God is No Longer Displeased :: Readers’ Choice

John Calvin — Excerpt from Commentary on the Book of Psalms (1557)

Readers’ Choice (originally published on Park Forum October 2, 2014)


“I have never seen the word ‘irrefragable’ before. And, I’m sort of a ‘word-guy,’ so I looked it up. ‘Ir’ (not) ‘re’ (again) ‘fragable’ (from ‘sufferage’ – ‘to vote’). God does not take a vote about us again after he has set his love on us in Christ. Pure gold.” — Steve


Psalm 85.2
You forgave the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin. Selah

It was very natural for the faithful to feel alarmed and perplexed on account of their sins, and therefore the prophet removes all ground for overwhelming apprehension, by showing them, that God, in delivering his people, had given an irrefragable proof of free forgiveness.

He had before traced this deliverance to the mere good pleasure and free grace of God as its source; but after it was wrought, the iniquities of the people having separated between them and their God, and estranged them from him, it was necessary that the remedy of pardon should be brought to their aid.

In saying that their iniquities were taken away, he does not refer to the faithful being reformed and purged from their sins, in other words, to that work by which God, sanctifying them by the Spirit of regeneration, actually removes sin from them. What he intended to say he explains immediately after. The amount, in short, is, that God was reconciled to [his people] by not imputing their sins to them.

When God is said to cover sins, the meaning is, that he buries them, so that they come not into judgment, as we have shown more at large on the 32d psalm, at the beginning. When, therefore, he had punished the sins of his people by captivity, it being his will to restore them again to their own country, he removed the great impediment to this, by blotting out their transgressions; for deliverance from punishment depends upon the remission of sin.

Thus we are furnished with an argument in confutation of that foolish conceit of the Sophists, which they set forth as some great mystery, That God retains the punishment although he forgive the fault; whereas God announces in every part of his word, that his object in pardoning is, that being pacified, he may at the same time mitigate the punishment.

The sequence of the pardon of sin is, that God by his blessing testifies that he is no longer displeased.

Today’s Readings
1 Samuel 19 (Listen – 3:43)
1 Corinthians 1 (Listen – 4:03)

The Lovelessness of Indecision

Full Text: Job 30; 1 Cor. 16
Highlighted Text: 1 Cor. 16:13-14

Indecision | In 1934, Dietrich Bonhoeffer looked across Europe and lamented the Christian indecisiveness that he saw. Nazism’s influence on the German church was almost complete and Christians seemed unwilling to do anything about it. On April 7, Bonhoeffer wrote a letter to the head of the ecumenical World Alliance, pleading for action:

“A decision must be made at some point, and it’s no good waiting indefinitely for a sign from heaven that will solve the difficulty without further trouble. Even the ecumenical movement has to make up its mind and is therefore subject to error, like everything human …

But to procrastinate and prevaricate simply because you’re afraid of erring, when others – I mean our brethren in Germany – must make infinitely more difficult decisions every day, seems to me almost to run counter to love. To delay or fail to make decisions may be more sinful than to make wrong decisions out of faith and love” [1].

Love | Like Bonhoeffer, Paul suggests that a strong and decisive love – not perfect decision-making – is the mark of a Christian. To the Corinthians, he writes, “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love” [2]. We can’t know everything. Ever. In every decision we make, there are unknown realities – things about the present that are hidden and things about the future that are unknowable. Yet our lack of information need not lead us into fear – for the Lord repeatedly tells us not to fear, but to stand firm [3].

Fight | How do we fight fear when it rises in our hearts? We cling to hope in God’s promises. In spite of uncertainties, we consider Him faithful [4]. We affirm God’s sovereign rule in our lives as more valuable than our information. We cast out fear and place our hope in God.

Prayer | Lord, We confess that we have oftentimes let fear lead us to indecision. Yet we long to have a strong love for you and others – a love that hopes in your power and sovereignty so that fear is driven out. Therefore, let us admit that making mistakes is a part of this life, but we don’t need to fear our mistakes. Instead, let us put away indecision and fear and, in its place, be guided by love and hope in the one certain thing of the universe – you. Amen.

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Footnotes

[1] Eric Metaxas, Bonhoeffer, [Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2010], 218)  |  [2] 1 Cor. 16:13-14 ESV  |  [3] See, e.g., Is. 41:10, 13; Ps. 23:4; Ex. 14:13; Deut. 31:6; 2 Tim. 1:7; Ps. 27:1; Lk. 1:30; 2:10; Heb. 13:6; Jn. 14:27  |  [4] Heb. 11:11  |  [FN] See also John Piper, “When Is Indecision Loveless and Sinful?” Desiring God. 27 Feb. 2012.

Why We Might Pity Entrepreneurs and Christians

Highlighted Text: 1 Cor. 15:19
Full Text: Job 29; 1 Cor. 15

Entrepreneurs | Entrepreneurs sacrifice a lot to accomplish a greater goal. Many leave successful careers in well-established companies, steady incomes and bonuses, and large staffs that care for all the incidentals of running a business. As a result, entrepreneurs usually live modestly – spending their money and time far more strategically and deliberately than they did before. Of course, in their minds, all the sacrifices are worth it because they have a goal in mind – to make their startup successful. They think, “It won’t always be this way. I will sow the sacrifices now so that I can reap the benefits later.”

Christians | Like entrepreneurs, Christians don’t live for today; we live for tomorrow. Our goal is great – to make much of Christ in the only life that we have. We live modestly because we know that our treasures are in heaven and we spend our time strategically because we know that our lives are short and precious. We think, “It won’t always be this way. We’ll sow the sacrifices now so that we can reap the rewards later.”

Success | In both cases, however, there is a harsh reality – that the worth of our sacrifice depends on the reality of our success.  As Paul wrote, “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied” [1]. Entrepreneurs and Christians alike pour out blood, sweat and tears into realizing their goal. Yet our ventures cannot be based solely on passion; they must be based on truth. If the startup venture fails, then we pity the entrepreneur. If the biblical portrait of Jesus isn’t true, then we pity the Christian. Why? Because both of them sacrificed so much for nothing.

Prayer | Lord, Many generations have gone before us and have been commended for their faith – yet none of them received what had been promised [2]. Together with them, we live by a faith that looks to the life that is to come. Although we cannot yet see it with our eyes, we thank you for the person of Jesus – who came to live on earth in human form, who bled and died in a mortal body, and who rose again for hundreds to bear witness to his resurrection. Therefore, let us give ourselves to the study of Jesus and to the passionate pursuit of his love. For our best life is later, not today. Amen.

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Footnotes

[1] 1 Cor. 15:19  |  [2] Heb. 11:39

How Forgiveness Depends on the Resurrection

Highlighted Text: 1 Cor. 15:17
Full Text: Job 29; 1 Cor. 15

Command | God commands us to forgive others – regardless of the severity of the harm or the number of times it has been done [1]. But He doesn’t merely tell us to forgive; He gives us the power and ability to forgive. As John Bunyon wrote:

Run, John, run, the law commands
But gives us neither feet nor hands,

Far better news the gospel brings:
It bids us fly and gives us wings [2].

Wings | What are the wings of the gospel that give us the ability to fly in forgiveness? Our experience of God’s inexhaustible mercy and love. He loved and died for us before we were born and, throughout our lives, He pursues and adopts and forgives us – even when we have no thought of Him [3] or lack faith in Him [4]. Therefore, we can endure and forgive anything because God’s love for us and Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf and our inheritance in Christ are infinitely inexhaustible resources [5]. Yet Paul writes, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” [6]. What does the resurrection have to do with anything? Isn’t our forgiveness accomplished by the crucifixion? [7]

Evidence | If the Father did not raise the Son from the dead, then there is no evidence that He accepted Christ’s sacrifice as sufficient. The reward had to be given. If his sacrifice was not accepted, then we are still in our sins, bearing guilt under condemnation and living apart from fellowship with God. In other words, if Christ was not raised, then we are not forgiven – which means we have no power or ability to fly in the forgiveness that God commands.

Ability | But Christ has been raised – which means that God eternally established all of his promises. He validated Christ’s blood and death when He raised him from the dead. Therefore, we are no longer in our sins and we have the power and ability to forgive others out of our experience of God’s inexhaustible forgiveness.

Prayer | Lord, You have given us forgiveness in Christ’s death and definitive proof of your approval in his resurrection. Therefore, we glorify his name because it answers our greatest need – that is, the need to be forgiven – so that we can commune with you. Thus, in light of these infinitely powerful wings, let us fly in forgiving others. Amen.

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Footnotes

[1] See Matt. 6:14-15; Col. 3:13; Mark 11:25; Rom. 12:19; Luke 17:3-4Matt. 18:21-22.  |  [2] Although this is traditionally attributed to John Bunyon, it’s debatable. See here.  |  [3] See Rom. 5:8  |  [4] See 2 Tim. 2:13. See also Hosea; Psalm 145:8; 103:8; 86:15; Rom. 8:14-17.  |  [5] See Psalm 145:8; 103:8; 86:15  |  [6] 1 Cor. 15:17  |  [7] See Rom. 5:9; Eph. 1:7

He Is Our Dread and Our Sanctuary

Highlighted Text: Job 28:28
Full Text: Job 28; 1 Cor. 14

Advances | Today, we have thousands of ways to access information and tons of timesaving devices. But do we have more wisdom or time? In 1934, T.S. Eliot reflected,

The endless cycle of idea and action,
Endless invention, endless experiment,
Brings knowledge of motion but not of stillness …
Where is the Life we have lost in living?
Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
Where is the knowledge we have lost in information? [1].

Wisdom | Job, too, praised modern technology in his time: “Man puts his hand to the flinty rock … He dams up the streams so that they do not trickle“ [2]. Yet he wondered whether those advances brought more wisdom: “But where shall wisdom be found? … Man does not know its worth … God understands the way to it … And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding“ [3].

Picture | What is the fear of the Lord? John Piper offers a picture. Imagine a small child meeting a large German shepherd. The dog greets the unfamiliar child with barks and growls, but – in time – becomes calm and friendly. Nonetheless, the owner warns the child, “Don’t run from him.” But the child forgets and, when the dog trots behind him, the child starts to run because he can only remember the dog’s scary barks, not its friendly licks. Then, as expected, the dog barks and growls again. As Piper says, this is the fear of the Lord: “Do not fear to draw near, but keep the fear of the dog (the fear of the Lord) before your eyes, lest you try to run away (lest you start to fall into sin)” [4]. In other words, “God is a joy to be near and a terror to those who flee” [5].

Prayer | Lord, Let us not run from you, but to you. As we grow wiser and shun evil, let us fear fleeing from your fellowship because we want it so much. Warm our hearts in your refuge and strength so that we know that our peace and hope is found in wisdom, not information. Then we will say with Isaiah, “The Lord of hosts … let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he will become a sanctuary” [6]. Amen.

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Footnotes

[1] T.S. Eliot. “The Rock.” (1934): entire text here.  |  [2] Job 28:3, 9, 11 ESV  |  [3] Job 28:12, 13, 23, 28 ESV  |  [4] See John Piper, “A Woman Who Fears the Lord Is to Be Praised.” 10 May 1981.  |  [5] Id.  |  [6] See Isaiah. 8:13