God’s Perfection
In books of theology you will sometimes read of an attribute called God’s simplicity. Since that word is not found in Scripture, it might be better to speak of God’s perfection. In any case, what we are talking about here is an aspect of God’s oneness: that He is one in all His attributes and works. There is no disharmony, no conflict, no contradiction between any of His works or His attributes. They are all one.
This is taught especially in those passages which say that God is love, is truth, is light, etc. (I John 1:5, 4:8, 5:6).
In relation to God’s attributes this means that His attributes are not really separate characteristics. They are like the facets of a diamond which cannot be separated from each other. Each sparkles and shines with its own glory, yet together they make up one precious jewel. To separate them is to destroy them.
Let us use an example. God’s perfection, or simplicity, means that His love cannot be separated from His justice, His eternity, His omnipotence or any of His other attributes. His love is always just, never revealed except in the way of perfect justice. In other words, He never loves anyone except in the way of fulfilling the demands of His justice by sending Christ to die in their place.
His love is always eternal. There is no such thing as a love of God which is only for the present, but not from eternity to eternity. Those whom He loves He has always loved and will always love. His love is omnipotent (almighty). It is never an empty sentiment, but a power which makes us the proper objects of His love.
Another example is God’s mercy. It is not just the pity He feels for us in the misery and bondage of our sins, but the power by which He delivers us from that misery. It is not a mere desire to help us, but the help He actually gives. His mercy and omnipotence are perfectly one, never separated, never in conflict.
This is one of the reasons we believe that God does not love everyone, or show grace to everyone. That would be saying that there is a love or grace of God which is separated from His almighty power. It would be saying that there is a love and grace of God which conflicts with His justice, holiness and righteousness, for He would be showing it to those who are not (and never will be) righteous and holy in Christ.
What a blessing, though, for believers to know this. To know it is to know that His mercy will never be in vain, His grace will never go unanswered, His love will be from all eternity to all eternity. Rev. Hanko
God’s Secret
“The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant” (Ps. 25:14).
The use of the word “secret” in this text is striking, and it has prompted one of our readers to ask: “Does the secret of the Lord refer to the ‘inner’ counsel of the triune God? Is this counsel revealed to us in Scripture as far as we need to know it?”
It so happens that the text which now concerns us is one of my favourite passages in Holy Scripture. Perhaps that is because it so vividly expresses the truth of God’s covenant of grace with His people.
The text is an interesting example of Hebrew parallelism. Hebrew parallelism is a rhetorical device used extensively in Hebrew poetry. A passage contains two or more statements that convey the same basic idea, yet differ slightly in form, so that each statement explains the other. So here, it is the same thing to say, “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.” God’s secret is the same as His covenant, and those to whom God reveals His secrets are those who fear Him.
The word “secret” is an interesting and vividly expressive one in the Hebrew. The Hebrew language is, in its very nature, a picture language, and that becomes evident here where the word translated “secret” can carry the sense of intimate confidence, even the closeness of sharing a “pillow.”
The figure is this. The Hebrew people ate from a very low table, which required that they sit on the ground or on the floor of their room. To ease this sitting on a hard surface, sometimes, in wealthier homes, a pillow would be used. Here the idea is of two people sharing the same pillow. The result is that they are sitting so close to each other that they can whisper secrets in each other’s ear without being heard by anyone else. It is a private conversation between two very close friends or between lovers. They share their secrets.
This is how this wonderful passage in Scripture defines God’s covenant. It is amazing.
That Scripture defines God’s covenant as a meal is not surprising. We find the same figure in Revelation 19:7–9. Mealtime is a time of fellowship and communion, of laughter and joy. So God’s covenant is depicted.
But the central idea of the text is that God’s covenant is such an intimate fellowship between God and His people that God whispers, as it were, in the ears of His people as a lover would whisper in the ear of one he loves.
What are these secrets?
Our reader is correct. They are indeed the great truths of the counsel of God. We must remember, though, that God does not reveal to us all His counsel, for there is much we do not know, much that remains hidden. But he reveals to us those blessed secrets of His counsel which have to do with our salvation. He tenderly and lovingly speaks to us of His own eternal love for us, of Christ whom He has given to us for our salvation, of the blessings which He has in store for us, some of which we receive in this life, some of which will be ours only when he takes us to His house of many mansions.
He tells us of all these secrets in His own Word, which He has given to us as a kind of secret love letter meant for us alone. He loves us as His own bride and writes this letter to us while He is in heaven and we are on earth.
Yes, it is true that he tells us all we need to know for our salvation. The Belgic Confession puts it this way: “We believe that those Holy Scriptures fully contain the will of God, and that whatsoever man ought to believe, unto salvation, is sufficiently taught therein” (7).
At the same time, what God tells us is truly a secret between Him and His people. He reveals His secrets only to “those that fear him.” Not all men are “in” on the secret. It is too personal, too intimate, too loving for any other to hear but God’s own bride.
All are able to read the Scriptures, of course. But they are written only to the elect. “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God” (Isa. 40:1). When others read the Scriptures, they are really reading somebody else’s mail. They are butting in on a very private conversation. That is why they never believe and really mock what the Bible says.
God tells us His secret through the Scriptures by His Spirit in the hearts of His own for whom Christ died. It is personal, private, a secret, not for all to hear.
But these to whom it is revealed are those who fear God. For, though the conversation is intimate and personal, it is always between the great God of the universe and little, puny, sinful men, men like you and me. Wonder of wonders that the great God should share His secret with us.
Do you fear God? Then you may be assured that you are one of those who belong to His elect bride and to whom God speaks these wonderful secrets of salvation. Now we hear Him speak through His word, but in heaven we shall see Him face to face in Jesus Christ. Amen. Prof. Hanko
Does the Bible Teach Reprobation?
A reader of the News has asked for further details concerning the doctrine of reprobation. First, then, what is reprobation?
All Calvinists believe that God has graciously chosen some to salvation. Some also hold that God not only determines from eternity who will be saved, but also who will not be saved. There is a difference of emphasis, some preferring stronger language, saying that God destines and determines some to destruction, others preferring more restrained language and saying only that God eternally “passes some by” or “determines to leave them in their sins,” but in either case, the reference is to reprobation.
Election and reprobation together are called double predestination. The Reformed creeds teach such a double predestination. The Canons of Dordt teach it in I:15–18 and the Westminster Confession teaches it in III.7.
But does the Bible teach reprobation? Consider the following passages: Romans 9:10–13 teaches that before the children were born God revealed that He hated Esau. Romans 9:21–22 speaks of “vessels made unto dishonour” and “vessels of wrath fitted to destruction.” I Peter 2:6–8 teaches that some are appointed to stumble through disobedience. Jude 4 speaks of men ordained to condemnation. Jude 6 even mentions reprobation in reference to fallen angels.
Notice, too, the strong language that Scripture uses. If anything, Scripture supports the teaching that God determines and destines some to destruction, rather than the idea that he merely passes them by or leaves them in their sins. Certainly, Scripture teaches sovereign, double predestination.
We would emphasize two things, however, in speaking of reprobation: 1) reprobation does not make God the author of sin, nor does it absolve the wicked of their accountability for their sins, and 2) God has a purpose also in reprobation.
Concerning the first, the great difference between election and reprobation is this: because God has sovereignly chosen His people from eternity and determined all things necessary for their salvation, God takes all the credit for their salvation. But though He is equally sovereign in reprobation, He takes none of the discredit. He is not the author of sin—that is, the one held accountable for it. This is taught in Romans 9:17–20, where even the suggestion that He is wrong to find fault is called “replying against God.” In this respect election and reprobation are not “equal.”
It follows, then, that the wicked are held fully accountable for their sins. This is clear from Acts 2:23, which not only tells us that the crucifixion of Christ was foreordained by God, but also that it was done by “wicked hands.”
As to the second, we do not believe that God reprobates (eternally rejects) some for no purpose. Romans 9:22–23 gives two reasons: 1) that He might make His wrath and power known, and 2) that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy. Even reprobation is for the purpose of showing His mercy to His people, as is most clear in the crucifixion of Christ (cf. Acts 4:24–28).
Therefore, though reprobation is a difficult doctrine for the flesh, we nevertheless believe it must be taught, that men would tremble before His wrath and power, and be in awe of such great mercy, which “gives men (to destruction) for His own, and people for their life” (Isa. 43:4). O, that many would do so today! Rev. Hanko
