages teach that we cannot know God?
b. If God is a spirit and has no body, how do you explain the
following passages?
C. How do the following passages testify to the personality of
God?
Questions for Review
1. In what sense is God knowable and in what sense
unknowable?
2. What is the difference between inborn and acquired knowledge of
God?
3. Is it possible to define God? How would you describe Him?
4. What is involved in God's spirituality?
5. What do we mean when we speak of God as a personality?
6. What proof have WE for the personality of God?
7. What do we mean when we speak of the infinity of God?
8. How are the being of God and His perfections related?
When God gives names to persons or things, they are names which
have meaning and give an insight into the nature of the persons or
things designated. This also applies to the names which God has
given Himself. Sometimes the Bible speaks of the name of God in the
singular, and in such cases the term is a designation of the
manifestation of God in general, especially in relation to His
people,
1. The Old Testament Names of God. Some of the Old Testament
names denote that God is the High and Exalted One. 'El and
'Elohim indicate that He is strong and mighty and should
therefore be feared, while 'Elyon points to His exalted
nature as the Most High, the object of reverence and worship.
Another name belonging to this class is 'Adonai, usually
rendered "Lord," the Possessor and Ruler of all men. Other names
express the fact that God enters into relations of friendship with
His creatures. One of these, common among the patriarchs, was the
name Shaddai or 'El-Shaddai, which indeed stresses
the divine greatness, but as a source of comfort and blessing for
His people. It indicates that God controls the powers of nature,
and makes them serve His purposes. The greatest name of God,
however, always held sacred by the Jews, is the name Jehovah
(Yahweh). Its origin and meaning is indicated in
2. The New Testament Names of God. The New Testament names are simply the Greek forms of those found in the Old Testament. The following deserve particular attention: a. The name Theos. This is simply the word for 'God,' and is the most common name employed in the New Testament. It is frequently found with a possessive genitive as 'my God,' 'thy God,' 'our God,' 'your God.' In Christ God is the God of each one of His children. The individual form takes the place of the national form, 'the God of Israel,' so common in the Old Testament.
b. The name Kurios. This is the word for 'Lord,' a name that is applied not only to God but also to Christ. It takes the place of both 'Adonai and Jehovah, though its meaning corresponds more particularly with that of 'Adonai. It designates God as the Possessor and Ruler of all things, and especially of His people.
c. The name Pater. It is often said that the New Testament
introduced this as a new name. But this is hardly correct, for the
name 'Father' is also found in the Old Testament to express the
special relation in which God stands to Israel,
To memorize. Passages bearing on:
a. The name of God in general:
b. Particular names:
For Further Study:
a. What light does
b. What name of God was rather common in the times of the
patriarchs?
c. Can you give some descriptive names of God?
Questions for Review
1. What does Scripture mean when it speaks of the name of God in the singular?
2. Are the special names of God of human origin?
3. What two kinds of names do we distinguish in the Old Testament?
4. What is the meaning of the names 'Elohim, Jehovah, 'Adonai, 'El Shaddai, and Kurios? 5. Is the name Father ever applied to God in the Old Testament? 6. In what different senses is this name used in the New Testaments?
God reveals Himself not only in His names, but also in His attributes, that is, in the perfections of the divine Being. It is customary to distinguish between incommunicable and communicable attributes. Of the former there are no traces in the creature; of the latter there are.
1. The Incommunicable Attributes. These emphasize the absolute distinction between God and the creature, and include the following:
a. The independence or self-existence of God. This means that
God has the ground of His existence in Himself, and unlike man,
does not depend on anything outside of Himself. He is independent
in His Being, in His virtues and actions, and causes all His
creatures to depend on Him. The idea is embodied in the name
Jehovah and finds expression in the following passages,
b. The immutability of God. Scripture teaches that God is
unchangeable. He is forever the same in His divine Being and
perfections, and also in His purposes and promises,
c. The infinity of God. This means that God is not subject. to
limitations. We can speak of His infinity in more than one sense.
Viewed in relation to His being, it may be called His absolute
perfection. He is unlimited in His knowledge and wisdom, in His
goodness and love, in His righteousness and holiness,
d. The simplicity of God. By ascribing simplicity to God we mean that He is not composed of various parts, such as the body and soul in man, and for that very reason is not subject to division. The three persons in the Godhead are not so many parts of which the divine essence is composed. The whole being of God belongs to each one of the Persons. Hence we can also say that God and His attributes are one, and that He is life, light, love, righteousness, truth, and so on.
2. The Communicable Attributes. These are the attributes of which we find some resemblance in man. It should be borne in mind, however, that what we see in man is only a finite (limited) and imperfect likeness of that which is infinite (unlimited) and perfect in God. Here we have:
a. The knowledge of God. This is that perfection of God whereby
He, in a manner all His own, knows Himself and all things possible
and actual. God has this knowledge in Himself, and does not obtain
it from without. It is always complete and always present in His
mind. And because it is all-comprehensive, it is called
omniscience. He knows all things, past, present and future, and not
only the things that have real existence, but also those which are
merely possible.
b. The wisdom of God. God's wisdom is an aspect of His
knowledge. It is the virtue of God which manifest itself in the
selection of worthy ends and in the choice of the best means for
the realization of those ends. The final end to which He makes all
things subservient is His own glory.
c. The goodness of God. God is good, that is, perfectly holy. in
Himself. But this is not the goodness we have in mind here. In this
connection we refer to the divine goodness that reveals itself in
doing well unto others. It is that perfection which prompts Him to
deal kindly and bounteously with all His creatures The Bible refers
to it repeatedly,
d. The love of God. This is often called the most central
attribute of God, but it is doubtful whether it should be regarded
as more central than the other perfections of God. In virtue of it
He delights in His own perfections and in man as the reflection of
His image. It may be considered from various points of view. The
unmerited love of God which reveals itself in pardoning sin is
called His grace,
e. The holiness of God. God's holiness is first of all that
divine perfection by which He is absolutely distinct from all His
creatures, and exalted above them in infinite majesty.
f. The righteousness of God. The righteousness of God is that
perfection by which He maintains Himself as the Holy One over
against every violation of His holiness. In virtue of it He
maintains a moral government in the world and imposes a just law on
man, rewarding obedience and punishing disobedience,
g. The veracity of God. This is that perfection of God in virtue
of which He is true in His inner being, in His revelation, and in
His relation to His people. He is the true God over against the
idols, knows things as they really are, and is faithful in the
fulfillment of His promises. From the last point of view this
attribute is also called God's faithfulness.
h. The sovereignty of God. This may be considered from two
different points of view, namely, His sovereign will, and His
sovereign power. The will of God is represented in Scripture as the
final cause of all things,
To memorize. Passages to prove God's:
a. Incommunicable attributes: Independence.
Immutability.
Eternity.
Omnipresence.
b. Communicable attributes:
Omniscience.
Wisdom,
Goodness.
Love.
Grace.
Mercy.
Longsuffering or forbearance.
Holiness. Ex, 15:11. "Who is like unto Thee, Jehovah, among
the gods? Who is like unto Thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in
praises, doing wonders?"
Righteousness or justice.
Veracity or faithfulness.
Sovereignty.
Secret and revealed will.
Omnipotence.
For Further Study:
a. Give instances in which the Bible identifies God and His
attributes,
b. How can God be just and gracious to the sinner at the same
time,
c. Prove from Scripture that God's foreknowledge includes
conditional events.
Questions for Review
1. How do we divide the attributes of God?
2. Which belong to each one of these classes?
8. What is the independence of God?
4. What is His immutability?
5. How can we explain the fact that the Bible apparently ascribes change to God?
6. What is God's eternity and immensity or omnipresence?
7. What is the simplicity of God, and how can we prove it?
8. What is the nature and extent of God's knowledge?
9. How is His wisdom related to His knowledge?
10. What is the goodness of God? Are any other names used for it?
11. Should we speak of love as more central in God than His other attributes?
12. How do we distinguish God's grace, mercy, and longsuffering?
13. What is the holiness of God?
14. In what does God reveal His righteousness?
15. What is included in the veracity of God?
16. What distinction do we apply to the will of God?
17. Do the secret and the revealed will of God ever conflict?
18. Does God's omnipotence imply that He can do everything?
1. Statement of the Doctrine. The Bible teaches that, while He exists in three Persons, called Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These are not three persons in the ordinary sense of the word; they are not three individuals, but rather three modes or forms in which the Divine Being exists. At the same time they are of such a nature that they can enter into personal relations. The Father can speak to the Son and vice versa, and both can send forth the Spirit. The real mystery of the Trinity consists in this that each one of the Persons possesses the whole of the divine essence, and that this has no existence outside of and apart from the Persons. The three are not subordinate in being the one to the other, though it may be said that in order of existence the Father is first, the Son second, and the Holy Spirit third, an order which is also reflected in their work.
2. Scripture Proof for the Trinity. The Old Testament contains
some indications of more than one Person in God. God speaks of
Himself in the plural,
Due to the progress of revelation, the New Testament contains
clearer proofs. The strongest proof is found in the facts of
redemption. The Father sends the Son into the world, and the Son
sends the Holy Spirit. Moreover, there are several passages in
which the three Persons are expressly mentioned, such as the great
commission,
This doctrine was denied by the Socinians in the days of the Reformation, and is rejected also by the Unitarians and the Modernists of our own day. If they speak of the Trinity at all, they represent it as consisting of the Father, the man Jesus, and a divine influence which is called the Spirit of God.
3. The Father. The name 'Father' is frequently applied in
Scripture to the triune God, as the creator of all things,
4. The Son. The second person in the Trinity is called 'Son' or
'Son of God.' He bears this name, however, not only as the only
begotten of the Father,
5. The Holy Spirit. Though Socinians, Unitarians, and present
day Modernists speak of the Holy Spirit merely as a power or an
influence of God, He clearly stands out on the pages of the Bible
as a Person,
To memorize. Passages to prove:
a. The Trinity:
b. Eternal generation:
e. Procession of the Holy Spirit:
For Further Study:
a. In what sense can we speak of a general Fatherhood of God?
b. Can you prove the deity of the incarnate Son?
c. How do the following passages prove the personality of the
Holy Spirit?
d. What works are ascribed to the Spirit in
Questions for
Review
1. Can we discover the doctrine of the Trinity from nature?
2. Are there three separate individuals in God?
3. Is one Person subordinate to another in God?
4. How can we prove the Trinity from the Old Testament?
5. What is the strongest proof for the Trinity?
6. What New Testament passages best prove it?
7. In what different senses is the name 'Father' applied to God?
8. What works are more particularly ascribed to each one of the Persons?
9. In what different senses is the name 'Son' applied to Christ?
10. What is the special characteristic of each Person?
11. How can you prove that the Holy Spirit is a Person?
1. The Divine Decrees in General. The decree of God is His eternal plan or purpose, in which He has foreordained all things that come to pass. Since it includes many particulars, we often speak of the divine decrees in the plural, though in reality there is but a single decree. It covers all the works of God in creation and redemption, and also embraces the actions of men, not excluding their sinful deeds. But while it rendered the entrance of sin into the world certain, it does not make God responsible for our sinful deeds. His decree with respect to sin is a permissive decree.
a. Characteristics of the decree. The decree of God is founded
in wisdom,
b. Objections to the doctrine of the decrees. Many do not
believe in the doctrine of the decrees, and raise especially three
objections. (1) It is inconsistent with, the moral freedom of man.
But the Bible clearly teaches not only that God has decreed the
free acts of man, but also that man is none to the less free and
responsible for his acts,
2. Predestination. Predestination is the plan or purpose of God respecting His moral creatures. It pertains to men, both good and bad, to angels and devils, and to Christ as the Mediator. Predestination includes two parts, namely, election and reprobation.
a. Election. The Bible speaks of election in more than one
sense, as (1) the election of Israel as the Old Testament people of
God,
b. Reprobation. The doctrine of election naturally implies that
God did not intend to save all. If He purposed to save some, He
naturally also purposed not to save others. This is also in harmony
with the teachings of Scripture,
It is sometimes said that the doctrine of predestination exposes
God to the charge of injustice. But this is hardly correct. We
could speak of injustice only if man had a claim on God, and God
owed man eternal salvation. But the situation is entirely different
if all men have forfeited the blessings of God, as they have. No
one has the right to call God to account for electing some and
rejecting others. He would have been perfectly just, if He had not
saved any,
To memorize. Passages pertaining to:
a. God's decree in general:
b. Predestination:
For Further Study.
a. Is foreknowledge the same as foreordination or
predestination?
b. How does the Bible indicate that Christ was also an object of
predestination?
c. What indications have we that the angels were also objects of
predestination?
Questions for Review
l. What is the divine decree? 2. Why do we sometimes speak of 'decrees' in the plural?
3. What are the characteristics of the decree?
4. What is the nature of God's decree respecting sin?
5. What objections are raised against the doctrine of the Decrees?
6. What can be said in answer to these?
7. How is predestination related to the decree in general?
8. Who are the objects of predestination?
9. How must we conceive of the predestination of the angels and of Christ?
10. In what different senses does the Bible speak of election?
11. What does reprobation include, and what proof is there for it?
12. Does the doctrine of predestination involve injustice on the part of God? If not, why not?
The discussion of the decrees naturally leads on to the study of their execution, which begins with the work of creation. This is the beginning and basis of all revelation, and also the foundation of all religious life.
1. Creation in General. The word creation is not always used in
the same sense in the Bible. In the strict sense of the word it
denotes that work of God by which He producers the world and all
that is in it, partly without the use of pre-existent materials,
and partly out of material that is by its nature unfit, for the
manifestation of His glory. It is represented as a work of the
triune God,
a. The time of creation. The Bible teaches us that God created
the world "in the beginning," that is, at the beginning of all
temporal things. Back of this beginning lies a timeless eternity.
The first part of the work of creation mentioned in
b. The final purpose of creation. Some find the final end or
purpose of creation in the happiness of man. They say that God
could not make Himself the final end, because He is sufficient unto
Himself. But it would seem to be self-evident that God does not
exist for man, but ma for God. The creature cannot be the final end
of creation. The Bible teaches us clearly that God created the
world for the manifestation of His glory. Naturally, the revelation
of the glory of God is not intended as an empty show to be admired
by the creature, but also aims at promoting their welfare and
attuning their hearts to the praise of the Creator.
c. Substitutes for the doctrine of creation. They who reject the doctrine of creation resort to one of three theories for the explanation of the world. (1) Some say that original matter is eternal, and out of it the world arose, either by mere chance, or by some higher directing force. But this is impossible, because you cannot have two eternals and therefore two infinites alongside of each other. (2) Others maintain that God and the world are essentially one, and that the world is a necessary issue (outflow) of the divine being. But this view robs God of His power of self-determination, and men of their freedom and of their moral and responsible character. It also makes God responsible for all the evil there is in the world. (3) Still others take refuge in the theory of evolution. But this is clearly a mistake, since evolution offers no explanation of the world. It already presupposes something that evolves.
2. The Spiritual World. God created not only a material but also a spiritual world, consisting of the angels.
a. Proof for the existence of angels. Modern liberal theology
has largely discarded the belief in such spiritual beings. The
Bible, however, assumes their existence throughout and ascribes to
them real personality,
b. Classes of angels. There are evidently different classes of
angels. The Bible speaks of cherubim, who reveal the power,
majesty, and glory of God, and guard His holiness in the garden of
Eden, in tabernacle and temple, and at the descent of God to the
earth.
Two angels are mentioned by name. The first of these is Gabriel,
c. Work of the angels. The angels are represented as praising
God continually,
d. Evil angels. Besides the good there are also evil angels, who
delight in opposing God and destroying His work. They were created
good, but did not retain their original position, II Pet. 2:4;
3. The Material World. In
a. The days of creation. The question is frequently debated,
whether the days of creation were ordinary days or not. Geologists
and evolutionists speak of them as long periods of time. Now the
word 'day' does not always denote a period of twenty-four hours in
the Scripture. Cf.
(a) The Hebrew word yom (day) primarily denotes an ordinary day,
and should be so understood unless the context demands another
interpretation. (b) The repeated mention of morning and evening
favors this interpretation. (c) It was evidently an ordinary day
which Jehovah set aside and hallowed as a day of rest. (d) In
b. Work of the six days. On the first day light was created, and by the separation of light and darkness day and night were constituted. This does not conflict with the idea that sun, moon, and stars were created on the fourth day, for these are not themselves light, but light-bearers. The work of the second day was also a work of separation, the separation of the waters above from the waters below by the establishment of the firmament. On the third day the work of separation is continued in the separation of the sea and the dry land. In addition to that the vegetable kingdom of plants and trees was established. By the word of His power God caused the earth to bring forth flowerless plants, vegetables, and fruit trees, each yielding seed after their kind. The fourth day brought the creation of sun, moon, and stars, to serve a variety of purposes: to divide day and night, to serve as signs of weather conditions, to determine the succession of the seasons and of days and years, and to function as lights for the earth. The work of the fifth day consisted in the creation of birds and fishes, the inhabitants of the air and of the water. Finally, the sixth day is marked by the climax of the work of creation. The higher classes of land animals were created, and the whole work was crowned by the creation of man in the image of God. His body was formed out of the dust of the earth, while his soul was an immediate creation of God. On the seventh day God rested from His creative labors and delighted in the contemplation of His work. c. The theory of evolution. Evolutionists want to substitute their view of the origin of things for the Scriptural doctrine. They believe that from the simplest forms of matter and life all existing species of plants and animals (including man), and also the various manifestations of life, such an intelligence, morality, and religion, developed by a perfectly natural process, purely as the result of natural forces. This is merely an assumption, however, and one that fails at several points. Moreover, it is in hopeless conflict with the narrative of creation as it is found in the Bible.
To memorize.
Passages bearing on:
a. The fact of creation:
b. The final end of creation:
To memorize.
Passages bearing on:
a. The fact of creation:
Gen: 1:1. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the
earth."
b. The final end of creation:
c. Angels:
d. Time of creation:
For Further Study:
a. In what sense is the word 'to create' used in
b. Do
c. Do the following passages tell us anything about the sin of
the angels? if so, what? II Pet. 2:4;
Questions for Review
1. What is creation?
2. Was creation a free or a necessary act of God?
3. Is the word 'create' always used in the same sense in Scripture? 4. Does the Bible prove creation out of nothing? Where?
5. What two views are there as to the final end of creation?
6. In what sense is the glory of God the final end?
7. What substitutes have been suggested for the doctrine of creation?
8. What is the nature of the angels?
9. What orders of angels are named in Scripture?
10. What is the function of Gabriel and Michael?
11. What is the work of the angels?
12. What proof have we for the existence of evil angels?
13. Were they created evil?
14. Were the days in Genesis ordinal days or long periods?
15. What did God create on each of the six days?
16. Is the theory of evolution consistent with the doctrine of creation?
17. Can you name some of the points on which they differ?
Since God not only created the world but also upholds it, we naturally pass from the doctrine of creation to that of divine providence. This may be defined as that work of God in which He preserves all His creatures, is active in all that happens in the world, and directs all things to their appointed end. It includes three elements, of which the first pertains primarily to the being, the second to the activity, and the third to the purpose of all things.
1. The Elements of Divine Providence. We distinguish three elements:
a. Divine preservation. This is that continuous work of God by
which He upholds all things. While the world has a distinct
existence and is not a part of God, it nevertheless has the ground
of its continued existence in God and not in itself. It endures
through a continued exercise of divine power by which all things
are maintained in being and action. This doctrine is taught in the
following passages:
b. Divine concurrence. This may be defined as that work of God
by which He co-operates with all His creatures and causes them to
act precisely as they do. It implies that there are real secondary
causes in the world, such as the powers of nature and the will of
man, and asserts that these do not work independently of God. God
works in every act of His creatures, not only in their good but
also in their evil acts. He stimulates them to action, accompanies
their action at every moment, and makes this action effective.
However, we should never think of God and man as equal causes; the
former is the primary, and the latter only a secondary cause.
Neither should we conceive of them as each doing a part of the work
like a team of horses. The same deed is in its entirety both a deed
of God and a deed of man. Moreover, we should guard against the
idea that this co-operation makes God responsible for man's sinful
deeds. This doctrine is based on Scripture,
c. Divine government. This is the continued activity of God
whereby He rules all things so that they answer to the purpose of
their existence. God is represented as King of the universe both in
the Old and in the New Testament. He adapts His rule to the nature
of the creatures which He governs; His government of the physical
world differs from that of the spiritual world. It is universal,
2. Misconceptions of Divine Providence. In the doctrine of providence we should guard against two misconceptions:
a. The Deistic conception. This is to the effect that God's concern with the world is of the most general nature. He created the world, established its laws, set it in motion, and then withdrew from it. He wound it up like a clock, and now lets it run off. It is only when something goes wrong that He interferes with its regular operation. God, is only a God afar off.
b. The Pantheistic conception. Pantheism does not recognize the distinction between God and the world. It identifies the two, and therefore leaves no room for providence in the proper sense of the word. There are, strictly speaking, no such things as secondary causes. God is the direct author of all that transpires in the world. Even the acts which we ascribe to man as really acts of God. God is only a God that is near, and not a God afar off.
3. Extraordinary Providences or Miracles. We distinguish between
general and special providences, and among the latter the miracles
occupy an important place. A miracle is a supernatural work of God,
that is a work which is accomplished without the mediation of
secondary causes. If God sometimes apparently uses secondary causes
in the production of miracles, He employs them in an unusual way,
so that the work Is after all supernatural. Some regard miracles as
impossible, because they involve a violation of the laws of nature.
But this is a mistake. The so-called laws of nature merely
represent God's usual method of working. And the fact that God
generally works according to a definite order does not mean that He
cannot depart from this order, and cannot without violating or
disturbing it bring about unusual results. Even man can lift up his
hand and throw a ball into the air in spite of the law of
gravitation and without in any way disturbing its operation.
Surely, this is not impossible for the omnipotent God. The miracles
of the Bible are means of revelation.
To memorize. Passages referring to:
a. Preservation:
b. Concurrence.
c. Government.
d. Miracles and their design:
For Further Study:
a. Name some examples of special providences. Cf.
b. How should belief in divine providence affect our cares?
c. Name some of the blessings of providence. Cf.
Questions for Review
1. How is the doctrine of providence related to that of creations?
2. What is divine providence?
3. What is the difference between general and special providence?
4. What are the objects of divine providence?
5. What are the three elements of providence, and how do they differ?
6. How must we conceive of the divine concurrence?
7. How far does the divine government extend?
8. What is a miracle, and what purpose do the scriptural miracles serve?
9. Why do some consider miracles impossible?
From the discussion of the doctrine of God we pass on to that of man, the crown of God's handiwork.
1. The Essential Elements of Human Nature. The usual view is
that man consists of two parts, body and soul. This is in harmony
with the self-consciousness of man, and is also borne out by a
study of Scripture, which speaks of man as consisting of "body and
soul,"
2. The Origin of the Soul in Each Individual. There are three views respecting the origin of the individual souls.
a. Pre-existentialism. Some advocated the idea that the souls of men existed in a previous state, and that something that happened then accounts for their present condition. A few found in this an explanation of the fact that man is born as a sinner. This view finds no favor now.
b. Traducianism. According to this View men derive their souls
as well as their bodies from their parents. This is the common view
in the Lutheran Church. Support for it is found in the fact that
nothing is said about the creation of Eve's soul, and that
descendants are said to be in the loins of their Fathers,
c. Creationism. This holds that each soul is a direct creation
of God, of which the time cannot be precisely determined. The soul
is supposed to be created pure, but to become sinful even before
birth by entering into that complex of sin by which humanity as a
whole is burdened. This view is common in Reformed circles. It is
favored by the fact that Scripture represents the body and the soul
of man as having different origins,
3. Man as the Image of God. The Bible teaches that man is
created in the image of God. According to
a. The Roman Catholic view:. Roman Catholics find the image of God in certain natural gifts with which man is endowed, such as the spirituality of the soul, the freedom of the will, and immortality. To these God added a supernatural gift, called original righteousness, to keep the lower nature in check. This is supposed to constitute man's likeness to God.
b. The Lutheran view. The Lutherans are not all agreed on this point, but the prevailing opinion is that the image of God consists only in those spiritual qualities with which man was endowed at creation, namely, true knowledge, righteousness, and holiness. These may be designated original righteousness. This view is too restricted.
c. The Reformed view. The Reformed distinguish between the
natural and the moral image of God. The former is the broader of
the two, and is generally said to consist in man's spiritual,
rational, moral, and immortal being. This was obscured but not lost
by sin. The latter is the image of God in the more restricted
sense, and consists in true knowledge, righteousness, and holiness.
This was lost by sin and is restored in Christ,
4. Man in the Covenant of Works. God at once entered into covenant relationship with man. This original covenant is called the covenant of works.
a. Scripture proof for the covenant of works. (1) Paul draws a
parallel between Adam and Christ in
b. The elements of the covenant of works. (1) The parties. A covenant is always a compact between two parties. In this case they are the triune God, the sovereign Lord of the universe, and Adam as the representative of the human race. Since these parties are very unequal, the covenant naturally partakes of the nature of an arrangement imposed on man. (2) The promise. The promise of the covenant was the promise of life in the highest sense, life raised above the possibility of death. This is what believers now receive through Christ, the last Adam. (3) The condition. The condition was that of absolute obedience. The positive command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was clearly a test of pure obedience. (4) The penalty. The penalty was death in the most inclusive sense of the word, physical, spiritual, and eternal. This consists not only in the separation of body and soul, but more fundamentally in the separation of the soul from God. (5) The sacrament(s). In all probability the tree of life was the only sacrament of this covenant,-- if it was indeed a sacrament. It seems to have been appointed as a symbol and seal of life.
c. The present validity of the covenant of works. Arminians hold
that this covenant was wholly set aside. But this is not correct.
The demand of perfect obedience still stands for those who do not
accept the righteousness of Christ.
To memorize. Passages bearing on:
a. The elements of human nature:
b. The creation of the soul:
c. Man's creation in the image of God:
d. Man in general even now tie image of God:
e. The restoration of the image of God in man:
f. The covenant of works:
For Further Study:
a. How would you explain the passages which seem to imply that
man consists of three elements,
b. Does man's dominion over the rest of creation also form part
of the image of God?
c. What indications of a covenant can you find in
Questions for Review
1. What is the usual view of the elements of human nature, and how can this be proved?
2. What other view is there, and what passages seem to support it?
3. What different views are there as to the origin of the soul?
4. What are the arguments for, and the objections to each one of these?
5. Do the words 'image' and likeness denote different things?
6. What is the Roman Catholic, the Lutheran, and the Reformed view of the image of God in man?
7. What distinction do the Reformed make, and why is it, important?
8. What Bible proof have we for the covenant of works?
9. Who are the parties in the covenants?
10. What is the promise, the condition, the penalty, and the sacrament of the covenants?
11. In what sense does this covenant still hold?
12. In what sense is it abolished?
1. The Origin of Sin. The Bible teaches us that sin entered the
world as the result of the transgression of Adam and Eve in
paradise. The first sin was occasioned by the temptation of Satan
in the form of a serpent, who sowed in man's heart the seeds of
distrust and unbelief. Scripture clearly indicates that the
serpent, who appears as the tempter in the story of the fall, was
but an instrument of Satan,
2. The Essential Nature of Sin. At present many substitute the
word 'evil' for 'sin,' but this is a poor substitute, for the word
'sin' is far more specific. It denotes a kind of evil, namely, a
moral evil for which man is responsible and which brings him under
a sentence of condemnation. The modern tendency is to regard it
merely as a wrong done to one's fellow-beings misses the point
entirely, for such a wrong can be called sin only in so far as it
is contrary to the will of God. Sin is correctly defined by
Scripture as "lawlessness,"
3. Sin in the Life of the Human Race. Three points deserve consideration here:
a. The connection between Adam's sin and that of his descendants. This has been explained in three different ways. (1) The earliest explanation is called the realistic theory, which is to the effect that God originally created one general human nature, which in course of time divided into as many parts as there are human individuals. Adam possessed the whole of this general human nature; and through his sin it became guilty and polluted. Naturally, every individual part of it shares this guilt and pollution. (2) In the days of the Reformation the representative theory came to the foreground. According to this view Adam stood in a twofold relation to his descendants: he was their natural head, and he was their representative as the head of the covenant. When he sinned as their representative, this sin was also imputed to them, and as a result they are all born in a corrupt state. This is our Reformed view. (3) A third theory, not as well known, is that of mediate imputation. It holds that the guilt of Adam's sin is not directly placed to our account. His corruption is passed on to his descendants, and this makes them personally guilty. They are not corrupt because they are guilty in Adam, but guilty because they are corrupt.
b. Original and Actual Sin. We distinguish between original and
actual sin. All men are born in a sinful state and condition, which
is called original sin, and is the root of all the actual sins that
are committed. (1) Original sin. This includes both guilt and
pollution. The guilt of Adam's sin is imputed to us. Because he
sinned as our representative, we are guilty in him. Moreover, we
also inherit his pollution, and now have a positive disposition
toward sin. Man is by nature totally depraved. This does not mean
that every man is as bad as he can be, but that sin has corrupted
every part of his nature and rendered him unable to do any
spiritual good. He may still do many praiseworthy things in
relation to his fellow-beings, but even his best works are
radically defective, because they are not prompted by love to God
nor done in obedience to God. This total depravity and inability is
denied by Pelagians, Arminians, and Modernists, but is clearly
taught in Scripture,
c. The Universality of Sin. Scripture and experience both teach us that sin is universal. Even the Pelagians do not deny this, though they ascribe it to external conditions, such as a bad environment, evil examples, and s wrong kind of education.
There are passages in which the Bible directly asserts the
universality of sin, such as
To memorize. Passages to prove:
a. That sin is guilt:
b. That sin is pollution:
c. That sin has its seat in the heart:
d. That Adam's guilt is imputed to us:
e. That man is totally depraved:
g. That sin is universal:
For Further Study:
a. Can you give some other scriptural names for sin?
b. Does the word 'evil' ever mean anything else than sin in
Scripture? If so, what? Cf.
c. Does the Bible explicitly teach that man is a sinner from
birth?
Questions for Review
1. What it the biblical view of the origin of sin?
2. What was the first sin, and what elements can be distinguished in it?
3. How would you prove that Satan was the real tempter?
4. What were the results of the first sin?
5. Do the words 'sin' and 'evil' mean the same Thing?
6. Where does sin have its seat in man?
7. Does sin consist only in outward acts?
8. What different views are there respecting the connection between Adam's sin and that of his descendants?
9. What is original sin, and how does actual sin differ from it?
10. How do you conceive of total depravity?
11. What proof is there for the universality of sin?
For the sake of clearness we distinguish between the covenant of redemption and the covenant of grace. The two are so closely related that they can be and sometimes are, considered as one. The former is the eternal foundation of the latter.
1. The Covenant of Redemption. This is also called "the counsel
of peace," a name derived from
a. The scriptural basis for it. It is clear that the plan of
redemption was included in God's eternal decree,
b. The Son in the covenant of redemption. Christ is not only the
Head but also the Surety of the covenant of redemption,
c. Requirements and promises in the covenant of redemption. (1)
The Father required of the Son that He should assume human nature
with its present infirmities, though without sin,
2. The Covenant of Grace. On the basis of the covenant of redemption God established the covenant of grace. Several particulars call for consideration here.
a. The contracting parties. God is the first party in the
covenant. He establishes the covenant and determines the relation
in which the second party will stand to Him. It is not so easy to
determine who the second party is. The prevailing opinion in
Reformed circles is that it is the elect sinner in Christ. We
should bear in mind, however, that the covenant may be viewed in
two different ways: (1) As an end in itself, a covenant of mutual
friendship or communion of life, which is realized in the course of
history through the operation of the Holy Spirit. It represents a
condition in which privileges are improved for spiritual ends, the
promises of God are embraced by a living faith, and the promised
blessings are fully realized. So conceived, it may be defined as
that gracious agreement between God and the elect sinner in Christ,
in which God gives Himself with all the blessings of salvation to
the elect sinner, and the latter embraces God and all His gracious
gifts by faith.
b. The promises and requirements of the covenant. Every covenant has two sides; it offers certain privileges and imposes certain obligations.
(1) The promises of the covenant. The main promise of the
covenant, which includes all others, is contained in the
oftrepeated words, "I will be a God unto thee and to thy seed after
thee,"
(2) The requirements of the covenant. The covenant of grace is not a covenant of works; it requires no work with a view to merit. However, it does contain requirements and imposes obligations on man. By meeting the demands of the covenant man earns nothing, but merely puts himself in the way in which God will communicate to him the promised blessings. Moreover, it should be borne in mind that even the requirements are covered by the promises: God gives man all that He requires of him. The two things which He demands of those who stand in covenant relationship to Him are (a) that they accept the covenant and the covenant promises by faith, and thus enter upon the life of the covenant; and (b) that from the principle of the new life born within them, they consecrate themselves to God in new obedience.
c. The characteristics of the covenant. The covenant of grace is
a gracious covenant, because it is a fruit and manifestation of the
grace of God to sinners. It is grace from start to finish. It is
also an eternal and inviolable covenant, to which God will always
be true, though men may break it. Even in its widest extent it
includes only a part of mankind, and is therefore particular. If
its New Testament dispensation is called universal, this is done
only in view of the fact that it is not limited to the Jews, as the
Old Testament dispensation was. This covenant is also characterized
by unity. It is essentially the same in all dispensations, though
the form of its administration changes. The essential promise is
the same,
d. Membership in the covenant. Adults can enter the covenant as
a purely legal arrangement only by faith. And when they so enter
it, they at the same time gain entrance into the covenant as a
communion of life. They therefore enter upon the full covenant life
at once. Children of believers, however, enter the covenant as a
legal arrangement by birth, but this does not necessarily mean that
they also at once enter it as a communion of life, nor even that
they will ever enter it in that sense. Yet the promise of God gives
a reasonable assurance that the covenant life will be realized in
them. As long as they do not manifest the contrary we may proceed
on the assumption that they possess the new life. When they grow
up, they must accept their covenant responsibilities voluntarily by
a true confession of faith. Failure to do this makes them covenant
breakers. From the preceding it follows that unregenerate persons
may temporarily be in the covenant as a purely legal relationship,
To memorize. Passages bearing on:
a. Thee parties of the covenant:
b. Its promises and requirements:
Cf.
c. Characteristics of the covenant:
Eternal.
Unity.
Testamentary.
d. The Mediator of the covenant:
For Further Study:
a. Can you name some special covenants mentioned in the Bible?
b. Can you name instances of covenant breaking?
c. Did the giving of the law change the covenant essentially?
Questions for Review
1. What is the covenant of redemption? By what other name is it known, and how is it related to the covenant of grace?
2. What scriptural evidence is there for it?
3. What is the official position of Christ in this covenants?
4. Was it for Christ a covenant of grace or a covenant of works.?
5. Whom does Christ represent in this covenant?
6. What did the Father require of Christ, and what did He promise Him?
7. What distinction do we apply to the covenant of grace?
8. How does this affect the question, who is the second party in the covenant?
9. What is the all-embracing promise of the covenant?
10. What does God require of those who are in the covenant?
11. What are the characteristics of the covenant?
12. In what sense is the covenant unbreakable, and in what sense breakable?
13. How can you prove the unity of the covenants?
14. In what sense is it conditional, and in what sense unconditional?
15. Why can it be called a testament?
16. Where do we find the first revelation of the covenant?
17. What was the nature of the covenant with Noah?
18. How did the covenant with, Abraham and the Sinaitic covenant differ?
19. What characterized the New Testament dispensation of the covenants?
20. What is the position of Christ in the covenant of grace?
21. How can adults become covenant members?
22. How do children of believers enter the covenant?
23. What is expected of them?
24. Can unregenerate persons be members of the covenants?
1.The Names of Christ. The most important names of Christ are
the following: a. Jesus. This is the Greek form of the Hebrew
Joshua,
b. Christ. This is the New Testament form for the Old Testament
'Messiah,' which means 'the anointed one.' According to the Old
Testament, prophets,
c. Son of Man. This name, as applied to Christ, was derived from
d. Son of God. Christ is called 'the Son of God' in more than
one sense. He is so called, because He is the second Person of the
Trinity, and therefore Himself God,
e. Lord. Jesus' contemporaries sometimes applied this name to
Jesus as a form of polite address, just as we use the word 'sir.'
It is especially after the resurrection of Christ that the name
acquires a deeper meaning. In some passages it designates Christ as
the Owner and Ruler of the Church,
2. The Natures of Christ. The Bible represents Christ as a
Person having two natures, the one divine and the other human. This
is the great mystery of godliness, God manifested in the flesh,
a. The two natures. Since many in our day deny the deity of
Christ, it is necessary to stress the Scripture proof for it. Some
old Testament passages clearly point to it, Such as
b. The two natures united in one Person. Christ has a human
nature, but He is not a human person. The Person of the Mediator is
the unchangeable Son of God. In the incarnation He did not change
into a human person; neither did He adopt a human person. He simply
assumed, in addition to His divine nature, a human nature, which
did not develop into an independent personality, but became
personal in the Person of the Son of God. After this assumption of
human nature the Person of the Mediator is not only divine but
divine-human; He is the God-man, possessing all the essential
qualities of both the human and the divine nature. He has both a
divine and a human consciousness, as well as a human and a divine
will. This is a mystery which we cannot fathom. Scripture clearly
points to the unity of the Person of Christ. It is always the same
Person who speaks, whether the mind that finds utterance be human
or divine,
c. Some of the most important errors concerning this doctrine. The Alogi and the Ebionites denied the deity of Christ in the early Church. This denial was shared by the Socinians of the days of the Reformation, and by the Unitarians and Modernists of our day. In the early Church Arius failed to do justice to the full deity of Christ and regarded Him as a demi-God, while Apollinaris did not recognize His full humanity, but held that the divine Logos took the place of the human spirit in Christ. The Nestorians denied the unity of the two natures in one Person, and the Eutychians failed to distinguish properly between the two natures.
To memorize. Passages to prove:
a. The deity of Christ.
b. The humanity of Christ.
e. The unity of the Person.
I Cor.2:8. "Which none of the rulers of this world hath known: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."
For Further Study:
a. In what respect was Joshua the son of Nun a type of Christ;
and in what respect Joshua the son of Jehozadak?
b. What do the following passages teach us respecting the
anointing of Christ?
Questions for Review
1. Which are the most important names of Christ? What is the meaning of each?
2. What elements are included in Christ's anointing? When did it take place?
3. Whence is the name 'Son of Man' derived' What does the name express?
4. In what sense is the name 'Son of God' applied to Christ?
5. What different meanings has the name 'Lord' as applied to Christ?
6. What Bible proof is there for the deity and humanity of Christ?
7. What is the nature of the Person of Christ, divine, human, or divine-human?
8. How can the unity of the Person of Christ be proved from Scripture.?
9. What are the main errors respecting the Person of Christ?
We often use the words 'state' and 'condition' interchangeably. When we speak of the states of Christ, however, we use the word 'state' in a more specific sense, to denote the relation in which He stood and stands to the law. In the days of His humiliation He was a servant under the law; in His exaltation He is Lord, and as such above the law. Naturally these two states carried with them corresponding conditions of life, and these are discussed as the various stages of these states.
1. The State of Humiliation. The state of humiliation consists
in this that Christ laid aside the divine majesty which was His as
the sovereign Ruler of the universe, and assumed human nature in
the form of a servant; that He, the supreme Lawgiver, became
subject to the demands and curse of the law.
b. The sufferings of Christ. We sometimes speak as if the
sufferings of Christ were limited to His final agonies, but this is
not correct. His whole life was a life of suffering. It was the
servant life of the Lord of Hosts, the life of the sinless One in a
sin-cursed world. Satan assaulted Him, His people rejected Him, and
His enemies persecuted Him. The sufferings of the soul were even
more intense than those of the body. He was tempted by the devil,
was oppressed by the world of iniquity round about Him, and
staggered by the burden of sin resting upon Him,-- "a man of
sorrows, and acquainted with grief."
c. The death, of Christ. When we speak of the death of Christ,
we naturally have in mind His physical death. He did not die as the
result of an accident, nor by the hand of an assassin, but under a
judicial sentence, and was thus counted with the transgressors,
e. The descent into hades. The words of the Apostolic
Confession, "He descended into hades," are variously interpreted.
Roman Catholics say that He went down into the Limbus Patrum, where
the Old Testament saints were confined, to release them; and the
Lutherans that, between His death and resurrection, He went down to
hell to preach and to celebrate his victory over the powers of
darkness. In all probability it is a figurative expression to
denote (1) that He suffered the pangs of hell in the garden and on
the cross, and (2) that He entered the deepest humiliation of the
state of death,
2. The State of Exaltation. In the state of exaltation Christ passed from under the law as a covenant obligation, having paid the penalty of sin and merited righteousness and eternal life for the sinner. Moreover, He was crowned with a corresponding honor and glory. Four stages must be distinguished here.
a. The resurrection. The resurrection of Christ did not consist
in the mere re-union of body and soul, but especially in this that
in Him human nature, both body and soul, was restored to its
original beauty and strength, and even raised to a higher level. In
distinction from all those who had been raised up before Him He
arose with a spiritual body,
b. The ascension. The ascension was in a sense the necessary
completion of the resurrection, but it also had independent
significance. We have a double account of it, namely, in
c. The session at God's right hand. After His ascension Christ
is seated at the right hand of God,
d. The physical return. The exaltation of Christ reaches its
climax, when He returns to judge the living and the dead. Evidently
His return will be bodily and visible,
a. The state of humiliation:
b. The incarnation:
c. The virgin birth:
d. The descent into hades:
e. The resurrection:
f. The ascension:
g. The session:
h. The return:
For Further Study:
a. What does the Old Testament tell us about the humiliation of
Christ in the following passages:
b. What was the special value of Christ's temptations for us?
c. How do the following passages prove that heaven is a place
rather than a condition?
Questions for Review
1. What is meant by the states of the Mediator?
2. How would you define the states of humiliation and exaltation?
3. What took place at the incarnation?
4. How did Christ receive His human nature?
5. What proof have we for the virgin birth?
6. How was the Holy Spirit connected with the birth, of Christ?
7. Were the sufferings of Christ limited to the end of His life?
8. Did it make any difference how Christ died?
9. What different views are there respecting the descent into hades?
10. What was the nature of Christ's resurrection? What change did He undergo?
11. What was the significance of the resurrection?
12. How would you prove that the ascension was a going from place to place?
13. What is its significance, and how do Lutherans conceive of it?
14. What is meant by the session at God's right hand? What does Christ do there?
15. How will Christ return, and what is the purpose of His coming?
The Bible ascribes a threefold office to Christ, speaking of Him as Prophet, Priest, and King.
1. The Prophetic Office. The Old Testament predicted the coming
of Christ as a prophet,
2. The Priestly Office. The Old Testament also predicted and
prefigured the priesthood of the coming Redeemer,
The priestly work of Christ was, first of all, to bring a
sacrifice for sin. The Old Testament sacrifices were types pointing
forward to the great sacrifice of Christ,
Besides bringing the great sacrifice for sins, Christ as priest
also makes intercession for His people. He is called our
parakletos by implication in
3. The Kingly Office. As Son of God Christ naturally shares in the universal dominion of God. In distinction from this we speak of a kingship that was conferred on Him as Mediator This kingship is twofold, namely, His spiritual kingship over the Church, and His kingship over the universe.
a. His spiritual kingship. The Bible speaks of this in many
places,
b. His universal kingship, After the resurrection Christ said to
His disciples: "All authority hath been given unto Me in heaven and
on earth."
a. Christ as prophet:
b. Christ as priest:
c. His characteristics as priest:
d. His sacrificial work:
e. His intercessory work:
f. Christ as King of Zion:
g. Christ as king of the universe:
For Further Study:
a. What do the following passages tell us respecting the nature of
the prophetic work?
b. What Old Testament types of Christ are indicated in the
following passages:
c. What do the following passages teach us respecting the
kingdom of God?
Questions for Review
1. What threefold office has Christ?
2. What is a prophet, and what proof is there that Christ is a prophet?
3. How did Christ function as prophet in various periods of history?
4. What is a priest in distinction from a prophet? How did their teaching differ?
5. What Scriptural proof is there for the priestly character of Christ?
6. What are the characteristics of a priest?
7. What was the nature of Christ's sacrificial work? How was it foreshadowed in the Old Testaments?
8. In what does the work of Christ as intercessor consist?
9. For whom does Christ intercede?
10. What is the spiritual kingship of Christ, and over what realm does it extend?
11. How is the present kingdom of Christ related to His future kingdom?
12. How long will His spiritual kingship lasts?
13. What is the nature and purpose of His universal kingdoms?
14. How long will this last?
There is one part of Christ's priestly work that calls for further consideration, namely, the atonement.
1. The Moving Cause and Necessity of the Atonement. It is
sometimes represented as if the moving cause of the atonement lay
in Christ's sympathy for sinners. God in His anger, it is said, was
bent on the sinner's destruction, but the loving Christ steps in
between and saves the sinner. Christ receives all the glory, and
the Father is robbed of His honour. The Bible teaches us that the
atonement finds its moving cause in the good pleasure of God,
2. The Nature of the Atonement. The following particulars should be noted here:
a. It served to render satisfaction to God. It is often said that the atonement served primarily, if not exclusively, to influence the sinner, to awaken repentance in his heart, and thus to bring him back to God. But this is clearly wrong, for if a person offends another, amends should be made, not to the offender, but to the offended party. This means that the primary purpose of the atonement was to reconcile God to the sinner. The reconciliation of the sinner to God may be regarded as its secondary purpose.
b. It was a vicarious atonement. God might have demanded a
personal atonement of the sinner, but the latter would not have
been able to render it. In view of this fact God graciously
ordained that Christ should take the place of man as his vicar or
substitute. Christ as our vicar atoned for the sin of mankind by
bearing the penalty of sin and meeting the demands of the law, and
thus wrought an eternal redemption for man. For that reason we
speak of the atonement as a vicarious atonement. The offended party
Himself made provision for the atonement in this case. The Old
Testament sacrifices prefigured the atoning work of Christ,
c. It included Christ's active and passive obedience. It is
customary to distinguish a twofold obedience of Christ. His active
obedience consists in all that He did to observe the law in behalf
of sinners, as a condition for obtaining eternal life; and His
passive obedience in all that He suffered in paying the penalty of
sin and discharging the debt of His people. But while we
distinguish these two, we should never separate them. Christ was
active also in His suffering, and passive also in His submission to
the law. Scripture teaches us that He paid the penalty of the law,
To memorize. Passages bearing on:
a. The cause of the atonement.
b. Vicarious atonement.
c. Active obedience and the gift of eternal life.
For Further Study:
a. What is the difference between atonement and reconciliation?
b. How do the following passages prove the vicarious nature of
Old Testament sacrifices?
c. Does
Questions for Review
1. What was the moving cause of the atonement?
2. Why was the atonement necessary?
3. What was the primary purpose of the atonement?
4. What is the difference between personal and vicarious atonement?
5. How was Christ's vicarious atonement prefigured in the Old Testament?
6. What Scripture proof is there for it?
7. What is the difference between the active and passive obedience of Christ?
8. What did each one of these effect?
9. What difference of opinion is there respecting the extent of the atonement?
10. What is meant by universal atonement, and who teach it?
11. What is limited atonement, and what Scripture proof is there for it?
12. What objections are raised against this, and how can they be answered?
Chapter XVIII: The Common Operation of the Holy Spirit: Common Grace
The study of the work of redemption wrought by Christ is naturally followed by a discussion of the application of this redemption to the hearts and lives of sinners by the special operation of thy Holy Spirit. Before taking this up a brief chapter will be devoted to the general operations of the Holy Spirit, as these are seen in common grace.
1. Nature of Common Grace. When we speak of common grace, we have in mind either (a) those general operations of the Holy Spirit whereby He, without renewing the heart, exercises such a moral influence on man that sin is restrained, order is maintained in social life, and civil righteousness is promoted; or (b) those general blessings which God imparts to all men without any distinction as He sees fit. In distinction from the Arminians we maintain that common grace does not enable the sinner to perform any spiritual good, nor to turn to God in faith and repentance. It can be resisted by man, and is always more or less resisted, and at best affects only the externals of social, civil, moral, and religious life. While Christ died for the purpose of saving only the elect, nevertheless the whole human race, including the impenitent and the reprobate, derive great benefits from His death. The blessings of common grace may be regarded as indirect results of the atoning work of Christ.
2. Means of Common Grace. Several means may be distinguished: (a) The most important of these is the light of God's general revelation. Without this all other means would be impossible and ineffective. It lightens every man, and serves to guide the conscience of the natural man. (b) Human governments also serve this purpose. According to our Confession they are instituted to curb evil tendencies, and to promote good order and decency. (c) Public opinion is another important means wherever it is in harmony with the law of God. It has a tremendous influence on the conduct of men who are very sensitive to the judgment of public opinion. (d) Finally, divine punishments and rewards also serve to encourage moral goodness in the world. The punishments often check the sinful deeds of men, and the rewards spur them on to do what is good and right.
3. The Effects of Common Grace. The following effects may be
ascribed to the operation of common grace: (a) The execution of the
sentence of death on man is deferred. God did not at once fully
execute the sentence of death on the sinner, and does not do so
now, but gives him time for repentance,
To memorize. Passages proving:
a. A general striving of the Spirit with men:
b. Restraint of sin:
c. Good works on the part of unregenerate:
d. Unmerited blessings on all men:
For Further Study:
a. Which are the three points emphasized by our Church as to common grace?
b. How do
c. How do
Questions for Review
1. What is common grace?
2. What is our view in distinction from the Arminian?
3. Does common grace have any spiritual and saving effect?
4. Is it in any way connected with the redemptive work of Christ?
5. By what means does common grace work?
6. What are the effects of common grace?
1. Calling. Calling in general may be defined as that gracious act of God whereby He invites sinners to accept the salvation that is offered in Christ Jesus.
It may be either external or internal.
a. External calling. The Bible speaks of this or refers to it in
several passages,
b. Internal calling. While we distinguish two aspects of the
calling of God, this calling is really one. The internal call is
really the external call made effective by the operation of the
Holy Spirit. It always comes to the sinner through the Word of God,
savingly applied by the operation of the Holy Spirit,
a. Its nature. The word 'regeneration' is not always used in the
same sense. Our Confession uses it in a broad sense, as including
even conversion. At present it has a more restricted meaning. In
the most restricted sense it denotes that act of God by which the
principle of the new life is implanted in man, and the governing
disposition of the soul is made holy. In a slightly more
comprehensive sense it designates, in addition to the preceding,
the new birth or the first manifestation of the new life. It is a
fundamental change in the principle of life and the governing
disposition of the soul, and therefore affects the whole man,
b. Its author. God is the author of regeneration. Scripture
represents it as the work of the Holy Spirit,
c. Its necessity and place in the order of salvation. Scripture
leaves no doubt as to the absolute necessity of regeneration, but
asserts this in the clearest terms,
To memorize. Passages proving:
a External calling:
b. Calling of the reprobate:
Confer also the parables in
c. Seriousness of this calling:
d. The necessity of regeneration:
e. Regeneration and the Word.
For Further Study:
a. Is calling a work of one Person of the Trinity or of all
three?
b. Is the word 'regeneration' used in the Bible?
c. Does
Questions for Review
1. What do we mean by calling? 2. How do external and internal calling differ? 3. What elements are included in external calling? 4. In what sense is it universals? 5. What purpose does it serve? 6. How is the internal related to the external calling? 7. Are we conscious of it? 8. To what end is it directed? 9. What different meanings has the word 'regeneration'? 10. What is it in the most restricted sense? 11. What is the nature of the change wrought in regeneration? 12. Is regeneration a work of God alone or of God and man? 13. Is the Word used as an instrument in regeneration? 14. Is regeneration absolutely necessary? Proof. 15. What is the order of calling and regeneration?
When the change wrought in regeneration begins to manifest itself in the conscious life, we speak of conversion.
1. Conversion in General. The Bible does not always speak of
conversion in the same sense. The conversion we have in mind here
may be defined as that act of God whereby He causes the
regenerated, in their conscious life, to turn to Him in faith and
repentance. From this definition it already appears that God is the
author of conversion. This is clearly taught in Scripture,
2. Repentance, the Negative Element of Conversion. Repentance
looks to the past, and may be defined as that change wrought in the
conscious life of the sinner by which he turns away from sin. It
includes three elements, namely, (a) an intellectual element, in
which the past life is viewed as a life of sin, involving personal
guilt, defilement, and helplessness; (b) an emotional element, a
sense of sorrow for sin as committed against a holy and just God;
and (c) an element of the will, consisting in a change of purpose,
an inward turning from sin and a disposition to seek pardon and
cleansing.
3. Faith, the Positive Element of Conversion. In distinction from repentance, faith has a forward look.
a. Different kinds of faith. The Bible does not always speak of
faith in the same sense. It refers to a historical faith,
consisting in an intellectual acceptance of the truth of Scripture
without any real moral or spiritual response. Such a faith does not
take the truth seriously and shows no real interest in it.
b. The elements of faith. We distinguish three elements in true
saving faith. (1) An intellectual element. There is a positive
recognition of the truth revealed in the Word of God, a spiritual
insight which finds response in the heart of the sinner. It is an
absolutely certain knowledge, based on the promises of God. While
it need not be comprehensive, it should be sufficient to give the
believer some idea of the fundamental truths of the gospel. (2) An
emotional element (assent). This is not mentioned separately by the
Heidelberg Catechism, because it is virtually included in the
knowledge of saving faith. It is characteristic of this knowledge
that it carries with it a strong conviction of the importance of
its object, and this is assent. The truth grips the soul. (3) An
element of the will (trust). This is the crowning element of saving
faith. It is a personal trust in Christ as Saviour and Lord, which
includes a surrender of the soul as guilty and defiled to Christ,
and a reliance on Him as the source of pardon and spiritual life.
In the last analysis the object of saving faith is Jesus Christ and
the promise of salvation in Him.
c. The assurance of faith. Methodists maintain that he who
believes is at once sure that he is a child of God, but that this
does not mean that he is also certain of ultimate salvation, since
he may fall from grace. The correct view is that true faith
including, as it does, trust in God, naturally carries with it a
sense of safety and security, though this may vary in degree. This
assurance is not the permanent conscious possession of the
believer, He does not ever live the full-orbed life of faith, and
as a result is not always conscious of his spiritual riches. He may
be swayed by doubts and uncertainties, and is therefore urged to
cultivate assurance,
To memorize. Passages showing:
a. That God is the author of conversion:
b. That man co-operates in conversion:
c. The necessity of conversion:
d. Historical faith:
e. temporal faith:
f. Miraculous faith:
g. Christ as the object of easing faith:
h. The necessity of cultivating assurance:
II Pet. 1:10. "Wherefore, brethren, give the more diligence to make your calling and election sure."
For Further Study:
a. What kind of repentance is mentioned in
b. Can you name biblical persons in whose lives conversion in
the sense of an outstanding crisis could hardly be expected? Cf.
c. Can you name some of the great words of assurance found in
the Bible? Cf.
Questions for Review
l. In how many different senses does the Bible speak of conversion?
2, How do temporary and repeated conversion differ?
8. What is true conversions? What elements does it include?
4. What elements are included in repentance?
5. How do the Roman Catholics conceive of repentance?
6. How does conversion differ from regeneration?
7. Who is the author of conversion? Does man co-operate in it?
8. Is conversion as a sharp crisis always necessary?
9. Of how many different kinds of faith does the Bible speak?
10. What is characteristic of historical, temporal, and miraculous faith?
11. How does temporal faith differ from saving faith?
12. What elements are included in faith? How much knowledge is needed?
13. What is the crowning element of saving faith?
14. Who is the object of saving faith?
15. Does the Christian always have the assurance of salvation?
16. How can he cultivate this assurance?
1. The Nature and Elements of Justification, Justification may
be defined as that legal act of God by which He declares the sinner
righteous on the basis of the perfect righteousness of Jesus
Christ. It is not an act or process of renewal, such as
regeneration, conversion, or sanctification, and does not affect
the condition but the-state of the sinner. It differs from
sanctification in several particulars. Justification takes place
outside of the sinner in the tribunal of God, removes the guilt of
sin, and is an act which is complete at once and for all time;
while sanctification takes place in man, removes the pollution of
sin, and is a continuous and lifelong process. We distinguish two
elements in justification, namely: (a) The forgiveness of sins on
the basis of the righteousness of Jesus Christ. The pardon granted
applies to all sins, past, present, and future, and therefore does
not admit of repetition,
2. The Time of Justification. The word 'justification' is not
always used in the same sense. Some even speak of a fourfold
justification: a justification from eternity, a justification in
the resurrection of Christ, a justification by faith, and a public
justification in the final judgment. In explanation of this it may
be said that in an ideal sense the righteousness of Christ is
already accounted to believers in the counsel of redemption, and
therefore from eternity, but this is not what the Bible means when
it speaks of the justification of the sinner. We must distinguish
between what was decreed in the eternal counsel of God and what is
realized in the course of history. Again, there is some reason for
speaking of a justification in the resurrection of Christ. In a
sense it may be said that the resurrection was the justification of
Christ, and that in Him the whole body of believers was justified.
But this was a general and purely objective transaction, which
should not be confused with the personal justification of the
sinner. When the Bible speaks of the justification of the sinner,
it usually refers to the subjective and personal application and
appropriation of the justifying grace of God. The usual
representation is that we are justified by faith. This implies that
it takes place at the time when we accept Christ by faith. Faith is
called the instrument or the appropriating organ of justification.
By faith man appropriates, that is, takes unto himself, the
righteousness of Christ, on the basis of which he is justified
before God. Faith justifies in so far as it takes possession of
Christ.
3. Objections to the Doctrine of Justification. Various
objections are raised to this doctrine. It is said that, if man is
justified on the basis of the merits of Christ, he is not saved by
grace. But justification, with all that it includes, is a gracious
work of God. The gift of Christ, God's reckoning of His
righteousness to us, and His dealing with sinners as righteous,--
it is all grace from start to finish. Again, it is said to be
unworthy of God to declare sinners righteous. But God does not
declare that they are righteous in themselves, but that they are
clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ. And, finally, it is
said that this doctrine is apt to make people indifferent as to
their moral life. If they are justified apart from any
consideration of works, why should they care for personal piety?
But justification lays the foundation for a living relationship
with Christ, and this is the surest guarantee for a truly godly
life. The man who is really in living union with Christ cannot be
morally indifferent.
To memorize. Passages speaking of:
a. Justification in general:
b. Justification by faith, not by works:
c. Justification and the forgiveness of sins:
d. Adoption of children, heirs of eternal life:
e. Justification based on the righteousness of Christ:
For Further Study:
a. What fruits of justification are mentioned in
b. Does not James teach that man is justified by works?
c. With what objection to the doctrine of justification does Paul
deal in
Questions for Review
1. What is justification?
2. How does it differ from sanctification?
3. What elements does it comprise?
4. In how far are sins forgiven in justification?
5. Why must believers still pray for forgiveness?
6. What is included in the adoption of children?
7. Can we speak of justification from eternity and in the resurrection of Christ?
8. How is faith related to justification?
9. What is the ground of justification? What is the Arminian view?
10. What objections are raised to this doctrine? Can you answer them?
The doctrine of justification naturally leads on to that of sanctification. The state of justification calls for a life of sanctification, consecrated to the service of God.
1. Nature and Characteristics of Sanctification. Sanctification
may be defined as that gracious and continuous operation of the
Holy Spirit by which, He purifies the sinner, renews his whole
nature in the image of God, and enables him to perform good works.
It differs from justification in that it takes place in the inner
life of man, is not a legal but a recreative act, is usually a
lengthy process, and never reaches perfection in this life. While
it is very decidedly a supernatural work of God, the believer can
and should co-operate in it by a diligent use of the means which
God has placed at his disposal,
2. The Imperfect Character of Sanctification in This Life. While
sanctification affects every part of man, yet the spiritual
development of believers remains imperfect in this life. They must
contend with sin as long as they live,
3. Sanctification and Good Works. Sanctification naturally leads
to a life of good works. These may be called the fruits of
sanctification. Good works are not perfect works, but works that
spring from the principle of love to God or faith in Him,
4. Perseverance of the Saints. The expression 'perseverance of
the saints' naturally suggests a continuous activity of believers
whereby they persevere in the way of salvation. As a matter of
fact, however, the perseverance referred to is less an activity of
believers than a work of God, in which believers must participate.
Strictly speaking, the assurance of man's salvation lies in the
fact that God perseveres. Perseverance may be defined as that
continuous operation of the Holy Spirit in the believer, by which
the work of divine grace that is begun in the heart, is continued
and brought to completion. This doctrine is clearly taught in
Scripture,
To memorize: Passages to prove:
For Further Study:
a. Can you infer anything from the following passages as to the
time of complete sanctification?
b. What parts of man does sanctification affect according to
Questions for Review
1. What is sanctification, and how does it differ from justification?
2. Is it a work of God or of man?
3. Of what two parts does sanctification consists?
4. What proof is there that it is incomplete in this life?
5. Who deny this and on what ground? How can you answer them?
6. What are good works in the strict sense of the word?
7. In how far can the unregenerate perform good works?
8. Are good works meritorious or not? Are we not taught that they are rewarded?
9. 1n what sense are good works necessary?
10. What is meant by the perseverance of the saints?
11. How can this doctrine be proved?
Genesis
1:1 1:1 1:1 1:1 1:1 1:1 1:1 1:2 1:2 1:3 1:5 1:11 1:12 1:20 1:21 1:24 1:25 1:26 1:26 1:26 1:26 1:27 1:27 1:27 1:28 2 2:4 2:9 3 3:3 3:15 3:15 3:15 3:19 3:19 3:24 4:4-8 5:1 6:3 6:3 6:3 6:9 9:6 9:6 9:6 9:6 11:7 12:1-8 15:6 15:17 16:7-13 16:13 16:13 17:1 17:7 17:7 17:7 17:19 18:1-21 18:14 18:22-33 19:1 19:1-22 19:13 20:6 20:6 25:32 28:3 28:10 31:7 31:7 31:11 31:11 31:13 31:44 32:28 35:11 35:18 43:14 46:26 48:38 49:25 50:19 50:20 50:20 50:20 50:20
Exodus
3:2-22 3:14 3:15 5:19 6:3 6:3 7:1 7:1 8:2 8:13-16 10:1 10:2 15:11 15:11 15:11 16:11 19:5 19:5 19:5 19:6 19:6 20:5 20:7 20:7 20:9-11 20:11 23:7 23:20-23 23:20-23 25:18 28:3 29:7 32:1-14 32:14 33:9
Leviticus
1:4 1:4 3 3:2 4 4:15 4:20 4:31 4:35 5:10 5:16 6:1 6:7 6:24 7:22 7:28 16:21 16:22 17:11 18:5
Numbers
12:6 12:6-8 12:6-8 14 14:18 16 16:22 16:28 23:19 23:19 23:19 23:19 23:19 27:21 33:2
Deuteronomy
1:34 1:35 2:7 4:18 4:37 5:4 6:2 7:6-8 7:9 8:3 8:18 8:18 10:12 10:12 10:15 10:18 18:5 18:15 18:18 18:18 18:18 21:23 29:1 29:29 29:29 30:12 32:6 32:6 32:33 33:28
Joshua
Judges
1 Samuel
2:12 10:24 15:22 15:22 15:29 18:3 23:10-13
2 Samuel
1 Kings
8:5-9 8:23-26 8:27 8:29 8:46 8:46 8:46 11:41 14:29 15:14 17:6 17:16 17:21 19:12 19:16
2 Kings
3 4:6 5:15 6:33 10:29 10:29 10:30 10:30 10:30 12:2 12:2 13:19 14 14:3 18:3-7 19:14-19 19:85 22:16
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Job
1:8 1:12 2:6 9:3 9:20 11:7 11:7-10 11:10 14:4 14:4 14:5 15:5 19:25-27 26:13 26:13 26:14 28:13 28:14 33:9 33:13 34:10 36:26 38:1 38:1 38:4 42:2
Psalms
2:2 2:6 2:6 2:7 2:7 2:7 2:7 2:7-9 3:7 4:6 5:5 5:6 8:1 8:1 8:6-8 16:8-10 16:8-11 16:10 16:10 16:11 17:2 18:6 18:8 18:9 18:10 19:1 19:1 19:1 19:2 19:2 19:2 19:7 20:21 21:7 22:6-20 22:27 25:7 25:10 25:14 25:14 31:5 32:1 32:1 32:2 32:2 32:5 32:5 33:6 33:6 33:6 33:6 33:9 33:11 33:11 33:11 36:6 36:6 37 37:28 39:4 39:36 40:7 40:7-10 40:8 40:8 41:8 44:3 45:6 45:7 47:8 48:10 48:18 50:6 50:16 51:1 51:1 51:2 51:5 51:5 51:10 55:15 61:10 69:7-9 72:17 72:17 72:18 73:24-26 78:14 78:35 78:36 78:70 80:1 81:13-15 81:13-16 86:5 86:8 89:14 90:2 90:2 91:10 91:11 91:11 91:12 99:1 99:4 99:7 102:12 102:27 102:27 103 103:3-5 103:17 103:17 103:18 103:18 103:19 103:20 103:20 104:20 104:21 104:21 104:24 104:30 104:30 104:30 105:14 108:19 110:4 110:4 111:10 113:3 115:3 115:3 118:29 119:105 121:4 130:3 130:8 132:11 136:25 139:1-16 139:7-10 139:7-10 139:8 143 143:2 145:3 145:8 145:9 145:9 145:9 145:15 145:15 145:16 145:16 145:17 147:5 148:5 148:13
Proverbs
1:24 1:24-26 1:24-26 4:23 4:28 4:28 8:22-31 8:23 16:4 16:33 18:10 20:9 20:9 20:9 21:1
Ecclesiastes
5:2 7:14 7:20 12:7 12:7 12:7 12:13 12:13
Isaiah
1 1:11-17 1:18-20 1:18-20 6 6 6 6 6:2 6:3 6:3 6:5 6:5 6:6 7:14 7:14 8:1 8:20 9:6 9:6 9:6 9:6 9:6 9:6 9:7 9:7 24:5 24:5 25:4 30:8 33:22 37:16 40:12 40:13 40:18 41:10 42:1 42:1 42:5 42:6 42:7 43:6 43:6 43:7 43:7 43:7 43:25 44:6 44:22 45:22 46:7 46:10 46:10 46:10 46:10 48:3 48:8 48:15 48:16 48:16 50:10 52:14 52:15 53 53:1-10 53:3 53:5 53:6 53:6 53:8 53:10 53:10 53:12 54:10 55:1 55:7 55:7 57:15 58:1-5 60:21 61:1 61:1 61:1 61:3 61:6 63:9 63:9 63:10 63:10 63:16 63:16 64:6 66 66:1 68:10 68:10
Jeremiah
1:4 1:4-10 1:9 13:23 17:9 17:9 17:9 17:9 17:9 17:9 18:11 23:6 23:6 23:23 23:23 23:24 23:24 25:13 28:5 28:6 28:6 30:2 31:31 31:31-33 31:33 31:33 31:33 31:34 31:34 32:20 32:27 32:38-40 36:27 36:32 38:17-20
Ezekiel
1 3:1-4 3:4 3:6 3:10 3:11 3:17 3:17 3:18 3:19 3:19 11:5 16:59 18:23 18:23 18:32 18:32 24:1 33:11 33:11 33:11 33:11 33:31 33:32 34:23-25 34:30 34:31 36:21 36:22 36:25-28 36:27 37:26 39:7
Daniel
2:1-3 2:19 2:20 2:21 2:44 4:3 4:35 6:4-22 6:22 7:1-14 7:13 7:13 8:16 8:16 9:7 9:16 9:21 9:21-23 10:13 10:21 12:2 12:3 12:4 12:8
Hosea
2 6:6 6:7 6:7 6:7 8:1 10:4 13:5
Joel
Amos
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zechariah
1:7 1:12-14 2 3:1 3:8 3:9 4:10 6:13 6:13 6:18 8:6 9:9 11:12 11:13 12:1
Malachi
Matthew
1:20 1:21 1:21 1:21 2:13 2:19 2:20 3:9 3:15 3:15 4:2 5:9 5:17 5:21-48 5:22 5:28 5:44 5:44 5:45 5:45 5:45 5:45 5:48 6:2 6:5 6:6 6:8 6:9 6:9 6:12 6:12 6:13 6:14 6:25 6:32 6:45 7:17 7:18 7:21 7:21 7:26 7:27 7:29 8:11-13 8:24 8:29 9:34 10:20 10:28 10:28 10:29 10:29-31 11:20-24 11:21 11:25 11:26 11:27 11:27 11:28 12:28 12:33 12:35 13:20 13:20 13:20 13:21 13:21 13:21 13:24-30 13:47-50 14:20 15:3-6 15:19 15:20 16:16 16:19 16:27 16:28 17:20 17:20 18:3 18:3 18:10 18:41 19:26 20:14 20:15 20:15 21:11 21:26 21:46 21:46 22:1-8 22:2-8 22:14 22:14 22:14 22:14 22:14 22:37 22:43-45 23:14 23:37 23:37 23:37 24:3-35 24:13 24:36 24:36 26:26 26:28 26:38 26:41 26:53 26:63 26:63 26:64 26:64 27:3 27:46 28:18 28:18 28:19 28:19 28:19 28:19
Mark
2:5-7 2:10 3:28-30 7:7 8:38 10:45 10:45 10:45 10:45 10:45 12:33 14:2 16:15 16:16 16:17 16:18
Luke
1:1-4 1:3 1:5 1:19 1:26 1:32 1:32 1:33 1:33 1:33 1:34 1:35 1:35 1:35 1:35 1:35 1:35 1:37 1:64 1:72 1:78 1:78 2:14 2:14 2:25-35 2:36 2:37 2:40 2:52 2:86 3:21 3:22 4:14 4:17 4:18 5:32 6:2 6:33 6:33 6:33 6:35 6:36 6:45 7:1-10 7:16 7:16 9:26 12:7 12:7 12:10 12:12 13:14 13:33 14:16-24 14:16-24 15:10 16:22 17:9 17:10 17:21 19:8 19:9 19:10 19:38 19:41-44 21:27 22:22 22:29 22:32 22:43 22:44 23:46 24:19 24:39 24:39 24:50-53 24:51 24:89
John
1:1 1:1 1:1 1:1-3 1:3 1:3 1:3 1:3 1:3 1:9 1:10 1:12 1:12 1:13 1:13 1:14 1:14 1:14 1:14 1:14 1:14 1:18 1:18 1:18 1:29 1:29 1:29 1:29 1:29 1:29 1:29 1:49 2:1-11 2:11 2:11 3:3 3:3 3:3 3:3 3:3 3:5 3:5 3:5 3:5 3:5 3:6 3:7 3:7 3:7 3:8 3:8 3:13 3:13 3:16 3:16 3:16 3:16 3:16 3:18 3:18 3:34 3:34 3:36 3:36 4:6 4:24 5:19-29 5:22 5:26 5:26 5:26 5:27 5:30 5:36 5:39 5:40 5:42 5:43 6:1 6:14 6:29 6:29 6:37 6:38-40 6:39 6:40 6:40 6:40 6:44 6:44 6:44 6:45 6:62 7:40 8:26-28 8:40 8:40 8:44 8:44 8:46 8:54 9:17 10:11 10:11 10:15 10:26-28 10:28 10:28 10:28 10:28 10:29 10:29 10:30 10:35 11:22 11:27 11:35 11:40 12:27 12:49 12:50 14:1 14:1 14:1-3 14:9 14:10 14:11 14:12 14:13 14:16 14:16 14:17 14:24 14:26 14:26 14:26 14:26 14:26 14:26 15:4 15:4 15:5 15:26 15:26 15:26 15:26 15:26 16:1-15 16:7 16:8 16:12-14 16:13 16:14 17:1 17:3 17:4-12 17:5 17:5 17:9 17:9 17:19-22 17:20 17:24 18:36 18:36 18:37 18:37 19:28 20:28 21:17 21:17 21:17
Acts
1:1 1:6-11 1:11 1:11 1:11 2:22 2:23 2:23 2:23 2:23 2:27 2:27 2:28 2:30-36 2:31 2:38 2:39 2:39 3:23 4:27-29 5:19 5:31 5:32 6:31 7:59 8:29 8:80 9:5 10:38 10:42 10:43 10:44 11:18 11:18 13:2 13:33 13:34 13:35 13:38 13:39 13:46 13:46 13:48 14:9 14:9 14:10 14:16 14:16 14:17 14:17 14:17 15:18 16:7 16:14 16:14 16:14 16:31 17:22 17:25 17:26 17:27 17:27 17:28 17:28 17:28 17:28 17:30 17:30 20 20:28 20:28 26:27 26:27 26:28 26:28 28
Romans
1:7 1:18 1:18 1:19 1:19 1:20 1:20 1:20 1:24 1:26 1:28 1:28 1:32 1:32 2:4 2:4 2:4 2:4 2:12-14 2:14 2:14 2:14 2:14 2:14 2:14 2:15 2:15 2:15 2:15 2:16 3:1-12 3:5 3:5-8 3:5-8 3:6 3:12 3:19 3:19 3:19 3:20 3:20 3:21 3:22 3:22 3:23 3:24 3:24 3:24 3:24 3:24 3:24-26 3:24-26 3:25 3:25 3:28 4 4:5 4:5 4:7 4:11 4:13-17 4:15 4:25 4:25 4:25 5:1-5 5:6-8 5:10 5:10 5:12 5:12 5:12-14 5:12-21 5:12-21 5:13 5:15 5:15 5:18 5:18 5:18 5:21 6:4 6:4 6:5 6:5 6:6 6:6 6:9 6:12 6:23 6:23 6:23 7:7 7:7-26 7:14 7:18 7:18 7:18 7:18 7:23 7:24 8:1 8:3 8:4 8:5 8:5-8 8:6 8:7 8:8 8:9 8:10 8:11 8:12 8:13 8:15 8:15 8:16 8:17 8:17 8:26 8:29 8:32-34 8:34 8:34 8:34 8:82-35 9:1-4 9:4 9:5 9:5 9:5 9:6 9:13 9:13 9:14 9:15 9:15-18 9:16 9:17 9:17 9:18 9:18 9:18 9:18 9:21 9:22 9:22 10:4 10:4 10:6 10:7 10:9 10:14-17 11:2 11:5 11:6 11:7 11:8 11:29 11:29 11:33 11:33-36 11:36 12:1 12:1 12:1 12:2 12:9 12:16 12:17 13:10 14:17 15:9 16:20
1 Corinthians
1:9 1:9 1:9 1:23 1:23 1:24 1:24 2:4 2:5 2:6 2:7 2:8 2:8 2:10 2:11 2:12 2:13 2:13 2:13 2:13 2:14 2:14 2:14 3:1 3:2 3:14 3:16 4:5 4:20 5:3 5:5 5:7 5:7 5:7 5:7 6:9 6:10 6:14 6:15 7:15 7:34 8:6 8:6 8:6 8:6 10:31 10:31 11:7 11:7 11:10 12:4 12:4-6 12:4-11 12:8 12:9 12:11 15 15:3 15:20 15:20 15:20-22 15:21 15:21 15:22 15:24-28 15:25 15:27 15:28 15:44 15:45 15:45 15:49 15:50 16:22
2 Corinthians
1:3 4:6 4:16 5:1 5:10 5:10 5:17 5:21 5:21 5:21 5:21 5:21 5:21 6:16-18 7:1 7:1 7:1 7:9 7:10 7:10 11:3 11:14 11:31 13:3 13:5 13:13 13:14 13:14 13:14
Galatians
1:4 1:4 1:4 1:4 1:14 1:18 2:16 2:16 2:16 2:19 3 3:6 3:7 3:7 3:7 3:8 3:9 3:9 3:12 3:13 3:13 3:13 3:13 3:16 3:17-24 3:22 3:24 4:4 4:4 4:4 4:4 4:4 4:4 4:4 4:4 4:4-7 4:5 4:5 4:5 4:5 4:5 4:5 4:5 4:6 4:6 4:6 4:10 5:16-23 5:17 5:17 5:22 5:24 5:24 5:24 6:7 6:8 6:15 6:15 6:18 6:24
Ephesians
1:3-14 1:4 1:4 1:4 1:5 1:5 1:6 1:6 1:6 1:6-9 1:7 1:7 1:11 1:11 1:11 1:11 1:12 1:12 1:14 1:14 1:17 1:20 1:20 1:20 1:20 1:20-22 1:21 1:22 2:1-3 2:2 2:3 2:3 2:4 2:4 2:5 2:5 2:6 2:7-9 2:8 2:8 2:8 2:8-10 2:10 2:22 3:9-11 3:10 3:10 3:11 3:11 3:14 3:14 3:15 4:4 4:8-10 4:9 4:9 4:11 4:17-19 4:18 4:24 4:24 4:24 4:30 5:2 5:25-27 6:12 8:9 8:10
Philippians
1:6 2:6 2:6 2:6-8 2:6-8 2:9 2:9-11 2:13 2:13 2:13 2:13 2:13 2:18 3:9 3:10 3:12 3:12-14 3:15 3:20 3:21 4:4 4:5 4:6 4:7
Colossians
1:10 1:13 1:13 1:14 1:15-17 1:16 1:16 1:16 1:16 1:16 1:17 1:17 1:17 1:17 1:18 1:19 1:19 1:20 1:20 1:23 1:23 2:8 2:9 2:9 2:10 2:12 2:13 2:20 3:1 3:2 3:4 3:5-14 3:10 3:10 3:10 3:10 3:17 3:23
1 Thessalonians
2:12 2:12 2:13 2:13 2:13 4:7 4:13-17 5:23 5:23 6:23 6:23
2 Thessalonians
1:7-10 1:8 2:1-12 2:4 2:4-12 2:9 3:3
1 Timothy
1:5 1:19 1:19 1:19 1:20 1:20 2:5 2:5 2:6 3:16 3:16 3:16 4 4:10 5:21 5:21 5:21 6:11 6:12 6:15 6:16 10
2 Timothy
1:5 1:9 1:12 1:12 1:12 2:13 2:13 2:13 2:17 2:18 2:18 2:21 2:25 2:25 3:2-4 3:5 3:15 3:16 3:16 3:16 3:16 3:16 3:16 4:1 4:10 4:10 4:18 4:18 4:18 4:18
Titus
1:14 1:16 1:16 2:11 2:11 2:13 2:13 2:14 3:5 3:5 3:5
Hebrews
1:1 1:1-3 1:1-3 1:2 1:3 1:3 1:3 1:5 1:6 1:14 1:14 1:14 2:1 2:5-9 2:9 2:10 2:10 2:11 2:11 2:14 2:14 2:14 2:15 2:18 2:18 3:1 3:1 3:7 3:12 3:12 3:14 3:14 3:17 3:18 4:3 4:8 4:12 4:13 4:13 4:14 4:14 4:14 4:15 4:15 4:15 5:1 5:1 5:1-10 5:3 5:5 5:6 5:7 5:7-9 5:7-9 5:8 5:14 6:4-6 6:4-6 6:4-6 6:4-6 6:11 6:11 6:11 6:17 6:18 6:20 7:1-28 7:9 7:10 7:21 7:22 7:22 7:22 7:25 7:25 8:3-5 8:6 8:6 8:8 8:10 8:10 8:13 9:11-15 9:13 9:14 9:14 9:14 9:15 9:16 9:17 9:17 9:18 9:23 9:24 9:24 9:24 9:24-28 9:28 10:1 10:1-14 10:5 10:11-14 10:12 10:12 10:13 10:14 10:19-22 10:22 10:23 10:24 10:26 10:26 10:27 11:3 11:3 11:3 11:6 11:6 11:6 11:7 11:26 12:9 12:9 12:9 12:9 12:9 12:9 12:14 12:16 12:17 12:23 12:23 12:24 12:24 12:29 13:8 13:11 13:12 13:12
James
1:4 1:13 1:17 1:17 1:17 1:17 1:17 1:17 1:18 1:18 1:18 1:26 1:27 1:27 2:5 2:8 2:9 2:10 2:15 2:16 2:19 2:19 2:21-25 3:2 3:2 3:9 3:9 3:9 3:10 5:15 5:15
1 Peter
1:2 1:2 1:3 1:4 1:8 1:11 1:11 1:11 1:16 1:17 1:20 1:22 1:23 1:23 1:23 2:4 2:22 2:24 2:24 2:24 2:24 2:24 3:18 3:18 3:18 3:18-20 3:19 3:19 3:20 3:20 3:22 3:22 5:7 8:9
1 John
1:5 1:8 1:8 1:8 1:8 1:9 1:9 1:10 2:1 2:1 2:2 2:2 2:2 2:2 2:2 2:19 2:19 2:19 3:4 3:4 3:4 3:4 3:5 3:6 3:8 3:9 3:14 3:19 4:2 4:8 4:10 4:14 4:16 5:10 5:12 5:16 5:18 5:20
Jude
Revelation
1:5 1:7 1:7 1:7 1:8 1:8 1:17 2:5 2:16 2:21 2:22 3:1 3:8 3:19 4:8 4:11 4:11 4:11 4:11 4:11 5:11 5:12 9:6 12:7 12:9 14:5 14:10 14:10 19:16 20:4 21:5 22:17