Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Sibbes on God's Grace

Greetings, friend.

The following comes from The Bruised Reed, by Richard Sibbes. The chapter is Grace Shall Reign. The subsection is titled “Why the Enemy Seems Victorious.” (pages 95 – 96, Puritan Paperbacks)

“Third, God often works by contraries: when he means to give victory, he will allow us to be foiled at first; when he means to comfort, he will terrify first; when he means to justify, he will condemn us first; when he means to make us glorious, he will abase us first. A Christian conquers, even when he is conquered. When he is conquered by some sins, he gets victory over others more dangerous, such as spiritual pride and security.


Fourthly, Christ’s work, both in the church and in the hearts of Christians, often goes backward so that it may go forward better. As seed rots in the ground in the winter time, but after comes up better, and the harder the wind the more flourishing the spring, so we learn to stand by falls, and get strength by weakness discovered . . . (weakness is the keeper of virtue). We take deeper root by shaking. And, as torches flame brighter by moving, thus it pleases Christ, out of his freedom, in this manner to maintain his government in us. Let us herein labor to exercise our faith, so that it may answer Christ’s way of dealing with us. When we are foiled, let us believe we shall overcome; when we have fallen, let us believe we shall rise again. Jacob, after he received a blow which made him lame, yet would not give over wrestling (Gen 32:25) till he had obtained the blessing. So let us never give up, but, in our thoughts, knit the beginning, progress and end together, and then we shall see ourselves in heaven out of the reach of all enemies. Let us assure ourselves that God’s grace, even in this imperfect state, is stronger than man’s free will in the state of original perfection. It is founded now in Christ, who, as he is the author, so will he be the finisher, of our faith (Heb 12:2). We are under a more gracious covenant.”


We would do well to spend time talking through all that Sibbes puts before us. Reasoning together, our understanding would be developed, corrected, shaped, deepened, and what would emerge is a vision of life for us to follow. We would see how we are to be. As Christians, we must move beyond mere belief of these things to participation in the realities we confess. Living shows what we believe.