The Dream of the Three Chairs

Last Sunday we talked about how we should pursue assurance in such a way that it honors Christ and the gospel. Here's a story that illustrates my main point.

A man has a dream. In this dream, he is caught up to the edge of a bright and festive "Paradise." There he sees people in a single file line before the throne of God. He hears a loud voice say, "Your resting place on earth will determine your resting place in eternity."

There are three chairs in front of the throne which stands on the edge of "Paradise." The first chair has no bottom at all and is labeled "WC." The second chair has a trap door for a bottom and is labeled "CP." The third chair has a rock solid bottom and springs and is labeled "CA."

An angel escorts each individual to the chair he rested in while he was on earth. The man sees the angel escort a college professor, who was an atheist, over to the first chair labeled "WC." When he tries to sit down, the atheist falls straight through the chair into the dark and distant "Pit" below.

The man then sees the angel escort an elderly woman, clutching her prayer beads, over to the second chair labeled "CP." When the woman sits in the chair, it appears to hold for a moment, then the trap door opens and the woman falls through the chair into the dark and distant "Pit" below.

Next the man sees the angel escort a child over to the third chair labeled "CA." When the child sits in the chair, the bottom holds, the angels sing, and the child is gently catapulted into the middle of the bright and festive "Paradise" - right into the arms of Jesus and the joy of the Master.

The man awakes from his dream singing, "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness, I dare not trust the sweetest frame* but wholly lean on Jesus' Name."

* "The sweetest frame" refers to anything in me - what I desire or do or think or feel - even on my best day!

The Meaning of the Story (Reader's Digest Version)

We all live “Coram Deo” – before the face of God. There are three basic “resting” positions that men and women have before God. These three “resting” positions are represented by these three chairs, designated as “Without Christ (WC),” “Christ Plus (CP),” and “Christ Alone (CA).”

The “Without Christ” chair represents those who are “resting” on their attempts to fulfill some standard of righteousness on their own without any dependence upon Jesus Christ and His finished work. This has come to be known as the Pelagian position.

The “Christ Plus” chair represents those who are “resting” on the work of Jesus Christ plus their own efforts and contributions and achievements and merit and condition in order to fulfill the divine standard of righteousness before God. This has come to be known as the semi-Pelagian position.

The “Christ Alone” chair represents those who are “resting” on the Person and work of Jesus Christ alone in order to fulfill the divine standard of righteousness before God. This has come to be known as the Sola Fide or Faith Alone position (or Reformed position or the Justification by Faith Alone position or the imputed righteousness of Christ position).
The Meaning of the Story (Extended Explanation)

The first two positions (WC and CP) have been declared to be heresy in the historic councils of the church and the third position (CA) has been clearly affirmed in the historic early and Reformed creeds and most of all, in the Scriptures itself.

The question is, in light of these three possible “resting” positions,

• How do we avoid heretical thinking as we consider the issue of assurance?
• How do we keep from thinking like a semi-Pelagian when we pursue assurance of salvation in our Christian lives?
• How can we keep from encouraging people to sit in the “Christ Plus” chair in their pursuit of assurance?
• This is a difficult matter.
  
  I shall [consider one point] the more readily, because of the great importance which attaches to the subject of assurance, and the great neglect with which, I humbly conceive, it is often treated in this day. But I shall do it at the same time with fear and trembling. I feel that I am treading on very difficult ground and that it is easy to speak rashly and unscripturally in this matter. The road between truth and error is here a specially narrow pass; and if I shall be enabled to do good to some without doing harm to others, I shall be very thankful. (J.C. Ryle in his book, Holiness)
  
  In light of Romans 1:16-17 and other Scriptures, I’d like to suggest what I would call A Gospel Strategy for the Fight for Assurance. This implies:
  
• That there is a “law-oriented strategy" for fighting for assurance, which I believe is insufficient and that detracts from the glory of Jesus Christ.
• That, like every other aspect of life, assurance is a matter of faith and faith in this world always involves a fight.
• That assurance is attainable to a significant degree in this life although we probably should not expect the fight to end before our “sight” of Christ has begun.
  
  Surely, while we teach that faith ought to be certain and assured, we cannot imagine any certainty that is not tinged with doubt, or any assurance that is not assailed by some anxiety. (John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion)
  
  
  Four things we need to do:
  
  1. Check the Fruit (Matthew 7:15-20)
  2. Check the Root (Luke 6:43-45)
  3. Strengthen the Root (Luke 13:6-9)
  4. Strengthen the Fruit (2 Peter 1:1-11)
  
  I am using the metaphor of a tree which has both fruit and root because this metaphor is often used in Scripture to talk about spiritual life and to talk about the issue of assurance and the distinguishing of true believers from false believers.

"Fruit" is what faith does. 1 John was written so that we could know that we have eternal life. (1 John 5:13) In 1 John, there are two primary kinds of fruit given that we should look for in our lives (to some degree, not perfection): (1) heart for God's Word (also spoken of as a pursuit of obedience or practical righteousness - 1 John 2:3-6) and (2) heart for God's people (heart for the church of Jesus Christ spoken of as a love for the brethren - 1 John 3:10-17).
"Root" is what faith is. 1 John also emphasizes one other thing that forms the foundation for the two kinds of fruit mentioned above: faith in Jesus as the God/Man who is our Right-eousness and our Propitiation on the cross (spoken of as belief in the Name of Jesus - 1 John 2:1-2; 3:23; 5:1, 4-13).
If we fail to see strong fruit in our lives (desire for God, His people, and His Word) then we need to check and strengthen the root: focus on Jesus Christ, who He is, what He did in His life and death for us, His willingness to save all who come to Him, His sufficiency to save all who come to Him, and all that God promises those who trust in Him. (2 Corinthians 3:18; 2 Peter 1:4; 2 Corinthians 7:1)
Focusing on Jesus Christ and God's promises to us because of His finished work is crucial to strengthening the root and strengthening the fruit in our lives. We need to see Jesus more clearly as a ready and willing and able Savior for sinners and the giver of LIFE!
The only safe resting place is the "Christ Alone" chair no matter how much I desire God or love His people or trust and obey His Word. And yet we should seek to grow in desiring God and loving His people and trusting and obeying His Word by "resting" even more in what Christ has done for us in providing a "righteousness that leads to LIFE" (Romans 5:21).
As we seek to sink down even more in the chair of trust in Christ's righteousness alone, we will grow in our love for "the chair" (Christ Himself) and we will be conformed more and more into the shape of "the chair" (conformity to the likeness of Christ)!
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18)
You can read the sermon manuscript or listen to the message by going to www.coastcommunitychurch.com and look under resources / sermons for August 10, 2008.
Look and Live! (John 3:14-16)