For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Eph. 2:8-9)
Question 29: How does the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased by Christ? Answer: The Spirit applies to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us, (Ephesians 2:8) and by it uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling. (Ephesians 3:17) So often we think salvation is a matter of hearing the gospel, weighing the pros and cons of it, and then thoughtfully making a decision as to whether or not we will follow Christ. But the Bible makes clear that salvation is a gracious gift and sovereign work of God from beginning to end. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,…” What is a gift of God? Answer: grace and faith are gifts from God. God gives us the grace and the faith to believe. This is why Paul goes on to say, “not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” In the end, when we enter into heaven, no one will be able to pat themselves on the back and say I did something to get here. Maybe God did 99.9% of the work but I at least contributed .01% in order to be saved. But according to Ephesians 2:5-9, we did nothing to be saved. When the Bible talks about God's saving us, it means exactly that. We were in need of saving, and God saved us.
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Even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:5-6)
Question 28: How are we made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ? Answer: We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, by the effectual application of it to us (John 1:12) by his Holy Spirit. (Titus 3:5,6) Spurgeon’s answer to question #28 is a great answer—“by the effectual application of it [redemption] to us by his Holy Spirit.” By “effectual” he means that this is something the Holy Spirit unilaterally, monergisticly, and sovereignly applies to the believer's life. He means that the application of redemption is effective. When God chooses to save someone, that person will be saved. Paul uses similar language in Ephesians 2:5-6 when he says, “even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus”. The apostle Paul uses resurrection language to describe our conversion and redemption by the Holy Spirit. In our redemption the Holy Sprit “made us alive” and “raised us up with him.” Just like Lazarus, at one moment we were spiritually dead in our trespasses and sins and then in the next moment God spoke to our dead souls and made us alive in him. We did nothing to earn it and we certainly do not deserve it. Praise be to God for his Amazing Grace and mercy! Because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead. (Acts 17:31)
Question 27: Wherein consists Christ’s exaltation? Answer: Christ’s exaltation consists in his rising again from the dead on the third day, in ascending up into heaven, and sitting at the right hand of God the Father, and in coming to judge the world at the last day. In the first chapter of Romans, Paul writes that Jesus “was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead” (1:3-4). In other words, Christ was vindicated to be the son of God by his resurrection. His resurrection was his exaltation. It was the proof of who he is. It was the means through which God declares to the world that Christ was who he claimed to be. The blessedness of this truth is that we know that our faith is not in some emotional abstract idea, but that our faith is in the objective historical reality of the resurrected Christ and, thus, we can believe and trust in all that God has revealed through his word and through his Son. That Christ was exalted by God the Father gives us the hope to keep pressing on in a fallen world. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law (Galatians 4:4)
Question 26: Wherein did Christ’s humiliation consist? Answer: Christ’s humiliation consisted in his being born, and that in a low condition, made under the law, undergoing the miseries of this life, the wrath of God, and the cursed death of the cross; in being buried, and continuing under the power of death for a time. When Spurgeon speaks about the humiliation of Christ, he is referring to the humility of Christ, not the manner in which Christ was mocked or humiliated. Thus, the question that is being asked is how or in what way was the humility of Christ displayed to us. First of all, when we think of humility we tend to think of personality. We tend to think of people who are humble or possess humility as people who are meek and mild-mannered. However, Jesus made a whip and drove people out of the temple. Yet, at the same time he described himself as being “gentle and humble in heart” (Matt 11:29). So then, what does it mean to be humble? Specifically, what does it mean for Christ to be humble? In what way did Christ display his humiliation? Philippians 2:3-4 describe humility as thinking of others as being more important than yourself and looking out not only for your own interests, but for the interests of others. As Spurgeon explains, Christ did exactly that when he was “made under the law, undergoing the miseries of this life, the wrath of God, and the cursed death of the cross.” Christ was not obligated to do any of that for us. He did so because he was driven by his love for us and by his humility, his desire and willingness to place our interests above his own. Christ is the quintessential example of humility for us. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. (Lk. 1:32-33)
Question 25: How does Christ execute the office of a king? Answer: Christ executes the office of a king in subduing us to himself, in ruling and defending us, and in restraining and conquering all his and our enemies. When God made a covenant with David, part of what God promises him is that he will establish the throne of his son forever (2 Sam. 7:12-13). We know this promise is not fulfilled in Solomon, as Solomon dies, as do all the rest of David's descendants. All except one. Throughout his book, Matthew refers to Jesus as the son of David more times than any other New Testament writer. He goes to great lengths to show that Jesus is the legitimate heir to the throne of David. Not only this but when the angel appears to Mary in Luke 1:31, he says to her that the child she is carrying "will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." Thus, Jesus comes to establish the throne of David and to rule over his kingdom forever. He is the king of his people, however, not only in that he reigns upon the throne of David, but in Revelation 6:10 we hear the voice of those who have been slain for their faith shouting to Christ, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" The answer comes in Revelation 19, "Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords" (vv.11-16). Christ, our King, will someday return and avenge the blood of his people. In the end--God wins. Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. (Heb. 4:14)
Question 24: How does Christ execute the office of a priest? Answer: Christ executes the office of a priest, in his once offering up himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice, and to reconcile us to God, and in making continual intercession for us. In the Old Testament only the high priest could enter into the presence of God into the Holies of Holy behind the curtain, and only then could he enter just once per year and only after having offered a sacrifice for his own sins (Heb 7:27). This is because the high priest himself was not a perfect mediator. He was a sinner just like the rest of us. Not only that, but it is also made clear that all of those Old Testament sacrifices never did take away sins. Rather the whole point of the sacrificial system was to simply remind the people, day after day, month after month, year after year, that they are sinful and in need of a a savior (Heb 10:1-4). What the world needed was a perfect sacrifice offered by a perfect and sinless height priest who could once for all take away our sins and usher us into the presence of the living God. Only Christ does that. The author of Hebrews writes, "And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified" (10:11-14). Praise be to God we have a high priest who has done for us what no mere human could ever do--once for all atone for our sins and give us permanent access to the presence of God. For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses-- as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. (Heb. 3:3 ESV)
Question 23: How does Christ execute the office of a prophet? Answer: Christ executes the office of a prophet, in revealing to us, by his Word, and Spirit, the will of God for our salvation. The way the apostle John opens up his gospel has fascinated theologians and pastors alike for centuries. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Jesus is the divine logos of God--the word of God. But why? He then goes on to say in v.14, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." Then in v.18, "No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known." John's point is that God is spirit. He is invisible. Had God chosen not reveal himself to humanity, then no one would ever know God. God would never be known. Thus, God reveals himself to humanity by speaking to them through his word, through the prophets. But as the author or Hebrew states it, "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son" (Heb. 1:1-2). In other words, Jesus is the word of God, the final word of God, because in Christ the fulness of God is revealed to us. In this sense he fulfills the role of prophet. The prophets in the Old Testament could only reveal about God what God had revealed to them. But in the person of Jesus Christ, Jesus is the full revelation of God. Jesus is God personified. Everything there is to know about God is found in the person of Jesus Christ. Thus, if you want to fully know God, then seek to know Christ. Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" (John 1:49)
In question 22 of Spurgeon's catechism, he asks the question: "What offices does Christ execute as our Redeemer?" The answer is: "Christ as our Redeemer executes the offices of a prophet, (Acts 3:22) of a priest, (Hebrews 5:6) and of a king, (Psalm 2:6) both in his state of humiliation and exaltation." Throughout the Old Testament the people of God were at various times led and governed by either prophets (such as Moses and Elijah), priests (such as Aaron), and and/or kings (such as David and Solomon). Sometimes by all three. What is clear from the New Testament is that each of these offices were designed and intended to point God's people forward to their ultimate prophet, priest, and king who is Jesus Christ. All of the prophets, priests, and kings who came before Christ were flawed and sinful and could neither perfectly nor truly lead God's people in the way they should be led. Only Christ can do that. As prophet, Christ speaks the words of God to us and only the words of God. As Priest, Christ ministers on behalf of God's people, intercedes for them before the throne of grace, and offers for them and for their sins the one and ultimate atoning sacrifice for their sins. And as king, Christ defends, protects, and defeats the enemies of God's people. This should come as no surprise since Christ tells us in Luke 24:44 that all of the Old Testament is about him and points forward to him. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell (Colossian 1:19) As we continue to walk through this wonderful little catechism written by Charles Spurgeon, question twenty-one asks, "How did Christ, being the Son of God, become man?" The answer given is that "Christ, the son of God, became man by taking to himself a true body, and a reasonable soul, being conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit in the Virgin Mary, and born of her, yet without sin." Often the struggle that many have when thinking about the hypostatic union of Christ; that is, the bringing together of full deity and full humanity in the one person of Jesus Christ, is how do these two realities come together? How is it that Christ was fully God and fully human at the same time? Throughout the last two millennia there have been several false views that have been put forward which have all been condemned by the church at various times in church history. But Spurgeon is correct when he says that Christ became a man "by taking to himself a true body, and a reasonable soul,..." In the book of Philippians, the apostle Paul describes Christ becoming human with these words, "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (2:5-8). Notice the kind of language Paul uses: "taking the form of a servant," "being born in the likeness of men," "being found in human form." When God became man in the form of Jesus Christ, he did not put aside or diminish any of his deity, rather took on full humanity. Jesus is 100% God and 100% man. He is the God-man. And he had to be fully God and fully human in order to be able to atone for our sins, according to the author of Hebrews (2:14-17).
For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Tim. 2:5)
Question 20: Who is the Redeemer of God’s elect? Answer: The only Redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ, who being the eternal Son of God, became man, and so was and continues to be God and man, in two distinct natures and one person forever.[i] In yesterday’s Daily Thoughts, I talked about the Redeemer whom God promised to send in Genesis 3:15. That Redeemer is Christ. Scripture tells us “there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim 2:5). Yet, there are some who want to make the argument that all religions worship the same God, just in different ways and in different forms. The idea that there are many ways to heaven is patently false and illogical. When one reads the Bible and the Qur’an side by side, it immediately becomes evident that these two books are contradictory. In fact, this is true of all religious systems. The Bible, the Qur’an, the Vedas, the Book of Mormon, and the Tipitaka cannot be reconciled in any rational fashion. Thus, if all religions lead to the same God, then God is irrational, contradictory, and schizophrenic, and there is no hope whatsoever for anyone. However, Jesus made statements like, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me,” and “unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins” (Jn. 8:24; 14:6). Jesus claimed to be the only way to the one true God, and then he provided proof by dying on a cross and then raising himself back to life after three days. No other religious leader has ever provided any proof in the form of miracles that they had truly been sent from God. Thus, for example, those who follow the Qur’an or the Book of Mormon are expected to simply believe that Muhamad or Joseph Smith were telling the truth when they claimed that God had spoken to them. Neither offered any proof of their claims. But Jesus said, “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves” (Jn. 14:11). [i] “A Catechism with Proofs” by Charles Haddon Spurgeon I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel. (Gen. 3:15)
Question 19: Did God leave all mankind to perish in the state of sin and misery? Answer: God having, out of his good pleasure from all eternity, elected some to everlasting life, did enter into a covenant of grace to deliver them out of the state of sin and misery, and to bring them into a state of salvation by a Redeemer.[i] It is truly amazing that when we look at the fall of man, when we look back at what transpired in the Garden of Eden, God had every right to destroy Adam and Eve and start all over. They had one law to keep— “Don’t eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil," and they blew it. God could have wiped them off the planet and he would have been perfectly just in doing so. Yet, what we see in the midst of God cursing the serpent, cursing the woman, cursing the man, is God making a promise to send a Redeemer to someday deliver humanity from the bondage of sin and Satan and to repair what man had ruined. In Genesis 3:15, as God is cursing the serpent, he says to him, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” When God says, “he shall bruise your head,” he is clearly referring to a person. He is referring to Jesus Christ who would someday destroy the power of Satan, and ultimately will destroy Satan himself (Rev 20:10). But the amazing thing is that we are told in scripture that out of the mass of humanity that God chose certain ones to be saved, to be the recipients of his amazing grace (Eph 1:4-5). As a result of the fall, God looked on the mass of humanity and saw that everyone was perishing and on their way to hell, and we deserved it. We brought this on ourselves. Yet, in his amazing grace and mercy, God chooses to save some. He chooses to pluck some from the river of sin which is carrying them to the falls of destruction. This is what makes God’s grace so amazing! [i] “A Catechism with Proofs” by Charles Haddon Spurgeon For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (Rom. 8:7-8)
Question 18: What is the misery of that state whereunto man fell? Answer: All mankind, by their fall, lost communion with God, are under his wrath and curse, and so made liable to all the miseries in this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell for ever. Ultimately, the most grievous condition that was the result of the fall of man is not that he died physically, but that he died spiritually. Not long after the fall, we read in Genesis 6:5 that “the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” What a sad commentary on the human condition. “Every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” The Bible makes clear that the unbelieving heart only desires sin. That is not to say that all unbelievers are as evil as they can be. It is to say that even when unbelievers do good things, they always do them for sinful reasons—for selfish reasons—to look good to others, to feel good about themselves, to move up the ladder, so that others might owe them. Put simply, the Bible makes clear that everything we do should be done from a heart of faith and for God’s glory (Rom 14:23; 1 Cor 10:31). Thus, any good deed we do that does not proceed from a heart of faith in God and is done for his glory is sin. But even worse, the Bible makes clear that because of the fall of Adam, all unbelievers are blind to the things of God (2 Cor 4:3-4), at enmity with God, unable to obey God’s commands, unable to even please God (Rom 8:7-8), are spiritually dead in their sins, and completely non-responsive to the things of God (Eph 2:1, 5). This is the state of the human soul apart from the transforming power of the gospel. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. (Rom. 7:19-20)
Question 17: Wherein consists the sinfulness of that state whereunto man fell? Answer: The sinfulness of that state whereunto man fell, consists in the guilt of Adam’s first sin, the want of original righteousness, and the corruption of his whole nature, which is commonly called original sin, together with all actual transgressions which proceed from it.[i] The fall of Adam negatively impacted every aspect of humanity. Humans are created in the image of God. Meaning, humans possess all the qualities and attributes God possesses, but on an finite level. It also means that all that is in man is also in God, minus sin. Humans were created as a miniaturized, finite, representational, version of God. Adam and Eve were perfect in every way. After the fall, humans are still the image of God, but we are a shattered image. Because of sin, the image of God in man has been warped, twisted, and tainted. We are damaged goods. The apostle Paul says in Romans 7:20-23, “Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.” He says that sin “dwells within me” and that sin “dwells in my members”; that is, the members of our own bodies. Thus, sin is not just what we do. Sin is what we are. We are sinful. We are sinful creatures. Even as saints, sin still indwells us. It’s for this reason Martin Luther would often say that believers are simul justus et peccator—simultaneously justified and sinner. Yet, because of what Christ has done for us—for the believer—there is hope. We can echo the words of Paul who said, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (vv.24-25). Someday when our sanctification is complete, when we are done with this life and enter into the glorious presence of our God and King, we will be free from the sin that plagues us and indwells us and be able to worship Christ in purity and holiness for all eternity. [i] “A Catechism with Proofs” by Charles Haddon Spurgeon The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Gen. 6:5)
Question 16: Into what estate did the fall bring mankind? Answer: The fall brought mankind into a state of sin and misery. (Romans 5:18)[i] Adam and Eve lived in a pristine environment. However, immediately after the fall we see the horrible effects of sin. Adam and Eve’s firstborn son kills their second born son because of jealousy. Cain kills Abel. Parents who have suffered the loss of a child know the incredible pain and suffering that causes. Now imagine suffering the death of a child at the hands of their sibling who intentionally murdered him. Adam and Eve learned in a painful way the kind of suffering and misery their actions had brought into the world. And then it’s not long after this that we read that “the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart” (Gen. 6:5-6). Sin, suffering, misery, and wickedness had become so great on the earth that God decides to wipe out all of humanity and start over with one family—Noah and his family. We look around at the world today and we are reminded everywhere of the consequences of sin and disobedience to God, not only on a global scale but on a very interpersonal level as well. The Bible tells us “that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power” (2 Tim. 3:1-5). We are living in the last days. But thanks be to God I have read the end of the Bible—and God wins in the end! For those who have faith in Christ there will come a day when he “will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore” (Rev. 21:4). What a glorious day that will be! [i] “A Catechism with Proofs” by Charles Haddon Spurgeon Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned. (Rom. 5:12)
Question 15: Did all mankind fall in Adam’s first transgression? Answer: The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself but for his posterity, all mankind descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him in his first transgression. (1 Corinthians 15:22; Romans 5:12) The Bible makes clear that because of the sin of Adam, because he disobeyed the command not to eat from the forbidden tree, all people suffer the consequences of his actions. Adam and Eve were designed to live eternally in the presence of God and in harmonious relationship with God. But sin changed all that. Not only did Adam and Eve begin to age and eventually die physically, they first died spiritually (Eph 2:1, 5). These consequences were passed down to all their posterity, not via DNA but via the imputed guilt of Adam. In Romans 5:15-21, Paul will go on to explain just how and why Adam’s sin and guilt are passed on to all humanity. He does so by drawing a point of comparison between Adam and Jesus (the second Adam, cf. 1 Cor 15:45) and explaining that the manner in which justification and life come to those who are in union with Christ by faith is the same manner in which condemnation and death come to those are in union with Adam by birth. In other words, what Paul discusses is the idea of federal representation. Adam was the federal representative for all humanity. Thus, we reap the consequences of his actions. All humanity is imputed (credited) with his guilt, and thus inherit a corrupted soul. There are some who might think that is simply not fair. Why should we reap the consequences of Adam's actions? Should we not each be given the same opportunity as Adam had in the garden? First, do we really think we would have done better, given the same circumstances? Second, if we say we disagree with God imputing Adam’s guilt to us, then we must also be willing to say we disagree with God imputing Christ’s righteousness to us and that God should judge us based on our own merit. I, for one, am not willing to say that. Thank God we are imputed with Christ’s righteousness at the moment we place faith in him! Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it. (Deut. 12:32)
Question 14: What is sin? Answer: Sin is any want of conformity to, or transgression of the law of God.[i] When we talk about sin, there are two types of sin, two categories of sin. There are sins of commission and sins of omission. Sins of commission are when we commit acts or engage in thoughts which are contrary to God’s law, when we do that which God forbids us from doing. Thou shall not lie. Thou shall not steal. Thou shall not covet. Thou shall not lust after another person in your heart. Sins of omission are when we omit or neglect to do that which God commands us to do. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and strength. Love your neighbor as yourself. Pray without ceasing. Make disciples of all nations. Wives, submit to your husbands in all things. Husbands, love your wives in the same way that Christ loves the Church. Sins of omission are much easier to commit and much easier to overlook. It is much easier not steal than to love my neighbor as myself. It is much easier to not murder than to forgive someone who has cause me emotional pain. Nonetheless, sins of omission are just as grievous in the eyes of God as sins of commission. And sin is any want of conformity to, or transgression of the law of God. Truths such as this are what led Paul to exclaim, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Rom. 7:24-25). Thank God we are justified by faith alone in Christ alone! [i] “A Catechism with Proofs” by Charles Haddon Spurgeon Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden'?" (Gen. 3:1)
Question 13: Did our first parents continue in the state wherein they were created? Answer: Our first parents being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the state wherein they were created, by sinning against God, (Ecclesiastes 7:29) by eating the forbidden fruit. (Genesis 3:6-8).[i] The sin of Adam and Eve against God, the rebellion of the creatures against their Creator, the partaking of the forbidden fruit, was an act of cosmic treason against God. It was without a doubt the darkest day in human history. This was the day on which Adam and Eve plunged the entire world, all of humanity, into the throughs of sin, misery, despair, grief, and sorrow. What is interesting to note is the way in which Satan tempted Adam and Eve to rebel against God. He says to them, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” Notice: “Did God actually say…” Satan wants Eve to question the word of God. This is almost always how temptation begins. This is how Satan sews seeds of doubt into the minds of the believer. He first gets us to question the word of God. ‘Does God’s word really say you have to forgive those who sin against you?’ ‘Is internet pornography really a sin according to God’s word?’ ‘Is that really what God says?’ ‘Is that really what the Bible teaches?’ The woman does not fall for this first trap and responds in defense, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” So then, the devil takes a different approach. One he still uses today. He says to her, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:1-5). In other words, ‘Fine. That is what God said, but don’t take his words so literally. "You will not surely die." You won’t truly die. Besides, God is just trying to keep something good from you. God doesn’t want you to have more than what you have now. God doesn’t want you to be truly happy.’ All of these lies are the same lies the devil uses today with incredible success, wreaking havoc on countless lives, leading people to internet porn addiction, causing them to have extramarital affairs, leading them to cheat on their taxes, and a host of other sins. Don’t buy into the lies. Read God’s word. Take it at face value. Believe it. Trust it. Your life will be the better for it. [i] “A Catechism with Proofs” by Charles Haddon Spurgeon And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (Gen. 2:16-17)
Question 12: What special act of providence did God exercise toward man in the state wherein he was created? Answer: When God had created man, he entered into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of perfect obedience; forbidding him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon pain of death. (Genesis 2:17; Galatians 3:12) In Hoses 6:7 God condemns the Israelites for their unfaithfulness and says, “But like Adam they [the nation of Israel] transgressed the covenant; there they dealt faithlessly with me.” What we learn from this is that in the garden there was a covenant established between God and Adam. Theologians typically refer to this as the covenant of works. A covenant, in the Bible, is a chosen relationship between two parties consisting of binding promises to one another. What is clear from scripture is that God always relates to his people through means of covenant relationship and God is moving redemptive history forward by means of covenants. The first covenant we see in the Bible is the covenant of work between God and Adam, recorded in Genesis 2:16-17. There, essentially the terms of the covenant are that God will provide for Adam and sustain him eternally, if Adam will obey the one command which God has given. Of course, Adam violates the covenant bringing sin into the human race and causing death to spread to all people (Rom 5:12-14). What is interesting to note is that the Bible describes Christ as the second Adam who came to do and accomplish on behalf of humanity what Adam failed to do (Rom 5:15-21; 1 Cor 15:45-49). Christ lived a perfect life of obedience to not just one law, but to all of the laws prescribed in the Old Testament, thereby earning righteousness and eternal life for all those who are in union with him by faith. Praise God for Christ, the second Adam! Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. (Matt. 10:29)
Question 11: What are God’s works of Providence? Answer: God’s works of Providence are his most holy, wise, and powerful, preserving and governing all his creatures, and all their actions.[i] When we talk about the doctrine of Divine Providence we are talking about the way in which God directs, governs, and sustains all of creation. The Bible tells us that it is God who causes the rain to fall and the grass to grow (Ps 147:8). It is God who cause nations to rise and fall (Job 12:23). It is God who creates darkness and light, calamity and peace (Isaiah 45:7). The Bible tells us that not even a bird flutters to the ground outside of the will of God (Matt 10:29). The Bible makes clear there is not a single atom outside of the direct and sovereign control of God. All of this is summed up in what theologians call the Providence of God. This truth is at once comforting and humbling. It is comforting to know that someone is in control of this seemingly chaotic world, that our lives are not at the mercy of circumstance or chance but rather, when it comes to the believer, God is working all things for the good of those who love him (Rom 8:28). But this truth is also humbling and that it reminds us that He is God and we are not, that ultimately our destiny is not in our own hands. We are not the masters of our own ship. We are not our own dog. Thus, all people are under the authority of God, whether they realize it or not. The difference between the believer and the unbeliever is that the believer acknowledges God's authority over his life and rejoices in it and derives great comfort from it. [i] “A Catechism with Proofs” by Charles Haddon Spurgeon So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Gen. 1:27)
Question 10: How did God create man? Answer: God created man, male and female, after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness with dominion over the creatures.[i] We read in Genesis 1 that on the sixth day God said, “‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and all the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that keeps on the earth.’ So God created man in his own image, the image of God created him; male and female he created them.” When the Bible tells us that God created man in his own image, part of what that means is that humans are given dominion over creation (v.28). It also means that human beings are relational creatures just as God is a relational being who has existed for all of eternity in the harmonious relationship of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is part of what God meant when he said “It is not good for man to be alone” (2:18). It means humans are intellectual, creative, and emotional creatures. In some ways, being made in the image of God also means we are representative of God as well as representational of God. We see this in the fact that the same words “image” and “likeness” are used to describe the birth of Adams son (5:3). “When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.” Seth was not identical to Adam, but to a certain degree he bore a striking resemblance to him, functionally, emotionally, intellectually, and physically. Thus, humans are not identical to God; we are not gods but bear a striking resemblance to our Creator, functionally, emotionally, intellectually, and even physically. To be sure, God does not have a body. God is spirit. But to some degree the amazingness of the human body is representational of the amazingness of our Creator. What is really important, however, and cannot be missed, especially in our current political climate, is that according to Scripture all people, all races, male and female, are made in the image of God. By the very fact that we are human, we all have equal value before God and, thus, we all deserve to be treated with respect and decency. [i] “A Catechism with Proofs” by Charles Haddon Spurgeon For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Exod. 20:11)
Question 9: What is the work of creation? Answer: The work of creation is God’s making all things of nothing, by the word of his power, in six normal consecutive days, and all very good.[i] This is an extremely important question and topic to deal with. In recent decades it has become popular to say that the creation narrative of Genesis 1 must somehow be made to fit into the theory of Darwinian evolution. Although evolution is not provable science, nor is it even reasonable science, it is the culturally accepted explanation for the origins of life. Therefore, many churches, pastors, and theologians feel obligated to kowtow to it and argue for the idea of theistic evolution. However, the Bible makes clear that God created all things, including the heavens and the earth (Ex 20:11), in “six normal consecutive days.” Often the debate surrounds the Hebrew word for day (yōm) which on occasion can mean larger expansions of time. The trouble with that interpretation is that the text tells us at the end of each day "there was evening and there was morning, the first day," then "the second day," and so on for each day. There was one morning and there was one evening each day. Thus, the Hebrew word yōm most commonly means one single 24-hour day. Undoubtedly, this would have been how the people of Israel would have understood the Genesis account. If each day represented thousands or even millions of years to account for theistic evolution, the Hebrew language was developed enough that God could have communicated that. Rather, what the text tells us is that God simply willed all things into existence ex nihilo, out of nothing. This is the God of the Bible. The God of the Bible is not on his knees, wringing his hands in frustration over the direction of world history. Instead, the God of the Bible is sovereign, all powerful, and in complete control of everything that is happening in this world. This is the God we serve and worship. [i] “A Catechism with Proofs” by Charles Haddon Spurgeon All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, ‘What have you done?’ (Daniel 4:35)
Question 8: How does God execute his decrees? Answer: God executes his decrees in the works of creation, and providence.[i] What the answer to question 8 is telling us is that God executes his decrees, he causes that which he wills to come to be, both by bringing creation into existence and by moving, governing, orchestrating creation. For instance, Revelation 4:11 says, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created,” and Hebrews 1:3 tells us that God “upholds the universe by the word of his power.” Thus, God executes his decrees by simply willing into existence all that is and by sustaining it. But he not only wills into existence all that is and then upholds it, for we read in Daniel 4:35, regarding God scripture says, “all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, ‘What have you done?’” God “does according to his will” in heaven and on earth. Passages like these communicate that God is absolutely sovereign over all things. And when we talk about the sovereignty of God, we mean that God does what he wills when he wills to whom he wills and answers to no one. The decrees of God are limited or bound by nothing. The comfort in understanding this is that we serve a very big God. And when we look out at the world around us, though it may seem as though everything is out of control, the reality is that all things are moving just as God has ordained it. And because we know God is good and holy and righteous, then we know that everything God does in this world is for a good and holy and righteous reason. We simply must trust God. [i] “A Catechism with Proofs” by Charles Haddon Spurgeon In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,... (Eph. 1:11)
Question 7: What are the decrees of God?[i] Answer: The decrees of God are his eternal purpose, according to the counsel of His own will, whereby for His own glory He has foreordained whatsoever comes to pass. When we talk about decrees, the most basic definition of a decree is any command or order given by a ruler for the sake of carrying out the task of governing or leading. Thus, when we talk about the decrees of God, we are talking about those commands by which God orders, governs, rules, and orchestrates all of creation and all of world history. The Bible makes clear in numerous places that there is nothing in this world that happens by chance. Ephesians 1:11 says, "In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,…" Note: we are told that God "works all things according to the counsel of his will." The text does not say God works most things or many things, but "all things." This is not to say that we are simply puppets or chess pieces that God is moving around on a cosmic chessboard. Human beings are free moral agents who make our own decisions and bear responsibility for our own actions; however, behind and underneath every human decision, every human action, and every event that takes place in world history, lies the sovereign hand and sovereign direction of God. How the complete sovereignty of God and human responsibility work together is a divine mystery. The Bible never fully explains that for us. But both are contained within holy scripture and thus both are to be believed. The comfort in knowing this is that our lives are not at the mercy of chance or circumstance but that there is nothing that happens in the life of the believer that is not first filtered through the loving fingers of our Heavenly Father. [i] “A Catechism with Proofs” by Charles Haddon Spurgeon In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. (Jn. 1:1-3)
Question 6: How many persons are there in the Godhead?[i] Answer: There are three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one God, the same in essence, equal in power and glory. This biblical truth is one of the great mysteries of God. The idea that there is one eternal triune God who exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and that these three persons are of one substance, power, and eternity, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being. This biblical truth is known by theologians as the Trinity (tri + unity). This foundational truth has had to be defended by the Church over the last two millennia against those who have accused the Church of worshiping three gods. But not so. The Bible makes clear there is one God who exists in three persons. We see this in various passages such as John 1:1-3, 14; 10:30-33, and 2 Cor 3:16. However, the importance of this doctrine is that it helps us understand the unity-in-diversity which we experience in everyday life. God created humans as male and female, yet in marriage they become one flesh. Husband and wife, distinct persons, bound together in holy matrimony. The Church is comprised of Jews and Gentiles, males and females, people of every tongue and tribe, and yet there is only one body. Furthermore, the doctrine of the Trinity helps us understand the importance of roles. God the Father and God the Son are coequal, yet the Son willingly submits himself to the Father’s will. All believers are equal before God, yet wives are to graciously submit to their husbands, and children are to submit to their parents. Unity-in-diversity can be seen in creation itself, precisely because all creation reflects the very character of God and testifies to his existence. [i] “A Catechism with Proofs” by Charles Haddon Spurgeon Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. (Deut 6:4) Question 5: Are there more Gods than one?[i]
Answer: There is but one only, the living and true God. In Deuteronomy 6:4-5 we have one of the most amazing passages in all of scripture, and in all of ancient history. This passage is known as the Great Shema. Shema is the Hebrew word for “to hear”. Thus, the Hebrews referred this passage as a Great Shema which says, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” In the ancient world this would have been an amazing propositional statement to make. The idea that there is only one God was unheard of at the time of the writing of Deuteronomy (ca. 1500 BC). This was a time when every ancient civilization believed in multiple gods who her not much better than a bigger version of human beings. They possessed character flaws, were manipulative, and completely self-serving. Yet here God declares to the nation of Israel that there is only one God from whom all things were created and who sustains the universe by the power of his word. And this is the same God who extended grace to Adam and Eve after they committed cosmic treason in the garden. There God makes a promise to them in Genesis 3:15 to someday send a Redeemer. The God of creation, the God of the universe, extends grace when he was not required to. He extends grace to those who were not deserving of it, and then he reveals himself in the person of his son, Jesus Christ, and dies on the cross to pay for the sins of people. We created the mess and yet it is God, the one true God, who pays the ultimate sacrifice to repair what man has ruined. This is amazing grace! [i] “A Catechism with Proofs” by Charles Haddon Spurgeon |
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