Knowing God

J I Packer

Class notes – #8 December 5, 2007

1. Evening Prayer
   
   

2. Review from last week – Questions, comments and general discussion.
   
   Chapter Thirteen – The Grace of God 
   
   

3. Grace:
   1. Definitions:

                                                               i.      Packer’s Definition: “God’s riches at Christ’s expense” (pp 128) and “the Grace of God is love freely shown toward guilty sinners, contrary to their merit and indeed in defiance of their demerit” (pp 132)

                                                             ii.      “The supernatural assistance of God bestowed upon a rational being with a view to his sanctification”. (Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church)

                                                            iii.      “That undeserved blessing freely bestowed on man by God”. (Evangelical Dictionary of Theology)

                                                           iv.      “A supernatural gift of God to intellectual creatures (men, angles) for their eternal salvation, whether the latter be furthered and attained through salutary acts or a state of holiness.” (Catholic Encyclopedia)

                                                             v.      Read the Catechism excerpt and 39 articles

4. Sin and death are two sides of the same coin (sermon Advent 1)
   1. Grace and salvation are, likewise, two sides of the same coin that counteracts and overcomes sin/death. (John 3:16) (pp 132)
      
      
5. Heresies of Grace (pp 129)
   1. Judaizers – those who followed strict adherence of Jewish dietary and ritual law (circumcision) – for salvation,
   2. Pelagianism – British Monk – Believed man could ‘pick himself up by his own bootstraps’ – denied Original Sin.
   3. Pp 129 – Packer also names ‘Romanizing’ over against the Reformers. What does he mean?

                                                               i.      Tendency of Roman theology to allow for grace derived from man’s efforts separate and distinct as from God – a work’s righteousness vs salvation by faith through grace alone.

6. What are the four truths of Grace that Packer mentions:
   1. The moral ill-desert of man – (original sin)

                                                               i.      Modern man believes in the inherent goodness of all people.

2. The retributive justice of God – God’s Holy character and righteousness requires punishment of sin (disobedience).

                                                               i.      Modern man dismisses ‘judging’, making all behavior and belief relative and/or personal items over which there is no absolute standard.

3. Spiritual impotence of man – man is absolutely unable to save himself

                                                               i.      Modern man believes we can make God dependent of in need of us.

4. Sovereign freedom of God – God has absolute freedom to create and to save.

                                                               i.      Modern man believes God is obliged to love us, whether or not we deserve it.

7. Three “particular connections” of the Grace of God to the lives of Christians (pp 133)
   1. God as the source of the pardon of sin

                                                               i.      Because of God’s grace, justification is by faith in Christ and occurs the moment we put our trust in Him.

                                                             ii.      Justification is free for us – Christ paid the entire price. Grace!

2. The very plan of salvation – God’s pardon – is Grace.

                                                               i.      God’s prevenient – ie., leading – grace calls us to faith. God takes the initiative.

                                                             ii.      Because it is God’s plan we can be assured it will work – we will be saved through Christ.

3. Preservation of the saints

                                                               i.      Our future is assured as part of Christ’s redemptive work

8. What does Packer mean is closing (pp 137): “New Testament doctrine is grace, and ethics is gratitude”.
   1. “Love awakens love in return; and love, once awakened, desires to give pleasure”.
      
      
9. How do we experience the grace of God?
   
   
10. Next Class – Chapter 14 God the Judge
    1. Big Question – Why should we rejoice in the fact that God is a judge?

Question.   What dost thou chiefly learn by these Commandments?

Answer.     I learn two things; my duty towards God, and my duty towards my Neighbour.

Question.   What is thy duty towards God?

Answer.     My duty towards God is To believe in him, to fear him, And to love him with all my heart, with all my mind, with all my soul, and with all my strength: To worship him, to give him thanks: To put my whole trust in him, to call upon him: To honour his holy Name and his Word: And to serve him truly all the days of my life.

Question.   What is thy duty towards thy Neighbour?

Answer.     My duty towards my Neighbour is To love him as myself, and to do to all men as I would they should do unto me: To love, honour, and succour my father and mother: To honour and obey the civil authority: To submit myself to all my governors, teachers, spiritual pastors and masters: To order myself lowly and reverently to all my betters: To hurt nobody by word or deed: To be true and just in all my dealings: To bear no malice nor hatred in my heart: To keep my hands from picking and stealing, and my tongue from evil speaking, lying, and slandering: To keep my body in temperance, soberness, and chastity: Not to covet nor desire other men's goods; But to learn and labour truly to get mine own living, And to do my duty in that state of life unto which it shall please God to call me.

Catechist. My good Child, know this; that thou art not able to do these things of thyself, nor to walk in the Commandments of God, and to serve him, without his special grace; which thou must learn at all times to call for by diligent prayer. Let me hear, therefore, if thou canst say the Lord’s Prayer.

Answer.     Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen.

Question.   What desirest thou of God in this Prayer?

Answer.     I desire my Lord God, our heavenly Father, who is the giver of all goodness, to send his grace unto me, and to all people; that we may worship him, serve him, and obey him, as we ought to do. And I pray unto God, that he will send us all things that are needful both for our souls and bodies; and that he will be merciful unto us, and forgive us our sins; and that it will please him to save and defend us in all dangers both of soul and body; and that he will keep us from all sin and wickedness, and from our spiritual enemy, and from everlasting death. And this I trust he will do of his mercy and goodness, through our Lord Jesus Christ. And therefore I say, Amen, So be it.

Question.   How many Sacraments hath Christ ordained in his Church?

Answer.     Two only, as generally necessary to salvation; that is to say, Baptism, and the Supper of the Lord.

Question.   What meanest thou by this word Sacrament?

Answer.     I mean an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace given unto us; ordained by Christ himself, as a means whereby we receive the same, and a pledge to assure us thereof.

Question.   How many parts are there in a Sacrament?

Answer.     Two; the outward visible sign, and the inward spiritual grace.

Question.   What is the outward visible sign or form in Baptism?

Answer.     Water; wherein the person is baptized, In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Question.   What is the inward and spiritual grace?

Answer.     A death unto sin, and a new birth unto righteousness: for being by nature born in sin, and the children of wrath, we are hereby made the children of grace.

Question.   What is required of persons to be baptized?

Answer.     Repentance, whereby they forsake sin; and Faith, whereby they stedfastly believe the promises of God made to them in that Sacrament.

Question.   Why then are Infants baptized, when by reason of their tender age they cannot perform them?

Answer.     Because they promise them both by their Sureties; which promise, when they come to age, them-selves are bound to perform.

Question.   Why was the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper ordained?

Answer.     For the continual remembrance of the sacrifice of the death of Christ, and of the benefits which we receive thereby.

Question.   What is the outward part or sign of the Lord’s Supper?

Answer.     Bread and Wine, which the Lord hath commanded to be received.

Question.   What is the inward part, or thing signified?

Answer.     The Body and Blood of Christ, which are spiritually taken and received by the faithful in the Lord's Supper.

Question.   What are the benefits whereof we are partakers thereby?

Answer.     The strengthening and refreshing of our souls by the Body and Blood of Christ, as our bodies are by the Bread and Wine.

Question.   What is required of those who come to the Lord's Supper?

Answer.     To examine themselves, whether they repent them truly of their former sins, stedfastly purposing to lead a new life; have a lively faith in God's mercy through Christ, with a thankful remembrance of his death; and be in charity with all men.

X.  Of Free Will.

The condition of Man after the fall of Adam is such, that he cannot turn and prepare himself, by his own natural strength and good works, to faith, and calling upon God. Wherefore we have no power to do good works pleasant and acceptable to God, without the GRACE of God by Christ preventing us, that we may have a good will, and working with us, when we have that good will.

XIII.  Of Works before Justification.

Works done before the GRACE of Christ, and the Inspiration of the Spirit, are not pleasant to God, forasmuch as they spring not of faith in Jesus Christ; neither do they make men meet to receive GRACE, or (as the School-authors say) deserve GRACE of congruity: yea rather, for that they are not done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done, we doubt not but they have the nature of sin.

XVI.  Of Sin after Baptism.

Not every deadly sin willingly committed after Baptism is sin against the Holy Ghost, and unpardonable. Wherefore the grant of repentance is not be denied to such as fall into sin after Baptism. After we have received the Holy Ghost, we may depart from GRACE given, and fall into sin, and by the GRACE of God we may arise again, and amend our lives. And therefore they are to be condemned, which say, they can no more sin as long as they live here, or deny the place of forgiveness to such as truly repent.

XVII.  Of Predestination and Election

Predestination to Life is the everlasting purpose of God, whereby (before the foundations of the world were laid) he hath constantly decreed by his counsel secret to us, to deliver from curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind, and to bring them by Christ to ever-lasting salvation, as vessels made to honour. Wherefore, they which be endued with so excellent a benefit of God, be called according to God's purpose by his Spirit working in due season: they through GRACE obey the calling: they be justified freely: they be made sons of God by adoption: they be made like the image of his only-begotten Son Jesus Christ: they walk religiously in good works, and at length, by God's mercy, they attain to everlasting felicity.

As the godly consideration of Predestination, and our Election in Christ, is full of sweet, pleasant, and unspeakable comfort to godly persons, and such as feel in themselves the working of the Spirit of Christ, mortifying the works of the flesh, and their earthly members, and drawing up their mind to high and heavenly things, as well because it doth greatly establish and confirm their faith of eternal Salvation to be enjoyed through Christ, as because it doth fervently kindle their love towards God: So, for curious and carnal persons, lacking the Spirit of Christ, to have continually before their eyes the sentence of God’s Predestination, is a most dangerous downfall, whereby the Devil doth thrust them either into desperation, or into worthlessness of most unclean living, no less perilous than desperation.

Furthermore, we must receive God's promises in such wise, as they be generally set forth to us in Holy Scripture: and, in our doings, that Will of God is to be followed, which we have expressly declared unto us in the word of God.

XXV.  Of the Sacraments.

Sacraments ordained of Christ be not only badges or tokens of Christian men’s profession, but rather they be certain sure witnesses, and effectual signs of GRACE, and God’s good will towards us, by the which he doth work invisibly in us, and doth not only quicken, but also strengthen and confirm our Faith in him.

There are two Sacraments ordained of Christ our Lord in the Gospel, that is to say, Baptism, and the Supper of the Lord.

Those five commonly called Sacraments, that is to say, Confirmation, Penance, Orders, Matrimony, and Extreme Unction, are not to be counted for Sacraments of the Gospel, being such as have grown partly of the corrupt following of the Apostles, partly are states of life allowed in the Scriptures; but yet have not like nature of Sacraments with Baptism, and the Lord’s Sup-per, for that they have not any visible sign or ceremony ordained of God.

The Sacraments are not ordained of Christ to be gazed upon, or to be carried about, but that we should duly use them. And in such only as worthily receive the same, they have a wholesome effect or operation: but they that receive them unworthily, purchase to themselves damnation, as Saint Paul saith.

XXVI.  Of the Unworthiness of the Ministers, which hinders not the effect of the Sacraments.

Although in the visible Church the evil be ever mingled with the good, and sometimes the evil have chief authority in the Ministration of the Word and Sacraments, yet forasmuch as they do not the same in their own name, but in Christ's, and do minister by his commission and authority, we may use their Ministry, both in hearing the Word of God, and in receiving the Sacraments. Neither is the effect of Christ's ordinance taken away by their wickedness, nor the GRACE of God’s gifts diminished from such as by faith, and rightly, do receive the Sacraments ministered unto them; which be effectual, because of Christ’s institution and promise, although they be ministered by evil men.

Nevertheless, it appertaineth to the discipline of the Church, that inquiry be made of evil Ministers, and that they be accused by those that have knowledge of their offences; and finally, being found guilty, by just judgment be deposed.

XVII.  Of Baptism

Baptism is not only a sign of profession, and mark of difference, whereby Christian men are discerned from others that be not christened, but it is also a sign of Regeneration or New-Birth, whereby, as by an instrument, they that receive Baptism rightly are grafted into the Church; the promises of the forgiveness of sin, and of our adoption to be the sons of God by the Holy Ghost, are visibly signed and sealed; Faith is confirmed, and GRACE increased by virtue of prayer unto God.

The Baptism of young Children is in any wise to be retained in the Church, as most agreeable with the institution of Christ.