Implication of the Covenant of Grace 恩典之約的意義 Pastor Iho Tree (崔誼厚牧師) ihotree@aol.com, (H) 314-579-9637 1

God, however, deals with His Creation on the basis of covenants. Seeing the Bible through Lens of Covenant Western Individualism vs. Covenantal Worldview - 1 We are affected by the “western individualism” mindset and we naturally look at the Bible through that lens. Therefore, we have problem understanding why God would punish seemingly innocent parties. God, however, deals with His Creation on the basis of covenants.

Seeing the Bible through Lens of Covenant Western Individualism vs Seeing the Bible through Lens of Covenant Western Individualism vs. Covenantal Worldview - 2 God God R Western Individualism Covenantal Worldview

Western Individualism Seeing the Bible through Lens of Covenant Western Individualism vs. Covenantal Worldview - 3 God Western Individualism God deals with individuals separately Each individual is responsible for his own actions and suffer his own consequences

Seeing the Bible through Lens of Covenant Western Individualism vs Seeing the Bible through Lens of Covenant Western Individualism vs. Covenantal Worldview - 4 Covenantal Worldview God mainly deals with the group through their covenantal representative (R) The group is affected by the action of their covenant representative God also take into account individuals God R

Two Covenants, Two Representatives Adam Christ Redeemed Humanity, The Church Fallen Humanity Renewal of Creation Fallen Creation 6

The Right and Wrong Model God Christ Redeemed Humanity, The Church Renewal of Creation Western Individualism Covenantal World View 7

“在他裡面成為 神的義” “替我們成為有罪的” The Great Exchange “在他裡面成為　神的義” “替我們成為有罪的” 林後 II Cor. 5:21 “　神使那無罪的替我們成為有罪的，使我們在他裡面成為　神的義。” He died the death we should have died and lived the life we should have lived.

“Christ’s Completed Work” 來 Heb 10:12 唯有基督獻上了一次永遠有效的贖罪祭，就在　神的右邊坐下來。 13 此後，只是等待　神把他的仇敵放在他的腳下，作他的腳凳。 14 因為他獻上了一次的祭，就使那些成聖的人永遠得到完全。 For by a single offering He has completed (τετελείωκεν—perfect tense) for all time those who are being sanctified.” — ESV

“The Great Exchange” Luther called this “the Great Exchange”. Christ’s work for us is finished in that it is complete — We can add nothing to it to achieve or attract the Father’s blessing or love for us. Positionally, we can never be more “perfect” in God’s eyes.

What Christ Possesses . . . This means that what Christ possesses belongs to the believing soul, and what the soul possesses belongs to Christ. Thus Christ possesses all good things and holiness; these now belong to the soul. The soul possesses lots of vices and sin; these now belong to Christ.” (pages 229f.)

Last Words Last words of Buddha: “Never cease striving.” (died 483 BC) Mohammed (died 632 AD) “Oh Allah! Pardon my sins.”

“It is finished!” (τετέλεσται — paid in full). Last Words of Jesus “成了！ “It is finished!” (τετέλεσται — paid in full). 約 Jn 19:30 What is finished? Why was it finished?

“Christ Puts Himself where Only Man Deserves to be” Sin is man asserting himself against God and puts himself where only God deserves to be; Redemption is God sacrifices Himself for man and puts Himself where only man deserves to be. “你們是知道我們的主耶穌基督的恩典的：他本來富足，卻為你們成了貧窮，要使你們因他的貧窮成為富足。” 林後 II Cor. 8:9 Used in the song: “Give Thanks”

Its impact on Christian Living The Gospel of Grace and Its impact on Christian Living

An Appeasement Focus? Christians should understand that God is not mad at them anymore because of Christ, so they are free to concentrate on love and personal growth instead of trying to appease Him in order to gain what they already possess completely.

If only I could get inside this house.

Religion Islam God By Keeping the Law? 5. Pilgrimage 4. Charity-giving 3. Fasting 2. Prayer 1. Oath Martyrdom Islam

Gospel Christ Christ’s Atonement Sacraments Fellowship Worship Prayer We relate to the Lord and grow in faith through Means of Grace: Sacraments Fellowship Worship Prayer Scriptures Christ Gospel Christ’s Atonement

Our Relationship with Others The Gospel of Grace and Our Relationship with Others

Our Understanding of God and our Behavior We are made in the image of God. We are like “mirrors” reflecting our Maker. After the Fall, the image of God in our heart is greatly distorted (e.g., Adam hid from God, was afraid of God). We think of God as: A harsh “taskmaster” – “我知道你是個嚴厲的人，沒有撒種的地方，你要收割；沒有散播的地方，你要收聚。(太 Mt 25:24) A “hard to please,” “stingy,” “slave driver” -- “你看，我服事你這麼多年，從來沒有違背過你的命令，可是你沒有給我一隻山羊羔，叫我和朋友一同歡樂。” (路 Lk 15:29) As “mirrors” we will treat others the way we think God treats us!

The Jonathan Edwards Principle We can tell what we truly believe most deeply in our heart about the way God in Christ relates to us by the way we relate to the Lord and other people. A Diagnostic of Our Hearts

For Example — If we believe that God is still angry at us And will pay us back for our transgressions— Then we will have an angry, “pay back” attitude towards others.

Loving as We’ve Been Loved On the other hand, if we truly believe that God is gracious, loving and merciful toward us in Christ then we will normally act graciously towards others— forgiving them when they wrong us.

Ephesians 4:32 “要互相友愛，存溫柔的心，彼此饒恕，就像 神在基督裡饒恕了你們一樣。 kindness compassion forgiveness from God to us kindness compassion forgiveness to others

The Gospel of Grace vs. Moralism Legalism Cheap Grace

Two Opposing Traps: Cheap Grace and Legalism Moralism empower Grace Empowered Living Indicatives (Gospel) Imperatives (Law) Cheap Grace Legalism

The Gospel of Grace – the truth of the gospel empowers the way we live The Gospel of Grace – the truth of the gospel empowers the way we live. E.g., “what is true and what to do?” “how should we live in light of what Christ has already done for us?” Moralism – teaching the commandments in the Bible without mentioning the indicatives of the gospel. E.g., “do this because it is obviously the right thing to do!” Legalism – Obeying God’s Laws in order to be right with God (to win his approval or avoiding His punishment). E.g., “God will love you more if you do . . . . .” or “God will punish you if you . . . or if you don’t do . .” Cheap Grace (also called antinomianism) – teaching the gospel without teaching how we ought to live in light of the gospel (E.g., obeying God’s commandments).

The Right and Wrong Model God Christ Redeemed Humanity, The Church Renewal of Creation Western Individualism Covenantal World View 32

Our Righteousness is from Christ Alone God’s love for us is never based on our obedience, but on Christ, our Covenant Representative’s obedience. Christ lived a perfect life for us and his righteousness is “credited” to us at the moment of our conversion. Positionally, we can never be more perfect before God than the moment we were saved. We can never make God love us more by our obedience. Behaviorally, the Holy Spirit continue to transform us so we are more like Christ.

The Purposes of God’s Moral Laws (John Calvin, Institutes) Since Christ has kept God’s Laws for God’s people, and imputed His righteousness to those who are “in Christ,” and Since a Christian’s righteousness is not gained in anyway by keeping God’s Laws, Then what are the purposes of God’s Laws?

The Purposes of God’s Moral Laws 1. God’s Law convict all people of their sins and see their need for Christ’s righteousness 羅 (Rom) 10:1  “弟兄們，我心裡切切盼望的，並且為以色列人向　神祈求的，是要他們得救。 2 我可以為他們作證，他們對　神有熱心，但不是按著真見識； 3 他們既然不明白　神的義，而又企圖建立自己的義，就不服　神的義了。 4 因為律法的終極就是基督，使所有信的人都得著義。” 加 (Gal) 3:24 “這樣，律法成了我們的啟蒙教師，領我們到基督那裡，使我們可以因信稱義。 25 但信的道理既然來到，我們就不再在啟蒙教師之下了。”

The Purposes of God’s Moral Laws 2. God’s Law deters evil and establish a standard for what is just and right We live in a culture of individual moral autonomy (auto-self, nomos-law), a culture of “moral relativism” Should we pass laws against homosexual marriage? Should we legalize marijuana, cocaine, and other recreational drugs? Should Roe vs. Wade be overturned and not allow abortions? Common response: “Well, I am against those things personally but I am not sure I ought to restrict the rights of others by passing such laws.” Are Muslim extremists “justified” in their terrorist bombings?

The Purposes of God’s Moral Laws 3. God’s Law stems from God’s holy nature and is a guidance for Christian to live a holy life so they may better reflect the character of their Heavenly Father. 彼前 (2 Pet) 2:9   “然而你們是蒙揀選的族類，是君尊的祭司，是聖潔的國民，是屬　神的子民，為要叫你們宣揚那召你們出黑暗入奇妙光明者的美德。” 太 (Mt) 5:46  “如果你們只愛那些愛你們的人，有甚麼賞賜呢？稅吏不也是這樣作嗎？ 47 如果你們單問候你們的弟兄，有甚麼特別呢？教外人不也是這樣作嗎？ 48 所以你們要完全，正如你們的天父是完全的。”

The Purposes of God’s Moral Laws 3. God’s Law stems from God’s holy nature and is a guidance for Christian to live a holy life so they may better reflect the character of their Heavenly Father. God’s Laws is not a way for us to win “points” before God or to make God like us more. We never get “graded” by God for observing His laws. Christ provided perfect righteousness for us. We can never be more “perfect” in God’s eyes or be more “loved by God” than the moment we were saved. We should pursue holy living because we ARE God’s children and His holy people – live out our new status as God’s children. We will never be perfect in this life but we will be made perfect when we finish this life and pass on to glory

Our Fallen Nature and our Understanding of the Gospel Because we are fallen human being, we understand “religion” but have a hard time understanding the “gospel” As descendents of Adam, our fallen nature is to be self-centered and seek independent from God, even when it comes to our “right” relationship with God The covenant of works – God dealing with us based on our good “works” is still deeply ingrained in our head We have a tendency to view the “gospel” through the lens of “religion” => Christian form of Legalism

The Right and Wrong Model God Christ Redeemed Humanity, The Church Renewal of Creation Western Individualism Covenantal World View 40

宗教和福音的比较 - 1 (Tim Keller 2006, http://www.redeemer.com/#Begin) “我顺从 – 因此我被接纳” “我被接纳 – 因此我顺从” 动机是基于恐惧和没有安全 感。 动机是基于感恩的喜乐。 我顺服神是为了从神那里得 到好处 。 我顺服神是为了得到神—讨 神的喜悦，更像神。 我生命中出现问题时，我对神发怒，或生自己的气，因为，和约伯的朋友一样，我相信，任何好人都配得一个舒适的生活。 我生命中出现问题时，我有挣扎，但是我知道，我所有的惩罚都落在耶稣身上，同时，他许可这些事发生，为的是造就我，在试验的过程中，他会彰显他的父爱在我们身上。 41

宗教和福音的比较 - 2 (Tim Keller 2006, http://www.redeemer.com/#Begin) 受到批评时，我感到愤怒，感到毁灭，因为我认为我是个“好人”，这一点很重要，任何威胁到我“自我形象”的东西都要不计代价地被摧毁。 受到批评时，我会挣扎，但是认为是个“好人”并不重要，我的身份不是建立在我的过去或是我的成绩，而是建立在神在基督里对我的爱，我可以接受批评，这就是我如何成为基督徒。 我的祷告的内容大部分是祈求，而且，只有在我需要的时候祷告会更热切。我祷告的主要目的是为了控制环境。 我的祷告范围延伸到包括赞美和崇拜。我祷告的主要目的是与神相交。 42

宗教和福音的比较 - 3 (Tim Keller 2006, http://www.redeemer.com/#Begin) 我的身份和自我价值主要依赖于我工作得有多努力，或者我的道德多好，因此，我必须看不起那些我认为懒惰，道德低下的人。我感觉比“别人”优越，而轻视他们。 我的身份和自我价值的中心是在那位为他的仇敌而死的人，他为了我而被众人抛弃，我单单因为恩典而得救，因此，我不能看不起那些与我信仰行为不一样的人，只有在恩典中，我成为我。我没有输赢的内在需要。 43

宗教和福音的比较 - 4 (Tim Keller 2006, http://www.redeemer.com/#Begin) Religion Gospel 因为我注意我自己的身世或行为表现作为我的属灵接纳，所以我的心制造偶像，这些偶像可能是我的才能、我的道德表现，我的自我约束、我的社会地位等等。尽管我说我相信神，但是我必须拥有他们，成为我人生主要的盼望、意义、幸福感、安全感和重要性。 人生中，我有很多美好的事情，--家庭、工作、属灵的操练等等，但是没有任何一个好的东西对我来说是终极的，没有任何东西是我必须一定要拥有的，所以，当失去这些或者他们对我有威胁的时候，所产生的焦虑、苦毒和绝望是有限的。 44

Questions for Reflection What benefited you the most in this talk? How? What are some of the key concepts and ideas that made the most impression on you? What is the implication of this talk on our understanding of our salvation? What is the impact of this talk on your Christian living? 45

Common Misunderstanding on Good Works - 1 A person’s good works done “out side of Christ” is offensive to God “Out side of Christ” means outside the covenant of Christ. Simply put: a non-Christian. E.g., if a non-Christian gives more money to charity than Bill Gates and Warren Buffet combined, and done with the piety of Mother Theresa, his “good works” is still an offense to God because we are totally depraved.

Common Misunderstanding on Good Works - 2 All regenerate people are, by definition, “in Christ.” Our good works is happily accepted by our Father because of Christ. (our mixed motives and deeds were covered up by the blood of Christ.) Christians should do good works out of love for God and gratitude for Him because of what He has already done for us “in Christ.” Christians should NOT do good works out of “slavish fear” (the older son in Lk 15). Such works does not glorify God. Christians should NOT do good works to “gain points” before God (i.e., for our “justification.”) We should do good works to glorify God. It is a part of our sanctification. The role of the Law and the good works will be much easier to understand if we keep in mind that in our salvation, God is restoring the broken image of God in us.

Balance between Indicative (Gospel) and Imperative (Christian responsibility, please GOD, rewards, etc)

Indicatives/Imperatives in Philippians 1:6我深信那在你們心裏動了善工的、必成全這工、直到耶穌基督的日子． Imperative 1:9我所禱告的、就是要你們的愛心、在知識和各樣見識上、多而又多． 1:10使你們能分別是非、作誠實無過的人、直到基督的日子． 1:11並靠著耶穌基督結滿了仁義的果子、叫榮耀稱讚歸與　神。

Imperative (100%) 2:12這樣看來、我親愛的弟兄、你們既是常順服的、不但我在你們那裏、就是我如今不在你們那裏、更是順服的、就當恐懼戰兢、作成你們得救的工夫． Indicative/Imperative 2:13因為你們立志行事 (imperative)、都是　神在你們心裏運行、為要成就他的美意 (indicative)。

3:12這不是說、我已經得著了、已經完全了．我乃是竭力追求 (imperative)、或者可以得著基督耶穌所以得著我的 (indicative)。 3:15所以我們中間凡是完全人、總要存這樣的心．若在甚麼事上、存別樣的心、　神也必以此指示你們． 3:16然而我們到了甚麼地步、就當照著甚麼地步行。

RC Sproul “Essential Truth of the Christian Faith” Though our good works do not merit salvation, they are the basis upon which God promises to distribute rewards in heaven. Our entrance into the kingdom of God is by faith alone. Our reward in the kingdom will be according to our good works, which is, as Augustine noted, a case of God’s gracious crowning of His own gifts.