Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Meeting #3 - Ways In Which We May Apply This Teaching

Charnock immediately preceeds this week's portion by writing, "I might mention more, such as, the establishment of the covenant, access to God, perseverance, and the conquest of the world." Oh, that he would have written those sections! But, like his Puritan colleagues, Charnock must move on to application, for it is never enough to know right doctrine without experientially living upon the sufficiency of Christ Who purchased for us sinners - by His cross - the grace to obey. May we each, when looking back on this season, notice our sanctification both subjectively and objectively advanced. As McCheyne oft prayed, "Oh to be as holy as a saved sinner can be!"

The application section of the first chapter begins with one word: Uses (42).

- I've included a number of quotes from our section in hopes of allowing you to copy and paste a quote (If I've included the one(s) you want to use), thus maximizing your commenting time:

Let us be thankful to God for a crucified Redeemer.
There is nothing in heaven or earth such an amazing wonder as this; nothing can vie with it for excellence. All love and thankfulness is due to God, who hath given us his Son, not only to live but to die for us a death so shameful, as death so accursed, a death so sharp, that we might be repossessed of the happiness we had lost (43).

By this alone was God pleased and our souls for ever made happy (43).

Let us delight in the knowledge of Christ crucified and be often in the thought and study of him.
Christ crucified is the great object of faith (44).
Without this, we should for ever have had God for our enemy and Satan for our executioner; without this, we had laid groaning under the punishment of our transgressions and despaired of any smile from Heaven (44)

If we study it well, we shall be sensible how God hated sin and loved a world; how much he would part with to restore a fallen creature. He showed an irresistible love to us, not to be overcome by a love to his own dear Son (45)
  • This will keep up life in our repentance.
A strong meditation on Christ will not only excite compassion for his sufferings, but a detestation of our sins and selves as the cause of them. It is a look upon Christ pierced that pierceth the soul (Zechariah 12:10) (45).

And should we be unmelted if we considered the cross, the punishment of our crimes, not his? (45).
  • It will inspire our faith
When we behold a Christ crucifed, how can we distrust God that hath in that, as a plain tablet, written this language 'that he will spare nothing for us, since he hath not spared the best he had'? What greater assurance can he give? Where is there any thing in heaven or earth that can be a greater judge of his affection? (46)
  • This will animate our approaches to God
  • This will be a means to further us in progress towards holiness
An affection to sin, which cost the Redeemer of the world so dear, would be inconsistent with a sound knowledge and serious study of a crucified Saviour. We should see no charms in sin that may not be overcome by that ravishing love which bubbles up in every drop of the Redeemer's blood (46).

Can we, with lively thoughts of this, sin against so much tenderness, compassion, grace and the other perfections of God with sound so loud in our ears from the cross of Jesus? Shall we consider him hanging there to deliver us from hell and yet retain any spirit to walk in the way which leads thereto [hell]? Shall we consider him upon the cross, unlocking the gates of heaven, and yet turn our backs upon that place he was so desirous to purchase for us and give us the possession of? Shall we see him groaning in our place and stead and dare to tell him, by our unworthy carriage, that we regard him not and that he might have spared his pains? (46-47).

Can we take any pleasure in that wich procured so much pain to our best Friend? (47).

For want [lack] of study of Christ crucified we walk on in sin, as if he suffered to purchase a licence fo it rather than the destruction of it. (47).
  • This will be the foundation of all comfort.
It was not an angel which was crucified for us, but the Son of God; one of an equal dignity with the Father; one who shede blood enough to blot our the demerit of our crimes, were they more than could be numbered by all the angels of heaven, if all were made known to them (47).

What a horror is it for a condemned man to see the preparation of gibbets [gallows], halters [nooses] and executions? But when he shall see a propitiation made for him, the anger of the prince atoned, the law satisfied, and his condemnation changed into remission; all his former terrors vanish and a sweet and pleasing calm possesses him. (47-8).

The blood of Christ is as a balsam dropped upon the points of the arrows of death (48).

This death is the destruction of our enemies, the spring of our happiness, the eternal testimony of divine love. We hav egood reason, as well as the apostle, to determine which ourselves 'to know nothing but Jesus Christ, and especially him crucified' (48).




3 comments:

JS said...

“Can we love that which hath brought a curse, better than him who bore the curse for us?” [pg 47]

“For want of this study of Christ crucified we walk on in sin, as if he suffered to purchase a licence for it rather than the destruction of it” [pg 47]

“We should not, under a sense of his dying groans, cherish for that which he suffered. We should not do the works of darkness under the effusions of his blood, if we did in a serious posture set ourselves at the feet of his cross.” [pg 47]

Charnock, like a master archer, consistently hits the mark. The sound of his words are deafening and the sting of the arrow tip painful. God be merciful to me a sinner! As I read this part of his application this verse came to mind:

“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your gnorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, " YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY." If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.” [1 Peter 1:14-19]

The centrality of Christ in our lives cultivates holiness. A life given to a “serious posture set at the foot of his cross” will continue to purge our ungodly habits and heighten our sensitivities to sin. How can we possibly continue in willful disobedience to the God who humbled Himself at the incarnation [for undeserving sinners] and became obedient to the point of death…even death on a cross?

“and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” [I Peter 2:24]

So that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.

I pray that God would ignite the kindling of our hearts with an unquenchable fire and passion for His glory. May God grant us the grace to live zealous, obedient, Christ-centred lives, boasting only in the cross of His beloved Son, and may that boast infect every fabric of our lives, for the glory of our great God and King.

Because He alone is worthy.

Anonymous said...

A strong meditation on Christ will not only excite compassion for his sufferings, but a detestation of our sins and selves as the cause of them. It is a look upon Christ pierced that pierceth the soul (Zechariah 12:10) (45).

How true this statement is! The truth in this quote is the reason I am most thankful for this book. Those first few words are most important though to the rest of the idea: “a strong meditation"- it cannot be just a thought or couple minutes of study but a concentrated contemplation of what the whole doctrine of atonement proves and reveals. That kind of wrestling with your heart and mind will lead to tears and change. It must.

"An affection to sin, which cost the Redeemer of the world so dear, would be inconsistent with a sound knowledge and serious study of a crucified Savior. We should see no charms in sin that may not be overcome by that ravishing love which bubbles up in every drop of the Redeemer's blood" (46).

So many times when I have sat on the edge of sin my mind and heart play this dangerous game of "tug of war". My flesh will yell "it'll be fun, it's not that big of a deal, just do it" while the Spirit says "sin is poison, it will bring about God's wrath, it is always unsatisfying" and hopefully the voice of my flesh is drowned out by the Spirit's voice. My point is is that it is so much easier to resist sin and temptation and flee from the hint of its presence when I think about
"That ravishing love which bubbles up in every drop of the Redeemer's blood".
When I continually dwell on the thought of Christ crucified the floods of truth destroy any desire for sin. We must continually fix our minds and hearts on the image of our sinless Savior whose love for the Father and love for His own compelled Him to follow through and joyfully obey- even to the point of death.

Jordan Thomas said...

Praying for us all...

Oh God, apply to each of us the full benefits of the death of Your Son, and do not hold back from us the highest benefit, namely Your Triune Self! Your Son died, "the just for the unjust, IN ORDER that He might bring us to God..."

We want to want you. We long to be filled with longing. Awaken in us such strong affections for Your crucified, resurrected, and reigning Son that nothing can subdue our pursuit of Him.

Conform us to the likeness of Your Son! Oh that we may know Him in the power of His resurrection, the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death! Do it Lord!

May each of us, all 20 of us, without ommision, never boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucifed to us, and us to the world.

Kill sin in us, lest sin be killing us. Do not allow us, Oh God, "to take any pleasure in that wich procured so much pain to our best Friend? (47)."

For Your glory and our great joy, make us as holy as saved sinners can be!