Chapter 3 Salvation Applied: The Realization of Our Profession Now we come to the application of the finished work of Christ to His elect people by the power of His Holy Spirit. This is the answer to the question: "How is it that we actually become Christians?" Both the Son and the Holy Spirit who He sends execute the covenant plan of the Father agreed upon by the Holy Trinity in eternity (John 16:13-15; 17:4). Now we see from Scripture how that plan effects the lives of God's elect in time.
The Holy Spirit
Shorter Catechism Q.#29 How are we made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ? A. We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, by the effectual application of it to us by his Holy Spirit. In the upper room prior to our Lord's death and resurrection He promised to send His Spirit "to convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (John 16:7-11). The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the Risen Lord who replaces the stony hearts of His elect with hearts of flesh that love God and His law (Eze. 36:26; John 14:18; 2 Cor. 3:17). God's choice of who He will call to Himself is not based on anything in them. It is due entirely to His sovereign election. This is the Second Point of Calvinism -Unconditional Election (TULIP, see Appendix E). God's eternal plan (His decrees) includes His election of a portion of mankind to be saved (Rom. 8:28,29; Eph. 1:4-6). This aspect of God's sovereignty over all things is known as Predestination, which is His specific sovereignty in the salvation of His people (for more on God's sovereignty see Chapter 2, pp. 10ff). The point here is to emphasize that God's choice of us is unconditional. That is it is not based on any qualities in the sinner. No one is any more "redeemable" than anyone else. This truth is meant to humble us and give all the glory to the Author of our salvation. God told Moses: "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy" (Exod. 33:19). Jacob and Esau were chosen before they were born, before they had done any good or evil "that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls" (Rom. 9:11). "So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy" (Rom. 9:15,16). In fact God often chooses the least likely candidates in order to display the wonders of His grace. "For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God - and righteousness and sanctification and redemption - that, as it is written, 'He who glories, let him glory in the LORD'" (1 Cor. 1:26-31). Thus the Holy Spirit applies the finished work of Christ to lost sinners who have been chosen by God for His own glorious purposes from before the foundation of the world.
The Order of Application
The order of the Spirit's work in applying Christ's work to us is logical not temporal. In other words many of the following aspects of the Spirit's work in our lives are given to us all at once, while some involve a process, and others are future. The order of salvation (ordo salutis) is meant to help us appreciate and remember the whole of God's work in our lives. The work of the Spirit represents one united multidimensional work of God's grace.
Calling
Shorter Catechism Q.#30 How doth the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased by Christ? A. The Spirit applieth to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us, and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling. Q.#31 What is effectual calling? A. Effectual calling is the work of God's Spirit, whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renewing our wills, he doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the gospel. Effectual calling is one of several kinds of calling in Scripture. For example, the daily work or occupation of every person is a calling. "Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called" (1 Cor. 7:20). Paul is encouraging Christians to keep doing the daily work they were doing when they became Christians. Becoming a Christian is not a call to abandon life in this world (more on this later). The second use Paul makes of the word call ("called") in this verse is the subject that we are now concerned with: effectual calling. There are three types of call that involve the gospel. The first is the Universal Call. This is God's call to everyone to acknowledge Him as God and worship Him accordingly. All of God's creation, including man, his consciousness and conscience are a general revelation of God. "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork" (Ps. 19:1; Rom. 2:14,15). This revelation leaves everyone without excuse (Rom. 1:20). "The goodness of God leads you to repentance" (Rom. 2:4). Because of the hardness of men's hearts this call by itself never leads to anyone's salvation. The second type of call is the Gospel Call. This is the message of the gospel which calls everyone who hears it to repent of sin, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. God's salvation is freely offered to all who hear. "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28). "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31). By itself, however, this call, too, will not save anyone. In Athens after Paul called his hearers to repent and believe we are told "some mocked" (Acts 17:30,31). They were called by the preaching, but not effectually. The third type of call is the Effectual Call. This call occurs when God's Spirit causes the Gospel Call to take effect (an effective call) as it did in Lydia's heart when she heard the gospel message: "The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul" (Acts 16:14). When Paul writes to various churches he often refers to them as "the called of Jesus Christ" (Rom. 1:6; 1 Cor. 1:2; Gal. 1:6; Eph. 4:1). This refers to those who are effectually called. Jesus tells us that His sheep hear His voice (John 10:3, 16). "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ...but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1 Cor. 1:18, 24). This is the Fourth Point of Calvinism -Irresistible Grace (TULIP, see Appendix E). Some object to this as if God works against the will of the sinner. In fact He changes the will of the sinner by giving him a new heart. When someone is effectually called they desire what they once opposed or resisted. When God sets His love and affections on someone from eternity His wins them by changing them. Thus His Grace is irresistible. If our wills initiated our salvation then several impossible and undesirable ideas would result. First, God would not be in control of history. History would be under the control of sinful people. Second, we would attribute salvation to our wise choice and steal part of the glory due to God alone. The logic of Scripture as you can see begins with man as a helpless, spiritually dead, sinner. Once this clear Biblical truth is affirmed the rest of what we call Calvinism follows necessarily. Only sovereign, irresistible grace can save such a sinner.
Union with Christ
This is one of the most fundamental concepts in the New Testament regarding the work of God's Spirit. Whenever Paul refers to Christians being "in Christ" he is referring to our union with Christ. All of the elements of the ordo salutis are rooted in this wonderful reality. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3: cf. 1 Cor. 1:2). This union is vital, spiritual, covenantal and mystical. When the Spirit effectually calls us, He calls us into union with Christ. This is the ground of the application of all of the other benefits of salvation.
Regeneration
Regeneration is the new birth caused by the Spirit's entrance into our inner lives. Jesus refers to this during His encounter with Nicodemus in John 3 as being "born of the Spirit" (v. 8) No one can enter the kingdom of God without this new birth (v. 5). As a result of the new birth we are indwelt by God's Spirit and vitally untied with Christ, who as the True Vine gives spiritual life to each of the branches (John 15:1ff). This is the Spirit's provision of new life through a new heart. The prophets had predicted this blessing of the Spirit centuries before Christ. "I will give you anew heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh" (Eze. 36:26; cf. Jer. 31:33). Jesus chided Nicodemus for not knowing about the new birth: "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?" (John 3:10). "But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior" (Tit. 3:5). The new birth overcomes our deadness in sin (Eph. 2:1,5), and enables us to repent and believe the gospel. Both faith and repentance are the sovereignly bestowed gifts of God's Spirit in regeneration (John 3:6,8). "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God" (Eph. 2:8). "Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life" (Acts 11:18). Regeneration is entirely the sovereign, mighty, creative work of God's Spirit. As a result of His work we become a "new creation". "For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Cor. 4:6). "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Cor. 5:17). The new birth is absolutely necessary in order to see or enter the kingdom of God . "Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. ...You must be born again" (John 3:3, 7).
Conversion: Repentance and Faith
Shorter Catechism Q.#85 What doth God require of us, that we may escape his wrath and curse due to us for sin? A. To escape his wrath and curse due to us for sin, God requireth of us faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto life, with the diligent use of all the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption. Q.#86 What is faith in Jesus Christ? A. Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest on him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel. Q.#87 What is repentance unto life? A. Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, doth, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of, and endeavor after, new obedience. One of the reasons that many think that their repentance and faith are the cause of their salvation is that repentance and faith are the first conscious acts of the new heart. Thus people mistakenly think that repentance and faith cause them to be born again. In fact, as we have seen above, repentance and faith are impossible without a new heart. Repentance and faith are both occur simultaneously. Together they are known as Conversion. Repentance is the negative aspect of conversion; and faith is the positive aspect. Conversion is our turning from sin (repentance) and trusting in our Savior. Although both repentance and faith are God's gifts they must be exercised by us. While regeneration is entirely God's work, repentance and faith are God's gifts given in the new birth for us to use. God does not repent for us. He enables us to repent and believe. He enables us to obey the basic gospel command "Repent and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15). Repentance and faith are the instruments by which we receive all the benefits of our union with Jesus Christ. Repentance has three essential dimensions or elements: Admission of sin, true Sorrow for sin, and Turning from sin to Christ (AST). Admission of sin. This is accepting God's assessment of our spiritual condition. As we see the perfect standard of holiness from God's law and the life of our Lord we see and admit that we fall far short of God's glory. "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). "By the law is the knowledge of sin ...that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God" (Rom. 3:20, 19). With David we confess "For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me" (Ps. 51:3). Instead of excusing ourselves and justifying our sins we cry out with the tax collector "God be merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18:13; cf. Luke 15:21; Hos. 5:15). Sorrow for sin. True sorrow is to be distinguished from what Paul calls "worldly sorrow" (2 Cor. 7:10). Worldly sorrow is rooted in self-pity. It fears the immediate consequences of sin. The drunk who experiences the pain of the hangover may be sorry because he doesn't want to experience that again. He may be sorry that his behavior threatens his marriage or job. This self concern leads in the same direction as every other decision of the sinner: to death. Godly sorrow comes with a deep sense that our sin is chiefly an offense against God Himself (Ps. 51:4). The sorrow that produces repentance is God-centered not self-centered. Turning from sin. This turning is a 180 degree about face. As we see what sin is, we hate it, we turn from it and walk in an entirely new direction: the way of righteousness. Repentance involves a clean break with sin as a way of life. This includes a heartfelt commitment to live a life pleasing to God (Acts 22:10; Eph. 2:1-5, 4:22-24; 1 John 2:1). Repentance drives us helpless into the hands of a merciful God. But remember repentance is always exercised with faith. Repentance and faith are really two sides of the same act of the new heart. Faith has three essential dimensions or elements: Knowledge of the truth, Assent to its truthfulness, and Trust in the One revealed by the truth (KAT). Knowledge of the truth. Faith must have a real object. I say real because the modern conception of faith minimizes the importance of the object. In fact it looks at faith itself as psychologically beneficial regardless of its object. Furthermore modern people often believe that there is no objective or real object of faith. It is a product of our own aspirations. The Biblical idea is quite different. God, who exists independent of his creation from all eternity, is the object of faith. And not just any God but the God who reveals Himself in the Bible, especially in the incarnation, death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. Even Evangelicals often hold the mistaken idea that we trust a person not a doctrine. We cannot know a person without a revelation of who that person is. Faith must know the truth about God and Jesus Christ or it is not Biblical faith. Paul reminded the Corinthians of the content of the truth by which they had been saved: "For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve" (1 Cor. 15:1-5). One may not know much but one must know who Jesus Christ is and what He did for sinners in order to be saved. Assent to its truthfulness. Of course, one may actually have a very detailed knowledge of what Scripture teaches, without believing that it is true. Assent means that the sinner embraces the truth of the gospel. Jesus said to the man with the paralytic son, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." The man responded, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" (Mark 9:23,24). His faith was weak but he assented to the truth and his son was healed. Thomas confronted with the truth of Jesus' resurrection was called on by our Lord to believe it as the truth. Thomas confessed "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:27,28). Trust in the One revealed by the truth. Believing that the gospel is true requires that we deposit trust in the Lord Himself. It is possible to assent to the truth of the Christian faith and yet refuse to bow before the Lord (Ja.2:19). The Puritans referred to this as "historical faith". True saving faith means that we entrust our whole lives into the Lord's hands, believing that Christ's death is sufficient to pay for our sins and committing ourselves to be His followers. "Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him" (Ps. 2:12). When a child knows his father is trustworthy he must still put his hand in his father's when crossing the street. Anything less would not be real trust. Repentance and faith are not exercised only once. They must be a constant part of our daily lives as disciples of Christ (1 John 1 & 2, especially 1:9, 2:1). Have you repented and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ? Is He your Lord and Savior?
Justification
Shorter Catechism Q.#32 What benefits do they that are effectually called partake of in this life? A. They that are effectually called do in this life partake of justification, adoption, and sanctification, and the several benefits which in this life do either accompany or flow from them. Q.#33 What is justification? A. Justification is an act of God's free grace, wherein he pardoneth all our sins, and accepteth us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteous of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone. When we first put our faith in Christ and are united to Him we partake immediately of several blessed benefits. The first of these is justification. Romans 3:21-31 sets forth the glorious and liberating truth of justification. The first thing to note is that this is an objective act of God. It is a forensic (legal) declaration by the ultimate Judge regarding our guilt as sinners. It is a declaration of complete and eternal pardon. "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin" (Ps. 32:1,2). Unlike a presidential pardon this pardon is granted because Another has paid the price for us. God has imputed or credited to our account the impeccable righteousness of Christ. Thus justification by faith is not a "legal fiction" as Roman Catholics contend. It is an actual transfer of the infinitely perfect and acceptable currency of Christ's righteousness to our account, thereby removing the debt. Note also that this righteousness is an alien righteousness. That is it has nothing to do with our works. "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified apart from the deeds of the law" (Rom. 3:28). Roman Catholics believe that God forgives us based on infused righteousness, that is the righteousness worked in us by grace. But because this righteousness is imperfect, due to remaining sin, it would not be acceptable to God. Only the righteousness of Christ pleases God. "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased" (Matt. 3:17). No other righteousness will do (Rom. 5:17-21; 2 Cor. 5:19-21). When we say that Christ's righteousness is imputed (credited to the account of another) to us we should remember that there are three imputations in the Bible. First the disobedience of Adam was imputed to all of his posterity, because God appointed him to be the representative head of humanity (cf. p. 15; Rom. 5:12-21). The reason that Paul discusses that covenant connection is because in the same way God appointed a second representative, the Second Adam (1 Cor. 15:45-49), Jesus Christ, to represent His elect people. Thus our sin was imputed to Christ (2 Cor. 5:18-21); and Christ's obedience was imputed to us (Rom. 5:12-21). Without this triple imputation there would be no salvation. This is the reason that this righteousness is imputed by faith. Faith is the only instrument of justification because it is uniquely suited to receive the free gift of Christ's righteousness. "Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace" (Rom. 4:16). Faith trusts Another for what it cannot do for itself. The sinner's righteousness is as "filthy rags" in God's sight. The sinner must, therefore, trust the righteousness of Christ alone. So we come to Christ in faith plus nothing. If we add anything of our own we undermine the sufficiency and the very nature if God's grace. "A man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified" (Gal. 2:16).
Adoption
Shorter Catechism Q.#34 What is adoption? A. Adoption is an act of God's free grace, whereby we are received into the number, and have a right to all the privileges of the sons of God. This too is an objective act of God. Both justification and adoption are given once for all at the point of regeneration. Like justification adoption is forensic (legal) but with a personal, relational dimension. The Judge is also our new Father and we become part of the family of God. "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3:26; cf. John 1:12). "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God, and if children, then heirs - heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together" (Rom. 8:16,17). This new relationship as justified sons of God forms the basis of the Christian life. It is to be our constant source of strength and encouragement as we live by faith and progress toward the coming heavenly fulfillment of our adoption. "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the children of God!" (1 John 3:1). Through faith in Jesus our Mediator we have access to the very throne room of heaven and the presence of God Himself. Through His Word, prayer and the sacraments we have all the privileges of the sons of God regularly communicated to us in the church. The fellowship we have with His body is communion with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Along with the privileges of the sons of God we also have responsibilities as we shall see in what follows. Perhaps the writers of The Shorter Catechism mention only privileges because as servants even our responsibilities are viewed as privileges. Sanctification
Shorter Catechism Q.#35 What is sanctification? A. Sanctification is a work of God's free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness. Sanctification is a work of God's free grace. It is a process that continues throughout our sojourn in this world. It is still completely dependent upon God's free grace, but is now viewed in terms of our gradual growth in the knowledge of God and the practice of righteousness. "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love" (Gal. 5:6). This is the place where it is proper to speak of God infusing or imparting Christ's righteousness. Roman Catholics believe that by distinguishing clearly between sanctification and justification Protestants undermined the practice of holiness. However God's Word is clear both in distinguishing between the two and in uniting them. In Scripture there is no possibility of being justified without also being sanctified. Some Christians claim that accepting Christ as Lord is a second step in the Christian life that comes after one has accepted Christ as Savior. Biblically being forgiven of our sins is the beginning of discipleship, and discipleship involves obedience. At Pentecost Peter called his audience to repent and believe in Jesus as both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). "What shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?" (Rom. 6:1,2; cf. vs. 11,12). The goal of the incarnation was "that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit" (Rom. 8:4). Now that we have new hearts we cooperate with God in this process of putting off the old ways and putting on Jesus Christ (Eph. 4:17-24). It is all of grace, but is God's grace working in us "both to work and to do for His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13). Some Christians say "Let go and let God." This very dangerous slogan undermines our responsibility as God's children. As sons we are no longer powerless. We are connected to the very power of heaven itself. "Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen" (Heb. 13:20,21). Sanctification is literally "setting apart". God is in the process of setting us apart by renewing us in the inner person. As our Father He is nurturing us from being spiritual babes to being mature Christ-like adults. We are called to imitate God in Christ (Eph. 5:1) through communion with Him, obeying His holy law (Rom. 8:7) which is the law of love (Rom. 13:8ff), waging spiritual warfare against the world, the flesh and the devil (Eph. 6:10ff). Because of indwelling or remaining sin (Rom. 7:17,20) we must mortify sin or put it to death (Rom. 8:13; Col. 3:5), by the power of the Holy Spirit. Some Christians have claimed that perfection is attainable in this life. Perfectionism is a dangerous doctrine because it ignores the Biblical reality of remaining sin. Paul as a mature Apostle still struggled with sin according to Romans 7. Perfectionism in order to deal with this usually claims some second blessing or experience of grace in order to attain perfection. It also tends to lead to antinomianism, or a disregard for the demands of the moral law, in order to deal with everyday experience. Along with this is a tendency toward legalism which equates perfection with a set of external standards. The desire we have for holiness of life may easily tempt us to be attracted to such "Victorious Life" teachings. But in the end we will be forced to face the reality of the struggle or live in spiritual unreality and denial. In fact the more sanctified we become the more we will see our sin and depend on God's daily mercy and grace. Humility is one of the chief marks of Christian maturity and perhaps one of the reasons that God doesn't perfect us immediately.
Perseverance
Shorter Catechism Q.#36 What are the benefits which in this life do either accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification? A. The benefits which in this life do either accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification, are, assurance of God's love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end. Perseverance is the Fifth Point of Calvinism (TULIP, see Appendix E). This has been a source of much confusion in the church. As with God's sovereignty in salvation in general, if we let all of Scripture be our guide we will be on sure footing and get a full account of the matter. We may sum it up this way: God's elect will persevere and God's elect must persevere. We must not try to reconcile God's sovereignty with man's responsibility but accept them because they are both clearly revealed in God's Word for our benefit. Furthermore this is the nature of our covenant relationship with God. He has sovereignly called us into a living relationship with Himself. Some Christians err on this doctrine because they only accept one side of the Scripture's teaching. Arminians take the threats and warnings of Scripture seriously, but wrongly conclude that we can lose our salvation. Others who hold to the doctrine of "Eternal Security" take the promises of Scripture seriously but wrongly believe that once you are saved you are always saved no matter how you live. The Biblical doctrine teaches that we are guaranteed by God's grace that we will continue in the way of salvation to the end. Stated this way we take into account both the security of God's gracious promises and importance of our continuing in faith and faithfulness to the end. God's elect will continue in faith and faithfulness to the end, by God's grace, and based on His promises of preservation. "Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6). "Our Lord Jesus Christ ...will confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord" (1 Cor. 1:8,9; cf. Rom. 8:28-30). The nature of God's sovereign grace dictates that He will finish what He has begun. To say with the Arminian that we can be saved one day and lost the next impugns the perfection and power of Christ's work. Furthermore God does not want us to live insecurely, not knowing from one day to the next if He loves us. As our heavenly Parent He never stops loving us. This is the foundation of His nurture and our growth in grace. On the other hand, God's elect must persevere to the end, based on His commands to persevere. Along with God's promises of preservation Scripture gives us commands to persevere, along with warnings of the consequences of not persevering. These function as the goads of the Good Shepherd which keep us on the right path and direct us back when we stray (Ps. 23). Jesus said, "He who endures to the end will be saved" (Matt. 10:22). Paul exhorts the Philippians to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil. 2:12). The book of Hebrews is filled with exhortations to persevere. "Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end" (Heb. 3:6). After speaking of the degree to which one may participate in the life and blessings of the church and yet turn one's back on the gospel under the pressure of persecution, the writer of Hebrews says, "But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner...We desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end" (Heb. 6:9,11). "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful" (Heb. 10:23). On the surface such warnings look as we can lose our salvation. However John tells us that certain professing Christians left the church and turned their backs on salvation because they were never truly Christians: "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us" (1 John 2:19). We make our calling and election sure by continuing in God's grace (2 Pet. 1:10). To say, as those who teach "Eternal Security" do, that "we are saved no matter what we do" is to foster a dangerous "easy believism" that undermines the purpose of God's grace and gives "false assurance" to those who have never truly repented and believed the gospel. The Biblical doctrine of the perseverance of the saints is both a comfort and a command designed to lead us to heaven.
Glorification
Shorter Catechism Q.#37 What benefits do believers receive from Christ at death? A. The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory; and their bodies, being still united to Christ, do rest in their graves till the resurrection. Q.#38 What benefits do believers receive from Christ at resurrection? A. At the resurrection, believers being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the day of judgment, and made perfectly blessed in the full enjoyment of God to all eternity. Glorification is the glorious finished product of God's sovereign grace. This is the goal of the ordo salutis. Note that glorification has two stages, covered by the two Shorter Catechism questions. At death the believer goes immediately to be with the Lord. We enter what is called the "intermediate state." Paul was torn between his desire to serve God in this life and his desire to go immediately into the presence of his Savior. "For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better" (Phil. 1:23). The reason it is an intermediate state is that our glorification is incomplete until we are receive our resurrected bodies. "We groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven" (2 Cor. 5:2). In Romans 8:23 Paul makes clear that this groaning is for the final glory of the "redemption of our body." But while we have our corrupt mortal bodies in this life, we do not have the Lord in the fullness we will experience in the intermediate state. "While we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord" (2 Cor. 5:6). Thus the intermediate state is something to be desired even though our final "clothing" must await the resurrection. Our perfection in holiness, and the glory of Christ's presence is a mighty comfort to believers in the hour of death. "We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord" (2 Cor. 5:8). While our spirits go immediately to be with the Lord at death, our bodies rest in the grave until Resurrection Day. "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus" (1 Thess. 4:14). Scripture often refers to the death of the body of a believer as "sleep" (1 Cor. 15:18). In Matthew 9:24 Jesus referred to Jairus's dead daughter as "sleeping". Those who were mourning her death "ridiculed him". The point of the analogy is that the believer whose body dies is not dead. Even then the dead body is still united to Christ by His Spirit. "Now He who has prepared us for this very thing [the resurrection] is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee" (2 Cor. 5:5). The fact that our bodies rest in the grave temporarily does not mitigate the promise of resurrection. While the resurrection is the ultimate goal the intermediate state is no less a positive blessing for the believer. As Jesus told the thief on the cross: "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43). The error known as "soul sleep" is therefore not a Scriptural idea. Clearly the thief on the cross was being promised a conscious blessing. Nor do the claims of unbelievers who say they experienced light and peace "on the other side" of death have any Biblical basis. The Bible is clear that without the Lord Jesus Christ no one will experience light and peace after death. Jesus, more than anyone else in Scripture speaks of "outer darkness" as the destiny of unbelievers. At the resurrection believers will be reunited with their bodies, only these will be glorious bodies. Note carefully from 1 Corinthians 15:35-49 that the glorious body is different in quality not only from our present mortal bodies, but also different from the body of Adam before the fall. The "natural body" is followed in the history of redemption by the "spiritual body" (v. 46). Paul uses the analogy of a seed (vs. 37ff) to illustrate the difference. The seed is not fulfilled until it dies in the ground and brings forth the ultimate potential, for which it was designed, in the plant and flower. So our ultimate goal is found in imaging the "heavenly Man", the Lord Jesus Christ (vs.44-49). "Beloved, now we are the children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" ( 1 John 3:2). On that great Day of Resurrection "we shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted" says the Catechism. Our justification, adoption, sanctification and perseverance will come to their final consummation for all the world to see. "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an arch-angel, and with the trumpet of God And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words." (1 Thess. 4:16-18). The doctrine of the resurrection, first Christ's and then ours, is central to the message of the New Testament. It is the source and foundation of our hope. "if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen then our preaching is empty and your faith is empty" (1 Cor. 15:13,14). It was no more believable in the first century than it is in modern times (1 Cor. 15:12). We must face the Materialist challenge squarely with this truth. The witness and the witnesses of the New Testament documents are incontrovertible. That we can not explain the physics of the resurrection is no more of an argument against its reality than is our inability to explain the physics of our own bodies a proof that they do not exist. The burden of proof is on those who deny both the reality of the resurrection and the existence of the God of the Bible. The evidence which they now so adeptly suppress (Rom. 1:18 ff.) leaves them without excuse. One day they will come face to face with the Author of that evidence, and they will be speechless. Let us comfort, counsel and encourage one another with this blessed hope, and let us spread this glorious message to a hopeless world.
|
For technical support regarding this site
please contact the Webmaster