Augustine and Grace

The following are quotes from Augustine on the absolute necessity and exclusivity of God's grace in our salvation and sanctification.  After the quotes is an excerpt from an on-line article summarizing Augustine's view on grace. SDG

‘Can we possibly, without utter absurdity, maintain that there first existed in anyone the good virtue of a good will, to entitle him to the removal of his heart of stone? How can we say this, when all the time this heart of stone itself signifies precisely a will of the hardest kind, a will that is absolutely inflexible against God? For if a good will comes first, there is obviously no longer a heart of stone.’


'The grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord must be understood as follows: grace is the only thing that delivers human beings from evil; without it, they do absolutely nothing good, whether in thought, or in will and emotion, or in action. Grace not only makes known to people what they ought to do, but also enables them to perform with love the duty that they know.'


'For them [the Pelagians], grace means the knowledge with which the Lord God helps us, by which we can know what our duty is. The true meaning of grace, however, is the love that God breathes into us, which enables us with a holy delight to carry out the duty that we know.'


'It is not enough simply to have choice of will, which is freely turned in this direction and that, and belongs among those natural gifts which a bad person may use badly. We must also have a good will, which belongs among those gifts which it is impossible to use badly. This impossibility is given to us by God; otherwise I do not know how to defend what Scripture says: ‘What do you have that you did not receive?’ (1 Cor.4:7) For if God gives us a free will, which may still be either good or bad, but a good will comes from ourselves, then what comes from ourselves is better than what comes from God! But it is the height of absurdity to say this. So the Pelagians ought to acknowledge that we obtain from God even a good will.'


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Augustine on the New Life in Christ

Dr. N.R. Needham

Augustine’s theology of the new life in Christ was really just a way of saying, ‘It’s not up to us.’ Our new life in Christ comes from Christ. From its first stirrings to its final consummation, it comes from Christ. Faith, repentance, the softened heart, and any other virtue that can be named, they all come from Christ. Our conversion comes from Christ. Our regeneration comes from Christ. Our spiritual illumination comes from Christ. Our desire for Christ comes from Christ. Our seeking after Christ comes from Christ. As that great Italian Augustinian, Thomas Aquinas, was to teach 800 years after Augustine’s death, nothing comes before grace. All the things that we might think make us ready for grace are themselves the work of grace. If we insist on talking about ‘accepting grace’, even the acceptance of grace is created in us by grace.

http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/augustinenewlife.html

Grace in the Old Testament

Have you ever been caught thinking that God had two plans of salvation?  One plan for the Jews in the Old Testament and another for the Church in the New Testament.  I think this way of thinking is easy to fall into.  Thankfully, however, God has given us clear sign posts in the Old Testament that His plan of salvation is consistent for all of His children. Here are just a couple of examples I ran across recently.  SDG


Psalm 40:2-3 (English Standard Version)

²He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
   out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
    making my steps secure.
³He put a new song in my mouth,
   a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
   and put their trust in the LORD.

Psalm 40:11 (English Standard Version)

 ¹¹As for you, O LORD, you will not restrain
   your mercy from me;
your steadfast love and your faithfulness will
   ever preserve me!

Psalm 79:9 (English Standard Version)

⁹ Help us, O God of our salvation,
   for the glory of your name;
deliver us, and atone for our sins,
   for your name’s sake!

Psalm 80:3 (English Standard Version)

 ³ Restore us, O God;
    let your face shine, that we may be saved!

Thoughts on Philemon

I like Philemon.  Its just a short little book tucked between Titus and Hebrews.  It does, however, pack sum punch.  Here are just a few of the verses that caught my attention today.

v6 - "I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ."

vv8-9 - "Though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you."

v14 - "But I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own free will."

v20 - "Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ"

There is more here than I can comment on, but I would ask one thing.  Look at Paul's heart, both toward Christ and the gospel and toward Philemon.  Paul wants the gospel spread and the love of Christ to affect the life of Philemon.  He also wants Philemon to "do what is required", but not out of compulsion (i.e. works righteousness and / or the law) but rather as a loving response to the even greater love lavished upon him by Christ.

Where are we in this equation?  Do we view our obedience to God in terms of love rather than commands?  Do we appeal to others so that their goodness might be out of love rather than compulsion?  Do we see Christ's love not only as what drives us but as the model we should be striving to emulate?

I pray the love of Christ may dwell richly in our hearts through faith.

SDG

The Steadfast Love of God - Ps 36

Psalm 36:5-10 (English Standard Version)

 ⁵Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens,
   your faithfulness to the clouds.
⁶ Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
    your judgments are like the great deep;
   man and beast you save, O LORD.
 ⁷ How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
   The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
⁸They feast on the abundance of your house,
   and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
⁹For with you is the fountain of life;
    in your light do we see light.
 ¹⁰Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you,
   and your righteousness to the upright of heart!

Titus 3 and Spurgeon

Titus 3:4-7 (English Standard Version)


4But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.


"It is a very surprising thing,—a thing to be marveled at most of all by those who enjoy it. I know that it is to me even to this day the greatest wonder that I ever heard of, that God should ever justify me. I feel myself to be a lump of unworthiness, a mass of corruption, and a heap of sin apart from His almighty love; yet I know, by a full assurance, that I am justified by faith which is in Christ Jesus, and treated as if I had been perfectly just, and made an heir of God and a joint-heir with Christ; though by nature I must take my place among the most sinful." - C.H. Spurgeon

Footsteps of Providence

God is providentially steering all to the port of  His own praise and His people's happiness, while the whole world is busily employed in managing the sails and tugging the oars with a quite opposite design and purpose. They promote God's design by opposing it, fulfill His will by resisting it, and enlarge His church by scattering it. They make the saint's rest sweeter by making their condition so restless in the world.

What a history we might compile, as we trace the footsteps of providence along the way.  Here it prevented, and there it delivered.  Here it directed, and there it corrected.  Here it grieved, and there it relieved. Here was the poison, and there, the antidote. This providence dispelled a dismal cloud. This one straitened, and that one enlarged.  Here a want, and there a supply.

Words cannot express the delight we may find in such employment.  O reader, what a life of pleasure you might live by noticing the ways of providence towards you!  What a heaven upon earth you may have! Taste and see the glory of the study of providence.  - John Flavel

Is God Sovereign Over My Anxiety? - Mt 6:25-34

I know this is a classic text and that for most of us, the lesson has always been: "Trust God. You are more valuable than birds and flowers.  God will care for you.  Just seek His kingdom and his righteousness."  I would not dispute that reading of Mt 6:25-34, since it is the most straightforward view of the text and is clearly true, especially if God is sovereign over all things.

My question comes from a different angle.  I am not anxious about my food nor my clothes nor anything else at that basic level.  Is it because my trust in God is that strong and secure?  Or has my trust shifted to the security of my job and the American infrastructure (government, economy, society) that necessitates my job's existence? I have no anxiety regarding the basics because I assume (or presume) that they are already covered by something I have achieved.

However, a closer reading of the Sermon on the Mount, (Mt 5-7) reveals an interesting progression.  Chapter 5 sets the stage by showing that the marks of the kingdom of God are opposite of what we would expect.  Next, we are challenged to observe the heart of the law, not just the letter.  The final challenge of chapter 5 is for us to extend our love to our enemies.  This is followed by a call to give, pray and fast.  In context, I would say the implication is to give to our enemies (or at least people can never pay us back), pray for strength to do this as well as live up to the heart of the law and that in our fasting we seek to pursue the oppositeness of Christ's kingdom.  Immediately after this, Jesus says don't lay up treasures on earth, but rather store treasures in heaven (back to giving and not getting anything back).  This is followed by...  Don't be anxious about life or food or clothes.  Why would I be anxious about this stuff? Again, in context, its because I gave away my food and my clothes and perhaps my means to people who hate me or at least can never pay me back.  Interestingly Jesus moves on to another call to prayer and encourages us to ask and to seek and to knock.  For what?  I think its for more ability to give stuff away.  And now, as I ponder this even as I write, the Golden Rule, and measurement of the fruitful tree and whether Christ knew us all fit into this idea of giving ourselves and our stuff wholly to God.

My apologies for the heaviness.  I'm not sure I started with that intent.  I pray God will use this for His honor and your good.  SDG