Here in Ch 12, Sibbes does part two of what he began in Ch 11. In both chapters her refers to God’s “judgment” as a term for Kingship, Ruler in our lives. In Ch 11 he emphasize the importance of understanding that the Lord Jesus Christ is not just “Savior,” essential as that is, but additionally, finally, ultimately “Lord” as well. Even His fuller name–Lord Jesus Christ–says just that. “Jesus” is the Koine Greek word for the Hebrew name “Joshua,” which means “Jehovah (Yahweh) Saves,” and of course “Christ” is the Koine translation of the Hebrew “Messiah” which means Deliverer, or Savior. And then we have “Lord” which means in a given context Ruler, Governor, King. Some will say that “Lord” is a term of respect, something like “sir,” or “Professor,” or even “Rabbi.” And in some contexts it does mean that. But there are many passages where it is clear that “Lord” means something much more, though it includes, a reference to respect, honor and includes, appropriately, worship.
Sibbes Ch 12: Christ’s Wise Government
Sibbes expands on such “Judgment” (Lordship) rule of God Christ by two separate considerations, which he calls “branches.”
- Spiritual Government of Christ characterized by “judgment” and “wisdom,” and
- Such Government is characterized by “graciousness.”
So, Sibbes contends, these must both be recognized, and in that order. Together we terms these two branches by the title of this chapter “Christ’s Wise Government” This can be understood to be the outworking of “Judgment:” Christ as Wise, Sovereign, and Righteous then exercises judgment–wise assessment of ultimate reality and the best end purposes of all actions–appropriate to the person and Purpose of God.
12.1 Judgment and Wisdom
Sibbes’s theme sentence in this section is: “a well guided life by the rules of Christ stands with the strongest and highest reason of all.”
The introductory phrase above–“a well guided life”–is close in wording to one to the central question of mankind (at least the self-aware people), namely “What is the / a good life?”
Sibbes lived in the era we now call “the enlightenment,” characterized by a rediscovery of the ancient, classic original Greek texts of philosophical and “wisdom” literature (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, Zeno of Citium [Stoicism]). Much of such literature has affected the discussion and conclusions to the Good Life Question’ (GLQ) down to this present day. Yet, Sibbes not only makes no mention of such prevalent writings and theories but he has changed the question only slightly in terms of wording but massively in terms of framework.
Sibbes ask us not what is “good” but what is “well guided.” There is an enormous difference between the use of these two terms. The one leads us to self-discovery and self-authority, that is: not only am I (the self) the one who can answer such question, however I may be guided by the “wisdom” of others or certain principles of investigation, but, also, only I am (the self) authorized to implement my self-discovery into such a life.
Sibbes, gives no space to such self-discovery / authority. Rather, he asks, what does is truly a well guided life, and in what way does it function / operate? This distinction in this most-basic question of human life, is the fundamental ‘fork in the road.’
Consider below the Scripture that Sibbes sites in this Section 12.1 as given in the pdf directly below:
The Flaw of Self-Choosing
There is an important Greek term about the authority of self-choosing: autexousiou (transliterated). It arises originally (I believe) from the above cited Classic Greek philosophers. Our interest here is how it is handled and applied Biblically by famed Theologian Francis Turretin )1623 – 1687), author of the classic three volume systematic theology Institutes of Elenctic Theology. In particular, he asked, and answered, five key questions under the heading (his “Tenth Topic”) as to “The Free Will of Man in a State of Sin.” In addresses these questions he makes reference to the above term, autexousiou, which means self will / authority (auto, self; plus ex, out of, plus ousiou, being). Though this is not an everyday term it is useful for our consideration because it encompasses the triplet of core ideas: the Self, by Itself, emanating authoritative, rightful judgments.
And, so, the most basic question is this: in our human condition, we as Believers know to be fallen–based upon the revelation of Scripture, and experience in our own self-awareness of our basic nature–are we able to know “good,” and by knowing it, to “do good?”
The popular answer in our spacetime, and perhaps of every spacetime, is “Yes!” and “Yes!” God gives us many examples in the Bible of such self-confidence and self-assertion, including at the very presentation by God of the Ten Commandments:
..came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain,3 while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.” 7 So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. 8 All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord
Exodus 19:2-8 (ESV, highlights mine)
The context of the above quote is the event precedent, namely the giving of the Law of the Ten Commandments in Exodus Ch 20. Before The Law was given, God through Moses asked of the people their intention to obey, to which they replied as in the bold text above.
The rest of the OT gives clear, conclusive, convincing, awful evidence that such confidence was totally unfounded. And, by the time of Christ, it had become so perverted in its self-delusion that the Jewish leadership (the Pharisees and the rest) followed ultimately by the will of the people that Jesus should not only be put to death but done in the most accursed way, hanging ‘on a tree,’ the death of the Cross. Such was the judgment of The Religion Industry (TRI), deriving its authority, as it claimed, from the OT itself, and joined with The Political Industry (TPI) of the Roman Empire in complete alignment of purpose, putting to death in the most horrific, shameful way this “Jesus of Nazareth” Who they not only failed to rightly identify as to His Being but held Him in the highest conceivable contempt.
Now, on what imaginable grounds can it be contended that man in his present fallen condition is capable of rightly knowing, let alone doing, “good?”
So, what do we make of the idea of rightful self-authority (autexousiou)? Below is Turretin’s succinct summary of the full scope of God’s Biblical Revelation.
Turretin’s Institutes Ten Topic The Free Will of Man in a State of Sin, Question 4
Turretin poses this question as follows:
FOURTH QUESTION – Whether
Turretin’s Institutes of Elenctic Theology, with my emendations and commentary in parentheses and brackets.
(A) the free will in a state of sin is so a servant of and enslaved by sin that it can do nothing but sin; or
(B) whether it still has the power to incline itself to good, not only civil and externally moral, but internal and spiritual, answering accurately to the will of God prescribed in the law.
[Turretin’s Judgment and answer was]
(A) The former we affirm;
(B) the latter we deny,
[which Turretin then noted that such conclusion was contrary to all three primary, non-Reformed theological opponents of his time, namely}
against
(1) the papists, [Turretin’s term for the Roman Catholic church’s position]
(2) Socinians [referrence to followers, first of Socinius in the mid-16th Century, later becoming the Unitarian movement, adopting a “rationalist” interpretation of the Bible and denying the true Deity of Jesus Christ] and
(3) Remonstrants [the term used for the followers of Jacob Arminius which opposed the systematic theology of John Calvin in his Institutes and the foundation of Reformed Doctrine, by such “remonstrants” (i.e., opponents) raising five famous objections, which were then answered by the Council (Synod) of Dort in 1619-20 by what is today known as TULIP, or the Five Points].
The above analysis requires a careful reading to grasp fully the issue and claims. It deals with both the basis on which we, as the Elect of God, enter into such state of Predestination and Calling but also on the means by which Sanctification itself must occur. In short, Turretin, as did Calvin, Luther, and other Reformers, recognized that the Scripture declares us to be in our natural state dead unto sin.
1And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in Hiskindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:1-10 NKJV (highlights mine)
Thus, we have no basis for boasting or pride or self-confidence as to our entering into Grace, nor continuing in Grace having once and for all entered, nor the doing of “good” from such state of Grace.
And, thus, as Sibbes has introduced this Section, we as God’s Own sheep, are in need of a “Well [Good] Guided [Judged] Life.”
12.2 The Need for Heavenly Light
Sibbes here makes clear our need for God’s “light” (revelation) of both the true “good” but also of the right means by which such good is captured and used for doing.
As in many contexts we find that our inner being hears two different voices, admonitions: that from God, which is contrary to our first birth nature, and that from Satan which is in accord with our first birth nature. But is the reality that we have a second birth, one from “above,” that creates the contrariness within wherein we ‘hear’ both, completely contrary voices, God’s from the new nature and Satan’s from the old. It is Paul’s lament, and our own:
13 Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. 16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.
Romans 7:13-25 NKJV
12.3 Where Christ’s Government is Set-Up
Sibbes’s key point is that Christ Government (Judgment) is both the knowing to do God’s will but the means, and specifically the desiring, of doing it.
…wherever true wisdom judgment are, there Christ has set up His government, because where [His] wisdom is it directs us, not only to understand, but to order our ways aright….not only the brain but the heart itself is taught…not only know what they should do but are taught the very doing of it…[such that] There is a sweet harmony among God’s truth, His judgment, and His whole conversation [which word I understand to me the communication / connection between God and one’s new nature].
Sibbes, Ch 12.3
Such “harmony” is that God’s “heavenly light” of Sibbes Ch 12.2 is united with God’s “Government” (“Judgment”) of Sibbes Ch 12.3 producing both the good knowing but the desire and means of good doing.
12.4 How Christ Governs Us
Here Sibbes emphasizes the absolute necessity of God’s proactivity within us for true “good” to become expressed and real.
Judgment should have a throne in the heart of every Christian. Not that judgment alone will work a change. There must be grace to alter the bent and sway of the will before it will yield to be wrought upon by the understanding. But God has so joined these together that whenever he savingly shines on the understanding he gives a soft and pliable heart. For without a work upon the heart by the Spirit of God it will follow its own inclination to that which it loves, whatever the judgment shall say to the contrary.
Sibbes 12.4
And such is necessary because, Sibbes says: “There is no natural proportion [true connectedness] between an sanctified heart and a sanctified judgment [discernment / Wisdom as to the doing of “good”].”
And, so: “Where grace has subdued the heart, unruly passions do not cast such a mist before the understanding that it does not see in particular cases what is best.”
12.5 The Effects of This in Practice
Finally, Sibbes here makes clear the essentiality of Christ’s Government in us:
No wicked man can be a wise man. Without Christ’s Spirit the soul is in confusion, without beauty and form, as all things were in the chaos before the creation. The whole soul is out of joint till it be set right again by him whose office is to `restore all things’.
Sibbes Ch 12.5
Thus it is that: “Christ as a new conqueror changes the fundamental laws of old Adam and establishes a government of his own.”