Mid-Term Essays Flashcards
A Jehovah’s Witness comes to your door. Using the Larger Catechism give the Biblical arguments for the deity of Christ and the Holy Spirit.
The Larger Catechism, founded upon the truths taught in Scripture, make it abundantly clear that there is but one living and true God. This one true and living God is sometimes referred to as the Godhead, and in unity of the Godhead is Trinity. In other words, there are three Persons in the Godhead with the names of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three Persons constitute the one true God, and all three are the same in substance, equal in power and glory, yet distinguished by their personal properties. These personal properties being that the Father begets the Son, the Son is begotten of the Father, and the Holy Spirit eternally proceeds from both the Father and the Son. With this foundation of the Three-in-one and One-in-three, it can then be understood how the Son and the Holy Spirit are indeed God equal with the Father by ascribing to them the names, attributes, works, and worship that are proper to God alone. For instance, the Son is called LORD (Isa 6:3, 5, 8; cf. John 12:41), is eternal (Isa 9:6; John 1:1), created all things (Col 1:16), and is worshiped in baptism (Matt 28:19). The Holy Spirit is called God (Acts 5:3, 4), is omniscient (1 Cor 2:10, 11), created the world (Gen 1:2), and is worshiped in the Trinitarian benediction (2 Cor 13:14).
You are dealing with a Roman Catholic; use the arguments of WCF 1 to demonstrate the authority of the Bible.
Though the light of nature and the works of creation and providence are enough to display God’s eternal power and divine nature so as to leave man inexcusable, the Holy Scripture is most necessary to reveal the knowledge of God and His will which are necessary for salvation. The Word of God, contained in the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are inspired by the Holy Spirit and are to be the rule of faith and life. The Apocrypha, though included in the Roman Catholic Bible, is by no means of divine inspiration and has no authority in the Church except in the same manner of other human writings. Instead, the Holy Scripture is the highest and chief authority for all things to be believed and obeyed because God is the author, who is Truth itself. Therefore, the Holy Scripture is to be received because it is the Word of God. However, so as to avoid the critique of circular reasoning, there are three lines of evidence that abundantly confirm what has already been stated: 1) external, 2) internal, and 3) spiritual. 1) Instead of the idea that the church “made” the books of the Bible to be a part of canon; rather, the church recognized the divine origin of these books and received them as being the Word of God. 2) The nature of the contents of the Scriptures has such attributes as to point to its divine authorship. Though written over the course of 1,600 years by dozens of men, there is a single unifying heavenliness, efficacy, majesty, and scope for man’s salvation in Christ that is incomparable to any other writings. 3) Yet, the strongest evidence is the inward illumination of the Spirit. The Spirit bears witness by and with the Word in the heart of man to produce a full persuasion of and assurance that the Scriptures are of infallible truth and divine authority.
Explain 1 Kings 22:19-23 in light of the Confession’s teaching on providence and sin.
God, as Creator of all things, preserves and governs all the works of His hands according to the counsel of His own will for His own glory. Nothing is too great to be beyond His reach, nor anything too small to pass by His notice. All things, both animate and inanimate, are directed, disposed, and governed by God’s most holy will to bring to pass whatever He has ordained. God not only ordains the ends, but also the means, and He does this through secondary causes. These secondary causes can be natural (necessarily, freely, or contingently) or supernatural (without, above, or against). Either way, there is certainty that God is absolutely sovereign over His creation without violence offered to the will of the creatures. In regard to 1 Kings 22:19-23, this is one of the few times in Scripture where the reader is offered a peak behind the curtain of divine providence. The infinite, eternal, and unchangeable power, wisdom, and goodness of God is seen even in the sins of man and angels. In this passage, God is not acting by a bare permission, but is sovereignly orchestrating the means to accomplish His holy ends. It is also clearly seen that God cannot be the author or approver of sin, but the sinfulness arose from the creature. In so doing, God permits and powerfully bounds the lying spirit to be sent in the mouth of all Ahab’s prophets.
What are the interpretive principles in WCF 1? Use them to explain 1 Sam.15:11 where God expresses regret in making Saul king.
There are two interpretive principles in WCF 1 that have much overlap. First, the infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself. This is known as the analogy of faith. Every part of Scripture should be understood in light of the whole. Second, there are some passages in Scripture that are not clear in themselves. Seek the whole of the Scriptures to find those clear passages of those things necessary for salvation. These two principles make passages like 1 Sam 15:11 easier to understand. The received doctrine of the Presbyterian church clearly states that God is immutable, and everything happens according to His holy will. So, how can God regret in making Saul king? This term, “regret,” is used three times in this chapter alone. Two of those times are expressing God’s regret at making Saul king. One of those times, Samuel tells Saul that God is not a man and so cannot lie or regret. Elsewhere in Scripture, James 1:17 states that God has no variation or shadow due to change. The Lord says of Himself in Malachi 3:6 that He does not change. Therefore, the analogy of faith and the clear teaching in other passages of Scripture make it apparent that God cannot regret in the way that man regrets. Instead, God voluntarily condescends to make Himself known at a level that can be understood by finite and fallen humans. In human terms, God is expressing His hatred for sin, particularly how Saul sought God’s favor through his own futile efforts instead of being obedient to God’s law. In this way, God is said to regret making Saul king because of his willful disregard for God’s commandments in such a public position that will surely lead many astray.
Explain the language of the Westminster Confession of Faith (8:2): “So that two whole, perfect, and distinct natures, the Godhead and the manhood, were inseparably joined together in one person, without conversion, composition, or confusion. Which person is very God, and very man, yet one Christ, the only Mediator between God and man.”
This is the orthodox language used to explain the doctrine of the hypostatic union. The hypostatic union describes the personal union between the human and divine nature into one Person, Jesus Christ, with two wills at the time of the Incarnation. These two natures in this inseparable union remain distinct without conversion, composition, or confusion. The language of conversion, a refutation against Nestorianism, means that the one nature is not assumed by the other: the human does not become divine, nor the divine become human. Composition is speaking against Eutychianism in that the two natures are not so intermingled that they functionally become an entirely distinct third nature. Confusion, the essential properties of each nature are not indiscriminately existing in the one Person but remain entirely distinct. Thus, this Person is both very God and very man, yet one Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and man.
You are in a conversation with your neighbor who thinks man has the ability to choose or reject God’s offer of salvation. Prove to him that his will is in bondage and God must regenerate him before he can trust in Christ.
This conversation must begin with knowledge of God as found in the Scriptures as the final authority for all things concerning religion. This Arminian line of thinking displaces God and puts man at the center of theology. In Creation, God made man upright, and in the blessed state of innocence man was given the ability to freely choose good or to choose evil. However, with the Fall, all mankind descending from Adam by ordinary generation sinned in Adam and fell with him in this first transgression. A denial of Adam as mankind’s federal representative is also a denial of Christ as the elect’s representative Head. To repudiate this reality is to deny the authority of Scripture as found in Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15. Understanding the Fall, then, and the subsequent estate of sin and misery that mankind was brought into, is paramount in comprehending free will and how one is brought to salvation in Christ alone. The sinfulness of this fallen state consists in the loss of original righteousness and the whole nature of man being corrupted, which do proceed all actual transgressions. Now, in this fallen state, man has wholly lost all ability to do any spiritual good (Rom 8:7; John 15:5). In other words, man has not lost this natural liberty of free choice but has wholly lost all ability by his own strength to convert or prepare himself for salvation. As an enemy of God, man cannot choose God and thus willingly rejects any offer of the gospel. For any man to be saved, God must voluntarily condescend on behalf of man to graciously change the heart, mind, and will of man to affectionately come to Christ. To be made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ is only by the work of the Holy Spirit effectually applying redemption to the spiritually dead, and thus bringing them to life in Christ. By grace, the Spirit persuades and enables the believer to freely embrace Jesus Christ by faith as offered in the gospel. For, as Romans 8:28-30 summarizes the order of salvation, only those whom God has foreknown are predestinated, and all those whom He predestinated are effectually called, and all those whom He effectually called are justified, and all those whom He justified will one day be glorified. This is the glorious chain of salvation, and it is all by grace alone.
Discuss Justification– its nature, grounds, and instrument.
Justification is a one-time act of God’s free grace whereby the sinner is pardoned of all guilt, is accepted as righteous because of Christ’s imputed righteousness, and is received by faith alone. The nature of justification consists in the parties involved and what is obtained. Only those who are effectually called are justified. This is not by any works done by man, nor an infused righteousness, nor imputed faith, but all those justified are pardoned of guilt and receive Christ’s imputed righteousness. The grounds of justification are Christ’s active and passive obedience. Christ perfectly fulfilled the demands of the law and made a full satisfaction of God’s divine justice in His death. In so doing, Christ, as the Second Adam, fulfilled the demands and penalty of the Covenant of Works. The instrument of justification is faith alone in Jesus Christ. Faith, being the receiving and resting upon Christ alone for salvation, is the alone instrument of justification, but not alone in the person justified. Flowing from faith and out of a regenerated heart, does necessarily proceed an obedience to Christ as evidence of their conversion.
Discuss the benefits of Adoption.
In adoption, those effectually called and justified are brought into the family of God, have the name of Christ put upon them in baptism, and have a right to all the privileges of the sons of God. These privileges include having access to the throne of grace with boldness (Heb 4:16), will always be dealt with in a loving manner by their heavenly Father (Ps 103:13), have protection in God as their refuge (Ps 27:1-3; Prov 14:26), are always provided for (Matt 6:30), are disciplined by their loving Father (Heb 12:5-7; Prov 3:11, 12), and will inherit the promises of God (Heb 6:12; 1 Pet 1:4). Understanding these privileges is the most significant doctrine when it comes to the assurance of faith. Testing their adoption may bring an assurance of the eternal state of their souls. An adopted member of God’s family will believe that Jesus is the Messiah (1 John 5:1), love the brethren (1 John 3:14; 4:7), keep God’s commandments (1 John 5:3, 4), will not deliberately practice sin (1 John 3:9), and will seek to practice righteousness (1 John 2:29).
Describe differences between Justification and Sanctification.
Justification and sanctification are inseparably joined together. If one is justified, they will necessarily be growing in godliness. However, there are three major differences between these two doctrines. 1) In justification, righteousness is imputed; in sanctification, the Spirit infuses grace. 2) In justification, sin is pardoned; in sanctification, sin is subdued. 3) In justification, all believers are equally and perfectly free from the revenging wrath of God and never fall into condemnation; in sanctification, not all believers are equal nor perfect in any way, but there is an imperfection and inequality to the believer’s growing up into godliness.
