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1689 Baptist Confession Chapter 26: Of the Church - Commentary

Simon Wartanian | 29,799 views | 38,282 words | 3:19:22 hours | 06 March 2015 23:00

...the world belong to one fold, which belongs to one chief Shepherd (1 Pet. 5:4). They are one because they believe in the same God. Paul speaks of the Corinthians as those who are “called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours” (1 Cor. 1:2). They are “together” because they are called to be saints, they call upon the name of Christ and He is their and our Lord also. The metaphor of the body as used in 1 Corinthians 12 points to the unity of the church. There is one Head, the Lord Jesus Christ. But the body has many members.

This unity of the church extends not only after the Cross, but also before Christ with the faithful in the Old Testament. In worship, we come to “Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect” (Heb. 12:22-23). Anyone and everyone whose destiny is heaven has been enrolled and predestined to be there from all eternity. Therefore, they belong to the “assembly of the firstborn” with whom we worship God and are one.

As discussed in a previous chapter, the believers under the Old Testament were part of the same covenant which we now enjoy. Therefore, they belong to us and we to them because we have the same God, Savior, and Mediator (cf. Heb. 11:39-40). See chapter 8:6. Another point which points to our unity with believers under the Old Testament is the fact that all of us have the same father. Here, I’m specifically focusing on unity with Israelite believers. Paul’s argument for justification by faith throughout history may also be extended to include our unity with those who are justified in the same way we are (see Rom. 4 and chapter 11 of the Confession). Only those who have faith are truly the children of Abraham (Gal. 3:7, 28-29). In 1 Corinthians 10:1, the apostle Paul speaks of the wilderness generation as “our fathers [who] were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea”. This unity extends itself in the unity of Jew and Gentile under the inaugurated New Covenant. In Ephesians 2, the apostle speaks of this unity in which God has torn down the dividing wall which stood between Jew and Gentile (Eph. 2:14). By breaking that wall of division, God has created peace between those who stood on both sides of the wall. He has done this by making one new man from the two.

Scripture not only speaks of unity as a fact, but also as an imperative and something to strive for. In Ephesians 4, God equips us until “we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God” (Eph. 4:13). The calls for unity in the New Testament are numerous. In Philippians 2:2, the apostle says, “complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.” The apostle Peter calls all of us to “have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind” (1 Pet. 3:8).

Therefore, we see that the unity of the church is both a fact and something which we should strive for.

Universality of the Church

The catholicity of the church is the attribute which points to the fact that there is but one church of Christ. The unity of the church likewise touches on this point. But the attribute of catholicity shows that the church of Christ is everywhere in the...

Review of Dean Davis' The High King of Heaven on Amillennialism

Simon Wartanian | 13,002 views | 8,095 words | 0:42:03 hours | 13 April 2015 23:31

Review Book Review Dean Davis The High King Of Heaven Amillennialism Eschatology Reformed Eschatology

... believes (as others also do) is the classic eschatology of Church History and the Reformation.

The word amillennialism means no millennium. However, amillennarians do not deny the existence of a millennium, only that it begins after the Parousia and that it will last for a literal thousand years. Instead, they teach that the thousand years of Revelation 20 symbolize the present Era of Proclamation, during which time Christ reigns with (the departed spirits of) his saints in heaven. Amillennarians are, then, “present-millennarians.” Pages 23-24

Basically, Amillennialism teaches that the Millennium of Revelation 20 started from the Cross and will end at the Second Coming of our Lord, spanning over 2 millennia up till now and is thus to be interpreted symbolically, rather than literally. The Millennium is the Gospel Era, or as Dean likes to call it, the Era of Proclamation.

This is a simple chart laying out the Amillennial vision of Salvation History.

The Kingdom of God

One of the very ups of this book was the extensive study of the Kingdom of God in the New and Old Testaments. My understanding of the Kingdom of God was really expanded.

A Definition of the Kingdom of God

Dean Davis defines the Kingdom of God as:

In essence, the Kingdom of God is the direct reign of God the Father, through the Son, by the Spirit, over his redeemed creatures; creatures who have been rescued from every spiritual and physical enemy, and restored to every spiritual and physical friend that God planned for them in the beginning. Also, the Kingdom is the blessed realm that this redemptive reign creates, and over which it forever rules. Page 65.

This he does not merely assume, but ably goes to prove it from the Bible, here is a summary of his five points:

The Kingdom is the direct reign of God the Father (Mt 6:10)
The Kingdom is a sphere of wholeness and blessing (Mt 9:35; 10:7-8; 12:28)
The Kingdom is mediated by the Son of God (John 5:19, 30; 6:38; 8:28; 12:49; 14:10)
The Kingdom is effected by the Spirit of God (Mt 12:28; Acts 1:4-8)
The Kingdom is a realm beneath a reign (Mt 13:41-42; Rev 11:15)

Thereby is indeed the definition that he gives is justified and satisfactory.

The Two-Staged Kingdom

Amillennarians see the Kingdom of God coming in two stages, separated by the Parousia of our Lord:

The Kingdom of the Son (already, the present Era of Proclamation)
The Kingdom of the Father (not yet, the future World/Age to Come)

Now, the terminology used here is not meant to give the idea that the Son has no share in the second stage of the Kingdom or that the Father has no share in the first, but rather is taken from 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 where we learn that at the Coming of our Lord, the Lord Jesus will deliver His Kingdom, His consummated Kingdom to God the Father and will be subjected to Him. Thus, seeing a difference between the present Kingdom of the Son (which is to be delivered up to the Father) and the coming Kingdom of the Father (which is the eternal World to Come). This terminology is also supported by Matthew 13:41-43.

The two-staged Kingdom is seen from Jesus’ own contrast of this present age and the age to come. Here is a table I made for myself:

Verse	This age	The age to come
Mt 12:32	…will not be forgiven, either in this age	or in the age to come (compare Mk 3:28-30)
Mk 10:30	…receive many ti...

Hebrews 6:4-6, Apostasy and Calvinism

Simon Wartanian | 15,676 views | 11,271 words | 0:59:55 hours | 15 May 2016 15:27

Hebrews 6 Apostasy Perseverance Of The Saints Reformed Theology Calvinism Falling Away From Grace

...n no other way. True and godly repentance is granted by God (e.g. 2Tim 2:25), yet God has declared here that He will not give it to such apostates.

(2) The apostates by their rejection of Christianity hold the Lord Christ up to contempt, they hold Him as an object of hate and scorn, siding again with His enemies who demanded His death. They in a sense say that His death was well deserved for a false prophet (as they perceived) and if He were, here again, they would have done the same again. On this point, Albert Barnes observes:

Their apostasy and rejection of the Saviour would be like holding him up publicly as deserving the infamy and ignominy of the Cross. A great part of the crime attending the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus, consisted in exhibiting him to the passing multitude as deserving the death of a malefactor. Of that sin they would partake who should reject him, for they would thus show that they regarded his religion as an imposture, and would, in a public manner, hold him up as worthy only of rejection and contempt.^[15]

Therefore, the restoration to their previous state is impossible because they have rejected the only way of salvation, after knowing and experiencing it.

How the apostates were not described

We have tried to argue that all of these five descriptions given in vv. 4-5 were not exclusive to regenerate believers, but could also be applied to false professors, by giving these descriptions the Author was not intended to say that these persons were regenerate and true believers inwardly, but rather, as seen from a human viewpoint, they would have been identified as true Christians. It is important to note how these apostates are not described in contrast to how the believers are described with the book of Hebrews. The following is taken from Sam Storms’ article:^[12]

God has forgiven their sins (Heb 10:17; 8:12)
God has cleansed their consciences (Heb 9:14; 10:22)
God has written his laws on their hearts (Heb 8:10; 10:16)
God is producing holiness of life in them (Heb 2:11; 10:14; 13:21)
God has given them an unshakable kingdom (Heb 12:28)
God is pleased with them (Heb 11; 13:16,21)
They have faith (Heb 4:3; 6:12; 10:22,38,39; 12:2; 13:7; etc.)
They have hope Heb 6:11,18; 7:19; 10:23)
They have love (Heb 6:10; 10:33-34; 13:1)
They worship and pray (Heb 12:28; 13:15; 4:16; 10:22)
They obey God (Heb 5:9; 10:36; 12:10,11,14)
They persevere (Heb 3:6,14; 6:11; 10:23)
They enter God’s rest (Heb 4:3,11)
They know God (Heb 8:11)
They are God’s house, his children, his people (Heb 3:6; 2:10,13; 8:10)
They share in Christ (Heb 3:14)
They will receive future salvation (Heb 1:14; 7:25; 5:9; 9:28).

It would have been easy if the Author said “they had their sins forgiven” as he says concerning the believers. Or “those who once had their consciences cleansed”. Or “those for whom Christ died”. Or “those who had the law of God written on their hearts”. Or “those who had faith” and so we could go on, but the fact is that no such definitive descriptions are given to the apostates, because these descriptions may and do apply to a true Christian, but these are not the evidences of his true faith, but rather as our Lord taught is, fruit is the evidence of a true and lasting faith (Matt 7:16, 20). These five things may be true of those who are unbelievers, but are engaged in the church.

The land analogy

Our interpretation is further strengthened by the anal...

1 John 2:2, 'for the sins of the whole world'

Simon Wartanian | 12,519 views | 2,583 words | 0:13:28 hours | 09 February 2014 17:51

1 John 2:2 Propitiation For The Sins Of The Whole World Calvinism Election Predestination Limited Atonement Mercy Sovereignty

...ongFor the sins of the whole world does not mean that every person will be saved, for John is clear that forgiveness of sins comes only to those who repent and believe the gospel (see 2:4, 23; 3:10; 5:12; cf.John 3:18; 5:24). But Jesus’ sacrifice is offered and made available to everyone in “the whole world,” not just to John and his current readers.

The ESV MacArthur Study Bible explains: [2]

Propitiation. C.f. 4:10. The word means “appeasement” or “satisfaction.” The sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross satisfied the demands of God’s holiness for the punishment of sin (cf. Rom. 1:18; 2 Cor. 5:21; Eph 2:3). So Jesus propitiated or satisfied God. For the sins of the whole world. This is a generic term, referring not to every single individual, but to mankind in general. Christ actually paid the penalty only for those who would repent and believe. A number of Scripture indicates that Christ died for the world (John 1:29; 3:16; 6:51; 1 Tim. 2:6; Heb 2:9). Most of the world will be eternally condemned to hell to pay for their own sins, so they could not have been paid for by Christ. The passages that speak of Christ’s dying for the whole world must be understood to refer to mankind in general (as in Titus 2:3-4). “World” indicates the sphere, the beings toward whom God seeks reconciliation and has provided propitiation. God has mitigated his wrath on sinners temporarily, by letting them live and enjoy earthly life. In that sense, Christ has provided a brief, temporal propitiation for the whole world. But he actually satisfied fully the wrath of God eternally only for the elect who believe. Christ’s death in itself had unlimited and infinite value because he is Holy God. Thus his sacrifice was sufficient to pay the penalty for all the sins of all whom God brings to faith. But the actual satisfaction and atonement was made only for those who believe (cf. John 10:11, 15; 17:9, 20; Acts 20:28; Rom 8:32, 37; Eph 5:25). The pardon for sin is offered to the whole world, but received only by those who believe (cf. 1 John 4:9, 14; John 5:24). There is no other way to be reconciled to God.

The HCSB Study Bible says: [3]

Jesus' perfect obedience and sacrificial death satisfied God's just demand for sin to be punished ( propitiation). But His punishment was for others, not for Himself. The phrase for those of the whole world does not mean the salvation of all people. It does mean that, in keeping with God's promise to bless all the nations through Abraham and his descendants (Gen 12:3), Jesus' saving death extends the offer of salvation to all nations.

This is what John Gill said: [4]

And he is the propitiation for our sins,.... For the sins of us who now believe, and are Jews:

and not for ours only; but for the sins of Old Testament saints, and of those who shall hereafter believe in Christ, and of the Gentiles also, signified in the next clause:

but also for [the sins] of the whole world; the Syriac version renders it, "not for us only, but also for the whole world"; that is, not for the Jews only, for John was a Jew, and so were those he wrote unto, but for the Gentiles also. Nothing is more common in Jewish writings than to call the Gentiles עלמא, "the world"; and

כל העולם, "the whole world"; and אומות העולם, "the nations of the world" {l}; [See comments on John 12:19]; and the word "world" is so used in Scripture; see Joh 3:16; and stands opposed to a notion the Jews have of the Gentiles, that אין להן כפ...

Unconditional Election, Sovereign Grace - Scripture List

Simon Wartanian | 15,370 views | 2,788 words | 0:14:20 hours | 23 March 2014 20:23

Calvinism Election Predestination Mercy Sovereignty Verse List God Is In Control Unconditional Election Sovereign Grace

...e Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

Acts 15:8-9 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 9 and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.

Acts 16:14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.

Acts 18:27-28 And when he wished to Cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.

1Cor 12:8-10 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.

Eph 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.[6]

The ESV Study Bible explains:

By grace refers to God’s favor upon those who have transgressed his law and sinned against him. But grace may also be understood as a “power” in these verses. God’s grace not only offers salvation but also secures it. Saved refers to deliverance from God’s wrath at the final judgment (Rom. 5:9); “by grace you have been saved” is repeated from Eph. 2:5 for emphasis. The verb form for “have been saved” (Gk. sesōsmenoi, perfect tense) communicates that the Christian’s salvation is fully secured. through faith. Faith is a confident trust and reliance upon Christ Jesus and is the only means by which one can obtain salvation. this. The Greek pronoun is neuter, while “grace” and “faith” are feminine. Accordingly, “this” points to the whole process of “salvation by grace through faith” as being the gift of God and not something that we can accomplish ourselves. This use of the neuter pronoun to take in the whole of a complex idea is quite common in Greek (e.g., 6:1); its use here makes it clear that faith, no less than grace, is a gift of God. Salvation, therefore, in every respect, is not your own doing.

Phil 1:29-30 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

2Tim 2:24-26 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

Heb 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and is seated...

1 Timothy 2:4 & Titus 2:11, 'desires all people to be saved'

Simon Wartanian | 14,789 views | 2,692 words | 0:14:11 hours | 07 September 2014 16:04

Limited Atonement Timothy 2:4 Titus 2:11 Universalism Intercession The Cross ESV Study Bible MacArthur Study Bible Reformation Study Bible NLT Study Bible

...with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

In the book of Hebrews we see Christ’s High Priestly work. We see also that Christ intercessory work is rooted in His Cross-work. He saves to the uttermost those who draw near to God, but then the question arises: Who draws near to God? The answer from Jesus’ lips is recorded in John 6:44 – No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. And on their behalf does He make His intercessory work. Imagine the Risen Lord of Glory interceding for someone for whom He did not died and for a one whom the Father had no chosen, He would fail miserably, but it’s impossible for the Lord of Glory to be rejected by the Father or for God to fail.

Commentaries

All Kinds of People

The ESV Study Bible explains: [3]

1 Tim. 2:4 Evangelistic prayer for all people is rooted in the fact that God desires all people to be saved. It appears that Paul is countering an exclusivist tendency in the false teachers or at least their downplaying of the importance of evangelizing the Gentiles (along with their emphasis on the Jewish law). This statement figures prominently in theological disagreements over the extent of the atonement. It cannot be read as suggesting that everyone will be saved (universalism) because the rest of the letter makes it clear that some will not be saved (4:1; 5:24; 6:10; cf. Matt. 25:30, 41, 46; Rev. 14:9–11). Does that mean God desires something (all people being saved) that he cannot fulfill? Both Arminian and Calvinist theologians respond that God “desires” something more than universal salvation. Arminians hold that God’s greater desire is to preserve genuine human freedom (which is necessary for genuine love) and therefore he must allow that some may choose to reject his offer of salvation. Calvinists hold that God’s greater desire is to display the full range of his glory (Rom. 9:22–23), which results in election depending upon the freedom of his mercy and not upon human choice (Rom. 9:15–18). However one understands the extent of the atonement, this passage clearly teaches the free and universal offer of the gospel to every single human being; “desires” shows that this offer is a bona fide expression of God’s good will. Come to the knowledge of the truth highlights the cognitive aspect of conversion, i.e., individuals must come to understand key truths in order to be converted. “The truth” occurs often in the Pastorals as a synonym for the gospel (cf. 1 Tim. 3:15; 4:3; 2 Tim. 2:15, 18, 25; 3:7, 8; 4:4; Titus 1:1, 14).

ESV Reformation Study Bible[4]

2:1 all people. As can be seen from the next expression (“for kings and all who are in high positions”), this does not mean “every human being,” but rather “all types of people,” whatever their station in life.

2:4 who desires all people to be saved. This does not mean that God sovereignly wills every human being to be saved (i.e., that God saves everyone). It may refer to God’s general benevolence in taking no delight in the death of the wic...

1689 Second Baptist Confession of Faith Highlighted

Simon Wartanian | 24,267 views | 17,012 words | 1:29:18 hours | 16 November 2014 22:30

1689 Second Baptist Confession Of Faith Creed Calvinist Reformed Baptist

...ng1 yet it is not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but worketh by love. 2

Rom. 1:17; 3:27-31; Phil. 3:9; Gal. 3:5
Gal. 5:6; James 2:17, 22, 26

Christ, by his obedience and death, did fully discharge the debt of all those that are justified; and did, by the sacrifice of himself in the blood of his Cross, undergoing in their stead the penalty due unto them, make a proper, real, and full satisfaction to God’s justice in their behalf; 1 yet, inasmuch as he was given by the Father for them, 2 and his obedience and satisfaction accepted in their stead, 3 and both freely, not for anything in them, their justification is only of free grace, 4 that both the exact justice and rich grace of God might be glorified in the justification of sinners. 5
1. Rom. 5:8-10, 19; 1 Tim. 2:5-6; Heb. 10:10, 14; Isa. 53:4-6, 10-12
2. Rom. 8:32
3. 2 Cor. 5:21; Matt. 3:17; Eph. 5:2; Rom. 3:26
4. Rom. 3:24; Eph. 1:6-7
5. Rom. 3:26; Eph. 2:7

God did from all eternity decree to justify all the elect, 1 and Christ did in the fullness of time die for their sins, and rise again for their justification; 2 nevertheless, they are not justified personally, until the Holy Spirit doth in time due actually apply Christ unto them. 3
1. Gal. 3:8; 1 Peter 1:2, 19-20; Rom. 8:30
2. Gal. 4:4; 1 Tim. 2:6; Rom. 4:25
3. Col. 1:21-22; Gal. 2:16; Titus 3:4-7; Eph. 2:1-3

God doth continue to forgive the sins of those that are justified, 1 and although they can never fall from the state of justification, 2 yet they may, by their sins, fall under God’s fatherly displeasure; and in that condition they have not usually the light of his countenance restored unto them, until they humble themselves, confess their sins, beg pardon, and renew their faith and repentance. 3
1. Matt. 6:12; 1 John 1:7-2:2; John 13:3-11
2. Luke 22:32; John 10:28; Heb. 10:14
3. Ps. 32:5; 51:7-12; Matt. 26:75; Luke 1:20

The justification of believers under the Old Testament was, in all these respects, one and the same with the justification of believers under the New Testament. 1
1. Gal. 3:9; Rom. 4:22-24

Chapter 12: Of Adoption [Return] [Commentary]

All those that are justified, 1 God vouchsafed, 2 in and for the sake of his only Son Jesus Christ, 3 to make partakers of the grace of adoption, by which they are taken into the number, and enjoy the liberties and privileges of the children of God, have his name put upon them, 4 receive the spirit of adoption, have access to the throne of grace with boldness, are enabled to cry Abba, Father, 5 are pitied, protected, provided for, and chastened by him as by a Father, yet never cast off, but sealed to the day of redemption, 6 and inherit the promises as heirs of everlasting salvation.7
1. Gal. 3:24-26
2. 1 John 3:1-3
3. Eph. 1:5; Gal. 4:4-5; Rom. 8:17, 29
4. Rom. 8:17; John 1:12; 2 Cor. 6:18; Rev. 3:12
5. Rom. 8:15; Eph. 3:12; Rom. 5:2; Gal. 4:6; Eph. 2:18
6. Ps. 103:13; Prov. 14:26; Matt. 6:30, 32; 1 Peter 5:7; Heb. 12:6; Isa. 54:8-9; Lam. 3:31; Eph. 4:30
7. Rom. 8:17; Heb. 1:14; 9:15

Chapter 13: Of Sanctification [Return] [Commentary]

They who are united to Christ, effectually called, and regenerated, having a new heart and a new spirit created in them through the virtue of Christ’s death and resurrection, 1 are also farther sanctified, really and personally, 2 throug...

1689 Baptist Confession Chapter 5: Of Divine Providence - Commentary

Simon Wartanian | 14,191 views | 5,231 words | 0:28:11 hours | 04 March 2015 21:17

The 1689 Second Baptist Confession Of Faith Confession Commentary Reformed Baptist Chapter 5 Sovereignty Providence Compatibilism Calvinism

...o;s sovereignty over it should not and cannot be denied based on everything we see in Scripture. God is sovereign over every single sin and He has so ordained that they exist, yet He is not to be charged with unrighteousness, but the creature is to be charged with wickedness. He ordains all sins for the glory of His Name and not for the sake of “free will.” Again, I refer you back to chapter 3 and the brief case for God’s sovereignty over evil there.

God does not merely permit sinful actions, but He decrees that they exist and happen. The greatest example of this is the Cross of Christ (Acts 2:23; 4:26-28), which we discussed in chapter 3. Sometimes the language of permission is used by Calvinists to speak of God’s relation to sin and evil, but our intention in such a language is not to say that God does not will it, but to separate the holiness of God and the sinfulness of the actions which men do. For non-Calvinists, the idea of permission is often used to imply that God in some way is not pleased or does not will the actions to happen, but He does not want to interfere with human (libertarian) free will, so as not to destroy (true) freedom. But generally, I would speak of God decreeing sin and evil, as that is what I believe the Scripture teaches, for His own glory, while He nevertheless remains pure and sinless, unstained by sin and evil. Lamar Martin, in his exposition of this chapter, comments on this phrase, “bare permission”, saying:

The point being that the sinful actions of angels and men are not in a passive way simply allowed by God, but rather God is actively directing, disposing, and governing these sinful actions. God permits sin, yes, Acts 14, verse 16: “Who in the generations gone by allowed all nations to walk in their own ways.” But He does not simply sit back and permit sin; according to the Confession, He bounds it, that is, He limits it, He orders it, He governs it, and that to produce His most holy ends. And clearly God does limit sin.^[4]

He does not permit or ordain evil for its sake, or to respect the “free will” of man, but rather, He ordains and decrees evil for the good which He purposes it to bring and the judgment which He will bring upon it, and thus display the glory of His justice. If God would have willed sin for the sake of sin, it would have been a blemish on His character. But for God to will sin for the sake of the good intended, it is a manifestation of His infinite wisdom and sovereignty.

§5 Leave for a season his own children to manifold temptations

The most wise, righteous, and gracious God doth oftentimes leave for a season his own children to manifold temptations and the corruptions of their own hearts, to chastise them for their former sins, or to discover unto them the hidden strength of corruption and deceitfulness of their hearts, that they may be humbled; and to raise them to a more close and constant dependence for their support upon himself; and to make them more watchful against all future occasions of sin, and for other just and holy ends. 1 So that whatsoever befalls any of his elect is by his appointment, for his glory, and their good. 2
1. 2 Chron. 32:25-26, 31; 2 Sam. 24:1; Luke 22:34-35; Mark 14:66f; John 21:15-17
2. Rom. 8:28; 2 Cor. 12:7-9

Our God is called most wise, righteous, and gracious, therefore, we know that He intends His providence and decree for our good and His glory. By His providence, he chastises us for our sins, shows us the corruption ...

1689 Baptist Confession Chapter 6: Of the Fall of Man, Of Sin, And of the Punishment Thereof - Commentary

Simon Wartanian | 18,172 views | 7,955 words | 0:42:14 hours | 04 March 2015 21:18

The 1689 Second Baptist Confession Of Faith Confession Commentary Reformed Baptist Chapter 6 Fall Of Man Sin Condemnation Total Depravity Total Inability Original Sin Federal Headship

...ker-10-1“" href="“#footnote-10“" rel="“footnote“"[10]. But in these instances, it is used with the negative. It means not having the ability, not having the power and so on.

The Lord Jesus does not say you do not want to come, no, He says that we are unable (the difference between ability and will). That is because their mind is set on the flesh and not on the things of God. They are slaves of Satan. Satan will never desire his subjects to seek God. They seek that which they desire, which is anything (sin) but God. Matthew Poole comments on Romans 8:7, saying, “Those that are at enmity, Cross each other’s wills, and will not submit to one another: and the carnal mind is rebellious in the highest degree against the will of God, unless it be changed and renewed; it is impossible it should be otherwise; there is in it a moral impotency to obedience: see Joh 8:43; 1Co 2:14.”^[9] The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges comments:

enmity] Cp. ch. Rom. 5:10. The expression here is as forcible as possible. As truly as “God is Love,” so truly, essentially, and unalterably is the “mind of the flesh,” the liking and disliking of unregenerate man, “enmity,” “personal hostility,” towards the true God and His real claims.

Nothing short of this is St Paul’s meaning. It is not to be toned down, as by the theory that other impulses in the unregenerate may counterbalance, or at least modify, this enmity. We must keep clearly in view the reality of the claim of the Holy Creator to the love of the whole being. To decline this, when it is the creature that declines it, is not mere reserve; it is hostility.

the law] In its two great Precepts. Mat 22:37-39.

can be] Again a perfectly uncompromising statement. The will of the unregenerate, as such, is incapable of cordial submission to the claim of the true God. Its essence is alienation from Him; self, not God, is its central point. When the man in reality “yields himself to God,” ipso facto he is proved to be no longer “in the flesh,” (see next verse,) but “in the Spirit.”^[11]

The natural man is not a friend or child of God, but is hostile to, a hater and an enemy of God (Rom. 1:30; 8:7).

More on inability, see John 6:43-71; 8:39-47; 10:22-29; 12:37-41; 1 Corinthians 2:14.

Man Is A Slave Of Satan

The Lord Jesus declares that man is a slave of sin (John 8:34). What does it mean to be a slave to sin? A slave is “One who is subject to or controlled by a specified influence” and “One who is subservient to or controlled by another.”^[12] What is the controlling influence in an unregenerate person’s life? It’s sin. We’ve seen earlier that everything done outside of the faith is sin (Rom. 14:23). The unregenerate do the pleasure of Satan who is their master, not of God, Whom they hate and are hostile to.

2Tim. 2:25-26 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

2 Timothy 2 teaches us that the unregenerate are slaves of Satan, they are not free. So much for free will! They are said to be captured and captivated to do Satan’s will. They are Satan’s prisoners and are captured to do his will. Notice the aggressive language to describe this slavery. Satan is not a good master. A slave is not free. The slavery to Christ is a slavery to righteousness and peace and is unlike the aggressive slavery to Satan...

1689 Baptist Confession Chapter 9: Of Free Will - Commentary

Simon Wartanian | 18,595 views | 16,462 words | 1:25:57 hours | 04 March 2015 21:41

The 1689 Second Baptist Confession Of Faith Confession Commentary Reformed Baptist Chapter 9 Chapter Nine Free Will Libertarian Free Will Determinism Fatalism Compatibilism Incompatibilism Moral Agency Jonathan Edwards The Freedom Of The Will

...scribed in terms of resurrection (John 5:25-26; Eph. 2:5-6; Col. 2:12). What does being dead to sin mean? It means that we no longer are slaves to sin. We no longer are under its bondage so that we are not able to do righteousness (Rom. 6:20). Sin no longer reigns and rules over us. We are no longer the obedient slaves of sin as we were before the new birth. We now struggle and war against sin.

The reason that we were united with Christ in His death, as Romans 6:3-4 says, is so that we also would die to sin and no longer be slaves of sin (Rom. 6:6). Since the one who has died is freed from sin, that’s why it was necessary that we would be united with our Savior on the Cross (Rom. 6:7). Just as we died with Him on the Cross, so likewise we live with Him now in newness of life thanks to His resurrection (Rom. 6:4, 8, 11). In the past, when we did not know Christ, sin did reign over us and made us obedient to its passions (Rom. 6:12-13), but now the apostle commands us not to allow sin to reign in us as it did before we knew Christ. Indeed, sin will no longer have dominion over us because we have been freed from the curse and demands of the law as a covenant of works (Rom. 6:14; see here). When we were under the law, either the one written on stone or the one written on the heart (see the Law of Creation). The law condemned us whenever we sinned and brought us under condemnation. But that power of the law has been destroyed for the believers through Christ. Now the law points us to Christ through Whom we receive forgiveness for every sin (Acts 13:38-39). We are now under grace. We are under the Covenant of Grace whose promises are “confess your sins and you will be clean” (cf. 1 John 1:8-9). There is no condemnation for us who are in Christ as He was the One who paid by His precious blood for every sin we would commit (Rom. 8:1). How different than the covenant of works! The one condemns and administers death and condemnation; the other administers righteousness and eternal glory (2 Cor. 3:7-11). Thus those who are under sin and “continue in sin” are under the bondage and condemnation of the law, that will only bring death (Rom. 6:16, 23), impurity, lawlessness (Rom. 6:19), and shame (Rom. 6:21). But Paul bursts into thanks to God for His amazing grace:

Rom. 6:16-18 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.

Glory be to the Sovereign Who has freed us from our slavery to sin. We would have never come to Christ through our free will because our will was only free to do what accords with our desires, which at that time was only sin (Rom. 14:23; 2 Tim. 2:24-26; Eph. 2:1-3). But it is God who has bought us from the slave market of sin and made us slaves of Himself. We no longer are under the harsh dominion of sin, but are under the dominion of the gracious God Who saved us. It is an axiom that whoever or whatever we obey and love the most, to that we are slaves. So, when we were in the State of Sin, we were obedient to sin and thus were slaves of sin. But now thanks be to God, we have become and are becoming more obedient to God. We have been set f...