Tag: Covenant

Covenant and Redemptive History

THEOLOGY AND HISTORY ARE implicated in all of God’s covenants. Scripture presents the story of Christianity in a comprehensive manner, including God’s plan for the redemption of fallen man. It also addresses Christian doctrine, theology, mission, and destiny. But the Bible is also a history book containing horizontal (chronological) history and redemptive (“non linear” or vertical) history. Traditional history seeks to establish a chronology or horizontal outlay of all known events throughout the existence of mankind. R.C. Sproul describes redemptive history as the context in which God has worked out His plan for salvation. Therefore, it is appropriate to call the Bible a history book, a treatise on biblical theology, and the story of man’s redemption from sin.

Ancient history is remarkably plentiful, and it continues to grow every year as new excavations are conducted throughout what what once known as Mesopotamia (“between two rivers”). Because it is the first place where complex urban centers grew and where God placed man at the time of creation, Mesopotamia is rightfully referred to as “the cradle of civilization.” Being a fertile region, rich in food sources and water, Mesopotamia has also been called the Fertile Crescent. Ancient cities began to pop up along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers as the two were used for irrigation and as “water” highways. This region is among my most favorite areas of research.

Lewis Mumford’s The City in History is quite helpful for comparing secular and biblical history regarding civilization and urbanization from the origin of man’s first “permanent” settlement in ancient Mesopotamia (circa 4000 B.C.E.) through the Indus Valley, Egypt, the Mayans, China, the Greeks, Persia, and Roman civilization. Mumford outlines the forms of civilization, such as development of the sanctuary, village, stronghold, polis, and megalopolis.

Specific to Jerusalem and the three major religions who lay claim to her (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) it is helpful to read such books as The Archaeology of Jerusalem: From the Origins to the Ottomans by Katharina Galor, The Sumerians by C. Leonard Woolley, Babylon: A History from Beginning to End compiled by Hourly History, Ancient Mesopotamia compiled by Enthralling History, The Temple Revealed by Christian Widener, PhD, The Assyrian Prophecy by Ron Susek, and Come, Tell Me How You Live: An Archaeological Memoir by Agatha Christie.

The Bible as History

The Bible is clearly the primary means by which God communicates His will and His plan for the redemption of mankind. Yet, there is so much rich history in Scripture that we cannot ignore its value in this regard as well. Remember, the Bible is not just one book. Rather, it is comprised of 66 individual books written over a period of approximately 1,600 years. Arguably, different books of the Bible were written for different reasons—edification, education, inspiration, revelation, and, yes, valuable history. Jesus used stories from the Old Testament in His teaching methods, including allegory, parable, extended metaphor—and it’s pretty obvious when He does so. But He often refers to actual events, such as the Great Flood, Moses delivering the Israelites from bondage to Pharaoh, the Jews, the Roman Empire, famines, kings, prophets, wars, famines, and more.

“History is the context in which God works out His plan for redemption.” — R.C. Sproul

Russ Whitten writes, “Modern archaeology has helped us realize that the Bible is historically accurate even in the smallest of details. There have been thousands of archaeological discoveries in the past century that support every book of the Bible.”(1) For example, archaeology has confirmed that David was truly a king; in 1994, archaeologists discovered an ancient stone slab in northern Galilee that was inscribed with the references to King David and the “House of David.” The City of David, just south of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, has been excavated, leading to the discovery of substantial artifacts. Chronological biblical history tells of verifiable events regarding ancient civilization, genealogies, peoples, art, warfare, cultural development, the establishment of independent nations—quite an accumulation of information. The Bible presents in exquisite detail the planning and building of the temple under the Old Covenant. The plight of Israel is laid out in a verifiable chronology.

Redemptive History

It is not my intention to move the focus of Scripture away from redemption and restoration. The Bible primarily contains the will of the Father. It presents also the unimaginable sacrifice of Christ on the cross and the power and guidance available through the Holy Spirit. It establishes a complete history of God’s plan for the redemption of mankind, from “covering” of the sin and shame of Adam and Eve in the garden, through sacrifice of animals as an atonement for sin, to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Through faith in the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, we are “covered” by the righteousness of God. The history of of man’s atonement is frequently referred to as the “thread of redemption.” Redemptive history is not linear or chronological in nature. This is because salvation is available without regard to era or dispensation. Old Testament believers in Christ were grounded in “forward-looking” faith in the prophesy concerning Christ as Messiah, and New Testament believers have a “backward-looking” faith in the incarnation, life, death, and resurrection of Christ.

Salvation and time are inexorably bound—depicted in actual historical events.

History laid out in the Bible is more than timelines and genealogies. Timelines and such are considered chronologies, which comes from the Greek word chronos (χρόνος), referring to the step-by-step, minute-by-minute, accumulation of time (events). Kairos (καιρός) refers to something being “of season,” at “a fitting time,” or the “quality”of the time period in question. R.C. Sproul believes kairos suggests a significant moment in history that is “pregnant with meaning,” after which event everything changes; everything that happens before the event has been leading up to it—there is a “causative” effect. This is how redemptive history operates.(2) It is “above actual history” and vertical in orientation. Man’s orientation to God changed from vertical (heavenward) to horizontal (side-to-side within cultural parameters) at the moment Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit. Man decided to be his own arbiter of good and evil; to come up with his own answers to the four great questions of life: origin, purpose, morality, and destiny.

Don Steward writes, “In what ways, if any, does the study of history help with our understanding of the Bible? Can it be helpful for us? Should we take the time to find out the results of the historical investigation of the Scripture? The answer is, ‘Yes.’ The study of the history and background of the biblical world is helpful in a number of ways. First, the entire biblical revelation centers on what God has done in history. There are countless references in both testaments to people, events and geographical locations… there are many other episodes in the life of Christ that give historical detail as to where and when the event took place. As we look at the Book of Acts, we find that there are over three hundred references to names, places, things and events.”(3)

The more we learn about the ancient world, the more we find that the Bible gives a precise picture of people, places and events. Stewart writes, “There is another important reason to study biblical history. It can place the events in the Bible in sharper focus. By understanding the history and background of Scripture, we can better appreciate the meaning of stories contained in its pages. Because of the work of archaeologists, we now have a more complete understanding of the nature of the cities and buildings of New Testament times.”(4) Josh and Sean McDowell write, “Christianity is a historical faith, meaning that it rests finally on the historical life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. If these events are not true, then the Christian faith is false, and its teachings are groundless (1 Cor. 15_14, 17). Yet if these claims can be established through normal historical methods, then we have a compelling reason to believe that Christianity is true.”(5)

Steven Barto, B.S. Psy., M.A. Theological Studies

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references contained herein are from the English Standard Version (ESV).

References
(1) Russ Whitten, “Have You Ever Wondered: Is the Bible Historically Accurate?” The Destin Log (June 15, 2017), accessed June 24, 2022. URL: https://www.thedestinlog.com/story/lifestyle/faith/2017/06/15/have-you-wondered-is-bible-historically-accurate/985681007/
(2) R.C. Sproul, “The Meaning of Covenant,” Renewing Your Mind Lecture Series (May 10, 2022), accessed June 20, 2022. URL: https://www.ligonier.org/learn/series/promise-keeper/the-meaning-of-covenant-feb-2015
(3) Don Stewart, “Why Should the Historical Background of the Bible be Studied?” Blue Letter Bible, (n.d.), accessed Sept. 29, 2022, https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/stewart_don/faq/historical-accuracy-of-the-bible/question1-historical-background-bible.cfm
(4) Ibid.
(5) Josh McDowell, Sean McDowell, PhD, Evidence that Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2017), 688.

First Principles Part Two: Salvation from Our Sin Nature

GOD FORMED MAN OUT out of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living creature (see Gen. 2:7). God put the man (Adam) in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it. The name Adam comes from adama, a Hebrew word meaning “earth.” God said to Adam, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Gen. 2:16-17). This is often referred to as the Adamic Covenant—a covenant of works (“standard” of behavior to be followed) consisting of a blessing of eternal life on the condition of perfect obedience, and a curse of death upon disobedience. Unfortunately, it was only a matter of days before Adam and Eve disobeyed God. What causes our predisposition to sin?

What is Sin?

Sin (Gr. hamartia) means transgression, overstepping the line established between good and evil, right and wrong. It is an “error” or departure from the right path. God did not “create” evil. Augustine of Hippo believed evil is a privation which cannot be properly said to exist at all. In fact, he believed evil is simply the absence of good—there is no cause to do evil outside the will itself (1). When we sin, we willfully decide to intrude into the sphere of God’s authority—to choose for ourselves what is right and wrong as did Adam and Eve. It is considered lawlessness; a lack of conformity to God’s will. Regardless of the nature of sin, its wages is death (Rom. 6:23). The ultimate results are total and permanent separation from God. Adam and Eve traded their lives in a virtual paradise, walking with God in the cool of the Garden, for exile to a life of toil and pain, disease and death. A loss of the manifest presence of God.

D.G. Bloesch writes, “Sin is not only an act of wrongdoing, but also a state of alienation from God… it signifies the rupture of personal relationship with God” (2). Paul said sin is not only a conscious decision to not choose that which is good, it can be considered a malignant personal power (or obsession) that holds humanity in its grasp. In Reformed theology, sin’s core is unbelief. We see this when Adam and Eve choose to trust the serpent over God—surely God did not really mean they would die. Sin causes a hardness of the heart; an unwillingness to be open to truth. Its manifestation includes pride, sensuality, fear, self-pity, selfishness, jealously, greed, sexual immorality, and more. Its effects are physical, moral, and spiritual.

We are born with a propensity to sin. “Original” sin refers to a spiritual infection. Adam and Eve’s disobedience doesn’t tell us much about the nature of sin. But, as Bloesch writes, “…this was not its intention” (3). Their disobedience is meant to spotlight the universal predicament of falling into temptation. Bloesch thinks demonic sin happened prior to human sin. Christian theology speaks of Lucifer’s desire to be like God, and his attempt to elevate himself. God expelled Lucifer from heaven, throwing him down to earth. This angelic fall preceded humanity’s fall. Amazingly, Adam and Eve were guilty of the same sin as Lucifer—wanting to be like God, able to decide for themselves the meaning of good and evil. This is the root cause of man looking for his own answers to questions about origin, purpose, morality, and destiny. I believe this is the very moment when man chose secularism over religion.

The Scope of Salvation

Because sin is such a prolific problem, it requires a potent and all-encompassing remedy. We are not saved by ourselves, for works can never lead to righteousness. We cannot behave our way into heaven. Through the grace and mercy of the Father, we are washed white as snow by the righteousness of Christ and renewed by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus (see Titus 3:5-7). This is the basis of our salvation and the foundation upon which we build our new life in Christ. Salvation (Gr. sōtēria) comes from a word root meaning “width,” “spaciousness,” “freedom from constraint.” We are delivered from the bondage and punishment of sin. Hallelujah! Without redemption, we are prone to destruction, divine wrath, exile, lawlessness, disease, and death.

Comprehensiveness of Salvation:

  • wholeness
  • soundness
  • peace
  • preservation
  • spiritual blessing
  • freedom from the bondage of habit and vice
  • endurance
  • justification
  • reconciliation
  • atonement
  • adoption into the family of God
  • new birth

Atonement always requires sacrifice. Leviticus 17:11: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.” There is no redemption without the shedding of blood (see Heb. 9:22). In fact, the first blood sacrifice occurred when God killed an animal and fashioned clothing for Adam and Eve to cover their sin and shame. Paul wrote, “…but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. He shed His blood as the ultimate atonement for all sin. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God” (Rom. 5:8-9). The blood of Christ is the power of God unto salvation. Christ has redeemed us from the Law, which could not save us. It could only show our need for a Savior. Paul pairs redemption with justification and propitiation (see Rom. 3:24). He wrote, “And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:30).

Attaining Salvation

I have the tendency to be fiercely independent, determined to heal myself, fix my life, put the past behind, become holy and obedient. Guess this comes from wanting to prove to my family, indeed to everyone, that I am okay now. Those decades of active addiction, lying, cheating, stealing, manipulating others, have come to a close, yet it is hard to convince others that I am different today. It makes me think of “I’m Not Who I Was” by Brandon Heath:

There is no self-ransom; no self-redemption. Without Jesus, there is no forgiveness of sin; no freedom from slavery to our sin nature. But, in Christ we become a new creation. The old has passed away, and the new has come (see 2 Cor. 5:17). For our sake God made Jesus to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (see 2 Cor. 5:21). The gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes; through salvation the righteousness of God is revealed (see Rom. 1:16). John said it is only by believing that Jesus is the Son of God that we are able overcome the world (see 1 John 5:5). Through Christ, we can put on the robe of righteousness (see Rom. 1:17). We are saved by grace alone (Sola gratia) through faith alone (Sola fide) in Christ alone (Sola Christus).

Born Again

Jesus told Nicodemus, a Pharisee, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Nicodemus was confused. How can a man possibly enter his mother’s womb and be born again? No, Jesus said, this is not what it means to be born again. Instead, “I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:5-6). As a rabbi, Nicodemus should have remembered the teachings of Moses and the prophets, who used metaphors to describe this second birth. J.I. Packer identifies “born again” as new birth, or regeneration. He writes, “The Bible conceives salvation as the redemptive renewal of humans based on restored relationship with God [through] Christ” (4). Packer believes regeneration changes a person’s disposition. This word is often associated with types of personality. Further, it reminds me of the “character defects” we work to eliminate in recovery work. It “…enlightens the blinded mind.”

The Regenerate Person Has Forever Ceased to be the Person He or She Was.

Matthew Barret wrote, “Being called a ‘born-again Christian’ can mean many things to many people. For some, it means you are a Bible-thumping fundamentalist or a political conservative. For others, it means you were converted at a Billy Graham crusade. Countless stereotypes have created endless confusion” (5). Jesus chose a different metaphor from those used in the OT, but the message is the same: Unless the Spirit of God does something supernatural, we remain spiritually lifeless. Barrett says we we think the new birth is something we must do, but it is the work of the Spirit, not the work of the sinner. I think where we get confused comes from crusades and alter calls. We decide, we raise our hand, we go down front, we recite the “sinner’s prayer,” and we are saved. Let’s look at the process from a biblical perspective: (i) God provides a prevenient grace that causes our heart to know the truth of our sin and yearn for a savior; (ii) God gives us the courage to move toward Him—”nudge” us in His direction; (iii) the Holy Spirit testifies in our heart that Jesus is the Savior we yearn for; (iv) God hears our confession of faith; (v) God forgives us, and clothes us in the righteousness of His Son.

Second Corinthians 5:21 says Jesus actually became our sin to that we could literally become His righteousness. Paul said, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph. 2:8-9). We are given access to God’s riches at a great cost; at the expense of Jesus (see Eph. 2:13, 18). Paul said, “For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh” (Rom. 8:3). Paul tells us that because God sacrificed His Son on the cross for our redemption, it is only reasonable that we present our bodies as a living sacrifice (see Rom. 12:1). Our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit within us. We are not our own; we were bought with a price, and should glorify God in our bodies (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

In Part 3 we will explore temptation, examine the temptation of Christ in the desert, and learn what His death and resurrection means for us as followers of Christ.

References
(1) Augustine of Hippo,
(2) D. G. Bloesch, “Sin,” in the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 3rd. ed., Daniel J. Treier, editor (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2017), 808.
(3) Bloesch, Ibid., 809.
(4) J.I Packer, “Regeneration,” in the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Ibid., 734.
(5) Matthew Barrett, “Even Among Well-Meaning Christians, ‘Born Again’ is Often Misunderstood,” Christianity Today (June 22, 2022). Accessed May 8, 2022. URL: https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2020/july-august/steven-lawson-new-life-christ-born-again.html

Unless otherwise specified, all Scripture references are taken from the ESV (English Standard Version).