“There are signs today of a new upsurge of interest in the theology of the Bible: a new readiness to test traditions, to search the scriptures and to think through the faith. . .one of the most urgent tasks facing Evangelical Christendom today - the recovery of the Gospel.
J. I. Packer
“Lord, revive the church!” O.K., Church. First, recover the Gospel! Recover the Gospel? Yes! The Gospel - you know - the one that produces deep reverence, deep repentance, deep humility, a true spirit of worship. The one that makes the thoughts and hearts of men to become Christ-centered; the one whose first concern is to glorify the Lord of Glory. . .
The Creator and His CreationI am not a creator. If I could operate independently apart from any source outside of myself ? then anything that I accomplished; any deed, any goodness, might be due personal merit to my account: if there be any glory, any reward, it ought to be mine for the claiming. The old familiar definition, Grace is the unmerited favor of God . . .Of course! Saint or sinner, any favor at all that would be shown us by a Holy God must needs be unmerited. If we merit or deserve anything, it is judgment and death: that would be our just reward, the wages due us, merited by us.
Whether we say that we have been declared righteous by imputation, (or have been quickened by the Spirit in regeneration; that we are indwelt by that same Spirit, which some label "impartation,") there is no merit of which we may claim; none that is, but that of Christ Himself. But we are told to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God! How can I be acceptable, holy before a righteous God? The old hymn says it all: "Just as I am, without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me; and that thou bidst me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come!" I come, claiming no merits of my own; only the merits of Christ and His redeeming blood.
Partakers of the Divine Nature"Whereby are given to us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust" II Peter 1:4. How is one to be a "partaker?" For an example, if one is in a "communion service," the Lord's table: as a believer he partakes of the bread and wine. It does not come from within him; it of necessity is from a source outside of himself.
While giving a proper and thorough definition of a "divine nature" might prove difficult, we can see the character of such a nature from our text: "diligence, faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, charity. These are 9 in number. Nine others with similar meaning are: "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." Yet what we have here is not called the fruit of the divine nature, but the fruit of the Spirit. A sailboat may exhibit great sails but she will remain dead in the water without a good wind! Interesting that the scripture should identify the Spirit as the wind and should then declare, "so is every one that is born of the Spirit" John 3:8. If the Spirit "imparts" Life, or "quickens" the sinner, must he not with the Quickening Life be endued with a divine nature? But then, must not the divine nature find its beginning, its only source of strength, its continuing existence, in the Light and Life of the Son of God?
"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above . . .Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth" Col. 3:1a,2. You know the old cliche: "Too heavenly minded to be any earthly good." The scriptures beg to differ. What is probably closer to the truth is, "Too earthly minded to be any heavenly good!" Call it instinct or whatever you will, but be it animal or human, a new born is drawn to the parent from whence it came."Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever" I Peter 1:23. Incorruptible seed? Seed that is not nor can it ever, be made corruptible. By the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever? "The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. . ." Continuing with this line of thought: "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby! If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious" I Peter 2:2,3. As one so aptly put it, The soul that from sin is set free, immediately soars heavenward! Thus the natural fulfillment of Colossians 3: "Seek those things which are above. . .set your affection on things above. . . "If one does not have this desire, (supposing himself to have imparted righteousness), neither should he think himself to have Christ's imputed righteousness: he is not justified before God.
May I say at this point that I have certain reservations in regard to the term, "imparted righteousness." My concern is that men might embrace it, while disregarding "imputed righteousness." Perhaps better: that through the new birth, I have been imparted Life - Christ Himself. "And being found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith" Phil. 3:9. (Anyone who would claim "imparted righteousness" must assuredly embrace the doctrine of "imputed righteousness.")
Regeneration and Justification"Regeneration and Justification are simultaneous; and no man is justified who is not renewed, nor is any man renewed who is not also, and immediately, justified."
The Doctrine of Justification, James Buchanan
"Ye are washed [He saved us by the washing of regeneration], ye are sanctified, ye are justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God" I Cor. 6:11. It's all here: the washing of regeneration (the new birth,) the sanctification (the imparting of Life, the indwelling Spirit of Christ, our righteousness,) the justification (imputed righteousness by faith in the Mediatorial work of Christ.) Though distinct from one another, yet are they bound into one in a way that no separation is possible - sort of like the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!
I never tire in quoting Hebrews 11, verses 13 and 14: Of Abraham and the multitude of Old Testament saints it is said: "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country." (Like it or not, these Old Testament saints will rise first to meet the Lord in the air!) I love the order in which these are given: first is faith. The energy of faith by and in the competent administering of the Spirit: it is seeing, it is being persuaded of that which is seen, it is the embracing of that of which one has seen and been persuaded; finally, it is the confessing of that which one has seen, been persuaded of, and embraced! Want an alternative to the "Romans Road?" Or a follow up? Look at it: faith, seeing, being persuaded, embracing, confessing. Sounds like a New Testament plan of salvation, doesn't it? The ultimate object of faith is, it must be, Christ!
The Holy Spirit and Imparted Righteousness"The work of the Spirit consists in bearing witness to Christ, and applying to men the redemption which he obtained for them, so as to make it effectual for their complete and everlasting salvation."
James Buchanan
Consider the testimony of our Lord: "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you" John 16:12-15. If Christ is Truth (and He is) then the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth: He will guide you into all Truth: that is to say He will guide you into the revealed Christ. He shall speak of and glorify, not Himself, but our Lord. We might venture to say that a prime directive of the Spirit is one of "reveal-ation!" "All things that the Father hatharemine. . . He shall take of mine [the things that are jointly the Father's and the Son's] and shall shew it unto you."
And what does that mean? He's going to make known the Gospel! As part of the work of sanctification or "imparted righteousness", He's going to expound the doctrine of "Imputed Righteousness!" He's going to tell us of the first Adam and his sin and of the law of sin and death! He 's going to speak of a "Man of sorrows, aquainted with grief; of One who has borne our griefs, carried our sorrows; One of whom the "Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all; One whom the Lord bruised, made "his soul an offering for sin": One who would justify many," who would bear their iniquities; One who would make "intercession for the transgressors." He will speak of righteousness being imputed, accounted unto Abraham by faith: "not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead." He will tell us that the grounds of our redemption and justification and reconciliation to the Father is by Christ's blood shed at Calvary; offered by Him upon the Mercy Seat before the Sovereign God of heaven. He will tell us that our sins are accounted unto Christ; that His righteousness is accounted unto us, by faith. He will tell us of the risen Christ; of His ascension into heaven, being seated at the right hand of Majesty; of His Priestly work in our behalf; of his Second coming in power and glory . . .
We must end this line of thinking; but reflect, meditate: what has the Holy Spirit revealed to you lately about our Lord -your Lord!?!
The Nature of the Spirit's Work"Its great design is to lead the sinner to receive and rest on Christ alone; it must arise only from the depraved state of our own minds, which is such that, were we left to ourselves, we would never close with the gracious call of the gospel, - partly because we are insensible of the evil and demerit of sin, - partly because we are spiritually blind, - and partly because we are unwilling to be saved in God's way, and on God's terms. Hence arises the indispensable necessity of the Spirit's work in applying the redemption, which was procured by Christ for our Justification; while its necessity for other ends arises from the very nature of salvation itself, which consists in deliverance from the power and practice of sin, as well as from its guilt and punishment; and is designed, not only to give us a title to eternal life, but also to 'make us meet for the inheritance of the saints in Light.' "This is the will of God, even your Sanctification." and "Without holiness no man shall see the Lord."
"Receiving Christ by faith, he [the believing sinner] is united to Him; and being united to Him, 'he is complete in Him,' Christ's righteousness becomes his for his Justification, and Christ's Spirit becomes his also for his Sanctification."
James Buchanan
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