The Peace of God

Peace/Order is not typically considered an attribute of God. The peace of God comes from His infinite wisdom, knowledge, and power. It comes from His omnipresence, omnipotence, and omniscience. God is orchestrating outcomes all over the world in Billions of people’s lives, in real-time. All the while, He has been orchestrating in history the outcomes he has foreordained should come about. The destruction and rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. The words of the profits in history brought together in perfection, culminating on the cross of Christ. Peace and order is God in sovereign control, inactive control moving through history working all things together for the righteous outcomes that he decreed in eternity past.

The definition of God’s Peace: “God’s peace means that in God’s being and, in His actions, He is separate from all confusion and disorder, yet He is continually active in innumerable well-ordered, fully controlled, simultaneous actions” (Systematic Theology, Grudem, page 202).

Why do I mention peace as an attribute if it is not traditionally considered an attribute of God?

“For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints” (1 Corinthians 14:33).

“May the God of peace be with you all. Amen,” (Romans 15;33).

“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you” (Romans 16:20).

There are dozens of scriptures in both the old and new testaments that are used to describe God as the God of peace, this is why I chose to write about the attribute of peace.

This is a short blog this week if you are God’s elect you are in my prayer. If you don’t know if you are or not, you're still in my prayers. The words of Christ and my prayer for you,

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).

The Holiness of God

Dear friends and neighbors, brothers and sisters. Because of my last two blog’s I desire to make clear that I do not believe that God takes pleasure in the destruction of the wicked. You may be asking your selves why He destroys the wicked if He takes no pleasure in it?  It is because of Holiness. At the beginning of this journey into the attributes of God, I said that all attributes had to be displayed equally, that one attribute did not take precedence over another. When it comes to holiness, however, I think I have to change my thinking a little. The Seraphim in heaven do not fly around the throne of God singing, Love, Love, Love, is the Lord God almighty. The Seraphim do not sing, Wrath, Wrath, Wrath, is the Lord God almighty. NO, the Seraphim fly around the throne of God singing, Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who is and was and is to come. Holiness is the defining attribute of God. Holiness demands that all of God’s attributes be displayed to the elect so that we can more fully know Him. Holiness is why God’s wrath is stored up for vessels of wrath prepared beforehand and at the same time, God does not take pleasure in their destruction. God’s wrath and God’s love must be equally displayed. God’s anger at sin and His love must equally be displayed. Because all of God’s attributes are equally holy, one attribute cannot take precedence over another. Holiness is the attribute that makes this balance possible and makes God the one true and holy God.

I have read that love is God’s defining attribute but, if God’s love were not controlled by God’s holiness, we might have a God blinded by love, unable to move against sin. Locked in fear of losing one of his creation and not the Holy God of the scripture. If God’s wrath were not controlled by holiness, we would have a tyrant god, much like the man-made gods of old. However, this is not the God we have.  We have a holy, loving, merciful God who is also righteous, just, and filled with wrath against sin. His decrees will be carried out untarnished by unbridled emotion, but instead controlled by God’s holiness.

The primary biblical definition of Holiness: Separate; Other or Different; Higher or Superior.

The secondary definition: Personal righteousness and purity.

The secondary definition is holiness as applied to Humans,

“since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1Peter 1:16).

But it is the primary definition that we are concerned with. The Separate, Different, Higher, Superior God. Defining God in this way helps to understand why we cannot understand God’s Holiness. The reason why we sound to some hard and unforgiving when we discuss issues like God’s wrath being saved up for vessels of wrath prepared beforehand.   We almost always get the response that God takes no pleasure in the destruction of the wicked. To which we should always respond amen because there is no disagreement in these two statements. God is Holy and because His ways are not our ways, for Him, both can be true. We should not judge God based on our understanding of how emotions work, because our emotions are illogical, unthought messes. God is Holy and Righteous and true and because He is Holy all of his attributes must be equally weighed. All of His attributes must be equally displayed. One attribute of God cannot outweigh the other.

The disciples, after having watched Christ's displays of power in healing, believing that His prayer life had some effect, asked Him to teach them how to pray. Jesus responded.

 "Pray then like this: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,'" (Mathew 6:9-13).

Christ is not here proclaiming that God’s name is Holy or he would have said, hallowed is your name. No, instead He said ‘hallowed be your name.”  We need to be praying every time that we lift our voices to God that God’s name would be held as Holy on earth as it is in heaven. Then we can ask that His will be done and that His kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. There is divine order in this prayer that Christ instructs, not just His first-century followers, but he instructs us to pray.

There are so many privileges and honors in being part of the elect of God. What was said in the first half of this blog may sound confusing, or incomprehensible to those who are not elect It may sound this way to those who are elect but have been under false teaching their whole lives. It may sound this way to newborn elect, who haven’t had the benefit of proper teaching or time to read and study God’s word. To you, I say pray for God’s wisdom.  It is contained in the word of God and imparted by the Holy Spirit of God. To those who are simply not of the faith at this time but feel like you want to know more, find someone to help you, to pray with you. Most importantly seek Christ and do not stop until you have the assurance that you belong to Him.

I hope that I did some justice to God’s Holiness. If you want to no more, R C Sproul has a 5 or 6 video series on The holiness of God on YouTube. I highly recommend it. As always I will continue to pray that God uses this blog, and for those who are not believers, that God would give you hearts of flesh, ears to hear, and eyes to see. For those who are believers I will pray for God to increase your understanding, and for wisdom.

May God have mercy on our eternal souls.

God's True Grace.

After further word study and scripture reading, I decided to write a little more on Grace. There was a little discussion about common grace after my last blog. After more study, I have not changed my mind but would like to argue against common grace from the book of 1 Peter. I will go to the end of 1 Peter and start there. 1 Peter 5:12, NASB,

“Through Silvanus, our good brother (for so I regard him), I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it.”

What Peter is saying is that what he has written previously in this book is the true grace of God. I added the emphasis on true grace. I am only going to summarize 1 Peter, not quote it word for word. So, be a Berean and read 1 Peter for yourself to find out if my interpretation is right or not.

1 Peter chapter 1: 1-2, “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.”

Peter goes on in chapter 1, to praise the Father and the Son for so great a salvation and to warn against falling back into things they have been saved from. I am suggesting that the true grace here is this great salvation.

After Peter explained this great salvation, how it came about, and what we need to do to Honor this salvation. He goes on in chapter 2 in a little more detail about the things we need to put off, and how Christ was the stone laid in Zion, the rock that was rejected, a stumbling stone. When we get to verse 9, we read,

“But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR GOD’S OWN POSSESSION, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

Is this not God’s true grace? Peter goes on in chapter 2, to explain how they were once not a people but are now a people of God. He explains they should submit themselves to their authorities, how being punished for doing right is better than being punished for doing wrong. He explains how being punished for doing wrong brings no reward, but how being punished for doing right glorifies God and silences the ignorance of men. Then Peter uses our suffering Christ as an example of what he has been teaching. Again, I ask you is this not the true grace of God.

In chapter 3, Peter goes on to give examples of submission using the relationship between a husband and a wife. The rest of chapter 3 is a summary or reexplanation of what he went over in the first two chapters.

Chapter 4 is the application of the truths, or should I say true grace, that Peter has been teaching us how we should live and respond to this truth. In the last part of chapter 4, Peter exhorts us to share in the sufferings of Christ. I believe to the extent we receive this true grace that Peter has been teaching us about, we can share in the suffering of Christ. The more we strive in sanctification through the Holy Spirit. The more we will be able to share in the sufferings of Christ through this true grace received in Christ.

In chapter 5, Peter exhorts the shepherds of the local flocks, on how to deal with their flocks. He exhorts young men to be in subjection to their elders, and how we should all humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. He explains how we should resist the adversary. But soon we are back to verse 12,

“Through Silvanus, our good brother (for so I regard him), I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it.”

I hope this was not to dry for you, and that you held on to the end. I have only a couple of remarks left for you to consider.

1)     This true grace that Peter wrote about was to and for believers. He was not writing to any unbelievers with this epistle. 

2)     This true grace that believers receive brings salvation, sanctification, and eventually glorification.

3)     This true grace that peter speaks of informs us how to live and why we should live that way.

Lastly, I did not write this because I felt like I was under attack from anyone. I wrote because when people you respect question you on what you have written, it is best to take precaution and restudy what you think you know. I have not changed my position on common Grace. I still believe that common grace is confused with the manifold mercies of God, spoken of in Psalm 145:9, NASB,

“The Lord is good to all, and His mercies are overall.”

After a word study of grace, gracious, and Graciously, I believe I understand the misconception. The definitions lead one to believe that grace is or can be applied like mercy is applied. However, in reading the scripture, I only find where grace is applied to the elect of God. The way Peter applies true grace in his first epistle.

I want to remind everyone that I added the emphasis on true grace, and this was not written to be argumentative. I hope this is a blessing to those who read it.

The Patience/Long-suffering, Mercy, and Grace of God

This blog has required a lot of contemplation on how I was going to write it. Should I do all three in one blog? Should I do a blog for each attribute? Having been influenced by my systematic theology book and A. W. Pink. I decided to treat them all together. Because these three attributes are separate but intertwined. In these three attributes, you see the love of God played out, and you see the wrath of God played out.

God in describing himself, He said,

“The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Exodus, 34:6).

The LORD tells Moses of the three attributes we will describe for you in this blog, showing their relationship in His steadfast love. Mercy, Grace, and Patience described as slow to anger.  Again, the same description in Psalm 103:8. It may seem difficult to tell them apart because they are often described together in the bible, but they have distinguishing traits.

After much thought, I decided to begin with the Patience of God. The Patience of God should be defined as God’s goodness in the withholding of punishment toward those who sin against him. The patience of God is applied to the just and the unjust. To the vessels of wrath and the vessels of mercy. God’s patience is often described as a function of His mercy, and this fact is undeniable. However, His patience is also displayed as a function leading to wrath as well. The patience of God is a function of his divine goodness and mercy, but it is different from both. Stephen Charnock said, “Mercy respects the creature as miserable, patience respects the creature as criminal; mercy pities him in his misery, and patience bears with the sin which engendered the misery and is giving birth to more.” How does this apply to the unjust?

“What if God, desiring to show His wrath and make known His power, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction” (Romans 9:22).

God is enduring with great patience, the sin, the hate, and the crimes against Himself and He is receiving from vessels of wrath. Why wouldn’t God destroy them? If God let His wrath go without exercising patience, would it not go against all who sin? I am suggesting that if God exercised His wrath against sin right now, there would be no one left to be saved. But in his mercy, God is saving His wrath for the day of wrath, not for the benefit of the wicked but the benefit of the elect,

“In order to make known the riches of His glory for vessels of mercy He has prepared beforehand for glory” (Romans 9:23).

So even His wrath is displayed for His glory, and to show the elect just exactly what he saved us from, to show the elect His mercy. Because so great a mercy has been shown to us, we also should exercise patience. Patience should not just be shown to our children and our loved ones but should be shown to our enemies and the enemies of God. Exercising patience is one way of exercising the Grace and the love of God.

Now we can focus on the mercy of God. We can define mercy this way; compassion or forgiveness is shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm. This is an internet definition. Webster defines it this way; compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one's power. I didn’t like the definition in my systematic theology book. It defines mercy this way; goodness towards those in misery and distress. I don’t think this captures the mercy of God. Everyone that has ever lived is in distress because of sin and being under the wrath of God. Those who God reveals Himself to know their misery and They distress over it. Those to whom sin is never revealed will never know their true misery and, therefore, cannot be distressed over it. Yet God’s mercy is shown to the just and the unjust. How you say? There is general mercy shown to all that is made,

“The LORD is over all, and His mercy is over all that He has made,” (Psalm 145:9). 

“Nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything since, He Himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything” (Acts 17:25).

God has pity on His creation and supplies all their needs. This is sometimes called common grace. At this time, I do not believe in common Grace. Grace is shown only to God’s elect. That goes for angels and men. We will get into that a little more when we discuss grace.

Then there is a special mercy God shows to all mankind. He provides for them all the necessities of life.

“For he makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust” (Mathew 5:45).

The General mercy is for all of his creation, and the special mercy is for all mankind. There is, however, a third mercy, which we will call God’s sovereign mercy. God’s sovereign mercy is reserved for the heirs of salvation, which is delivered to them through the mediator Christ Jesus. The mercies of the special and general kind as given to the unjust are strictly in the present life. Once in the grave mercy ceases for the unjust,

“For this people is without discernment; therefore, He who made them will not have compassion on them; He who formed them will show them no favor.” (Isaiah 27:11).

Now you might say to me, doesn’t it say in Psalm 136:1 that His mercy endures forever? Not for those under general or special mercy who are vessels of wrath, the unjust. God can never cease to be merciful; it is part of His person, and He does not change. His ongoing mercy, however, is reserved for vessels of mercy prepared beforehand for glory.

Some are relying heavily on God’s mercy and sinning without repentance. To continue in this lifestyle of sin even though you claim the name of Christ, this is folly. It is like saying, “Let us do evil that good may come,” your “damnation is just” (Romans 3:8).

The riches of God’s mercies transcend our ability to think about it. His ways are not our ways. The elect will live in God’s Sovereign mercy for eternity. Please seek Christ while you can do so.

Now we will turn to God’s Grace and use Abraham Booth’s definition, “It is the eternal and absolute free favor of God, manifested in the vouchsafement of spiritual and eternal blessings to the guilty and the unworthy.” God’s divine Grace, is the sovereign favor of God bestowed upon hell-bound mankind. A.W. Pink said, “When a thing is said to be of “grace” we mean that the recipient has no claim upon it, that it was in nowise due him. It comes to him as pure charity, and, at first, unasked and undesired” (The Attributes of God, pg.66).  In the epistles of the apostle Paul, grace and works do not mix,

“But if by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace” (Romans 11:6).

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this not of your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Please don’t say it’s your faith. In the context of what is being said here and straight-up grammatically, this verse is saying that grace and faith are not of your doing. They are gifts from God.

The three principals of divine grace are, 1) Grace is eternal, 2) Grace is free, 3) Grace is sovereign. Grace is eternal; God is an eternally gracious being. He decreed before the foundations of the world who would receive His sovereign grace. Grace is free. No one who receives grace pay’s for grace. There was a price, and there was only one who was worthy of paying it, Jesus Christ. Grace is sovereign. Because God is sovereign, grace is sovereign and sovereignly doled out,

“I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious” (Exodus 33:19).  

I mentioned angles and men earlier. A.W. pink would say that because the elect Angels were never in a position to require mercy, they never received mercy, only grace. I am not quite sure what I think of that, because I believe it was merciful of God to keep the Angels who are elect from falling. Or was it gracious of God to keep them? I am still chewing on that. Based on the definitions we used, I would have to say he is right, but I’m not ready yet.

What does all of this mean?  We have a loving and merciful God, a gracious and sovereign God, and if you don’t know Him and you are being pulled in that direction. Then you need to seek Him and not give up until you have assurance from the Holy Spirit that Christ is your savior.