mgpcpastor's blog

And the gift itself makes us able to respond to the gift!

From Jared Wilson:

But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. — Hebrews 10:12

Why’d he sit down? Because the work of salvation was done. “It is finished.”

How silly, then, are we when we scrape our meager religion into bowls to present to God as if this collection is needed to make up some perceived difference?
As if the work of Christ is a down payment and now we’re on the installment plan. The work of salvation is done; the gospel creates sabbath from works righteousness, or should anyway.

When we work as if our salvation or God’s approval hinges on what we do, it is like thinking God left something undone in those 6 days of creation. He stopped too soon. The rest came too early.

We don’t think that. We don’t think we can improve upon God’s creation. So why do we think we can improve upon his redemption? Christ is seated because the work lacks for nothing and always will.

From John Piper:

Some Bible passages make crystal clear what we must not assume when reading other Bible passages. For example, consider Exodus 33:13 where Moses prays to God,

If I have found favor in your sight,
please show me now your ways,
that I may know you,
in order to find favor in your sight.

What this verse prevents us from assuming is that, if God’s favor is conditional, it is therefore not unconditional.

Or to put it another way, the verse prevents us from assuming that, if God’s favor is unconditional, it is not therefore conditional.

Knowing God through knowing his ways is the condition of finding favor in his sight in the future. “Please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight.”

And finding favor in God’s sight is the unconditional ground of knowing God through knowing his ways. “If I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways.”

We may not assume that conditions of being in God’s favor in the future cancel out the truth that we are already in his favor, and that this is how we are able to meet the conditions of future favor.

Nor may we assume that the presence of conditions makes our future insecure! As if God’s prior unconditional favor will not guarantee that we meet the conditions.

O how precious are the strange and wonderful verses like Exodus 33:13!

And even more, how precious is the electing, calling, regenerating, all-providing, favor of God’s unconditional grace!