6/18/2011

3 Paramount Biblical Themes from God's Covenant with Abraham (Gen 12:1-3)

Goldsworthyaccordingtoplan

These 3 doctrines--grace, election, faith--may be among the most misunderstood, misconstrued and even maligned teachings in the Bible. This is what Graeme Goldsworthy, a highly respected Australian Anglican theologian specializing in the Old Testament and Biblical Theology, says.

1st, GRACE. As with Noah there is nothing special about Abraham that deserves the goodness of God in calling him into these blessings. He lived among pagans and responds with faith and obedience to the call of God. There is no hint that God was responding to Abraham's goodness. In fact, he lied about his wife twice, in order, so he thought, to preserve his life (Gen 12:11-20; 20:1-18). He showed lack of faith in God's promises and worked to undermine the promise that Sarah would be the mother of the promised descendants. It is clear from the biblical narrative that we cannot see God's goodness to Abraham as deserved. Rather, the biblical picture of God's free and sovereign grace is developed in God's call to Abraham (Gen 12:1-3).

2nd, ELECTION. Whenever God acts for the good of the people he is acting against what they deserve as rebellious sinners, and that action is grace. Election means that God chooses some and not others as objects of his grace. Rom 9:19-24 tells us that election works for God's glory, for it demonstrates divine sovereignty.

What we shouldn't do with the "hard" doctrine/teaching of election: It is no use asking why Abraham and not some other person is chosen as the father of a  blessed race. Election is a principle that is developed throughout the biblical history, and we should be careful not to misunderstand it or reshape it by human logic into a more acceptable doctrine. We cannot solve this mystery by resorting to easy solutions such as suggesting that God foresees the faith of those whom he subsequently, and on that basis, elects. Nor may we erect false, if apparently logical, objections to the doctrine such as saying that election based on God's free grace reduces us to robots or puppets on a string with no wills or power to make choices.

3rd, FAITH as the means of restoration to God. Abraham's faith is certainly not perfect, not perfect, not always strong, and sometimes borders on disbelief (Gen 15:2-3). Yet at critical times he takes God at his Word and believes his promises. The key is not the strength or perfection of Abraham's faith, but the strength and perfection of the God he trusts. Abraham learns that God is utterly reliable and faithful to his word. And since Abraham deserves nothing of what he is promised, it must be seen as a pure and unmerited gift. That is why he is accounted as righteous before God by simply believing (Gen 15:6).

Application: As biblical history unfolds, the meaning of grace, election and faith also unfolds. Progressive revelation requires that we must always allow God's latter and fuller words to interpret the meaning of the earlier and less explicit words. All the key themes in the theological history of Genesis will be developed through the OT and find fulfillment in the gospel event. Thus, it is the latter fulfillment which must interpret the real significance of the earlier expressions. This means that the earlier expressions point to things beyond themselves that are greater than the meaning that would have been perceived by those receiving these earlier expressions.

In brief: God's covenant expresses the grace of God in election, and its blessings are received by faith.

Graeme Goldsworthy, According to Plan; The Unfolding Revelation of God in the Bible, 1991, 120-129

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