Just BECAUSE ..... Part 3

Another way of describing the thought process that I've been writing about in the last two blogs (HERE and HERE), is to think of this in terms of means to an end.  God, as the Uncaused Cause of the Universe, sovereign in every way, determines both the ends and the means.  God is the primary cause of all events by virtue of His fore-ordination of all events.   But God normally uses means or secondary causes.  We can fail on this score in several ways:

1. By dismissing one cause, or devaluing one cause for the sake of the other.
2. By considering secondary causes of greater influence than the Primary Cause.
3. By making secondary causes irrelevant because of the greater cause.

It is pagan at worst or sub-Christian at best to ever think that a secondary cause can move the Primary Cause.  I read such a quote yesterday.  A person wrote, "God elects the whole world to salvation but mankind can refuse or frustrate that choice."  That is pure idolatry.  At the same time God has chosen to use means such as the preaching of the Gospel, repentance and faith to save His elect.  These means are not negotiable.  

Understanding multiple causes in God's interaction with humans while maintaining His sovereign primacy is of great help us in understanding Scripture and giving due glory to the right cause.  For example consider this verse in Romans 9:18 (NIV),

¹⁸ Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.

The Bible reader is immediately taken back to the story of the Exodus where God promised Moses “But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt,” (Exodus 7:3, NIV).  Sincere Christians will wonder about such a statement.  But when one considers that God is acting as the primary cause, but using secondary causes it brings perspective.  Initially “Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.”” (Exodus 5:2, NIV).  And it is obvious that God had decreed that the longer this king resists His will, the harder his heart would become, to the point that it was cemented into permanent indifference to God.  

A danger in reading your Bible is to embrace one evidence of causation and run with it, to the exclusion of all other evidences.  This impacts almost every dimension of Christianity that I can think of, from prayer to perseverance; from evangelism to edification.  I have learned to ask two questions when I study:

1. Is this a Primary or Secondary cause; and
2. Whatever it is, where is its corollary?

So in the case of Pharaoh I ask, "Is this a statement of Primary Causation?"  Yes!  Question 2: "What means did God use?"  Answer:  Pharaoh's stubborn, idolatrous will.  The New Living Bible captures the sense of this well: “Human defiance only enhances your glory, for you use it as a weapon.” (Psalm 76:10, NLT)

 

"God raises up men like Pharaoh and Pilate to accomplish his ends. Yet, their actions are free and morally accountable. Their sin does not thwart the eternal decree of God, but rather is encompassed in his divine plan so that he is without sin (Ps. 17.14). He is the potter and we are the clay (Rom. 9) . . . In this way, in accordance with the eternal decree of God, who alone is the first cause, all that comes to pass -- the unfolding of history, as it were -- is encompassed in the sovereign providential government of God, over all creation, rational agents and otherwise, which thereby, as the Confession says, establishes the nature of second causes." [1]

To God be the glory.

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1. http://www.puritanboard.com/f48/secondary-causes-15115/

Faith in the Valley

Christian meets Apollyon as he descends into the valley of Humiliation.  That is not without importance.  It is both a necessary attitude by which to confront the enemy; but perhaps it is also the place where the battle rages the greatest?

 Apollyon (Απολλυων) is the Greek name for Abaddon, the spiritual being (or place) named as the destroyer (or place of destruction) in Christian apocalyptic theology. The temptation of Apollyon was to persuade Christian to turn back.  He has gone from bad to worse.  Sadly the Evil One says, "It is ordinary for those that have professed themselves his servants, after a while to give him the slip, and return again to me. Do thou so to, and all shall be well."  Apollyon's strategy was to appeal to Christian's ethic and suggest that his current frame of mind is one of disloyalty.  However Christian counters with the truth that even if that were so, his God "is able to absolve me, yea, and to pardon also what I did as to my compliance with thee."   Christian had the sense to know that the "his wages, his servants, his government, his company, and country, better than [the Devil's]."

Apollyon's next approach was to show the end to those who are faithful to the King.  He reminds Christian of the many who have come to an untimely and horrific death.  How shall he respond to such an obvious truth? " "His forbearing," responds Christian, "At present to deliver them, is on purpose to try their love, whether they will cleave to him to the end: and as for the ill end thou sayest they come to, that is most glorious in their account. For, for present deliverance, they do not much expect it; for they stay for their glory; and then they shall have it, when their Prince comes in his and the glory of the angels."

Whereas sins of the past and the ill-fate of the many cannot dissuade Christian from his resolve to continue down the path to the Celestial City, the Evil One now aptly points out Christian's present sins and failings.  Although the accusations are true, the defense is impregnable: "All this is true," admits Christian, "And much more which thou hast left out; but the Prince whom I serve and honor is merciful, and ready to forgive. But besides, these infirmities possessed me in thy country, for there I sucked them in, and I have groaned under them, been sorry for them, and have obtained pardon of my Prince." 

Then for more than a day, this deadly Enemy assaulted Christian with darts.  His shield protected him from mortal wounding but he was not left unscathed.  The disciple continued to resist and then holding forth his Sword he said, "Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise, Mic. 7:8; and with that gave him a deadly thrust, which made him give back, as one that had received his mortal wound. Christian perceiving that, made at him again, saying, Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through Him that loved us. Rom. 8:37."  At this Apollyon left him.

" Then there came to him a hand with some of the leaves of the tree of life, the which Christian took and applied to the wounds that he had received in the battle, and was healed immediately. He also sat down in that place to eat bread, and to drink of the bottle that was given him a little before: so, being refreshed, he addressed himself to his journey with his sword drawn in his hand; for he said, I know not but some other enemy may be at hand. But he met with no other affront from Apollyon quite through this valley." 

The Enemy's tactics as described by Bunyan were to throw past sins and present failures at this Child of God.  He presented the difficult and deadly prospects of any who follow the Savior.  The Evil One threw fiery darts which only the Shield of Faith was able to quench.  But through all this, though wounded, Christian withstood the Enemy to the praise of God.  "So when the battle was over, Christian said, I will here give thanks to him that hath delivered me out of the mouth of the lion, to him that did help me against Apollyon."