Redemption accomplished and applied - Murray - V - Part 2, Chapter 1

Still taking a break once a week to join in with the Challies reading group.

Required reading

Redemption Accomplished and Applied by John Murray (available from Amazon) - Part 2, Chapter 1, 'The order of application'.

My summary
In the first chapter looking at the application of redemption, Murray demonstrates that there is an order to the many applications of redemption.  Evidence for order may be found in John 3:3,5; 1:12; Ephesians 1:13 and Romans 8:30.

Murray then wrestles as to what is the precise order of the applications concluding: '...the order in the application of redemption is found to be, calling, regeneration, faith and repentance, justification, adoption, sanctification, perseverance, glorification.  When this order is carefully weighed we find that there is a logic which evinces and brings into clear focus the governing principle of salvation in all of its aspects, the grace of God in its sovereignty and efficacy.'

What grabbed me

The chapter was pretty straight forward and there weren't many things jumping out at me but I did wonder a bit about this statement: 'And that is simply to say that faith is presupposed in justification, is the precondition of justification, not because we are justified on the ground of faith or for the reason that we are justified because of faith but only for the reason that faith is God's appointed instrument through which he dispenses this grace.'  It sounds wrong to say that we are NOT justified because of faith when Murray has just shown that 'It would surely seem impossible to avoid the conclusion that justification is upon the event of faith or through the instrumentality of faith.  But I think what Murray is trying to say is that faith does not force the hand of God to justify.  The only reason faith justifies is because God desires to see that as the precondition to justification.

Now it's your turn

Go over to http://www.challies.com/ and post your thoughts.