Hypothetical or Absolute Necessity?

Redemption Accomplished and Applied

Notes, Chapter One (con't.)

 

 After Murray establishes that it was God's infinite love and wisdom, according to His good pleasure, that established the atonement as the means of redeeming a people for Himself, He asks the question that theologians, academicians, laity and countless 4th grade Sunday School kids have asked:  Why?  Why did He chose to sacrifice His Only Son?  Why did Jesus have to die a cruel death on the cross?  Why the cross?

 

He asks these questions in a particularly pointed manner:

 

Why did not God realize the purpose of His love for mankind by the word of His power and the fiat of His will?  If we say that he could not, do we not impugn His power?  If we say that He could but He would not, do we not impugn His wisdom?  Such questions are not scholastic subtleties or vain curiositities.  To evade them is to miss something that is central in the interpretation of the redeeming work of Christ and to miss the vision of some of its essential glory.  Why did God become man?  Why, having become man, did He die?  Why, having died, did He die the accursed death of the cross?  This is the question of the necessity of the atonement.

 

Murray then presents the two common ways in which these questions have been been answered:  hypothetical necessity and consequent absolute necessity.   We'll look at hypothetical necessity first:

 

Hypothetical Necessity 

 

In it's simplest expression, Hypothetical Necessity brings forth the basic idea that God, to Whom and through Whom all things are possible, could have used any means whatsoever to forgive sin and redeem His elect. Even though "nothing inheres in the nature of God or in the nature of remission of sin that makes blood-shedding indispensible," it is the way that God chose and decreed.  This, according to Murry's explanation of this particular view, was the way that God purposed in Himself because "this is the way in which the greatest number of advantages concur and the way in which grace is more marvellously exhibited." Simply put, although He could have done it any way He wanted, this is the way He chose and decreed, and therefore, that is the way it was accomplished.

 

Scriptures cited to support this view include: 

 

But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  Matthew 19:26

 

He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. 36 And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”  Mark 14:36 

 

(This view was held by Augustine and Thomas Aquinas.) 

 

Next up: The Consequent Absolute Necessity.  This one takes more time to develop properly, so I will tackle that in the next post. 

 

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt Soft

 

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt

Soft

Next Week's Theme:  Salty

 

This is Eve's last litter.  Seven velvety puppies.  There is nothing so warm and soft as a tiny, silken Vizla puppy. 

 

(If you want to see more pictures of the puppies as they got older, you can see them here and here.)

Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith

February 24
Hear So as to Be Heard

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. (John 15:7)

Note well that we must hear Jesus speak if we expect Him to hear us speak. If we have no ear for Christ, He will have no ear for us. In proportion as we hear we shall be heard.

Moreover, what is heard must remain, must live in us, and must abide in our character as a force and a power. We must receive the truths which Jesus taught, the precepts which He issued, and the movements of His Spirit within us; or we shall have no power at the Mercy Seat.

Suppose our Lord's words to be received and to abide in us, what a boundless field of privilege is opened up to us! We are to have our will in prayer, because we have already surrendered our will to the Lord's command. Thus are Elijahs trained to handle the keys of heaven and lock or loose the clouds. One such man is worth a thousand common Christians. Do we humbly desire to be intercessors for the church and the world, and like Luther to be able to have what we will of the Lord? Then we must bow our ear to the voice of the Well-beloved, treasure up His words, and carefully obey them. He has need to "hearken diligently" who would pray effectually.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

Love's Determinate Purpose

Redemption Accomplished and Applied

Notes, Chapter One

 In Chapter One, Murray discusses the necessity of the atonement.  He begins by tracing the source or cause of the atonement to the Sovereign Love of God. (John 3:16)

The atonement "springs from" love--a love that elects and predestines.  It is a "distinguishing love."

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?  Romans 8:31-32

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.  Romans 8:29

. . .just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will  Ephesians 1:4,5

But what is sovereign love?  To understand that correctly, we must begin with the understanding that God is love.  Love is not something He chooses, rather something He IS.

It was of the free and sovereign good pleasure of His will, a good pleasure that eminated from the depths of His own goodness, that He chose a people to be heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ.  The reason resides wholly in Himself and proceeds from the determinations that are peculiarly His as the "I am that I am."  The atonement does not win or constrain the love of God.  The love of God constrains the atonement as the means of accomplishing love's determinate purpose.

 Next:  What was the reason for the atonement?  Why is it necessary?

Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith

February 23
Unbroken Fellowship Essential

lf ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. (John 15:7)

Of necessity we must be in Christ to live unto Him, and we must abide in Him to be able to claim the largesse of this promise from Him. To abide in Jesus is never to quit Him for another love or another object, but to remain in living, loving, conscious, willing union with Him. The branch is not only ever near the stem but ever receiving life and fruitfulness horn it. All true believers abide in Christ in a sense; but there is a higher meaning, and this we must know before we can gain unlimited power at the throne. "Ask what ye will" is for Enochs who walk with God, for Johns who lie in the Lord's bosom, for those whose union with Christ leads to constant communion.

The heart must remain in love, the mind must be rooted in faith, the hope must be cemented to the Word, the whole man must be joined unto the Lord, or else it would be dangerous to trust us with power in prayer. The carte blanche can only be given to one whose very life is, "Not I, but Christ liveth in me." O you who break your fellowship, what power you lose! If you would be mighty in your pleadings, the Lord Himself must abide in you, and you in Him.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

A Poetic Explanation

This doesn't exactly fit with Rebecca's Children's Poetry Month but I suspect that most 10 year olds would probably understand this much better than I do!  I do know enough about computers to think this is hysterically funny.  I read it aloud to myself, twice. 

Why Computers Sometimes Crash! by "Dr. Seuss."
(Read this to yourself aloud)
 

If a packet hits a pocket on a socket on a port, and the bus is
interrupted at a very last resort, and the access of the memory makes
your floppy disk abort, then the socket packet pocket has an error to
report.

If your cursor finds a menu item followed by a dash, and the
double-clicking icon puts your window in the trash, and your data is
corrupted cause the index doesn't hash, then your situation's hopeless
and your system's gonna crash!

If the label on the cable on the table at your house, says the network is
connected to the button on your mouse, but your packets want to tunnel to
another protocol, that's repeatedly rejected by the printer down the hall...

And your screen is all distorted by the side effects of gauss, so your
icons in the window are as wavy as a souse; then you may as well reboot
and go out with a bang, 'cuz sure as I'm a poet, the 'puter's gonna hang.


When the copy on your floppy's getting sloppy in the disk, and the macro
code instructions cause unnecessary risk, then you'll have to flash
the memory and you'll want to RAM your ROM, and then quickly turn off the
computer and be sure to tell your Mom!

 

Sent to me this morning by my son.  Author Unknown. 

Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith

February 22
Past Deliverance Begets Faith

David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. (1 Samuel 17:37)

This is not a promise if we consider only the words, but it is truly so as to its sense; for David spoke a word which the Lord endorsed by making it true. He argued from past deliverances that he should receive help in a new danger. In Jesus all the promises are "Yea" and "Amen" to the glory of God by us, and so the Lord's former dealings with His believing people will be repeated.

Come, then, let us recall the Lord's former lovingkindness. We could not have hoped to be delivered aforetime by our own strength; yet the Lord delivered us. Will He not again save us? We are sure He will. As David ran to meet his foe, so will we. The Lord has been with us, He is with us, and He has said, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee," Why do we tremble? Was the past a dream? Think of the dead bear and lion. Who is this Philistine? True, he is not quite the same, and is neither bear nor lion; but then God is the same, and His honor is as much concerned in the one case as in the other. He did not save us from the beasts of the forest to let a giant kill us. Let us be of good courage.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

Early Morning Blessings

I have been blessed beyond measure already this morning. 

I got up early because I couldn't sleep.  I tossed and turned and lay in bed, praying and thinking.  Something is weighing on my heart and mind so I got up, got dressed and began this first day of Lent.

I made a quick, quiet cup of tea and sat down here at the computer to post up Spurgeon's devotional and check my email.  My plan was to get it all out of the way and then shut down the computer.

The first thing I did was check email.  I subscribe to a Daily Bible Reading Plan and I always start my day with a chapter from the Bible.  This morning's chapter is Ephesians 1, one of my all time favorite passages. 

Ephesians 1

 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,

To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:

2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 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, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

I can't think of a more perfect start to Lent than to meditate upon these verses in Ephesians.  To begin at the beginning; with God's eternal plan to bless us with spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ.

These verses ring with the eternal purpose of God: to accomplish the good pleasure of His Will, to the praise of His glory:

according to the good pleasure of His will

to the praise of the glory of His grace

according to the riches of His grace

according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself

according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will

to the praise of His glory

God's purposes start with Himself.  I must start where He starts.

And what is it that brings Him pleasure and glory?  He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.

To begin a time of reflection on the sufferings of Christ in His atoning work with the reminder that God was at work in it with purpose from eternity, that it brings Him glory, that He is ultimately gathering all things together in one in Christ--what could be better?

But Paul goes on; he prays for us:
   

15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23  which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Truly, as the verse on which Spurgeon based today's devotional says, He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great.

Truly, He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.

Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith

February 21
Blessing on Littleness

He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great. (Psalm 115:13)

This is a word of cheer to those who are of humble station and mean estate. Our God has a very gracious consideration for those of small property, small talent, small influence, small weight. God careth for the small things in creation and even regards sparrows in their lighting upon the ground. Nothing is small to God, for He makes use of insignificant agents for the accomplishment of His purposes. Let the least among men seek of God a blessing upon his littleness, and he shall find his contracted sphere to be a happy one.

Among those who fear the Lord there are little and great. Some are babes, and others are giants. But these are all blessed. Little faith is blessed faith. Trembling hope is blessed hope. Every grace of the Holy Spirit, even though it be only in the bud, bears a blessing within it. Moreover, the Lord Jesus bought both the small and the great with the same precious blood, and He has engaged to preserve the lambs as well as the full-grown sheep. No mother overlooks her child because it is little; nay, the smaller it is, the more tenderly does she nurse it. If there be any preference with the Lord, He does not arrange them as "great and small" but as "small and great."

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

To observe or not to observe

That is the question.

 I've received several questions via email about the appropriateness of Lenten observations.  I understand the initial concern.  I didn't grow up in a church that observed Lent, so it seemed so, well, extra-Biblical to me and, after all, "aren't we Protestants?--Protestants don't DO that! (. . .do they?)"

Here's a exerpt from an article that a pastor wrote to his congregation.  I linked to it last year, but the link no longer works.  Thankfully, my pastor sent it to HIS congregation so now I can share at least some of it with you here.  

The Benefit of Taking Lent Seriously, by Clay Holland, Christ the King PCA, Houston

(excerpt) 

The first questions we must ask with respect to Lent are:  (1) Is it required for followers of Christ, and (2) Is it forbidden for followers of Christ?  I believe the answer to both of these questions is “No,” and the better question with respect to Lent is:  Is it wise for followers of Christ?  Observing Lent is not required for a Christian because it would suggest that placing our faith in Christ is not sufficient for salvation.  Observing Lent is also not forbidden because the Scriptures make it clear that observing particular times and seasons are not necessarily the point.  We are free to do so if these things do not become substitutes for our reliance upon the gospel (for a fuller treatment of this subject, please see Colossians 1:13-3:17).

            This leaves us with the wisdom question.  In this way, Lent is similar to other seasons of the church year.  For example, the Bible calls us to live our lives in eager expectation of the coming of Christ, but it is helpful for us to focus on that during the season of Advent.  Every Sunday worship service is a celebration of Jesus’ resurrection, but it is helpful to focus our attention on the wonderful ramifications of that biblical truth during Easter.  In the same way, we are called to live lives of repentance and reliance upon the gospel, but it is helpful for us to take time during Lent to examine our hearts and spend time and effort concentrating on repentance and looking ahead to the celebration of Easter.

            Traditionally, this time of concerted repentance has involved some form of self-denial (hence my childhood angst with the cookies).  Although this takes many different forms, it is also wise because it reminds us that what we do with our bodies has spiritual ramifications.  We are not disembodied souls – we are a unity of body and soul.  Feeling hungry, for example, reminds us to pray and look to Christ as the “bread of life.”  Sacrificing time watching television or chatting with friends on the internet gives us more time to read, pray, and worship.

 I will miss you all during the time I am "blog bound" here at Hiraeth and I'll look forward to coming around to visit and seeing what has been going on in Bloglandia. 

 I will certainly update the Chequebook of the Bank of Faith and I may share some thoughts from my reading.  I'm not on a blogging vacation exactly, just staying "home."

Moving subscriptions

If you notice that you now have one less subscriber in Bloglines, don't worry; it's probably just me.  I'm going to try to get all my subscriptions transferred over from Bloglines to Newsgator today.

Observing Lent

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent.  Traditionally, Christians have set aside these weeks leading up to Easter as a time of special reflection on Christ and His Work on the Cross.  Many observe Lent by periods of fasting for the purpose of remembering Christ's sacrifice.

While this is usually thought of as a Catholic or Anglican practice, the leaders of our church have called for a weekly fast on Wednesdays.   We will gather for prayer and then break our fast together with a shared meal.  I always plan some special reading material to help me think through all the implications of what Christ has done for me.

Last year I read through the Gospels along with some selected readings from The Westminster Confession of Faith (Chapter VII and VII) and Berkhof's Systematic Theology.  It was very meaningful and so I am looking forward to setting aside this time again this year.  I will be reading John's Gospel and re-reading Redemption Accomplished and Applied by John Murray.

That's a lot of extra reading so in order to carve out the necessary time , I have to give up something.  That's the way of it, isn't it?  So often, we must give up something to gain something.  I'll be giving up reading blogs.  Sometimes reading a lot of good things sort of scrambles my brain--too many interesting and challenging things to think about.  I'll continue to update my own blog, but I won't be taking my regular rounds to visit my friends and readers. 

Are you doing anything special for the Lenten season?  If you are, tell me about it in the comments of this post. 

Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith

February 20
Continual Guidance

The Lord shall guide thee continually. (Isaiah 58:11)

What aileth thee? Hast thou lost thy way? Art thou entangled in a dark wood and canst thou not find thy paths? Stand still, and see the salvation of God. He knows the way, and He will direct thee in it if thou cry unto Him.

Every day brings its own perplexity. How sweet to feel that the guidance of the Lord is continual! If we choose our own way or consult with flesh and blood we cast ok the Lord's guidance; but if we abstain from self-will, then He will direct every step of our road, every hour of the day, and every day of the year, and every year of our life. If we will but be guided, we shall be guided. If we will commit our way unto the Lord, He will direct our course so that we shall not lose ourselves.

But note to whom this promise is made. Read the previous verse: "If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry." We must feel for others and give them, not a few dry crusts, but such things as we ourselves would wish to receive. If we show a tender care for our fellow-creatures in the hour of their need, then will the Lord attend to our necessities and make Himself our continual Guide. Jesus is the Leader, not of misers, nor of those who oppress the poor, but of the kind and tenderhearted. Such persons are pilgrims who shall never miss their way.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

Slow load

Does my blog seem to be loading slowly for you?  It may be my new header but it appears to be hanging up when it tries to load my stat counter.  It may be my ATT DSL connection.  Ever since we switched to their fastest DSL it seems as though our connection is slower and s-l-o-w-e-r. 

Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith

February 19
Better Farther On

Though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more. (Nahum 1:12)

There is a limit to affliction. God sends it, and God removes it. Do you sigh and say, "When will the end be?" Remember that our griefs will surely and finally end when this poor earthly life is over, Let us quietly wait and patiently endure the will of the Lord till He cometh.

Meanwhile, our Father in heaven takes away the rod when His design in using it is fully served. When He has whipped away our folly, there will be no more strokes. Or, if the affliction is sent for testing us, that our graces may glorify God, it will end when the Lord has made us bear witness to His praise. We would not wish the affliction to depart till God has gotten out of us all the honor which we can possibly yield Him.

There may today be "a great calm." Who knows how soon those raging billows will give place to a sea of glass, and the sea birds sit on the gentle waves? After long tribulation the Rail is hung up, and the wheat rests in the garner. We may, before many hours are past, be just as happy as now we are sorrowful. It is not hard for the Lord to turn night into day. He that sends the clouds can as easily clear the skies. Let us be of good cheer. It is better on before. Let us sing hallelujah by anticipation.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

Quote of the Week

(For) the very idea of sin in the Bible is of an offense against God, which disrupts a man's relationship with God.  Unless we see our shortcomings in the light of the law and holiness of God, we do not see them as sin at all.  For sin is not a social concept; it is a theological concept.

J. I. Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, pg. 60 

Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith

February 18
God Will Answer

He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them. (Psalm 145:19)

His own Spirit has wrought this desire in us, and therefore He will answer it. It is His own life within which prompts the cry, and therefore He will hear it. Those who fear Him are men under the holiest influence, and, therefore, their desire is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Like Daniel, they are men of desires, and the Lord will cause them to realize their aspirations.

Holy desires are grace in the blade, and the heavenly Husbandman will cultivate them till they come to the full corn in the ear. God-fearing men desire to be holy, to be useful, to be a blessing to others, and so to honor their Lord. They desire supplies for their need, help under burdens, guidance in perplexity, deliverance in distress; and sometimes this desire is so strong and their case so pressing that they cry out in agony like little children in pain, and then the Lord works most comprehensively and does all that is needful according to this Word—"and will save them."

Yes, if we fear God, we have nothing else to fear; if we cry to the Lord, our salvation is certain.

Let the reader lay this text on his tongue and keep it in his mouth all the day, and it will be to him as "a wafer made with honey."

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt: Antiques

I love antiques.  I love anything that has a story and a patina.  These books were given to me by my grandfather, who was a great collector of books.  The book on the left is leather bound and the one on the right is hardbound with hand marbled paper and a leather spine.  As a calligrapher, I greatly appreciate the beautiful example of the italic style of the late 1800's.  Remnants remain of the copperplate style of earlier generations.

 

 

 

 Title page Book One which reads:

 

Alf. Graber

Findlay, Ohio

University of Michigan

Lecture Notes

Law Department

1880 

Seat 158

 

(added in pencil at the bottom)

 

Law Students Department:  Introduction to the study of the Decisions of the Supreme Court of Ohio Begins in Ohio Law Journal Nov.13th-March 30th 1885

 

 

 

 

Title Page Book Two which reads:

 

Alfred Graber

Findlay Ohio

Law Lecture Notes

taken at the

University of Michigan

in the years of 1879-80-81

From Proff. Cooley, Campbell, Walker and Kent.  Proffessors in the Law Department of the U. of M.

(seat 158-303)

 

 

 This is a detailed close up of a section from Book Two, Page 97

on the adoption of children and the right of action for loss of child's service, dated February 23, 1880. 

 

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt

Antique

Antique Corner

Next Week's Theme:  Soft

 

Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith

February 17
God Can Make You Strong

Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded. (2 Chronicles 15:7)

God had done great things for King Asa and Judah, but yet they were a feeble folk. Their feet were very tottering in the ways of the Lord, and their hearts very hesitating, so that they had to be warned that the Lord would be with them while they were with Him, but that if they forsook Him He would leave them. They were also reminded of the sister kingdom, how ill it fared in its rebellion and how the Lord was gracious to it when repentance was shown. The Lord's design was to confirm them in His way and make them strong in righteousness. So ought it to be with us. God deserves to be served with all the energy of which we are capable.

If the service of God is worth anything, it is worth everything. We shall find our best reward in the Lord's work if we do it with determined diligence. Our labor is not in vain in the Lord, and we know it. Halfhearted work will bring no reward; but when we throw our whole soul into the cause, we shall see prosperity. This text was sent to the author of these notes in a day of terrible storm, and it suggested to him to put on all steam, with the assurance of reaching port in safety with a glorious freight.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

Separated at Birth

I often tease Kim and tell her that we must have been separated at birth.  We share so many interests; theology, Charnock, calligraphy, home schooling, blogging, reading--the list goes on.

This morning I read her most recent post, The Beagles Have It, and saw myself and my dog, Ivy, in it.

Kim has a way of writing very thought provoking posts and this one is no exception.  If you haven't read it, why don't you mosey on over there and check it out.  The bonus is that you will get to see a very sweet, but recalcitrant doggy who rivals Ivy in the ornery department.  And maybe you'll see yourself--and the Only One Who can help.

 I think I'd like Daisy.  I know I like Kim.