The Sufficiency of Christ

[Van]

This morning I listened to a sermon by John MacArthur on the "Sufficiency of Christ." He, as usual, pointed out some things I had not considered, or recently considered.

All of us, or at least nearly all of us sign up for the Five Solos of the Reformation.

We believe in Scripture alone, and not in additions such as the traditions of men.

We believe in Faith alone, and not in Faith plus works.

We believe in Grace alone, and not in Grace plus merit.

We believe in Christ alone, and not in Christ plus any other thing, i.e. the sufficiency of Christ.

We believe in God alone, as He alone is sovereign in all things, to Him be the glory.

The idea is challenged by those who claim we need Christ plus something.

For example, we need Christ plus water baptism.

Or, we need Christ, plus tongues.

Or, we need Christ plus true faith, or real faith or saving faith. In order to be saved, some think we need to believe the "right" things with the "right" intensity.

Or we need Christ plus election before creation.

What if Christ is sufficient without the plus? What if God credits our faith, even if lacking. What if God puts us into Christ without us earning the transfer. What if God uses our faith in making His election for salvation, without requiring our faith to be "good enough" to merit salvation?

 

[Van]

Mystical theology explores doctrines that purport to "help" people find access to the divine. One such path is to be "elected" or chosen before creation. Only then can anyone be saved by God's divine action. Another would be for us to believe all the right things with the right intensity.

On the other side of the ledger, of course, is for us to simply do as God's word says, and place our trust and devotion in or upon Christ; something we can all do, if we are willing to turn lose of our worldly treasures, whether comfort, security, relationships or wealth, and make Christ the overriding priority of our life.

 

[Van]

God loved humanity in this way, He gave His uniquely divine Son so that everyone believing into Him will not perish, but have everlasting life.

Notice John 3:16 does not say God loved humanity in this way, He gave His uniquely divine So so that everyone, He unconditionally chose before creation, and enabled with Irresistible grace, will be "believing into Him, will not perish, but have everlasting life. Do you want fries with your mystical theology?

You want another helping? How about Christ being astonished by the Centurion's great faith, when the mystical meaning is Christ expected the Centurion to have the great faith God instilled into Him via irresistible grace.

There is no need to take a detour from Solo Scripture, and add endless helpings of mystical theology.

 

[Ascetic X]

@Van — I always understood “mystical” to mean “direct, sincere, independent, subjective, deep connection to God”. Mystical to me means spiritual and immaterial. Knowing God personally and intimately, instead of just knowing things about God. Heart knowledge resulting in devout obedience, instead of head knowledge with no change in behavior.

You seem to be using “mystical” in the sense of “heretical” or “theological”. However, I know that “mystical” has bad connotations to some people, who link it with the occult or non-biblical practices.

I tend to agree with your preliminary definition: “Mystical theology explores doctrines that purport to help people find access to the divine.”

Early Baptist figures like John Smyth also showed an emphasis on the immediacy of the Holy Spirit in worship, a concept that aligns with mystical approaches.

The term "mystical" itself eventually came to describe hidden or deeper meanings in scripture and rituals, as well as the direct experience of God's presence. Early Church Fathers, scriptural references, and reverent Christian figures throughout history demonstrate that mysticism has been a significant part of Christian thought and practice for centuries.

Some scholars claim that the very concept of mysticism began with primitive Christianity. Christian mysticism's roots are in the early church's desire for a deeper relationship with God through contemplation and personal experience. John the Baptist, being a recluse who lived in the wilderness with an ascetic discipline, a spare diet and itchy uncomfortable non-pampering clothing, is considered a mystic. The Apostle Paul's writings emphasize themes of inner spiritual transformation, divine revelations, crucifying the flesh, and what could be called a mystical union with Christ.

The 2nd century saw the development of practices aimed at gaining divine knowledge, like asceticism (self-denial, sometimes degenerating into self-harm) and disciplined contemplation, originating from figures like St. Anthony and other ascetic monks, the famous Desert Fathers and Mothers. The Philokalia is a 5 volume collection of such teachings and holy insights. By the Middle Ages, figures like Francis of Assisi and Symeon the New Theologian became prominent mystics.

Until the sixth century the practice of what is now called mysticism was referred to by the term contemplatio, c.q. theoria, from contemplatio (Latin; Greek θεωρία, theoria), "looking at", "gazing at", "being aware of" God or the divine. Christianity took up the use of both the Greek (theoria) and Latin (contemplatio, contemplation) terminology to describe various forms of prayer and the process of coming to know God.

The Reformation and the Enlightenment led to suspicion of mysticism and a greater emphasis on materialistic religion and rationalism, causing mysticism to be pushed to the fringes of Christianity for a time. However, the mystical tradition of personal relationship to God without institutions or hierarchy has persisted and has even seen a resurgence in modern times.

A.W. Tozer was cited in Christianity Today as a "mystic" for his emphasis on the "presence of God" and the mystical dimension of faith.

Thomas R. Kelly: An influential Baptist author whose work on spiritual disciplines has been central to the modern renewal of interest in Christian mysticism within some Baptist circles.

Howard Thurman: A prominent Baptist minister, theologian, and mystic whose writings explored the mystical and prophetic dimensions of Christianity.

 

[Van]

@Van — I always understood “mystical” to mean “direct, sincere, independent, subjective, deep connection to God”. Mystical to me means spiritual and immaterial. Knowing God personally and intimately, instead of just knowing things about God. Heart knowledge resulting in devout obedience, instead of head knowledge with no change in behavior.

You seem to be using “mystical” in the sense of “heretical” or “theological”. However, I know that “mystical” has bad connotations to some people, who link it with the occult or non-biblical practices.

I tend to agree with your preliminary definition: “Mystical theology explores doctrines that purport to help people find access to the divine.”

Early Baptist figures like John Smyth also showed an emphasis on the immediacy of the Holy Spirit in worship, a concept that aligns with mystical approaches.

The term "mystical" itself eventually came to describe hidden or deeper meanings in scripture and rituals, as well as the direct experience of God's presence. Early Church Fathers, scriptural references, and reverent Christian figures throughout history demonstrate that mysticism has been a significant part of Christian thought and practice for centuries.

Some scholars claim that the very concept of mysticism began with primitive Christianity. Christian mysticism's roots are in the early church's desire for a deeper relationship with God through contemplation and personal experience. John the Baptist, being a recluse who lived in the wilderness with an ascetic discipline, a spare diet and itchy uncomfortable non-pampering clothing, is considered a mystic. The Apostle Paul's writings emphasize themes of inner spiritual transformation, divine revelations, crucifying the flesh, and what could be called a mystical union with Christ.

The 2nd century saw the development of practices aimed at gaining divine knowledge, like asceticism (self-denial, sometimes degenerating into self-harm) and disciplined contemplation, originating from figures like St. Anthony and other ascetic monks, the famous Desert Fathers and Mothers. The Philokalia is a 5 volume collection of such teachings and holy insights. By the Middle Ages, figures like Francis of Assisi and Symeon the New Theologian became prominent mystics.

Until the sixth century the practice of what is now called mysticism was referred to by the term contemplatio, c.q. theoria, from contemplatio (Latin; Greek θεωρία, theoria), "looking at", "gazing at", "being aware of" God or the divine. Christianity took up the use of both the Greek (theoria) and Latin (contemplatio, contemplation) terminology to describe various forms of prayer and the process of coming to know God.

The Reformation and the Enlightenment led to suspicion of mysticism and a greater emphasis on materialistic religion and rationalism, causing mysticism to be pushed to the fringes of Christianity for a time. However, the mystical tradition of personal relationship to God without institutions or hierarchy has persisted and has even seen a resurgence in modern times.

A.W. Tozer was cited in Christianity Today as a "mystic" for his emphasis on the "presence of God" and the mystical dimension of faith.

Thomas R. Kelly: An influential Baptist author whose work on spiritual disciplines has been central to the modern renewal of interest in Christian mysticism within some Baptist circles.

Howard Thurman: A prominent Baptist minister, theologian, and mystic whose writings explored the mystical and prophetic dimensions of Christianity.

"Mystical theology has been widely interpreted by various traditions. We will aim for the traditional Catholic sense of the discipline here. We are talking about that branch of theology that deals with the intangible experiences of the soul that operate in realms outside of human effort." From the internet.

Stuff not described in scripture such as "Efficacious Call" or Gift of Faith or Irresistible Grace. Or supposedly higher levels of our salvation experience. We come to place our faith in Christ is non-mystical, whereas we are enabled and compelled by irresistible grace to come to faith is mystical theology.

We all have our personal experiences, but when we present what we believe are the doctrines of God, they must be based on scripture, not conjecture.

Mystical theology explores doctrines that purport to "help" people find access to the divine. One such path is to be "elected" or chosen before creation. Only then can anyone be saved by God's divine action. Another would be for us to believe all the right things with the right intensity.

On the other side of the ledger, of course, is for us to simply do as God's word says, and place our trust and devotion in or upon Christ; something we can all do, if we are willing to turn lose of our worldly treasures, whether comfort, security, relationships or wealth, and make Christ the overriding priority of our life.

 

[Van]

Some might wonder why some of us, mere mortals, cannot come to "true faith" or "real faith" or "saving faith?" Because all our works of righteousness, while in an unsaved sinful fallen state are "filthy rags" to God. Thus when God accepts our "faith" as flawed as it may be and credits it as righteousness, it is an act of grace, unmerited favor.

For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, Romans 4:16

To be of the faith of Abraham is to have faith also credited by God as righteousness. This is not Mystical Theology, this is the Theology of Romans Chapter 4.

 

[Van]

Last point on the fallacy of coming to "true faith" or "real faith" or "saving faith." Romans 9:16, our salvation does not depend upon the person who wills to be saved, but upon God who has mercy. Recall, Solo God?

 

[JesusFan]

Some might wonder why some of us, mere mortals, cannot come to "true faith" or "real faith" or "saving faith?" Because all our works of righteousness, while in an unsaved sinful fallen state are "filthy rags" to God. Thus when God accepts our "faith" as flawed as it may be and credits it as righteousness, it is an act of grace, unmerited favor.

For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, Romans 4:16

To be of the faith of Abraham is to have faith also credited by God as righteousness. This is not Mystical Theology, this is the Theology of Romans Chapter 4.

We have so saving faith inherit within us, as that itself would be a gift of God towards us

 

[Ascetic X]

Yet Jesus commanded “Repent” not “Let God give you the gift of repenting” which indicates we are instructed to do something. That “something” that we do (repenting) does not save us, but it results in God granting us salvation, because of our obedience.

Jesus speaks of us needing to have faith, and mentally resisting the tendency to give in to doubt or fear. So exhibiting faith is another thing we need to do. It doesn’t just happen to us.

John 14:1 “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.”

John 14:27 “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Ultimately, both repenting and exercising faith occur thanks to God’s grace, and are not entirely based on our efforts, but I don’t see sinners as passive puppets who do nothing, who are just mysteriously receiving the desire to repent or to exercise faith.

“And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.” Mark 5:34

To me, it is interesting that Jesus did not say “Daughter, you were pre-destined to be made whole” or even “God hath made thee whole (regardless of whether or not you had any faith)”.

Attributing everything to God, with no action or attitude on the part of the recipient, would seem to result in people just floating irresponsibly, in no self-awareness of their sin and need to get right with God, and remaining in cynicism with no need to trust God for healing or other needed blessings.