The Circle of Salvation

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” (Galatians 4:4-6).

In From Heaven He Came and Sought Her: Definite Atonement in Historical, Biblical, Theological, and Pastoral Perspective, Jonathan Gibson comments on these verses:

This passage provides an excellent example of the “Trinity-in-unity” at work in our salvation. The repetition of the phrase [“God sent”] with the respective objective clauses [“his Son”] and [“the Spirit of his Son”] (vv. 4, 6) reveals the profound Trinitarianism in Paul”s economy of salvation. God the Father sends his two Emissaries to accomplish and apply redemption: the Son to redeem us from under the law in order “that we might receive adoption as sons”; and the Spirit to be in our hearts. The obedience of Son and Spirit to the Father ensures harmony of purpose: the “circle” of salvation that starts with the Father in sending the Son and the Spirit closes in communion with him as newly adopted sons cry, “Abba! Father!”

That our salvation is a Trinitarian work is one of the important threads in a wholistic argument for definite atonement. In definite atonement all three persons are working in harmony, and “the goals and purposes of each person in the Trinity are the same,” so there is no “discrepancy between the extent of redemption accomplished and that of redemption applied.”

Previously posted quotes from this book:

• Someone for Some People
• Death Is the Penalty
• Election Is the Spring
• Election Circumscribes the Atonement

Heidelberg Catechism

Question 29. Why is the Son of God called “Jesus”, that is, Saviour?

Answer: Because he saves us, and delivers us from our sins; (a) and because we should not seek, and cannot find, salvation in anyone else. (b)

(Click through to see scriptural proofs.)

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Sunday Hymn: Mighty God, While Angels Bless Thee

Mighty God, while angels bless thee,
May a mortal sing thy name?
Lord of men as well as angels,
Thou art every creature’s theme.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

Lord of every land and nation,
Ancient of eternal days,
Sounded through the wide creation
Be thy just and lawful praise.

For the grandeur of thy nature,
Grand beyond the seraph’s thought;
For created works of power,
Works with skill and kindness wrought.

But thy rich, thy free redemption,
Dark through brightness all along,
Thought is poor, and poor expression,
Who dare sing that awful song?

Brightness of the Father’s glory,
Shall thy praise unuttered lie?
Fly, my tongue, such guilty silence,
Sing the Lord who came to die:

From the highest throne in glory,
To the cross of deepest woe,
All to ransom guilty captives,
Flow my praise, for ever flow.

—Robert Robinson

This is not much to look at, but there were only a couple videos of this hymn to choose from.

Other hymns, worship songs, sermons etc. posted today:

• Lift High the Cross at Graces Daily
• Hail! My Ever Blessed Jesus at The Happy Wonderer
• When I Survey the Wondrous Cross at Luma Simms
• The Son’s Submission at Tried With Fire
• Lord’s Day 12, 2014 at The Thirsty Theologian
• Lifting Up Our Hearts - 21 at The Upward Call
• Your Weekly Dose of Spurgeon at Pyromaniacs: Why me?
• The Treasury of David: Psalm 19:1 at Theology for Girls

Have you posted a hymn (or sermon, sermon notes, prayer, etc.) today and I missed it? Let me know by leaving a link in the comments or by contacting me using the contact form linked above, and I’ll add your post to the list.