Heroes of Faith (2): CREATION

 

Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made from things which do appear. Hebrews 11:3

This verse about creation is somewhat strange in the gallery of the heroes of faith. All the other verses in this chapter speak of people; this verse does not mention any Old Testament saint, but speaks rather of God's work of creation. And, of all things, it says, in so many words, that a person can hold to the doctrine of creation only by faith. that brings up an interesting point.

Let me try the point with an incident out of my own life.

In the years I was studying in Calvin College as a pre-seminary student, I was required to take a two semester course in Physical-Chemistry taught by a professor named, John De Vries. He had to be among the top two or three professors in the college. At that time, there were five or six professors in the science department, and all, with one exception, were theistic evolutionists. They all believed in a very old earth and, because the college was "Christian" and even "Calvinistic," they all believed in God. But they taught that God used evolutionary processes in creation.

Dr. John De Vries, who had worked on the atomic bomb project in Los Alamos, New Mexico, defended an old creation by making the word "day" in Genesis 1 refer to a period of time as long as many millions of years. He began his course by saying something like this: "I know that there are many creationists in this class (there were probably forty or fifty students in all), but I guarantee you that by the end of the year you will all believe in the period theory." (At the end of the year, I and two or three others told him that we remained unconvinced. He hung his head, got a mournful look in his eyes, and sadly said, "My first failures!")

He had many arguments that he raised in support of his views, but one argument especially seemed to be effective in the class. It was an argument used widely and repeated innumerable times by those who defended this particular brand of evolutionism. The argument was intended to be a major concession to creationists, but an attempt to draw creationists to evolutionism by, what I considered to be, dishonest means.

We were told, and I heard the same thing repeated times innumerable over the years: "It makes no real difference whether you believe in six-day, twenty-four-hour-days, or not, for the whole question has  nothing to do with salvation nor with the gospel. It has to do only with creation. The gospel came after the fall. One can readily believe in and defend evolutionism and still have faith in Christ by which he is saved."

Early in my ministry I taught an Essentials of Reformed Doctrine class to about thirty catechumens. They were all in high school. Our own high school did not exist at the time, and so they all went to a Christian, but not Protestant Reformed, high school. They were taught evolutionism, particularly, the period theory, in the school they attended. They were a rather unusual class of catechumens for from them came many ministers, teachers, elders and deacons who served with distinction in our churches. And so they were not exactly inclined to make a minister's word for it when it came to doctrine. The class meetings were filled with debate, argument and questions. It usually took at least two classes of an hour each to cover a lesson, and when we got to the doctrine of creation, we must have been on that lesson for at least six weeks. They defended the period theory, which they had been taught. They argued, among many other arguments, that it didn't make any real difference what one believed, for the doctrine of creation was not part of the gospel. 

I gave the catechumens periodic tests and, quite obviously, I asked in the test what the Bible taught concerning the doctrine of creation. One, very intelligent and very articulate person, gave the right answer, but wrote also, "It really does not matter what one believes, for creation is not part of the gospel of Jesus Christ." I wrote in the margin, "It matters this much hat if you still hold this position when you make confession of faith, I will refuse to accept your confession." I think I had barely finished saying, Amen in the closing prayer and this person was in front at my side. "Do you really mean what you said in the margin of my test paper? You will refuse to accept my confession if I hold to the idea that what we believe concerning creation has nothing to do with our salvation?" I assured the person that she had understood me correctly and that what I wrote, I meant. The person turned away and the only word I heard was, "Wow!"

I bring all this up because it leads up to the crucial importance of this text. And this text is decisive for the truth of creation. The text tells us that by faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God. And as I said in an earlier article, faith always has Christ for its object! The one truth in all Scripture which is fundamental to all our faith is that Christ is the eternal and only-begotten Son of God who came into the world to save sinners. Everything else we believe is only a part of that one great truth concerning our Lord Jesus Christ. If it is by faith that we believe that the worlds were framed by the word of God, then creation also is part of the doctrine of Christ. I shall explain why this is so in the next article, God willing. 

I want to point out to you now, however, that there is good reason why the chapter, which is the roll-call of the heroes of faith, begins with a verse on creation, while all the other verses deal with people. Think of it: All the heroic deeds of God's people as acts of faith could be performed only because these people had faith in Christ, even though He was as yet, in the Old Testament, only promised. And so, by putting creation at the beginning of the list of saints who performed such mighty works of faith, Scripture is saying: "You have to believe in creation first of all, if you are to have the faith of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham.... They believed in creation as part of the gospel; and so they believed in Christ, the heart of the gospel. If you do not believe in six-day, twenty-four hour day creation, forget it; forget the whole chapter; forget what these saints did; forget your faith all together. It means nothing."

To believe in creation as Genesis 1 and 2 describes it and to believe in Genesis 1 and 2 as a literal description of the origin of the worlds is to believe in Christ. Does that sound strange to you? It shouldn't. It's the teaching of the whole Scripture. We shall see.

Perhaps you [in the Philippines] do not have the battle on your hands that we have here [in the USA]. Here it is altogether too common that people try to teach a "Biblical" evolutionism. Christian schools at e very level teach evolutionism. It is preached from the pulpits and taught in the classrooms. It is accepted without question and Christians who do not teach some form of evolutionism are considered old-fashioned, behind-the-times Christians, who cling to old and out-worn theories, who hate science, and who are so totally irrelevant to our 21st century that they cannot even witness to our modern generation.

Creation is a doctrine we must believe - as it is taught in the Scriptures. 

Prof. Herman Hanko

Heroes of Faith (1)

This is a series called Heroes of Faith wherein Prof. Herman Hanko discusses the celebrated chapter of Hebrews 11 known as the "Hall of Faith." 

INTRODUCTION – HEBREWS 11:1-2

This article is also part of the introduction to a closer consideration of the heroes of faith. But it is Scripture’s introduction. It reads: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report.”

Whatever is the meaning of these two verses?

Commentators have argued long over the question and have disagreed, sometimes violently over the meaning of the two words “substance” and “evidence.” I happen to think that  commentators tend sometimes to make Scripture more difficult than it really is. I think the translation in the KJV is correct and that all we really need to do is take the verse as it stands there.

So, first of all, in  this definition of faith that Scripture gives us, we may ask the question: What does “substance” mean here? The answer is: The substance of something is what that something is made of. The substance  of faith is, therefore, what faith is made of.

The text gives us the answer to that question. Faith is “made” of things hoped for. 

What  are  things  hoped  for?  The  things  we  hope  for  are  the  things  that  are  in  heaven:  Christ himself, the whole church from Adam on, all the blessings of salvation, moral perfection, the glory of a new creation, the angels as our servants, freedom from weakness and sin and death, glorified bodies and souls. We hope for those. We do not want to live in this world forever, a place where we keep on sinning and suffering all sorts of diseases. Even though we sometimes live as if things in this world are really the things we want, deep down in our hearts we know that heaven is infinitely better than anything in this world, and that heaven is the place we want to go.

 Faith then is “made up” of those things we hope for. Faith is the same as those things we hope for.

When we have faith we have those things. All the things of heaven we already have now when we have faith.

All that sounds like strange language, but it really isn’t. Paul, in his letter to the church at Ephesus, tells the saints that God blesses us with all spiritual  blessings  “in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3).

Paul says that the blessings we now receive from God really put us in heavenly places with Christ.

The Bible teaches us again and again that faith is the bond that unites us to Christ. And when we are united to Christ we are with Him, and being with Him we receive from Him all He has to give.

Sometimes the Bible uses expressions like, faith as appropriating Christ, or as laying hold on Christ, or as making Him our own. We do have Christ! We have Him as our possession! By faith! We walk with Him  as Enoch  and Noah  did.  We talk  with  Him  and  He  talks  to  us. He  even  calls  us by  our names.  He strengthens us in our weakness and is in fact our strength – by faith! You who read this article ought to sit down for a few minutes and think of all this. Do you really and truly realize that when you believe in Christ you actually possess Him? And, possessing Him, you have everything that heaven is all about.

Let  me  point  out  to  you  that  the  object  of  our  faith,  that  which  we  believe,  is  always  Christ Himself. We believe the Scriptures, but the Scriptures are the infallible portrait of Christ. Every last word of it is part of the portrait of Christ.

This is also true of the Old Testament saints. Let’s try to remember that as we discuss their acts of faith. They did what they did because they believed in Christ  – even though He had not yet come. “All these died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them ... .” The promises are salvation in Christ.

Our one question in discussing these heroes of faith is: What did these people do because they

believed in the coming of Christ? They did remarkable things! And we must do the same.

***********

  Hebrews 11 also tells us that faith is “the evidence of things not seen.” What does that mean?

  You see, while we have Christ already now in this life, we cannot see Him; and while the blessings we  shall  someday  receive  are  ours  now  (although  only  partly),  we  cannot  show  anyone  that  we  have them. Peter talks about this as well: “. . . at the appearing of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls” (1 Pet. 1:7-9).

Faith sees things that cannot be seen. Faith is proof that these things are real. Faith is a proof stronger than seeing. Faith is so strong of the reality of Christ and heaven that the one who has faith will stake his life on the reality of heaven and salvation. Faith is the ultimate proof. Job says, “I know that my Redeemer liveth.”

Faith is a wonderful power in the lives of God’s people. It is a whole new way of knowing and seeing things.

Let me explain.

Before Adam fell, Adam could see, know and love God, because of Adam knew God through God’s revelation in His creation; trees and birds, flowers and animals, stars and planets all revealed God.

But the fall of Adam into sin did two terrible things. The curse came on the creation so that the revelation of God in creation could barely be seen, for God’s curse brought death and violence to the creation. The creation was like a book that had been laying out in the weather for a year. Such a book, rained on and dried, rain on again and dried again, blown about by the wind, can hardly be read.

But something, happened also to man. He died as God said he would. He died spiritually so that he became totally depraved. He lost his ability to see God who has revealed in creation.

But even that was not the worst. The real reason for his inability to see God is the hatred of God that depravity brings. Paul says, “He [wicked man] suppresses the truth in unrighteousness” (Rom. 1:18). He will not confess God. He is like you and me: when we do something terribly wicked that every one knows about, and we regret it, we refuse to allow ourselves to think about it and we try drown the wicked deed in the bottom of our consciousness. And anyone that forces us to think about it again, we hate because we cannot bear to think about it.

Whether such hatred is characteristic of an atheist, or of a man who goes to church but will not believe the truth, both are hateful of God.

Faith corrects all that. It is a God-given power to believe what God says in the Bible. Faith takes away our spiritual blindness so that we can “see” and believe as true what God says. Faith banishes the effects of sin from our hate-filled minds and wills, and gives us the power, the spiritual power to love God so much that we take the Bible and study it as carefully as a young lady reads and studies a letter she has received from her boy-friend whom she has not seen for ever so long a time.

Calvin, in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, goes even a step further. He says that when by faith we put on the eyeglasses of the Bible, we can once again see God’s revelation in creation as well. God tells us in the Bible all He is doing and will continue to do in the creation.

By the way, this is why, we ought to appreciate the flowers, birds, trees, mountains and stars in God’s world.

In this way of faith, faith becomes the evidence, the proof of all the spiritual realities of God, His Christ, and the salvation of the church and the creation.

And finally, when a person really has faith, that faith does wonderful things in life – as Hebrews 11 tells us.

Prof. Herman Hanko 

Confessing the Living Redeemer

For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. Job. 19:25

"I know that my redeemer liveth."

What a confession! What a comfort! On this day when we observe the resurrection of our blessed Savior we echo the triumphant cry of victory that the saints who have gone before us have uttered. As pilgrims and strangers whose citizenship is in the kingdom of God we and all of God's children must face the relentless onslaught of Satan as he attacks us by means of the world, our flesh, and himself personally. But in the darkness of despair the Lord always comes to us with the good news of the gospel that the grave could not hold the Lord Jesus Christ. He lives. And I know that my Redeemer liveth. That is the certain knowledge and blessed assurance of faith.

In our text we have the confession of Job, the likes of whose trials and afflictions you and I have never known and perhaps never will. We know the account very well. In one day he lost all that he had, both possessions and his ten children. In addition he was plagued with a most dreadful disease, which made him so sick that he desired to die. Then there came to him friends who were supposed to comfort him, but only added to his misery. Out of that unspeakable misery, when it appeared that it could get no worse, there came the confident testimony of faith: "I know my redeemer liveth."

We can understand the significance of having a redeemer when we take a look at what a redeemer is. Then we, too, will be glad that He lives. A redeemer is one who will take up the cause of another in order to help him in his time of need. This redeemer is not only ready and willing to pay the price of redemption but actually does so. In this way the redeemer vindicates the one in need and delivers him from all his trouble. Along with Job we need a redeemer because we cannot pay the price. We are in bondage by nature with no way out. This is, of course, a spiritual bondage, the bondage of sin and death under the righteous judgment of God. Since this is the righteous judgment of God who is righteous in all His ways, we know that we deserve the eternal woe of hell.

O, but we know of one who has paid the price of our redemption. Indeed, there is one who as atoned for our sins, thereby delivering us out of our bondage and assuring us of everlasting life in glory. Yes, we know as well as Job knew that this redeemer is Christ, the only promised Savior, the perfect and eternal Redeemer.

Job spoke of Him as he saw Him in prophecy, as the one that was still to come. Since the promise was not yet realized, Job did not know the Christ in the full revelation that we have today. But that does not mean that he was less convinced of his salvation than we are. Just as we do today, the day in which we rejoice in the resurrection of Christ from the dead, so Job could confess with his whole heart and soul: My Redeemer lives.

His Redeemer, even as ours, is Jehovah, the almighty, unchangeable, sovereign God. With His friend Job, God had established His covenant. God says of Job, "This is my servant, a perfect and upright man, one that feareth God and escheweth evil." How could God possibly say that of Job unless He had taken him into His covenant? The Lord our God was not looking at Job in his nature, but as he was in Christ. What is true of Job is also true of us. Eternally God has engraven us in the palm of His hands. Therefore, before our holy God we are holy and righteous, redeemed and sanctified in Christ.

Thus, as a child of God, Job was first of all deeply conscious of his sin and guilt. But as a child of God he also confessed his sin and obtained pardon. He experienced the blessedness of those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. He loved his God and hated evil. This was evident even at that moment when he was suddenly made destitute and childless. Humbly he confesses, "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked I return thither. Jehovah gave, Jehovah hath taken away; blessed be the name of Jehovah." It is in this consciousness that this servant of God can say in harmony with all God's children: It is God who justifies; God is my justifier. My Redeemer lives! 

O blessed confession, I know that my Redeemer liveth! He lives! He is the Almighty, unchangeable Jehovah, who keeps covenant with His people forever. His grace abideth ever. He does not deal with us after our sins, nor reward us according to our iniquities. He lives! How much richer these words are for us now, since the cross and the resurrection have become a historical reality. The Son of God came into our flesh, suffered, died, and was buried. For a moment even the disciples despaired, so that they hid themselves in bitter sorrow. He who had professed to be the living Savior, the Christ, the Son of the living God, had perished in the hands of wicked men. His body rested in the grave. 

Yet the flame of faith and hope within their souls never entirely faded out. No, suddenly it flared up to shine forth in glorious brilliancy. Jesus arose as victor over death. He had satisfied God's justice. And God raised Him up to exalt Him to power and glory in the highest heavens. We now see Jesus with an eye of faith, crowned with glory and honor, living and reigning with God forever! 

He lives! We know that He lives, for as He has come to dwell with us in the Spirit. He lives even now within our hearts. I know! That is the confession and testimony of faith. The assurance of faith is always personal. Faith says: I know. Faith speaks of my Redeemer. Thus we confess together, I know that my Redeemer liveth. No one can actually know God without knowing that this God is his God, the God of His eternal salvation. The same is true with respect to Christ. No one can know Jesus Christ as the Savior of sinners without knowing that this Jesus is also his personal Savior. He who confesses God with a sincere heart also says: My God. And he who confesses Jesus to be the Christ also adds the personal assurance: My Lord and my God.

This faith is and will be sorely tried in our lifetime. There are many temptations that beset us. The world and its lusts still appeal to our sinful flesh. We are filled with dread at the scorn of the world. Then there is our old nature with all its sinfulness. We really need say no more here. Each of us knows his own heart and the sin that arises from it. Added to all that, there are all the sufferings that we must bear. With Asaph we wonder why it appears that the wicked prosper while the righteous must suffer. So our life is fulled with a variety of disappointments, adversities, pains, and distresses. Does God really love us? Certainly it would appear to be contrary. We are inclined to complain with the psalmist in Psalm 77:7-9. "Will God cast us off forever: and will He be favorable no more? IS His mercy clean gone forever? Doth His promise fail forevermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath He in anger shut up His tender mercies?"

Yet, wonder of all wonders, you and I confess in triumph of faith: I know that my Redeemer liveth! That is good news that is revealed to us in the Scriptures. God has made known to us His eternal love. He has revealed to us His pardoning grace and saving mercy as it is ours only in Jesus Christ. And ultimately we will dwell in heaven in that glorious inheritance which He has prepared for us, His saints. 

This I know. How do I know? The Spirit assures us of that in our hearts. How does He do that? By the Word and the preaching of that Word. Through this means He not only convicts us of our sins but points us to the cross. Thus being cast down we are lifted up, being hungry we are fed. Being thirsty we are led to the streams of living water. To the grave we are pointed. O, but do not forget, that grave is empty. He who died for us lives. 

Faith says: I know that my Redeemer liveth. Let that word of truth ring forth from now even unto all eternity. That is our victory cry. He lives! 

Rev. Rodney Miersma 

https://standardbearer.rfpa.org/articles/confessing-living-redeemer 

Moving Forward

28 APRIL

Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die. Jeremiah 38:10

SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Psalm 4

Let us be courageous when it is necessary, though we have little hope of a favorable outcome. Ebedmelech might have thought that his attempt to help Jeremiah would be in vain, however strenuously he pleaded for the prophet. He might then have relinquished the task instead of boldly undertaking it.

Likewise, those who think too much about a difficult task often talk themselves into inactivity. They think, "What effect can you possibly have? You are only one person, and your enemies are many. If the king himself has been forced to yield to the anger of wicked men, how can you as an individual have the confidence to resist them? Furthermore, such tumult will be raised that you will perish in it. Meantime, these wicked men will perhaps stone the unhappy man whom you are trying to help."

All these thoughts might have occurred to Ebedmelech, and he thus might have desisted from helping. But we see that he rested not in his own confidence but in God's favor.

Let us remember his example and hope beyond hope when God require us to do something. When faith and duty demand anything from us, we must close our eyes to all obstacles and go forward in our work, for all events are in God's hands alone, and they will happen as He pleases. Our duty is to proceed, even if we think our labors may be in vain and will not bear fruit. Ebedmelech happily succeeds in rescuing the prophet because he acts as a pious and upright man in obeying God.

God will also extend His hand to us, whatever difficulties we encounter, for we shall overcome them by His power and help.

John Calvin

FOR MEDITATION:

We often overanalyze situations and attempt to justify our neglect of duty.Ebedmelech did not do this, but rather stepped out in faith, trusting that he was doing the Lord's will. He left the results in God's hands. Are we doing that today?

365 Days With Calvin

Selected and Edited by Joel R. Beeke

Trusting His Incredible Promises

27 APRIL

Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither. Jeremiah 31:8

SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Isaiah 49:1-17

Though the prophet addresses this teaching to ancient people, it contains truth that is perpetually useful. People act preposterously when they measure God's favor according to present appearances. This mistake that we almost inherit by nature involves all our thoughts and feelings. It also produces a lack of confidence in God. All of God's promises then grow cold to us, or at least lose their true value.

For when God promises anything, we look around us and ask how that can possibly be fulfilled. If our minds cannot comprehend the way and manner that a promise can come true, we then reject what has proceeded from the mouth of God. Let us carefully consider this prophetic doctrine so that when God promises what surpasses our faith and seems impossible to fulfill, this doctrine will come to our minds. Let it serve as a corrective to check our false thoughts, lest we, being preoccupied be a false and preposterous opinion, should do wrong to the power of God. 

If the deliverance that God promises seems incredible to us, let us remember that God has the power to make the blind to see, the lame to walk, the pregnant and those lying in bed to undertake a journey; for He can by His power overcome all obstacles. We shall find our faith victorious, provided we learn to rely on God's promises and firmly rest on them.

John Calvin

FOR MEDITATION:

Imagine how hard it would have been for the Jews to receive these promises in so dark a time, and yet, they were fulfilled.

We often doubt God's amazing promises because our present circumstances seem so bleak. Until we learn to fully lean on God and His promises, understanding that darkness and light are both alike to Him (Psa. 139:12), our faith will not be victorious. What circumstances are you facing today that require faith?

365 Days With Calvin

Selected and Edited by Joel R. Beeke

Is Faith the Condition of the Covenant of Grace?

Yea, but you will say to me, peradventure though works be not the condition of the covenant; yet, we hope you will yield, faith is the condition of the covenant.

I answer, beloved, I beseech you observe me warily in this, for I am now upon a nice point, and I shall desire to go as evenly as the Scripture will guide me in it. I must needs tell you directly, and according to the truth, that, faith is not the condition of the covenant.

"He that believes shall be saved, he that believes not shall be damned." Is not faith here the condition of the covenant? 

I answer, There is no person under heaven shall be saved till he have believed. This I grant; yet this will not make faith to be the condition of the covenant. For, first, consider faith as an act, our act, and as we do it, so I say it is a work; our act of believing is a work. If therefore we perform the condition that is a work for the enjoyment of the covenant, then the covenant doth depend upon a work; but it doth not depend upon a work, for the text saith, "To him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly," &c.

You will say, In that text, believing is required to the justifying of the ungodly.

I answer, An ungodly person, after he is justified, believes: but you must understand it, it is not the faith of the man that simply and properly justifies, but it is Christ in whom he believes; believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly: it is He that justifieth, that is Christ. It is not believing that justifies. Mark well that phrase; Him that justifieth. Justification is an act of Christ, it is not an act of faith.

But you will say, It is an act of Christ by faith.

I answer, Then Christ justifies not alone. Is faith Christ Himself? If not, then Christ must have a partner to justify, but Christ alone doth it. Nay, I say more, Christ justifies a person before he believes; for, he that believes is justified before he believes; for I ask you, whether in justification a man must believe a truth of a falsehood? You will say, he must believe a truth; then say I, it is a truth that he is justified before he believes it; he cannot believe that which is not, and if he be not justified, that he may believe it, he then believes that which is false. But he is first justified before he believes, then he believes that he is justified.

But what then serves faith for?

I answer, It serves for the manifestation of that justification which Christ puts upon a person by Himself alone: that you by believing on Him, may have the declaration, and manifestation of your justification. Mark what the apostle saith, whereby you shall find the true use of faith, that is not the condition, without which we receive no benefit from Christ; but rather it is the manifestation of that which is already done, and received. Heb. xi. 1, the apostle saith, "Faith is the ground of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen." I pray you observe the apostle's expression, there is abundance of light in it. Faith is the evidence of things, it is not the being of things; and it is the evidence of things not seen. A man is justified, and that by Christ alone, but it is not known to him, it is an unseen thing. Well, how shall he see this, and know that it is so? The text saith "Faith is an evidence;" faith gives evidence to this thing, faith makes it known; by faith we come to apprehend it; by faith we come to rejoice in it, as we apprehend it to be our own. It is true, indeed, Christ has honoured faith admirably; but let us take heed we do not over-honour it, to give the peculiar reserved prerogative of Christ Himself unto it: if faith were a concurrent thing with Christ, and Christ did justify a person alone, what would follow?...

As we stand thus, I say, it is not faith that justifies, neither wholly, nor in part; but Christ alone freely for His own sake, considering a person is ungodly, so He justifies him.

Beloved, let me tell you, though faith itself cannot thus be called our righteousness; yet in respect of the glory that God ascribes to it, that it seals to men's souls the fulness of righteousness, how can you consider a person a believer, and withal ungodly? When men are believers, they cease to be ungodly: but if they are not justified till they believe, Christ doth not justify the ungodly, but the godly; and then that truth which I have delivered, Rom. iv. 5, cannot hold the current, "That we must believe on Him that justifies the ungodly;" but rather, we must believe on Him that justifies the righteous. But as I said, we do not believe that we may be justified; but we do believe, and truly believe, when we are, and because we are justified. So that still stands firm, we are not in covenant, we partake not of the covenant, by any condition we perform, till which performance the covenant cannot be made good unto us; but we are in covenant, and Christ makes us to be in covenant, for His own sake, without any condition in the creature, "Shewing mercy to whom He will shew mercy;" without anything, I say, the creature is to do, to this end, to partake of the covenant.

Tobias Crisp

Christ Alone Exalted, I:90-93

What it is to Wait upon God (1)

...To wait on God is to live a life of desire towards Him, delight in Him, dependence on Him, and devotedness to Him.

A. It is to live a life of desire towards God; to wait on Him, as the beggar waits on his benefactor, with earnest desire to receive supplies from him; as the sick and sore in Bethesda’s pool, waited for the stirring of the water, and attended in the porches with desire to be helped in and healed. When the prophet had said, Lord, in the way of Thy judgments we have waited for Thee, he explained himself thus in the next words, the desire of our soul is to Thy name, and to the remembrance of Thee; and with my soul have I desired Thee, Isa. 26:8, 9. Our desire must be not only towards the good things that God gives, but towards God Himself, His favour and love, the manifestation of His name to us, an the influences of His grace upon us. Then we wait on God, when our souls pant after Him, and His favour, when we thirst for God, for the living God: O that I may behold the beauty of the Lord! O that I may taste His goodness! O that I may bear His image, and be entirely conformed to His will! For there is none in heaven or earth, that I can desire in comparison of Him. O that I may know Him more, and love Him better, and be brought nearer to Him, and made fitter for Him. Thus upon the wings of holy desire should our souls be still soaring upwards towards God, still pressing forwards, forwards towards heaven.

We must not only pray solemnly in the morning, but that desire which is the life and soul of prayer, like the fire upon the altar, must be kept continually burning, ready for the sacrifices that are to be offered upon it. The bent and bias of the soul in all its motions must be towards God, the serving of Him in all we do, and the enjoying of Him in all we have. And this is principally intended in the commands given to us to pray always, to pray without ceasing, to continue in prayer. Even when we are not making actual addresses to God, yet we must have habitual inclinations towards Him; as a man in health, though He is not always eating, yet has always a disposition in him towards the nourishments and delights of the body. Thus we must be always waiting on God, as our chief good, and moving towards Him.

B. It is to live a life of delight in God, as the lover waits on his beloved. Desire is love in motion, as a bird upon the wing; delight is love at rest, as a bird upon the nest; now though our desire must still be towards God, as that we must be wishing for more of God, yet our delight must be so in God, as that we must never wish for more than God. Believing Him to be a God all-sufficient, in Him we must be entirely satisfied; let Him be mine, and I have enough. Do we love to love God? It is a pleasure to us to think that there is a God, that He is such a one as He has revealed Himself to be, that He is our God by creation to dispose of us as He pleaseth, our God in covenant to dispose of all for the best to us; this is waiting on our God, always looking up to Him with pleasure.

Something or other the soul has that it values itself by, something or other it reposes itself in, and what is it? God of the world? What is it that we pride ourselves in? Which we make the matter of our boasting? It is the character of worldly people, that they boast themselves in the multitude of their riches, Psa. 49:6 and of their own might, and the power of their own hands, which they think has gotten them this wealth; it is the character of godly people, that in God they boast all the day long, Psa. 44:8. That is waiting on God; having our eye always upon Him with a secret complacency, as men have upon that which is their glory, and which they glory in.

What is it that we please ourselves with, which we embrace with the greatest satisfaction, in the bosom of which we lay our heads, and in having which we hug ourselves, as having all we would have: the worldly man when his barns are full of corn, saith, soul, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry; the godly man can never say so till he finds his heart full of God, and Christ; and grace; and then, return unto thy rest, O my soul, here repose thyself; the gracious soul dwells in God, is at home in Him, and there dwells at ease, is in Him perpetually pleased; and whatever he meets with in the world to make him uneasy, he finds enough in God to balance.

C. It is to live a life of dependence on God, as the child waits on his father, whom he ha confidence in, and on whom he casts all his care. To wait on God is to expect all good to come to us from Him, as the worker of all good for us, and in us, the giver of all good to us, and the protector of us from all evil. Thus David explains himself, Psa. 62:5 My soul wait thou only upon God, and continue still to do so, for my expectation is from Him, I look not to any other for the good I need; for I know that every creature is that to me, and no more than He makes it to be, and from Him every man’s judgment proceeds. Shall we lift up our eyes to the hills? Doth our help come from thence? Doth the dew that waters the valleys come no further, than from the tops of the hills? Shall we go higher, and lift up our eyes to the heavens, to the clouds? Can they of themselves give rain? No, if God hear not the heavens, they hear not the earth; we must therefore look above the hills, above the heavens, for all our help cometh from the Lord; it was the acknowledgment of a king, and no good one neither, if the Lord do no help thee, whence shall I help thee out of the the barn-floor, or out of the wine-press?

And our expectations from God as far as they are guided by, and grounded upon the word which He hath spoken, ought to be humbly confident and with a full assurance of faith. We must know and be sure, that no word of God shall fall to the ground, that the expectation of the poor shall not perish. Worldly people say to their gold, thou are my hope; and to the fine gold, thou art my confidence, and the rich man’s wealth is his strong city; but God is the only refuge and portion of the godly man here in the land of the living; it is to him only that he saith, and he saith it with a holy boldness, thou art my hope, and my confidence. The eyes of all things wait on Him; for He is good to all; but the eyes of His saints especially, for He is in a peculiar manner good to Israel, good to them. They know His name and therefore will trust, and triumph in Him, as those that know they shall not be made ashamed of their hope.

D. It is to live a life of devotedness to God, as the servant waits on his master, ready to observe His will, and to do His work, and in everything to consult His honour and interest.To wait on God, is entirely and unreservedly to refer ourselves to His wise and holy directions, and disposals, and cheerfully to acquiesce in them, and comply with them. The servant that waits on his master, chooseth not his own way, but follows his master step by step: thus we must wait on God, as those that have no will of our own, but what is wholly reserved into his; and must therefore study to accommodate ourselves to His. It is the character of the redeemed of the Lord, that they follow the Lamb wheresoever He goes, with an implicit faith and obedience. As the eyes of a servant are to the hand of his master, and the eyes of a maiden to the and of her mistress, so must our eyes wait on the Lord, to do what He appoints us, to take what He allots us; Father, Thy will be done; Master, Thy will be done.

The servant waits on his master, not only to do him service, but to do him honour;  and thus must we wait on God that we may be to Him for a name, and for a praise. His glory must be our ultimate end, to which we, and all we are, have, and can do, must be dedicated; we must wear His livery, attend in His courts, and follow His motions as His servant, for this end, that He may in all things be glorified.

Matthew Henry

A Method for Prayer, pp. 201-203