The Church of Christ
Especially in an age of doubt and confusion,
it is her duty to define the Christian faith and proclaim it to the world.
Thanks for the encouragement to continue the blog. I did stop for quite a while, but lordwilling I will stay fervent in this study of the Westminster.
Question VI: What do the scriptures make known of God?
The scriptures make known what God is, the persons of the Godhead, His decrees, and the execution of His decrees.
"what God is". Hebrews 11:6 ~ "He that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
"the Godhead". 1 John 5:17 ~ "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one."
"His decrees". Acts 15:14-18 ~ "Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written, "'After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord - who makes these things known from of old.' "
"the execution of His decrees". Acts 4:27-28 ~ "For truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place."
-----
To know God is life (John 17:3). Most of us are college students, and I'd bet that we've all run into that horrible problem that unbelievers (specifically agnostics) come around to: "Even if there was a god, how do we know him?" Faithless man has only one tool he can use to understand reality around him - science. God, in His wisdom, has chosen to never allow man to discover Him with the power of science. "For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom." If this is the case, then how will a man ever reach God? Depraved man cannot hope to ascend to the heights of heaven. Also, he cannot hope to descend to Sheol to find God either. Salvation, then, only happens when God chooses to reach to us. Everything we know of God is because He chose to reveal it to us, and He has chosen to leave some things hidden (Deut. 29:29). Not through science, but through God-ordained preaching, "it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe" (1 Cor. 1:21).
As Christians, we hold by faith that the Bible contains what we are to believe concerning God: His essence, His trinitarian nature, His will, and His power in executing His will. The hidden knowledge of God will be in our hearts if we have faith. We don't have to go to heaven to bring it down, nor go to hell to bring it up; that's why Paul writes,
Especially in an age of doubt and confusion,
it is her duty to define the Christian faith and proclaim it to the world.
Thanks for the encouragement to continue the blog. I did stop for quite a while, but lordwilling I will stay fervent in this study of the Westminster.
What Man is to Believe Concerning God
Question VI: What do the scriptures make known of God?
The scriptures make known what God is, the persons of the Godhead, His decrees, and the execution of His decrees.
"what God is". Hebrews 11:6 ~ "He that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
"the Godhead". 1 John 5:17 ~ "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one."
"His decrees". Acts 15:14-18 ~ "Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written, "'After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord - who makes these things known from of old.' "
"the execution of His decrees". Acts 4:27-28 ~ "For truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place."
-----
To know God is life (John 17:3). Most of us are college students, and I'd bet that we've all run into that horrible problem that unbelievers (specifically agnostics) come around to: "Even if there was a god, how do we know him?" Faithless man has only one tool he can use to understand reality around him - science. God, in His wisdom, has chosen to never allow man to discover Him with the power of science. "For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom." If this is the case, then how will a man ever reach God? Depraved man cannot hope to ascend to the heights of heaven. Also, he cannot hope to descend to Sheol to find God either. Salvation, then, only happens when God chooses to reach to us. Everything we know of God is because He chose to reveal it to us, and He has chosen to leave some things hidden (Deut. 29:29). Not through science, but through God-ordained preaching, "it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe" (1 Cor. 1:21).
As Christians, we hold by faith that the Bible contains what we are to believe concerning God: His essence, His trinitarian nature, His will, and His power in executing His will. The hidden knowledge of God will be in our hearts if we have faith. We don't have to go to heaven to bring it down, nor go to hell to bring it up; that's why Paul writes,
"But the righteousness based on faith says,
'Do not say in your heart,
"Who will ascend into heaven?"' (that is, to bring Christ down) or
'"Who will descend into the abyss?"' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).
But what does it say?
'The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart'
(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);
because, if you confess with your mouth
that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart
that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved."
'Do not say in your heart,
"Who will ascend into heaven?"' (that is, to bring Christ down) or
'"Who will descend into the abyss?"' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).
But what does it say?
'The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart'
(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);
because, if you confess with your mouth
that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart
that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved."
(Rom 10:6-9)
6 comments:
Amazing, isn't it, that many still insist that man alone can lead himself to a saving knowledge of Christ. I am hoping and praying for a great Reformed movement to spread over this land, not for our own glory, but that Christ will be magnified and Christians will see that it is God alone that saves.
- Matthew
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