Word of Salvation – Vol. 31 No. 32 – August 1986

 

Your State And Condition By Faith

 

Sermon by Rev. H. W. Pennings on Lord’s Day 23

Reading: Romans 1:1-17

 

There are many benefits arising from true faith in Jesus Christ.  But there is a certain order in these benefits.  Furthermore, there is one central benefit.  There is one central benefit from having true faith in Jesus Christ from which all the other benefits flow, and from which flow also what the Bible calls the ‘fruits of the Spirit’.  You know, joy; and peace and patience, kindness and self-control.

Maybe you have heard some sermons on the fruits of the Spirit, which left you feeling rather ill at ease because the central benefit arising from having true faith in Jesus Christ was not mentioned very clearly.  I’ve experienced that too… and have possibly also been guilty of preaching such a sermon in a time of haste.  I’ve noticed too that there are a lot of Christian books on the market which specialise on just one or two aspects of our benefits through having true and saving faith in Jesus.  In many of these books, unfortunately, the most central benefit is hardly mentioned.  I think, when I read some of these books, that the author is trying to teach us how to make cheese without first having explained that you need milk first.  Our catechism may be rather dated.  After all, it was written hundreds of years ago.  But it tells us very clearly that in order to make cheese you first need to have milk!

When you are able to repeat these 12 articles of faith, what does that mean what benefits have you from it?  “That I am right with God and heir to everlasting life,” answers our catechism.  Put into a more doctrinal-sounding statement, the answer would be, “That I am justified by that faith.”  Let’s see what that means.

Just as the guilt of our sin is at the very centre of man’s problem in his relationship with God (for our sin completely cuts us off from God), so having a right standing with God again is at the centre of every spiritual blessing.  It’s like the master-key to a house or factory – like the milk from which you make all sorts of cheese.  For Scripture tells us that God LOVES THE RIGHTEOUS, but that He HATES THE WICKED, and either we are on the one side or we are on the other side.  There is no middle ground once you have met Jesus.  God’s favour rests upon the just.  His anger rests upon the unjust.  If we are to receive God’s favour, there is something which has to happen which makes us right with God first of all.  In fact, according to Scripture it is God Himself who has to declare us to be righteous.  What we think about ourselves, or say about ourselves apart from that, is of only secondary importance.  Only if God declares that you and I are in a right relationship with Him, through faith in Jesus the Christ, can we take any steps forward.

Many people seem to want to make cheese when they have no milk.  But before you can start to live a holy life you have to be right with God.  It’s so very important that we understand this truth, because it’s such a marvellous truth.  You and I must be righteous.  And we can be, perfectly.  We must be perfect children of God, and we can be.  Then we are the heirs of all the other blessings of salvation as well.  We must also clearly see that the righteousness we need – the perfection we need – does not come forth from ourselves.  It comes from Jesus as a gift.  It is charismatic – a free gift from God.  We must understand and take hold of the verdict of God that, because we believe in Jesus Christ, we are perfectly righteous.  It doesn’t come from us.  It is charismatic – it comes from God freely.

You see, the moment you look for a good verdict from God because of some sort of good that you can do, or plan to do, or even dream of doing, you forfeit your peace with God.  Because everything we do or plan or dream about is still sinful.  But if you take hold of the promise that Scripture contains, that God JUSTIFIES THE UNGODLY FOR NO OTHER REASON THAN THAT HE LOVES TO DO THINGS LIKE THAT, and that you are included in that love of God too, you start to have a doorway to all the other blessings which God gives.  For instance, the fruit of the Spirit such as joy and peace, patience and self-control.  That’s because you accepted God’s gift of milk before you set out to make yourself some delightful cheese.  Who is the author of your salvation?

It’s important that we understand what has always been central to the faith of the Reformation.  There’s a difference between our STATE (what we are) and our CONDITION (what we are like).  Our STATE is our legal position – what God has declared.  Our CONDITION speaks much more about our character.  Think about the following example which may even apply to some of us.

In 1955, after a long trip on the liner “JVO”, Jake finally stepped onto Australian soil for the first time.  As he stepped onto the WHARF at Darling Harbour he was, as everyone could see, a real Dutchman.  He was dressed as only a Dutchman dressed in those days.  And he spoke only the Dutch language.  That was his STATE (or, ‘status’ if you like).  He was a Hollander.  It was also his CONDITION.  Legally he was a citizen of the Netherlands and was still under the jurisdiction of the Dutch parliament.  As far as the law of Australia was concerned, he had no rights because he was not a citizen.  He may have been called a ‘new Australian’ (remember that title?) but it wasn’t actually the case.  No rights and privileges as a citizen.  That was his STATE (or status).  And as to his CONDITION, you could tell by his appearance that he was a foreigner.  Only Dutch blood, good as it might be, flowed through his veins.  For breakfast he ate thick slices of brown bread, while most true citizens (if they could afford it) ate bacon and eggs.  Also his mid-day meal consisted of thick brown bread; And at tea-time he ate ‘hutspot’! – even in temperatures of 38C!  On Sundays he sought out a worship service where only Dutch was spoken.  Both in his STATE (his legal standing) and in his CHARACTER (his CONDITION), Jake was Dutch.

After about six years, however, Jake decided to change his STATE.  He wanted to become a true blue Aussie.  So he went to the department of IMMIGRATION to obtain naturalization papers and to apply for citizenship.  In due course the night came when, with many others, he appeared at the local town hall and, before the mayor and many other dignitaries, he swore allegiance to her majesty the queen and her heirs and successors.  Now, for better or for worse, Jake was an Australian citizen.  He had some papers to prove it.  He told his mates at work that he was a better citizen of Australia than they were, because he was invited, and they were brought there (through their fathers) in convict ships.  And, as a citizen of Australia, Jake can join the public service.  He can even join the army.  For his STATE has changed.  Totally!  But of course his CONDITION (not state or status, but CONDITION) had not changed overnight.  Sure, he now speaks a bit of the Queen’s English.  But with his wife and children at home he still nearly automatically turns to Dutch.  Especially when he is telling-off the kids.  There is still Dutch blood running through his veins.  His STATE is changed.  An Aussie!  But his CONDITION – well, not so radically different.  That will take a bit more time.  At the Dutch festival every year he first of all heads for the sour herring stand.

What benefit do we have if we can honestly repeat these 12 articles of the Apostle’s Creed?  It means first and foremost that we have a new STATE or STATUS.  God Himself declares us to be citizens of heaven with all the rights and privileges of the true children of God.  If we want to we may join the Church, and start to fight the spiritual battle against Satan.  We should, too.  But first of all WE MAY.  God tells us that by His own declaration we will always remain His sons and daughters.  For we’ve been justified by faith.  We have the milk with which we can start to make cheese.  This is a miracle of grace.  God has justified the ungodly.  He has declared us to be right with Him through the faith which was His charisma – His free gift of grace – to us.  Our STATE has changed.

Of course, also our CONDITION – our character.  But that happens more gradually.  Sanctification is truly present, but it takes a while to show itself.  And after that, in God’s own time, the perfection of glorification.  No, it’ s not our holiness or sanctification that makes us right with God.  Nor our glorification.  Not anything which we can do.  That we confess our sins is important for every day.  And that we read God’s living Word.  That we spend much time with God in prayer.  All are important.  We start to GROW in Christ after we have become His true CHILDREN.  But these things don’t make us right with God.  Not at all!  Many spend much time reading God’s Word and even in prayer – and even showing a good measure of peace and patience and self-control.  But that cheese is not made with milk!  God said to His Church long ago, “Come, all you who are thirsty… and you who have NO MONEY (no righteousness), come, buy and eat.  Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost… and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David,” (Isa.55:1-3).  Damnable sinners, who in their condition will always remain damnable sinners, can still receive the gift of being right with God.  A new STATE.

This is beautifully declared to us by our catechism.  Listen to what we can declare because we believe in Jesus Christ and because this faith that we have JUSTIFIES us – makes us, God says, have a right relationship with Him.  “Even though my conscience accuses me of having grievously sinned against all God’s commandments, and of having never kept one of them, and even though I am still inclined to all evil, nevertheless, without my deserving it at all, out of sheer grace, God grants and credits to me the perfect SATISFACTION, RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND HOLINESS OF CHRIST, as if I had been as perfectly obedient AS CHRIST WAS CBEDIENT FOR ME.  All I need to do IS TO ACCEPT THIS GIFT OF GOD with a believing heart.”

Such is the sinner whom God declares to belong to His royal family.  Always we will keep on transgressing God’s law – every law.  We love that law of God, but still very often walk in another direction.  Jake, having been declared to be a citizen of Australia, still often has his heart back in Holland and eats foods which are unsuitable to his new environment.  Sometimes our conscience will remind us that we are the most damnable sinners.  Other times our conscience will remind us that we ARE God’s children!  Hopefully these two acts of our conscience will come together a bit more often, for they are both messages from the Lord.  Our conscience should never be silent with regard to our still sinful condition.  For even at the end of our lives we will still only have a small beginning of the new obedience which the Lord requires from us.  Nor should our conscience be silent with regard to our new state as the children of God.  Of course we don’t want to sin.  We hate it.  For we love the Lord.  But our conscience is educated by the Lord when we have that new STATE of justification, and it will tell us that every morning and night we have to pray, “Father in heaven, forgive us our trespasses, even when we have NOT forgiven others…!”

God also gives us another testimony via our conscience.  It is the testimony of the Spirit of Christ Jesus who lives in us.  It assures us that God’s promises are reliable – also that promise which the catechism summarises.  “God grants and credits to me the perfect satisfaction (for my sin), righteousness and holiness.”

The deep reason for this victory of faith is that it clings to the God who does NOT justify the righteous and the rich in spirit, but the unrighteous and the poor in spirit.  Justification guarantees the forgiveness of every sin.  It guarantees our adoption as children of God.

For it is the work of the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ.  The Spirit bids us to come to Him, to Jesus, for the free gift (charisma) of the bread of life honey and milk.  And from that milk, which we cannot earn or merit, we can go and make beautiful cheese.  Good cheese.  Not the artificial stuff.  All different varieties of cheese.

But we don’t concentrate on that first of all.  Rather, we concentrate on the 32nd Psalm which we often sing:

How blessed is he whose trespass
Has freely been forgiven,
Whose sin is wholly covered
Before the sight of heaven.
Blessed he to whom Jehovah
Will not impute his sin,
Who has a guileless spirit,
Whose heart is true within.

Yes, with that rich grace, you can make a beautiful Christ-like life.

AMEN.