A Full Cure (The New City Catechism #25)

One of my favorite current preachers is Alistair Begg, a pastor in Cleveland, Ohio. I listen to him through his “Truth For Life” app.

Alistair also has written a helpful commentary for the 25^th question and answer in The New City Catechism, which reads: “Does Christ’s death mean all our sins can be forgiven? Answer: Yes, because Christ’s death on the cross fully paid the penalty for our sin, God graciously imputes Christ’s righteousness to us as if it were our own and will remember our sins no more.”

Here are his comments:[1]

Some years ago when I was diagnosed with cancer, my great concern was that the surgeon would get it all. I wasn’t really interested in a cure that was only partial. And when we think about Jesus bearing our sins, the mystery and the wonder of the gospel is that he deals with all of them. He who was absolutely perfect died in the place of sinners, identifying with us in our guilt and becoming liable to our punishment. When Paul writes to the Corinthians, he tells them that God was not counting their sins against them. And the reason for that is because he was counting them against him. Jesus died not as a martyr, but as a substitute. The invitation of the gospel is given to all, but the assurance of forgiveness is only for those who are in Christ, whose sins have been counted to him.

 

Augustus Toplady captured the security of this when he wrote:

 

“Rock of ages cleft for me,

let me hide myself in Thee;

let the water and the blood,

from thy riven side which flowed,

be of sin the double cure;

cleanse me from its guilt and power.”

 

Peter tells us that the angels, actually, long to look into this (1 Pet. 1:12). And what they have observed from a distance, the believer knows perfectly.

 

The wonder of it all is that our disobedience is completely covered by the obedience of the Lord Jesus—all of our sins dealt with forever.

Delighting in Christ’s Full Cure With You,

Tom

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[1] This can be found either in the app for The New City Catechism or the devotional book for the catechism.

Why The Cross? (The New City Catechism # 24)

The longer we are a Christian the more we can forget just how foreign some of the tenets of our faith sound to those who are not believers or who have just come to Christ. At the top of the list is the necessity that Jesus had to die on the cross for God to save sinners. It is common especially for the uninitiated to ask, “Why?” 

That is the question that The New City Catechism takes up and answers in #24, which reads: “Why was it necessary for Christ, the Redeemer, to die?  Answer: Since death is the punishment for sin, Christ died willingly in our place to deliver us from the power and penalty of sin and bring us back to God. By his substitutionary atoning death, he alone redeems us from hell and gains for us forgiveness of sin, righteousness, and everlasting life.”  

Here we find a fourfold answer.

To start, we are reminded that God, whose very nature is to live and exist and give life (Gen. 2:7; Jn. 10:10; 1 Jn. 5:1) and whose very nature is to be both just and merciful (Rom. 3:26), ordained that with the entrance of sin into the world the punishment would be physical and spiritual death (Gen. 2:17; Prov. 14:12), that is, a brokenness and separation from God’s blessed presence that would become permanent if a person does not turn to his remedy (Jn. 3:16; Rev. 20:14-15).

Next, the Son of God joyfully decided in eternity past to accomplish salvation for those whom God chose to save and gave to him to save (Jn. 6:37; 39; Heb. 12:2). It is true that the Father joyfully ordained salvation in eternity past (Is. 53:10), made a covenant with the Son to give the elect to him to save (Jn. 6:37), and sent his Son into the world to save sinners (Jn. 3:16). Yet, the Son was not coerced. He gladly humbled himself, took on flesh, and suffering on the cross (Phil. 2:5-8) for his sheep (Jn. 10:15).

What is more, we are reminded that since Jesus took the full punishment for sin, he satisfied God’s wrathful judgment against sin and so there is no more penalty to be paid by those who have trusted him (Jn. 3:36; Rom. 8:1). What is also true is that through this salvation Jesus both won the right to pour out the Holy Spirit permanently upon the saved (Acts 2:33) and to reconcile sinners to a holy God—having removed the sin separation between them (1 Pt. 3:18). The result of these realities is that the power of God working through the Spirit in the person delivers them from sin’s power and enslavement to it (Rm. 6:17-18).

Finally, the discovery is also made that through salvation in Jesus Christians are saved from the eternal judgment of hell (Rev. 20:14-15). Conversely, they are given true life that someday will be full restored life that lasts forever in his presence (Rev. 21-22). All of this is the case since through his perfectly righteous life and death they are forgiven of their sins and declared righteous by God (Rom. 5:1-5; Eph. 1:7; Phil. 3:9).

Though it was not necessary for God to save sinners whom he had decreed in eternity past to permit to sin, the fact that he also decreed he would save sinners made the death of the Son necessary. There was no other way to save wherein God would remain both just and merciful (Rom. 3:26).

Praise God both for his severity toward the unrepentant and his kindness toward the repentant (Rom. 11:22)!

Delighting In Our Savior With You,

Tom

The Two Natures Of Jesus Christ And Salvation (The New City Catechism #’s 22-23)

Questions 22-23 of The New City Catechism and their answers are as follows: 

Why must the Redeemer be truly human?  Answer: That in human nature he might on our behalf perfectly obey the whole law and suffer the punishment for human sin; and also that he might sympathize with our weaknesses.  

Why must the Redeemer be truly God?  Answer: That because of his divine nature his obedience and suffering would be perfect and effective; and also that he would be able to bear the righteous anger of God against sin and yet overcome death. 

Since this is part of the bedrock of the Christian faith, we need to understand that Jesus is fully God and fully man and why this is important for salvation. Here is a brief explanation meant to help to that end.

Jesus Christ is fully God (Jn. 1:1; 20:28; Phil. 2:6; Col. 1:15, 19; 2:9;  Heb. 1:3, 5-13) and fully man (Jn. 1:14; 19:17-34; 20:27; Phil. 2:7-8; 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 4:15), which means all that makes up God makes up his divine nature and all that makes up humans makes up his human nature. The one distinction between Jesus and every other human is that Jesus was and is without sin (Lk. 1:35; Heb. 4:15; 7:26).

Regarding his divine nature, he has existed for all eternity as God, second person of the Godhead, and the eternally begotten Son of the Father (John 1:1, 18; 3:16; Col. 1:16-17). That means for all eternity he has existed at Son to the Father in the Trinity. Regarding his human nature, in these last days, for the salvation of the elect, he was conceived and born of Mary, the virgin (1:26-38; 2:1-14; Heb. 1:2). Though from the time of his conception onward into eternity future Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man in two distinct natures (Phil. 3:21; 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 2:9; 7:25; 1 Jn. 4:2; 2 Jn. 7), these two natures are such that they are not confused or changed (the human nature remains fully human and the divine fully divine—without either being diminished or being taken over by the other). Compare Mt. 24:36 and Lk. 2:1-7 with Mk. 2:5 and Col. 1:17 for proof. What is more, his two natures cannot be divided or separated—he is always and at one and the same time fully God and fully man [compare Jn. 20:27 with 20:28]). 

It is important to salvation that Jesus Christ was and is fully human for the following reasons:

(1) That he might obey perfectly the whole law of God on the behalf of sinners, which is required for those part of the kingdom of God (Ps. 15; Mt. 5:48; 7:21-23;  John 5:19, 30; Gal. 3:10; James 2:10).

(2) That he might suffer the punishment of death for human sin on behalf of sinners (Rom. 6:23; 2 Tim. 1:10; Rev. 20:14-15). 

(3) That he might be raised from and conquer death on behalf of sinners and thus serve as the pioneer and model for those who have been saved and persevere in salvation (Rom. 6:1-11; Heb. 2:9-18. 

(4) That he might continually apply his saving work to his people as advocate and intercessor that that they can persevere in faith and so he can save them fully (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 2:9-18; 7:25). 

(5) That, as the risen, conquering Savior he might receive and pour out richly upon his people the Holy Spirit by whom they are regenerated, sanctified, preserved, and transformed in accord with the New Covenant (Ezek. 36:25-27; John 3:1-8; Acts 2:33; Gal. 5:22-23; Titus 3:5-6).

It is important to salvation that Jesus Christ was and is fully God for the following reasons:

(1) That his obedience and suffering would be complete and effective (Lk. 1:26-38).

(2) That he would be able to undergo the righteous wrath of the Father against sin and yet still overcome death (Acts 2:24).

(3) Salvation belongs to the Lord and so it must be God providing salvation and bringing God and man back together (Joel 2:32; Jonah 2:9; Rom. 10:13; Rev. 7:10). 

(4) As the God-man he is qualified to reconcile God and humans (2 Cor. 5:14-21; Eph. 2:11-22; 1 Tim. 2:5).

Delighting In The God-Man, Our Savior, With You,

Tom

The Chalcedonian Creed (The New City Catechism #21)

 The twenty-first question and answer of The New City Catechism is this:  “What sort of Redeemer is needed to bring us back to God? Answer: One who is truly human and also truly God.”  Here we are introduced to the reality that our Savior, Jesus Christ, is fully God and fully man.

The early Church, following the teaching of the Scriptures, affirmed that Jesus is fully God and fully man, but as you can imagine, this was a doctrine that was seriously challenged. And even among those who affirmed it, there was disagreement on how to think about it and state it.

 

In the year A.D. 451 in Chalcedon (modern Kadıköy in Istanbul, Turkey) the Church held a council of leaders from throughout the known world at that time to hammer out what the Bible taught about the two natures of Jesus Christ and how to describe it. The result was what many call the Chalcedonian Definition or the Chalcedonian Creed.

 

Here is what the creed says. Read it slowly and think carefully about the teaching of this beautiful and biblically accurate affirmation.

 

We then, following the holy Fathers, all with one consent, teach men to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man, of a [real] soul and body; [of one essence] with the Father according to the Godhead, and [of one essence] with us according to the Manhood; in all things like unto us, without sin ; begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhead, and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, born of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of [the] God[-man], according to the Manhood; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures; [without confusion], [without change], [without division], [without separation]; the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the [characteristics] of each nature being preserved, and [coming together] in one Person and one Subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten God the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, as the prophets from the beginning [have declared] concerning him, and the Lord Jesus Christ himself has taught us; and the Creed of the holy Fathers has handed down to us.[1]

 

Joyfully Delighting In The God-Man With You,

 

Tom

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[1] The translation is from Philip Schaff, Creeds of Christendom, sixth edition, vol. 2 (Baker reprint of 1931 edition), pages 62-63.

 

The Jewels Of The Gospel (The New City Catechism #20)

Few of us are unaware by now that the 117th Congress kicked off January 3 with Representative Emanuel Cleaver, Missouri Democrat and United Methodist pastor, ending his opening prayer with the words “Amen and a-woman.” It seems that this pastor-turned-politician misunderstood the meaning of “Amen” (“let it be” or “so shall it be”), taking it to have a masculine reference and so he wanted to balance that out with what he thought was its feminine counterpart, “a-woman.”

As misguided as this was, it was not as bad as what he said preceding these words: “In the name of the monotheistic god,…Brahma…and god known by many names by many different faiths.” Either Cleaver thinks there are multiple gods and the one Christians worship is one of them or more likely he believes there is one god and this is the same god all religions worship. If that were the case, then we would have little certainty about this god since the different descriptions of him within these religions are contradictory. He would have to be diminished down to the least common denominator and little is left to excite worship. What is more, we would have no certainty about how to have eternal life and to know this god, for all the various creeds’ explanations about that road to God are so different. Such a prayer not only is unfair to each of these religions, but it is not helpful at all—leaving us confused.

Yet, the Bible does not stutter when it affirms there is only one true God (Dt. 6:4; Jer. 10:10; 1 Tim. 1:17) and it speaks just as clearly when it says there is only one way to God (John 14:6; Acts 4:12) and it is through the one Savior who can bring God and man back together—Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:18-20; 1 Tim. 2:5).

It is this last gem that the twentieth question and answer in The New City Catechism puts on the display case for us to admire: “Who is the Redeemer?  Answer: The only Redeemer is the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, in whom God became man and bore the penalty for sin himself.” 

Here are four beautiful and priceless jewels we find.

To begin, there is only one who can purchase our freedom and keep us from an eternity in hell: Jesus Christ (2 Thes. 1:3-12; Rev. 5:9-10). There is no one else whom we can trust for forgiveness of sins (Eph. 1:7). Yet, we can trust him and in him we can be certain we have eternal life (1 John 5:13)!

What is more, this one who is the only Redeemer is also God, the second person of the Trinity, who for all eternity has been in relationship to the Father as Son to Father (Jn. 1:1, 18; 3:16; Col. 1:15-20). Since he is the ultimate communication from God about who God is (Jn. 1:1-18; Heb. 1:1-3), we discover there is no true God in heaven who is not like the Son, Jesus Christ. What we see, then, is great compassion, gentleness (Mt. 11:28-30; Mk. 6:34), and, at the same time, heroic sacrificial love (2 Cor. 8:9; Eph. 5:1-2, 25-27) in our God.

What stuns us the most, however, are the last two truths, that this Son of God humbled himself by taking on flesh and becoming human and then he suffered, died, and was buried in the place of sinners, to take upon himself their punishment (Is. 53:4-12).

As a result of the fact that Jesus has redeemed us, we belong to him, which means he has committed himself to us (1 Cor. 3:23; 6:19). Nothing should place within our hearts a greater desire to glorify him (1 Cor. 6:20). 

Many, like the congressman from Missouri, have concluded that Christianity needs to be made more palatable and beautiful by painting over it, making it look like what the world loves, and by hiding its true brilliance. Yet, there is nothing so exquisite as the jewels of the gospel, as they are displayed in this catechism question and answer. When we come into contact with the true gospel of Jesus Christ and hear it for the first time, there is nothing quite like it.

I pray that you have heard for the first time—really heard it—and responded to it in faith. And if you have, I pray that you never lose your sense of wonder in the face of it, as well as your gratitude to our Lord for what he has done to accomplish our salvation and what he continues to do in applying it.

Joyfully reveling in the jewels of the gospel with you,

Tom

Amazing Love (The New City Catechism #19)

Seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus the prophet Isaiah foretold in Isaiah 53:10–11 what God would do through him to display his love and to save God’s people. Its detail is stunning and its promises priceless:

Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.

Question and answer #19 in The New City Catechism provides sweet commentary upon the truths unveiled in Isaiah’s prophecy. Here is what it asks and the answer it gives: “Is there any way to escape punishment and be brought back into God’s favor?  Yes, to satisfy his justice, God himself, out of mere mercy, reconciles us to himself and delivers us from sin and from the punishment for sin, by a Redeemer.”

 Each of these truths is precious:

• Though we are sinners only deserving punishment, we can be returned to a position of God’s favor.

• God himself has done this.

• God brings us back into his favor in the way he does to preserve his justice (that he does not overlook sin).

• God brings us back into his favor motivated by his mercy—that is, his compassion and love by which he reaches down into our plight to rescue us.

• God brings us back into his own favor by delivering us from sin’s power and someday its presence, and right now its punishment.

• Finally, God accomplishes all this by a Redeemer, one who delivers out of bondage. We will learn in future questions and answers the biblical truth this Redeemer is Jesus Christ.

This commentary is not only helping us understand how God saves, it is leading us to worship him for what he has done. We should be moved to sing with Charles Wesley:

And can it be that I should gain

An int’rest in the Savior’s blood?

Died He for me, who caused His pain—

For me, who Him to death pursued?

Amazing love! How can it be,

That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

Refrain:

Amazing love! How can it be,

That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

Delighting In Our Savior’s Amazing Love With You,

 

Tom

God Doesn’t Overlook Sin To Save (The New City Catechism, #18)

 One of the biggest current misunderstandings about God we run across is that since God is love and a gracious God, he saves sinners by overlooking their sin. When we conclude this, we not only distort who God is and what he is like, but we distort how he saves.

This is why our next catechism question-and-answer is so vital. It corrects that view: “Will God allow our disobedience and idolatry to go unpunished?  Answer: No, every sin is against the sovereignty, holiness, and goodness of God, and against his righteous law, and God is righteously angry with our sins and will punish them in his just judgment both in this life, and in the life to come.”

There are four reasons given for why God will not allow our sin to go unpunished. To begin, because our disobedience and idolatry are committed against the reality that God is the King of kings who reigns over the universe (his sovereignty) and, as such, he is worthy of our obedience and undivided worship (Pss. 47:2, 8; 100). When we ignore and/or place other things above him, we act against that truth and as if it is not so.

The next reason God does not simply ignore our sin is that it is committed against or in opposition to his holiness. God’s holiness means that God is altogether set apart unto himself, to his own glory (Is. 42:8; 43:7). When we ignore his glory and act as if he is not worthy of our being set apart to serve him first and foremost (Dt. 5:7-10; 10:12-13), we belittle him and we raise to the level of an idol whatever we treat as more important than him.

The remaining two reasons go hand-in-hand. Our disobedience and idolatry typically come out of a sense that God is not truly good (e.g. Gen. 3:1-8) and that his will is not for our good (Dt. 10:13). Again it belittles God and if God overlooked this, he would become idolatrous just as we are.

Given what we have said about the seriousness of our sin and idolatry, it follows that God rightly hates our sin (Ps. 11:5), which what is communicated by his being “righteously angry” (Rom. 1:18; 1 Thes. 1:10). Additionally, he is just to judge us (Rev. 20:11-15).

When we grasp the biblical truths that we find in this question-and-answer, we come to see that God cannot save us by merely overlooking sin and remain consistent with his attributes. In order for him to be both just and holy, but at the same time gracious and merciful, he must save by pouring out his wrath and judgment upon a substitute so that he can forgive those who come to him in faith and repentance. That is exactly how he expresses his love to and saves sinners (Rom. 3:21-26)!

Delighting In The Glory Of God Through Salvation With You,

Tom