The Aquila Report

Your independent source for news and commentary from and about conservative, orthodox evangelicals in the Reformed and Presbyterian family of churches

Providence College
  • Biblical
    and Theological
  • Churches
    and Ministries
  • People
    in the News
  • World
    and Life News
  • Lifestyle
    and Reviews
    • Books
    • Movies
    • Music
  • Opinion
    and Commentary
  • General Assembly
    and Synod Reports
    • ARP General Synod
    • EPC General Assembly
    • OPC General Assembly
    • PCA General Assembly
    • PCUSA General Assembly
    • RPCNA Synod
    • URCNA Synod
  • Subscribe
    to Weekly Email
  • Biblical
    and Theological
  • Churches
    and Ministries
  • People
    in the News
  • World
    and Life News
  • Lifestyle
    and Reviews
    • Books
    • Movies
    • Music
  • Opinion
    and Commentary
  • General Assembly
    and Synod Reports
    • ARP General Synod
    • EPC General Assembly
    • OPC General Assembly
    • PCA General Assembly
    • PCUSA General Assembly
    • RPCNA Synod
    • URCNA Synod
  • Subscribe
    to Weekly Email
  • Search
Home/Biblical and Theological/When God Put Down a Deposit

When God Put Down a Deposit

God saves us so we can serve as a kind of deposit.

Written by Tim Challies | Friday, January 15, 2021

You and I are like God’s deposit on this world. Our salvation is a sure sign that God will eventually redeem all of this creation. Just as God brought new life to our souls, he will bring new life to this planet. Just as he accomplished redemption in us, he will accomplish redemption in all of this universe. He will complete in all the cosmos what he has begun in us. If he does not, the suffering and death of Jesus Christ will have been a waste. He will have accomplished only a partial, not a complete, salvation.

 

Around fourteen years ago, Aileen and I bought our first home. We had been searching all over our town and all over the other towns nearby, looking for just the right place. We couldn’t find it. They were all too big or too expensive or too far from where we wanted to be. Where we wanted to be, we realized, was right where we were. So when a neighbouring home went on the market, we were quick to check it out.

As happens, we made an offer on that house. After a little back and forth, the offer was accepted, at which point we had to put down a deposit. Even though we had not yet taken possession of the home, we made a payment. That payment, that deposit, was meant to show that we would go all the way. It was the sign that we would not just stop at an offer, but would actually close on the deal. If we were to later decide to not go forward with the transaction, we would lose our deposit and would have wasted that rather substantial sum of money. And, sure enough, we did go forward, we did complete the sale, and we have been living there happily ever since.

In James 1:18, we are told that Christians are essentially God’s deposit on this world. James says of God that “of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” According to the pleasure of his will, God “brought us forth”—he saved us—by “the word of truth,” the gospel. This is the experience of every Christian—being drawn powerfully and effectually to God.

And why does he do this? Why does God draw us to himself? There are many valid ways we could answer that question. He does it out of love. That’s true. He does it for his own glory. That’s true, too. But here James points to yet another reason. God saves us so we can serve as a kind of deposit.

Read More

Related Posts:

  • The (Trinitarian) Method of Grace
  • Redemption Gives Us a Glimpse of True Shalom
  • Seven Problems with Arminian Universal Redemption
  • The Typical–Spiritual Exodus
  • The Glory of the Cross

Subscribe, Follow, Listen

  • email-alt
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • apple-podcasts
  • anchor
Providence College
Belhaven University

Archives

Books

Geerhardus Vos: Reformed Biblical Theologian, Confessional Presbyterian - by Danny Olinger

Special

God is Holy
  • About
  • Advertise Here
  • Contact Us
  • Donations
  • Email Alerts
  • Leadership
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Principles and Practices
  • Privacy Policy

Important:

Free Subscription

Aquila Report Email Alerts

Special

Letter of Jude
  • About
  • Advertise Here
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Principles and Practices
  • RSS Feed
  • Subscribe to Weekly Email Alerts
Providence Christian College - visit

DISCLAIMER: The Aquila Report is a news and information resource. We welcome commentary from readers; for more information visit our Letters to the Editor link. All our content, including commentary and opinion, is intended to be information for our readers and does not necessarily indicate an endorsement by The Aquila Report or its governing board. In order to provide this website free of charge to our readers,  Aquila Report uses a combination of donations, advertisements and affiliate marketing links to  pay its operating costs.

Return to top of page

Website design by Five More Talents · Copyright © 2023 The Aquila Report · Log in