Together, we have faith

Sep 9, 2025
Week #36 — Day 3
Human Autonomy
Q. 82. Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God?
A. No mere man since the fall is able in this life perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but doth daily break them in thought, word, and deed.
Ecc. 7:20; 1 John 1:8, 10; Gal. 5:17; Gen. 6:5; Gen. 8:21; Rom. 3:9-21; Jas. 3:2-13.
Q. 83. Are all transgressions of the law equally heinous?
A. Some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others.
Ezek. 8:6, 13, 15; 1 John 5:16; Ps. 78:17, 32, 56.
Q. 84. What doth every sin deserve?
A. Every sin deserveth God’s wrath and curse, both in this life, and that which is to come.
Eph. 5:6; Gal. 3:10; Lam. 3:39; Matt. 25:41.
“With whatever mix of reason, feeling, desire, and imagination, Eve (vocally) and Adam (mutely) are like company employees who fancy themselves as the boss’s managing director, as if she should submit to them her report on what is good and evil so that they can decide whether or not they will sign off on it. This pretend usurpation has two sides: an implied demotion of God’s status and an implied promotion of Adam and Eve’s. In terms of the first, D. A. Carson has coined the term the de-Godding of God to describe this autonomous attitude and its effects.” (Christopher Watkin, Biblical Critical Theory)
Human autonomy. The root and cause of all sin and its consequences is the autonomous self. What we want. What we envision. What we consider our right. God becomes a “helper” along the way, Someone to pander to our desires and wishes. After all, we reason, He created us for such roles. God in this scenario is not God anymore. Oh, we may need him to help us out of tight jams and life threatening difficulties, but we can pretty much rule our own lives and frame our own futures. This is what sin does. It dethrones and replaces God with us as “gods.” The human fall into sin has left us scrambling to plot our own destinies. It is no wonder that guilt and death and judgment mark the human race. This is why we need the gospel and God to rescue and save us.
A Puritan Prayer —
“O GOD MOST HIGH, MOST GLORIOUS,
The thought of thine infinite serenity cheers me,
For I am toiling and moiling, troubled and distressed,
but thou art for ever at perfect peace.
Thy designs cause thee no fear or care of unfulfilment,
they stand fast as the eternal hills.
Thy power knows no bond,
thy goodness no stint.
Thou bringest order out of confusion,
and my defeats are thy victories:
The Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
I come to thee as a sinner with cares and sorrows,
to leave every concern entirely to thee,
every sin calling for Christ’s precious blood;
Revive deep spirituality in my heart;
Let me live near to the great Shepherd,
hear his voice, know its tones, follow its calls.
Keep me from deception by causing me to abide in the truth,
from harm by helping me to walk in the power of the Spirit.
Give me intenser faith in the eternal verities,
burning into me by experience the things I know;
Let me never be ashamed of the truth of the gospel,
that I may bear its reproach,
vindicate it,
see Jesus as its essence,
know in it the power of the Spirit.
Lord, help me, for I am often lukewarm and chill;
unbelief mars my confidence,
sin makes me forget thee.
Let the weeds that grow in my soul be cut at their roots
Grant me to know that I truly live only when I live to thee,
that all else is trifling.
Thy presence alone can make me holy, devout, strong and happy.
Abide in me, gracious God.”
Excerpt From
The Valley of Vision
Edited by Arthur Bennett