The Song God Gave to Moses

“Now therefore write this song and teach it to the people of Israel. Put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the people of Israel. For when I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to give to their fathers, and they have eaten and are full and grown fat, they will turn to other gods and serve them, and despise me and break my covenant. And when many evils and troubles have come upon them, this song shall confront them as a witness (for it will live unforgotten in the mouths of their offspring). For I know what they are inclined to do even today, before I have brought them into the land that I swore to give.” So Moses wrote this song the same day and taught it to the people of Israel. Deut. 31:19-22, ESV

Grace

Appealing to Reformed orthodoxy, Barth underscored the danger in treating grace merely as a gift, especially (as in Roman Catholic teaching) as an infused substance, abstracted from God in Christ. In grace, God gives nothing less than himself. Grace, then, is not a third thing or substance mediating between God and sinners, but is Jesus Christ in redeeming action. “God owes nothing to any counterpart.” In short, “Grace means redemption,” Barth adds. Beyond the love and goodness that God shows to creation generally, grace “is always God’s turning to those who not only do not deserve this favour, but have deserved the very opposite.” In fact, “Grace itself is mercy.”

Horton, Michael S. (2010-12-21). The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way (Kindle Locations 6947-6952). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. 

God's Blessings in a Fallen World

Life is a blessing, but guess what, it’s also a dead end street. God is so gracious to us and the Bible says that through the Lord’s mercies we’re not consumed, because His compassions fail not and they’re new every morning . . . .

Life under the sun as Soloman always talks about in Ecclesisties, life under the sun is really jacked up. It’s just that God’s grace and his mercies are new every morning. So we don’t get to see that, we don’t get to see the soft underbelly of this thing every day. And so when we say God how could you let this happen to me, I say God how could you let me live this life so beautifully for all this time? How could you bless me like you bless me day in and day out, day in and day out? How could you do that?

Kirk Whalum, The Gospel According to Jazz - Chapter III

Ignatius - Preaching Christ

But if any one preach the Jewish law unto you, listen not to him. For it is better to hearken to Christian doctrine from a man who has been circumcised, than to Judaism from one uncircumcised. But if either of such persons do not speak concerning Jesus Christ, they are in my judgment but as monuments and sepulchres of the dead, upon which are written only the names of men. Flee therefore the wicked devices and snares of the prince of this world, lest at any time being conquered by his artifices, ye grow weak in your love.

But to me Jesus Christ is in the place of all that is ancient: His cross, and death, and resurrection, and the faith which is by Him, are undefiled monuments of antiquity; by which I desire, through your prayers, to be justified. - Ignatius

Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe, eds., The Apostolic Fathers With Justin Martyr and Irenaeus (ANF I; Accordance electronic ed. 9 vols.; New York: Christian Literature Company, 1885), n.p.

The Mosaic Law

To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law.  21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. - 1 Cor. 9, ESV

What clues are we given that we can put a prohibition against murder into the category of a “moral” issue while putting fasting or the Sabbath into a different category? VanGemeren’s own approach here suggests, rather, that Jesus treated them all together as part of the single entity—the Mosaic law. Perhaps VanGemeren would reply at this point that Jesus’ own treatment of the different commandments reveals just such a distinction. He absolves his followers from obeying the ceremonial law, while he reiterates and sharpens the moral laws. But this is just my point. It is only as we look at the way that Jesus and the writers of the New Testament treat the commandments of the Mosaic law that we can know which ones continue to apply directly to us and which ones no longer do. The Mosaic commandments, then, are not directly applicable to us, but only as they are passed on to us by Christ. He is the “filter” through which the whole law must go, and it is he who determines which of those laws must still be followed and which ones need not be.

Bahnsen, Greg L.; Kaiser, Jr., Walter C.; Moo, Douglas  J.; Strickland, Wayne G.; VanGemeren, Willem A. (2010-09-21). Five Views on Law and Gospel (Counterpoints: Bible and Theology) (pp. 87-88). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

Faith

In its essence, faith is not a subjective experience or decision but a knowledgeable assent to and belief in Jesus Christ as he gives himself to us in the gospel.

Michael Horton, The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way

Spurgeon Sermon Collection, Preface

The word Calvinism, is frequently used here as the short word which embraces that part of divine truth which teaches that salvation is by grace alone, but it is not hence to be imagined that we attach any authority to the opinion of John Calvin, other than that which is due to every holy man who is ordained of God to proclaim his truth. We use the word simply for shortness of expression, and because the enemies of free grace will then be quite sure of what we mean. It is our firm belief, that what is commonly called Calvinism, is neither more nor less than the good old gospel of the Puritans, the Martyrs, the Apostles, and of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Here, the proud legalist, the conceited believer in the unaided strength of man, and the self-exalting moralist, will discover very little suitable to their corrupt palate and much to excite their enmity; but the humbled sinner may possible find words of comfort, and the self-loathing believer will perhaps obtain a glimpse of his Lord.

Our hope is, that inferior matters in dispute will not so much be regarded, as “the things which we have spoken touching the king.” Jesus is the Truth.

We believe in him—not merely in his words. He himself is Doctor and Doctrine, Revealer and Revelation, the Illuminator and the Light of Men.

He is exalted in every word of truth, because he is its sum and substance.

He sits above the gospel, like a prince on his own throne. Doctrine is most precious when we see it distilling from his lips and embodied in his person.

Sermons are valuable in proportion as they speak of him and point to him.

A Christless gospel is no gospel and a Christless discourse is the cause of merriment to devils. The Holy Ghost who has ever been our sole instructor, Idol we trust, teach us more of Jesus, until we comprehend with all saints, what are the heights and depths, and know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, only have we labored to extol: may the Lord himself succeed our endeavors.

Spurgeon’s Sermons (63 vols.), Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit and New Park Street Pulpit (Spurgeon-Sermons), by Charles Haddon Spurgeon, This edition ©2012 Oaktree Software, Inc., Accordance edition hypertexted and formatted by OakTree Software, Inc., Version 1.0