Sibbes Ch 8: Duties and Discouragements
Sibbes sets the tone for this Ch 8 in his opening sentence:
From what has been said…to resolve that question…whether we ought to perform duties when our hearts are altogether averse* to them.
Sibbes, Ch 8, opening sentence
*Averse: is not an everyday word. A useful definition is given below that makes it clear that Sibbes is not referring to laziness, or shyness, but something deeper, rebellious, scented with an active dislike.
How is the word averse different from other adjectives like it? Some common synonyms of averse are disinclined, hesitant, loath, and reluctant. While all these words mean “lacking the will or desire to do something indicated,” averse implies a holding back from or avoiding because of distaste or repugnance.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/averse
So, Sibbes is asking for the response to others, or ourselves, who are reluctant to undertake some or any Christian “duty,” even to the extent of finding such duty to be distasteful (in general) or worse. One response if to caution that such disinclination is a sign that no conversion, no new life, has occurred. Yes we are saved by “faith alone,” not not (as Luther and others have said) by a “faith that is alone.”
Another response, that of the central point of this chapter, is such reluctance as may derive from lack of courage, or disappoint in self is to be corrected as part of the process of sanctification (growing in Grace). And this leads back to a discussion we had in Ch 7 on Vires Acquirit Eundo (VAE).
Vires Acquirit Eundo (VAE)
As discussed in our previous Sibbes chapter, the famous Latin phrase Vires Acquirit Eundo (hereafter VAE) says strength / capacity is enhanced / increased / advanced by its own doing, namely being in action, strength expressed leads to greater strength, action to further action.
VAE is not directly mentioned by Sibbes here in Ch 8 either by its Latin phrase or by the underlying idea. But VAE is implicit in all his discussion as will be noted below by the addition of the abbreviation to various points of Sibbes’s text.
The goodness associated with VAE is real but subtle. Sibbes stresses here that we, as redeemed / adopted children of The Father, have certain duties / responsibilities to God. Such is a rightful claim of God upon us, though, as clear in the foundational confessions of the Reformation, and the Scriptures, such duties do not gain us redemption nor do they preserve it. Such duties are a rightful response of adopted children of the Creator.
But additionally, all such duties / responsibilities bless us in their doing, and subsequent to their doing (VAE). As Joh Piper has written so extensively, our Christian life-walk is not making a choice of opposites, namely: of serving God or being “happy” (in the best sense of the word) because it is serving God that makes us truly “happy” (in the best and ultimate sense of the word). So it is not “either / or,” but “both and.” But the it may not feel that way at the onset of VAE, nor after any given cycle of VAE-inspired action.
We Should Persist in Duties
- “Our hearts of themselves are reluctant to give up their liberty, and are only with difficulty brought under the yoke of duty.” (Sibbes opening sentence). He then adds the observation that VAE has a negative direction as well as a positive one: “Corruption gains ground, for the most part, in every neglect.” So his first reason to “persist in [our] duties” is that no doing so will lead to ever worse conditions.
- “As we set about duty, God strengthens the influence that he has in us.” Here Sibbes states, in effect, the VAE principle as it is usually applied, in the positive, enhancing sense. Positive engagement with such as we have will not only be right, and in some way joyous, but also, importantly it “strengthens the influence.”
- One of the most crass responses to facing an undertaking is: “what’s in it for me?” (Also known as the Chicago Alderman’s question: “Where’s mine?”…an Alderman is a powerful figure that sits on the City Council and effectively rules a specific community). Sibbes makes clear, as we should intrinsically know deeply, that obedience is sweet when it is done without a view on a specific reward for having done it.
- Sibbes puts the VAE principle in succinct form: “Reward follows work.” Overcoming our inhibitory “corruptions” leads, over time, to certain victories over them, such that they become our “spoil” as in the prizes the victor gains in the vanquishing.
Overcoming Discouragements
The common source of discouragement is (according to Sibbes) impatience. We tend to think that it is only our current era that is dominated by the need for immediate satisfaction derived from an invested labor.
This has always been the case. Think of Eve presented with the Serpent’s claims and temptation. It was, we would think, a simple matter for Eve to say “no,” as in “just say no” as a strategic response to any great temptation. But it was even simpler for Eve to say, “you’ve made dramatic claims against the character of God…I am not going to respond to them at this time…I will reflect on what I know to be true of God and His Goodness…and I will talk with my human partner-in-life, Adam, who had first hand knowledge of God’s commands before I came to be.” Why didn’t she take this approach? What was the rush?
We see in the OT King Saul waiting for the Prophet / Priest Samuel to return so that the sacrifice to God could be offered. Saul began to fear he was losing the people, now thought to be his people, by Samuel’s delay. So, Saul commits a deep moral and ethical offense by taking it upon himself that which only the priest could do.
In the NT Peter reminds the recipients of his Epistle that although the Lord is returning again, and restoring all things, “1000 days” is in God’s framework as “one day” is in ours. So, faith and patience must go together.
Another source of discouragement treated by Sibbes is our self awareness of the corruptions in our character and our hands performing any service on behalf of God. Sibbes responds: “…if we hate our corruptions and strive against them, they shall not be counted ours…what displeases us shall never hurt us…what we desire truly to conquer we shall conquer….”
Sibbes adds this great thought: “The desire is an earnest of the thing desired.” (An “earnest” is a downpayment assuring that the final payment will be made).
The Source of Discouragements
- Our incapacity. But we should remember this principle: “Possibilitas tua mensura tua (What is possible to you is what you will be measured by).” In the Lord’s parable of the servants entrusted with varying, large sums of resources, both the one who had ten talents and made ten more, and the one who had five and made five more, were equally praised by the Father. It was the one who was fearful of losing his one talent, not having either the larger starting five or ten talents, who was judged harshly because he did not invest whatever it was that he had.
- Our limited abilities will be quenched. As discussed in previous chapters, and relevant here, Christ does not, will not, quench smoking flax.
- Our discouragements. Whatever discourages us will be the very point of comfort of the Holy Spirit in His Office as “Comforter:” “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever” (John 14:16 ESV) and “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness” (Romans 8:26a ESV).
Some Scruples Removed
In our study of a previous chapter we considered “scruples” and “scrupulosity.” Here Sibbes applies these observations to the removal of barriers to VAE.
- Sensing our own weaknesses as grounds for disqualifying ourselves from service is wrongly applying our scruples.
- Weaknesses rather than disqualifying us from service they instead receive the greater mercy of God toward us.
- We must not confuse our weaknesses with being of those who are “malicious opposers and underminers of God’s truth.”
So, weaknesses can be, should be, grounds for our humility, and mortification, they do not extinguish the good work that yet results by the hand of God through us.
What are Sins of Infirmity?
- We must recognize that there is no “sins of infirmity” (weakness) except there is the existence of life. Dead people do not sense weakness.
- Even in being off course to some degree in our service, the Spirit of God can and does correct particulars, which is itself another way of expressing VAE.
- Deep within one’s heart, the ultimate seat of motivation, there has to be some degree of right judgment as there is of the flame within the smoke.
- We are securely in that what acts we are inclined to undertake sparked by the flame implanted by God are done in some way toward the love of God. Such love overrules, in the end, the weaknesses and ‘straynesses’ of what may be our feeble even not fully guided efforts.
Westminster Confession of Faith, Ch 16 “Of Good Works”
As discussed elsewhere, the great confessions of the Reformation stress the centrality of justification by faith alone. But, as Luther is reported to have said, we are saved by faith alone but not a faith that is alone.
In The Westminster Confession of Faith (WCOF), as well as The Second London Baptist Confession of Faith one chapter is directly on this subject of good works. This relates both to this Sibbes Ch 8 and the VAE concept. Below is Ch 16 of WCOF entitled “Of Good Works.”
1. Good works are only such as God hath commanded in his holy Word,a and not such as, without the warrant thereof, are devised by men out of blind zeal, or upon any pretense of good intention.b
a. Micah 6:8; Rom 12:2; Heb 13:21. • b. 1 Sam 15:21-23; Isa 29:13; Mat 15:9; John 16:2; Rom 10:2; 1 Pet 1:18.2. These good works, done in obedience to God’s commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith;a and by them believers manifest their thankfulness,b strengthen their assurance,c edify their brethren,d adorn the profession of the gospel,e stop the mouths of the adversaries,f and glorify God,g whose workmanship they are, created in Christ Jesus thereunto,h that, having their fruit unto holiness, they may have the end, eternal life.i
a. James 2:18, 22. • b. Psa 116:12-13; 1 Pet 2:9. • c. 2 Pet 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3, 5. • d. Mat 5:16; 2 Cor 9:2. • e. 1 Tim 6:1; Titus 2:5, 9-12. • f. 1 Pet 2:15. • g. John 15:8; Phil 1:11; 1 Pet 2:12. • h. Eph 2:10. • i. Rom 6:22.3. Their ability to do good works is not at all of themselves, but wholly from the Spirit of Christ.a And that they may be enabled thereunto, besides the graces they have already received, there is required an actual influence of the same Holy Spirit to work in them to will and to do of his good pleasure;b yet are they not hereupon to grow negligent, as if they were not bound to perform any duty unless upon a special motion of the Spirit; but they ought to be diligent in stirring up the grace of God that is in them.c
a. Ezek 36:26-27; John 15:4-6. • b. Phil 2:13; 4:13; 2 Cor 3:5. • c. Isa 64:7; Acts 26:6-7; Phil 2:12; 2 Tim 1:6; Heb 6:11-12; 2 Pet 1:3, 5, 10-11; Jude 1:20-21.4. [This paragraph has to do with the Roman Catholic doctrine of the “Treasury of Merit,” the excess grace attained by certain “saints” in history, which aggregates to the Pope, and which may by him be dispensed as “Indulgences” on behalf of those insufficient in grace, which (1) not being any part of Scripture, (2) led to the commercial sale of indulgences that ‘enabled’ the living to buy the dead out of certain portions of the dead’s assigned suffering in purgatory]. They who in their obedience attain to the greatest height which is possible in this life, are so far from being able to supererogate and to do more than God requires, as that they fall short of much which in duty they are bound to do.a
a. Neh 13:22; Job 9:2-3; Luke 17:10; Gal 5:17.5. We cannot, by our best works, merit pardon of sin, or eternal life at the hand of God, by reason of the great disproportion that is between them and the glory to come, and the infinite distance that is between us and God, whom by them we can neither profit nor satisfy for the debt of our former sins;a but when we have done all we can, we have done but our duty, and are unprofitable servants;b and because, as they are good, they proceed from his Spirit;c and as they are wrought by us, they are defiled and mixed with so much weakness and imperfection that they cannot endure the severity of God’s judgment.d
a. Job 22:2-3; 35:7-8; Psa 16:2; Rom 3:20; 4:2, 4, 6; 8:18; Eph 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7. • b. Luke 17:10. • c. Gal 5:22-23. • d. Psa 130:3; 143:2; Isa 64:6; Rom 7:15, 18; Gal 5:17.6. Yet notwithstanding, the persons of believers being accepted through Christ, their good works also are accepted in him,a not as though they were in this life wholly unblamable and unreprovable in God’s sight;b but that he, looking upon them in his Son, is pleased to accept and reward that which is sincere, although accompanied with many weaknesses and imperfections.c
a. Gen 4:4 with Heb 11:4; Exod 28:38; Eph 1:6; 1 Pet 2:5. • b. Job 9:20; Psa 143:2. • c. Mat 25:21, 23; 2 Cor 8:12; Heb 6:10; 13:20-21.7. Works done by unregenerate men, although for the matter of them they may be things which God commands, and of good use both to themselves and others;a yet because they proceed not from a heart purified by faith,b nor are done in a right manner, according to the Word,c nor to a right end, the glory of God;d they are therefore sinful, and cannot please God, or make a man meet to receive grace from God.e And yet their neglect of them is more sinful and displeasing unto God.f
Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 16 “Of Good Works.” Source: https://www.apuritansmind.com/westminster-standards/chapter-16/ (Highlights mine)
a. 1 Kings 21:27, 29; 2 Kings 10:30-31; Phil 1:15-16, 18. • b. Gen 4:3-5 with Heb 11:4, 6. • c. Isa 1:12; 1 Cor 13:3. • d. Mat 6:2, 5, 16. • e. Amos 5:21-22; Hosea 1:4; Hag 2:14; Rom 9:16; Titus 1:15; 3:5. • f. Job 21:14-15; Psa 14:4; 36:3; Mat 23:23; 25:41-45.
Jonathan Edwards Resolutions
Famous U.S. theologian, church leader / teacher, and even President of Princeton University (!) made it his lifelong practice to create and meditate on his personal resolutions. Over his life he created 70 of them.
Of particular note to our discussion here are the below resolutions, numbered as Edwards had done so:
57. Resolved: When I fear misfortunes and adversities, to examine whether I have done all I am expected to do, and resolve to do everything I am able to do. Once I have done all that God requires of me, I will accept whatever comes my way, and accept that it is just as God’s Providence has ordered it. I will, as far as I can, be concerned about nothing but my own duty and my own sin.
59. Resolved: Whenever I am most conscious of feelings of ill nature, bad attitude, and/or anger, I will strive then the most to feel and act good naturedly. At such times I know I may feel that to exhibit good nature might seem in some respects to be to my own immediate disadvantage, but I will nevertheless act in a way that is gracious, realizing that to do otherwise would be imprudent at other times (i.e. times when I am not feeling so irked).
60. Resolved: Whenever my feelings begin to appear in the least out of sorts, when I am conscious of the least uneasiness within my own heart and/or soul, or the least irregularity in my behavior, I will immediately subject myself to the strictest examination. (Psalm 42:11 ESV Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.)
61. Resolved: I will not give way to that apathy and listlessness which I find artificially eases and relaxes my mind from being fully and fixedly set on God’s Grace. Whatever excuses I may have for it, whatever my listlessness inclines me to do, or rather whatever it inclines me to neglect doing, I will realize that it would actually be best for me to do these things.
62. Resolved: Never to do anything but what God, by the Law of Love, requires me to do. And then, according to Ephesians 6:6-8 [not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free], I must do it willingly and cheerfully as to the Lord, and not for man. I must remember that whatever good thing any man has or does he has first received from God; and that whenever a man is compelled by faith to act with love and charity toward others, especially those in need, that we do it as if to/for the Lord.
Selected Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards. Source: https://revpacman.com/2017/07/17/the-70-resolutions-of-jonathan-edwards/ (Highlights mine)