Monday, July 6, 2009

Chapter 2

Note: If you are new to this blog, I suggest you start at post #1 ("Introduction") and work your way from oldest post to newest.


"What do we need to tackle the job?"

Marshall made no bones about what we need to practice God’s law: "We need have very choice endowments as Christ had; at least as good or something better than Adam had at first, as our work is harder than his" (pp. 6-7).

Marshall named four endowments, or qualifications, that a person needs to even begin practicing holiness. The Big Question of how we get these qualifications Marshall postponed until another chapter. But putting aside for the moment our lack of them or the problem of how to get them, what are the qualifications?

1. We must want God’s will.

Marshall: "The duties of the law are of such a nature that they cannot possibly be performed while there is wholly an aversion or mere indifference of the heart to the performance of them, and no good inclination and propensity towards the practice of them ..." (p. 7).

We must love God’s law, like it, be delighted by it, long for it, thirst for it, find it sweet and refreshing. All the time.
[From the Bible]
I take joy in doing your will,
for your instructions are written on my heart.

I ... have treasured his words more than daily food.

O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you; my whole body long for you
in this parched and weary land where there is no water.

I am always overwhelmed with a desire for your regulations.

[The laws of the Lord] are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold,
they are sweeter than honey dripping from the comb.
As part of this, we must abhor evil:
[From the Bible]
The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants.
Galatians 5:17 New Living Translation

They lie awake at night, hatching sinful plots.
Love for God must come from a clean heart, a heart rid of evil preferences and inclinations:
[From the Bible]
The goal ... is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
Another qualification we need to even begin to obey God’s law:

2. We must be convinced that we are reconciled to God—that he loves us and has blotted out our sins.

In addition:

3. We must be confident that there is a heaven and we are going there.

Jesus himself was motivated by his absolute assurance of what was ahead:
[From the Bible]
Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross ...
The same was true of the apostles:
[From the Bible]
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.

.... and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.
The last qualification—what we must have before we can even think about obeying God’s law— is this:

4. We must be confident that God can and will provide sufficient strength both to will and to perform this duty acceptably.

Marshall: "Those that think sincere conformity to the law in ordinary cases to be so very easy, show that they neither know it nor themselves. I acknowledge that the work of God is easy and pleasant to those whom God rightly furnisheth with endowments for it; but those that assert it to be easy to men in their common condition, show their imprudence in contradicting the general experience of heathens and Christians" (p. 8).

The endowments must come from God.

Marshall: "Our Lord Christ doubtless knew the infinite power of His deity to enable Him for all that He was to do and suffer in our natures. He knew 'the Lord God would help Him, and that therefore He should not be confounded' (Isa. 50:7)" (p. 9).

The Bible shows what "plentiful assurance of strength" (p. 9) God gave to a long list of others (Moses, Joshua, Gideon, the Israelites, etc.).

Marshall ended the chapter by saying this. When God calls a person to do miracles, he first acquaints the person with the power he will give to do the miracles. It’s the same with us and sanctification. When God calls people who are dead in sin to a holy life, he will acquaint them with the gift of his power to do this. In Marshall's words, God will "encourage them in a rational way to such a wonderful enterprise" (p. 9).

In the next post: Where do we get these essential qualifications?

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