Covenant of Redemption: The Son Who Saves, and the Spirit who secures.

First things first here. This picture has absolutely nothing to do with the subject on hand, which is why I have selected it. If you type "calvary hill Jerusalem" into a Google image search you will find this image on the sixth page of options. Sure, there weren't many good pictures of Calvary. But this picture of a bear mounted cavalry charge makes it all worthwhile.

Soteriology

I feel that, in writing this I am trying to cram a storm into a teacup, and I suppose that it is true. According to the scriptures we see that the Son has always possessed the intention of leading us to glory through his incarnation. Skilled theologians of good conscience disagree as to whether said intention included man's fall into sin, or if it was a response to the fall. There certainly is a lot to be said about both sides of the argument, but it is clear in Eph 1 that, regardless of the fall, the Christian is "predestined for adoption in Christ". It also clear in the Gospels that the ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus was efficacious for the salvation of those who believe in, and call on his name. We ought to be sober and mindful at this point that though the Gospel is a universal proclamation, it does not imply a universal salvation. Here's what Calvin had to say: "Forasmuch as no man is excluded from calling upon God, the gate of salvation is set open unto all men. Then there is nothing that keeps us back from entering in except our own unbelief." (from Calvin's commentary on Acts).
   Bearing our predestination in Christ in mind we ought to turn then to the Gospels and examine his death and resurrection. If we, the elect, are predestined in Christ, then we died with him at Calvary, were raised with him from that death, and as Christ ascended bodily. So too can we depend on the restoration of our flesh at glory.

That ascension being a promise made to us through scripture calls each of us to a life of faith, and hope. But Christianity is not some sort cosmic escape plan by any means. The life we will live in Glory has it's beginning in our daily lives now, as it has already begun to be applied and sealed in us by the Holy Spirit. Our discussion surrounding the work, and merit of Jesus Christ on our behalf deals primarily with our justification (which is to say our forensic standing before God). Our interaction with the Holy Spirit is referred to as sanctification (the process in which the heart/or merit of Christ is both applied to, and realized by the believer). Like I said before, this salvation in Christ has a daily ramifications. Paul speaks of the Holy Spirit as a seal, or a deposit guaranteeing our salvation in Eph 1:11-13. While sanctification in and of itself does not lead to glory, it is an indication of our necessary justification through faith in Christ. Notice the language Paul uses in Eph 1:11-13:

[11] In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, [12] so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. [13] In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, [14] who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

(Ephesians 1:11-14 ESV)

Here's the kicker, all of the terms Paul uses in this passage are past-tense. Which indicates a passive relationship on the part of the church. He doesn't admonish the Ephesians to seal themselves in the Holy Spirit, or endeavor to gain their inheritance, he encourages them by saying they are sealed. That seal, as it works out in a day to day, real-time sense looks like obedience to the Father, contrition over sin, and repentance. This concludes my work on the Covenant of Redemption, sorry for collapsing two postings into one here, but I had to do it this way so I could focus on my teaching for RCF. 

Thanks for reading!

Thoughts on 9/11

There are a lot of things we can think about in regards to the upcoming 10th anniversary of 9/11. We could like at our nation's economic climate with anger, and condemn our government. We could look at our military campaigns overseas in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya with frustration. We could throw our hands up in disgust at organizations like TSA, and the Office of Homeland Security. We could gnash our teeth, taking matters into our own hands to secure our borders with armed civilian patrol. Or we could contribute to the blame game played between the political left and right as they attempt to conform us to their agenda.
It's hard to look at that list of possibilities and not see something that is both justifiable, and understandable. Because,  since 9/11 we have struggled economically, politically, and militarily. But, as Sunday will inevitably come, and we will inevitably recollect the the towers fell I want to take this opportunity as it has presented itself. Looking back on what happened ten years ago; rather than complaining about the economy (in a nation that is still comparatively rich), or grumbling about the government (the government that not only tolerates, but hears your grumbles) we ought to endeavor to honor those who have gone (and still go) before us. The emergency workers who responded to the chaos at Ground Zero, or the soldiers who have laid aside their families for the sake of liberty in countries like Iraq, and Afghanistan. Bearing this quote in mind "He who allows oppression shares the crime." Desiderius Erasmus. 

Covenant of Redemption: God The Son

    We live in a society that creates, absorbs, and understands printed images. Ever wonder why Andy Warhol's portrait of Marilyn Monroe, or the painting of the Campbell's Tomato Soup Can have such wide social recognition? They're enigmatic, and as such, represent a part of our greater common social experience as Americans. I'm sure we find that frustrating at times, but it's also very cool, and quite brilliant that simple images can bear such ramifications on our consciousness. Take Superman for example, we see that red and yellow S and automatically understand that powerful aide is on it's way to somebody in need. Think about that for just a second, in some way we all have impressed on our consciousness that we need somebody, somebody transcendent, to rescue us from danger and despair. I'm using this image of Superman as an introduction because I think it relates to Jesus in a very interesting way. When we think of Superman we don't imagine him eating dinner, or buying groceries. We think of him flying over Metropolis, or traveling through time by making the Earth spin backwards, it's as if he's always bursting out of a celluloid phone booth to save us from evil. We don't really separate super-heroes from what they do. We ought to have the same mindset when it comes to Jesus. Bearing that in mind, this blog about the role of the Son in the Covenant of Redemption is going to have two major parts: A Christological part (discussing the nature of Jesus' deity and humanity), and a Soteriological part (concerning how it is that the Christian is saved).

Christology

    Diving right in, we see throughout the epistles of the New Testament that the Son of God is not just eternal (which is human), but infinite (which is Divine)*. The first chapter of John's Gospel portrays Jesus Christ as being God (possessing unity), and being with God (having a distinct person) "in the beginning." Jn. 1. esv.  Where else do we find the phrase "In the beginning"? Genesis 1. That's an important detail to notice because on of John's major themes throughout his Gospel is the re-creation of man in and through Jesus Christ*. More to the point John gives us a picture of the role of Jesus as the Son of God prior to, and during the creation of the cosmos. We also see numerous mentions of Jesus prior to creation in Paul and Peter's epistles. Take Colossians 1:15-17 for example: 

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

I'll be honest, I don't often picture Jesus the way that Paul describes him here. I'm on track with the whole image of the invisible God thing, but the rest of the content regarding Creation really kind of baffles me. That being said, there are a few things that I want to highlight; first being the phrase "Firstborn of all Creation". There are several ways to see this, and I think all of them hold water. The first that stands out, is the idea of Christ's position, or eminence. In the ancient world, firstborn's were the one's who received the family inheritance, they held a sort of power over their siblings, and a responsibility (as they grew older) for the family estate, they also held a ambassador-like status often. The second way of looking at it is pretty plain and simple. Jesus (the Son) is the first born; he precedes or pre-dates us. Simply put, we see that Christ is infinite, and sovereign. Also note that Paul calls him the firstborn of all creation (emphasis added), including both Earth (the cosmos), and Heaven. Paul is stating clearly that Jesus is more than eternal, He is a member of the infinite triune God. 

    As if all of that wasn't enough we've a few more things to consider out of this passage before we wrap up this discussion pertaining the nature of the Son of God. We can also note the sense of action, and possession of creation from Paul's christology in Colossians. "For by him all things were created"; The son is the acting part of Creation, I think this notion harmonizes John's Gospel and the Creation account of Genesis quite well. Looking back at the first few chapters of Genesis we see a pattern: God speaks, and things exist. Now, John's Gospel does a few interesting things for us in this regard. First, he refers to Jesus as "the Word", and then outlines that the Word possess unity to, and distinction from the Father simultaneously. If God's Creation involves speaking, we cannot overlook the way John portrays Jesus as the Word, especially when both are held in light of what Paul has to say in his letter to the Colossian Church. If all things were created by the Son, than the Son's description in John's Gospel as the word of God is profoundly important. It also adds depth to the notion of the Father's declaration as well. 

I'm going to pause here, and see if any of you readers any question about these concepts before we move on to soteriology.

*We don't often consider our eternal nature as beings, but we ought to. Our existence will continue to exist throughout eternity, but we at some point came into being. The differences between eternal, and infinite lies with the idea of creation. God is an uncreated being, he always has been, and always will be. Whereas you and I have not always been, but now that we are....we will continue to be.

*The Apostle John managed to encapsulate the redemptive history of God within the his Gospel. Consider the parallel between John 1 and the creation account in Genesis, John's structure to his Gospel also outlines how the Law served to point Old Testament Jews to Christ by using certain Feast Day, or Festival events to outline specifically how Jesus Christ fulfilled what the Old Testament law required, and anticipated. Information which I have gleaned from Ridderbos's commentary on John's Gospel

Covenant of Redemption: God, the Father.

I've realized a funny thing about the Trinity; it's really hard to see the work of one member without encountering the other two. So to clearly perceive the role of the Father we also have to encounter the Spirit and the Son. Philip the Evangelist encountered this plainly when he asked Jesus to show them{the 12} the Father. Jesus replied :"Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father... ." Jn 14:8-9a. Jesus was not saying that he and the Father are the same, but rather that the unity which exists within the Trinity is of such a nature that when you encounter any one member, that member represents the whole. How else could Jesus atone for our sins, if it were otherwise? So, in looking at the Father's declaration we will, ironically, consider some of the Christology passages in the New Testament Epistles. But to begin with, we have to consider the Creation, and God's curse following Adam and Eve's fall in the Garden.

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

(Genesis 1:3 ESV)

     I think the Creation is one of the clearest pictures we have regarding the Father's declarative role within the Trinity. I don't know that I can add much more to illustrate this point without being redundant, so I'll leave it at this: God spoke, and stuff happened. In the first chapter of Genesis, all the things that God commanded into being "let there be..." immediately sprang into existence. That ought to be of great comfort to us doubtful folks. When we consider our Christian walk and ponder if we will make it to the end we ought to reflect back on Genesis and the hope of God's declaration. There was no bartering about what kind of light, or how bright it would be, not even when light would come into existence. We see God declare "Let there be light" and reality responds in submission to His authority. Not only that, but what God sees is good to his eyes. He didn't give us some half-baked creation. In it's original {pre-fall} state, everything that has been made met God's standard of goodness. Why it all seems messed up now is a completely different conversation, which we'll get to later.
     I can see a question that begs asking in light of what I've just said. "How do we know that it's God the Father declaring creation and not the Holy Spirit, or the Son?" Let's look back at the preceding verses of Gen. 1:

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:1-2 ESV)

Before we get too far into it here we should pause and remember that the content of Genesis 1 is mysterious, and supernatural. That being said, I cannot provide a specific scientific or historical explanation about how this came to pass. I can, however, comment on it's plausibility. In my mind, creation comes down to a matter of will, and power. In order for existence to exist there would have to be something transcendentally powerful enough to make it so. Math testifies to this well, we all learn that 0 cannot multiply when we're in grade school. To put it more philosophically: "nothingness" cannot yield "something-ness" unless it's worked on by an external force with both the will to create, and the power to do so. 

      In verses 1 and 2 we see God, and the Spirit of God mentioned separately which, in my mind, draws one to see some sort of distinction in the two. Also, we see the Spirit of God acting in verses 2 [although I don't know the effect of the hovering], continuing on to verse 3 Moses refers back to God as the one that spoke things into being. Using the diction [albeit the translated diction] of Genesis, the lack of a qualifier to the term God (such as the Spirit of God) points us back to that which precedes the "Spirit of God" within the text itself.

     We see the members of the Trinity further distinguished from one another in Genesis 3. Bear in mind, that in Genesis 1 we have seen God, and the Spirit of God mentioned in regards to creation. In Genesis 3, the third member is alluded to in God's curse upon Satan(the serpent).

The LORD God said to the serpent,

  “Because you have done this,

cursed are you above all livestock

and above all beasts of the field;

on your belly you shall go,

and dust you shall eat

all the days of your life.

I will put enmity between you and the woman,

and between your offspring and her offspring;

he shall bruise your head,

and you shall bruise his heel.”

(Genesis 3:14-15 ESV)

     This passage is widely known as one that foreshadows Christ's victory over sin and death. Again we see a slew of declarations, the final one being that of an imminent triumph of one sent by God to war with the serpent. This is where this idea gets a little interesting, because it spans the whole scope of scripture. As history progressed the "offspring of the woman" was more and more defined. Moses mentions him in Deuteronomy 15:18 as the "Prophet" that reflects himself except with greater authority, and Isaiah prophecies about him in chapters 52-56. In both cases, we see accounts of a man sent with the purposes of redeeming that which was lost. This distinguishes the Son from the Father and the Spirit in that he is mentioned as a man (not a spirit) sent by the Father to be a champion for the redemption of God's people and creation.

He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. (1 Peter 1:20-21 ESV)

I'm going to conclude with these verses because it both concludes my previous thoughts, and connects them to my next installment regarding the Son. Remember what I said earlier about the actions of one member of the Trinity illuminating the work of the others? Bearing that in mind, notice the language Peter uses. Christ was foreknown, and made manifest. This language is receptive. To be foreknown is to be determined by the knowledge (or consciousness) of another. This is even more true of the following phrase: made manifest. Such phrasing implies that Jesus was determined and incarnated by another.

Declaration Delay

Hey everybody,
   I'm sorry to have to do this, but I'm going to have to push my blog back until next week, possibly the week after that. It's half way done at the moment, but I have some things to do to prep for Doulos (our church service project), so yeah. Have a happy 4th!

God's Covenant of Redemption....

I suppose for the sake of clarity it would be good to mention two things. First, that I believe that while the word "trinity" doesn't appear in the canon of scripture, we can in fact discern three distinct members of our one God in the Bible. So...God is, one nature in three persons. Second, I see the Bible as inerrant, and therefore authoritative regarding matters of the faith[1].

  Simply put, God's covenant of redemption (also called the "Pactum Salutis") is a foundational structure to his covenant of grace. Meaning that God had determined a plan for salvation according to his own counsel prior to the Creation. Within this plan we see each member of the trinity operating in distinct ways. We see that God the Father declares the Covenant; God the Son procures (delivers & ratifies) the covenant, and God the Holy Spirit seals or applies the covenant[2]. When considering this, we have to remember that the distinct members of the trinity are equals. We certainly can perceive differing functions between the Father, Son, and Spirit, but that difference does not point to a hierarchy, but the perfect dependency that exists within the Trinity.  I could say more on that note, but I don't think it will serve anything except to muddy the waters.

  It's interesting to scrutinize the ways we perceive the Creation. Often times I fall into the trap of somehow thinking that the incarnation of Jesus was decided in a dispensational way. That God's covenant with Abraham didn't pan out, so he sent the Israelites into slavery in Egypt to "teach them a lesson". That the Mosaic Law was God's way of giving humanity another crack at salvation. When we messed that up, he sent the Son incarnate to give us yet another shot. Thankfully, none of that is true. When we consider the eternal nature of the Pactum Salutis one if it's major implications is that the Old Testament Covenants and the Mosaic Law serve to establish our salvation through faith in Christ alone. According to the dispensational way of thinking, the ministry of Jesus is like a parachute. A pulling of the cosmic e-brake to keep the vehicle (us) from careening over a bridge. According to the Pactum Salutis Jesus is more like a music note that resolves the discordant tones that came before it.

Next week I'll go into more depth about how the Trinitarian roles play out in scripture.
 





1.Subtitles for Jeremy! I mention these things because I will undoubtedly refer to the distinct members of the trinity & their role in our salvation. I brought up the nature of scripture because I will be drawing out of it to under-gird my statements.
2. It is important to note, that while the Father's declaration occurs "outside of time" the functions of the Son and the Holy Spirit are seen in and throughout history as evidence of the Father's declaration.

Summer Stuff

Alright....forgive me for being a horrible blogger. Here's the deal, without having a direct "teaching" to do I need some other way to provide a sense of purpose and structure to my studies (and guarantee that I pursue them). So...enter the summer theology blogs! Every week I am going to publish a theologically driven blog. It could get interesting since I don't have the abilities to include footnotes on here, and there's no way I'm going to type them all out completely.....so the scripture proofs will be included in parenthesis. But they wont be exhaustive by any means. Feel free to chime in for discussion purposes or question asking...so long as we don't have any comment duels or rants.