Bavinck 4: Christ and Salvation

Promise and Fulfillment

The old covenant with Israel is the necessary preparation for the New covenant in Christ. Although the covenant is one, they are two dispensations related as promise and fulfillment, as Shadow and substance, as the letter that kills and the spirit that makes alive, as servitude and freedom, as particular and universal. Nothing in the Old Testament is lost in the New, but everything is fulfilled, matured, has reached its full growth, and now out of temporary husk produces the eternal core. p. 401

The Content of Christianity

Christ is not the teacher, nor the founder, but the content of Christianity. p. 414

What Is Not Assumed Is Not Saved

In the early church to debate against those who fought against Jesus’ full humanity they used this slogan. “What is not assumed, is not saved” that is, any portion of Jesus that lacks a part of our humanity is not able to die for that part of humanity. p. 416

Tempted from Without

Good fruit grows from a good tree but the goodness of the tree still has to be shown in the goodness of the fruit. Jesus’ temptations came from without, not from within. p. 421

When Jesus was tempted we cannot think of it like how we do. When we feel tempted we have already lost to it at least in part. I may lust after a woman for a split second and then pull myself from that temptation in a quick prayer. I would say I was tempted but I overcame it. I say overcame because I did not indulge it more than I felt was possible for me. As soon as I saw the sin I left it, for us that is how we define temptation and the overcoming thereof. We only define temptation based on what triggers our sins, women are generally not tempted to lust over other women so they would say they are not tempted only the things in our lives that do trigger sin for us are temptation.

But Jesus could not have experienced that involuntary moment of sin that we consider the beginning of temptation for that in itself is sin. When the Bible says Jesus overcame temptation it means he was put into all the situations where we fall into sin and he did not. As Bavinck says he was put into the midst of temptation (not internally feeling temptation which already is sin). Jesus needed to go through these challenges that would tempt us and yet not be tempted.

Jesus, in his life before the cross, had to go through all aspects of human trial but one, that is, the shame and guilt of falling into sin and the self hatred and striving to be better than we are that comes from that. In this way it was impossible for Jesus to experience “all” the experiences we as sinners have for he did not sin. Our Lord faced the world of sin and hatred but he walked through it clean until the cross where he completed the knowledge of what it is to be human by taking not just one person’s sin and temptations on himself but all of his elect.

Seated at the Right Hand

Jesus being seated at the right hand of the Father clearly is expressing his position as exalted above all others, not his physical position. p. 458

The Benefits of Christ

The grace, gifts and benefits that are given to us through Christ are too numerous to mention. This is a summary.

The juridical, that is forgiveness, justification, adoption, heavenly inheritance and redemption.

The mystical, consisting in being crucified, buried, raised, and seated with Christ in heaven.

The ethical, that is, regeneration, being made alive, sanctification, being washed, cleansed and sprinkled in body, soul and Spirit.

The moral, consisting in the imitation of Christ who has left us his example.

The economic, that is, the fulfillment of the Old Testament covenant and inauguration of the new, freedom from the law, cancellation of the bond with its legal demands, the breaking down of the dividing wall and reconciliation of Jew and gentile and all binary opposites into unity in Christ.

The physical, that is, victory over the world, over death, over hell, and over Satan.

p. 459

Restless Until It Finds Him

All human beings long for happiness because the human heart is created for God and restless until it finds him (Augustine). p. 473

Salvation by Works

The one basic cord that runs through all other religions is salvation by works. The Bible on the other hand is from start to finish a protest against this doctrine. True, good works are also required in this holy book, but they are the fruits of our faith as a thank offering only. The recognition that nothing to thy throne I bring is a uniquely Christian concept. All others look inward to the man for at least a portion of their salvation. An earning for labors is our nature in the fall and our pride is its driver. p. 473

Root, Rule and Goal

The Christian’s moral life has faith at its root, the law as its rule, and the honor of God as its goal. p. 483

Doing and Being

We must not only focus on Doing for Christ but also Being in Christ. p. 489

Grace Opposes Our Sin

Grace opposes not our nature but our sin. p. 496

Grace and the Human Will

If one proceeds from human free will as the important matter to maintain above all, one cannot possibly do justice to all the texts that unmistakably teach God’s efficacious and insuperable grace. On the other hand, if one proceeds along theological lines and seeks above all to secure the rights of God, one will still always have room left for the content of scripture verses that consistently address and treat humans as rational, moral beings. If Grace is resistible, God is deprived of his sovereignty and if the human will is enough on its own then regeneration is unnecessary. p. 518

Much More in Christ

If without our knowledge we came to share in Adam’s condemnation why could we not much more without our knowledge be received into God’s favour in Christ? p. 519

Persuasion, Never Coercion

The church calls all creatures to submit to the word of God. This demand is only a message, a moral witness, it is a persuasion, never coercion. Christian civil authorities are called to promote God’s honor, protect his church, and destroy the works of the Antichrist, but they must do it in ways that are compatible with the gospel and their particular scope of authority. In short, its influence in the world is not political, and it seeks the Reformation of society only through proclamation, persuasion and witness.

The spiritual life, though mysteriously and untraceable implanted in humans by the Holy Spirit, is bound from the beginning to the Word of God. The inexpressible Word that was written in the human heart learns to know itself by the Word that Christ speaks in scripture. p. 523

Brought to Christ, Brought to Scripture

There are those who are brought to Christ by the scriptures and those who are brought to the scriptures by Christ. p. 534

Effectively, Meritoriously, Applicationally

The Father justifies effectively, the Son meritoriously, the Holy Spirit applicationally. To complete the picture at once, Faith apprehends, the sacraments seal, and works declare. p. 563