PCRT Session 2

Session 2

Justification through Faith Alone

Philip Ryken

Galatians 2: 15-16

(Wasn’t expecting the illustration from TLC’s What Not To Wear!)

How is that a person gets right with God? Not by works of the Law but rather by faith in Jesus Christ.

There is not an inherent problem with the Law, it comes from the just and holy God. The problem with the Law is that we cannot keep it.

If it is impossible for Jews to be justified by the Law, it is especially so for Gentiles.

Faith and works operate on completely different principles
- if you live by faith you trust in God to justify you
- if you live by works you trust at least in part in yourself to justify yourself.

Gal 3: 11 “The just shall live by faith”, the mantra for Luther, the basis for much of his understanding of justification.

Zech 3: 1-5 The High Priest, holiest man in Israel, standing before God in filthy rags.
The High Priest, as representative of the people before God, is supposed to wear very specific clothes, holy in wardrobe. Thus the contrast between the filthy rags and holy garments of the High Priest. The filth of the High Priest represented the sin of the people on the one representing all of the people. What does our sin, my sin, look like next to the perfect holiness of God.

A priest who looked like this should be struck down in the presence of God, and both he and the people are guilty. (This representative, this High Priest is guilty and filthy but our High Priest, our representative is clothed in shining white clothing and perfect righteousness)

(The common theme, all sins will be paid for either by an eternity in hell or on the cross of Christ)

We are told to come and be cleaned up, not clean up and then come.

Less than three months away!

The 2009 Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology in Grand Rapids is right around the corner, March 27-29. The topic this year is Right With God: The Doctrine of Justification. Looks like several of my comrades are planning on trekking down from northern Michigan, so I anticipate some great teaching, great music from Westminster Brass, great fellowship and at least one trip to BW-3 (although I know at least one person who is coming who can't handle the wings there, maybe he can order some cream of wheat or something...)

The schedule is posted here, looks like the speakers for Grand Rapids are Michael Horton, Richard Phillips, Philip Ryken and Steven Lawson.

As a bonus, we might be moving at around that same time, so maybe I can cajole some of my boys into helping us move...

(I hope they don't realize I am a Baptist, otherwise I may be barred from a conference on "Reformed theology")

Saturday Afternoon Session

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Philip Ryken

The Accessible Word

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Very good talk this afternoon on the accessiblity and perspicuity of the Word of God by Philip Ryken....

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Afternoon Session
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Philip Ryken

The Accessible Word

Sola Scriptura, the Bible alone. Our only guide of faith and practice, not the pope, not the church, not the individual.

The spread of the Reformation was accomplished by giving the people the Word in their own language, rather than in Latin which separated the people from the Word of God.

Tyndale: put the Bible into the people’s hands. When the Bible is read it can be understood: the perspicuity of Scripture.

The publication of the Bible is a matter of life and death.

The perspicuity of the Bible is still under attack today by the Roman church (Why else would we need an infallible teaching magisterium of the church)

The attack from the emergent church movement. Inerrancy, authority are meaningless, only the utility is important.

Claiming we have a clear Word from God makes us intolerant, and quite possible dangerous.

Objections to the perspicuity of Scripture
The nature of God Himself, God is a transcendent mystery and cannot be understood..
The role of the church. The church must make the Bible clear. The Roman argument.
The humanity of Scripture. Human language intrinsically fallible.
The variety of interpretations.
Scripture itself. The Bible claims itself to unclear (the Ethiopian eunuch)

Perspicuity of Scripture: It’s central message of salvation in Christ is accessible to anyone. The scripture is able to make you wise. The Bible can and should be read by all people everywhere.

Not all parts of the Bible are equally clear, but those Scriptures required for salvation certainly are clear to anyone. Peter struggled with some stuff written by Paul, but understood fully those needed for saving knowledge.

His sheep recognize His voice, but goats do not. The problem is not with the Bible but with the scoffer.

Two main reason why we can be sure the Bible is sufficient.
The character of God. The Scriptures bear the imprint of God. God is a speaking God, all throughout the Bible. He speaks so that we can know unto salvation.
The Bible itself says it is clear. Jesus and His apostles treated the Word of God as clear and unambiguous. Jesus responded to the temptations of Satan in the wilderness with Scriptures.

Deuteronomy 30:11-14
Deu 30:11 "For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off.
Deu 30:12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?'
Deu 30:13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?'
Deu 30:14 But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.

Psa 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

2 Kings 22: 8-13
2Ki 22:8 And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, "I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD." And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.
2Ki 22:9 And Shaphan the secretary came to the king, and reported to the king, "Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the LORD."
2Ki 22:10 Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read it before the king.
2Ki 22:11 When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes.
2Ki 22:12 And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying,
2Ki 22:13 "Go, inquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us."