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Reformed Dogmatics, Vol. 3
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Chapter 9: The Order of Salvation (weeks 45-54)
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Recall: "The Romanists commonly define 'merit' as an action to which some reward is due… The merit of congruity they apply to a work morally good, done from the free will unassisted by grace… [by] the merit of condignity they maintain to be a good work done from free will assisted by grace which is such as to be altogether worthy of such a reward… on account of the intrinsic value of the work and the equality between work and reward" (Turretin, Francis. Institutes of Elenctic Theology / Volume 2. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Pub., 1994. p. 711; XVII.5.III). (See volume 2, chapter 12, point #5 for a review of the different types of merit).
11. Early Lutheranism: Luther "understood that the repentance demanded in Matthew 4:17 (μετανοειν) had nothing to do with the works of satisfaction required in the Roman institution of confession, but consisted in 'a change of mind in true interior contrition' and with all its benefits was itself a fruit of grace… the most important part of penitence consists not in private confession… nor in satisfaction (for God forgives sins freely) but in true sorrow over sin, in a solemn resolve to bear the cross of Christ, in a new life… The penitent arrives at forgiveness of sins, not by making amends (satisfaction) and priestly absolution, but by trusting the word of God, by believing in God’s grace. It is not the sacrament but faith that justifies. In that way Luther came to again put sin and grace in the center of the Christian doctrine of salvation. The forgiveness of sins, that is, justification, does not depend on repentance, which always remains incomplete, but rests in God’s promise and becomes ours by faith alone" (p. 519).
According to Luther, penitence consists of two parts: "(1) contrition, knowledge of and sorrow over sins effected by the law; and (2) faith in the grace of God revealed in the gospel of Christ. By the preaching of the law, God first breaks the hard heart of sinners and then by faith leads them to the comfort of the gospel… contrition (penitence in the restricted sense), faith, and good works are the three central components of the way of salvation" (p. 520).
12. Later Lutheranism: "Luther in his first period consistently proceeded from the premise of 'absolute predestination'… Melanchthon, however, from 1527 on increasingly took exception to the confession of absolute predestination and with increasing firmness adopted a synergistic position… Later on, Lutheran theology usually worked this out by saying that in baptism and the preaching of the Word, God grants to all who live under the gospel 'sufficient grace (indispensable, irresistible good motions)' by which the will is liberated and renewed" (p. 521). This grace is "resistible and therefore amissible [losable] and again obtainable up to the hour of one's death" (p. 522). Examined more carefully, therefore, Lutheran theology places the centre of salvation on man rather than God. "In the order of salvation, accordingly, the center of gravity lies with the human person… Human beings hold the power of decision: by their resistance they can nullify the whole work of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. And they have that power till the moment of their death" (p. 522). Finally, in Lutheranism, salvation is very individualistic. Just "as Lutheran believers fail to understand the work of grace as arising from God’s eternal election and covenant, so they also fail to relate it to nature, the world, and humanity. They are blessed in the possession of their faith but do not allow it to impact the family, school, society, or state. It is sufficient for them to live in communion with Christ and they feel no urge to fight under Christ as king" (p. 522).
13. Reformed Theology: "For all its agreement [with the Lutheran view], the order of salvation in Reformed theology nevertheless from the beginning bore a very different character… election is an eternal decree, even if humans only become conscious of it by faith… [and] there is no participation in the benefits of Christ other than by communion with his person" (pp. 522-523).
For the Reformed, everything rested on the idea of the covenant. "A bond was already forged between the mediator and those who were given him by the Father in eternity, in election, and more precisely in the pact of salvation (pactum salutis [Covenant of Redemption])… Christ became human and acquired salvation for his people in virtue of that pact. He could do this precisely because he already was in communion with them and was their guarantor and mediator. And the whole church, comprehended in him as its head, has objectively been crucified, has died, been resurrected, and glorified with him. All the benefits of grace therefore lie prepared and ready for the church in the person of Christ. All is finished… nothing remains to be added from the side of humans. Atonement, forgiveness, justification, the mystical union, sanctification, glorification, and so on—they do not come into being after and as a result of faith but are objectively, actively present in Christ. They are the fruits solely of his suffering and dying, and they are appropriated on our part by faith" (p. 523).
13.1. Reformed Theology—Application of Salvation: Based on its covenant theology, the Reformed had several distinctives that separated them from their Lutheran brothers. First, in the application of salvation, the Lutherans conceived of it in individual terms (see point #11 above). But, the Reformed taught that "just as the acquisition of salvation took place in the way of a covenant… so also its application must take place in that manner. In the first place, therefore, the ingathering of the elect must not be conceived individualistically" (p. 524). The benefits of salvation flow from Christ to his body through the anointing of the Spirit (cf. Psalm 133:2).
13.2. Reformed Theology—Regeneration: Furthermore, the Reformed held that "regeneration, faith, and conversion are not preparations that occur apart from Christ and the covenant of grace nor conditions that a person has to meet… to be incorporated in that covenant. Rather, they are benefits that already flow from the covenant of grace, the mystical union, the granting of Christ’s person… [therefore] regeneration, faith, and conversion do not first lead us to Christ but are taken from Christ by the Holy Spirit and imparted to his own" (p. 525).
13.3. Reformed Theology—Penitence: In contrast to Luther, Calvin placed a different emphasis on the nature of penitence. Calvin stressed that it "proceeds from faith, is possible only in communion with Christ, continues throughout life, and consists in mortification and vivification" (pp. 525-526). "Conversion, accordingly, became a part of the Christian life. It presupposed regeneration and faith… It continued throughout life and had its place in the doctrine of gratitude" (p. 526).
13.4. Reformed Theology—Conversion: Again, in contrast to Luther, Calvin made a much clearer distinction between faith and repentance. As a result of Calvin's division, "faith could now be much more closely related to justification, and justification could now be viewed in a purely juridical sense as an act of acquittal by God" (p. 527). On the other hand, "repentance [acquired] an ethical meaning… [consisting] mainly in mortification, that is, in heartfelt sorrow over sin and in hating and fleeing from it; and, further, in vivification (or quickening), that is, a heartfelt joy in God and love and delight in doing his will" (p. 527).
13.5. Reformed Theology—Sanctification: While Lutherans conceived of repentance in strictly passive terms, the Reformed described an active role for the believer. Calvin, "by proceeding from the believer's being grafted into Christ… [taught that] the regenerate person… by the power of God had to repent, fight sin, and fulfill the will of God. That will is contained in the law" (p. 527). Notably, for Luther, the law was construed as a condemning force. As such, Luther "considered the believer as having been completely freed from it and left no room for the third use of the law. But Calvin… ascribed to the law a normative significance for the moral life and derived from the will of God a stimulus for urging people to do good works. Sanctification is as much a benefit of Christ as justification. Inasmuch as the good works in which believers must walk are prepared by God in Christ [Eph. 2:10], faith cannot stop at the forgiveness of sins but reaches out to the perfection that is in Christ" (p. 528). "Obedience to God’s will in the interest of advancing his glory—that, in Reformed circles, became the task of the Christian life" (p. 528).
Side note: When speaking of the Law of God, Calvin described three uses. First, there is the pedagogical use of the law (usus elenchticus sive paedagogicus) which exposes sin and points us to Christ (Gal. 3:24). Second, there is the civil use of the law (usus politicus sive civilis) which serves to restrain sin. Third, there is the normative use of the law (usus didacticus sive normativus) which becomes our rule of life when we place our faith in Christ, as a way to please God.
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Side note: Again, because of space constraints, I have reduced the discussion of antinomianism ("lawlessness") and neonomianism ("legalism") to a brief summary. "Antinomianism generally speaking, is the trend that reduces the application of salvation to its acquisition and almost completely equates the two. On this view, Christ has accomplished everything. He has taken over from us not only the guilt of sin but even its pollution. He has acquired for us not only righteousness but also regeneration and sanctification. Hence for humans there is nothing left to do. Contrition, conversion, repentance, prayer for forgiveness, doing good works—it is all unnecessary… People need only to believe… The sins they still commit are no longer sins" (p. 530). "Antinomianism ignores this application of the work of salvation" (p. 568). Just as antinomianism was recognized as serious error, so too was neonomianism. Fundamentally, there is a denial of the imputed active obedience of Christ. It "posits the ground for the believer’s justification, not in the imputed righteousness of Christ, but in the believer’s own, sincere, though imperfect, righteousness… the ground of our justification… consists in our obedience to the new law, that is, in our faith and repentance" (pp. 532-533).
14. Pietism: Bavinck treats pietism as a form of neonomianism. Upon closer examination, it appears that this movement arose as a reaction to formalism. "To the extent that conditions in the church grew worse and a dead orthodoxy gained the upperhand, [Pietism] stressed the necessity of a genuine conversion. Being born of believing parents, membership in the church, baptism, communion, an orthodox faith—all these things are not enough. One must have a true, saving faith, which is very different from a temporary, a miraculous, and a historical faith. True faith does not arise except when terror before the law, fear of judgment, and anguish over sin have preceded it. The essence of faith, furthermore, does not consist in the assent or conviction of the intellect; it consists in trust rather than in knowledge. Its seat is more in the heart and the will than in the head… That faith as refuge-taking trust consisting in hungering and thirsting after Christ and his righteousness is a condition that precedes justification" (p. 536). Furthermore, there were warnings against false conversions. "One should beware of an illusory or stolen faith! For that reason permanent self-examination is necessary. One can so easily deceive oneself… There is so much similarity between false and true grace… The way of salvation is a narrow way by which even the righteous can scarcely be saved… As a rule, the experience of being 'sealed' and 'assured' only follows after a long period of inner doubt and conflict and then frequently in an extraordinary manner, by a voice, a vision, a sudden word of comfort from Scripture, and so on" (pp.536-537).
15. Methodism: Closely related to Pietism is Methodism. "Originally it only sought to rouse a sleeping church and to animate orthodox Christianity with new life. To that end, by a gripping proclamation of righteousness, sin, judgment, and damnation, people needed first of all to be suddenly brought to a deep sense of their state of lostness. Next, in the same hour, without delay, they had to be led by faith to Christ and assured of their salvation; and finally, they had to be urged to live a new and sinless life, a life of active service in the kingdom of God, of dedication to mission and philanthropy and of abstinence from a wide range of indifferent things" (p. 538). Much of this thinking has continued to dominate evangelicalism today—especially with the idea of decisional regeneration, altar calls, and modern revivalism. Methodism "concentrates everything into a single point, puts conversion in the full light of one’s consciousness, and keeps a record of saved souls. And when it has converted people, it does not gather them in quiet, introspective circles, in societies and conventicles for the cultivation of piety. Rather, it immediately thrusts them into active service, insists on sudden total sanctification, and organizes them into an army that… marches into the world, and takes it by storm for Christ" (p. 538). "Methodism typically attaches but little value to doctrine, largely turns its back on the old organized churches, and directs its vision outward on the world" (p 539).
Side note 1: "Pietism and Methodism were right in their opposition to dead orthodoxy. Originally their intention was only to arouse a sleeping Christianity; they wished not to bring about a change in the confession of the Reformation but only to apply it in life" (p. 567). However, they "swung to [an] extreme. They, too, gradually shifted the centre of gravity from the objective to the subjective work of salvation. The focus of salvation becomes the subject (i.e., the person) rather than the object (i.e., God). "The official activity of the exalted Christ, the Lord from heaven, was overshadowed by the experiences of the subject" (pp. 567-568).
In Pietism, instead of being directed toward Christ, people were directed toward themselves. They had to travel a long road, meet all sorts of demands and conditions, and test themselves by numerous marks of genuineness before they might believe, appropriate Christ, and be assured of their salvation. Methodism indeed tried to bring all this—conversion, faith, assurance—together in one indivisible moment, but it systematized this method… in the same manner as Pietism. In both there is a failure to appreciate the activity of the Holy Spirit… That is also the reason why in neither of them does the conversion experience lead to a truly developed Christian life. Whether in Pietistic fashion it withdraws from the world or in Methodist style acts aggressively in the world, it is always something separate… The essence of sanctification [then] consists in abstaining from ordinary things" (p. 568).
Side note 2: Bavinck describes many other schools of thought such as rationalism, idealism, modern philosophy, etc. which I have not dealt with here because of space constraints. For more information comparing the different views of salvation (e.g., Pelagianism, Mysticism, Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Methodism, Lutheranism, Reformed, etc.), I recommend The Plan of Salvation by B.B. Warfield. It is a short and clear summary of the various positions.
16.1. Salvation is Trinitarian: After addressing the various errors above, Bavinck returns to the Reformed understanding of salvation, which is wholly trinitarian. "Although it is true that all the external works of God [opera Dei ad extra] are undivided and inseparable, in creation and re-creation one can nevertheless observe an economy that gives us the right to speak of the Father and our creation, the Son and our redemption, the Spirit and our sanctification" (p. 570). We acknowledge that in Christ's death, he "accomplished everything there was to do in the sphere of justice: he satisfied God's demand, fulfilled the law, and acquired all the benefits of grace" (p. 570). Even so, the benefits he acquired still need to be applied to his people. After there "is a difference between ownership and possession… The acquisition of salvation therefore calls for [subsequent] application… And that application is twofold… The application of Christ's benefits, accordingly, has to consist in justification (i.e., the assurance of the forgiveness of sins and the right to eternal life) but also in sanctification (i.e., the renewal in us of the image of Christ). Not only the guilt but also the pollution and power of sin must be removed… To that end he sent the Holy Spirit… who also regenerates us and refashions us after the image of God" (pp. 570-571).
16.2. The Work of the Holy Spirit is Connected with the Work of the Father: Salvation is applied by the Holy Spirit. This task of the Holy Spirit is fully concordant with the work of the Father and the Son. The "work of the Spirit is connected with and agrees with the work of the Father. Between the two there is neither opposition nor contradiction. It is not the case that the Father wills the salvation of all and the Holy Spirit applies it only to the few, or vice versa, but the two work together because they are one in essence" (p. 571). As such, it follows that what the Father created in nature is then sanctified by the Holy Spirit by grace. Nature is not opposed to grace. Therefore, Roman Catholicism is in error as its "system is totally dominated by the contrast between nature and supernatural grace" (p. 571). Likewise, "Pietism [in its desire to retreat from nature] and Methodism [in its desire to aggressively overcome nature] misjudge the right and value of nature both before and after conversion. But the Reformation, in principle, knew no other antithesis than that of sin and grace [rather than nature and grace]. Also nature was a creation of God and subject to his providence. As such it is of no less value than grace. For that reason the Reformation could accord to nature… a pedagogical role and significance" (p. 571). We can see how nature and grace come together clearly in how God builds his church. For the most part, many of those who are included in the covenant community are children of believers. God is able to work through natural and ordinary generation in a providential way to save his people (a principle that credobaptists would fundamentally reject). "It is God himself who prepares the gracious working of the Holy Spirit in the line of generations" (p. 571).
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16.3. The Work of the Holy Spirit is Connected with the Work of the Son: Likewise, the "Son and the Spirit do not work against each other. "An illustration of that would occur if, for example, the Spirit would apply salvation only to a few, whereas the Son had acquired it for all humans, or vice versa" (p. 571). "And so, on the day of Pentecost, he sends that Spirit in order by the Spirit to apply all his benefits to his church. The Holy Spirit does not acquire those benefits nor add a single benefit, for Christ has accomplished everything. In no respect is the Spirit the meriting cause of our salvation. That is Christ alone, in whom the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily and whose work therefore does not need to be augmented or improved. On the contrary, the Holy Spirit takes everything from Christ… To that Son he bears witness… He applies all Christ’s benefits, to each in his measure, at his time, according to his order. He does not stop his activity before he has made the fullness of Christ to dwell in his church and the church has reached maturity… The activity of the Holy Spirit is therefore nothing but an applicatory one. The order of redemption is the application of salvation (applicatio salutis)" (p. 572).
17.1. Defining Grace: The word "grace" is variably used and can mean different things to different people. Bavinck mentions four possible meanings of the word. "In the first place, it can denote the undeserved favor that God bestows on his creatures, especially on human beings as sinners. As such it already appeared in the doctrine of God’s attributes. Next [second], it is a term for all sorts of physical and spiritual benefits that God out of his grace granted to his creatures and which are collectively called 'gifts of grace' and 'grace' itself (Rom. 5:20; Eph. 1:7; 2:5, 8; Phil. 1:2; Col. 1:2; Titus 2:11; 3:7; etc.). In addition [third], the word denotes the charm or gracefulness that a person displays with the gifts with which he or she has been adorned in soul and body. Finally [fourth], the Greek word χαρις and the Latin gratia frequently also have the meaning of the gratitude a person shows for favors received (gratias agere)" (p. 574). For the purpose of this study and this chapter, Bavinck specifically addresses meaning #2 and even then in a very restricted sense. He is only addressing "those gifts of God's special grace which in the preaching of the gospel are offered to all hearers and are effectively granted to the elect" (p. 574). In other words, he is speaking of salvific grace that is granted at conversion.
Side note: It is noteworthy that the Word and Spirit are central to salvation. "As in creation and providence, so in re-creation God also brought all things into being by means of the Word" (p. 580). Indeed, God creates all things by his Word. This Word possesses life and thus is able to give life (cf. Hebrews 11:3; 2 Peter 3:5; James 1:18). It is God's Spirit that uses the Word as the agent to bring about the rebirth of his elect (Beale, G. K. A New Testament Biblical Theology: The Unfolding of the Old Testament in the New. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2011. pp. 326, 854).
17.2. Defining Grace—Rome: Bavinck explains (in much detail) how Rome uses the word "grace" very differently than us. Briefly, "Grace, in the thinking of Rome, is [principally] a supernatural quality added to human beings by which they are in principle taken up into a supernatural order, become partakers of the divine nature, of the vision of God, and are able to perform supernatural acts such as by a condign merit deserve eternal life" (p. 577). "Rome seems to honor grace when it calls it absolutely necessary… But in the end it makes all that grace so powerless that in its effect it depends on the will of humans… it only serves to give to humans the powers needed to merit each following grace and eternal life. It is an aid to humans in their pursuit of deification" (pp. 578-579).
17.3. Defining Grace—The Reformed: The Reformed held to a very different concept of grace. "Grace serves, not to take up humans into a supernatural order, but to free them from sin. Grace is opposed not to nature, only to sin… When grace totally removes sin, with its entailment of guilt, pollution, and punishment, it has done its work. Then humans automatically again become the image of God, for the image of God is not a superadded gift but integral to the essence of humanity… according to the Reformed, grace has given us back more than we lost through Adam. For Christ not only acquired the 'ability not to sin and die,' as the Lutherans picture the matter, but immediately gave believers the 'inability to sin and die' (non posse peccari et mori). He does not bring us back to the point on the road where Adam stood but has covered the whole journey for us to the very end. He not only accomplished the passive but also the active obedience" which was required of us (p. 577). To the Reformed, "grace is the beginning, the middle, and the end of the entire work of salvation; it is totally devoid of human merit. Like creation and redemption, so also sanctification is a work of God. It is of him, and through him, and therefore also leads to him and serves to glorify him" (p. 579).
18. Grace of Regeneration: The term "regeneration" can be used in two senses. Regeneration "in the broad sense [is] the renewal of humans after God's image" (p. 581). It is a lifelong process that begins at conversion and reaches its climax at glorification. In a restricted sense, regeneration refers to "the infusion of the first principle of the new life" and that which precedes faith (p. 582). The time of regeneration (in the restricted sense) is not always discernible. It "did not always have to be accompanied, as Pietism and Methodism later demanded, by a 'noteworthy impact and strong attraction' but could also occur 'in time, in stages, and gracefully. Nor was it necessary that people knew exactly and could give a clear account of the manner and time of their conversions… It was not concentrated then at a single point in time but extended over the whole of the Christian life" (p. 582). In regeneration, there is "a continuing mortification of the old and an ongoing resurrection of the new person" (p. 582).
19.1. Salvation is Covenantal: We've covered a lot in this chapter. Bavinck provides six summary points to remind us of the big picture. First, salvation is covenantal. Recall, "all the benefits that Christ acquired and distributes to his church are benefits of the covenant of grace. This covenant, though first revealed in the gospel in time, has its foundation in eternity: it is grounded in the good pleasure of God, the counsel of God. Christ was designated from eternity to be the mediator of that covenant and could therefore vicariously atone for his own in time. Hence already in eternity an imputation of Christ to his own and of the church to Christ took place. Between them an exchange occurred, and a mystical union was formed that underlies their realization in history [through redemptive history, the historia salutis]… It is of the greatest importance, nevertheless, to hold onto the Reformed idea that all the benefits of the covenant of grace are firmly established in eternity [through the Covenant of Redemption]. It is God’s electing love, more specifically, it is the Father’s good pleasure, out of which all these benefits flow to the church" (pp. 590-591).
19.2. Salvation is Through Christ Alone: Second, all "the benefits of grace have been completely and solely acquired by Christ; hence, they are included in his person and lie prepared for his church in him. Nothing needs to be added to them from the side of humankind, for all is finished. And since these benefits are all covenant benefits, were acquired in the way of the covenant, and are distributed in the same covenantal way, there is no participation in those benefits except by communion with the person of Christ… What is given in the person of Christ, specifically in his death and resurrection, is not merely an objective presupposition of salvation but is itself the saving act of regeneration and justification. This salvation in Christ is now effected wherever the word of Christ produces and finds faith. By that faith we are, according to God’s will, justified and saved before him" (pp. 591-592).
19.3. Salvation is Through Christ Alone: Third, the Holy Spirit applies the saving benefits acquired by Christ to God's people. The Holy Spirit "takes everything from Christ and freely binds himself to his Word… [and] since the day of Pentecost, [also] dwells personally in the church and in each of its members and fills them with all the fullness of God. All the benefits of salvation that the Father has awarded to the church from eternity and the Son acquired in time are at the same time gifts of the Holy Spirit. Thus Christ by the Spirit, and the Father himself by Christ, incorporates all his children into most intimate fellowship with himself" (p. 593).
19.4. The Word of God is Instrumental for Our Salvation: Fourth, the Word of God serves multiple functions. In the order of salvation, regeneration comes first and is brought about by the Word (through the external call of the gospel) and the Spirit (who illuminates us through the internal call). The external call of the gospel, broadly speaking, serves three functions: it converts the elect, encourages and sanctifies believers, and condemns the reprobate. The Word "serves not only at the start to invite nonbelievers to faith and repentance but also to admonish and warn, to teach and lead believers permanently. The proclamation of the Word continues without ceasing and to the end of life continues to insist on the mortification of the old and the putting on of the new 'man'… [It is the] Word, which the Spirit employs to make the church grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ" (pp. 593-594).
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19.6. The Benefits of Salvation Unfolded in the Order of Salvation: The benefits of salvation are applied to us according to the order of salvation (ordo salutis):
"calling (with regeneration in a restricted sense, faith, and repentance); justification; sanctification; and glorification… Corresponding to these benefits are also the activities of the Holy Spirit and the operations of grace. In calling, the Holy Spirit primarily engages his convicting and teaching role and grants us preparatory, prevenient, and effecting grace. In justification, the comforting role of the Spirit and his illuminating grace are prominent. In sanctification, the Holy Spirit fulfills his sanctifying role and renews us day by day by his cooperating grace. And in the glorification that already begins in this life (2 Cor. 3:18), he fulfills his sealing role and totally restores us by his conserving and perfecting grace to the image of Christ in order that Christ may be the firstborn among many brothers (Rom. 8:29)" (p. 595).
Amen! This concludes volume 3 of Reformed Dogmatics. I hope everyone enjoyed the book. In volume 4, we will be learning about the ministry of the Holy Spirit in even more detail!
1. Salvation is Only From God: Bavinck begins the chapter by reminding us that salvation is found in no other than God himself. However, humans have sought out salvation through many other devices. In essence, all false religion is autosoteric (i.e., an attempt to save oneself) through moral self-perfection. In "the darkness of our understanding and the evil thoughts of our heart, we seek [God] not in the right way and not where he may be found" (p. 471).
2. The Role of the Law in the "Covenant of Grace": The Covenant of Grace is first presented (in a primitive form) in Genesis 3:15 after the fall where God "puts enmity between humanity and the serpent and brings humanity to his side" (p. 493). The role of the law in the Covenant of Grace is commonly misunderstood: some incorrectly take it to mean that the law continues to operate as a rule for justification (legalism), while others throw off the law and deny its use at all (antinomianism). Rather, we need to understand that the law is still operational in the Covenant of Grace.
Surprising to some, the Covenant of Grace contains certain conditions (obligations), but in a different sense than the Covenant of Works. Nonetheless, the Covenant of Grace, "obligated [those in the covenant] to walk before God's face with integrity and to keep his commandments (Gen. 17:1; Exod. 20; Deut. 10:15-16; etc.)" (p. 494). "There were among them ungodly antinomian people… who cared neither about God nor about his commandments… (Pss. 14:1; 36:2; 42:3, 10; 94:2; Mal. 2:17; 3:14). There were the Pharisaically [legalistic] minded, who stressed the outward observance of the law and based their righteousness and salvation on it (Amos 6:1; Jer. 7:4). Between these two groups were the few faithful, the sincerely pious, who were by no means indifferent to the law of the Lord, but meditated on it all day long and loved it with all their soul, yet did not base their righteousness and salvation on the observance of it" (p. 494).
3. Covenant of Grace in the Old Testament: The covenant that was made with national Israel was truly a gracious one. It was not simply another form of the Covenant of Works (as some have suggested). "In the case of Israel, one can never speak of a righteousness of its own: it has been chosen despite its stubbornness (Deut. 9:4–6). God is the source of all life and light, wisdom, power, blessedness (Deut. 8:17–18; Pss. 36:9; 68:19–20, 35; 73:25–26; Jer. 2:13, 31). 'Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name give glory' is the prayer of Israel’s devout (Ps. 115:1)" (p. 495). "[God] promises unconditionally that he will be their God and they will be his people (Exod. 19:6; Lev. 26:12) and that… he will have compassion on them and give them repentance and life (Exod. 32:30–35; Num. 14; 16:45–50; Lev. 26:40–44; Deut. 4:31; 8:5; 30:1–7; 32:36–43; Neh. 9:31). He forgives sins for his name’s sake (Exod. 34:7 etc.)… God on his part will never break that covenant and never abandon his people… It is an eternal covenant that cannot fail because it is anchored in the grace of God (2 Kings 13:23; 1 Chron. 16:17; Pss. 89:1–5; 105:10; 106:45; 111:5; Isa. 54:10)" (p. 495).
4. Covenant of Grace in the New Testament: In Jesus' ministry, he proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom of God, and a better righteousness that exceeded that of the Pharisees (Matt. 5:20). The kingdom is universal, "intended not only for the Jews but for all peoples (Matt. 8:11; 21:43). Also, it does not just make its appearance in the future but is already present now (Matt. 11:12; 12:28; Luke 17:21)… [and the] righteousness required to enter the kingdom is itself a good that God grants (Matt. 6:33)" (pp. 497-498). "Needed to participate in [the] kingdom… is not a righteousness of one’s own but repentance (μετανοια)… and faith (πιστις)… But even this [repentance] μετανοια and [faith] πιστις themselves are again the gifts of God’s grace (Matt. 11:25, 27; 15:13; 16:17; Luke 10:22; John 6:44, 65; 12:32)" (p. 498).
5. The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit: Salvation was procured by Christ in his atonement, and the promises were delivered to his people by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at his exaltation. It is noteworthy that the giving of the Holy Spirit to the church is inextricably linked to the ascension and glorification of Christ (John 7:39). This event has incredible significance. "After the creation and the incarnation, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is the third great work of God" (p. 500).
Pentecost inaugurated a new democratization of the Spirit. "Whereas earlier the Holy Spirit was given temporarily for a specific purpose to certain isolated individuals, he now descends on all the members of the church and from this time on continues to live and work in them all" (p. 501). Pentecost also heralded an expansion of God's presence among his people. It "was only on the day of Pentecost that he made the church into his temple, a temple he perpetually sanctifies, builds up, and never again abandons… It is now no longer enclosed within… the boundaries of Palestine but… expands over the whole earth and reaches out to all peoples" (p. 501). And the giving of gifts at Pentecost also marked the beginning of the many saving benefits that was to be poured out on God's people. The gifts "should be viewed as the first fruits that guarantee a great harvest and serve as an advance on the future heavenly inheritance (Rom. 8:23; 2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5; Eph. 1:14; 4:30)" (p. 504).
6. The Holy Spirit Builds the Church: In "that early period many extraordinary signs of power attended the outpouring of the Spirit… The disciples of Christ were all most intimately tied together by them into one independent holy community. They persevered in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers (Acts 2:42)… By that Spirit they gained the freedom and boldness to speak the word, were strengthened in their faith, comforted, and given joy in oppression (Acts 4:8, 31; 6:5; 9:31; 11:24; 13:52; etc.)… It is the Holy Spirit who brings about the most intimate fellowship between Christ and his church and among believers mutually" (p. 505).
The Holy Spirit builds the church by applying the salvific benefits acquired by Christ, which include regeneration, faith and conversion, justification, adoption, and sanctification (i.e., the ordo salutis). He unites us to Christ! "If Christ by his suffering and death had acquired only the forgiveness of sins, it would be enough for the Holy Spirit to confirm the proclamation of this gospel (John 15:26–27; Acts 5:32; 1 Cor. 2:4; 2 Cor. 4:13; 1 Thess. 1:5–6; 1 Pet. 1:12), to prove the world wrong (John 16:8–11), to work faith in people’s hearts (1 Cor. 2:5; 12:3; Eph. 1:19–20; 2:8; Col. 2:12; Phil. 1:29; 1 Thess. 2:13), and to assure believers of their status as children of God (Rom. 8:15–16). But this objective judicial benefit of forgiveness is not the only one; it is followed by the ethical and mystical benefit of sanctification. Christ not only takes away the guilt of sin but also breaks its power… The Holy Spirit, accordingly, is not only he who produces the faith and assures us of our status as children of God but also the author of a new life; and faith is not merely the acceptance of a witness from God but also the beginning and principle of a new lifestyle (2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 2:10; 4:24; Col. 3:9–10). In and by the Spirit, Christ himself comes to his own (John 14:18), lives in them (Rom. 8:9–11; 2 Cor. 13:5; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 3:17; Col. 3:11) as, conversely, believers by that Spirit exist, live, think, and act in Christ (John 17:21; Rom. 8:1, 9–10; 12:5; 1 Cor. 1:30; 2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 3:28; 5:25; Eph. 1:13; Col. 2:6, 10)… And not only Christ but God himself by this Spirit comes to take up residence in them and to fill them with his fullness in order that in the end he may be all in all (John 14:23; 1 Cor. 3:16–17; 6:19; 15:28; 2 Cor. 6:16; Eph. 2:22)" (pp. 505-506).
Side note: I did not go into the extraordinary spiritual gifts of the Spirit. This topic is quite large and would simply take too much time to cover in depth here. But, I recommend a book entitled Perspectives on Pentecost by Richard B. Gaffin Jr. for anyone that's interested in reading more about the gifts of the Spirit in more detail.
8. Pelagianism: We have discussed Pelagianism a number of times already, but it is again revisited here. Pelagius' system is the highest expression of autosoteriology (i.e., salvation based on self merit). He denied original sin, "so that neither guilt nor pollution nor even death was a consequence of the first transgression… Salvation… [could] be obtained by following the natural law… Hence, in Pelagius' theology there could be no internal grace" (p. 508). "Nomism (Pelagianism in its various forms and degrees) not only collides with the decrees of God, but also fails to do justice to the person and work of Christ. To the degree that in the acquisition of salvation it expands the activity of humans, it shrinks that of Christ… Christ, accordingly, steps down from the unique position he occupies in the work of salvation… And humans themselves, though aided and supported by all that God has done to nurture them, are summoned to self-activity" (pp. 566-567). In this system, "people gain salvation by their own wisdom and strength" (p. 567) and are therefore left without hope. After all, to "the degree that people examine themselves and their work more carefully, they make the sad discovery that even their best works are imperfect and stained with sin" (p. 567).
9. Semi-Pelagianism: While Pelagianism was outright condemned as heretical at the Synod of Carthage (418), Council of Ephesus (431), and Synod of Orange (529), a more moderate version emerged. "Semi-Pelagianism… taught that though humanity was not spiritually dead as a result of Adam’s sin, it was ill; that its freedom of the will had not been lost but was weakened; and that humans therefore—to do the good and to obtain salvation—needed the assistance of divine grace. However, the grace that illumines the mind and supports the will may never be detached from but must always be viewed in connection with the freedom of will still remaining in humans. Grace and will work together… The beginning of faith and persevering in it is a matter of the will; grace is needed only for the increase of faith. God helps those who help themselves" (p. 509).