Preparing for the Kingdom

The clocks went back an hour yesterday, officially marking the end of British summer time. Meanwhile, the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting longer. It now starts to get dark before 5pm. In a few weeks, it will start to get dark before 4pm. This reminds me of John 9:4-5:

"As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." - John 9:4-5 (NIV)

Of course, this verse is not about working in the day as opposed to working at night, but about preparing for the kingdom while there is still time. Like Noah, we only have a certain amount of time to prepare for the kingdom before '[our] work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each [of our] work' (1 Corinthians 3:13, NIV).

[Noah's work was revealed with water. Our work will be revealed with fire.]

Incidentally, yesterday evening's message at York Baptist Church was on the rich ruler (Luke 18:18-25) and preparing for the kingdom.

The Rich Ruler

A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good - except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honour your father and mother.'"

"All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

- Luke 18:18-25 (NIV)

To be sure, recognising the need to do good works is not the path of salvation. However, it is the precondition of salvation in the sense that accepting common grace (general revelation) is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for accepting saving grace (special revelation).

It is possible to recognise the need to do good works without being saved, but it is not possible to be saved without recognising the need to do good works. In other words, recognising the need to do good works is a form of common grace. It is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for saving grace.

[Recognising the need to do good works is not the same as doing good works. We can be saved - in fact, we are saved - without doing good works. However, we cannot be saved without recognising the need to do good works. More precisely, we cannot be saved without recognising the need to do good works - but that we are unable to do them apart from Christ.]

Indeed, the Law is a form of common grace.

Firstly, the Law is a form of common grace in the sense that the Law makes us conscious of our sin.

"Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin." - Romans 3:19-20 (NIV)

Secondly, the Law is a form of common grace in the sense that the Law restrains our sin.

"Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law." - Proverbs 29:18 (NIV)

Thirdly, the Law is a form of common grace in the sense that the Law (the Old Covenant) points towards and is ultimately fulfilled in the saving grace of Christ (the New Covenant).

"He [Jesus] said to them [the disciples], "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."" - Luke 24:44-49 (NIV)