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1689 Baptist Confession Chapter 16: Of Good Works - Commentary

Simon Wartanian | 13,095 views | 8,785 words | 0:46:07 hours | 05 March 2015 18:58

... are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in Heaven.

The Lord Jesus begins by telling us that we are the salt of the earth. That means that the believers have a preserving and savoring effect on the world as salt does to earthly things. The eminent Bible commentator John Gill writes the following on this phrase:

Ye are the salt of the earth,.... This is to be understood of the disciples and apostles of Christ; who might be compared to “salt”, because of the savoury doctrines they preached; as all such are, which are agreeable to the Scriptures, and are of the evangelic kind, which are full of Christ, serve to exalt him, and to magnify the grace of God; and are suitable to the experiences of the saints, and are according to godliness, and tend to promote it: also because of their savoury lives and conversations; whereby they recommended, and gave sanction to the doctrines they preached, were examples to the saints, and checks upon wicked men.^[2]

We are not only the salt of the earth but also the light of the world. The believers have an important task in the world, indeed as some have said, the world stands for the sake of the elect. But what we also learn from v. 15 is that others benefit from the light, meaning other people than us should benefit from our works. Our light, which is our character, deeds and walk in the Lord, should move others to seek God and see God in us. Therefore, it is undoubtedly true that all good works should be done to the glory of God and that thereby the glory of God may be manifested to others.

The apostle Paul also says:

1 Cor. 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Anything that we do in life should be done to the glory of God, whether it be good works or studying, or eating and drinking. We should do all things with thankfulness to God and to His honor and glory. In a passage mentioned above, we see again that good works brought forth through faith are to be for Christ’s glory (1 Thess. 1:11-12). The God Who works in us to do His pleasure and equips us to be able to carry out His holy will, is also the God Who works all things according to His purpose and therefore to His glory (Phil. 2:13; Heb. 13:20-21; Eph. 1:11; 2:10).

§2 These good works...are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith

These good works, done in obedience to God’s commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith; 1 and by them believers manifest their thankfulness, 2 strengthen their assurance, 3 edify their brethren, 4 adorn the profession of the gospel, 5 stop the mouths of the adversaries, 6 and glorify God, whose workmanship they are, created in Christ Jesus thereunto, 7 that having their fruit unto holiness they may have the end eternal life. 8
1. James 2:18, 22; Gal. 5:6; 1 Tim. 1:5
2. Ps. 116:12-14; 1 Peter 2:9, 12; Luke 7:36-50 with Matt. 26:1-11
3. 1 John 2:3, 5; 3:18-19; 2 Peter 1:5-11
4. 2 Cor. 9:2; Matt. 5:16
5. Matt. 5:16; Titus 2:5, 9-12; 1 Tim. 6:1; 1 Peter 2:12
6. 1 Pet...

1689 Baptist Confession Chapter 27: Of the Communion of Saints

Simon Wartanian | 11,335 views | 4,813 words | 0:25:13 hours | 06 March 2015 23:08

The 1689 Second Baptist Confession Of Faith Confession Commentary Reformed Baptist Chapter 27 Of The Communion Of Saints Fellowship Christian Love Union With Christ

...d the punishment of the law of God. The union of the believer with Christ and Christ with the believer is so intimate that it is said, “our old self was crucified with him” (Rom. 6:6). His crucifixion on our behalf was also our crucifixion.

Scripture likewise teaches that we were united with Him in His glorious resurrection (Col. 2:1, 12). His resurrection is the source of our life and justification (Rom. 4:26). Without the resurrection, there would be no redemption.

Christ’s ascension is His entrance into His throne room, having accomplished everything which the Father had commanded Him to do. He went to Heaven and sent us the Holy Spirit Who will apply the work of redemption to the elect. Scripture teaches that we share in the Heavenly reign of Christ (Eph. 2:6). Furthermore, Scripture encourages to live as Christ currently lives His resurrection life (Rom. 6:2-11).

Our Lives

The elect were not only united with Christ in His life, death, and resurrection in the past, but they are also, in the present, intimately united with Him through faith. The Scriptures teach that our regeneration and new life is the result of our union with Christ. Paul writes that “even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ” (Eph. 2:5). A few verses later he also says that we are “created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Eph. 2:10). In 2 Corinthians 5:17, the apostle says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” This great blessing of new life is a result of union with Christ.

Our justification by faith has its source in our union with Christ. Paul says that our justification was in Him (Rom. 3:24; Gal. 2:16-17) and that our righteousness is likewise because we are united with Him (1 Cor. 1:30; 2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:8-9). Not only justification, but sanctification is likewise a blessing from union with Christ. The apostle Paul writes that “because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:30). Because we are in Him, we have sanctification which comes from Him. Sanctification is the new life given to us in Jesus Christ. Thus the apostle Paul tells us that “our “walk[ing] in newness of life” is because of our union with Christ in His death and resurrection (Rom. 6:3-5). He also says:

Rom. 6:6-11 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

We see here that Paul says the reason for our union with Christ in His death was so that we would die to sin and sin might lose its power over us. Since we have died with Christ, we will also now live with Him. Christ lives His resurrection life in His people through the Spirit Whom He poured on us. Just as the Lord Christ died and was raised to life, so likewise we should die to sin and live to God in Christ. Our Christian life is to be lived in, with, and because of Christ. To die to sin is an essential p...

2 Corinthians 5:14-15, 'he died for all'

Simon Wartanian | 8,231 views | 2,761 words | 0:14:24 hours | 22 April 2016 16:50

2 Corinthians 5 Limited Atonement Unlimited Atonement Definite Redemption Calvinism Arminianism

...itude that Christ loved him and was so gracious as to make him a part of the “all” who died in him.^[2]

The HCSB Study Bible says about 2 Corinthians 5:13-15:

5:13-14 Paul's opponents probably had suggested that he was religiously unbalanced (see Ac 26:24). He was "insane" in that Christ's love compelled him into vigorous apostolic ministry. On the other hand, his ministry among the Corinthians had never been that of a madman (1Co 2:1-5). Indeed, he had kept his "third Heaven" vision private for 14 years until he mentioned it later in this letter (12:1-10). The heart of Paul's message was that the Jewish Messiah had died on behalf of all kinds of sinners (1Co 15:3). Jews as well as Gentiles were included in Jesus' substitutionary death (Rev 7:9). In union with Christ, sinners who believe the gospel have died to sin and have been raised to walk in a new way of life.

5:15 The phrase those who live refers to believers who are now spiritually alive (Eph 2:4-6). Christ's death and resurrection ministry have become the pattern for the believer's death and new-life ministry. Paul personally modeled this as well.^[3]

Footnotes

^ ESV Study Bible. (2008). Crossway. Taken from the Online Version at www.esvbible.org
^ John MacArthur. (2010) The MacArthur Study Bible. Crossway.
^ HCSB (Holman Christian Standard Bible®) Study Bible. (2010). Holman Bible Publishers. Taken from the online version at www.mystudybible.com

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