Christ has so much to do in our salvation. "I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified." (I Corinthians 2:2) No blood but his would redeem us from our sins. If one man desired to die for another it would not be sufficient for it would not be a perfect sacrifice; and no one man is so related to another as to enable him to represent him in redemption.
Christ was so related to us in a covenant that as to make it not only right but necessary to die in our stead or in our place the law is spiritual and demands a perfect offering one of infinite worth no sacrifice but his it is important that the offering be of sufficient value but it must be substituted if we will not deny that it is sufficient even for all men but there must be a union covenant union between him and us to make his offering effective to save. So in covenant He was the shepherd and died for his sheep the husband that gave Himself for us and his death he was a covert from the tempest he was not only a sufficient covert but he stood between the storm and his people he not only paid enough to redeem but he gave Himself for our sins.
Some think they understand it when they say the offering is of "sufficient value," but its fitness to save does not in all respects lie in the infinite worth of the offering but it lies in the design of it. If one owes you a ton of money and you find a ton of gold in your home. It would not pay you. Unless it was paid on your account he bore our sins. Here is the secret of its sufficiency. If he bore our sins, then it is not only sufficient but certain. It is not enough to say sufficient.
"He loved me and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:20) Christ not only redeemed, but he showed us how to live and die. Though he died so long ago, and so far from here. yet there is power in Jesus' blood to wash our sins away. When he died he saw his seed.
We commemorate his broken body and shed blood in the bread and wine. These two emblems represent all that is essential to salvation. We should take these, discerning the Lord's body. He is our only hope. We depend on him in redemption, in regeneration, preservation, and resurrection. He is our only hope, and our sufficient hope.
Special thanks to Elder David Montgomery for his labors in compiling the excellent two volume set of Oliphant's works.
TETH,
ReplyDeleteWhat is, according to your view of Scripture, your take on Israel and the Church? Do you hold on to a ‘covenant Theology’ kind of view? (One people from the beginning, one plan of salvation and no ‘specific’ future for ethnic Israel (anymore); Only the remnant according to election and in Christ by faith, just as all the other believers from the gentiles)
Or do you hold some middle ground between the ‘popular’ convictions of Covenant Theology & Dispensationalism, if there is such?
Im interested where your view of Scripture leads you to with regards to such a topical issue. I mean there’s much to distinguish between when it comes down to Israel & the Church. Spiritually, physical/ethnical, history and promises, future, etc.
What about the land (promises) as we see the thing unfolding for the last century in the middle east?
What about Evangelism/preaching and the Jews? The message for the Jews today is the same as it was then and the same as to us as gentiles, right? Is the direct implication of what Paul says; that there's no difference anymore between jew and gentile, that we should therefore not be concerned about such 'favoritism' anymore? While at other places He certainly speaks of a remaining distinction in light of Gods purpose.
If the veil is taken from their understanding, from their current blindness, will it not become clear to them as it is to Christians and other messianic Jews now, that it is the same message of salvation only in Christ?
Thanks a lot.
ANON: What is, according to your view of Scripture, your take on Israel and the Church?
DeleteTETH: National Israel (decedents of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) is an Old Covenant type of Spiritual Israel (the elect family of God, the church universal).
ANON: Do you hold on to a ‘covenant Theology’ kind of view? (One people from the beginning, one plan of salvation and no ‘specific’ future for ethnic Israel (anymore);
TETH: Pretty much. I don't think there is some separate plan for national Israel but that those OC national promises were allusions to the NC promises to the elect.
ANON: Only the remnant according to election and in Christ by faith, just as all the other believers from the gentiles) Or do you hold some middle ground between the ‘popular’ convictions of Covenant Theology & Dispensationalism, if there is such?
TETH: I definitely NOT a dispensationalist and don't think I hold a middle ground but I'm not completely comfortable with adopting the "covenant theology" moniker; not because it's inaccurate but because of the Presbyterian baggage associated with it, some of which I would reject. I believe in covenant theology as expressed by Paul in Galatians 4:24ff.
ANON: I'm interested where your view of Scripture leads you to with regards to such a topical issue. I mean there’s much to distinguish between when it comes down to Israel & the Church. Spiritually, physical/ethnical, history and promises, future, etc.
TETH: My view is probably not very "interesting" when compared to sensational and esoteric views of the Dispensationalists. It seems there's not much appetite for a series of books/movies entitled "None of God's Elect are Left Behind" :)
ANON: What about the land (promises) as we see the thing unfolding for the last century in the middle east?
TETH: There have been innumerable events in history that could be interpreted as indicative of end-time-eminency but I think all of this is fanciful. I believe we are in the "end times" but I have NO IDEA how long this "end time" period will last, nor whether or not the events in the levant during my lifetime mean that the Lord's return is any day now.
ANON: What about Evangelism/preaching and the Jews? The message for the Jews today is the same as it was then and the same as to us as gentiles, right?
TETH: Right.
ANON: Is the direct implication of what Paul says; that there's no difference anymore between jew and gentile, that we should therefore not be concerned about such 'favoritism' anymore? While at other places He certainly speaks of a remaining distinction in light of Gods purpose.
If the veil is taken from their understanding, from their current blindness, will it not become clear to them as it is to Christians and other messianic Jews now, that it is the same message of salvation only in Christ?
TETH: Those from whom the veil of misunderstanding is removed are certainly just some of God's elect - the true, spiritual Israel of God.
God bless,
TETH