Peace with God, Ephesians 2:16-18.

I remember explaining Heidelberg Catechism Lord's Day 2 to someone, especially Q&A 5: "Can you keep all this [God's Law] perfectly? No, for I am prone by nature to hate God and my neighbor." The person I was explaining this to objected: "But, I don't hate God." The implication of this answer seemed to be: "The language of 'hate' used by the Catechism is too harsh. Even the non-Christian doesn't hate God!"

So, is the Catechism's language too harsh? Do we as sinful creatures really "hate God?"

Well, the Apostle Paul seems to assume so. In Ephesians 2:14-18, Paul explains firstly how Jews and Gentiles have been reconciled to one another (2:14-15) and secondly he explains how both Jews and Gentiles are now reconciled to God (2:16-18). In verse 16, Paul says: "and [Christ] might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility." (ESV)

Some scholars say that the "hostility" (Greek: τὴν ἔχθραν) spoken of here is the hostility between Jews and Gentiles (as Paul spoke about in verses 14-15). Yet, this interpretation of "hostility" fails to be convincing. Paul's subject clearly changes at verse 16, he is no longer speaking about Jew/Gentile relations but man's (both Jew and Gentile) relation to God. Also, to interpret the hostility as between Jews and Gentiles fails to take the flow of Paul's argument into consideration: it would be awfully strange for Paul to switch back to Jew/Gentile relations after introducing God ("to God," verse 16) as the subject. Paul is speaking about reconciliation with God in verses 16-18 not reconciliation between Jews and Gentiles (that was his subject in verses 14-15). In short, this interpretation fails to take into account the immediate context and Paul's argument throughout 2:14-18.

For these reasons, then, Paul is speaking about "hostility" between God and "both" (verse 16) Jews and Gentiles. For Paul, sinful mankind is hostile toward their Creator. In Ephesians 2:1-3, the Apostle makes it clear that all men are willing members of the Devil's rebel kingdom of death. In 2:3, he even states that as members of the rebellion all men and women are born under God's wrath: His just and perfect judgement. Paul's point, then, is clear: God and sinful mankind are at war! There is hostility between the two parties! Thus, in a very real sense, we do hate God (as the Catechism says). We, as sons and daughters of Adam, are hostile toward God...we hate Him! Since we willingly hate Him, we are rightly under His wrath: God does not stand idly by as his creatures wage war against Him.

Yet, the Good News is that the hostility between God and Man has ceased. A cease-fire has been called, the peace treaty has been signed...with the precious blood of Christ! Christ is the one who "killed" the hostility between God and mankind. Through his cross work (Eph 2:16) Christ made peace between the two waring parties. Christ "came and preached peace!" (Eph 2:17) Thus, for those who trust and believe in the Peacemaker (2:8-9) will be at peace with God. They are no longer at war with God (they are no longer under His wrath) but are now members of his New Creation...his Household. (Eph 2:10, 19-22)

While the language of the Catechism might sound harsh to our ears, it certainly summarizes (accurately) the teaching of scripture. We do hate God...before Christ we are war with Him. Yet, this isn't the last word...the last word for those who believe is "Peace!"

Classic Horton

From his essay Joel Osteen and the Glory Story: A Case Study

"This gospel of 'submission,' 'commitment,' 'decision,' and 'having a personal relationship with God' fails to realize, first of all, that everyone has a personal relationship with God already: either as a condemned criminal standing before a righteous judge or as a justified co-heir with Christ and adopted child of the Father. 'How can I be right with God?' is no longer a question when my happiness rather than God's holiness is the main issue."  Continue reading...

Calvin on "Spiritual Warfare"

The apostle Peter warns us: "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8 ESV) 

Calvin explains how the Christian should be ready to face such an enemy:

"We have been forewarned that an enemy relentlessly threatens us, an enemy who is the very embodiment of rash boldness, of military prowess, of crafty wiles, of untiring zeal and haste, of every conceivable weapon and of skill in the science of warfare.  We must, then, bend our every effort to this goal: that we should not let ourselves be overwhelmed by carelessness or faintheartedness, but on the contrary, with courage rekindled stand our ground in combat.  Since this military service ends only at death, let us urge ourselves to perseverance.  Indeed, conscious of our weakness and ignorance, let us especially call upon God's help, relying upon him alone in whatever we attempt, since it is he alone who can supply us with counsel and strength, courage and armor." (Institutes 1.14.13)

Notice that Calvin recognizes that this warfare will only be over at death.  This is how life goes for pilgrims in "this age."  This age of sin, decay and death.  Yet, Calvin also recognizes that hope in such an age can only be found in God. As we struggle and do battle with our sin, let us look to God alone to equip us for this battle. (Eph 6:10-20)  

It is an Inscrutable Mystery why Some are Saved, and others Not.

From Augustine's On the Merits and Remission of Sins, and the Baptism of Infants: 

"How utterly insignificant, then, is our faculty for discussing the justice of God's judgments, and for the consideration of His gratuitous grace, which, as men have no prevenient merits for deserving it, cannot be partial or unrighteous, and which does not disturb us when it is bestowed upon unworthy men, as much as when it is denied to those who are equally unworthy!" (NPNF 5.26) 

Or, in the words of the LORD God to Moses: "I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy." (Ex 33:19)

Sola Scriptura and the Confessions.

The doctrine of sola scriptura was really the formal cause of the Protestant Reformation. In contrast to Rome's dual authority of scripture and church tradition, the Protestants argued that scripture alone was to determine the Church's doctrine, piety and practice.  Ever since Luther, the Protestant church has been reforming itself according to the word of God. 

This is what is expressed in the Reformed Confessions: what the Reformed churches believed to be taught in scripture.  The Confession are simply a summary of the major teachings of the bible, according to the Reformed Churches.  

This is why the Reformed Churches confess sola scriptura not solo scriptura.  The later says: "me and my bible alone."  Sola scriptura was never intended to teach biblicism.  D.G. Hart and John Muether explain: 

"Another threat comes from the temptation to set man-made creeds over against the pure teaching of the Bible, as if the Reformed church's confessions are unbiblical. This is to distort sola Scriptura and turn it into solo Scriptura, or Biblicism. Protestants did not abandon creeds when they rediscovered biblical authority. On the contrary, sola Scriptura drove them to write new confessions. Biblical authority is not only compatible with confessional subscription but a necessary component of the teaching ministry Christ gave to his disciples. This does not mean that confessions cannot err; Protestants have always acknowledged that councils can do err, and creeds are subject to revision. We must always read creeds in the light of the Word. But creeds are not opposed to the Bible. Their function is to summarize and defend the Bible." (D.G. Hart and John Muether, "The Uses and Abuses of Sola Scriptura" The Outlook 59.3, p. 7)