Banner of Truth 2007 -- Session #3

NOTE: THIS DOCUMENT IS IN GREAT NEED OF EDITING, BUT AT THE MOMENT I DO NOT HAVE TIME TO DO SO. I HOPE IT CAN GIVE SOME OF THE FLAVOR OF WHAT THE SESSION WAS LIKE, BUT IF THERE IS ANYTHING THAT SEEMS WRONG IT IS PROBABLY BECAUSE OF MY TYPING ABILITY RATHER THAN THE SPEAKERS ORTHODOXY.

Session 3 Derek Thomas -- “Union with Christ: The Architectonic Principle of Holiness in Calvin’s Institutes”

-decided to keep focus on Book 3 of the institutes
-particularly the part called the golden booklet of the Christian life
-read romans 6:1-14
-the lens through which we will contemplate scriptural holiness is that of Calvin
-the quote from opening of book 3 of institutes, "we must now examine this question how do we received the benefits the father has bestowed upon his son . . . Within us."
-transition from book 2's consideration of what Christ had achieved in his finished work
-how is that work applied to us
-so we can benefit from it
-by 1559 version the ordering of institutes had moved to follow pattern of book 1 god the father book 2 god the son book 3 holy spirit
-moved section on election to book 3
-and moved section on Christian living from section on church book 4 to book 3
-Calvin was not concerned in his chapter order with following a classical ordo saludis
-starts with holy spirit
-was in a context where justification by faith was being charged with producing antinomianism
-he starts with spirit because he wanted to show how justification did not hinder sanctification
-opening title "our regeneration by faith"
-but not using regeneration the same way we do
-was born again and in his view was being regenerated
-need to keep this usage of regeneration in mind
-key to understanding Calvin's view of sanctification is union with Christ
-he means by union with Christ
-a mystical union brought about by the Holy Spirit where we are brought into a spiritual union with Christ
-but also this incorporates an important concept
-that Christ and we share in a common nature
-human body and soul
-so our participation in Christ is a participation in his body and blood
-against any gnostic tendency
-after resurrection we will share glorified physical bodies
-thus the communion that results in both spiritual and physical or incarnational
-Romans 8:29 Christ is firstborn
-he serves as older brother
-or Romans 11:17 where we have been in grafted into Christ
-so we draw from the energy or vitality of Christ
-or Galatians we have put on Christ
-so from the outset of book 3 Calvin show how union with Christ is the architectonic basis for our holiness
1. Basis of our holiness
-Christ possessed a spiritual wealth and power
-and he possessed it to enrich the poor and needy
-think of high priestly prayer of John 17
-Christ sanctified himself that his people might be sanctified
-spirit sprinkles us with the holiness of Christ and makes it ours
-not just through imputation
-but he is also our sanctification
-as a result of Christ's own sanctification
-in its perfection
-we might work out that sanctification in our own lives
-in order to answer the question of how we are saved
-Calvin would say we are saved in Christ
-our holiness is his holiness first of all
-his holiness is our holiness
-think of in Christ passages like Paul's address to Corinthians
-they were in Corinth
-they were in Christ
-living in this world is living in a world of sin
-but those indwelt by the Spirit are in Christ
-spiritual union with Christ is not to be thought of apart from the incarnational union with Christ
-our sanctification works its way our in physical even bodily terms
2. Means of sanctification is the holy spirit
-how the benefits of Christ become ours is through the work of the holy spirit
-it is the holy spirit as the one who indwelt first the incarnate Christ
-same spirit in him is the spirit in us
-holy spirit is the bond that unites us to Christ
-no one knows Christ or was more intimate with Christ or had more fellowship with Christ than the holy spirit of Christ
-where is Christ now
-in heaven at the right hand of god
-so there is a mystery in how we are brought into communion with the body of Christ
-role of holy spirit brings us into fellowship with Christ in LS
-not so much Christ comes down to us in supper
-as much as spirit bringing us up to Christ
-draws our hearts and minds to him
-language of supper, "Lift up your hearts"
-lifted to fellowship with Christ
-in bread and wine
-but in reality seated with him in heaven
-right at start of book 3 Calvin reflects on how spirit comes through death and resurrection of Christ
-reflection on order this worked out in order of history
-psalm 133
-Mt. Hermon reminds us of oil poured on priest and flows over garments
-so spirit poured out
-with blessings
-spirit grafts us into the body of Christ
3. Shape of holiness
-for Calvin Romans 6 the model or template for sanctification
-should we keep sinning to have go render even greater grace
-no. Because when we receive Christ we receive him totally
-in justification, sanctification and glorification
-cannot just take the justification and keep sinning
-it violates gospel principles
-we are those who died to sin
-medicine does not foster the disease which it destroys (Calvin)
-we are people who have died to sin
-there is a definitional quality to this
-it describes who we are
-we are baptized into his death
-death to sin
-death to claims of sin
-all claims of sin have been fully met in Christ
-so sin has no claim
-so we no longer serve sin
-our self in Adam has died in union with Christ
-so that the body of sin might be destroyed
-Calvin sees that as the mass or sin
-but probably better would be the physicality of sin in our bodies
-so that in our bodies we no longer are under sin
-this work is not completed on the day on which it starts
-but is gradually progressing
-communion with the death of Christ
communion with death of Christ
-is what energies and gives strength to the commands for sanctification
-we are people who have died to all of sins demands
-it is the union with death of Christ to sin
-and raised to life with Christ
-union with Christ's death and resurrection
-means as believers we will see and experience this death to sin and resurrection to righteousness throughout our life
-to know life
-we must experience death in some sense
-modality of holiness is reckon self dead to sin and look above to where Christ is seated
-call to imitate Christ
-with recognition that there are things that we should not imitate because they are uni1que to Christ
-imitation in sense of being moved by spirit that moved Christ
-and that is a difficult path
-as we die more and more to flesh and devil
-and live more and more to Christ

Open 'all people that on earth do dwell'
Close I greet thee who my sure redeemer art.