No work nor deed of ours whatsoever, no not faith itself, can be the condition of the covenant of grace properly so called; but only Christ's fulfilling all righteousness.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes that our actions or faith do not earn grace; it is solely through Christ's righteousness that we receive it.
In this quote, Thomas Boston argues that the covenant of grace is not based on any human effort, belief, or deed, but rather on the complete fulfillment of righteousness by Christ. This highlights the notion that salvation and grace are gifts from God, independent of our own actions or worthiness, underscoring the central Christian belief in the significance of Christ's sacrifice.
In practice
During a sermon on salvation, one might use this quote to illustrate the nature of God's grace.
Sinners in their natural state lie dead, lifeless, and moveless; they can no more believe in Christ, nor repent, than a dead man can speak or walk: but, in virtue of the promise, the Spirit of life from Christ Jesus, at the time appointed, enters into the dead soul, and quickens it; so that it is no more morally dead, but alive, having new spiritual powers put into it, that were lost by Adam's fall.
Call it no more free-will, but slavish lust; free to evil, but free from good, till regenerating grace loosens the bands of wickedness.
Free grace will fix those whom free will shook down into a gulf of misery.
Whoever be the instruments of any good to us, of whatever sort, we must look above them, and eye the hand and counsel of God in it, which is the first spring, and be duly thankful to God for it. And whatever evil of crosses or afflictions befalls us, we must look above the instruments of it to God.
The law discovers the disease, and the gospel the physician.
Has God decreed all things that come to pass? Then there is nothing that falls out by chance, nor are we to ascribe what we meet with either to good or ill luck and fortune. There are many events in the world which men look upon as mere accidents, yet all these come by the counsel and appointment of Heaven.
He began to search among the infinite series of impressions which time had laid down, leaf upon leaf, fold upon fold softly, incessantly upon his brain; among scents, sounds; voices, harsh, hollow, sweet; and lights passing, and brooms tapping; and the wash and hush of the sea.
As long as I am content to know that He is infinitely greater than I, and that I cannot know Him unless He shows himself to me, I will have Peace, and He will be near me and in me, and I will rest in Him.
Cease being a prisoner of the body; using the secret key of Kriya, learn to escape into Spirit.
Our energy is in proportion to the resistance it meets.
We are all born like Catholics, aren't weβin limbo, without religion, until some figure introduces us to God?
Ironically, the first thing that appealed to me about Islam was its pluralism. The fact that the Koran praises all the great prophets of the past.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.