Category Archives: Pauline Theology

The Active Obedience of Christ Explained by Wayne Grudem and Shai Linne

29 Friday May 2015

Posted by in Active Obedience of Christ, Cool Christian Tunes, Edification, Encouragement, Music, Pauline Theology, Reformed Theology

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For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.   (Romans 5:19 ESV)

Below is a short and sweet explanation of what the doctrine of the active obedience of Christ is, and why it matters to the Christian (Wayne Grudem). I thought it was worth sharing. I found it on Monergism.com (link is also below). And, for any audio learner out there, I have also included a rapped-out explanation of the doctrine of the active obedience of Christ by lyrical genius and hip-hop master theologian Shai Linne.

Have a great weekend.

Monergism.com:

http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/active.html

The Active Obedience of Christ 

by Wayne Grudem

If Christ had only earned forgiveness of sins for us, then we would not merit heaven. Our guilt would have been removed, but we would simply be in the position of Adam and Eve before they had done anything good or bad and before they had passed a time of probation successfully. To be established in righteousness forever and to have their fellowship with God made sure forever, Adam and Eve had to obey God perfectly over a period of time. Then God would have looked on their faithful obedience with pleasure and delight, and they would have lived with him in fellowship forever.

For this reason, Christ had to live a life of perfect obedience to God in order to earn righteousness for us. He had to obey the law for his whole life on our behalf so that the positive merits of his perfect obedience would be counted for us. Sometimes this is called Christ’s “active obedience,” while his suffering and dying for our sins is called his “passive obedience.” Paul says his goal is that he may be found in Christ, “not having a righteousness of [his] own based on law, but that which is through faith in Christ the righteousness from God that depends on faith” (Phil. 3:9). It is not just moral neutrality that Paul knows he needs from Christ (that is, a clean slate with sins forgiven), but a positive moral righteousness. And he knows that that cannot come from himself, but must come through faith in Christ. Similarly, Paul says that Christ has been made “our righteousness” (1 Cor. 1:30). And he quite explicitly says, “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous” (Rom. 5:19).

Some theologians have not taught that Christ needed to achieve a lifelong record of perfect obedience for us. They have simply emphasized that Christ had to die and thereby pay the penalty for our sins. But such a position does not adequately explain why Christ did more than just die for us; he also became our “righteousness” before God. Jesus said to John the Baptist, before he was baptized by him, “It is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness” (Matt. 3:15).

It might be argued that Christ had to live a life of perfect righteousness for his own sake, not for ours, before he could be a sinless sacrifice for us. But Jesus had no need to live a life of perfect obedience for his own sake—he had shared love and fellowship with the Father for all eternity and was in his own character eternally worthy of the Father’s good pleasure and delight. He rather had to “fulfill all righteousness” for our sake; that is, for the sake of the people whom he was representing as their head. Unless he had done this for us, we would have no record of obedience by which we would merit God’s favor and merit eternal life with him. Moreover, if Jesus had needed only sinlessness and not also a life of perfect obedience, he could have died for us when he was a young child rather than when he was thirty-three years old.

By way of application, we ought to ask ourselves whose lifelong record of obedience we would rather rely on for our standing before God, Christ’s or our own? As we think about the life of Christ, we ought to ask ourselves, was it good enough to deserve God’s approval? And are we willing to rely on his record of obedience for our eternal destiny?

(Wayne Grudem: Systematic Theology, Inter-Varsity Press, Leicester, England and Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, A Division of HarperCollins Publishers, pp.570-571)

How Can A Believer Not Be Grieved By Watching Sin?

13 Wednesday May 2015

Posted by in Chastity, Christian Love, Confession of Sin, Exhortation, Holiness, Hypocricy, Pauline Theology, Repentance, Sin, The Believing 21st Centruy American Woman, The Holy Spirit

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A brother in the Lord recently posted the following commentary about a movie that is in the theaters right now (I am not going to mention the name of the movie- it is irrelevant to the point of my post). It left me wondering how can a believer not be grieved by watching immoral entertainment- sin.

“We saw the new _____________ movie as a family for Mother’s Day. It really bothered me. You could see the producers anti-God world-view through the whole movie. It was dark and sometimes evil. There were comments against Jesus multiple times. The women actors wanted to be sexually immoral with ______…and on and on.”

What astonished me about this brother’s commentary of the movie wasn’t so much that the movie was full of that stuff, but some of the responses that other professing Christians had to his post. One person disagreed with the post outright and another accused him of undue criticism. That was interesting to me, because if you re-read what he wrote, you will see that he did not criticize the movie at all. He stated three things: 1st- that he saw the movie, 2nd- that the movie bothered him, and 3rd- he explained – point by point – why the movie bothered him. Logically, (and I do mean ‘logically’ in a ‘logical syllogism’ sort of way- not just the expression), it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to disagree with him, or to say that he was being critical. After all, he only shared, how he felt about the movie and why he felt that way about the movie. If what he wrote about the movie is true (and I am assuming that it is, since I have not seen it, but I know this person well enough to know that he is not lying), he was neither being critical, nor did he write anything that can be logically disagreed with.

Now, the point of me sharing this is that I do not understand how any Christian could see a movie which intentionally presents an anti-God world view, has a ‘dark and evil’ undercurrent, misuses and abuses of the name of Jesus Christ, contains multiple scenes of crude sexual immorality, and enjoy it, calling it ‘entertainment’. Something seems ‘off’ to me about that. Our friend felt as I’d think all believers would feel after being exposed to those sins, after watching immoral entertainment that depicts those sins.

Of course, I understand that all true Christians desire to avoid being legalistic. We should avoid legalism- at all costs- for legalism (pharisaism) puts people in hell, just as much as gross immorality does (maybe even more so). And, Jesus Himself warned, “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell you yourselves are!” (Matthew 23:15). But, we need to be honest with ourselves, being entertained by sin is not what the Lord had in mind when He said that. We know that because, in another place,  the Word commands that Christians, “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord“ (Hebrews 12:14). To me, that is a terrifying thought – not seeing the Lord, for not being holy. I know that in some theological constructs the ‘once saved always saved’ paradigm frees people from taking the necessity of the pursuit of holiness seriously, but it shouldn’t, since people that are really saved (i.e., the regenerate) pursue holiness. So, setting the issue of legalism aside, I still ask, how can a believer not be grieved by watching sin?  

I use to think that some believers just had more liberty for stuff like that than I did. I reasoned that since the Lord saved me out of sin, movies that depict my former lifestyle bother me more than they bother other believers that have no personal history with deep immorality. I use to think to myself, “Self, you know what this issue is really all about? It is about Christian Liberty. I am the Proverbial weaker brother- in Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8. Other Christians can watch pornographic scenes, and not be bothered, because they were probably never exposed to real pornography and they probably never saw the devastating effects that porn has on a home, or on a person. Other Christians can pay money to listen to people use the Lord’s name being used as a vulgarity with out it bothering them. After all, they were probably not raised as godless as I was…” When I was a girl, I heard the Lord’s name used as a swear all the time. I had no idea that it was a sin to say His name in vain. So, when I started to grow in my faith and I saw older believers watching and listening to immoral things, I just assumed that they had more liberty than I did.  But, now I know the Word well enough to know that enjoying immoral entertainment and enjoying an occasional glass of wine is not the same thing. (Although, for the record I do not, personally, have the liberty to drink alcoholic beverages.) So, I still do not get it, how can a believer not be grieved by watching sin?

I have known quite a few very sincere people who think that they have an edge on evangelism, because they can use what ever movie or questionable activity they are involved in as a platform for the Gospel (with the unsaved). They can be especially critical of Christians, like me, that question whether we should enjoy those types of movies and entertainment. I can understand that mentality. I would only say that the Lord taught that the Holy Spirit was going to come to earth to “…convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment” (John 16:8). Therefore, if our lives are not useful to that end- we are probably not as evangelistic as we think that we are. Besides, when I was in the world- I thought lukewarm Christians were hypocrites, not culturally relevant. So I still do not get it, how can a believer not be grieved by watching sin?  

Jesus Christ was tortured and crucified for sin. We, who are saved, are being spared the awful eternal consequences of our sin because of that torturous crucifixion. As Christians we are saying that we have turned away from our lives of sin and turned towards God in a pursuit of His holiness for His glory and His purposes. Immoral entertainment glorifies sin and death- it glorifies the opposite of what we are suppose to glorify- namely, Jesus, the conqueror of sin and death. Immoral entertainment also feeds our sin-appetites, and gratifies our debased desires vicariously. The people that make immoral movies will go to hell if they do not repent. And, the people that enjoy the depravity depicted in immoral entertainment are also going to hell, unless they repent. And since there is nothing entertaining about hell, sin, immorality, or Christ’s death, I don’t get it, how can a believer not be grieved by watching sin?  

Doesn’t Ephesians 4:17-24 seem to address this issue of immoral entertainment? Isn’t this the type of thing that Paul could have been talking about when he wrote,   “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” This passage of Scripture is one of the reasons that I ask, how can a believer not be grieved by watching sin? 

Christianity Is about Divine Transformation, Not Self-reformation

20 Saturday Dec 2014

Posted by in Encouragement, Pauline Theology, Power Paragragh, Reformed Theology, Salvation, The Believing 21st Centruy American Woman

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Walking in newness of life is about glorifying God and becoming holy. We do this by living our lives in the conscious reality of the awesome holiness of God revealed to us in His Word and through His Son and our Lord Jesus. As we  live our lives in the conscious reality of the awesome holiness of God, we will be changed by the glorious reality of who God is.  For, Christianity is all about God making people holy by allowing them to see the holiness of God in the person of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:28-29; 2 Corinthians 3:18). As we live life in the conscious,  awareness of the most holy, all-powerful, perfectly moral, exceedingly excellent, resplendent and glorious Divine Being (who is our Creator God and the Sustainer of our lives) we will become progressively holy (i.e., set apart to God) in all of our thinking, speaking, and behavior.  Both our salvation and our sanctification are the work of God. That is why I write Christianity is about divine transformation, not self-reformation.

On Living in the Reality of Philippians 2:12-13.

19 Friday Sep 2014

Posted by in Boasting in Weaknesses, Edification, Education, Encouragement, Pauline Theology, Reformed Theology, The Believing 21st Centruy American Woman, The Holy Spirit, The Sovereignty of God, Walking in Newness of Life

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“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12-13

“Personally, I cannot imagine a way that we could possess a more intimate knowledge of God than having Him inside of us in the person of the Holy Spirit, manifesting His resurrection power through our physical, mental, and emotional capacities; literally changing us from the inside out, and thus enabling us to walk in newness of life in Christ- only the Lord could think of that. Yet, astonishingly, this is exactly what has been happening in us since the moment that God saved us. God has been making us more and more holy, conforming us into the image of His Son. He has been forgiving sin. He has been at work healing that which is lame in us. He has begun to unravel our twisted sinful thinking and untangle all the shame filled knots in our souls. God has only begun to resurrect that which is dead in us; teaching us how to walk in the glorious newness of life that He has so graciously given us in Christ. Since the moment that we passed from death to life, God Himself has been at work in our souls producing all of the necessary graces that we have needed for walking in newness of life- through our union with Christ. Every step of faith that we have taken, every act of obedience which we have completed, every willingness and inclination towards God’s will has been a fulfillment of both the exhortation and the promise of Philippians 2:12-13: “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

Taken from Walking in Newness of Life, p. 138.

Divine Self-Disclosure and My Boasting

29 Friday Aug 2014

Posted by in Boasting in Weaknesses, Pauline Theology

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“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

Self-disclosure is a form of communication through which one person reveals himself or herself to another. Our God is a self-disclosing God. He reveals Himself in nature (Romans 1: 20), through nations (Ezekiel 38:14-23), and in His Word (Isaiah 46:9). He has given a perfect revelation of Himself in the person of Jesus Christ. As Hebrews 1:3 says, Jesus is “… the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” (Hebrews 1:3). Recently, I was thinking about how God reveals Himself uniquely through Christians.

It is amazing that our great God is so humble as to condescend to reveal Himself through us. But, what really blows my mind is that the Lord, the God of glory, reveals Himself in and through the likes of me. He has done this by forgiving my sin and reconciling me to Himself through Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:21-22), by revealing His divine wisdom despite my intrinsic folly (1 Corinthians 1:18-22, 2:4-16), and by manifesting His divine power in my many weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:9). When I think about the wonder of our Lord  revealing Himself through me I just want to fall down to worship Him and exclaim, “Truly, God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” (1 Corinthians 1:27-29).

And, yet, there is a place for my boasting in God’s self-disclosure through me. I can boast in God’s grace to me in Christ, who has become for me “…wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption…” (1 Corinthians 1:31). I  can boast in the cross “…by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Galatians 6:14).  And, of course, “I will boast of the things that show my weakness” (2 Corinthians 11:30).  Actually, I will boast in my weaknesses all the more gladly (2 Corinthians 12:9), for it is through my particular weaknesses that God reveals Himself uniquely powerful through me. At least, this is one of the take-aways that I gather from Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9 where he shares that the Lord said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” And he thus concludes, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”