Reasons For Scriptural Faith pt. 2

Original Revelation by Various Means

Owen begins his defense of the Scirptures in the right place addressing the spoken revelation of the Old Testament. Odly enough this is where a lot of ideas about God speaking to me originate from. There was a purpose to it, and one which people use today to validate their need for external revelation:

This divine external revelation was originall, by various ways, given unto sundry persons immediately, partly for their own instruction and guidance in the knowledge of God and his will, and partly by their ministry to be communicated to the church (book 4, pg 8).

This external revelation had a purpose in Owen's mind to be used to edify the church, and to warn the world of coming judgement to which he uses:

So it was granted to Enoch, the seventh from Adam, who thereon prophesied, to the warning and instruction of others, Jude 14, 15; and to Noah, who became thereby a preacher of righteousness, 2 Peter 2:5; and Abraham, who thereon commanded his children and household to keep the way of The Lord, Gen. 18:19 (Ibid)

One thing I think is interesting that Owen points to is that they were only occasional, which I think will be a point to be brought out later that we have a more sure word in Christ. Something occasional or something sure; you will have to be the judge on which you prefer.

It Was From God No Doubt

Something to keep in mind about those who claim that they have received a special external revelation from God that was not found in the Scripture is that people are pretty sure they came from God. When they do not come to pass the assumption is that God's plans were frustrated by them, so the problem was them. Amazingly, God was truly in need of them to accomplish His will. Is His word able to be trusted after all? How is it that they could trust the revelations to be from God?

There was, therefore, a divine power and efficacy attending all divine revelations, ascertaining and infallibly assuring the minds of men of their being from God; for if it had not been so, men had never been able to secure themselves that they were not imposed on by the crafty deceits of Satan, especially in such revelations as seemed to contain things contrary to their reason, as in the command given to Araham for the sacraficing his son, Gen 22:2 (ibid).

How could they discern between Satan and God in terms of revelation? The striking biblical example would be the sacrifice of Abraham's son Isaac which does fly in the face of reason. Some people would say, "God would never ask me to do something like that." Let us hope not. Abraham was asked to do that and was willing to oblige himself to Gods' revelation to him because he was able to discern that it was the words of God. Here is how Owen describes the ability to discern:

For the present I shall only say, that it was an evidence unto faith, and not to sense; as is that also which we have not by the Scirptures (bk 4, pg. 9).

Even though it is by the exercise of faith that we believe the Scripture, reason is not discarded as though it were not needed, on the contrary. Owen says where this is the case men degenerate into atheism. The Scriptures were given to us for the purpose of exercising "faith, conscience, obedience and reason" which was important. This is a telling qoute about the concerns of throwing reason out:

So he tells us that his word differeth from all other pretended revelations as the wheat doth from the chaff, Jer 23:28. But yet it is our duty to try and sift the wheat from the chaff, or we may not evidently discern the one from the other (ibid).

The Bareans were noble because they searched (reasoned) from the Scripture to see if the gospel as told by Paul was true. That is important because there is so much false information out there that if we are not careful we loose the ability to discern between what God says and man says. The two are not always diametrically opposed to one another on the surface. If not brought under the scrutiny of the Scriptures the words of man will seek to have preimenence over the Scripture.

Every Age had Enough for Obedience

God never left any generation in the dark as to what was required of them for proper obedience and for their edification. He even says that people prior to the flood did not perish because they lacked sufficient information. Owen is masterful at helping me to understand how the limited light that those prior to the Scripture had was sufficient to guide them:

Set up but a candle in a dark room, and it will sufficiently enlighten it for men to attend their necessary occasions therein; but when the sun is risen, and shineth in at all the windows, the light of the candle grows so dim and useless that it seems strange that any could have advantage thereby. The Sun of Righteousness is now risen upon us, and immortality is brought to light by the gospel.

If we look now on the revelations granted unto them of old, we may yet see there was light in them, which yields us little more advantage than the light of a candle in the sun; but unto them who lived before the Sun arose, they were a sufficient guide to all duties of faith and obedience  (bk 4, pg. 9-10) 

This has really helped me understand a little more clearly how revelation pre-Law and anti-Law was enough for the Saints to find joy and delight in. They could even seek and look into those divine revelations to see what manner and time their savior was coming. Thank God for men like John Owen, who are speaking from the grave and drawing the hearts of Gods' people to give praise to Him.

Reasons for Scriptural Faith pt. 1

The Reason of Faith;

or,

The Grounds Whereon the Scripture is Believed to be the Word of God with Faith Divine and Supernatural.

I think it is interesting that the same things have always plagued the church. There is nothing new under the sun. John Owen is writing this book because of his concern that people were having when questions arose about their faith in the Scriptures. They were unable to answer the sceptics and found that they were unable to escape the doubt it created in their minds. Owen calls them "ensnaring questions". The reason he says that they could not escape the ensnaring quesitons was the fact that they did not have a right understanding of the foundations that their faith rest upon, which is the authority of Scripture. This is the same thing that is faced today in Christianity. Most people want to reason with unbelievers but all to often they fall prey to questionable and skeptical extra biblical proofs. I see this as a real problem because if someone is smart enough they can talk you out of your faith, or at least cast some serious doubt. John Owen's probing question is one that still stands today: 

Wherefore do you believe the Scripture to be the word of God?

Owen approaches the subject here by pointing to the Holy Ghost as the one who illuminates the minds of men. I would not have even thought about using this as a grounds for faith in the Scriptures. In fact I have always said that we just believe the Scriptures because they are the words of God. Of course I was overlooking the fact that the one who reveals spiritual truth is the illuminator himself the Holy Spirit. I overlooked the fact that belief in the Scripture or authority of Scripture was a supernatural spritual revelation. Here is the qoute by Owen on Illumination:

"For by illumination in general, as it denotes an effect wrought in the minds of men, I understand that supernatural knowledge that any hath or may have of the mind and will of God, as revealed unto him by supernatural means, for the law of his faith, life, and obedience (book 4, pg. 7)."

Spiritual truths are just not any truth but as Owen puts it:

"Supernatural revelation is the only objective cause and means of supernatural illumination (ibid)."

This really made me think, and I had to re-read it several times to see if I even agreed with it. Upon further examination I understood what Owen was saying.  The Spirit teaches us the deep things of God, spiritual truth that the world does not understand nor can understand. Why? because they are spiritual. That is the key to grasping and accepting the spiritual truth about believing God's word to be what it says because it is supernatural revelation. That is the reason there is such a disconnect between unbelievers and believers. One says, "I believe this set of truths and guidelines for life", while the other sees it to be nothing at all.

Owen then moves on to make distinguishments between God's natural revelation of Himself (and something I had never thought of), supernatural revelation about natural things.

"There is natural knowledge of supernatural things, and that both theoretical and practical, Rom. 1:19, 2:14,15; and there may be a supernatural knowledge of natural things, 1 Kings 4:31-34; Exodus 31:2-6.

But unto this supernatural illumination it is required both that its object be things only supernaturally revealed... and that it be wrought in us by a supernaturall efficiency, or the immediate efficacy of the Spirit of God (book 4, pg 7-8)"

Owen closes this thought, with our sufficiency resting in revelation from God:

The various supernatural revelations that God hath made of himself, his mind and will, from first to last, are the sole and adequate object of supernatural illumination.

Post-diluvian Reformation

I am finding more and more as I read John Owen's "Biblical Theology" that the man is meticulous and very well read, both within and without the biblical sphere. I am writing here about God's covenant with Noah, and his view of reformation seems to run counter to the typical ideas of reformaiton. Our modern ideas of reformation seem to be all internal, about cleaning up the inside which I do not totally disagree with. Yet I find lots of people want reformaiton of their churches without doing a little bit of house cleaning. Now church discipline is difficult I will admit that, and you might loose a member over it, but it is a regretfull necessity which is healthy to the church and to the individual if indeed he is a true Christian. We also have to keep in mind that the individual who is being disciplined, is not being disciplined for the fun of it, but rather has incured the discipline upon himself. Any ways, let us look and see what it is that John Owen is saying about a post-diluvian reformation.

 First let us look at John Owen's idea of the Church after the flood:

"The revived Church, purified by the flood waters (as to its external proession), passed forty years in purity and acceptance with God by virtue of this theology. We find no record of anything contaminating it to any extent until after the birth of, and some considerable years into the lofe, of Canaan, the youngest son of Ham, when Ham's own incipient wickedness was brought to light. Of what nature that incident was which reveald it, the Holy Spirit declares in Genesis 9:22. (Book 3, Ch. 1, pg. 218)

Now we can see here the church simply refers to Noah and his family, and the few new descendants in the time of forty years. Here is another quote to help us understand Owens ideas of the church:

"His sin thus struck at the very foundation of the then current theology, that is of the family-church, its obedience and worship." (Book 3, Ch. 1, pg. 219)

Second let us look at what the sin sin was, which has already been alluded too:

"Ham's own incipient wickedness was brought to light. Of what nature that incident was which revealed it, the Holy Spirit declares in Genesis 9:22. Clearly, it was a crime against the dictates of inner reason through which (as Aristotle witnesses) all mankind are prompted to honor and respect their parents." (Book 3, Ch. 1, pg. 218)

But I say that Ham did this - he openly and unambiguously transgressed the law of nature, which is seen clearly by the contrast of the course his brothers took with his own impiety. As Josephus writes, with justice, he showed his brothers the nakedness of their father, and made a jest about it..."

Third is the curse pronounced, which I think it is amazing that John Owen wrestles with the idea of why the curse was pronounced against Canaan, Ham's son:

"However, the curse is clearly uttered against Canaan, either because he was at that time his father's special favorite, being (as I suppose) his youngest son, because he stood with his father in this unspeakable sin and spectacle, because his family, among all the descendants of Ham, would be first to depart from the Church and the true worship of God, or perhaps to encourage the Israelites when about to depart for the promise land by the the knowledge that the people with whom they were about to engage in warfare had been cursed of God, and long since devoted by HIm to slavery and destruction. However this may be, it is quite certain that Ham himself, in the person of his son, was cursed and expelled from the family of God." (Book 3, Ch. 1, pg. 220)

Fourthly it is interesting the sin is manifested and becomes the scandal of the Church:

"This sinful occurrence was the occasion of Ham's long concealed hypocrisy breaking visibly forth and resulting in a great scandal in the Church when when he was cursed by his father, who still presided over the Church with parental authority under God." (Book 3, Ch. 1, pg. 220)

Fifthly comes the final outward expulsion from the church, which leads to reformation:

In Ham's expulsion from the society of the pious, we have another notable example of an ecclesiastical reform, for reformation must always be commenced by an expulsion from the sinners from the midst of those who are worshiping God acceptably and in true faith. We have  seen already a similar example in the Adamic Church after the fall, and later how, when the ranks of the stiff-necked grew apace, reformation was achieved only by the withdrawal of the faithful minority. In this manner, then, was the reformation of the Noahchian Church undertaken. Such is the weakness of all men, and such is the evil of some men, that, from the origin of the world, no Church has ever been able to endure without some notable reformations." (Book 3, Ch. 1, pg. 220 - 221)

Sixthly are the results of the expulsion and reformation:

"Blessings were now bestowed upon this Church,following  its reformation, partly to console its pitifully reduced condition, and partly as an encouragement to more strict obedience and more diligence in God's service. "Blessed be The LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant" (Gen. 9:26-27)" (Book 3, Ch. 1 pg. 221)

Seventhly danger is never that far away:

"We cannot doubt that Ham, driven away from the worship of GOd by his father's solemn judgement, fled away from the habitation of the godly. Still, as the time had not yet come when the human race would be scattered wide across the face of the earth, Ham's settlements would still be in the same tract of country as those of his brethren." (Book 3, Ch. 1, pg. 221)

Eighth is that because danger is never very far away, it will find a way to present itself again:

"This fact led, in time, to a renewed outbreak of evil. The mixing of their descendants caused new sprouts of defection to spring up, and that within a Church having the recent memory of both the flood and of notable reformation"

Owen goes on to show how that by the one-hundred and first year after the flood a mob of people insane with pride are ready to reject the authority, discipline and teaching of Noah. So they rush head long into sin, dismissing divine authority. Which ultimately leads to the larger part of the human race having to follow their own path to destruction. The larger path.

The Glory of Christ Intro. pt 2

IN CHRIST WE ARE ETERNALLY SECURE
"We were created in a covenant relation unto God. Our nature was related unto him in a way of friendship, of likeness, and complacency. But the bond of this relation wand union was quickly broken, by our apostasy from him. Here on our whole nature became to be at the utmost moral distance from God, and enmity against him; which is the depth of misery (ib. pg. 276)."
When man was created he was created with the ability to commune with God, resting in complete satisfaction with God. This of course did not last long, because man sinned and placed himself at the greatest of moral distance from God, at enmity and hatred of God. God should have left him in this estate but as stated earlier took it upon himself to redeem man from the curse, to reinstate him into a relationship with himself once again, not because man deserved it but God chose to extend grace unto him.
"But God, in infinite wisdom and grace, did design once more to recover it, and take it again near unto himself. And he would do it in such a way as should render it utterly impossible that there should ever be a separation between him and it any more. Heaven and earth may pass away, but there shall never be a dissolution of that union between God and our nature and more (pg. 276)."
This is an amazing insight, to look at mans original condition to which he was created and to compare it with the state of man after salvation. Man before the fall was made morally upright and capable of communion with God and enjoyment of God free from corruption. Yet man in this perfect state sinned and lost his first estate of sinless perfection, and became subject to death, and God being merciful sent Christ to take away the sting of death. Yet men still sin after they are saved, but they shall never loose their salvation, because they are eternally secured in Christ Jesus, by whose righteousness men have been covered with, not their own, who also bore their eternal punishment on the cross. What John Owen is saying is that men who are saved after the fall are in a better condition that Adam was previous to the fall because is eternally secure in Christ, never able to lose what has been gained through Christ. There is an endless amount of meditation that can be spent thinking about this, about the mercy of God, that when death was the promised punishment, Christ was given with the gift of eternal life instead, showing that God is a loving and compassionate God, rather than just a vengeful and wrathful God. Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For of him, and through his and to him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen
Two Mysterious Excellencies Which are Related
We are capable of exaltation and subsistence in God
"The mystery hereof is the object of the admiration of angels, and will be so of the whole church, unto eternity... And whereas he hath proposed unto us this glorious object of our faith and meditation, how vile and foolish are we, if we spend our thoughts about other things in a neglect of it (ib. pg 277)."
It is not only fascinating that God would stoop down in the form of man to redeem him from a corrupt state that he made for himself by disobedience to what he was told not to do, but that God would exalt him above the angels and creation is even more fascinating. The fact that God redeems man is so worthy of admiration that the Christian has ample reason to praise God and to think on his goodness, but that God should also exalt him above the angels, even those who did not rebel this should cause man to have the utmost admiration for God and to relinquish his desires for this world. One day God will change our vile bodies to be fashioned like unto his and not suffering from the effects that sin has on us and the world. This should cause us to praise God. We would be foolish to spend our days scheming and meditating on the world, when we have been redeemed by Christ which will be the admiration of the church through all of eternity.
2. This is a Pledge of the Love of God unto our Natures
"For although he will not take it in any other instance, save that of the man Christ Jesus, into this relation with himself, by virtue of personal union, yet therein he hath given a glorious pledge of his love unto, and valuation of , that nature. For "verily he took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham". And this kindness extends unto our persons, as participant of that nature. For he designed this glory unto the man Christ Jesus, that he might be the first-born of the new creation, that we might be made conformable unto him according to our measure; and as members of that body, whereof he is the head, we are participant in this glory (pg. 277)."
In the person of Christ, God has given us a pledge of his love of our nature, because he sent Christ in the form of man to redeem man. He did not redeem angels, but left them in the corrupt and rebellious estate while Christ came to redeem man. This shows us a token of God's love to us. Through the resurrection of Christ, we were made partakers of the resurrection, participants or inheritors of Christ glory. We are not without hope or reason to live a life above this world, to make our salvation known to men, our minds should be elevated above this world in meditation on the glorious state of Christ in heaven which we are partakers of. Thinking about those things that are imperishable and that will never fade away, which are reserved in heaven for us. The things require our utmost diligence and preparation through the meditations of our hearts, that we would be willing at any moment to relinquish our hold on this world and take our flight to the next.

The Glory of Christ Intro pt.1

If there is one thing I think that is lacking in most churches these days would be the necessity to place the focus of Christians on the glory and meditations of Christ. I don't think in all of the preaching that I have ever heard, that a pastor has spurned me on to meditate on the glories of Christ. Sure they have pointed out that Christ is my salvation and that I must put my faith in him in order to be saved. After that it has been centrally a man centered theology or teaching, there may be mention of the conviction of the Holy Spirit about sin that we need to be rid of, but a failure to point the Christian to Christ for relief. Christians would have a hard time distinguishing spiritual sanctification and good moral living are. The reason I would say lies in the fact that Christ is not the center focus of the preaching, but rather man is, and Christ has his place in the invitation.

This is where John Owen has tapped into the fountain of sanctification, and that being on the meditations of Christ, who he sees as central to overcoming the temporal things of this world. This is overcoming the worlds temporary and perishing satisfactions, and looking by faith at the eternal a Christian will be able to rise above the temptations of the world and live in hope of the glory for which Jesus is the first-born. To Owen though meditating on Christ is not just meditating on the baby Jesus, or moral Jesus, or the suffering Jesus, but rather meditating on the risen Jesus, he who is seated in the heavenly places. Meditating on the benefits that we have acquired through his death and resurrection are friendship, likeness, and complacency.

I hope that as I go through this book and blog on the mined jewels of the labors of another, that I shall be able to condense what might be a labor for others to read and to explain some of the hard statements of Owen for the benefit of the reader. Hopefully if anything you will read just the quotes that will be in italics of John Owen, that alone are beneficial and just skip over my jibber-jabber about Owen. I will be beginning with the Introduction of Owen, which may come in sections, because even his introduction is very weighty and contains jewels of immense value. I will also try and outline Owens work as I go along, which is not always and easy task.

PURPOSE

Owen outlines his purposes for writing this work in his introduction which was not just to write another book or gain some recognition among theologians. Owen wrote this book first for his own edification, then I am sure at the prodding of some for the use and edification of his congregation. Owen writes this:

"I shall not, therefore, use any apology for the publishing of the ensuing Meditations, intended first for the exercise of my own mind, and then for the edification of a private congregation; which is like to be the last service I shall do them in that kind. Some may, by the consideration of them, be called to attend unto the charge of it; and some may be provoked to communicate their greater light and knowledge unto the good of many. And that which I design farther in the present discourse, is to give a brief account of the necessity and use, in life and death of the duty exhorted unto (book 1 pg. 275)."

John Owen considers our growth in understanding to be a preparation by faith for the beholding of the glory of God by sight after death. Owen says that the view of Christ by faith is better than anything that the creation can offer, so the Christian must put forth his utmost endeavor, to obtaining a heavenly vision of Christ that comes by faith as revealed in the Scripture. Here is a quote from John Owen about meditating on the glory of Christ:

"This, therefore, deserves the severest of our thoughts, the best of our meditations, and our utmost diligence in them. For if our future blessedness shall consist in being where his is, and beholding of his glory, what better preparation can there be for it that in a constant previous contemplation of that glory in the revelation that is made in the Gospel, unto this very end, that by a view of it we may be gradually transformed in the same glory? (John Owen Book 1 pg. 275)."

This is my hope that I shall be able through working these deep truths out in the blogosphere to be able to communicate them unto the good of many and first and foremost to myself. This will be difficult at first but maybe as time progresses, it shall get easier.

A DEBASED NATURE AND AN EXALTED NATURE

"He it is in whom our nature, which was debased as low as hell by apostasy from God, is exalted above the whole creation."

"In this condition—lost, poor, base, yea, cursed—the Lord Christ, the Son of God found our nature. And here on, in infinite condescension and compassion, sanctifying a portion of it unto himself, he took it to be his own, in a holy, ineffable subsistence, in his own person. And herein again the same nature, so depressed in the utmost misery, is exalted above the whole creation of God. For in that very nature, God hath "set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come (pg. 276)."

Owen explains that our nature was corrupted by the fall and made at a distance from God, under the dominion of Satan, to suffer righteous doom, and perish eternally. Man lost by this fall lost the seat of Excellency, of beauty, and of glory, he was made naked by sin, and laid groveling in the dust from which he was created. Man according to his decision to disobey God deserved nothing more than eternal punishment. Yet God stooped down and took the form of man, becoming the lowest of lowest in the world, living a holy and righteous life, then to be punished for mans sin. Then to top it off God exalts him above the creation. This is ample reason to meditate on the glory of Christ who is our redeemer, and glorifying God in our thought life.

Those who engage this nature in the service of sensual lust and pleasures, who think that its felicity and utmost capacities consist in their satisfaction, with the accomplishments of other earthy, temporary desires, are satisfied with it in its state of apostasy from God; but those who have received the light of faith and grace, so as rightly to understand the being and end of that nature whereof they are partakers, cannot but rejoice in its deliverance from the utmost debasement, into that glorious exaltation which it hath received in the person of Christ. And this must needs make thoughts of him full of refreshment unto their souls (ib. pg. 276)."

The Christian is not suppose to exercise his flesh in all of the sinful enjoyments of this world, to be satisfied in that nature that is at enmity with God. There is no satisfaction in this, there is no peace, because the things of this world are transistory, they fade away, moth and rust corrupt
them, so a man seeking to satisfy the old man, the flesh will never be able to. He will constantly be moving farther and farther away from God, growing more and more spiritually dead, which might be an indicator that the individual search out his salvation. Yet those Christians who have put their faith in Christ, and understand that condition from which they have been saved, and the new nature they have received, cannot help but to rejoice in the future deliverance from
sin and corruption. The deliverance from sin and corruption only come through Christ, and that happens either when we die or the heavens part with the shout of an arch—angel. The meditation upon these things are what refresh a man's spirit, and gives him hope in the face of a
corrupt and fading world.

I wonder how often we have though in the course of our day that the things that we are striving so hard to obtain that one day they are going to perish, or if they last long enough they will fade away by the forces of nature? Meditation on Christ was important to Owen because it gave him hope that the sufferings of this present time would be worth it in the end because he would be finally freed from the clutches of the flesh and the shackles of sin. This would do Christians a lot of good to meditate on these things today because our minds would move beyond what we want now, causing us to focus on our need and God's desire for our life which is his glory and the chief end of man.

An Encouragement for Ministry

When I was serving in the Air Force stationed in England, I had opportunity to visit Bunhill Fields and see the graves of Puritan men and women who died holding firm to the word of God. I had my picture taken next to John Owen's grave stone during a biking trip in London, it is a sober reminder to the brevity of life and the faith of the elect. I have placed the picture of his grave crypt as my desktop backdrop, to keep me mindful that this life does not belong to me, but is to be dedicated to the service of God. I am also reminded that time is short and it causes me to wander what kind of effect will I have on those around me and after me. John Owen though dead still speaks and ministers to me, his dedication to the ministry has been a blessing to my own life and walk. His writing have changed the way I view myself, and has shaped my theology probably greater than any other person I know,which has also shaped my walk with the Lord.

My Hope is that I too will have the same impact on lives, speaking even from the grave as John Owen does. I may not speak from the volume's of books, but hopefully from the testimony of my life and the impact that it has on those who I come into contact with. Paul tells us to mark out those who we have as examples as Paul is an example and this I do for John Owen.