by Garrett Glende

The doctrine of the Holy Spirit is one of the most confused in modern day Christianity and it is also the focus of this week’s chapter in Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology. Perhaps for lack of clear instruction, the Holy Spirit is often misunderstood by many Christians today. There are a variety of ideas floating around, some holding much more merit than others, but we must seek to be true students of Scripture so that we might worship God for who He truly is, especially when it comes to the Holy Spirit. Much of this ignorance may come from the fact that He is simply overlooked much of the time. We like to spend so much time focusing on the work of the Father and the Son (and rightly so) that we miss out on the equally important role of the Spirit. This disproportionate attention has caused Francis Chan to write a book titled The Forgotten God, and many others are beginning to see the tremendous importance of the implications of the Spirit’s work. This week, we’ll focus on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit as seen through His work of empowerment, purification, and revelation (it is important to note that the Spirit’s work of bestowing gifts to the church, although a vital aspect of His ministry, will not be discussed here, as it is addressed in later chapters).

Possibly the most crucial work of the Spirit in the life of the Christian is His work of regeneration. Prior to conversion, the sinner is left utterly helpless in his sin and has no ability to exercise faith and turn to God due to the absence of spiritual life. Man is physically alive, but spiritually dead until the Spirit intervenes (for more on this, see the article on sin). When the Holy Spirit opens the eyes of the sinner and breathes new life into him, we call this the miracle of regeneration. Jesus explains clearly to Nicodemus in John 3 that one cannot see the kingdom of God unless one is born again. Nicodemus is confused by the Jesus’ words and he asks, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb?” Jesus goes on to explain to him that it is the Spirit who works in people to bring them new life and that this work will not be seen, but its evidence will be clear: “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8).

This is the first act of empowerment by the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian. Following regeneration, the Spirit constantly empowers people for ministry, as we see throughout the Old Testament. The prophets were one group of people who were carried along by the Spirit as they declared God’s word to the masses. Micah writes, “But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin” (Micah 3:8). The prophet Jeremiah had to have been empowered by the Spirit to endure all the hardship that came during his ministry. He suffered under persecution, but he was compelled by the Spirit to continue preaching faithfully. Additionally, David was anointed by the Spirit for the work that God had set before him (1 Sam 16:13). We see that the Holy Spirit was at work in this way throughout the Old Testament, empowering certain people to fulfill the tasks that they were called to.

The Holy Spirit is also particularly at work in the church, purifying its members so that they might build up the body. In addition to providing us with new life, the Spirit works in us so that we might continue to live lives that are pleasing to God. This process of sanctification mentioned by Paul when he writes to the Corinthians, “You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of God” (1 Cor 6:11). The Christian does not only depend on God for salvation, but the day by day growth that comes with it is brought about by the Spirit. The evidence of this work is seen when we exhibit “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness [and] self-control,” the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). Interesting side note: the passage reads “fruit of the Spirit,” not “fruits of the Spirit.” There’s only one fruit – think about it. This fruit will be manifested when we no longer live according to the flesh, but rather by the Spirit (Rom. 8:12-13). It is by His power that we are able to defeat sin and overcome the temptations that so often befall us.

Lastly, the Spirit is the one who reveals God’s truth. Peter writes that “no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet. 1:21). It is clear that the Holy Spirit is the person who worked within the authors of the Bible so that what they wrote would not be just man’s opinion, but the very word of God. The Holy Spirit revealed God’s word through David: “The Spirit of the Lord speaks by me, his word is on my tongue” (2 Sam. 23:2). As we saw earlier, the prophets were used by the Spirit to bring forth God’s word (Neh. 9:30, Zech. 7:12). All of these different instruments were compelled by God so that the truth about Him might be made known. For us, the Spirit reveals God’s word as we read our Bibles. Surely we are able to understand the Scripture to a certain extent, but without the illuminating work of the Spirit in our devotional lives there will be no real spiritual transformation, only head knowledge.

Knowing that the Spirit is the person who empowers us to live God-honoring lives, what then shall we do? Does this not change the way we approach our times reading the Scriptures, praying, and going to church? We are often so unaware of the mighty power of the Spirit that we go about our daily lives with no dependence on Him at all. We think that we’re able to illuminate the Scriptures, kill sin, and bless the body all by ourselves, but this is not the case. We need to be completely dependent on the Holy Spirit to do His work in us so that our lives might be more pleasing to God. It’s a shame that the evidence of grace is all around us, yet we barely ever notice it. This is one thing that I, myself am trying to work on. An increased sensitivity to the activity of the Spirit in the world should be a prayer request for us all. Jesus tells us that the evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work is just as obvious as the gusts of the wind. Do we see it? Do we listen?

by Garrett Glende

The final Christological chapter in Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology is on the topic of the offices of Christ. As the story of the Old Testament unfolds, we see that God providentially places people in distinct roles to deal with the nation of Israel. Specifically, these offices can be narrowed down to those of prophet, priest, and king. Each of these offices were shadows of Christ’s work to come, as He would perfectly fulfill each role.

Christ as Prophet

The prophet of the Old Testament was, in essence, the spokesperson for God. He was ordained by God to bring His word to the people. The prophet was the one who made known The Lord to the nation and also the one who orated or scribed God’s law. In the New Testament, Jesus exceeded the work of the prophets of old because He was the One whom the prophecies spoke of in the first place and because He was the divine source of revelation. Not only a messenger of truth, Jesus Himself was truth (John 14:6). He was the “Word became flesh” and the one who fully explained the Father (John 1:1, 14, 18). Moreover, instead of reciting the Law to the people, Jesus incites His own authority in the Sermon on the Mount, using the repeated phrases “You have heard that it was said…but I tell you this.” By doing so, Jesus corrects the crowd’s misunderstanding of the Law by providing His own divine interpretation. Of course, Christ was not merely a prophet, although He fulfilled the role of such. The letter of Hebrews goes to great lengths to show that Jesus was much greater than the prophets, as it proclaims Him as the Son of God and perfect high priest.

Christ as Priest

The same book of Hebrews provides us with a wonderful description of the priestly work of Christ on our behalf. Just as the Old Testament priests were the ones who offered prayers to God for the people and made sacrifices in their place, so does Christ function in this office in an even better way. The bull and goat sacrifices of the Old Testament were never sufficient to atone for sin, but Christ fulfills His role as priest by offering Himself up to God as a perfect sacrifice (Heb. 10:4).This pleasing sacrifice was even attested to by the prophet Isaiah when he writes that Christ’s sufferings are the means by which we are healed, have peace with God, and have been counted righteous in His sight (Isaiah 53:5, 11). Not only has Christ paid the price for our sin in full, He has also been raised and now constantly makes intercession for the saints before the Father (Heb. 7:25). The Old Testament priests often prayed to God on behalf of the people, but as a sinful man, his prayers were not always in line with the will of God. Jesus, knowing the Father’s will perfectly, always prays in accordance with it. For this reason, we can be sure that His prayers are answered and God’s plan is carried out. Grudem cites an encouraging word from Berkhof:

“It is a consoling thought that Christ is praying for us, even when we are negligent in our prayer life; that He is presenting to the Father those spiritual needs which were not present to our minds and which we often neglect to include in our prayers…He is praying that our faith may not cease, and that we may come out victoriously in the end.”

Christ as King

Just as the Old Testament kings ruled over their people, so Christ rules over His church and all of creation. Although the Jews of the day wanted Jesus to come in as a political ruler and establish His authority on earth to overthrow the Romans, Jesus insisted that His kingdom was not of the world (John 18:36). Even though He was truly the king of all men, He did not seek to establish His kingdom in the way that they anticipated. Instead, He would establish a spiritual kingdom, where He would rule first and foremost over the church. We see this principle clearly in Ephesians 1:20-22 where Paul writes that God has “seated [Jesus] at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church.” This reality will come to full fruition upon Christ’s return and reign on earth when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess His lordship.

Application

As Christians, we are able to model these three offices of Christ in our own lives as well. Both Christ’s priestly and kingly offices can be played out in us, but I want to focus on prophecy here. Our daily lives should be filled with it, as we speak forth God’s word to one another and to unbelievers. One of the greatest forms of encouragement comes from the brother or sister who makes the effort to speak truth into other’s lives. Of course, we are inferior to Christ in this role, but we can, in a broad sense, take part in the proclamation of the gospel to the world. This is a particularly challenging point for me, as it’s often slightly awkward when someone tries to bring up something in Scripture, unless we’re in a context where such a discussion would be normative (small group, church, Bible study). But this shouldn’t be the case. It should be exciting and easy for us to share God’s word with one another, yet our conversation is much more likely to center around the daily news or, in my case, how horrible the Giant’s offense is. But the Giant’s lack of punch at the plate pales in value to the Word of God, which carries with it eternal significance (as well as much more encouragement for me). God’s Word has the power to change people’s lives so that they are able to glorify Him better. This should be our goal in every conversation that we have. Since God’s glory is at stake in all that we do, shouldn’t our aim be to proclaim Him every chance we get? By withholding God’s truth from our fellow brothers and sisters, we devalue its power to change, for if we really did believe it to be so great there would be no hesitation to take part in Christ’s office as prophet.

by Garrett Glende

We’ve now come to chapter 28 in our walk through Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology, dealing with the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. If you’re following the structure of the book, this is now the third chapter in the fourth section of the book. Under the broader category of the doctrines of Christ and the Holy Spirit, we have studied the person of Christ (chapter 26), the atonement (chapter 27), and now turn to His resurrection and ascension. We truly are treading in lofty, yet deeply important truths that form the basis of our faith. These are to be taken seriously and it is my hope that not only my life would change because of them, but that the church as a whole might benefit from an intense meditation on the glory of our risen Savior.

The resurrection of Christ is one of the essential doctrines of the Christian faith, as without it there is no hope for the eternal life of the believer. To deny the Jesus rose from the dead in a literal body is to admit that we have a dead Savior – and what good is that? Each of the four gospels attest to the fact that Jesus died on the cross, was buried, and rose again on the third day. Paul declares that this doctrine is a “matter of first importance.” He specifically mentions that “He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve,” strengthening the authenticity of Jesus’ resurrection (1 Cor. 15:3-5). It is important that we distinguish the specific nature of Christ’s resurrection as one that was physical. He did not merely reappear in spirit, but raised Himself from the dead to a new glorified body. Jesus rose again to a newness of life. Grudem writes, “Christ’s resurrection was not simply a coming back from the dead, as had been experienced by others before, such as Lazarus, for then Jesus would have been subject to weakness and aging and eventually would have died again just as all other human beings die.” His resurrection body was made perfect, unable to suffer, and “restored to its full youthful appearance of perfect health.” However, the evidence of His death remained and the disciples saw the scars where the nails had pierced Him (John 20:26-29). Not only did He show them His wounds, but He cooked them breakfast, appeared to some on the road to Emmaus, and was thought by Mary to be a gardener. This is all evidence pointing to the fact that Jesus rose again to a physical body and not an immaterial spirit, as some have suggested. Grudem expands on the doctrinal importance of Jesus’ physical resurrection, stating that it gives “clear affirmation of the goodness of the material creation that God originally made.” It affirms that God will indeed renew His creation to its perfect original form that was indeed very good (Gen. 1:31). There have been many trains of thought that suggest that all things spiritual are inherently better than the material world, but the fact that Jesus’ resurrected body was a physical one forces us to reject this idea.

The implication of Christ’s resurrection is central to our very salvation, as it is the act that enables sinners to experience eternal life. Christians are united with Christ in His resurrection so that we might also attain a new “resurrection life.” Paul describes that we have been made complete in Him, “having been buried with Him in baptism, in which [we] were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead” (Col. 2:12 NASB). 1 Corinthians 15 is perhaps the best explanation of the importance of the resurrection, as Paul writes in verse 17 that “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless [and] you are still in your sins.” Jesus’ resurrection affirms the sufficiency of His death on the cross. The Father considered it to be a worthy sacrifice and therefore raised Him up where He is now seated at His right hand. Philippians 2 reveals that it was Christ’s obedience to the Father that resulted in His exaltation, as Paul writes that “for this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name” (Phil. 2:9). After all, it is the resurrection of Christ that has “caused us to be born again to a living hope” (1 Peter 1:3), so that we would look forward to life after death and seek the inheritance that is imperishable.

Paul also provides us with practical advice in Colossians 3:1, where he writes, “if then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” Here Paul connects the doctrinal reality of Christ’s resurrection and ascension to the everyday life of the believer, urging them to forsake worldly idols and pursue things of eternal value. As believers, we are united with Christ and have indeed been raised with Him. While we are still physically here on Earth, there is a spiritual reality that is unseen to us. The direct application of this doctrine comes later on in verse five, where the Colossian church is exhorted to “put to death therefore what is earthly in you; sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and covetousness, which is idolatry.” Since we identify with Christ in His resurrection (Col. 2:12, Rom. 6:5), we need to consider ourselves dead to sin and therefore live our lives in accordance with this truth. An all out war against sin should be waged among us and we must fight to kill every trace of it in our lives.

Additionally, the resurrection of Christ should cause us to live foolish lives here on earth. The non-believer should examine our lives and determine them to be pitiable. Speaking in defense of the reality of the resurrection from the dead, Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:19 that “if in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.” This comes directly from the mind of an unbeliever, who rejects Christ and His resurrection, leading him to indulge in the pleasures of the world. When he or she then sees a Christian forsaking these things, the Christian is deemed foolish. But this is exactly should happen! We should be striving after holiness so much so that the rest of the world proclaims us fools. Indeed, “the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor. 1:18). Therefore, every decision we make must be captive to the reality of the resurrection and our future glory in heaven. We will choose the path that leads to righteousness and pursue ultimate satisfaction in Christ alone, knowing full well that our treasure is not here on earth, but rather laid up for us in heaven. It takes discipline to meditate on the resurrection life that awaits us, but we must do our best to prepare for eternity by casting aside our worldly idols, all by His power and for His glory.

by Garrett Glende

Last week we studied the doctrine and application of the person of Jesus Christ, so it seems appropriate to now turn to the work that Christ accomplished while here on earth. The question that will be answered is “what did Jesus do through His life and death?” Ultimately, the answer to this question lies at the heart of the gospel itself and is contained in the doctrine of the atonement. The technical term often used to describe Christ’s work is “penal substitutionary atonement” – penal because there was a penalty that was paid, substitutionary because Christ died in our place, and atonement because satisfactory payment for sin was made. Grudem defines the term as “the work Christ did in his life and death to earn our salvation.” As we examine this tremendous doctrine and its implications for us as believers, we will see why many have deemed it “the heart of the gospel.”

Before it can be properly understood, it must be asked if an atonement was really necessary after all. Indeed, God is not forced to save sinners outside of His will, yet He is a loving and just God. His love compels Him to save sinful men, but His justice demands their punishment. In order to satisfy both of these characteristics Jesus became man, lived a perfect life, died in our place, bore the wrath of God against sin, and rose again from the dead. There was no other way possible, for if there was, the Father would have responded to the Son’s pleas in the garden: “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me” (Matt. 26:39). There was nothing but silence from the Father, who knew that the only way for sinners to be reconciled to Him was through the pouring out of His wrath on His only Son.

The nature of the atonement can be looked at from many different angles, and there simply isn’t enough room to explore them all to their fullest extent, so we will only cover the essentials. Many theologians have looked at the orthodox belief regarding this topic and taken offense to the punishment inflicted on the Son by the Father, calling it “cosmic child abuse.” How could an infinitely loving God commit such a despicable act? In an attempt to curtail the violence of Christ’s work on the cross, these people have chosen to explain the atonement by other means. One theory sees His work as simply an example for all other believers to follow, saying that we should follow God to the point of death. However, they fail to acknowledge the various passages in Scripture that point to Christ suffering under the wrath of the Father. Another theory explains the atonement as a means to describe just how much God loves us. While the cross does demonstrate God’s love for sinners (Romans 5:8), this theory only sees Christ’s death as a means by which He identified with man’s sufferings. The correct understanding of the atonement is what we have defined above as “penal substitutionary.” We cannot fully understand Christ’s work for us unless we see both the wrath of God against sin and Christ as a representative in our place.

I appreciated a section in Grudem’s chapter that explains the atonement through four different New Testament themes:

1. “We deserve to die as a penalty for sin.” This need was met in Christ’s sacrifice for sin. The Old Testament sacrificial system clearly displayed the need for the shedding of blood in order to pay for sin. Christ is a perfect picture of the Passover lamb, whose blood allowed sinners to escape the wrath of God.
2. “We deserve to bear God’s wrath against sin.” In His justice, God must punish all sin, yet Christ has appeased the Father so that His wrath was not poured out on us. This propitiation was made because God loved us (1 John 4:10). Romans 3:25-26 illustrates this point perfectly, stating that Christ was “put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 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.”
3. “We are separated from God by our sins.” Thus, reconciliation has been made through the cross of Christ. Colossians 1:20 says that the fullness of deity was in Christ so that He might “reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”
4. “We are in bondage to sin and to the kingdom of Satan.” The work of Christ on the cross freed us from our captivity as slaves to sin, providing redemption unto righteousness. We were formerly slaves to sin, but Jesus has redeemed us, making us now slaves to righteousness (Romans 6).

These four aspects (sacrifice, propitiation, reconciliation, redemption) have been taught by many theologians over the centuries as four of the significant themes regarding the atonement (for more reading see chapter 2 of John Murray’s Redemption Accomplished and Applied).

Much controversy and debate has arisen among evangelicals in regards to the extent of the atonement. The question at hand is “for whom did Christ die?” or “what did Jesus’ death on the cross actually accomplish?” Generally, the two sides come from either Reformed or Arminian traditions, the Calvinists supporting the view of a limited atonement and the Arminians supporting that of a general atonement. The specific term “limited atonement” is somewhat misleading (perhaps it has only kept this name because it allows us to use flowers when describing our theological system) and many have preferred the usage of “particular redemption” in order to prevent any false impressions about the sufficiency of Christ’s work. This position believes that in dying on the cross, Jesus secured the salvation of those whom the Father had chosen. Jesus himself says, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:14-15). We see elsewhere that Jesus’ work on the cross was specifically applied to those who would turn to Him in faith. Paul writes in Ephesians 5:25 that “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”

His death did not only make the church’s salvation possible, but truly secured it. The suffering that Jesus endured was not merely theoretical, pending the final decision of the sinner, but it actually accomplished atonement for sins at that moment. When He cried “it is finished,” (John 19:30) He spoke of His mission to come and win salvation for God’s chosen people. This is the main problem that I see in the theology of those who support a general atonement. If we are to accept that Christ truly died for the sins of the whole world in a salvific way, then it seems that we would be led to universalism. While not widely believed by most Arminians, the universalist position is still one to be guarded against, as Scripture clearly teaches that not all men will be saved. The more common argument of the non-reformed tradition is to say that the atonement made salvation possible for all men, but not completely securing it. Thus, the application of Christ’s death only comes by the free will of man to accept His sacrifice. The way I see it, limited atonement is the most biblical stance and ultimately brings the most glory to God. It is a sacrifice that truly accomplishes its purpose. When God put forward His Son as a propitiation, He did not merely make it possible for men to be saved – He actually saved them.

There are numerous applications that can be drawn from this great truth, but I want to draw your attention to a perhaps more obscure thought. I would venture to guess that most of the people reading this blog happen to believe in a particular redemption. If you are a Christian, what you’re saying is that you believe that you are one of the very few that Jesus died for. How many others have been so privileged to be bought by the blood of Christ? Surely there are many, but there are many more that have died in their sin and not known the grace of God in Christ. Shouldn’t this ignite a passion in us to live lives fully pleasing to Him? It truly is a high calling that we have been called to and we must live in a manner worthy of it (Eph. 4:1). This means that our lives are to look different from the rest of the world. It’s good and God-glorifying for Christians to toil and strive with all their energy for the sake of making His name known. In a sense, the pressure is off. We have been set free from the condemnation of sin which weighed us down and we are now able to live in light of grace, seeking to please God by walking in a worthy manner. Paul goes on to describe this high calling in the rest of Ephesians 4, exhorting believers to exhibit humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, love, maturity of doctrine, and wholesome speech. Are these qualities consistently true of our lives? If not, then we must pause to reconsider our understanding of the implications of Christ’s death for us. He truly has paid the price in full and we are now honored to live to worship and serve Him as our Lord.

by Garrett Glende

On the heels of probably the most difficult article I’ve written to date, comes this one – probably the most important. There is no more central theme to Christianity that the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the main character of the story of Scripture and all of redemptive history is focused on Him. There has never been a more influential or controversial man to have ever walked the earth. I could go on and on with the sweeping praises of His worth simply as an object of study, but what is far more valuable to us is to actually know Him for who He truly is. What we believe about Jesus is foundational to our salvation and is what separates Christianity from all the other religions of the world.

Jesus as Human

In order to fully comprehend who Christ is, we must see both His humanity and deity in equal light. It is clear throughout Scripture that Jesus was not only in the form of a man, but that He had a complete human nature as well. As early as Genesis 3:15 we see that the promised Messiah would come from the seed of Eve, being fulfilled in the virgin birth. Jesus also experienced all the same things that any other human would feel. He was hungry (Matt 4:2), thirsty (John 19:28), tired (John 4:6), and felt pain. He expressed sorrow (John 11:35), agony (Matt 26:38), and wonder (Matt 8:10). He was even tempted in every way, yet was without sin.

The importance of Christ’s humanity cannot be understated. In order to obtain salvation for man, Jesus had to be their representative. It was Jesus’ humanity that enabled His sacrifice to be applied to us. As sinners, we needed someone to represent us before God and Jesus does that. In this way, He is the mediator between God and man, as 1 Timothy 2:5 says that “there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” Even more, Christ acts as our faithful high priest according to Hebrews 2:17: “Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” Had Jesus not been man, He would not have been able to satisfy the wrath of God against the sins of men. To put it simply: there is no salvation without the humanity of Christ.

Jesus as God

This is the point where Christianity stands out above all other religions. Most will admit that Jesus was a man who lived on earth and had good teachings. Many even go as far as to call Him a prophet, yet they are unwilling to submit to the clear teachings of Jesus himself about His deity. If I were to list all of the arguments for the deity of Christ, this article would be far too long. Needless to say, since the message of Christianity hinges on the deity of Christ, then the Bible better be fairly clear on this front. The gospel of John opens with the words, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Verse 14 of the same chapter tells us that this eternal logos “became flesh and dwelt among us,” clearly revealing that the logos in John 1:1 is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the one who explains the Father. In fact, Jesus says that “whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). We must also be aware that Jesus is not only partly God and partly man. Paul tells us that “in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Col 2:9) and we read in Hebrews that “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” (Heb 1:3).

The significance of Christ’s deity cannot be understated. What happens to the cross if Jesus is not God? It becomes just like any other death. Thousands of men were crucified before Jesus was, all of them providing nothing of worth for our souls’ benefit. But because Jesus is God, His death means something. No human being could ever provide salvation for another, for “salvation is from the Lord” (Jonah 2:9). Again, the fact that Jesus is God allows Him to mediate between God and men. He is the one who represents God to us and us to God.

Application

One of the many applications of this great doctrine is the fact that Jesus’ humanity provides us with an example of how we are to live today. If we strive to emulate Christ in all our actions, we can be sure that our lives will be honoring to God. Because He lived a sinless life, there is no part of Christ’s ministry that we are to exclude when we follow after Him as disciples. This is not to say that all of Jesus’ actions were to be prescriptive, in that we would now need to do the exact same deeds as He did (for we are not to literally take up our crosses for the sins of the world), but rather His life shows us a pattern of living that is not to be ignored. He lived as a humble servant, even though He was the Lord of all creation. He fed the hungry and helped the weak. He confronted the false teachers of the day and invested His own life into those that would lead the next generation. All these qualities are certainly to be implemented in our own lives as we submit to His lordship and follow in His footsteps. May we always be thankful for this doctrine of Christ as both fully man and fully God, for there is no gospel without it.

by Garrett Glende

A moment of honesty here: these articles are not always easy to write. I’m not seminary trained and I’m only twenty-two years old. I don’t have every aspect of doctrine settled in my mind at this point in my Christian life, and I don’t expect this to be coming very soon. Up until now, following along with Grudem’s book has been fairly straightforward, as most of the chapters have dealt with topics that are generally undisputed among evangelicals. However, there have been a few times where I’ve read something that Grudem wrote and disagreed with it to some degree. The first thing I do when this happens is question myself – who am I to know better than one of the premier theologians of our day? Sometimes I’m fairly confident in my assertions, other times I really don’t know what to think at all. This makes it difficult to have to sit down and write an article with confidence, knowing that there is so much more out there for me to think through and develop in my mind. As you read these articles, know that what’s here is only the tip of the iceberg. We will never exhaust the full knowledge of an infinite God. I encourage everyone to grab your Bible’s and get into the Word itself. Read books. Read more books. There are too many great resources out there to just let them all collect dust while we sit at home and watch people playing pretend on TV. Anyway, the reason I bring this all up is because I’ve encountered this again this week. The topic is one that I still don’t have a firm grasp on, but the knowledge I have gained has also lead me to disagree with Mr. Grudem (something that is a little scary for me to do). Proceed with discernment and seek the truth. It does matter.

The issue at hand is the nature of God’s covenants with man. Grudem proposes a system of viewing Scripture, and all history, through the lens of these different covenants which together form the basis for the aptly named Covenant Theology. This doctrinal stance is widely held in Presbyterian and Reformed denominations and views Scripture in light of three (or sometimes two) covenants: the covenant of works, the covenant of redemption, and the covenant of grace. I’ll first outline how Grudem defines these and then offer a brief response.

The Covenant of Works

Provided Grudem’s definition of a covenant as “an unchangeable, divinely imposed legal agreement between God and man that stipulates the conditions of the relationship,” he describes this “covenant of works” as one that God made with Adam in the garden before the fall. Evidence for this is taken from the idea that God initiated a promise to Adam in Genesis 2:16-17 when He commanded him not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for that would bring about death. Although the word is not explicitly mentioned, Grudem argues that there is indeed a covenant in effect because of the binding provisions and promise of blessing (implicit) or consequence of disobedience. Grudem says that there are aspects of this covenant still alive today. For instance, if it were possible to live in perfect obedience to God’s law, then we would inherit the blessings promised in the covenant. Also, “the punishment for this covenant of works is still in effect, for ‘the wages of sin is death’” (Rom. 6:23). However, there are ways in which this covenant is not applicable, as we are not expected to obey the command not to eat of the tree and are completely incapable of righteousness due to our sinful natures.

The Covenant of Redemption

This covenant is slightly different from the others in that it is not one that was made between God and man, but rather within the members of the Trinity. “It is an agreement among the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in which the Son agreed to become man, be our representative, obey the demands of the covenant of works on our behalf, and pay the penalty for sin, which we deserved.” Grudem notes that this is classified as a covenant because it is something that has specific parties involved as well as promises and conditions. Although different from the covenants made with man, it still can be thought of as such because of these reasons.

The Covenant of Grace

Grudem writes that the covenant of grace was initiated after the fall because God saw it necessary to “establish another means, one by which man could be saved.” From this point on, God would deal with His people according to this plan. Christ would be the one to mediate the covenant, conditioned on the faith of man as a requirement to take part in the promised blessings of God. These blessings were mainly found in the reality of eternal life with the Creator and the forgiveness of sin. A main passage cited by covenant theologians is Jeremiah 31 where God says that He will “make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke…I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” Grudem argues that this promise made to Israel is ultimately fulfilled in the church, God’s people.

Concerns

Again, it’s hard for me to disagree, but there are a few things that I must point out. The biggest issue that I see in covenant theology is the necessity to use different hermeneutics for different portions of Scripture. While many covenant theologians use a grammatical-historical approach to the majority of God’s word, they switch to a more allegorical method when confronted with these types of passages. It forces them to spiritualize promises that were explicitly made to be fulfilled in a literal sense. For example, there is no reason to believe that the above passage from Jeremiah is meant to be read as applied to anyone else but the Jews. God specifically states that the new covenant is for “the house of Israel and the house of Judah.” Later on in chapter 32, God promises that this covenant will include the restoration of their original land that they had been driven out of. If the scattering of Israel was literal, should not the restoration be as well?

Covenant theology insists that the future blessings promised to Israel are now fulfilled in the church. Many believe that there was a church during the Old Testament, but it was simply spiritual in nature. Again, this premise requires an inconsistent hermeneutic. Besides, Jesus is clear in Matthew 16:18 that the building of the church is something that is to take place in the future. This theology attacks the very faithfulness of God to His people and creates unnecessary spiritualizing of otherwise unambiguous texts.

Application

This whole debate aside, it is clear that God does establish covenants with man. The fact that God does this alone, on His own initiative should cause us to fall to our knees and submit to Him. Who are we that God should be mindful of us? How could He even want to be in a relationship with sinful man? Through the study of God’s covenants the one thing that jumps out over and over is the complete faithfulness of God to His word. When He says something, He means it. What great comfort we can take in this wonderful aspect of God’s character. We don’t have to worry over the state of our salvation because God has promised that those who trust in the work of the Son alone shall be saved forever. This is a truth that never changes. God is faithful to this promise. He is faithful to bless “all the families of the earth” as promised in the Abrahamic covenant through the substitutionary death of His Son. Praise God that He is faithful to His word!

by Garrett Glende

Last week we looked at our essential natures as humans in terms of our body and spirit, but we never surveyed the state of our being. Last week’s article sought to answer the question, “What are we made of?” where this week we will offer a brief response to the question, “What are we like?” Most of who we are as humans can be defined by our nature to sin. It is what all men share in common with one another. The fact that all men have been made in God’s image yet have tarnished this image with sin forms the basis for a proper anthropology. We must truly understand what sin is and how it affects our lives so that our worship of God would be in spirit and truth.

Grudem defines sin as “any failure to conform to the moral law of God in act, attitude, or nature.” God has set standards that we must abide by because his character dictates such. It is not that God chooses a random list of rules that we are bound to, but rather that his own nature defines what is right and wrong. God is fully good, therefore anything that is contradictory to his nature is opposing that which is good. The problem for us is that God is a holy, righteous God and we cannot even come close to attaining the standards that He has set. We fall short not only in the bad things that we do, but in the good things that we fail to do. Moreover, sin has so infected us that it is not just an outward action, but it is a reflection of the state of our hearts. This sin that is in us comes from the human representative, Adam. Because of the first sin that he committed in the garden, all men have inherited a sinful nature, known as the doctrine of original sin. Through this one man’s act, sin entered into the world and spread to all men, and consequently death (Romans 5). Death is the necessary punishment for the transgressions that each of us have put forth against God, who is completely holy and just to condemn sinners.

Humans are so corrupted with sin that we are completely unable of doing any good apart from the sovereign grace of God. This doctrine that was brought to light during the reformation is known as total depravity. Many have deemed the term (which supplies the “T” in the TULIP acronym) misguided because not all men fully act out their depravity and some have proposed that a more suitable name for the doctrine would be “total inability.” Either way, the Bible is clear that all have sinned (Romans 3:23), that the unregenerate man is dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1), and is in bondage to their sin (Romans 6:17, John 8:32). Being dead in sin means that we are completely unable to make any move towards God for our salvation. Our hearts of stone possess no ability to understand in a saving way any sort of spiritual truth. Thank God for grace!

In light of a clear understanding of who we once we as slaves to sin, our outlook on the Christian life should be radically changed. All believers have been awakened to see the ugliness of their hearts and their total inability to do anything about it. We now can praise God that He alone has raised us from the deadness of our sin and given us life in His Son. There was nothing that we ever contributed to our salvation – all that we have been given has been by grace. This attitude of dependence on God must carry over into the Christian life as we grow in sanctification. We cannot thank God for saving us and then decide to live the rest of our lives independently, believing that we can battle sin on our own. We must still put our hope in Christ to forgive us of our sin and rely on the Holy Spirit’s empowerment to overcome temptation. The degree to which we depend on God does not change from the moment of salvation to our last breaths on earth. This dependence requires humility of spirit, heartfelt prayer, and daily repentance. We must continue to regard ourselves as sinners in need of grace daily, going to God to thank Him for the gospel, and always seeking to put off sin and turn towards righteousness. There is no room for pride when confronted with the doctrine of sin. There is no such thing as self-sufficiency for a Christian who understands rightly their sinful nature. Praise be to God that He has rescued us and freed us to live for His glory!

by Garrett Glende

Chapter 23 of Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology deals with the subject of the “essential nature of man.” In it, Grudem explores the two views in modern day evangelicalism, namely dichotomy and trichotomy. The fundamental question deals with what comprises a human being. Are we body and spirit? Or are we body, spirit, and soul? Essentially, the difference between the two opinions comes down to what differences (if any) there are between the soul and spirit of a person.

We all agree that we have physical bodies, but we also have a sense that there is something more to who we are than just flesh. We use phrases like “my heart is telling me…” or “I know inside of me…” This kind of language attests to the fact that there is a part of us that is different than our material being. The Bible ultimately puts the question to rest, testifying that man does indeed have a soul. There are spiritual terms used throughout Scripture that point to man as being more than just flesh and bones. But are we body, soul, and spirit? Grudem argues that the words “soul” and “spirit” can be used interchangeably in the Bible, thus concluding that humans are essentially two parts, body and soul. The thrust of his argument lies in the fact that these words (in Greek psyche and pneuma) appear in the same contexts with apparently the same meaning. One example of this is in John 12:27 where Jesus says “Now is my soul troubled,” but then later on in John 13:21 it says that “Jesus was troubled in his spirit.” Grudem also cites Luke 1:46-47, where Mary says “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” Are these really two different parts of Mary expressing different emotions? Or is the author simply using a parallel to describe what Mary was feeling “inside” of her? Grudem also shows that the soul and spirit can do similar things. When we die, the Bible says in different places that our soul and our spirit depart (Isaiah 53:12, John 19:30). Also, it is seen that both the soul and the spirit have the capacity to sin (2 Cor. 7:1, 1 Pet. 1:22). When all is said and done, it seems clear that humans are, in essence, flesh and spirit.

Understanding this doctrine correctly should lead us, as Christians, to change the way we live our lives. Especially important in all of this is the fact that we are still only one person, made up of flesh and spirit. So often we separate our spiritual lives from our physical lives and vice versa. But I’ve noticed that the two really do have a great effect on one another. It’s easy to be disciplined spiritually if I’ve been more active in my physical life. If I’ve been getting sleep and eating well, then I have a stronger desire to open up God’s word so that my soul would be encouraged. On the other hand, when I’m tired or sick there is less of a motivation to feed my heart and mind with God’s truth and I am more prone to sin. This is also reason to take sexual sin all the more seriously. 1 Corinthians 6:18 says that we must flee sexual immorality, for “every other sin a person commits outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.” Because our sexual intimacy involves both body and spirit we must make every effort to flee from it. In everything, we must see ourselves as one unified person, maximizing our time for God’s glory in both the physical and spiritual aspects of our lives.

by Garrett Glende

Digging deeper into how God has created man in His own image, Grudem writes chapter 22 of Systematic Theology on the topic “Man as Male and Female.” As one of the more outspoken proponents of the traditional biblical understanding of men’s and women’s roles, Grudem has contributed much to the ongoing conversation regarding this current hot-button issue. Today’s culture would have us believe that there is no difference between a man and a woman. “Equality for all” is a banner waved by many, as the feminist movement continues to gain followers. This article will not make them happy. In fact, I’m sure it will offend many. What I hope to present is a biblical view of the relationship between man and woman, their similarities as well as their differences. Surely this is an issue that is debated by many and we must understand it biblically in order to honor God in our daily living.

Piggybacking off of last week’s article, we know that both man and woman have been created in the image of God. This is the most fundamental aspect of our being and greatly influences the ways in which we interact with one another. Even though we may look different physically, we know that outward appearance is not the greatest measure of who we are. Men and women both have the same capacities to worship their Creator, as well as the same capacity to sin against Him. Eve being the first to sin in the garden does not mean that all women are forever more sinful than men. In fact, Scripture tells us that the sin of Adam was more significant (1 Cor 15:22). Many liberals want to attack the biblical teachings on this issue, claiming that it is degrading towards women and sets our society back hundreds of years. These assertions can be easily dismissed when we look to the Scriptures and see that a godly woman’s husband praises her (Proverbs 31:28), men are to give honor to their wives (1 Pet 3:7), and all have been equally given gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor 12:11). All this, in addition to what the Bible says about man and woman being created in God’s image, leads us to conclude that there is no difference in equality between the two.

However, equality does not mean identical. Isn’t this clear to us already? We all know from interacting with one another that God has made men and women differently. Men are generally good at some things, while women are better at others. That’s just the way it is. Does this make one or the other superior? No, it just makes them different. Is the coach any greater than his players? Is the pastor greater than his flock? No, we are all images of God, called to fulfill specific roles that He has given to us. For the man, this means that he is to be the head of the household and lovingly lead his wife and children. He reflects the role of the Father in the Trinity, as the one with the authority in the relationship. For it is as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11:3, “But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.” Male headship within the family is a faint image of the kind of relationship that exists within the Godhead. Thus, the role of the woman is to submit to her husband as he leads her in the Lord. We see from Scripture that the woman was made as a helper suitable for Adam (Gen. 2:18). She was the only one that could fulfill the plan that God had made – no animal could even compare! This does not establish that the husband has the right to lord his power over his wife, but rather that women were specifically designed by God to perform this role. As the husband leads and the wife submits, both mirror the love of God for the church. Ephesians 5:25 calls husbands to “love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” and Ephesians 5:22 calls wives to “submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.” The church, as the bride of Christ, is to submit to Him because He has laid His life down on order to wash her clean from all sin and be presented holy, without blemish. What a wonderful truth that we are privileged to acknowledge as we live out our God ordained roles in the household.

The way the church understands this doctrine has profound implications for its practice. It directly influences the questions of female pastorates, teaching roles, family structure, and many others. It would be wrong of us to dismiss the topic as one of little importance, only for the theologians to argue about. When you think about it, what we believe about men’s and women’s roles shows a lot about the way we view God. One important point that I think is worth pointing out is that we can easily fall into extremes when seeking to fulfill these roles. Men can become harsh and overbearing and women can become silent and non-influential in the household. While they may even have the correct motives, both of these extremes must be altered to fit into the mold that God has provided. We must constantly go back and search the Scriptures in order to know and apply the gospel through our roles and men and women within the church. Only then will we be able to celebrate the fact that God has designed us perfectly for one another, and we can give Him all the glory for doing so.

by Garrett Glende

We’ve now reached part three in Grudem’s Systematic Theology, dealing with the doctrine of man. Calvin writes that “no man can survey himself without forthwith turning his thoughts towards the God in whom he lives and moves.” Grudem has done so here, establishing first the doctrine of God so that we are more clearly able to perceive our own nature through the proper lens. As mentioned, part three of the book focuses on us. We will learn about how we were made, the differences between us and God, distinctions among men, and what characterizes our essential natures.

First, it must be said of man that he is created. There are few realities in Scripture that have greater impact on our daily lives than this and it is a truth that is violently opposed today. We would do well to study exactly the way in which God created us and how this should be fleshed out practically.

Second, it needs to be said that God did not need to create us. He is self-sufficient in that there is nothing outside of Himself that He relies upon for sustenance or pleasure. He did not need to make mankind in order to fulfill some emptiness in Himself or complete a missing part. God is glorious in Himself and there is perfect fellowship among the persons of the trinity, so why are we even here? The Westminster Confession of Faith states correctly that “the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” This is why we are here. Everything exists to bring glory to God, but human beings have been created uniquely in order to fulfill this mandate. Scripture declares that all things have been brought about so that God would be glorified (Col 1:16, Psalm 19:1, Isa 43:7), but what makes us so special?

Ultimately, humans stand as the centerpiece of all of God’s creation primarily because we have been made in God’s image. The account of our creation is found in Genesis 1:27: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” The Hebrew word for “image” simply means similar or like, but not identical. Grudem goes on to explain exactly how man is like God in four different ways.

1. Our inner morality attests to the fact that we are made in God’s image. We are able to discern between right and wrong and have a sense that we are held accountable to these standards.
2. We also share spiritual elements with God that the rest of creation does not. We live not only for the here and now, but for things that are not of this world. As Grudem puts it, “No animal will ever spend an hour in intercessory prayer for the salvation of a relative or friend!”
3. We have mental capacities that far exceed the likes of animals, simply because we have been made in the image of God. We reflect to some degree His creativity, wisdom, and complexity of emotion.
4. We also share with God relational attributes, such as the ability to have deep fellowship within the body of believers or the intimacy shared between a husband and wife. There are no other created beings that share this privilege. Among men and women, there is no distinction – we all bear the image of God in the same way.

It goes without saying that this doctrine should change the way we look at one another. It essentially destroys all grounds for racism, sexism, or any other kind of discrimination. As humans, we all share the exact same nature and all have a degree of dignity associated with us. To degrade another person is essentially to deny that they have been made in the image of God. Although we have tarnished this image through sin, our original state still stands. This means that the pastor is no greater than his flock, the husband is no greater than his wife, and the elderly are no greater than the youth. There is simply no room for boasting.

Stretching out this idea of equality of men in the image of God, how does this shape our view of missions? In studying this and being challenged by JR, I realized that I don’t always have a fully global view of missions. The doctrine of the creation of man in God’s image means that all men can worship God no matter what their background or ethnicity is. This means that there is not one place on earth where missions should not exist! It’s tempting to pick and choose the comfortable countries to go and do missions in, neglecting the areas that we feel aren’t worth it. I think a decent amount of people who want to go on missions would go to Europe or Asia, probably even most parts of South America, but will they go to the jungles? Will they…will I…go to a place where they can’t even read and write? Part of me wants to think any attempt to do so would be futile. “How could these indigenous people understand the gospel if they can even read?” is the thought that crosses my mind. But we all must be reminded that these people are made in God’s image in the same way we are. They have the exact same capacity to understand the things of God because He has made them to worship Him. Would God fail in His creation? Of course not! As a church, and as Christians, I hope that we all continue to grow in our love for all the people of the world, for there is not one soul lacking the image of our God.