Sun, 27 May 2012 12:18:19 -0500WeeblyMon, 07 May 2012 09:09:49 -0500http://www.fgrc.info/1/post/2012/05/meditations-on-the-belgic-righteousness-of-faith-in-christ-and-justification.html I included these two articles together not because they are the same but for two reasons.  First, my goal is to finish the Belgic by the end of August.  Second, in order to do that, I need to combine some articles.  The combination of some articles is judged by the similarity of topic.  In this case, these two articles build upon each other.  At the same time, these two articles are worthy of their own separate meditation.  What I write is grossly shallow compared to the depth contained in these two articles.

Articles 22 and 23 build upon the idea of the atonement, which is explained in article 21, and explain how the benefit of the atonement is received.  The answer is by faith alone.  Only by faith do we receive the righteousness of Christ and declared justified.  But this needs careful explanation.

Faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:8).  God descends completely and fully to us.  We cannot reach Him, he must condescend to us.    

Faith is a response to the mercies of God in Christ.   It responds by ascending to the truth of salvation in Christ, embracing him.  It also responds by desiring the beauty of God above anything else.  We no longer look for anything else for atonement, our treasure, and our eternal joy outside of him.   

Faith is the instrument of salvation.  Everyone has faith, if faith is defined as trusting something for joy, happiness, or your worth.  Faith does not save you; it is a matter of to what you cling.  Saving faith is the instrument that embraces Christ, our righteousness.

Faith receives the righteousness of Christ.  The reward of Christ’s perfect life is transferred to those who receive him. 

Faith gives all glory to God.  As one Christian writer used to say, “When I approach the judgment seat and God asks me on what basis should I enter the kingdom, I will say, ‘Not on my works do I plead, but on the work of Christ.’”

Faith humbles you.  The Christian life is not against boasting.  In fact, you must boast if you belong to Christ.  But, like Paul, you must understand in whom you are boasting: “Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 6:14a).  Boast so much in Christ that you have no time to talk about you.

Faith makes you confident.  The one who boasts in Christ is the one who walks confidently.  He is confident not because of the rolling tides of his own emotions and achievements; he is confident because of the steadfast rock of Jesus Christ. 

By faith alone we receive the promises of God.  To God be all praise and glory!

]]>Mon, 07 May 2012 09:07:58 -0500http://www.fgrc.info/1/post/2012/05/meditations-on-the-belgic-the-atonement.html I never paid much attention to the 21st Article of the Belgic Confession.  And that is to my shame.  I encourage you not the make the same mistake as me.  The reason is because there is so much in this article that I can only scratch its surface.  Think of this Article as a brief theology of the cross.  This article explains the meaning of the cross and its benefits to us.  The cross is more than "we're forgiven."  There is a depth to God's love and justice shown on the cross.   

Atonement means the satisfaction of a wrong, or to make amends.  It is an Old Testament used in Leviticus 16 that refers to the annual Jewish festival the Day of Atonement.  The Day of Atonement involved the killing of a lamb for all the sins of the Israelites for that year.  Through the blood of the lamb, God’s justice was satisfied (Lev. 16:27).  Blood makes atonement (Lev. 17:11).      

Notice the language of the Belgic to explain the atonement.  It writes that Christ presented himself before his Father "to appease his wrath with full satisfaction."  Our greatest problem is not sin but the wrath of God, which is an expression of his justice.  "Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall wee be saved by him from the wrath of God" (Rom. 5:9).  We are children of wrath apart from Christ (Eph. 1).  We deserve the full weight of God's wrath, for God burns against sin, and we are to blame.  But Christ made peace-- "appeased"-- the wrath of God with full "satisfaction."  Christ only is sufficient to meet the demands of God's justice, to make amends, to atone for us. 

What are the benefits of atonement?  We have confidence, comfort, and a clean conscience.  We “know nothing but Jesus and him crucified” for atonement.  Do those describe you, believer?  Are you confident in Christ crucified, or are you confident in being a good person?  We are assured comfort from the condemnation of a holy and righteous God through the blood of the Lamb.  Are you assured of comfort in Christ, or are you still trying to prove yourself?  We are given a clean conscience, knowing that the atonement in Christ on our behalf makes us acceptable to God.  Do you have a clean conscience in Christ, or are you hammered with guilt daily?  Let me suggest that you meditate on the cross, its significance, and its blessings through a closer look at the 21st Article of the Belgic Confession.  It'll speak not only to your head but also your heart.    

]]>Tue, 24 Apr 2012 09:18:34 -0500http://www.fgrc.info/1/post/2012/04/meditations-on-the-belgic-confession-the-justice-and-mercy-of-god-in-christ.html Article 20 of the Belgic Confession turns our attention to the apparent contradiction of justice and mercy in God.  How is God both just and merciful, as Scripture proclaims?  How can he show justice toward a wrong against him and yet still show mercy?  The answer is in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, made flesh for us and our salvation. "We believe that God-- who is perfectly merciful and also very just-- sent his Son to assume the nature in which the disobedience had been committed, in order to bear in it the punishment of sin by his most bitter passion and death." 

First, God's justice is shown by the fact that Jesus was charged with our sin, thus satisfying the wrath of God against mankind because of sin.  God’s wrath is the expression of his justice.  Second, God's mercy is shown by the fact that this justice poured out on Christ, who was made unworthy, brought us mercy, for we are now treated as worthy.  In other words, justice fell on Christ and mercy raised us up.  By God’s mercy, he justified us.  This is what Paul means in Romans 3:26: “It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” 

Remembering the justice of God in Christ ought to show us the ugliness of sin, which continues to reside and dwell in our own hearts, the church, and the world.  God hates sin; he does not turn his cheek to it.  He hates it and its power so much that his wrath burns against it.  We see this in the death of Jesus Christ, who is the propitiation-- atonement-- for our sins.  And yet, shall we turn our cheek to the sin that continues to dwell in our hearts?  Shall we not hate it as well?

I think, though, that the most significant fact of the justice and mercy of God in Christ is that it shows us what true love is.  Yes, love is mercy toward another.  The love of God in Christ is his mercy toward those who believe.  It is the source of our comfort.  So, love brings comfort.

But love is also a commitment, which is a challenge.  The love of Christ for his Father brought him to the cross.  His commitment and obedience brought suffering.  And this was love.  

We tend to think of love only in the first sense as mercy and comfort.  We like it.  It makes us feel good and is non-threatening.  It doesn't ask us to change.  But the justice of God is also love.  God’s love can threaten our comfort and our assumptions.  It challenges laziness and pride.  Commitment brings challenges, sufferings, and trials.  For example, marriage is not always comfortable; rather, the commitment of marriage, which is love, brings sufferings.  A seed grows to be a plant, but it must first die.

The love of God in Christ is our greatest assurance, bringing a comfort and mercy that cannot be separated by anything.  At the same time, the love of God in Christ is our greatest commitment, bringing a justice and challenge that involves suffering and trials. 

]]>Tue, 03 Apr 2012 12:56:27 -0500http://www.fgrc.info/1/post/2012/04/meditations-on-the-belgic-confession-the-two-natures-of-christ.html Article 19 of the Belgic Confession continues the story of God’s recovery of fallen man through Jesus Christ.  If Article 18, which is about the incarnation, explains how it was possible, Article 19 explains who made it possible.  Restoration, or salvation, is possible through the Son of God who became flesh. 

But what does this mean?  Article 19 of the Belgic Confession tells us that Jesus Christ is both fully human and fully divine.  Jesus was not a split personality.   Jesus' humanity and divinity are not like oil and water, never mixing.  No, Jesus is fully divine and fully human.  These two natures exist in Jesus Christ.  He is both God and man. 

Why does this matter?  Well, think about it like this.  What if Jesus were not fully God?  Since Scripture teaches us that sin is a debt against a holy God, then how could any creature ever pay that debt?  He couldn't.  The debt would need to be paid by God himself, since only a divine, eternal being could pay the penalty toward a divine, eternal God.  Only an eternal being can satisfy a wrong against an eternal God. 

On the other hand, what if Jesus were not fully human?  God didn't sin against himself; man did.  Mankind has the pay the debt.  But there is the problem, right?  Mankind cannot pay an eternal debt against an eternal God. 

Jesus must be fully God and fully human. 

So what?  It matters how we think about Christ.  God became man in Christ.  He took on flesh.  He bled, he cried, he suffered, he enjoyed creation, he enjoyed fellowship, and he was tempted in every way as we are.  And at his resurrection, Jesus did not just resurrect spiritually, but his human body resurrected as well.  The eyewitnesses are numerous.  

Because God became man, because Christ was tempted, he is able to relate to and help us in our temptations and sufferings.  There is nothing that can happen to us that we say, "This is beyond God's understanding."  

Also, because Christ's body was resurrected, it is a declaration that God is not against the material, physical world, but for it.  He is making all things new, and not just spiritually but physically.  A new heaven and a new earth will come when Christ returns.  We will be given resurrected bodies because the Son of God rose from the dead in his body.  

And we will be given resurrected bodies to rejoice with each other, to enjoy the new creation, and rejoice in God our Savior who became man for us.  This is why it matters.   

]]>Sun, 01 Apr 2012 14:24:45 -0500http://www.fgrc.info/1/post/2012/04/meditations-on-the-belgic-confession-the-incarnation.html “Incarnation” is not really a word used too often in the world, except in the church.  It stems from Latin and it refers to God taking on human flesh.  It is different than the Eastern religion concept of “Reincarnation.”  “Reincarnation” refers to a soul taking on human flesh, animal flesh, or a plant after death.  In some Eastern religions, this process continues until a soul earns his way through good works to some spiritual rest.  “Incarnation”, on the other hand, refers to the one-time historical act of the LORD God taking on human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ.  John 1:14 says, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us."  

Article 18 explains the time of the incarnation, the reality of the incarnation, and the necessity of the incarnation.  The time of the incarnation was "at the time set by him.”  Before time began, God the Father set the time for the sending of his Son (Eph. 1:3-6).  Article 17 explains the Old Testament as God setting out for Adam in order to comfort him.  But it was not yet time.  The fullness of that time came during the Roman occupation of Jerusalem and Israel 2,000 years ago. 

The reality of the incarnation is that the Son of God became truly man, "assuming a real human nature, with all its weaknesses, except for sin."  Hebrews 4:15 tells us that Jesus was like us in every way without sin.  How is this possible?  He was conceived in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary "by the power of the Holy Spirit, without male participation."  

The necessity of the incarnation is that the Son of God was fully man in body and soul.  The Son of God did not just appear in bodily form like a ghost, for he was in bodily form.  He also took on a human soul, for both our souls and bodies were corrupted by the Fall.  The necessity of the incarnation is that the entire human person-- body, soul, emotions, etc.—is fallen.

The importance of the incarnation should not go unnoticed.  While we often focus solely on Christ's death and resurrection, which is the heart of the gospel, we must remember that they would not happen without the incarnation.  His death and resurrection fit into a larger picture that began before time when the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit made a covenant of redemption among themselves.  The time for the fulfillment of that covenant took place in the incarnation.


It matters that the Son of God was fully human because he is our comfort in trials.  "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb. 4:15, 16).   

]]>Mon, 19 Mar 2012 08:57:24 -0500http://www.fgrc.info/1/post/2012/03/meditations-on-the-belgic-confession-the-recovery-of-fallen-man.html Think of article 17 of the Belgic Confession as the big picture story of the Old Testament.  What holds Genesis through Malachi together is the story of God setting out to find Adam and comforting Adam.  But why does it use singular language and not plural language?  Doesn’t God set out to find all of humanity?  The key to this answer is in article 15.  Our union with the first Adam means that when Adam fell away, then we all fell away.  As God sets out to find Adam, he sets out to find us. 

What shall we notice about this article?  First, notice the relationship between Adam and God.  Adam was “fleeing from God”.  We see this in the temptation of Genesis 3.  By eating of the fruit, Adam was fleeing from God by pursuing independence from God.

This same pattern is found throughout the story of the Old Testament.  The Old Testament is the story of humanity, represented in Adam, always running away from God.  Think of the book of Judges.  The book of Judges follows the cycle of repentance, faithfulness, and unfaithfulness over and over again.  Think of the prophets, sent by God to His people.  No one was seeking God; rather, like the tower of Babel, they were seeking only themselves.  And in the New Testament, Paul recognizes this pattern to explain the Old Testament.  He quotes Psalms 14 and 53, writing that “no one seeks God” (Rom. 3:12). 

God responded to Adam’s running away by setting out to find him.  Can you imagine what that would be like, to set out to find a people who want nothing to do with you?  When would you give up?  Take your answer and remember that God’s ways are not our ways.  Thank Him that He is not like us.

Second, notice that God comforts Adam.  Genesis 3:15 is said to be the first gospel, the first good news.  God declares the promise of one, born of a woman, who will crush the head of the serpent.  God declares that He will rescue Adam from Satan.

This promise is found throughout the Old Testament.  Isaiah declares this same promise in chapter 40 about God’s comfort.  The story of David is about God’s comfort for His people, providing for them a godly king.  Yet, it is a comfort that always looks ahead to the true king, Jesus Christ. 

The point is that article 17 helps us see how the Old Testament ties together.  The Old Testament really is telling one story of God’s rescue for his people who keep running away.  It begins by God setting out to find Adam.  What does he do when he finds Adam?  He provides comfort. 

Jesus uses a similar pattern to explain God searching for us in Luke 15.  A woman, he says, loses a coin.  She responds by searching diligently for it.  And when she finds it, she rejoices that that the coin is now found. 

We are the coin and God set out to find us.  In Jesus, he rejoices that we were lost but are now found. 

]]>Wed, 14 Mar 2012 08:47:47 -0500http://www.fgrc.info/1/post/2012/03/meditations-on-the-belgic-confession-the-teaching-of-election.html Article 16 of the Belgic Confession addresses the troubling doctrine of election.  This biblical teaching, which is throughout the Old and New Testaments, has disturbed Christians through the years.  Some have neglected it either purposefully or ignorantly.  Others have stressed it so much that a person wonders whether personal responsibility is important.  The Reformed faith, in my opinion, avoids both extremes.  It recognizes this biblical doctrine, it teaches it, but it does not absolve personal responsibility.

Looking at Article 16, there are three things to notice about the teaching of election.  First, God's election is merciful.  "He is merciful in withdrawing and saving from this perdition those whom he, in his eternal and unchangeable counsel...."  While some might argue that election is unfair, it is clear that election is merciful.  Why?  Because those elected are saved by grace alone, not by any work on their part.  Article 16 reminds us that "all Adam's descendents" have fallen into perdition and ruin.  No one deserves God, for all are alienated.  Election is God's mercy.

Second, election is contextual.  Election is through a person, Jesus Christ, and not just anything or anyone.  The Belgic continues that God has "elected and chosen in Jesus Christ our Lord by his pure goodness, without any consideration of their works."  The Belgic simply states what is made clear in Ephesians 1 and elsewhere, that God set forth his plan in Jesus Christ.  

Now, we must avoid a mistaken belief at this point.  This is a personal salvation in Jesus Christ, yes.  But it is not a private salvation in Jesus Christ.  To be in Christ is to be in his body, the Church.  To belong to Christ is to belong to a community.

Third, election is just.  "He is just in leaving the others in their ruin and fall into which they plunged themselves."  Notice that even God is sovereign, it does not absolve human responsibility, for we have plunged ourselves into such ruin.  This does not mean that God elects some for damnation.  No, those people elected themselves to damnation, and so God is just to give them what they desire.

The doctrine of election ought not to leave some of us feeling righteous or proud.  If anything, it ought to break down any sort of pride and humble us so that we fall each day at our Savior's feet.  It is a troubling doctrine, to be sure.  It will bring about more questions than answers.  But to be faithful stewards of God's Word, we must not neglect any of his teachings.  We must receive them, using our minds to try and understand them, while acknowledging that God's ways are not fully known.  God's elect are saved by grace alone.  It is unchangeable and eternal.  God will not go back on his promise and work in Jesus Christ.  To God be the glory!

]]>Wed, 14 Mar 2012 08:46:30 -0500http://www.fgrc.info/1/post/2012/03/meditations-on-the-belgic-confession-the-teaching-of-original-sin.html Imagine a river flowing from a beautiful underground spring.  The water is crystal clear and refreshing.  One day, however, the spring becomes contaminated.  It doesn’t stop flowing.  It continues to flow down to the villages where moms and dads, brothers and sisters, still drink from it.  And now they are contaminated.

This is how we need to understand “original sin.”  Adam’s disobedience contaminated the spring from which we all drink.  His disobedience is the origin or source of the contaminated river of life.  We drink the water by imitation (through sinful acts) and by inheritance (it is passed down to us, since all drink from the water.)

Article 15 of the Belgic Confession addresses a topic we’d rather avoid.  We’d like to be “born innocent,” but Scripture doesn’t allow it.  Following Scripture, this article describes original sin as a disease since it “corrupts” all of nature.  Every part of us is tainted by this disease.  It describes original sin as a root since it “produces in man every sort of sin.”  It describes original sin as a fountain since sin “constantly boils for as though from a contaminated spring.” 

We don’t like this talk.  But we cannot understand, let alone be in awe with, the good news of Christ unless we understand the depth of our depravity.  As we grow to see how far we’ve fallen we grow to see the bountiful riches of God in Christ.  This is how article 15 approaches original sin.  It lays out the black backdrop of original sin to make the beautiful jewel of God’s grace and mercy in Christ shine brighter.

By His grace and mercy, he forgives our sin through the blood of Christ.  But why, some might ask, do we still struggle with sin?  What God has done for us in Christ is change the spring from which the water flows.  It is no longer a contaminated spring, it is now a beautiful, perfect spring.  This means that everyone on the river bank can look at the spring and rejoice in God’s mercy and grace.  Yet, it also means that the river still contains hints of contamination.  Even though the spring is new, the river still is affected by contamination.

In the same way, God gives us a perfect spring in Christ, but we still struggle with sin.  We still struggle with sin “so that the awareness of this corruption [or, contamination] might often make believers groan as they long to be set free from the ‘body of this death’” (Rom. 7:24). 

We are declared perfect through the blood of Christ.  We have a new spring.  But we still struggle with sin because God is not yet done.  He must make all things new.  He will make all things new (Rev. 21).  To God be the glory!

]]>Tue, 28 Feb 2012 08:47:09 -0500http://www.fgrc.info/1/post/2012/02/meditations-on-the-belgic-confession-the-creation-and-fall-of-man.html Think of article 14 of the Belgic as explaining life as a potato sack race.  The two people in the potato sack are Adam and mankind.  God created Adam in his likeness—good, just, and holy.  In his perfection, Adam was able to conform to the perfect will of God.  But when Adam fell, we fell as well.  Adam’s sin is our sin.  This explains why so much of the first half focuses on the disobedience of Adam and not Eve.  "But he subjected himself willingly to sin and consequently to death and the curse, lending his ear to the word of the devil."  Wait, didn't Eve do this and not Adam?  Yes, but her sin meant Adam's sin.  And because Adam was the representative of mankind, it all rested on his shoulders.  Paul makes this same point in Romans 5: "For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners...." (19). 

We understand this representative principle in the American government.  In a sense, our president represents us, just as our congresspersons and senators.  They make decisions on our behalf.  When congress declares war, we all declare war.  When the president signs a bill, it trickles down to each citizen.  This makes sense why we care so much for politics.  We will be in the potato sack with our leaders.  If they’re dead weight, we aren’t going anywhere. 

The representative principle in the American government is founded upon our biblical relationship with Adam.  Adam’s first sin means our original sin.  We don’t choose into sin; we are born into it, as it reminds us that “man is nothing but the slave of sin and cannot do a thing unless it is ‘given him from heaven’” (John 3:27).    

The second half of this article summarizes this teaching from biblical passages.  We are unable to do any saving good on our own.  Jesus tells us that no one can come to me unless my Father who sent me draws him (John 6:44).  In other words, if life is a staircase of 100 steps, God doesn’t just come down 99 steps, hold out his hand and say, “Come.”  This wouldn’t do anything for us since we are “dead in our trespasses” (Eph. 2:1). 

Naturally, we are opposed to God, for “the mind of the flesh is enmity against God” (Rom. 8:7).  Even our best works are tainted with sin.  Paul, the best of the Pharisees, knew his works were “rubbish” because they gained him nothing in favor with God (Phil. 3:3-9). 

When we get beyond the surface-level Christianity and really think through what the Holy Scriptures teach, we face a sobering reality.  We are the lifeless bones roaming the earth (Ez. 37:7-8).  We are as dead as Lazarus (John 11). 

But it’s not the end.  This article of the Belgic doesn’t end on this note.  It deflates us in order to inflate us.  It reminds us of death in order that we might live.  Just like the lifeless bones in the dry valley, we need God to breathe new life into us.  Just like Lazarus, we need someone to rescue us.  We need God to come down all 100 steps.  We need a new Adam, a new potato sack partner to raise this body of death.   

Do you truly know the gospel, the good news of Christ?  "For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many" (Rom. 5:15).  In Christ we have our new Adam, our new representative.  You belong to a new potato sack partner.  To God be the glory!

]]>Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:15:35 -0500http://www.fgrc.info/1/post/2012/02/meditations-on-the-belgic-confession-the-creation-of-the-world-and-the-angels.html_ The first thing you should probably do is change the title in your grey book for the twelfth article from “The Creation of All Things” to “The Creation of the World and the Angels.”  The reason is because this article briefly summarizes the creation of all things and spends more time on the creation of angels. 

In the first section, which begins at “We believe…” and ends with “in order that man may serve God”, we encounter a brief summary of key points about creation.  First, as already stated in the second and tenth articles, God created both invisible and visible things (“heaven” and “earth”) from nothing.  The earth did not exist when God created (Gen. 1:1-2).  Second, God created all things “when it seemed good to him.”  God was not pressured or bored; it was His delight and it was at His time.  Third, the purpose of creation is to serve God, for all things are created “for serving their Creator” (Eph. 2:10).

The rest of the twelfth article concerns angels and demons.  Notice that the discussion is limited.  The Scriptures do not answer all our questions about angels and demons, but they do acknowledge their existence.  This avoids unbiblical fantasies about angels (i.e. chubby angelic porcelain figures or gun-toting mercenaries from Hollywood, etc.).  The Belgic acknowledges their presence within the limits of the Scriptures.  It acknowledges the revelations of 2 Pet. 2:4 and Jude 6 that not all angels remained loyal servants of God.  It acknowledges that devils lie in wait for the church to destroy (1 Pet. 5:8).  But it also acknowledges their inevitable destruction, for “they are condemned to everlasting damnation, daily awaiting their torments.”  They are drowning in the sea of God’s redemption, pulling anything down with them in their inevitable descent to the bottom. 

But why is there this section in the twelfth article?  We are given two reasons at the end.  The first reason is to avoid the error of the Sadducees.  The Sadducees were anti-spiritualists.  They denied the existence of any spiritual realm.  In modern-day language, the Sadducees are naturalists.  Naturalists believe the world is a closed system with no spiritual realm.  Naturalists think everything can be discovered by reason and science. 

The second reason is the error of the Manicheans.  They were the modern-day Star Wars philosophers, thinking that God and Satan are equal powers and this world is merely the chess board for their game. 

Both of these groups are denied credibility in this article.  The Sadducees or naturalists think there is no God while the Manicheans think that God is playing a game with the devil and we’re just the pawns.  Neither of these groups is correct, however.  We worship the Creator of all things, including the angels and the “excrement-covered” spirits, as the truer translation states.  We marvel at His goodness, freedom, and power to create all things.  We know God created all things.  But we also humble ourselves because we have limited knowledge.  God doesn’t reveal everything to us at once.  Like a father to his children, He reveals what He knows we can handle because of our limitations.     

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