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Bless you. actually have this Yeah. Holy Cross. announced yesterday. Yep. Congratulations. You might not want to come in with that. Welcome back to everybody for day two of the confessing the faith conference 2026 on chapter 3 of God's decree. And in a practical expression of what we heard yesterday, I went out to my car this morning and the battery was dead. So, it took me a moment to reflect on how that was going to work for my good. Um, but God is good. David had a rental car, so we were able to make it here without having to walk. Uh, just a couple of reminders and a couple of new announcements. The first is water only in the sanctuary. And secondly, Justin Hutchings has had printed a couple of copies of the confession. We have no shortage of copies of the confession nowadays which is very helpful. But he's got one, the Baptist confession of faith 1644. And then of course the second London Baptist Confession. And the the good thing about these are they are exact except I think this one is an eighth of an inch too wide or too thick. Yeah. So I don't know that it's the actual text receptus but nevertheless it should it should function well. But if you're interested in that, no pressure, you want a copy, uh, see Justin. The suggested price is $40 Canadian for the second London and then 60 for the first London. And that's Canadian. And I think the discrepancy has to do with more more difficulty with the first. So those are Justin, raise your hand so everybody knows who you are. And then the final announcement is a page or there's page 32 in your in your workbook. If you have questions for the Q&A panel after the the sessions are over this morning, you can go ahead and submit those questions via that that scan code and then that way we'll know what to deal with >> and you can vote thumbs up or thumbs down for the questions that you want. And if you get the thumbs down, don't get too offended. And if your question doesn't get asked, yeah, that we only have a limited amount of time. So, so having said that, why don't we turn in our books to page 22. We'll sing Psalm 150 and then I'll pray and then Dr. Barcelos will come up. Psalm 150 C. You can stand as we sing together. Halleluah. Praise the Lord. Praise God in his s. Hallelu. Hallelu. Praise. Praise him in his heart. Praise. Praise him for his deeds of mind. Oh, praise him. Oh, praise him. Hallelu. Hallelu. Hallelujah. Praise God whose majesty abound. Oh, praise him with the trumpet sound. Hallelu. Hallelu. Praise God with fruit and dark with me and all praise him. Oh praise him. Hallelu. Hallelu. Hallelujah. Simples. Praise the Lord. Withing symbols. Praise the Lord. Hallelu. Hallelu. Let all that shall praise the Lord. Oh, praise the Lord forever more. Oh, praise him. Praise him. Hallelu. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. >> I'll pray and then you can preach. All right. Well, let us pray. Our blessed God and holy father, we thank you for a new day. We thank you for this time for conference. We thank you for the fellowship of the saints and the joy it is for us to gather together to sing your praises, to turn our attention to your truth. And we pray first and foremost that you would be glorified. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, you are great, glorious, and worthy to be praised. We acknowledge your kindness and your mercy demonstrated to us in the gospel of our salvation. We thank you that in the fullness of the time you sent forth your son, born of a woman, born under the law to redeem those under the law. We thank you that you did what we would never do. We thank you for your decree and for providence and the way that you have effectually called us out of darkness into marvelous light that we may praise the Lord of glory. We ask that you would bless Dr. Barcelos. Now, we pray that he would know the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit as he speaks the truth. give us ears to hear and hearts to receive these things and may it may it ultimately lead us in terms of humility before our great God, encouragement to know that you are working out all things for your glory and for our good. And we ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. >> You're going to you're going to >> Yeah. Hi, I'm Joel Beaky and um this is marketing. We're trying to manipulate your souls that empower your bodies to move after this session to the first part of the book table where these books are and you'll buy some of them. We're hoping a lot of them. Uh a few of these books I was involved with. This is edited by Ronald Baines, me, James P. Butler, Stephan T. Lindblad, and James M. Renahan. This is probably the most important book I've been involved with in my life. Confessing the impassible God, the biblical, classical, and confessional doctrine of divine impassibility. It's really these guys did a good job and and um it was fun editing it, too. But it was really a big chore. I highly recommend this. If you don't have it, you need to have it. If you have you have it and you you um haven't read it for penance, you can buy another copy and give it to somebody else and then go home and read it. Um, this is a real important book, especially for the pastors and church members involved with the association up here. You'll learn a lot about our forebears. Dr. Renahan put it together, finally edited piece of material here. I did the final evidence at its humbly speaking. Dr. Ran's first volume on his two three volume set on Baptist symbolics. This is the what did you call it? the Cadillac version or the Yeah, something like that. Uh, put together by Broken Warf. This is Confessing the Faith volume 1. This is a exposition of the first London confession. Highly recommended and his second volume if you can get your hands on it. It's a wonderful addition not only to our libraries but to our um minds and churches. And the second volume is going to be when you're gone, we'll say God put Jim on the earth for that second volume. when you're pushing up daisies, as Ron Bane said to me one time. Um, and then there's these two books. This one is by Dr. Renahan, a toolkit for confessions. Really helpful. This is an maybe your second most um remembered book, at least for me. Really helpful. It tells you how to study the confession and it's just a treasure trove of information on on retrieval methodology, something like that. And it's it's very helpful, very good, highly recommended and and readable, unlike this one that I wrote, but it's a little one on the covenant of works, uh, taken from a larger work. Um, and highly recommend these little books. The the book I recommend the most though is I like the neck on on on me, right? That neck looks like Cam's neck on my body. I read I read many of the tributes toward the end of the book last night and I thought I want to meet this guy. And if my wife read those tributes, she'd says she'd say that guy doesn't exist. So again, books, they are very crucial, very important. You can turn in your Bibles to Romans 11. And that's where I'll be landing uh this morning. Trying to tie some things together already. I forgot to mention yesterday, you know, the doctrine of the decree kind of invites us to go back of both providence and creation into the divine mind. I mean, God invites us to do that by virtue of his word because the doctrine's in his word. And I was telling Pastor Butler on the way here, I said, you know, you learn more about the decree in its execution because even the words that describe the decree to us in the Bible, like chosen in him before the foundation of the world, words are communication devices of creatures. And but you you don't you don't take those back into God and it fully comprehends and explains God. Words can be signed signifying things greater than themselves. And when we talk about the execution of God's decree in creation and providence, what what he does in time causing time to be and all other creatures and then moving his creatures uh reflects something backwards. But that which it is pointing to is always greater. I think David said something like this. There's a surplus. It's in God's works. There's a surplus of meaning behind the works in God himself that will never exhaust. But we learn more about the decree in its execution in creation and providence. And I think you'll see this in the text. I want to look at Romans 11:36 is the meat of the sermon where we read for of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory forever. Amen. So my title for this lecture sermon is the end of God's decree. And what I mean by that is the the telos the that to which it ultimately points. What does God's decree ultimately aim toward? So this word telos or teology is the study of the end of things comes from telos which means inter goal interg goal end or goal and logos which means word. So it refers to words about or the study of the end or goal of a thing and in our context the end of God's decree. And I'm going to try to say the end of creation helps us with the end of the decree because if creation is the execution of the decree and we know the end of the creation then we know the end or tell us of the decree. So I'm going to argue the following. The Bible teaches us that God's decree has an end or goal, a that to which it tends, and that end or goal is the manifestation and the creaturly recognition of the glory of God. The decree is from God and unto God. creatures go go forth from God and they're brought back to God either to the praise of his glorious justice or to the praise of his glorious mercy by the son of God who becomes one of us for us and for our salvation. The teology of God's decree is not a wholly speculative subject meaning outside the realm of revelation. It's not speculative in this sense simply because God has told us what the end of his decree is in holy scripture. And the end of the decree is the same as the end of creation. The same as the end of conservation, recreation, and consummation. Creatures are decreed to come from God and go back to God for the manifestation of his glory, to the praise of his glorious grace, and to the praise of his glorious justice. 2 London 33. So we exist for the manifestation of that what and who God is unto the praise of his glorious grace and justice which is brought about through what he does in creation, conservation, recreation and consummation especially displayed in the incarnation sufferings and glory of the skull crushing seed of the woman, the son of God incarnate in bringing many sons to glory. Hebrews 2:10. So let's look at ex uh Romans 11:36. For of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory forever. Amen. So this is a foundational verse as most of you probably know in terms of understanding the Bible's teaching on the doctrine of the end of creation. But as I said before, since creation is merely the execution of divine power in the execution of the uh in accordance with the ex uh the the divi divine decree, if we can figure out the end, the telos of creation, we know the end of the decree and vice versa. This is also so because creation and providence um well anyway, let's look at the text. I want to look at the context first. So, we're going to go up a bit above verse 36 and then we'll look at the content of verse 36. So, first of all, the context is obviously rel uh related to what precedes and what follows. But we're going to look at what precedes because of that little connective word for at the beginning of verse 36. I think it's functioning like a a because um this verses 33-35 because of this. So let's read verses 33-35. Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How uncarchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out? For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become his counselor? Or who is first given to him and it shall be repaid to him? So we have verses 33- 36 actually together form a a sort of anthem of praise, a a doxology that's prompted by Paul's subject matter which ended in verse 32 which says for God has committed them Romans 11:32 God has committed them all to disobedience that he might have mercy on all. So the end of chapter 11 discusses the fact that God has delivered some first had delivered some first century Jews to disobedience, an execution of divine justice, temporal justice, retributive justice, and was now showing mercy to Gentiles, which is an execution of divine grace. Paul then concludes this discussion with a bold assertion of verse 32 and immediately follows with what I'll call a sigh of wonder. Oh the depths. I can almost hear a tape by Martin Lloyd Jones. Oh, you know um my sermon today is on the word oh. We need more O in our and he was right. We do need more O. Like a like this is a wow moment for the soul. So it's like when you take all this information, our brain, our sh souls should be on the verge of blowing up in wonder and amazement. So Romans 11:36 is the conclusion of Paul's doxology prompted by his contemplation upon the unrivaled sovereignty of God in the withholding and dispensing of mercy which displays the incomprehensibility of God's uh counsel. That's the context. sovereignty of God, temporal judgment on some, mercy on on others, owe the depth of the riches, and so on and so forth. So, let's look at verse 36. Excuse me. Um, the word for, as I said before, connects verse 36 with the previous. And the questions that are asked in verses 34 and 35 seem to me and many others to be rhetorical. Um, the implied answer to each question being negative or no one. Here are the questions. Who has known the mind for who has known the mind of the Lord? Well, you might say, well, I know the mind of the Lord because he has revealed it to us to me in precept form in the Bible. Well, we could say yes, but that's probably not what Paul's talking about, right? Or who has become his counselor? You might be sitting here going, "I'd like to give him some advice, like, could you reverse the decree of the dead battery for Jim Butler?" Which he can't and he won't. Which, by the way, heaven smiled upon you through that frowning providence by a family member saying, "I'll take care of it." That was a kiss from God, right? And here's another another question. or who has first given to him and it shall be repaid to him. The the implied answer is well no one. Verse 36 answers these questions. How come no one knows the mind of the Lord? How come no one has been his counselor? Or how come no one has first given to him that it might be repaid to him? The answer is because of him. The answer is because of of him and through him and to him are all things. In other words, no one tells God what to do. Man is not God's equal and certainly not his superior, not his advisor, nor his counselor. Now, the question is why not? And this is where verse 36 comes in. There are three prepositional phrases here I want to look at. They're important to understand. Uh Charles Hodgej has a nice little paraphrase here. He says, "By him all things are through his power all things are directed and governed and to him as their last end." Tellology all things tend. So let's look at each in order here. The first one is of him all things. God is the source. God is the creator of all things. All things come from God. They're caused by God to be by God. And many other places in scripture attest to this. Creation X nilo out of nothing. Um things became. God had no pre-existing materials to work with. Um in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. It's we are not to view as Christians creation as um wow I went from non-being to being. I existed in the form of non-being and then I was changed in the form into the form of being. I didn't exist in that form. I didn't have actual being at all. We go from absolutely nothing but God to God plus all that he brings into being. That's creation X neo creation out of nothing but God. So without any pre-existing materials to work with the God of the Bible spoke and the universe came into existence. That's an interesting word from first uh chapter in Genesis. God, he spoke. Psalm 33. He spoke and it was done. And I've asked the question, what language did he use? I was in a discussion on the internet one time, which I try to do less and less, and somebody said he spoke Hebrew. So if we were there and God spoke whatever into existence, we would have heard audible sounds reverberating through the however that does that and then hitting our ear. I don't think that's what it means. I think it's a signifying the execution of divine power. That's probably all it means. So that which became was not until he said let there be and suddenly whatever he said to be became and stands to this day. So everything that is is because of him. He is the efficient cause. That is God brought things into being which had no being simply because he would he will do to. There's no absolute necessity in creation. There's no absolute create absolute necessity in the in the in the being of creation or in the moving of creation. Creation is like providence contingent upon God, God willing it to be. So why do we exist? because he would have us to exist. But we're going to dig deeper into that. We know that he willed creation to be because we're here, right? And the Bible invites us and certainly nature previous to the Bible invites us to go from effects back to cause. And since creation is the execution of God's decree, we can say creation is because because of God's decree. There's nothing in being unless it was decreed by God to be in being. Everything other than God has its being due to God decreeing it to be and then executing power via creation and providence confirming conferring being life and movement upon it. So, how come no one knows the mind of the Lord? Or how come no one has been his counselor? Or how come no one has first given to him that it might be repaid to him? And the answer is this. Because God set things in order the way he willed, possessing the right and power to do so. He is the potter and we are the clay. Paul deals with this in Romans 9 20 and 21. But indeed, oh man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it? Why have you made me like this? Does not the potter have power over the clay from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? And the answer is, well, yeah. Do you remember Rich Dico preaching from Romans 9? He got to that these questions and he he basically said it's Paul's way of telling us shut up. God is the first cause of all things. He is the unmoved mover or the unchanged unchangeable changer. And God therefore needs no help from his creatures to tell him what he ought to do. In fact, we have no rightful claim upon God to require anything from him except that which he has promised he will do. We have rightful claims as believers to say, "Your word says all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. I love you because I have been called. You have changed my heart, but I'm in a difficult situation. God, make this work out for my good. We can do that because God has promised these kinds of things. But we don't we don't say, you know what, I have non I am in the state of non-being, which is just doesn't make sense. Okay? There's no you're you are not in a state of non-being. You just aren't. Full stop. Okay? But you don't say, "I am now in a state of non-being. bring me into being. The second prepositional phrase is through him are all things. God is the sustainer. God's the providential ruler of all things. Bible testifies all over the place of this. Here's Isaiah 45:6 and 7. That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting that there is none besides me. I am the Lord and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness. I make peace and create calamity. I the Lord do all these things. Ephesians 1:11. In whom also we have obtained an inheritance being predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things. So he brings all things into being and then he moves all things. This is divine providence. Who works all things according to the counsel of his will. So we are um through him are are all things. We are not off limits to the supernatural causal and preservative causal power and preservative care of the almighty. And we should be thankful for divine providence because if there was no divine providence, no God tinkering with that which he has made, no God, God does not sustain things, God, you know, more of like of a deistic thing, we couldn't have a Bible. The Bible would just be the word of man about ancient religions. But if God is active, we can have God moving men the way he has determined to to write what he wants them to write. prayer would be off limits. We couldn't say, "God, do something with my life. Sorry, I don't tinker with creation." Providence is a wonderful doctrine, actually. So, we're not off limits. God is not a passive bystander in the world in which he is made. Through him are all things. This is divine providence. And the extent of divine providence encompasses all creatures and things. I think that's from the confession. This includes animate and inanimate things, men and animals, trees and mountains, stormy and sunny days, earthquakes and tsunamis, kings and queens, governments, traffic accidents, cancer and colds. Once things have been due the execution of God's decree through creation, they are kept in being and moved due to the execution of God's decree via providence. So back to our questions, three rhetorical questions. How come no one knows the mind of the Lord? Or how come no one has been his counselor? Or how come no one has first given to him that it might be repaid to him? The answer is this. Because God not only made all things in execution of his decree, but he preserves all things in execution of his decree. And he does so the way he will to in eternity and often does things that are that we cannot understand. How can God make peace and create calamity, Isaiah 45:7, and hold us accountable for our sin? How can the exhaustive comprehensive sovereignty of God and man's real personal culpability or responsibility for evil be reconciled in our in our minds? I think I said this yesterday. They need not be and yet they may both still be right. There are some things we can't put them together. We can do as our hard work and explain things the best we can. But we get to a point where we say the mechanism, the manner in which God does this as as the first cause and man does this his creaturely doing as the second cause, the subordinate cause. And the relationship between the two, it ex it exceeds my ability to explain it. And some people say, "Aha, therefore the whole thing's wrong." I would answer, "Shut your mouth." Romans 9:20 and 21. You know what matters is God. What God thinks about these things, not us. Third phrase is to him are all things. Everything that is, we could say everything that is is for him. It's from him. He is the efficient cause. He brings being into being that had no being. It is through him. He is the providential cause according to the nature of his divinity. He does what God does given the presence of things and the movement of things. But this one is this one is a that to which this is the teological part of it. To him are all things. Psalm 119:89. Forever, O Lord, your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness endures to all generations. You establish the earth and it abides. They continue this day according to your ordinances. Now watch this. For all are your servants. Creatures are God's servants. Creatures are God's servants to teach creatures that God has servants. Namely, creatures. Creatures in part are to remind us that we're not creator. Proverbs 16:4, our confession refers us to this text. The Lord has made all for him for himself. Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom. Isaiah 43:7. Everyone who is called by my name, whom I have created for for my glory, I have formed him. Yes, I have made him. So, back to the rhetorical questions again to put this third prepositional phrase in the context. How come no one knows the mind of the Lord? Or how come no one is first has been his counselor? Or how come no one has first given to him that it might be repaid back to him? Here's the answer. Because God has made all things and sustains all things for his own glory and does not need to consult us concerning how to manifest his glory or how to bring creaturely praise to himself in what he does. God doesn't say, "Okay, I made you. Now, what do you think? I got three options. Let's go to the bargaining table. God's supreme goal in all things therefore is his own glory or we might say his own majesty on display. The manifestive glory of God. He created all things that is God did so that he would have a stage on which to display himself. Is it Calvin the theater of his glory or something like that or somebody wrote a book creation is the theater for the manifestation of his glory. The manifestive glory that is the revelation of who God is is through creatures by you know bringing creation into being. And it's in order that creatures might go, the trees might clap their hands in worship to God. That's a figure of speech that the Bible uses. That creatures might go wow and have wow moments for the rest of eternity. Now notice the concluding the concluding ascription. To whom be glory forever. So in one sense we could say man Paul's I Paul's really worshiping God here. I think he's the most doxological Paul and Ephesians 1 is this way when he's the most theological. This is a very theological passage and it ends in in doxology. You know how some people say um you're being too theological, you're being too heavenly minded of to be any earthly vi value, which is can I use the word stupid. You have to be heavenly minded in order to be of earthly value. The more heavenly minded you are, by the way, why? Because when you're heavenly minded, what are you what's your soul's gaze upon? What's the what's the that to which it's contemplating? Christ at the right hand of the father, his current session, the the application of redemption from him through the spirit and word, you know, all those kinds of things. This is what Paul's doing here. He's being very theological and he's getting into very difficult questions, but when it's all said and done, he has this to whom be glory forever. He basically says solely deo gloria to God alone be the glory. So he is ascribing to God what is due God. Honor, praise, adoration, and unrivaled worship. And then there's that final word, amen. You know what better way to end it than to say, so be it. To God be the glory. But I want to look very briefly back at verse 35 because I think something very important is happening here. Let's reconsider this verse 35 one more time where Paul echoes words from the book of Job. Um, I prefer I like when English versions capitalize quotations from the Old Testament. Um, listen to Job 35:7. If you are righteous, what do you give him? Okay. What's the implied answer to that? Nothing. What is it that dos all you can't give to God something he ain't God or something like that? or what does he receive from your hand? And the answer is nothing. Wait a minute. We're worshiping God. God receive our worship. Do we mean by that? God enhance God by virtue of what creatures do operating upon you. You know something like that. We don't mean that, right? We use the language of scripture and that's right. And the ne the next one who has who has preede who has preceded me that I should pay him everything under heaven is mine that's job 41:11. So what can creatures give to God that he lacks or by which he is enhance enhanced or enriched? You know do we look at our sanctification and say man I was pretty holy yesterday. God was really enhanced by me. Like God's divinity had something added to it. Namely, you know, the worship of a of a creature. I know it's weird, but we don't want to do that. We don't want to say that. So, what can creatures give to God that he lacks or by which he's enriched? The answer is nothing. God is not in need of gaining anything by virtue of decreeing the existence of creatures. God's not better because he decreed to create and he decreed to rule his creation by virtue of providence. God is not in need of gaining anything by virtue of decreeing the existence of creatures or causing the being of creatures and their movements. In fact, it's impossible for God to gain or lose anything by virtue of the existence or acts of creatures or even himself. God cannot decree that he be better or worse for having decreed creatures and remain God. There can be no change in God given creatures or not. God just is God. And then there's not God. You know, God and everything not God in relation to God. There is no shadow of turning in God. The decree and its execution doesn't bring some sort of alteration to God. The decree of God, its execution and the objects of his decree executed add nothing to God. If the decree and or the its execution added something to God, God would change from being deficient of the thing or things added due to his decree. Though God is the sufficient ground for his own existence, in essence, God is not made to be something other than he is in himself by the decree and its execution or the objects of its execution. So what we're going to do now is contemplate. The Puritans say use. What are the uses of our text? Modern preachers often say, "Okay, what's the practical take here? What's the application?" I hate that word. It's kind of like sharing. I've come to share. I've come to share what's on my heart. What's the answer to that? You don't want to know what's on my heart. Um, so contemplation, what does that mean? Think a little deeper about what we've just said. The teology, the telos of creation is the manifestive glory of God for for his for his uh and then the telos of providence is the manifestive glory of God and the telos of the decree is for the manifestation of his glory. So it's been argued that the end of God's decree and its execution creation and providence is the manifestation of the glory of God. Now I'm going to say for the purpose of creaturerly apprehension for the enhancement of those creatures for the good of those creatures so that they might enjoy something which is pretty huge if you can argue that God made me to enjoy God. What's he going to make you to enjoy above him? You know, if we if we go to Romans 1, I think David talked about this last night, and we enjoy the creature in a wrong way, we're idoltors. I think John Owens said this, "Use creatures because you have to. You have to eat food and stuff like that." But get your life from Christ, something like that. So, what is it meant? What is what is meant is that the glory of God the manifestation of the glory of God is the telos the end of the decree. What is meant is not that God received some receives something that enriches him in virtue of the decree or its execution. You know the lonely view of God before creation. All right, three persons. That's not enough. I I need more than that. That kind of thing. It's not the case that the decree and its execution alters or changes God in any sense whatsoever. God's decree and its execution does not complete God or make God other in any sense. God was incomplete without creatures. God becomes more complete. He becomes enhanced. He becomes slightly altered or changed for the better with creatures. How many want to say my existence and my movement has made God a better God than he was before? You know, we're going to say, hopefully, you're going to say no. If you say yes, you need to escort them out. God willed to create to make himself known to creatures to manifest his glory. God is in the business of displaying God to not God. creatures, I have this in my notes, gain by God's decree and its execution. Why did I put that in quotes? Because we don't gain anything by the decree. We don't exist. We're a divine idea. We gain existence. We don't go from and to but we do go from non-being to being. We gain existence and we gain the capacity to either reflect something of God like plants, inanimate things, or know him, angels and men because we're rational creatures. And it's amazing. God has endowed some of his creatures with the ability to engage with other creatures in their minds and have them impress ideas upon them and if they are old enough to have a memory go back and remember what that thing's actually called in their own language and use a verbal sign that signifies that thing in a community of others who use the same language like I can speak English to you now and convey ideas from my minds to your minds that you connect with previous information that retrieves in in that thing we call the memory. The power of powers the faculties of the soul are amazing things. God has made us in such a way we can look at a creature and trace back the effect that which we see the creature the tree to a cause to him the first cause for the purpose of oh William Ames puts it this way all created things naturally tend towards God from whom they came. Some have claimed that if God decreed with the goal being the manifest manifestation of his own glory, then he needs creation from that end. You've heard that. I already mentioned this kind of a theology of need. God God needed you to really be God. You're important. You make God that which God was not before you came to be. You enhance God. So Bavink replies to this. God never seeks out a creature as if that creature were able to give him something he lacks or could take from him something he possesses. He does not seek the creature as an end in itself, but through the creature he seeks himself. He is and always remains his own end. His striving is always also in and through his creatures total self-enjoyment, perfect bliss. The world accordingly did not arise from a need in God, from his poverty and lack of bliss. For what he seeks in a creature is not that creature but himself. So God lacks nothing. End of quote. God lacks nothing. He gives what we have in order that we might enjoy that he is what he is and who he is. That's why he created this just this this overflowing infinite eternal goodness spilling over outside of God in say into what we call creation and providence so that creatures can say oh wow you know David used the word apprehend last night good word um not comprehend comprehend would get our hands around everything there is to know about God. That's never going to happen in the eternal state. We won't go, "All right, I got my um promeama down. I got my theology proper down. I got my exe I got the decrees down. I got the execution of the decrees. I got I got the fall down. I got the I got the covenant down, covenant of works down. I got the redemptive historical um timeline of scripture down. I got all I got Christologology down. And I got the doctrine of the church, you know, I got all the the places of systematic theology down. Now I'm going to go elsewhere. Uh the finite cannot comprehend the infinite ever. We're going to have wow moments all the time. You remember Rick Anderson preaching that sermon about the eternal state. He said it's like taking your children to Disneyland for the first time. You ever been to Disneyland? You can see the lights from Disneyland at their back in their backyard. You can hear the explosions. You take your kids there for the first time. And they've seen it on TV. They've seen the movies. Our friends have told them about it, but they never actually seen the real thing. And as they as you go around every corner for a new ride, whatever it is, you know, they want to run there and get in the front of the line, all that stuff. And then they go around the next corner and he says that's what glory is going to be like. It's going to be a perpetual. It's going to knock the wind out of our esqueological bodies ch lungs. So God lacks nothing. He gives what we have in order that we might enjoy that he is what he is and who he is. Others object this way that this makes God selfserving and devalues creatures as means to an end. This makes God selfserving. Hey, check me out. And devalues creatures as means to an end. Here's what Bob says. As the perfect good, God cannot rest in God can rest in nothing other than himself and cannot be satisfied in anything less than himself. He has no alternative but to seek his own honor. In as much as he is the supreme and only good perfection itself, it is the high it is the highest kind of justice that in all creatures he seeks his own honor. So God decrees solely deogloria. God's decree, excuse me, God's decree solely deo gloria enhances creatures. It doesn't devalue them. There's a 20th century Anglican E EJ E something Mascow. He says this that the self-sufficient God dains to be glorified by his entirely dependent creatures whose service can add nothing to him is the supreme privilege and honor that God has conferred upon them. God then by virtue of his decree determines what will be. Creation gives actual being to that which God decreed to have being. God orients us to himself. But since some rational creatures, for example, mankind and Adam rejected this orientation, God acts in execution of his decree to restore and elevate them by the work of the mediator. He's going to bring many sons to glory. We are deformed. He's going to reform us. Recreation. He's going to recreate it. And then he's going to take us into this new heavens and new earth. An environment, a state of existence that's better than the first state of existence uh of Adam before he sinned. And certainly better, glory is going to be better than our current state of existence. If you haven't figured it out, here's 2 London 3:3. by the decree of God for the manifestation of his glory. Some men and angels are predestined or forained to eternal life through Jesus Christ to the praise of his glorious grace. So what was not attained due to the fall into sin, esqueological bliss, utterly felicitous communion with God is attained for us by Christ and will be confirmed upon us by Christ. So in the absolute divine freedom to or not to create, God has decreed to create, not out of need, but out of abundance of goodness and love, out of surplus, we might say. Here's a a quote by John Webster. I'm almost finished, but this John Webster quote, it'll preach. I might even use it tomorrow as well, depending on what sermon I preach. Listen to what he says. God requires nothing other than himself. Yet his unoriginate love also originates. Why this should be so, we are incapable of telling. For though with much consternation we can begin to grasp that it is fitting that God should so act, created intelligence remains stunned by the fact that God has indeed done so. What stuns us, what our intelligence can't get behind or reduce any further is the outward movement of God's love. God's love under its special aspect of absolute creativity. God's creative love is not the recognition, alteration or enobblement of an antecedent object beside itself but the bringing of an object into being. Exihilo generosity by which life is given by divine love. The infinite distance which cannot be crossed. He's quoting Aquinus. The distance between being and nothing has been crossed. The love of God. You see what he just did? He said it. We don't go from one form of existence to our created form of existence. We go from absolute nothingness, we don't exist, to existing. The love of God, therefore, has its term primarily in itself, but secondarily in the existence of what is other than God, determined by that love for fellowship with him. Creation is again not necessary for God. God's creative love is not a love which is needy and in want and so loves in such a way that it is subjected to the things it loves. God loves not out of compulsion of his needs but out of the abundance of his generosity. That's Augustine. So if the decree or creation were absolutely necessary to the divine essence, it would be the divine essence. For that which is necessary to the divine essence is necessary for the divine to be. So both creation uh decree and creation and providence and grace and consummation are utterly free works of God. neither of which have to be, but they are. It's amazing that we're here. And we're here not as ins and of ourselves, but we're here to learn that we're not God and to have the knowledge that God gives us in his both books, nature and scripture, to cause our souls to be in amazement that we are, that we're deformed. And God has a reformation project centering around the incarnation and the sufferings and the glory of God to bring us back to God all cleaned up in Christ. I am finished. I'll pray. We thank you Lord for this opportunity to consider your word this morning in light of the context of the decree. We pray that you would use whatever was said that accurately reflects the divine intention of scripture. Use that. Burn it into our heads and hearts. And anything that was not in line with the divine intention of what you have revealed, blow it out of our memories. We ask that you would give us that sense of oh the acknowledgement of the depth of your wisdom and knowledge and ways far far transcends our ability to comprehend. We apprehend some things the things you've revealed us to us but even those things we can struggle with at times. There will be a day when there will be no struggling with our own remaining corruption. No distractions in our minds that cause darts of unbelief to invade our souls. We long for that day. We're not in it, but you have promised it for us. So, we know it's going to happen. And until then, grant us the ability to learn, to grow, and to live better for your glory. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. All right, just a couple of announcements with reference to the break. There is a break now and coffee and a lot of snacks. A lot of is underlined. These are from Nathan. I want to make sure everybody understands that. I think the implication is take a lot cuz we don't want to end up with a lot. So enjoy a snack with your coffee. If you only want coffee or tea, the coffee tables are moved to the wall of the far wall of the gym past the food table so there is less congest congestion by the entrance. And then he says, "Listen to Rich Beaky and go buy books and then be back at 9:30 for Dr. Renahan. 20 years. I'm not sure how much Please. me 3 hours. What's that? I am I talked a lot about you, but I didn't You know what I mean? No, My own is All right. First We Okay. All right. So, Nathan and Carla and Whim in terms of the planning and execution and of course our deacons Steve Lawson and Doug Lutine. Uh just a blessing to be surrounded by servant-hearted people, multitude of volunteers from our all the people that volunteer to engage support and help and assistance is just wonderful to see as a pastor. And then as well a thanks to the free reform church. I mean we obviously disagree on They're very gracious to us. I even saw Pastor Kman last night stopping in and uh probably seeing who was here and how many or he was going to his office, but it was good to see him. And then as well, I want to thank our speakers for coming a long way and for spending a lot of time with us. Pastor Charles from Toledo, Ohio. It's been a pleasure to have you with us. And then Dr. Richard Barcelos from Palmdale, California. It's been a pleasure to have you with us as well. And then Dr. James Renahan. And I just want to say that, you know, when you purchase something and you want to make sure you get good use out of it, I'm not suggesting we purchased Dr. Renahan. But when he came to Vancouver on a Saturday, the next day he preached at the church in Suriri, took a few days up north in the Yukon, and then came and taught a symbolics course from Monday to Thursday afternoon. He preached at our church in the midst of all of that. And then, of course, he's speaking at the conference. So, we've really benefited from all of those labors and all of that effort. And we just thank God for your willingness to serve us in that way. YouTube brothers as well. So now Jim Schuitt's going to come up and tell us a bit about So folks are generally quite a bit cheaper and we are open till 5 today and that's if you want to put this in four and play basically the next store over book services on a big sign. Um the next break is the last opportunity that you have for the book table itself. And um God bless. >> Thank you, brother. All right, you can turn in your books to page 25. We'll sing Psalm 146 to our God and then Dr. Renahan will come up and address us from the confession. 146 will stand as we sing together. Praise the Lord, my soul. Praise him. I will praise him all my days. I will sing while I have. I will sing to God my praise. What a princess who cannot sing. All their plans will come to nothing when they perish in the grave. Oh, how blessed the man who trust in Jacob's to be his. Oh, how bless the Lord is. He made the earth and heaven and the se with all. He who keeps his word forever. He is faithful ever more. He will always render justice for the sake of those. He gives food to those who hunger, satisfies their emptiness. God releases all the prisoners to the Lord side. He lifts up those bow in anguish and relieves them from their Lord bless all the rightous and the alent defense. helps the orphan and the widow. Judgement on the w forever forever more. Praise to every generation. Halleluah. Praise the Lord. >> Thank you also to Toba and Charlotte and Whim for the musical accompanyment. We really appreciate it. Please turn in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 6, the sixth chapter of the sermon recorded as the book of Hebrews. And we'll read verses 13- 20. Hebrews 6 13- 20. This is the word of God. For when God made a promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself, saying, "Surely, blessing, I will bless you and multiplying I will multiply you." And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become high priest forever, according to the order of MelkiseDC. Well, we've been studying the doctrine of the decree as found in our Puritan era confessions. The first five paragraphs of chapter 3 lay out the parameters of the doctrine of the divine decree. We come to the sixth paragraph which speaks to the method that God uses to accomplish his eternal purpose. It says this, "As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so he hath by the eternal and most free purpose of his will, foreord orordained all the means there unto. Wherefore they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ, are effectually called unto faith in Christ by his spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by his power through faith unto salvation. Neither are are any other redeemed by Christ or effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only. Well, paragraph 6 continues to draw out implications of the doctrine of the decree as they relate to God's people. Since he has appointed the elect unto glory, he also eternally and according to the most free purpose of his will has determined how they will receive the gift of eternal life for ordaining all the means to bring their salvation into reality. The Lord leaves nothing to chance, providing everything necessary for their salvation. In his commentary or exposition of the book of Hebrews, Dr. Owen draws out this doctrine from our text. Listen to his words. The life and assurance of our present comforts and future glory depend on the immutability of God's counsel to secure those things unto us. God shows us that immutability. Our own endeavors are to be used to the same end. For we are to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure. But all depends on the unchangeable purpose of the will of God, which alone is able to bear the charge of so great a work. It goes back to him. The purpose of God concerning the salvation of the elect by Jesus Christ became immutable from this that the determination of his will was accompanied with infinite wisdom. It was his counsel as God fixed on those ends which perfectly comply with his own infinite holiness and sovereignty whence they are necessarily good and holy. So he doth not first do so and then make choice of various means that profer themselves unto those ends. But in his infinite wisdom ends and means lie before him in one vein and fall together under his unalterable determination. Two things therefore may be considered in the wisdom of God giving immutability to his counsel concerning the salvation of the elect by Jesus Christ. Number one, thereby he sought at once not only whatever was needful for the accomplishing of it, but that which would infallibly effect it. He chose not probable and likely means for it, and as such might do, unless some great obstruction did arise, such as whose efficacy might be suspended on any conditions and emergencies, but such as should infallibly and inevitably reach the end intended. But now, whereas God engaged himself in an unchangeable purpose, in his infinite wisdom, he fixth on those means for its accomplishment, as shall not depend on anything whereby their efficacy might be frustrated. Such was his sending of his son to be incarnate, and the dispensation of grace of the new covenant, which is in its nature infallibly effectual unto the end where unto it is designed. Wow. Dr. Owen is right. Not only did God determine our salvation, but he has provided everything to assure the fact that we will enjoy the gift that he gives to us. Now, we've already seen as we've worked our way through this that the next chapter, chapter five of God's providence picks up this thread and extends it as does chapter 14. The doctrine of divine means is significant. Election, redemption, and calling are means as are the provisions the Lord employs to bring people to faith. The first proof text that we see in paragraph 6, chapter 3, paragraph 6 is first Peter 1:2. It is effective in supporting this point. Just as Peter wrote to sca to scattered pilgrims, he says, "Elect according to the fornowledge of God the father through sanctification of the spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Christ." So the confession asserts that the persons of the holy trinity work together to grant everlasting life. In these words, both scripture and confession, the eternal covenant of salvation, the history of redemption revealed in scripture, and the application of salvation to believers are brought together. God's eternal purpose in saving the elect pilgrims who are fallen in Adam and redeemed by Christ receive salvation by his spirit working in due season. The first is a continuation of the theme of our chapter. The second a sweeping summary of the history of redemption from Adam to Christ. And the third prepares the way for several doctrinal topics that are described later on in the confession. You know, it's a wonderful example to us of the integrative nature of Christian theology. The foundational doctrine of the decree is the basis upon which much of the following doctrine in our confessions is constructed. Think about these facts. Chapter 7 speaks to God's eternal purpose in salvation by way of covenant, recounting some of the assertions that are made in chapter 3. Chapter 8 details the person and work of Christ, especially his work of redemption. and chapters 10 through 18 flesh out the various aspects of the spirit's work. A close look at the middle section of paragraph 6 in chapter 3 reveals significant connections. It names many of the doctrinal heads that follow. Effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, kept by his power through faith. That's chapter 10, chapter 11, chapter 12, chapter 13, and chapter 17. All of these are divine acts. Another conjunction should be noted in par chapter 8 paragraph 1, a paragraph that sets out the basic doctrine of the person and work of Christ. We read again most of the same terms as in 36 in the same order. They're redeemed, called, justified, and sac sanctified. The latter portion of paragraph 6 highlights these when it states that only the elect participate in redemption through Christ, effectual calling, justification, adoption, sanctification, and salvation. Now, you're reading the confessions and you say, "This is redundant." But it isn't at all redundant. It's a pointer to the fact of the system of theology that is presented in our confessions. To understand any one head of doctrine, one must study it within the system and notice the connections. Well, the emphasis of paragraph 6 points us to a discussion of what are known as the means of grace. And that's what I'd like to do in this hour. How are sinners saved? Well, we know that they're saved by the redemption of Christ and by the work of the Holy Spirit. But what does that mean? Well, we need to begin by considering this important doctrine. What do we mean when we speak of the means of grace and how did our fathers view them? And as we will see, the answers to our question revolve around how the Puritans viewed the church. Maybe it's unexpected that we would be talking about the church now, but I do want to talk about the church because it's deeply rooted in the doctrine of the decree. Let's begin with this question. Did our Puritan fathers think that the church is important? Well, listen to these words from Westminster Confession 252. The visible church is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, the house and family of God. Hear this, out of which there is no ordinary possibility of salvation. In the greatest of their confessions in the chapter of the church, they make this audacious statement. Ordinarily, there's no possibility of salvation outside of the visible church. Ordinarily, no possibility of salvation outside the church. Well, the Baptists appropriated the language of this confession and of the seavoi platform of polity in their chapter of the church. They say this, "The Lord Jesus Christ is the head of the church, in whom by the appointment of the father, all power for the calling, institution, order, or government of the church is invested in a supreme and sovereign manner." And then next, in the execution of this power wherewith he is so entrusted, the Lord Jesus calleth out of the world unto himself through the ministry of his word by his spirit those that are given unto him by his father that they may walk before him in all the ways of obedience which he prescribeth to them in his word. Where does Jesus Christ exercise his power? Where are people ordinarily called to faith? Well, in the place where the ministry of the word blessed by the Holy Spirit is commonly found. In the place where public worship is performed. In the place where his people are edified. And this is the church. The doctrine builds upon what we see in these previous chapters. Why is the church so important in Puritanism? Well, the Puritans were believers who understood that the church is the intersection between heaven and earth. The church is the place where God makes himself known in saving grace. While the heavens declare the glory of God, and all the world is the theater of his glory, as Calvin teaches us, it is in the church where he most fully displays his love and mercy. Consider, for example, these words from Ephesians chapter 2. The apostle writes, "Now therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners or aliens, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building being fitted together grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the spirit. Paul teaches us that the church is where God dwells by his spirit in a special way. Here's an important question. I don't mean to be silly. I want you to think about this. How does God's grace reach sinners? What what is the means by which you were brought to salvation? You know, this is a query that is seldom asked, but have you ever thought about it? How does God's grace reach you? Are there invisible bubbles of grace scattered around the world so that if you happen to walk through one, you receive its benefits? The idea that grace is a physical commodity is ridiculous. But how does grace come to us? Is the gift of grace immediate? That is that God simply sovereignly sends grace into the heart of a sinner? Well, this idea would seem to indicate that God saves sinners apart from the word. There are some hypercalvinists who suggest that this is the case that God simply injects grace into a person's life so that so that there may be many elect around the world even in places with no gospel witness who by God's direct and immediate act are Christians. Well, if this were the case, then there would be no need for missions or evangelism. But that's not what the word of God teaches us. Or is grace mediate? Does God appoint certain means that he will use to bring his elect to faith? Well, I suspect that we would all agree that grace is dispensed immediately. That is through some method. But what is that method? Well, Puritan theologians gave careful thought to this question and they provide us with a cogent theological answer and our task today is to think through that answer and so that we will understand why the doctrine of the means of grace rooted in the decree of God is so important. Well, get ready because this is not the individualistic doctrine of revivalism, nor is it even the common mo doctrine of modern evangelicalism. It's actually the good old reformed doctrine of the means of grace. Well, let's begin with question 63 of the Westminster larger catechism. It asks this question, what are the special privileges of the visible church? And it answers like this. The visible church hath the privilege of being under God's special care and government, of being protected and preserved in all ages, notwithstanding the opposition of all enemies, and of enjoying the communion of saints, the ordinary means of salvation and offers of grace by Christ to all the members of it in the ministry of the gospel, testifying that whosoever believes in him shall be saved and excluding none that will come to him. The idea is that the visible church enjoys special privileges not extended to any other gatherings in this life. Let me quote again from John Owen. Two very helpful quotations and these set the field for us. He says this, "Such is the nature of the unalterable decree of God in this matter that no man, no person living can ever attain the end of glory and happiness without the means of grace and holiness, the same eternal purpose respectth." Well, he's right. And then in another place he says this, "The rule of God's continuence with any people or church as to the outward dispensation of his providence and the means of grace is that expressed in 2 Chronicles 15:2. The Lord is with you while ye be with him. And if you seek him, he will be found of you. For if you but if you forsake him, he will forsake you." Owen says he judicial judicially forsakes them by whom he is willfully forsaken. You see, Dr. Owen sets these ideas into the realm of the doctrine of God, which is exactly what we've been doing in these two days. In the first of these quotations, he teaches us that God's decree is unalterable and that he has established certain means by which he grants grace and holiness. In the second quotation, he says that the continued presence of God with any group of people depends upon their observing these means because that's where God promises to bless them. And so we are introduced to this centrally important doctrine, the means of grace. Let's take it apart to what does the phrase means of grace refer? Well, unless we think carefully, we will not understand exactly what this phrase intends because frequently we use it generally to describe any good and useful activity in the church or the Christian life. Now there's no denying that there are many good and useful activities in the church and the Christian life and we ought to do them and encourage others to do so as well. But a good and useful activity is not necessarily a means of grace and we must not equate them. Our Puritan fathers considered very carefully the question of definition and have given us helpful criteria by which we may distinguish between things that are good and useful and things that should be specifically called means of grace. And so I want you to think through this with me. If we examine the reformed confessions, we will find some technical language used to define and identify the means of grace, that which God plans in eternity and accomplishes in the person of Jesus Christ and applied to the elect. In reformed churches, they are simple and they are few. Here's a couple of definitions. The first from Richard Mueller's theological dictionary. He says that the means of grace are the method by which the grace of God is active in the church, instrumental both in the inception of salvation, the the calling of a sinner, the granting of a sinner life after death after the the death of sins instrumental both in the inception of salvation and in the continuence of the work of grace. The means of grace bring us to salvation and then the means of grace continue to be with us as we walk in our pilgrim journey in this world. Charles Hodgej in his systematic theology puts it this way. The phrase is intended to indicate those institutions which God has ordained. Hear the language of the decree there. those institutions which God has ordained to be the ordinary channels of grace that is of the supernatural influences of the Holy Spirit to the souls of men. Now both of these definitions highlight God's action in salvation. The doctrine of the means of grace seeks to answer the question, how does a sovereign God bring salvation to sinners? What is the method that God uses to bring that salvation? Now, we ought to ask the question, what makes something a means of grace? Well, in our confessions, there are two criteria that are used to mark these things out. And if you were taking an exam after this message, I would guarantee that these two things would be on that exam. So be ready. It may happen. The first is divine institution and the second is a divine promise of efficacy or blessing that is attached. Let me talk about each of these. The first is divine institution. Though we might sharpen this to say institution, divine institution points us to a divine origination and command and addresses the problem of man-c centeredness. Man-made religious acts have no part in the distribution of God's grace. But I sharpen the phrase because there are many things that are of divine institution that are not now under the new covenant means of grace. For example, circumcision. Was circumcision divinely instituted? Of course, it was. But the requirement of circumcision was limited to a particular covenant and it's now gone. If we say dominical institution, that is institution that comes to us from the Lord Jesus, we clearly indicate that these things belong to the new covenant and come to us by means of the command of our Lord. Now, you'll notice, for example, that the second London confession makes this point very carefully in its chapter titled B of baptism and the Lord's supper. Listen to how they pile up language. Baptism and the Lord's supper are ordinances. That word is related to the word ordained. It's you chosen on purpose to speak about that which God ordains. They are ordinances of positive. We don't have time to talk about what positive law is in any depth. Positive law is a command that requires revelation. ordinances of positive and sovereign institution appointed by the Lord Jesus, the only lawgiver to be continued in his church to the end of the world. Seven different ways. They present this doctrine in significant language intended to teach us that there's something exceptionally important about these things. And so in order for something to be a means of grace, it must have dominical institution, it must have a command from the Lord Jesus. The second criteria which helps to define further the means of grace is that there must be attached a promise of divine blessing. By this our fathers were thinking covenantally recognizing that God reveals himself by way of covenant and the acts are related to his covenant. The Lord very explicitly promises that he will bless these acts and we are thus able to trust his promise and rely on him to be faithful to the commitments that he makes. And this addresses the matter of semipolagianism. These are the acts of God and the promise is made that Christ himself will be present in them. So we have two principles which serve as criteria for determining the identity of the means of grace. They're based on a fundamentally important and basic assumption and this needs to be emphasized. Jesus Christ is truly a present and active Lord. Consider these texts. Matthew 28:18-20, what we know is the great commission. All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I've commanded you. And here's the promise. Lo, I'm with you always, even to the end of the age. or in Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost, we hear these things. Men of Israel, listen to these words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through him in your midst, just as you yourselves know. This man delivered over by the predetermined plan and fornowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by hands of godless men and put him to death. But God raised him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for him to be held in its power. This Jesus God raised up again to which we're all witnesses. Therefore, having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this poured forth this which you both see and hear. Peter's explaining what's happening on this day. He goes on, "For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself said, "The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a foottool for your feet." Therefore, let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified. He is the one who has given us the spirit. What about Ephesians chapter 1? Paul says, "Therefore, I also after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him, the eyes of your understanding be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding ing greatness of his power toward us who believe according to the working of his mighty power which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this age but also in that which is to come. He has put all things under his feet and given him to be head over all things to the church which is his body the fullness of him who fills all in all. Now these truths were crucial in the thinking of the reformers and the English Puritans. This was a principial matter. Christianity is based on the fact that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary. that he lived a life of holy obedience to God's law, that he offered himself as a sacrifice on the cross and propitiated God, that he died, was buried, and rose from the dead on the first day of the week. But the essence of our faith doesn't stop there. Our fathers believed, and we must also, that Christ ascended into heaven and now sits at God's right hand, reigning with all power in the universe. He's not an absent Lord, but a very real and present Lord who takes direct interest in his church on earth. He alone extends the kingdom. He alone causes believers to grow into his image. He alone works in our lives. You see, the gospel is not just about historical events, though it certainly is, but it's also about a presently active Lord Jesus Christ. From the perspective of our fathers, he was not merely crowned as king of heaven, watching to see what would happen with his church. To the contrary, he was a very real and present lord with a direct interest in the expansion of his kingdom. They believed that Christ was at hand walking among the candlesticks and personally active among his people. And because of this foundational belief, they ask the question, what has he decreed and appointed as the method by which he accomplishes his will? That's a really important question, isn't it? It is is it simply reactive his will his action simply reactive to events that take place on the earth or is it proactive ensuring that all the elect will at the proper time be brought to faith and grow in Christ. I hope you're getting an idea of how important this doctrine is rooted in chapter 3 paragraph 6. Well, let's probe into this a little bit further. Let's try to define this phrase more carefully. First, grace. The means of grace. Grace must be understood specifically and narrowly as the mediatorial benefits purchased for the elect by Jesus Christ. God's unmmerited favor extended to sinners. It originates in God. It comes only from God. Grace provides every aspect of salvation to humans. It is completely apart from human works of any kind. We're reminded of John's words in chapter one of his gospel. And the word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the father, full of grace and truth. And of his fullness we've all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Grace is the purchased fruit of the work of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's not a physical commodity, but it's a divine gift. Read through the New Testament and notice how often the phrase gift of grace appears in one form or another. Grace is to the soul what water is to the soil. Without it, we are only parched, barren, uninhabitable deserts. But grace brings life to our souls. Grace is a gift from God. And there are two things we need to say about it. First, grace may be used generally to speak of all the blessings purchased by our mediator Jesus Christ. And in this sense, grace is a category. It includes everything we need for life and godliness. But grace may also be used to describe the specific gifts within the category. For example, faith, hope, and love. These are graces individually. The Lord gives us faith to believe, hope to endure, love for God, and love for our neighbor. But none of these blessings are natural or native to us. They are graces. The other term in the phrase means is an English rendering of the Latin word media and it simply indicates a method of communicating or imparting something. We speak, for example, of the news media that in theory are the instruments to inform us of events that take place in the world around us. I'm not saying they always do, but that's at least the theory. The phrase means of grace simply speaks of the instruments or methods that God determines to employ to bring grace both generally and specifically to his elect. God sovereignly grants grace to us as sinners. Our question is by what methods does he make this grant? Well, we could begin with the Puritan reformed doctrine of scripture as a perfect and complete revelation of the will of God and then with the doctrine of God as sovereign creator, sustainer, and governor of all things. But we've been working this weekend with the doctrine of God's decree. And I won't read all that is present in chapter 3 uh already except listen to this from paragraph 6. God has decreed all things including the events of your conversion. And we read this. As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so he hath by the eternal and most free purpose of his will forained all the means there unto. Wherefore they who are elect, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ, are effectually called unto faith in Christ, by his spirit, working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by his power through faith unto salvation. And then it goes on to say, there is nothing else. There is no other means by which that happens. You see, we can boil it down to this. God has appointed the means of your conversion. This is a subset of the doctrine of the decree. Whatever the means are, they are decreed. And the context goes on to speak about effectual calling and the so-called golden chain. The means that God uses to bring us to faith or the gifts that he gives to us. The next step in building this doctrine is to notice how God brings his decrees into reality in the world. We've already heard this several times. What are the decrees of God? The decrees of God are his eternal purpose according to the council of his will by which for his own glory he has ordained for ordained whatever comes to pass. How does God execute his decrees? God executes his decrees in the works of creation and providence. Creation and providence. Creation assures us that these things are a part of the order that God has made. They're not simply theoretical concepts. Providence tells us how God brings them to pass in the created realm. He's not far away, but he's active. Now, I won't once again, I won't take all of the time to read chapter 5 of divine providence, but listen to the third paragraph. It's brief. God in his ordinary providence maketh use of means, yet is free to work without, above, and against them at his pleasure. How does God execute his decrees in the works of creation and providence? What does he do in ordinary providence? He makes use of means. Here's the doctrine. God in his governance of the world employs means to accomplish his decreed will. We could speak about the means of nature that he's present in what happens in the world around us. We heard much of that last night in which we're exhorted to see more and more of God in the world that is around us, the means of nature. But we're talking here about the means of grace. And then there are miracles. That's at the end of this paragraph. God ordinarily works according to the laws he has established in creation. You reap what you sow, etc. God is free to suspend the use of means without, above, and against at his pleasure. That's the theological justification for miracles. God is free. God is God and is free to supersede the normal laws he himself has established. In defiance of gravity and buoyancy, an axe head floats against the law of supply and proportion. Five loaves and two fish feed a multitude. God is free to do this. But these are miracles. Ordinarily, he uses means, methods, procedures. Now we may here notice the linguistic connections between the terms ordinary and ordained. These are not accidental linguistic connections. Ordinary and its derivatives flow from the word ordained especially when it appears in theological discourse. Ordinary according to the oxford English dictionary means conformable to order or rule that which is regular. uh uh an early antipedaptist John Tombs uses the phrase ordinary rule 18 times in one of his books. For example, he says the ordinary rule for baptizing is Christ's institution, John the Baptist and the apostles appointment and practice. Even the term rule is important because it is closely related to regular or regulate or regulation. The old American particular Baptists were called regular Baptists because of their adherence to the rule. You see, there's a close relationship between ordinary and rule. In these cases, they both speak of divine command. Ordinary providence is how God expresses his rule. And to do so, he uses means. Now, what are they? Well, listen to the words in the chapter on saving faith. Chapter 14. The grace of faith. The grace of faith whereby the elect are unable to believe to the saving of their souls is the work of the spirit of Christ in their hearts and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the word by which also and by the administration of baptism in the Lord's supper prayer and other means appointed of God it is increased and strengthened. In the Westminster Shorter Catechism 88 we read this. What are the outward and ordinary means by which Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption? Answer. The outward and ordinary means by which Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption are his ordinances, especially the word of God, baptism, the Lord's supper, and prayer. All which means are made effectual to the elect for salvation. Once again, we see that linguistic connection between ordinary and ordinances. It's an important part of the pyic, the ministry of the word, baptism, Lord's supper, prayer. In the Baptists and in the Presbyterians, they're all in agreement. We go on and we read um Westminster question 88. How is the word made effectual to salvation? The spirit of God makes the reading, but especially the preaching of the word, an effectual means of convincing and converting sinners and of building them up in holiness and comfort through faith unto salvation. Even here reading when we we we see that the spirit of God makes the reading here is the reading here is the public reading of scripture. Nehemiah 8:8 is the first proof text. It says this, they read distinctly from the book in the law of God and they gave the sense and helped them to understand the reading. The other terms are also results of the ministry of the word. Preaching the word is a special and unique means of grace for it is the only converting ordinance among them. Baptism and the Lord's supper and prayer do not convert anyone. To think otherwise is to fall into the sacraidalist trap. Observing them may be useful in bringing someone to conversion. Watching a baptism or observing as Christians commune in the supper and proclaim the Lord's death until he comes or seeing growth in believers in result to their prayer increase our faith may all be used of God for good in the lives of unbelievers. But they will never convert anyone. Only the faithfully preached word attended by the spirit is a converting means of grace. Water doesn't save. Bread and wine don't impart faith to unbelievers. Even prayer without faith is useless. The word alone gives life. Question 90 in the shorter catechism. How is the word to be read and heard that it may become effectual to salvation? Notice the combination read and heard. What's the answer? that the word may become effectual to salvation, we must attend there unto with diligence, preparation, and prayer, receive it with faith, and love, lay it up in our hearts, and practice it in our lives. And then it goes on, question 91, how do the sacraments become effectual means of salvation? The sacraments become effectual means of salvation, not for any virtue in them or in him that does administer them, but only by the blessing of Christ and the working of the spirit in those that by faith receive them. Hear that word effectual. They become effectual through Christ's working by the Holy Spirit in those that by faith receive them. We trust in the Lord and he effectually blesses that which he commanded. Question 98. What is prayer? Prayer is an offering up of our desires to God by the assistance of the Holy Spirit for things agreeable to his will in the name of Christ, believing with confession of our sins and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies. And this doctrine is repeated in the catechism. The means of grace are parts of worship. We could see this in the chapter on religious worship and the Sabbath day, which picks up the same idea as chapter 14 of saving faith. I hope I'm showing you how important the doctrine of the means of grace is in Puritan thinking. Grace is not immediately given to us like being zapped by heavenly lightning. Rather, it's granted to us as we observe the appointed activities. When we sit under the word in worship, when we are baptized and observe the supper, when the church prays for more grace, this is theo appointment of God. This is his decree. Now, we must be careful. There are a couple of cautions that we need to state. The doctrine of the means of grace is not intended to teach that these are the only activities that may and even should be present in the church. There is a wide variety of activities our churches may and per perhaps ought to do. Every useful writer on the doctrine of the means of grace makes this point. The doctrine is simply formulated to say that these are the things we must do and they are the things that we may expect God's blessing upon. While we ask him to bless all our acts, in these cases, we may boldly come to him and implore him to be faithful to his promises. There are many positive and useful things that we do which should not be considered means of grace. And I want to mention some. But before I do, I ask you to listen carefully. Inclusion of any item in this list does not imply my opposition to this thing. Please don't take it that way. I'll mention some things that I wholeheartedly support, but I know that they are not means of grace. So, if I mention your favorite thing, it's not to call the legitimacy of that thing into question. It's simply to help you think clearly about this point. These things are not means of grace. theology conferences, ministerial training institutions like a seminary that I might be president of, youth groups, small groups, Christian schools, home schools, counseling and counseling centers, Sunday schools, retreats, fellowship meals, disciplehip meetings, financial giving, spiritual gifts. The list could go on. Many of these things are very useful and may and even should be done, but they're not the same as preaching, baptism, the Lord's supper, prayer. They're not the same, right? I I didn't say don't do them, but I said put them in a different category in your mind. The second caution we need to make is that we reject with all our being the Roman notion stating that anything works in and by itself. There are two things necessary for blessing to come from the means of grace. The present activity of Christ through his spirit and the act of faith in the recipient. No religious activity brings grace automatically. It's very interesting that the Romanist response to the reformation published in the cannons of the council of Dort condemns anyone who denies the Roman position that the sacraments work in and by themselves when properly administered. The they say this, if anyone saith that by the said sacraments of the new law, grace is not conferred through the act performed, but that faith alone is the divine promise in the divine promise suffices for the in obtaining of grace, let him be anathema. As far as the Roman church is concerned, according to the cannons of the council of Trent, we are anathema. They said this because they understood that the reformed churches vehemently denied this very point. and we must always do so. The doctrine of the means of grace also causes us calls us to examine our other acts. Is it possible that we fall into the trap of our own traditions and introduce and expect God to use methods of our own invention? For example, when I was a young man, altar calls were considered to be a test of orthodoxy in many churches. If a preacher didn't give one, then he wasn't really interested in seeing people brought to Christ. But as many of us grew in the reformed faith, reading books about the invitation system written by men like Ian Murray and Errol Hulse, we realized that this action, laudable in its intention, let's say that it had no basis in scripture and it ought to be rejected. I wonder, do we have anything else like this that we need to reject? You see, this survey has only touched the surface of the methods that the Lord uses to bring his decree into cosmic history. That which was planned in eternity is accomplished in history exactly in the way he purposed to do so. Our attention has been primarily focused on the salvation of the elect, considering God's plan to save them through Jesus Christ by his spirit and at just the right time in each one's life. The salvation you experience is the result of an eternal purpose to save you. believer in Jesus Christ. Eternally, the triune God determined that the second person of the Holy Trinity, the Son of God, would assume human flesh, live a life of loving obedience to the law of God, offer himself as a sacrifice for sin, die and rise from the dead, and ascend into heaven. Listen again to Peter's words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested by God, being delivered by the determined purpose and fornowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified and put to death, whom God raised up. For David says concerning him, "Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn an oath to him that of the fruit of his body according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne, he foreseeing this spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that his soul was not left in Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up of which we are all witnesses. Therefore, being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he poured out this which you now see and hear. And just at the right time in your life, he sent his spirit to grant you new life as a believer in Jesus Christ. Your salvation fulfills the eternal decree of God. Think about that. You see, our doctrine of the divine decree is wonderful. It speaks of the eternal council of God and it leads us ultimately to our own conversions from eternity to here solely deo gloria. Amen. had a man at my church one time. He said, "Brother, you you've been a mean means of grace to me since 1986 when we met. Are you saying I'm not a means of grace?" >> That's right. Am I a means through which I help myself and others employ the means of grace that Christ might through those instruments bring the benefits of Christ to the people of Christ through the means ordained by Christ? >> I think so. >> Something like that. Okay. Which brings me to this book, Green Pastures, Ordinary Means of Grace for Ordinary Believers. highly recommend this. Ryan Davidson, who is one of our professors, associate professor of pastoral theology at IRBs, wrote this several years ago was a sermons and then he I think he contacted me and said uh if there would there be any interest to to publish this. So, Broken Warf has taken a publishing company that I actually started. They took it over and they put it in hardback form. Pastors, ministerial aspirants and brothers and sisters of all hues ought to read this book. It's very helpful. It's one of the first books I give newer believers at our church. Read this. And it here's what it teaches you. If you had a bad week, go to church. If you had a good week, go to church. The ministry of small things. I haven't worked my way all through this. Um, wisdom for those who serve the church for pastors and ministerial aspirants. Um, it's very good, very devotional, very brief chapters. I just started started a few weeks ago one chapter a day, but I haven't been home for two weeks. But, uh, highly recommend that that's over there. Brothers that are, um, Southern Baptists, but our friends, Dr. Renisan lectured with Matthew Emerson recently. was at a conference with him. Uh Emerson and Stamps have done a book called 40 questions about the Trinity. Pastor Butler's read it. Thumbs up. Yeah. Very good. These guys are really solid on the Trinity. Um and this is a very it's like an entry level. It's not the most basic book on the Trinity, but highly recommended. And I don't recommend all contemporary books on the Trinity. So, it's not like I'm just trying to sell books, though I am trying to sell books. Last one. Zanki. Zanki. GZ. Um, confession of the Christian religion. I haven't read the entirety of it. This, but anything Patrick Oan translates um of of Zanki or Zanki, read it. He's got the Philippians commentary that just came out. And then this. And I've read the doctrine of God and the christologology stuff just to make sure my Italian pa got it right. He got it right. Uh but this is highly recommended and a beautiful cover too. So we're going to take a break. I was told that the break is uh going to be until 11. So we'll want to be back here promptly at 11. Thank you. One more. information. for We need friends. that one of these Like a river my way. and sorrows my sea will roll. I love thou hast taught me to say it is well. It is well with my soul. It is well with my soul. My soul. It is well. It is well with my soul. Oh sh I should come. Let this bless the surless and share his own blood. and for my soul. It is well with my soul. With my soul. It is well. It is well with my soul. I sing all the glorious I to the cross and I the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, oh my soul. It is well with my soul, my soul. It is well. It is well with my soul. Lord is the day when my face shall be the strong and the world shall even so. It is well with my soul. It is well with my soul. My soul. It is well. It is well with my soul. The final paragraph of chapter 3 is identical in each of the three Puritan confessions and it says this. The doctrine of this high mystery of predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care, that men attending the will of God revealed in his word, and yielding obedience there unto may from the certainty of their effectual vocation be assured of their eternal election. So shall this doctrine afford matter of praise, reverence, and admiration of God, and of humility, diligence, and abundant consolation to all that sincerely obey the gospel. And this is our task in this hour. Now, to begin, I would like you to listen to some texts of scripture because they help us to set that stage for our study of this paragraph. First from Romans chapter nine. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not. For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion." So then, it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. For the scripture says to the pharaoh, "For this very purpose I've raised you up, that I may show my power in you and that my name may be declared in all the earth." Therefore, he has mercy on whom he wills and whom he wills he hardens. You will say to me, then why does he still find fault? For who has resisted his will? But indeed, oh man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, why have you made me like this? Does not the potter have power over the clay from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? And then in Romans 11, words we've already heard today. Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How uncarchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out? For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become his counselor? Or who has first given to him and it shall be repaid to him? For of him and through him and to him are all things. To whom be glory forever. Amen. And one more text, Deuteronomy 29:29. The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever that we may do all the words of this law. Let's pray. Oh Lord, give us humility as we think about this doctrine. We ask in Jesus name. Amen. The final paragraph of chapter 3 is a pastoral reminder and a call to humility. As I've said, it's identical in Westminster Seavoi and Second London. And it reminds us of the importance of care and caution. It involves a word of exhortation and a word of comfort. and it has two practical ramifications prompting us to receive God's revelation of this principle and exercise caution as we contemplate it. That's the structure of what I want to say. So, first the word of exhortation. While the doctrine of the decree as part of the doctrine of God is foundational for our faith, it is still a high mystery. It does not come by way of general revelation but is only known by means of divine disclosure. This doctrine is suited for deep study not for casual consideration. It requires much searching the scriptures, careful deliberation and profound humility. It is not a doctrine for quick and easy reflection. It's not anything like people's ideas of fate, circumstances controlled by a universal force. We believe in the God of scripture, the creator and sustainer of life, who over all and through all and in you all. Ephesians 4:6. Since God alone knows what it means to be God and is beyond our ability to comprehend him as he is, so also are his ways. As Calvin said, the God of heaven and earth speaks to us in lisping tones. We might also say that the thoughts he reveals to us are accommodated to our understanding and must be received with humility. For this reason, an exhortation is stated. It's a high mystery and must be treated with special prudence and care. These must be exercised when we consider this high mystery. There are dangers. A failure to receive it, a philosophical rejection of the mystery, or even speculation that goes beyond what has been revealed are dangerous. Our text from Deuteronomy makes this clear. There are secret things that belong to God, and it's not for us to peer into them while we must receive, believe, and pursue the things that are revealed. And this is precisely what our confessions teach us. In 1618, King King Charles I of England sent a private delegation of theologians to participate in the Senate of Dort. At the conclusion of the Senate, the members of the English delegation issued a book providing their understanding of the five cannons that were promoted by the Senate. In the section dealing with the perseverance of the saints, they wrote this. Now listen to these words and remember what our confession says. Moreover, that we may give no further caution. Among those things which are certain and soundly grounded upon the word of God, some there be which are not to be inculcated to every auditory without difference. That is, they ought not to be preached to everyone in every circumstance, but only to be touched wearily in due time and place. Among these is that high mystery of predestination, a most sweet doctrine and full of comfort. But to those only who are rooted in faith and exercised in piety, to which kind of men in great conflict of conflict conscience, it may be instead of a strong tower of defense. But when they who have not yet welllearned the first foundations of religion, and whose minds are wholly carried away by their carnal affections, are by the indiscretion of some preachers called on to dive into this depth, this cometh of it, that while they bravel about the secret decree of predestination, they neglect the saving knowledge of the gospel. And while they dream of nothing else but predestination unto life, they never care to set foot in that way in which they must walk who are predestinated unto life. Great statement, isn't it? But you can hear the echoes of the language of the confession of faith. Some of the exact language is used in this statement. These are wise words as and one is able to hear the same language later used in the Puritan confessions. In many ways, this aspect of the divine decree, predestination, that's the aspect, must be viewed as a high mystery. Our theologians have wrestled with it and have wisely given us the doctrines contained in this chapter in the confession. Let me remind you of them. You've heard these many times over the last two days. Listen to them again. And to a large degree, they're simply portions of scripture skillfully woven together for our instruction. Paragraph three. By the decree of God for the manifestation of his glory. Some men and angels are predestinated or forordained to eternal life through Jesus Christ to the praise of his glorious grace. Others being left to act in their sin to their just condemnation to the praise of his glorious justice. When contemplating the decree, we we've heard this. We heard this so well spoken last night. God's glory is paramount. This is the necessary conclusion of that which proceeds. In his external works, the Lord shows forth his magnificence, especially in two ways. First, his decree brings eternal life to his elect. And secondly, his glorious justice manifests itself in the condemnation of those who remain in their sins. The three confessions use the language of predestination with some restraint reflecting reflecting its usage in scripture. The term itself occurs in the authorized version in only four places and all four of them have reference to the blessings of salvation granted to the elect. It's in Romans 8:29 and30 and Ephesians 15 and 111. In each case, predestination refers to blessings granted according to the eternal purpose of God. And these include conformity to Christ, the golden chain of calling, justification, glorification, and adoption. All gifts provided in fulfillment of the decree. And then in paragraph five, those of mankind that are predestinated to life, God before the foundation of the world was laid according to his eternal and immutable purpose and the secret counsel and good pleasure of his will, hath chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory, out of his mere free grace and love, without any foresight of faith or good works or perseverance in either of them, or any other thing in the creature as a condition or a cause moving him there unto. You see, these statements base the gift of eternal life in the eternal decree of God. The elect have been predestinated and eternal act before the foundation of the world was laid. It is according to his eternal and immutable purpose as well as the secret counsel and good pleasure of his will. Though each of these has nuanced differences, the conjunction of them is intended to make an important point. That is the truth of God. Elect sinners receive the gift of salvation by grace alone eternally. The triune God determined to save sinners. The following statements clarify its meaning. Predestination is the eternal determination of God to grant everlasting life and its blessings to specific sinners through Jesus Christ. Each of these doctrinal points is fully grounded in things revealed without speculation. Our theologians faithfully respected the texts that I read at the beginning. They summarized that which the word of God teaches. Now, this is a caution for each of us. Like these who have preceded us in the study of scripture and expressions of Christian theology, so must we handle this doctrine with special prudence and care. Commenting on Deuteronomy 29:29, Dr. Rowan wrote these words. The revealed will of God containth not his purpose and decree, but our duty. Not what he will do according to his good pleasure, but what we should do if we will please him. And this consisting in his word, his precepts and promises belongth to us and our children that we may do the will of God. This is from his early work, a display of Arminianism, which was published prior to the Westminster Confession of Faith. He penned words similar to those found in our confessions, and expanded on them. Again, Dr. Rowan, God hath not imposed on us the observation of his eternal decree and intention, which as it is impossible, utterly impossible for us to transgress or frustrate, so were we unblameable if we should. That the will of God to which our obedience is required is the revealed will of God contained in his word, whose compliance with his decree is such that hence we learn three things tending to the execution of it. So in this case, Owen recognizes that the word of God perfectly agrees with the decree of God. And he calls us to three important responses. First, that it is the condition of the word of God and the dispensation thereof instantly to persuade to faith and obedience. When the word of God is read, when you hear the word of God, you should believe it immediately without any doubting. Secondly, that it is our duty by all means to aspire to the performance of all things by it and joined and our fault if we do not. That is what the word of God requires of us to do that which is commanded and it is our sin, our fault if we don't do those things. Thirdly, that God by these means will accomplish his eternal decree of saving his elect, and that he willth the salvation of others in as much as he calleth them unto the performance of the condition thereof. Now, our obedience is to be regulated by this revealed will of God. Well, Owen's comments fit precisely into the doctrine of our paragraph. He expresses in his exposition exactly what we confess. Secondly, this paragraph is full of words of comfort. And this leads to an important word of comfort connected with practical ramifications, namely the need for submission to God's word and the blessing of obedience, of the blessing of assurance. Careful obedience to the scripture should lead the elect to be assured of their election. Notice the language. as they attend to the revealed will of God in his word. The doctrine of the decree is not the result of metaphysical speculation, but rather comes to believers from a humble reception of the word of God. We are to obey it and believe it. The language implicitly warns against errors such as Armenianism and hypercalvinism. It tells men to act on the scriptures. Armenians reject the doctrine as stated because they heighten concepts such as free will while hypercalvinists so elevate sovereignty that they ignore human responsibility. Presumption has no place in the Christian life, nor can it produce assurance. The Puritan doctrine tells men to do what the scriptures say, and in so doing they will enjoy the benefits of assurance of election. I want to pause to think about assurance. Chapter 18. This infallible assurance. Let me pause and speak about that. I love this word infallible in the chapter on assurance. Why is it infallible? Not in me, but in Christ. >> It's infallible because he will never fail. If we trust in him, we may be assured that we will be brought safely to eternal life. That's why it's infallible. This infallible assurance does not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer may wait long and conflict with many difficulties before he be partaker of it. Yet being enabled by the spirit to know the things which are freely given him of God, he may without extraordinary revelation and the right use of means attained there unto. And therefore, it is the duty of everyone to give all diligence to make their calling and election sure, that thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and cheerfulness, and the duties of obedience, pardon me, the proper fruits of this assurance, so far is it from inclining men to looseness. Well, this statement exactly agrees with chapter 3, paragraph 7, which we're studying, because it doesn't ground assurance on the decree of God, but rather on the revealed will of God, recognizing the divine provision of grace as taught in scripture. The follower of Jesus will be enabled by the spirit to know the things which are freely given him of God. And this knowledge is based solely on the revealed word. For there is no need for extraordinary revelation. He or she must avail the means. We just spent time talking about that in order to receive the benefit. Hearing the word proclaimed in worship, professing faith in baptism, partaking of the supper, and praying is sufficient to bring the believer to full assurance. Benjamin Keech paraphrases these words when he writes, "Give all diligence, the faith of assurance is not easily obtained. Attend upon the word and ordinances. Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure that is sure to yourselves." For this reason, everyone must pursue assurance. We have here an unattributed quotation from 2 Peter 1:10, but it's a strong exhortation. It is the duty of everyone to give all diligence to make their calling and election sure. Words such as duty and diligence make a strong point. The believer must not rest until finding the assurance described in this chapter. And the results are wonderful. His heart is enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy Spirit who as growth progresses works more grace in the heart. Love and thankfulness to God are increased and duties obedience to the commands of scripture are cheerfully fulfilled. These are the proper fruits of assurance despite the charge of some. A fullbed doctrine of assurance produces growth in grace and Christlikkeness among believers. It is the decreed command of God that we enjoy o uh assurance. Thirdly, what about the benefits of confessing the decree? Well, the benefits are worship and holiness. Worship. Remember the language. So shall this doctrine afford matter of praise, reverence, and admiration of God. Contemplating the doctrine of the divine decree as revealed in scripture draws forth worship from the believer in three related but distinct ways. praise, reverence, and admiration. And that's exactly what Paul says in Ephesians 1 3-6. Listen to these words. You've heard them before. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace by which he made us accepted in the beloved. Now you see worship and assurance are brought together here. Our salvation depends on the eternal act of predestination. And as we trust in the Lord Jesus, we may know that we are accepted in him. Infallible assurance. No longer are we enemies of God, but we have become his beloved children. What we experience in this life is the result of God's divine decree. As we marvel at the eternal purpose of God, we are moved to worship. And there are three things that the doctrine of predestination should produce in us. Praise, reverence, and admon admiration. Now, these are not the same things, but what are they? Well, praise. In the words of Hebrews 13:15, "Therefore, by him, let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name." Praise giving glory in the heart and with the voice. He hears our secret thoughts so that when we silently offer words of honor to God, he hears them. But even more so, he receives our spoken words of exaltation in words that we've already sung in this conference. Psalm 150. I it it's a festival of hallelujah. Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary. Praise him in his mighty firmament. Praise him for his mighty acts. Praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet. Praise him with the loot and harp. Praise him with a timberland dance. Praise him with stringed instruments and flutes. Praise him with loud symbols. Praise him with clashing symbols. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Hallelujah. You see, the doctrine of predestination is such a wonderful doctrine. It should always lead us with our mouths to praise our Lord. We worship him with our minds and we worship him with our words. And we could say, "Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing my great redeemer's praise." Secondly, reverence. Reverence is another way of speaking about the fear of the Lord. It is a profound sense of the greatness and the majesty of God. On the one hand, it's a deep and deepening heartfelt love for the Lord, a growing sense of his magnificence and greatness. Well, on the other hand, it is a true respect for his power and holiness. A recognition that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Without a mediator, facing God would be the greatest horror any human could ever imagine. But through Jesus Christ, we may approach God and truly love him. And that leads to the third part of the trio, admiration. As we come to know him through Christ and as we contemplate this decree of predestination and its personal relation to ourselves as believers, our sense of agilation grows. This is what David knew when he composed Psalm 19 or what Paul wrote in Romans 11 when he contemplated the doctrine of the decree. Oh, the riches of both the wisdom and knowledge of God. It also leads to holiness. As we contemplate the divine purpose, we must grow in our love for him. I think one of the brothers made this point. The more that we know about the doctrine of God, the more it calls us not only to worship him but to pursue holiness. The doctrine of God, a difficult doctrine in many ways, is the, as the confession says, the foundation of our communion with God and comfortable dependence upon him. As we contemplate the divine purpose, we must grow in our love for him. This is a point similar to the one that John makes when he writes, "We love him." You know what the rest of it is? Because he first loved us. We contemplate his love and we respond. As our understanding of Christian doctrine increases, so will our sanctification. Peter put it this way. Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. You see here in our confessions, three three aspects of grace are presented as the beautiful fruit of an increasing appreciation for the doctrine of the divine decree. And they are humility and diligence and abundant consolation. Let me talk about each of these. Humility. The doctrine of the relationship between our salvation and the divine decree ought to produce sincere humility in each of us. Not pride, but humility. I'm sure you remember these words from Philippians chapter 2. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondervant, coming in the likeness of men, and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore, God also has highly exalted him and gave given him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow of those in heaven and those on earth and those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. See, these wonderful words teach us about the humiliation of our Lord Jesus Christ. The eternal son of God, the one who is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth, took to himself a human nature with all its essential properties and common infirmities. He's the God man. But let us remember that this profound doctrine is presented to us as an exhortation. Let this mind be in you. Just as Christ humbled himself, so also must we humble ourselves. My friends, we are wretched sinners. We deserve nothing but damnation. And yet God decreed our salvation and accomplished it through the humiliation of the son and the life-giving power of the spirit. Who am I? Who are you? Why is it that we should receive this gift? It's not because of what we are. It's not because of what we have done, but it's solely through divine grace. and humility is the only appropriate response. Does the doctrine of the decree abase your pride? It will if you meditate on this holy mystery with prudence and care. Secondly, diligence. The second great benefit of contemplation of the decree is diligence. In the next verses of Philippian 2, the apostle makes this point well. He had already said, "Let this mind be in you." And he speaks about Christ in his humiliation. He goes on, "Therefore, my beloved, as you've always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for his good pleasure." Paul's therefore flows from the doctrine of Christ's humiliation and its application to believers. Since the Lord determined to send his son, we ought to respond with zeal in loving the Lord our God. Notice verse 13. God's decree is at work in us even in our Christian lives. And for this reason, we ought to press on in holiness all the more. Remember what Dr. Owen taught us. We can't violate God's eternal decree. His decree is working in us, but our response to it is to work out our salvation with uh fear and trembling. Listen to what Peter says. Same idea. Second Peter 1. Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. as his divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his glory and virtue by which we've been given which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust but also for this very reason giving all diligence add to your faith virtue to virtue knowledge to knowledge, self-control, to self-control, perseverance. To perseverance, godliness to godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Peter begins with the decree and then gives the exhortation. God's decree works in our lives. He gave us life and our response is diligently to serve him. Thirdly, abundant consolation. This final word is of great comfort. Meditating on the divine decree should provide us with profound consolation. In the first place, the doctrine reminds us that salvation does not depend on us. Eternal life is not and never has been a result of our actions. It is a gift freely given. In fact, it's a gift eternally determined. The creator of all things, the lifegiver, planned your salvation. He didn't choose you because you're worthy. Rather, he chose you despite your unworthiness. He wasn't attracted to you because of your appearance, your talents, your heritage, your DNA, or anything else in you. He chose you out of his own good pleasure. You are the orphan, abandoned, alone, filthy, helpless. And he came and gave you new life. He cleansed your filth, restored you to life, and provided you with the best clothing made of Christ's righteousness, the best clothing you will ever need. And this lasts forever. Isn't this the greatest foundation for abundant consolation, overwhelming, overflowing, unabated comfort? You belong to Christ. This is God's eternal purpose. He will never leave you nor forsake you. We remember what we were and we marvel what we have become. And we say, "Praise the Lord." The prophet Habach understood this when he wrote, "Though the fig tree may not blossom nor fruit beyond the vines, though the labor of the olive may fail and the fields yield no fruit, though the flock may be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in the God of my salvation." The next aspect of consolation increases our wonder. Because secondly, we cannot sin away our salvation. My sister or brother in Christ, there's no action you can take that will separate you from Christ Jesus. There is a truth to that misused and misunderstood phrase, once saved, always saved. Genuine believers in Jesus Christ cannot fall from grace. They will be preserved and will persevere to the end. Since it is God who decreed salvation for the elect, there is no power able to overcome or hinder his decree. It will be accomplished. To put it directly and personally, you cannot undo God's decree. >> Can you sin grievously? Yes, you can. But can your sid break the bond of love initiated in eternity, accomplished in history and applied to you by word and spirit? No, you cannot. Here is profound consolation. You see, there are at least two ways to consider this. On the one hand, this is a great assistance for doubting believers, brothers and sisters with tender consciences. Your salvation does not depend on you. It's all of God's grace. But on the other hand, when we sin, we know that we have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ, the righteous one. When you confess your sin, you may be assured that he will faithfully forgive your sin and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. And thirdly, the doctrine of the decree brings comfort as a reminder that God is faithful in all things. Trust him in every circumstance. I mentioned this before. Chapter 2 of God and of the Holy Trinity both in the Seavoy declaration and in the second London Baptist confession closes with these powerful and deeply comforting words. This doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation of all our communion with God and comfortable dependence on him. Brother and sister, rest in this truth. As John Norton said long ago, God's decree is simply God decreeing. This is the firmst foundation you can ever have. God is and God is true to himself and to his word. And you may rely on this in every way, in every circumstance. It's all of grace. Well, what shall we say in conclusion? The doctrine of the decree is humbling for all who obey the gospel and should lead to praise, reverence, and deepen the believer's admiration of God. confirming words written just before. Since salvation begins in eternity and concludes with eternal life, everyone who sincerely obeys the gospel may have abundant consolation. Remember this, the secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. Let us do the things he has commanded with thanks to God who has abundantly receve revealed the things that belong to us and to our children forever. Let me conclude in prayer, but I want to read a prayer that was written in response to this chapter in the Westminster Assembly's Shorter Catechism. So bow with me and listen to some Puritan words of prayer. Oh Lord, thou has been pleased out of thy mere good pleasure to decree to bring thine nect out of the state of sin and misery by the Lord Jesus Christ, the only redeemer. He was graciously pleased to humble himself to the death of the cross to satisfy thy divine justice to reconcile us to thee. And now he ever liveth, making intercession for poor sinners. Oh thou the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of mercies and God of all grace, for the sake of thine eternal and beloved son, have mercy upon us and apply to us by thy holy spirit the redemption purchased by Christ by faith working in us and thereby uniting us to him. We humble humbly pray thee convince us of our sin and misery. Enlighten our minds in the knowledge of Christ. renew our will and persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered in the gospel. Amen. >> Amen. I shall have over land and sea. Earthious shall be. They that was in it shall their worship bring. King shall reder. nations serve our king. Christ shall have dominion over land and see shall his empire be. When the needy seek him, he will mercy show. Yay. The weak and helpless shall his pity know. He will surely save them from all precious night. For their lives are preious in his holy sight. I shall have dominion over land and sea. Cream shall his heart be. Forever and forever shall his name endure. Long asin you it shall stand and in him forever. All men shall be blessed and all nations hail him. King of kings confess Christ shall have over land and sea. Shall his empire to God Almighty. Zion s he alone is glorious doing wonderous things ever more people bless his glorious name his eternal glory We through the earth proclaimed. Christ shall have dominion over land and sea. Mercy shall his Before we get started, I just remind everybody that >> you got to talk into that. >> Before we get started, I want to remind everybody I generally just ask the questions and Dr. Renahan always explains to me what I believe. So any questions that may come my way, I'm just going to defer to Dr. Ren. >> Thanks. Tell me what I believe. Yeah. Tell me what I believe. >> All right. So, the first one, Dr. Barcelos, Eve's nature wasn't corrupted until Adam parttook because of federal headship. Wasn't there moral corruption in Eve before the covenant was broken? >> Uh, the prohibition in Genesis 21:17 was first spoken to Adam. And I think that the um curse is is clear that we um the the circumstantial cause of the infliction of death upon Adam was Adam's actual taking and eating of the fruit. not any any transgression of the moral law in his heart that might have occurred before that because it did or anything his wife did. So the the greatest mystery and I was glad reading James Dole's article in the gerbs that we put together a long time ago. I'm glad he said it's one thing to try to explain divine agency and human agency this side of the fall into sin because we experience it all the time. It's another thing to to explain how did the first sin even happen >> without the deformity of nature. >> So my answer to that is I don't know. >> Okay. >> Can I Yeah. Yeah. John Murray calls that the one of the three uh insuperable problems in the fall. We we just can't we don't know how to solve that. In fact, I remember being in Greg Nichols class and he said, "If you solve it, you fail." Yeah. And then if you deny the fall, you prove it by your denial. >> Well, and to the question, can we make a distinction between the corruption and the the guilt that is transmitted from Adam to the So, the corruption was there. Obviously, it was corrupt for her too, but the the transmission of guilt is because of Adam's federal headship. >> Yeah. Remember that she was deceived and Adam was not. That's a significant difference between the two. >> This isn't addressed to anyone in particular, but I think it goes along with one of the things that Dr. Barcelos brought out. Was God's hardening of Pharaoh's heart an example of his permissive will? What about Proverbs 21:1? The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord. >> David Yes. >> So, permissive will. >> You're the one who talked about >> You keep looking at other people. >> Oh, I >> We didn't use that language. You did. >> That's a textual qu question. We're doing theology. So, >> you already you already did your ex Jesus. >> I did my ex Jesus 40 years ago, but I forgot. >> What would you say, James P. Butler? I'd defer to you >> because he's preached through all the texts and read John Gil's entire commentary. >> Oh, I defer to you. >> You know, let me let me try this >> referencing as I recall Doz. It really is an outstanding article if it's the same one. >> It is. >> It's the one you recommended in your chapter. When we when we talk about cause, first cause, second cause, even though we use that language, the relationship between the two can't really be mapped out because one's eternal and infinite and the other one's dependent. And so if we we talk about God as the first cause of Pharaoh hardening his heart, the the relationship between the two, there there's not a parody there at all. there. We we have to use that language because if we're going to say something, how did Gustin say we use these terms? Let's be re be reduced to saying nothing. >> So, I guess it goes back to one of the inscrable things. You know, it's true. >> Read the question again. Maybe I can retrieve something. Now, >> was God's hardening of Pharaoh's heart an example of his permissive will? And then the followup, what about Proverbs 21:1? The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord. >> Which seems to indicate was it permissive. >> He allows the deformed >> but God directs the king's heart. >> Yeah. >> It's important to remember that Pharaoh hardened his own heart. So the Lord's action of hardening Pharaoh's heart is really Pharaoh's own hardening of his heart which the Lord allowed him to do. So, how would you relate that to the decree that >> we're not to probe into the decree? The secret things of God belong to him. >> Belong to God. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. The question is has is it has God decreed to permit certain things like the hardening of his heart. Is that what it is? >> What was the you made the distinction between the permissive will and the >> effective will? >> The effective will. So as I understood it, the effect of will is God affecting it directly upon the person versus permissive >> God allowing the person allowing persons to to function. So I think the nature of the question >> God hardens Pharaoh Pharaoh's heart which sounds like the effective will or effective or permissive will but the fact that Pharaoh's heart's in God's hand seems to be the effect. >> The king's hand is in the The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord. He turns it wherever he wishes. >> That's right. >> So, is there effective willing of God in let's say unconverted magistrates? Does he >> directly cause their minds to be tinkered with so that they make certain decisions? And >> it's a good question. Next. >> And likely it's it's not everything in the life of that king. >> Yeah. >> He goes to the bathroom now. You know what I mean? like the big things or the things that the the pharaoh was affected by God in terms of the heart or the control over the big things. I don't know who asked the question. Are we getting at it at all? Does anybody here? >> I asked it. >> Doc Reahan asked. >> I didn't ask it. >> Did Did anybody ask it? I I mean I I think we're just not getting it. You asked it. >> Yeah. >> Distinction between the effective and I think >> Okay. >> Okay. >> I got to say I'm I've scrolled through these. There's a lot of really good questions. >> I didn't think so. >> Can we take the book back? >> Okay, here's the next one. Again, it's not addressed to anyone in particular. Doc Doc Well, maybe Dr. Barcelos, you sure evoked a lot of questions. >> I need a different chair. >> Dr. Barcelos described free will as acting according to our nature. Did God create Adam or Satan with deficient natures making God the author of sin? >> Yeah, that was a good that was a good question. And that's where the the punt comes in. Punt. >> I don't know how to answer that question. It's a great mystery. I mean, I can I can talk about cre created agencies like Satan and the, you know, the fall of the non-elect angels. How can that happen when they're created good and perfect and there's nothing evil and yet we know there are things called elect angels, therefore there must be non-elect angels. Um, how did the fall of angels occur? It's easier to I can possibly explain the fall of man than the fall of angels. >> Yeah. >> Because >> I would agree >> that wicked liar. By the way, Genesis 3 is a full of satanic lies. >> Okay. It's when next time you read it, think that the he's a liar from the beginning. He's telling her lies. He's not telling her truths. He's telling her lies. Anyway, it's it's might be easier I think it is to try to explain how Adam andor Eve who were created with knowledge, righteousness, and holiness uh the image of God >> and and and perfect uh 2 London 61, right? Perfect, mature, >> uh fully equipped to do that for which they were made with original righteousness. It's easier, I think, to try to explain that able to sin, able not to sin, than the than the fall of the the original fall of the angels. So, it's it's a hard question. So, >> I don't think it's a question like if you're sitting here going, I can't wait till I'm dead because I'm going to ask that question. You're not going to ask that question. I mean, you might, but it won't be the first thing you do when you're absent from the body with the present with the Lord. However, the soul goes, "Oh, that's the first thing you're gonna do when you're absent from the body, present with the Lord." >> Yeah, there's just some tough tough things in there. >> You know, Paul Helm, I was reading somebody and they said, they quoted Paul Helm, referred to Paul Helm, and Paul Helm on this issue said, "We we need to keep ourselves low because he says, "I'm not convinced we're in the position to answer these kinds of questions." you know, God has not revealed and might not ever reveal um >> how these two things may be. So, you know, >> that does not he mean he does not know >> you. So, going back to Dr. Renahan's you know, the secret things belong to God. I mean, that really covers a lot, doesn't it? And like you said in a very um technical theological manner, some of these we encounter Romans 9. Shut up. You're you're human. You can't you can't you're asking >> that's in Müller's dictionary. >> Shut up. >> It's in Latin, though. >> Yeah. Here's here's here's another thing, Jim. Something just came back into my mind and then it left really fast. What was it, Cam? Just put your hands up like probe into my brain. What was I just gonna say? >> That was a frightening. >> Yeah. Um, >> what are we talking? >> This is another one of those >> positions that mean >> those matters that Mari argues we can't we don't have a way to solve >> we can >> Oh. Oh, this this high mystery of predestination must be must be treated carefully, right? >> Yeah. With prudence. >> Paragraph seven. It reminded me recently I was I'm reading again of God and of Christ. Is that Gregory Nazanzis Gaz of God and of Christ in there someplace toward the beginning he says something like this. Theology is not for everyone. Remember that I was reading it in the my front yard with a guy from our church newer believer and we've worked our way up. He said I want to read something from the Petristics. I said let's read this one. And we have another guy in our church, a younger believer, who has a really charismatic background, and he wants to know, you know, he'll text me like, "Did Christ die for the non-elect?" I I didn't answer him the first time he asked that because he just read something for the first time about particular redemption, and he I've told him before, you're asking questions, you're not able to handle the answer. you won't understand enough of the foundational doctrines first to really understand these kinds of things. So, be patient. And he just gets really frustrated. Doesn't get he probably gets he he'll call it righteous anger. >> It's probably sinful probably >> because it's aimed at me. But I think some of these things that's you know like we're discussing on one level and then when you go read James Dole you realize okay there are guys you know thousands of people men and women that can discuss it on another level and but nobody gets up to God we're all creatures wrestling with the data before us some more able like some people can hear a do a a sermon or a lecture on the doctrine of the divine decree and they go man I got to read my Bible more and other people are going to go what's the use. But those people that say what the use say let's go eat. If the what's the use? Don't go eat. >> Nobody applies that reg that consistently by the way. >> Sure. >> Okay. The next one I'm going to just direct it to to Dr. Renahan. As we study God's exhaustive decree, what are the dangers of hypercalvinism and how can we avoid them? You can sing the song. >> What's the song? >> Oh, Karaso. >> The future's not ours. >> Doors day or day. >> Well, I think that, you know, hypercalvinism and Armenianism are mirror image errors really. Um there there's too much on the one there's too much emphasis on humanity and the other there's a a false notion of who God is and how God works in the world. >> And I think that um principally at the root that's what we have to get at when we're dealing with hypercalvinism >> is is that false view of who God is and how God acts. And and I I think that it is appearing into the things that God has not revealed. It's it it ends up being speculation about his ways that um leads to conclusions that are not consent with the what the word of God says. >> Good. Thank you. And what's the difference between infra and supra lapsarianism? And how do the viewpoints tie into the covenant of redemption in two minutes? If we're going to get anywhere near >> That's for Cam to answer actually >> this list. >> He does well on that one. >> You want to come up here and answer, Cam? >> Yeah. >> We'll be glad to. >> Hey, >> but but my encouragement 2 minutes. >> Yeah, sit down. Cam, >> sit down. Cam, >> don't me don't mess this up. >> Okay. >> A minute 54. >> You want to No, no, no. I'm good. Um we we were talking about this during during uh your symbolics course uh Dr. Renahan and I I think an easy the the quickest difference between infer and supra is the order of the decrees. That's what the the the lapserian debates are concerning the order of the decrees. In what logical order does God decree the salvation of the elect? And so Infra would say Infra um would say that the decree concerning the salvation of the elect by the perfect work of Jesus Christ comes after the decree that man would fall. Um and so if we look at if we look at the a passage like Romans 9 for example, Romans 9:22 and 23 I think it is. um we see God having a purpose in the salvation of the elect and a purpose in the damnation of the reprobate. So if inflapsianism says that the decree concerning the salvation of the elect by virtue of the perfect work of Jesus Christ comes after the decree for the fall of man and after the decree for creation. Then super lapsarian says that the decree to save the elect through the perfect work of Jesus Christ is primary. That's the first decree in the logical order of the decrees. So that the connection to the covenant of redemption is that if not if since that is the decree within uh the trinity to save the salvation of a multitude that no man can number through the redemption of Jesus Christ then super lapsarianism is right. >> No but it concerns the order. So what what what what concerns or how does history flesh out based upon the decree of God? Does God start with creation, then with the fall, then with the salvation of the elect, or in the mind of God, is it my glory through the salvation of sinners, through the perfect work of Jesus Christ, and then all of the means whereby that's going to come to blessed fruition. And that just comes back to the decree that we've been we've been talking about here. In eternity, God decreed the salvation of a multitude that no man can number by the perfect work of Jesus Christ and then orders those things. Creation, the fall, the proclamation of the word um joined by the power of the Holy Spirit to bring uh many sons to glory. >> Great. Thank you. >> Good answer. Yeah. >> And that was like two minutes and probably 37 seconds. There you go. But but even even in saying that, that's right. Thank you. I knew that you were doing that because I overheard you in the in the class talking about that. That's why. But we need to remember that God's decree is singular. >> Yeah. Logically, >> right? >> Supra versus infra. Yes. >> But actually God's decree, eternal decree is a singular act of God eternally >> not occurring in time of course. >> Right. Right. Yeah. Now does is is the understanding of God's simplicity map onto that itself that we don't see temporal or is eternality there's not he's thinking on Tuesday one thing and then he adds to it on Wednesday and so forth. >> Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Eternity is something that we can't conceive of. We can confess it but we can't conceive of it. And >> no succession >> No succession of God. Yeah. No. Don't think about that. >> Can't. >> No, we we we endure. We experience a constant succession. Sometimes I think of it that that our lives are like automobile tires that rotate. They only touch the the the the cement, the concrete at one point. And that's like us in time where for God that makes no sense at all because he is I am who I am. He is. So it's Yes. It's related to divine simplicity because all that is in God is God. >> Can I ask one more question about this because I'd like I'd really like to know Dr. Renahan's perspective. >> Is your mic? >> It's right here. >> Okay. It keeps >> Is it bothering you? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Some feedback. >> Could you not talk anymore? >> Yeah. Glad to. If if if you were pressed, what do you think our confession reflects on the issue of super versus elapserian? >> Um I think that it uses language that can accommodate either view. >> Okay. Although John Fesco did his PhD on the question of infr super at the Westminster assembly and his conclusion was that the majority of the Westminster divines were infrarian. So I think our confession more reflects infrolapsarian but it's phrased in such a way that it does not exclude superapsarianism. >> Thank you. >> Any any followup? Okay, again, two minutes. One of you can take a kick at this can. How can I practically preach or teach God's decree to those who are unfamiliar or hostile to exhaustive predestination of all things? >> In other words, a >> yeah, >> confessionalist ends up in front of a bunch of Armenians. I I think that the advice of those in the English delegation to the Senate of Dort was really helpful >> and that that's not the place to begin. >> No. >> When you're with people, it it requires a level of um caution in people's minds because there is too much speculation and there's too much human objection to divine actions. So, you don't start there. you start better to start simply with the doctrine of God and help them to understand better and better the greatness of the God that we worship and as they grow in their understanding of who God is then they'll be able to receive uh greater truths. >> I I think that I loved when I found that and I thought it was a really great statement. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. you and and and something else too uh regeneration really reorders the human heart and all Christians who've been regenerated love the word of God and and even if they don't you know without the labeling of it I think if a a man of God preaching to the people of God just expounds scripture they're going to love it even if they you don't attach attach the the the proper theological terminology to it. I think that's the way you move anybody. >> Mhm. I >> mean, the only reason I am what I am ultimately at the end of the day, Dr. Renahan, of course, but >> it's it's in my Bible. >> It's in your Bible. >> If it wasn't in my Bible, I wouldn't wouldn't wouldn't be inclined towards it. >> Um, what I think Jean Ganz, is that who you call him? Gregory of Nazonzis meant is not that theology is not for everybody, but certain questions in theology, the pursuit of the answer requires a a modicum of knowledge and a and a and the Petristics always said this, a degree of holiness and piety >> and maturity. So some questions in order to be answered, you have to you have to lay the foundation. For instance, I think it's um Athanasius um on the incarnation. Is that the guy's name? Yeah. Um I think he says we're going to discuss the incarnation of our Lord. But in order to do that in proper context and order, let's think about God as the creator. And so he goes to creation. And then he makes the distinction between God and himself and God for creatures or for us. The um the divine economy uh theologia God and himself given creatures or not but in this case without creatures and then o economia god creating creatures and sustaining creatures and all that stuff. So even the doctrine of the incarnation, you can't understand it right unless you get God right and understand what God God's works are and aren't. So I think that applies in this. I wouldn't go preach 84 part series on Romans 9 15 through 23 or something >> and Paul's words with all longsuffering and teaching. be very patient as you approach these things, theology, christologology, and there's no problem telling like the brother you described, just keep showing up. A lot of your questions are going to be answered through the normal regular ordinary means of grace in the pulpit ministry. Amen. I don't think there's anything wrong with telling a new believer there's some, you know, crawling phase and toddling phase before you get into, you know, some of these more academic things. And just be faithful. Come to Bible study, come to church. And a lot of times these things do get answered along the way. All right, let's go here. This and these are some You didn't think these were good? Is that what you want to say to the brethren here? is that you didn't think they were good. I think they're really good. I think that reflects good listening and some degree of mental ability. I I I'm very happy. All right. Here's a here's a good one. If God has decreed all things, is there legitimacy to the free offer of the gospel? >> I'd just say yes. >> Well, defying free offer. >> Yeah. >> Well, we did that on the podcast. Yeah, if you're interested in that sort of a thing with the podcast that we did on Thursday, I whim we'll have it clipped out and sent away. I don't know when we'll see it, but we dealt with that that you got to make a distinction with the free offer of the gospel. We mean certain people mean certain things with that. Freely preaching the gospel to every creature out there as Jesus commands. That's the way that we understand free offer. Others understand free offer as a well- meant or sincere offer, but by that they don't mean that the preacher is well-meaning or sincere. They mean that God has a desire to even save the reprobate. And if that's what you mean, then you haven't been paying attention. I'm kidding. Um, so if we're just asking the question, if we believe in the decree and the exhaustive sovereignty of God in all things, is preaching the gospel legitimate? Yes. For since in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. So yes, God's comprehensive sovereignty does not mitigate the reality that means are involved in the proclamation of the truth is the means that he uses. But if you're of the mindset of the well-ment, if you want to raise your hand and identify yourself, yeah, I mean by that the the well- meant, God has to have that desire. Does that summarize? >> Yeah. And it's and sometimes it's presented in such a way that the the warrant for faith or the the ground that gives you the right to come to Christ is this thing in God, this inclination, I guess, toward you of of of goodness. Now if then if you distinguish between an elect unbeliever hearing the gospel and a non-elect person hearing the gospel. What is the warrant for faith? >> Well, I have to believe that God really wants me to come there. But we know God has not decreed that everybody would come to Christ. >> Right? >> So So then they distinguish some in the well-man offered camp. They say, "Well, God has God has a will that they would be saved that he that he has not decreed." So, he has an inclination within God. There's a desire in God for the reprobate to be actually and really saved, but he hasn't decreed it. There's a technical term, there's two technical terms for that, and I forget both of them, but when the first first time I read it, I thought >> stupid. >> What's it stupid and stupider? Um, first time I read it, I thought, "Wait a minute. There are pent up emotions or something in God that God doesn't decree. They're still real and that's the basis for the well- meant offer." Okay. If God hasn't decreed those things to be that he has in him, how do you know he has those things in him? I guess it it's because of these texts. But I think they read into the text. >> Yeah. >> Something that they require to be there. Um the the John Gersonner said it. Why should you believe in the gospel? Because God commands it, you know. And I when I heard him say that, I go, "Yeah, that's it." So >> you always know it's getting good when he brings Gersner into something. >> Johnny Johnny Gerson >> imitates John Gersonner. I mean it it you think about that the the impossibility that God suffers an an internal eternal internal conflict. >> Yeah. We concluded in the discussion with the podcast that if you have that particular view it definitely infringes upon a sound >> doctrine >> view of theology. >> Well again you know going back Dr. everything that we know from from revelation and reflection um it's it's just an impossibility for God to to to be thought of in that way. It would it de God's God in the way that he's revealed himself both in scripture and nature. It just doesn't make any sense. >> Does God have unfulfilled wishes because he hasn't decreed them to be actual, you know? Yeah. >> But the basic question, do we preach the gospel to every creature in light of God's comprehensive sovereignty? Absolutely. Because God who's purposed the end has purposed the means and gospel preaching. Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of God. So we preach the gospel trusting in God to open the hearts and effectually call them. With reference to the sincere offer or well-ment offer as defined in other camps, yeah, there's that that's a different kettle of fish, I think. Can I can I tell a real a real quick um less than two and a half minute story about >> Can you make break it down to 30 seconds? >> I will. Okay. >> I don't remember what I was going through and I called was speaking with Dr. >> 243. >> He's counting. >> How annoying is it? Uh I called Dr. Renahan. We were talking and he basically said this. He said, you know, go in the room. We worship with God's people. He said, I've been there. And he said, "Understand this. You cannot increase the number of those who are going to be elect. Neither can you diminish it." Now, I think what he was, as I recall, at least the way I walked away with from that was confidence that God is God and he's going to accomplish. Now, that's very liberating if you're like me. I like telling people the gospel, but I don't get myself all twisted and knots. So, I got to get everything just right and somehow I got to represent God as as impassioned and all these things. It's just and and I know you weren't aiming at anything that's hypercalvinistic, but rather saying, "Let God be God, obey what he said, and go to bed at night." Can I can I say something really quick? >> One, >> he does love people. >> Three >> to tell people the gospel. We went shopping one time in Toledo. It took us four hours and I'm going, "David, your wife's waiting for the food." And he's talking to almost everybody that we came across, which is very commendable. And it really convicted. >> Doesn't sound commendable. >> Well, the 4hour thing might have been a stretch. might have been 30 minutes. But uh you can believe these things and still go shopping and tell people about Christ. >> Yeah. I never I never >> but don't take four hours >> because with John Gersonner I look knowing that there's an elect people does not discourage me. It encourages me >> that God is the one from start to finish going back to the decree is the one who saves sinners. Period. The first time I picked Ed up at a at a airport in Southern California, brother, I've been witnessing to the this guy carry it on for me. You know, I said, Eddie, we got to go over to Donna Rubies. They got dinner for us. Anyway, go ahead. >> Yeah, it was cold. >> The two questions again, very good questions submitted. I like I said, it reflects good listening. It it reflects good thinking and meditation probably in the time we got 12:30 right 7 minutes. So I'll give you guys the choice. Please explain your views support or rejection of double predestination elected unto glory and elected unto eternal condemnation. Or a more practical one if I can find it here. Basically, how do you deal with a cage stage Calvinist that gets Yeah. Any words of wisdom to our brothers in the cage stage of Calvinism? How can they learn to exercise the special prudence and care that LCF36 prescribes? I I kind of favor that one actually and appealing to the brothers here. The special the Yeah. Calm down. >> Yeah. It's cage stage classical theism too. >> Yeah. Cage stage anything. >> And I would say in either the Calvinism or the classical theism, don't do what I did. >> So I I had to learn to just slow down. And I think the thing I I came to the point >> You mean you were more obnoxious then? >> Yeah. We joke cuz we talk. >> Now you know why I love Jim. Because he sees what I see. >> He's just not afraid to say it. So, >> it's good to have you up here, Dave. The wife just texted, "Take the pills." And empty the bag before 4. I'm actually older than David. So yeah, I think that what happened believe I had 375 >> and and he's shorter than David. So >> so and humbler >> much humbler. >> Well >> the qu So here's what happened. Here's what happened to me at a seminary in 1986. Somebody gave me AW Pink's book and I read it predestin >> sovereignty of God. And then he gave me some more books and I kept reading them. I'm going, "Oh, man." And then I read The Sovereignty of God again in January. I read Murray's Redemption Accomplish Applied Watson's Body of Divinity in that book. And I got and I'd go to work and I'd say, "Jesus loves me. This I know for the Father has purposed it so. He has died for me. I know the Holy Spirit has showed me so." Okay. I'd sing that dream work and one of the ladies just go, "What is that? What are you singing? What? How? how come you change the words? And the other lady was getting mad and I think I kept singing it and I realized why doesn't she love this doc? It's great because of some abuses. And then I started hanging around friends. I started reading more books. And by the time I graduated, I I zipped my mouth about halfway because I realized I don't know as much as I think I know. And then I got into ministry and started reading. I'm going, "Oh my." I started reading John Ow in volume one in 1990 I think it was and it was like way over my head. Same thing happened with classical theism. 2005,6 or seven, there's some stuff going on the internet. I started reading books I had owned for 25 years. Some of them I had read over my head and I came to understand certain things. I'm going, "Oh man." And then I knew James Dozel and we were going back and forth and stuff and I think my head got real big. I kept reading and I go, "Oh man, not only was I wrong about certain doctrines, but I was wrong about myself. I was I I thought I knew more than I did." And so having to realize I don't know a lot. And then getting friends in your life that know way more than you and are godly with their the knowledge, not just friends that know more, >> but friends that know more and are humble with the knowledge. That that kind of helps as well. So, I would tell them just slow down. You don't know what you think you know. >> And stay off social media. Do everybody a favor. >> No churchless podcasts. Don't do it. There's no no authority over them. No accountability. Don't do that stuff. >> And >> go to church >> and read for 10 years before you ever get into the debates. >> Yeah. >> That's what you taught me. >> Yeah. Yeah. And that's what just because you read AW Pink sovereignty of God doesn't make you the expert and not everybody on Twitter is going to be favorable to all your opinions. Debating on Twitter has to be one of the most foolish things that anybody could ever undertake. So that's a definitive statement. You can tweet that and and I stand by it. Well, well that we we do have to conclude. We don't want to overstay our welcome here at the free reformed. I got a list of announcements or some things here. Please take all your water bottles, books, garbage, etc. out of the sanctuary. Please leave your lanyards. I knew I forgot that. Yep. Lanyards on in the box on the first pew at the exit right over there. If you see any conference garbage in the parking lot on your way out, please pick it up. Uh, please vacate the premises as soon as possible so the church can be cleaned by the F FRC custodians. And if you have any feedback to share with the organizers, please scan the QR code and let us know what you love and what can be improved. Whim will be very happy if you do that. Make Whim happy. He puts a lot of effort into all the stuff that goes on in the electronic part or digital part and it probably won't take long to just drop a a brief survey. >> Yes. Quickology. >> Yes, we are going to sing the doxology. We'll stand as we do so. Praise God whom all blessings. Praise him all creatures here. Praise him above the heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.