Introduction

"Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." (Gen. 1:26)

The first man, Adam, was created as the image of God; and as such, he was called to do the will of God by thinking God's thoughts after Him, declaring God's thoughts in all his words and works, and ruling over the lower creation as God's vice-gerent for the glory and praise of God. And before Adam sinned, he reflected the image of God perfectly. Clearly, man was created a prophet, priest and king under God.

Sin shattered the entire relationship in which Adam stood as a prophet, priest and king under God. His knowledge of God became darkness. The prophet became a liar, and that's what man is today. By our fallen, spiritual nature we are all liars. We don't want God in any of our thinking, but since every man is created as the image of God, the knowledge of the Creator is indelibly etched into our very being. Every man, as the Apostle Paul writes in Romans 1:20, knows enough about God to be left without excuse. Every man knows that God exists, and that we must worship and glorify Him as God. But we deny even this truth in our own minds. As Paul wrote in Romans 1:18-19: "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them."

Every fallen, unregenerate man suppresses or holds back the knowledge of God which he knows to be true. He lies to himself by saying, "God doesn't exist. We evolved. There's nothing else in this world but the things we can see." Yet every man sees the wrath of God directed against mankind in all creation because of sin. That is what every man knows of God. But fallen, unregenerate man doesn't want to talk about God. He doesn't want to sing His praise because he doesn't know God as Savior. He only knows God as Judge! That is how every man comes into this world as a child of Adam.

That is why we must have Christ. He came as the Prophet, Priest and King sent from heaven to do the Father's will. We read of Christ in Hebrews 10:7: "Then I said, Behold, I have come; In the volume of the book it is written of Me; To do Your will, O God." As Prophet, Christ stood in the place of His people to glorify the Father in all of His words. While we were yet enemies, Paul writes in Romans 5:8, lying in our sin, shame and death, Christ stood as Prophet in the place of His bride, the church. As Prophet, Christ is and proclaims the good news of the Gospel, and He works His salvation in the soul of every elect sinner by causing them to hear the Savior's voice. 2 Corinthians 4:6 teaches: "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

The Believer's Office as Prophet

In Q&A 32 of the Heidelberg Catechism we read: "But why are you called a Christian? Because by faith I am a member of Christ and thus a partaker of His anointing, in order that I also may confess His Name, may present myself a living sacrifice of thankfulness to Him, and with a free conscience may fight against sin and the devil in this life, and hereafter in eternity reign with Him over all creatures."

By true faith every believer confesses to be a member of Christ's spiritual body, the church. And as members of Christ we partake in His anointing as God's Prophet so that we may confess His name in all creation. Therefore, every true believer is a prophet as well as a priest and king and is called of God to reflect the glorified and exalted Christ, who lives in us by His Holy Spirit. Christ has come and has realized His threefold office. And He has realized it for us, and now realizes it in us by His Word and Spirit. By the faithful preaching of His Word, the light of God's glory shines upon us in the face of Jesus Christ. Christ prophesies in such a way that He not only gives us understanding of the truth of the Bible, but He lays it upon our hearts, compelling us to speak and to sing the praises of our God. Jesus said in Matthew 10:32-33: "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven."

Christ has spoken the powerful Word of salvation and those who have heard His Word cannot help but proclaim His name in all of creation. The redeemed of the Lord, who are now ruled by the principle of grace, desire to think, speak and live God's thoughts in every area and aspect of their life to the glory and praise of God. As Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:13: "And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "‘I believed and therefore I spoke,'" we also believe and therefore speak." And what we speak, confess and proclaim is the revealed and inscripturated Word of God. We are not prophets in the sense that we are receiving new revelation from God. That age passed with the last apostle and the closing of the canon of Scripture. Hebrews 1:1-2: "God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds." God speaks through His Son and His Son speaks in the Word of God for He is the Word of God (Jn. 1:1). Rather we are prophets in that we declare the Word already given to us by God. But the prophetic office of Christ is not the only office of which believers partake.

The Believer's Office as Priest

Jesus is called Christ because He is ordained by God the Father, and anointed with the Holy Spirit, to be our only High Priest, who by the one sacrifice of his body, has redeemed us, and ever lives to make intercession for us with the Father. By true faith we are members of Christ, and therefore we also partake of His anointing as priests under God, presenting ourselves as living sacrifices of thankfulness to Him.

Our priesthood is not one of making payment for sin. That was finished once and forever by Christ for all God's elect. But the sacrifice we offer up as priests is one of continual thankfulness to God. "Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name" (Hebrews 13:15). When we are united to Christ by true faith we are also made partakers of Christ's anointing and we share in His priestly office. And by the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit in our heart, we are compelled to present ourselves living sacrifices of thankfulness to God.

The effect of Christ's priesthood for us is that we are now free to live unto Him. As High Priest, Christ powerfully works in us so that we are freed from the power of sin in order to serve the true and living God. We are now free to offer ourselves a living sacrifice of thankfulness to Him, who alone deserves all our thanks and praise. We begin even now in this veil of tears to consecrate ourselves unto God in Christ in order "that with our whole life we show ourselves thankful to God for His blessing, and that He be glorified through us" (H.C. #86). And this is first evident by a life of prayer, which the catechism tells us is the chief part of thankfulness which God requires of all those redeemed in Christ (H.C. 116). But we also present our lives as a living sacrifice by striving to walk in devotion to Him in all things. Because of God's grace in us we now "take delight in living according to the will of God in all good works" (H.C. 90).

Because of the great sacrifice of Christ for all those given to Him by the Father (John 6:37), the whole world now belongs to the believer in order that he might serve God by presenting himself as a living sacrifice. Paul said to those who are heirs in Christ Jesus, "Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come; all are yours. And you are Christ's, and Christ is God's." (1 Cor. 3:21-22). Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 6:7: "God has given us all things richly to enjoy," not merely for self-satisfaction, but for the service of our God. In that light it is certainly true, as Scripture teaches, "the little that a righteous man has, is better than the treasures of many wicked." In Christ we are restored to the priestly calling God has given us, so that even if we have little, it is dedicated to God's glory and service. For when we live by faith, acknowledging what God has given us in the priesthood of Jesus Christ, then we take delight when we hear the Word of God in Romans 12:1: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service."

The Believer's Office as King

As the image of God, man was created prophet, priest and king and was given dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth. He was given the anointing to serve God as king in the creation and rule in the name of God over all things.

Because of the fall of Adam, every man now wants to rule without God. By his fallen nature, man is now at war with God and he spends his life trying to keep God out of his every thought. He works with all his might in every area of his life to dethrone God as King of the universe. Apart from Christ, man no longer takes delight in thinking God's thoughts after Him. Fallen, unregenerate man now serves as king of self in every area of life. And apart from the new birth in Christ and His dominion in our life, we are all lying prophets, priests and kings of Satan. We read in 2 Timothy 2:26 that all those apart from Jesus Christ "have been taken captive by him (Satan) to do his will." This is clearly manifested every day by the manner in which the unregenerate man lives.

The purpose of God has never and could never change - Christ shall have dominion! God has set His Son upon His holy hill of Zion. Jesus Christ exercises a kingly authority and power of grace over the souls of all whom He makes subject to Himself by the Gospel. Though the souls of the elect belong to Christ from eternity in the counsel of God; though the Father gave them to Christ, and they are His, and He died for them; yet Satan has possession until Christ sends forth His regenerating Spirit making their hearts subject to the rule of Christ. And those who are citizens in His kingdom are willing subjects to His rule of grace, and they bow their necks under the yoke of Jesus Christ! The result of such a spiritual reign of Christ is that the believer repents of his sin, and "with a free conscience fights against sin and the devil in this life, and hereafter in eternity reign with Him over all creatures." This spiritual reign of Christ is manifested in the daily life of every believer by his "heartfelt sorrow for sin, causing him to hate and turn from it always more and more" (H.C. 89). His life is now filled with a "heartfelt joy in God through Christ, causing him to take delight in living according to the will of God in all good works" (H.C. 90).

By true faith, believers now begin to live out of the principle of the new life of Christ within them, and they desire to take dominion in every sphere of life for Christ their King! They now live in enmity over against the wicked ways of this sinful world, which are at war with Christ. "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life; is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever (1 John 2:15-17). How shall the subjects of Christ be among the slaves of Satan? Yes, in this world the kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of Satan are mingled (Matthew 13:30), and we cannot avoid entirely the company of the ungodly except we go out of the world (1 Cor. 5:7). But the citizens of Christ's kingdom find their fellowship with the saints of God. (2 Cor.6:14-18)

Believers are members of Christ by true faith, and it's His rule that sets us free from the curse of the law. That's what the Catechism refers to when it says "with a free conscience (believers) may fight against sin and the devil in this life..." When we stand in Christ we are no longer under the curse of the law, since Christ bore that curse for us on the cross! Jesus said in John 8:36: "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." That freedom is not a freedom from the Law of God as a rule of life. It is exactly in the freedom of Christ that we begin to live according to the Law of God in all good works (H.C. #90, 91), even though we have only a small beginning of such obedience in this life (H.C. #114). The man who rejects the Law of God demonstrates that he does not live out of the principle of grace in Christ, but is still under the bondage of sin.

Yes, sin is still in the believer, and the old man remains under bondage, but the new man in Christ now has dominion. And though the power of sin is still within the believer, its dominion is abolished. Now we delight in the law of God after the inward man (Romans 7:22), even though we see that other law in our members. No longer under the dominion of sin, we now serve the law of God and fight against sin and Satan every day by the Word and Spirit of Christ.

We are called Christians because we are members of Christ by true faith, and partakers of His anointing, and therefore as kings in Him, we shall after this life reign with Him eternally, over all creatures. How blessed are we who have been brought by grace under Christ's dominion! For with the eyes of faith we can see our eternal King leading us to heaven where we shall reign with Him forevermore. As partakers of Christ's anointing, the Christian is truly a prophet, priest & king for the glory, honor and praise of God!

An Exhortation to Graduates from Ecclesiastes

Do you know what life is all about and why you're in this world, in this particular place and at this particular time? After all your years of schooling can you finally say that you understand the meaning of life and why you're here and how you got here? May I be so bold as to say, that unless all your studies had the Bible as their very foundation, then you have no idea how to answer these questions. You see, these are questions that ONLY the Bible can answer because the Bible Alone is God's Word to man. Mathematics, Science, Geography, History & Social Studies are all meaningless apart from a foundation on God's Word. And language courses are at a loss to explain why there are so many diverse tongues in this world unless they begin with Genesis, the first book of the Bible. And that's why we read in Ecclesiastes 12:1: "Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth."

The Book of Ecclesiastes was written by King Solomon, and it's a book in the Bible that gives us the only true world and life view, and it answers all the questions which are in the heart of every person! The Bible Alone tells us why we are here, how we got here, what life is all about and what our purpose is in this life!

Your Pursuits and Purpose

And in Ecclesiastes, Solomon demonstrates that all the pursuits of man are vain and empty and add up to nothing, and bring only sorrow and suffering in a life that's lived apart from faith in God. If you read Ecclesiastes you'll see that Solomon gave himself for a time in the pursuit of materialism, which is thinking that life only consists in the things you possess. Solomon possessed houses, vineyards, gardens, fruit trees, water pools, servants, silver and gold, male and female singers and livestock-he had it all, but he soon discovered that this is only vanity. Jesus said in Luke 12:15: "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."

Solomon also pursued pleasure: sex, alcohol, laughter and partying, but he also discovered that apart from living for God, these things are only emptiness and vanity. Solomon then pursued academic studies and what we might call humanism: trying to do good. But again he came to the same conclusion;-that apart from living one's life in the service of God, all these things are empty, unfulfilling and only produce a life of misery that ends in despair and destruction. And so Solomon comes to a conclusion of the whole matter at the end of the book of Ecclesiastes-there's only one proper view of life. Because God is the Creator and we are His creatures, who are created as His image, there can only be one purpose for man and only one thing under heaven that is fulfilling in the life of every person-Solomon says: "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man!"

The Bible teaches us that the whole purpose of life is simply to fear God, which is a holy reverence and childlike trust in God! And you demonstrate that you fear God by loving and serving Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, which means you bow to His Word! You see, love for God is demonstrated by obedience to His Commandments. Jesus said in John 14:21: "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me." And Scripture teaches that we only obey when we are reconciled to God by grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. When you have true faith you confess your sin and unworthiness, and true faith motivates you to praise, honor and worship God in all you do!

2007 Graduates: Are you trusting Christ? Have you been reconciled to the Creator through faith in Jesus Christ? You see, to remember your Creator means to trust Him in everything and for everything!

God's Judgement

Solomon also teaches in Ecclesiastes 11:9 that youth is a blessing and something to be enjoyed. But he also says the joy of youth must be balanced with the reminder that "God will bring you into judgment." In other words, your adult life is going to reveal the quality of your youth, so don't let your youth be days of vanity and emptiness. Don't think you'll become serious about worshipping and serving God when you get older and that today you can do whatever you want. If that's your outlook, your life is empty and vain. You must now begin serious thought as to your relationship to God and your place of service to Him in this world. Youth is not a time for following the idols of this present evil world or drifting along without a purpose. Solomon says "Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth!" The most important thing for you to be focused on in the days of your youth is God.

Remember Your Creator

Solomon says: "Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth." What he means by remembering God your Creator is that all your life long, but especially in the days of your youth, you must remember that you have your existence from God. You did not develop by some evolutionary process, nor do you exist as a result of some "big bang." You are not a product of blind chance, nor a genetic code that somehow came into being through a process of millions of years. The Bible declares that God made you! We read in Acts 17:28: "for in Him you live and move and have your being." He determined your purpose and God alone can satisfy you! Remember this teaching as you go out into the world to secure a job or go off to college to gain more education. Whatever avenue you pursue-"Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth!"

And you exist for one purpose: to worship and serve God. Therefore, you are accountable to Him in all that you think, say and do! Remember that! You have one purpose in life: to worship and serve the God of the Bible. If you miss this purpose, your life is empty and vain, no matter what you might accomplish in this life. Only in knowing God your Creator, through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, will your life have great significance and purpose!

Now is the Day of Salvation!

And did you notice the word now? "Remember now your Creator." It means that trusting in God for salvation is now-never later. You cannot say to God, "Later." Later may not come. "Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit"; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away." (James 4:13-14) That's why we read in 2 Corinthians 6:2: "For He says: "In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you. Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."

Remember God now in your entertainment and in the friends you choose. Remember God now in deciding whom you should marry and what vocation you will pursue. Remember God now when you're tempted to sin, and in the clothes you wear, and in places you frequent. Remember God now in all that you think, say and do. Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, "I have no pleasure in them."

Graduates, you must remember now your Creator in the days of your youth if you will have the strength to live in the days of old age, which are often days of trial and testing. Once again, the foundation for your life is laid in the days of your youth. Therefore, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil." May God give each of you the grace to "Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth" as you prepare to make your way out into the world!

"Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:14-16).

Every Lord's Day we confess the Apostle's Creed, but how often do we think about the article: "He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty." How often do we think about the fact that every day we live in the blessedness of Christ's ascension? This is exactly what the writer to the Hebrews reminds us of when he says, "Jesus is our great High Priest, who has passed through the heavens" (Hebrews 4:14).

The book of Hebrews was written to encourage believers who were struggling against sin and needed a word of encouragement concerning their salvation in Christ. They needed to know the sweet assurance of salvation in Christ in order to have confidence to fight the good fight of faith. And the writer to the Hebrews gives every believer this confidence when he says that mercy and grace to help in time of need are always available because Jesus, our great High Priest, has ascended into heaven and now sits enthroned in majesty on high. "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession" (Hebrews 4:14). This verse focuses our attention on the ascended Christ so that believers will have confidence to "run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith..." (Hebrews 12:1-2)

You see, "a great high priest who has passed through the heavens" stands in contrast to the earthly high priest in the nation of Israel, who passed through the veil of the temple to offer the sacrifice on the Day of Atonement. In the Old Testament Leviticial Priesthood, the high priest went into the Holy of Holies behind the curtains to make atonement for sin. He passed out of view even as Jesus did when he was taken up into heaven, but his ministry was on earth. And every time the high priest did the work of atonement, he went into an earthly tabernacle as the only one that could make this offering as the mediator of the people before God. But he first had to offer sacrifice for his own sins, then for the sins of the people. Hebrews 9:7: "But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people's sins committed in ignorance." The earthly high priest was but a foreshadow of the great High Priest to come. But since the sacrificial work of the earthly high priest was only temporary, he had to do this same ritual year by year. The repetition served as a reminder to the people that the true sacrifice, "the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29), the one sacrifice that could never be repeated, was yet to come. It was also a reminder of their sins and how "it was impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins" (Hebrews 10:3-4).

When the high priest in office completed his duty of offering blood on the mercy seat, he returned through the veil, out of the Holy of Holies, and back to the people. The next year he did the same thing. But that was not the case with our Lord. After His sin- atoning death on the cross, He rose from the dead, appeared to many witnesses, and then "passed through the heavens." This means there is no more Day of Atonement! There is nothing more required by God to satisfy His justice in forgiving sinners. Hebrews 10:12: "But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God." Jesus didn't enter into the Holy of Holies on earth; He was the great High Priest who passed through the heavens because He finished the redemptive work the Father sent Him to do. He now appears in heaven on behalf of all those whom the Father gave Him to redeem (John 6:37), as QandA 49 of the Heidelberg Catechism says, "He is our Advocate in the presence of His Father in heaven." And it's a constant source of encouragement to remember that we have this kind of great High Priest. Therefore, when you struggle with the assurance of your salvation, remember that Jesus Christ has "passed through the heavens" and now sits as our Advocate in the presence of the Father! The work of atonement has been completed. Rest in what Christ has done! "We have our flesh in heaven as a sure pledge that He as the Head will also take us, His members, up to Himself" (H/C 49). He who is God the Son continues as the true Man Jesus Christ, representing us before the Father; One person with two natures: human and divine. And it's for this reason that we "have a High Priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses...One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus was tempted, but was without sin. And this is crucial because if He had sinned then He would have needed a sacrifice for His own sins, and he could not be the perfect sacrifice and high priest that we need. But Scripture is clear; Christ was tempted in every point like us, but He did not sin (Matthew 4). Therefore He can sympathize with our weaknesses! As a man, Jesus knew the loneliness of betrayal, the heartache of rejection, and the grief of his friend's death. Jesus Christ knows the human experience, and is intimately acquainted with our every weakness and temptation. And so the writer to the Hebrews exhorts every believer by saying "let us hold fast our confession," and when we struggle in this life against sin, sorrow and suffering, "Let us come boldly to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

This is one of the most important contrasts between the Old and New Covenants. The people in the Old Testament could not draw near to the very presence of God with boldness. They were kept at a distance. They were insulated by all of the types and shadows of the ceremonial law. Only the high priest was permitted to go into the Holy of Holies, but only once a year. Also, only the priests entered into the outer chamber called the Holy Place, and they were only permitted to come with sacrifices. The whole emphasis was upon keeping your distance because God is holy and we are not. But now the writer of Hebrews says, "Let us come boldly to the throne of grace" because we have our great High Priest in heaven. He has entered in before us, and ministers before God in behalf of every believer. "Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25). A citizen in a kingdom had no right to come with boldness before the throne of his king. To do so would be to lose your life. Just think of the account of Esther and King Ahasuerus in Esther 4:11: "All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live." But this is not the case with our King! We are called "to come boldly to the throne of grace" which can also be translated, "draw near with confidence." And "to come boldly" is a present tense verb in the Greek which means drawing near to God with confidence ought to be our regular practice. It literally means to keep on continually coming boldly to the throne of grace! Moment-by-moment and day-by-day we are to come before the throne of grace for the mercy we need. And, as believers, we are to come with "confidence" and with a sense of assurance before our God because we are clothed in the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ who is seated on the throne of grace. Notice it's not called the throne of judgment, but "the throne of grace." This is because Christ suffered the judgment of God against the sin of every believer. Christ was the propitiation for our sins! He was our scapegoat who satisfied the justice of God, and now, by faith, every believer has the right and duty to come before the throne of grace to find abundance of "mercy and grace in the time of need."

There's an abundance of mercy and grace awaiting every believer who comes boldly to the throne of grace because our great High Priest, Jesus Christ, the One who sympathizes with our every weakness, has ascended triumphantly behind the veil and has entered into the Holy of Holies on our behalf. "Therefore, seeing that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:14-16).

As of January 21, 2010, approximately 20,000 dead bodies have been recovered from under the rubble of fallen buildings in Haiti, and officials estimate the death toll may top more than 200,000. But think for a moment about another statistic-since the earthquake hit Haiti, in America alone, more than 20,000 mothers murdered their own babies. However, these babies didn't die because of an earthquake. They died because a young girl, a teenager, an adult woman, a mother, a doctor, a boyfriend, a husband or a father together decided to commit murder, and the politicians, whom many Americans voted for, vigorously fight to protect every American woman's right to practice abortion.

And this happens every day while most Americans just sit idly by and accept it or block it out of their mind by drawing attention to the disaster in Haiti, Katrina, 911, an out-of-control fire in a Californian forest or some other similar national news headline. The humanitarian efforts in response to such devastation are herculean, and rightly so, but what about the massive loss of life in our own country? Why do Haiti, Katrina, 911 and other such similar events, where loss of life is catastrophic, continually make the headline news but the massive loss of life through the ungodly practice of abortion is continually silenced, ignored, or completely forgotten?

I am not downplaying, minimizing or criticizing Americans for wanting to hear about and respond to such devastating world events where loss of life is catastrophic. Compassion ought to pour forth from every human being, and humanitarian efforts ought to be seen worldwide. What I am amazed at is the way in which Americans can respond so quickly to the devastating events in this world with medical workers, construction workers, machinery, medicine, money, and simple resources necessary for survival, but at the same time can be so utterly heartless towards the unborn children in our own backyard.

Where is the same tenacious outpouring of help and resources for the 2,000,000 plus babies that are aborted every year? We lament the fact that thousands of Haitian children will be orphaned as a result of the recent 7.0 earthquake, and rightly so, but where is the same heart of compassion towards the child in the womb? Why do Americans run with breakneck speed to help the starving, homeless, parentless, disease ridden children of other countries but at the same time will not think twice about fighting for a woman's right to kill an unborn child? The American hypocrisy is appalling!

I once heard of a woman in Van Nuys, CA, who had a baby in a bathroom, and she killed it with a razor blade; but because she killed it with a razor blade after it was born she is serving 11 years in prison. Do we think about the fact that if she would have killed the baby before it was born she would not have been charged with murder? This is the "civilized" culture in which we live; a culture that boasts of its humanitarian efforts towards the suffering people of this world but kills millions of unborn children for convenience! But the truth is we live in an exceedingly wicked society; a society where babies are murdered everyday in numerous ways and yet it's illegal to shoot a bald eagle, a seagull, a California condor, a Modoc sucker fish, a black toad, a San Francisco garter snake, a greater sandhill crane, a salt-marsh harvest mouse, a Morro Bay kangaroo rat, or even to ship a pregnant lobster from Maine, which results in a $1,000 fine. I once heard of a wounded bald eagle found in Maryland that was rushed to emergency treatment, and after it died there was a $5,000 reward offered for the arrest of whoever injured it. Do you realize that it's safer in the US to be a black toad, a salt-marsh harvest mouse, or a bald eagle rather than an unborn baby human being who is created in God's image?

We live in a society that provides full government protection to animals that are rare, threatened, endangered, or face possible extinction, which includes many fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, but the killing season is always open on unborn baby human beings! We live in a society where people spend countless dollars and time saving dolphins (think of Green Peace, PETA, etc.), but will not blink an eye at aborting an unborn child created in God's image. Planned Parenthood has said, "Abortion is nothing more than a means of preventing disease; pregnancy being noted as a disease." Dr. Willard Kates, from the Planned Parenthood Physicians Association, wrote a paper entitled, "Abortion as treatment for unwanted pregnancy: The second sexually transmitted disease." What's wrong with our society?

We soothe our consciences by shedding a tear watching the headline news about suffering Haitians or we may even send a check to the Red Cross, and we walk away feeling good about ourselves while unborn baby human beings are daily legally murdered in some city within 75 miles of where most of us live. Clearly the slaughter of millions of unborn baby human beings is one the greatest evils of our day, and we cannot cry out against this ungodly behavior too loudly.

May God have mercy on us and on the millions of little children who are massacred every day as millions of Americans, who are more concerned about their favorite sports team, their vacation home in Cancun, or their prestigious golf club membership, idly sit by and allow such atrocities to continue. Americans who have been educated in a country founded on the principle teachings of God's Word ought to be ashamed, appalled, and repentant regarding the wicked vice of abortion, which is nothing less than legalized murder.

However, many things legally permissible in our country are nevertheless sinful according to Scripture. For example, it's not illegal for a person to be drunk in their own home, to be a glutton, to fornicate, or abort an unborn child, but God's Word declares all these actions sinful. Take heed to God's Word: "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" (Isaiah 5:20). Therefore, every believer in Jesus Christ ought to be on the forefront of this battle against infanticide through prayer and by declaring redemption in Jesus Christ to every unbeliever they come across, because when God regenerates a sinner's soul He also begins the lifelong process of changing the way they think through the renewing of their mind by the washing of God's Word.

We ought also to use all legal means which are not sinful to fight against the barbaric scourge of abortion. "Woe to those who enact evil statutes, and to those who constantly record unjust decisions, so as to deprive the needy of justice, and rob the poor of My people of their rights, in order that widows may be their spoil, and that they may plunder the orphans. Now what will you do in the day of punishment, and in the devastation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your wealth? Nothing remains but to crouch among the captives or fall among the slain. In spite of all this His anger does not turn away, and His hand is still stretched out" (Isaiah 10:1-4). Exodus 21:22-24: "If men fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm follows, he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman's husband imposes on him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if any harm (to the child) follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe."

"Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem..." (Luke 9:51).

The day had finally come for Jesus to be received up to heaven, and knowing this He set His face to go to Jerusalem. It had been three long years of teaching and training His disciples the work of ministry. Our Lord had gone from town to town preaching the Good News of the kingdom, and calling all men everywhere to repent of their sins. He had dealt with constant rejection from most of the house of Israel and the Gentiles, and our Lord has also dealt with the continual ignorance and bickering of His disciples. Luke tells us in verses 41-49 that the Lord was growing weary of the faithlessness of the people of His day, and He expressed His anger at their lack of faith when He said in verse 41: "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you." We see that Christ was disappointed and angry that the father of the demon possessed boy had no faith in the power of God. He was angry with the Pharisees because they were probably ridiculing the disciples instead of having pity on the boy while Christ's disciples tried in vain to cast out the demon. And lastly our Lord was disappointed with His own disciples as they too lacked faithful prayer to cast out the demon. We then read that the disciples did not understand the words of our Lord when He spoke to them concerning His impending death. He even told them plainly to "let His words sink down into their ears." Nevertheless, Luke tells us these sayings were hidden from them so that they did not perceive the words of the Lord Jesus.

Shortly after this, we find that the disciples argued on the road among themselves about who was going to be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And then they went so far as to rebuke a man who was casting out demons in Christ's name because he didn't follow after them. What longsuffering the Lord demonstrated to His twelve disciples at their constant failures! What love and commitment He displayed to them and also to us, despite our failings and sinful behavior, when He directs His path to go to Jerusalem!

Our Lord Jesus Christ knew full well of the mocking, beating, slandering, and ultimately the cross, which awaited Him in Jerusalem. Jesus was fully aware from the time that He began His ministry that these things awaited Him and that the people would reject Him and that His own disciples would not understand His going to the cross and therefore would forsake Him even in His darkest hour. Nevertheless, our text tells us in verse 51: "When it was time for Him to be received up, He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem." And so we must pay careful attention to our text as Christ begins His March to Glory. And we will consider this theme under three headings: Christ's Appointed Time; Christ's Appointed Path; and Christ's Steadfast Determination

Christ's Appointed Time

"Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up..." This phrase should catch our attention: "When the time had come." Literally this verse reads when "the day had fully come that He should be taken up." On this day the Lord Jesus set His face to go to Jerusalem. Our text tells us that the Lord Jesus was fully aware of the timing of His mission. He knew from the start what it was that He was called to do, and He was also aware of the fact that He would face much disappointment on the way. Everything in the life of our Lord happened according to the divine plan, even down to the exact day, as our text shows. We have often read of the times when Christ was threatened by the mobs who were desirous of throwing Him over a cliff, but He walked right through their midst "for His hour had not yet come." And in another place when his brothers told Him to go up to the feast, Jesus said, "My time has not yet come." We are also reminded of the wedding feast at Cana of Galilee when the mother of our Lord said to Him, "They are out of wine", and Jesus replied, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come." Many times in Scripture we read the Lord Jesus repeating this phrase, and we need to realize that the Lord Jesus came to fulfill the plan of God right down to the exact minute. As Jesus said in John 4, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work." Nothing in the life of our Lord happened by chance. Quite the opposite; everything was directed by the hand of His heavenly Father. From the time of His birth to the time of His death and resurrection, everything was going exactly according to schedule. This is something we need to be aware of because it's a fact that Luke was very zealous to communicate to Theophilus, "that (he) might know the certainty of those things in which (he) was instructed" (Luke 1:4).

Think of how many times you have read in Scripture of some event that took place without consciously being aware that it happened according to the will of God. Think of Jesus' birth and how this was a fulfillment of what was written in the Old Testament Scriptures. Think about how His name would be called Immanuel, "God with us" in fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14. Or when Joseph was told in a dream to depart to Egypt in order that Hosea 11:1 might be fulfilled, which reads, "Out of Egypt I called my Son." In the same manner we read in our text, "Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up..." This is a transition point in the ministry of Christ. All the time prior to this point focused on Christ's coming, but now the focus shifts to His ascension-His returning to His Father. It has already been revealed to His disciples that Christ is the coming One-that He is in fact God incarnate, the One whom Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms had written of, but now our Lord must teach the twelve concerning His returning to the Father. He must teach them that before the glory and exaltation there must be suffering and a cross, and this is something the disciples did not comprehend. Christ now began to teach the disciples of His imminent death "as He sets His face towards Jerusalem."

Christ's Appointed Path

This was the appointed path of our Lord's journey as He himself had said, "For it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem." His path was one of suffering for the sins of His people, and He was fully conscious of this impending suffering and death as He said in Luke 9:22, "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day." This He must now begin to teach His disciples.

This teaching concerning His death begins in chapter 9, and is carried on through chapter 19, as they are moving towards Jerusalem. This takes many months even though Jerusalem is only a few days walk from where they are. However, they don't go directly to Jerusalem but wind in and out of the different villages until the appointed time, of which Christ was fully aware. Nevertheless all the wandering is focused on Jerusalem and the Passover time of Christ's own execution. It is important that we realize how our Lord was spitefully treated as He walked this path of suffering. Our text says that as He journeyed towards Jerusalem He "sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem." Why is it that these Samaritans would not receive the Lord? Simply because His face was set towards Jerusalem! The Samaritans were offended that Christ was going to Jerusalem to worship. They despised the Jews and their beautiful temple in Jerusalem, and so when they learned He was heading for Jerusalem they rejected Him, and in so doing they missed their opportunity to hear the Gospel call. Despite this treatment from the Samaritans, Christ continued to journey towards Jerusalem. He continued His march to the cross in order to die for the sins of His people, some of whom included the very Samaritans who previously rejected Him. Oh, what love is this that our Savior would continue to proceed towards Jerusalem to die for the sins of many who treated Him shamefully, and had rejected Him at His coming, as we read in John 1:10-11: "He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him."

Beloved in Christ, do we understand that we were some of those people who at one time despised the Lord Jesus? Do we realize there was a time before we came to faith that we also rejected the only hope of salvation and spurned the only Savior Jesus? Are we aware of the fact that we despise our Lord every time we reject His Word at some point and choose to go our own way? Oh, what love is this that our Lord should continue His steadfast march towards Jerusalem to die for the sins of His people! And this happened, beloved, in order that we might not be despised and rejected by God. Christ was rejected and despised by the very ones He came to die for, which also fulfills what is written in the Old Testament. "He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:3-6).

And this was exactly according to the plan of God. Not only that, but Christ's will was in perfect harmony with this divine plan. Though the contemplation of the indescribable bitterness that lay ahead meant nameless agony for Him, as we read in Luke 12:50 where Jesus said, "I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished!" Nevertheless, Christ was fully determined to accomplish "the work which the Father had given Him to do." As He said to His disciples in John 12:27: "Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour."

Christ's Steadfast Determination

And for this reason our text says, "That He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem." Let us notice in this verse the steadfast determination with which our Lord regarded His own crucifixion and death. Despite His being continually rejected and ridiculed by the people, despite His being continually disappointed, and at one point even deserted by His disciples, the Lord sets His face to go towards Jerusalem in order to die for the sins of His people. His heart was set on paying the price for our redemption, and even plunging into the depths of Hell on the cross and before for our sins. He was full of tender love for sinners. It was the desire of His whole soul to procure their salvation. As it is written, "who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2).

People of God: how many of us would ever think of doing such a thing? How many of us would do something for our friends if we knew ahead of time it was going to cause us pain, heartache, and ultimately death? How many of us would set our face like stone to accomplish such a task? I dare say that not many, if any, of us would endeavor to take on such a task that would be attended by such misery. But this is what our Lord did. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 5:7-8: "For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Scripture says that Jesus despised the shame of the cross because He knew this was the will of His heavenly Father to justify many. Even though Christ was rejected by the Samaritans and grieved by His disciples' zeal to call down fire on the Samaritans - Christ remained steadfast to the course; nothing would be able to turn Him from His path to Calvary. When Peter tried to hinder our Lord from going to the cross, Jesus said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men" (Matt. 16:23). Jesus would not turn to the right or to the left, but would remain true to His heavenly Father. Therefore He set His face as a flint to go to Jerusalem. As it is prophesied of Him in Isaiah 50:6-7: "I gave My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting. For the Lord GOD will help Me; Therefore I will not be disgraced; Therefore I have set My face like a flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed."

The Lord Jesus knew that all those whom the Father had given Him would come to Him. He also knew that it was the will of His Father that He should lose none of those who were given to Him, but should raise them up at the last day. He knew that God had sworn with an oath that He would not leave His soul in Hades, nor would He allow His Holy One to see corruption, but would raise up the Christ to sit on the throne of David. And therefore our Lord set His face as a flint to go to Jerusalem. You see, there was no other way for the Lord Jesus to become the Surety for His people, but by atoning for their sins. Christ was made sin, by imputation, and became a curse for us and in our stead in order that He might make satisfaction to the divine justice on our behalf. The only way for Christ to reconcile His people to the Father was to despise the betrayal, the unjust trial, the mockery, the scourging, the crown of thorns, the spitting, the nails, the spear, and the agony of spiritual death on the cross-all were doubtless spread before His mind like an enormous picture. Yet we read that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem. Jesus never flinched for a moment from the work that He had been given to do. Christ must become a curse for His people. He must bear all the sins of all His people by imputation. He must receive the malediction in order for His people to receive the benediction. Christ must be forsaken by the Father as the sin-bearer of His people. He must become their scapegoat in order that He might not lose any of them whom the Father had given Him. And the only way for Him to accomplish this was to go to the cross and so it is written: "He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem." And it is for this very reason that our Lord rebukes His disciples at their zeal to call down fire to devour the Samaritans because as Jesus said, "the Son of man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them."

Beloved in Christ: let us not think that it was an easy task for our Lord to go to the cross. Yes, He did despise the shame and the sufferings that came along with it. Yes, He resolutely headed for Jerusalem in order that He might disarm all principalities and powers, and make a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them with His cross. And for these very reasons we can easily lose sight of the fact that it was the hardest task this world has ever seen. No one in the history of mankind has ever accomplished such a work. Forever let us bless God that we have such a ready and willing Savior who "always lives to make intercession for us" (Heb. 7:25). Forever let us remember that as He was ready to suffer, so He is always ready to save. The one who comes to Christ by true faith should never doubt Christ's willingness to receive him. The mere fact that the Son of God willingly came into the world to die, and willingly suffered, should silence such doubts forever.

People of God, do you lack assurance of the salvation which Christ has wrought for you? Are you struggling with carnal doubts that Christ might not welcome you with open arms because of your sins? Do you wrestle with the lust in your heart and fear that God could never love such a sinful one? Well then, let us forever remember that, "the Son of Man has not come to destroy men's lives but to save them." Let us rejoice that it was the will of our heavenly Father to save sinners. And let us rejoice that Christ willingly and steadfastly set His face to go towards Jerusalem in order to reconcile us unworthy sinners to the Father. Let us forever praise God for Jesus Christ, the wonderful Savior of sinners! Amen!

The Call to Train Our Children

Training children is one of the most difficult duties of Christian parents, and the Word of God has much instruction for us. But one of the first things we must remember when it comes to our children is Psalm 127 verse 3: "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward." In other words, our children, first of all, belong to God and are a wonderful gift given by Him. Therefore, children must be loved and diligently trained for God's glory! Proverbs 22:6 reads: "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." This text not only commands us to train our children, but it also comforts us with the promise that when the child is old he shall not depart from the way he was taught. Christian parents who take their calling seriously to raise their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord may find comfort in this text.

The chief principle in the training of our children is that of discipline. The word "train" in the Hebrew means "to narrow" not to broaden or let loose, but to discipline. It's in the fallen nature of every child to walk the broad way of sin, because, like every parent, sin resides in the heart. The ungodly philosophy of the world says to let the children go their own way so they can explore the different avenues in this world and decide for themselves what they like or dislike. But Scripture teaches us that our children, just like parents, must be governed by God's Word so they do not walk the broad road of destruction. You see, God has given us children in order that we might raise godly offspring for the glory and praise of our God. Malachi 2:15, "He seeks godly offspring." And so fathers are exhorted in Ephesians 6:4, "Do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord."

The Fifth Commandment teaches parents that we must love our children even as it exhorts children to honor their father and mother. The Heidelberg Catechism, Q104 reads: "What does God require in the Fifth Commandment? That I show all honor, love and faithfulness to my father and mother, and to all in authority over me, submit myself with due obedience to all their good instruction and correction, and also bear patiently with their infirmities, since it is God's will to govern us by their hand." According to the 5th Commandment, Christian parents are responsible before God to raise their children with "good instruction and correction." The Lord primarily uses these means from Christian parents to teach covenant children the ways of God from infancy to adulthood. And it's normally these children that the Lord is pleased to save and therefore they do not depart from the faith. The word "child" in Proverbs 22:6 is used in a general sense and it refers to a child from infancy to adolescence. And so the text is a call for Christian parents to love their children of all ages by exercising loving discipline, leading them in the narrow way, and applying good instruction and correction in teaching them to walk in the ways of the Lord. This is exactly what we vowed when our children were baptized. Notice the baptismal vow confessed by every parent in the RCUS who brings their child forward to receive God's covenant sign in baptism:

"First: Do you acknowledge that, although our children are conceived and born in sin and therefore subject to condemnation, they are holy in Christ and, as members of His Church, ought to be baptized? Answer: I do. Second: Do you promise to instruct your child in the principles of our Christian faith as revealed in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, and as summarized in the Heidelberg Catechism; and do you promise to pray with and for your child, to set an example of piety and godliness before him (her) and to endeavor by all the means of God's appointment to bring him (her) up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord? Answer: I do." (RCUS Directory of Worship)

Parents, are you faithful to your Christian vows before God? Which way are you training your children? Are you training them in the way of Jesus Christ, the narrow way of life everlasting? Do you teach them their need for a Savior because of their inborn and actual sin? Do you teach them that they must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation? "For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call" (Acts 2:39). Do you teach them that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone? Do you teach them to take delight in living according to the commandments of God in all good works out of a heart of gratitude for such a wondrous salvation? Do you teach them to forsake unrighteousness and follow God's commandments? Do you teach them the Scriptures? You promised to do so in the baptismal vow! Do you teach them the Heidelberg Catechism? What about prayer? Do you pray with and for your children and set a godly example of piety and godliness for them by obeying God's commands? Do you use the means God has appointed to bring your children up in the care and admonition of the Lord? Do you take seriously your calling as parents to teach your children to walk in the ways of the Lord? This is what you promised when you brought them forward in baptism. Are you faithful to what you vowed to the Lord?

We must teach our children that in all things, whether we eat or drink, we do all for the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31). We should not have a home where our children learn that it's only in church on Sunday that we do things for the glory of God. We must teach our children that every moment of every day in every area of life they must do all things in the service of almighty God out of a grateful heart. Colossians 3:17 says, "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

The Biblical Method of Training Our Children

The Biblical method of instructing our children in the ways of the Lord is by using the catechism. The word catechism simply refers to a method of instruction that was, at one time, the most commonly used method in the church to instruct children and new converts in the great truths of God's Word. For centuries, Reformed Churches used the Heidelberg Catechism for catechetical instruction of covenant youth, to bring them to maturity in the Christian faith in order that they might confess their faith in the Lord and their agreement with the doctrines of the Word of God. In his commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism, Casper Olevianus wrote the following words, "The system of catechizing includes a short, simple and plain exposition and rehearsal of the Christian Doctrine, deduced from the writings of the prophets and apostles, and arranged in the form of questions and answers, adapted to the capacity and comprehension of the ignorant and unlearned; or it is a brief summary of the doctrine of the prophets and apostles, communicated orally to such as are unlearned, which they are again required to repeat." In other words, a catechism is a summary of the doctrines taught in the Holy Scriptures; it is a systematic doctrinal instruction in the Word of God. The practice of catechism instruction is based on the conviction that the Bible contains a system of doctrine. The Bible is not merely a collection of stories with little moral lessons. The Bible consists of the great doctrines of God. These doctrines form a glorious harmonious, logical system. This system is consistently found throughout Scripture, and it contains no contradictions.

Catechism teaching seeks to elicit from Scripture these great doctrines of God's Word and present them in a logically summarized format. Anyone who teaches knows that it's almost impossible to learn anything unless the teaching is systematic and carefully arranged in its logical relations, and this is exactly what the catechism does. It must also be emphasized that catechism instruction not only sets forth the truth of God's Word, but it also sharply distinguishes truth from error. Catechism instruction seeks to equip God's people to discern the truth, contend for the truth, and in doing so refute and condemn error. However, what needs to be emphasized is the fact that the catechism is of great value only if it is used. If it only sits in the church archives left to gather dust, there is no profit at all in having a catechism. In other words, the catechism must be a living document in the life of the church from which people draw instruction, correction, and comfort. It must be the church's living confession that declares what the church believes is taught in Scripture.

Catechism instruction is usually given by means of a series of questions and answers. Most often these questions and answers are very carefully constructed. The teacher asks a set of formal questions and the students memorize the answers contained in the catechism. The word catechism derives from the Greek word katecheo, which is a combination of two Greek words. Kata is a word that generally means "down" or "down towards." The other word, echeo, means "to sound." We are familiar with the English word echo, which indicates a sound that repeats itself as it reverberates. This is exactly how the catechism works. The parent or teacher asks a theological question, and then waits for the child to sound back the answer. As we "sound down" the truth of Scripture, we hope that this same sound will echo back in the hearts and lives of our covenant children. If done consistently, the minds of our children will be forever shaped by the truth of God's Word.

Scriptural Basis of Catechism Training

The Greek New Testament uses the word katecheo to refer to teaching someone in an orderly and systematic way in the form of a question and answer dialogue. Luke refers to this in chapter 1:3-4 of his Gospel, "...it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed." The English word translated "instructed" is the Greek word katecheo. Luke's purpose in writing his Gospel is that those who have been catechized in the doctrine of Christ might know the certainty of the things in which they were instructed. This form of systematic instruction included memorized statements of doctrine and confession.

The Apostles' Creed was developed by the early NT church for this very purpose. But the early NT church was just keeping in step with the method of teaching found in the Old Testament. When Ezra stood up to read the Book of the Law in Nehemiah 8 the Scripture says that the Levites who were with Ezra "helped the people to understand the law" (Neh. 8:7). The manner in which they did this was a form of catechism instruction. "So they read in the book of the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading" (Neh. 8:8).

The Apostle Paul refers to catechism instruction of the Jews as those "being instructed (catechized) out of the law" (Rom. 2:18). The Jews to whom Paul refers had been catechized in the Law of God. Acts 18:24-25 tells us that Apollos was "an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures" and he "had been instructed in the way of the Lord..." The word translated "instructed" is the Greek word katecheo. Clearly Apollos was a man mighty in the Scripture for the simple fact that he was catechized in the truth of Scripture. In Galatians 6:6, the Apostle Paul exhorts believers with these words, "Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches." The word translated "taught" is this same word katecheo. Paul exhorts those who are catechized "to share in all good things with him who teaches" or does the catechizing. Another example is found in 1 Corinthians 14:19: "...yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue." The word translated "teach" in this text, once again, is the Greek word katecheo. And so the Apostle Paul said he would rather catechize or teach others the Word of God than speak ten thousand words in a tongue. If this is Paul's attitude concerning the special gift of the Spirit of speaking in tongues, which gift has passed away with the completion of the canon of Scripture, then how much more those things in our day which are neither gifts nor instruction in the Word of God but are used as substitutes for preaching and instruction in the life of the church?

Though our age has seen an explosion of knowledge, there is in fact a tragic lack of knowledge about the great and fundamental doctrines of the Scriptures in most churches. Solid preaching and teaching of the Word of God in the church has been replaced with worship services that are mostly music, telling stories of personal experiences, and other forms of entertainment. People in the pews are stirred up emotionally by all sorts of devices such as music, drama, skits, plays, shouting, hand clapping, etc., but there is very little instruction in the objective truths of God's Word. Are these churches being faithful to Scripture? Are they being faithful to their members? As can be seen from the Scripture references above, the only churches that are being faithful to Scripture and their members are those that are faithfully and diligently catechizing their members, from infants to elderly, in the sound doctrine of God's Word!

Although the term "catechism" is not used, the teaching method of catechizing is also seen in the life of Jesus. At age twelve Jesus is found in the temple, "sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his answers" (Luke 2:46-47). Very clearly we see in this interaction the teaching method of catechism being employed. Jesus also used the catechetical method of teaching by question and answer with His disciples in order to draw from them the confession that He was the Christ (Matthew 16:13-20). Catechism instruction is also the chief method of the Great Commission. Matthew 28:20: "...teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you."

This calling involves more than merely expounding a passage of Scripture. It requires bringing the Scriptures together so as to elicit a response from those who hear the teaching or doctrine contained in the Scriptures. Jesus does this with the men on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24:26 when He says, "Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?" The "yes" answer is implied in Jesus' rhetorical question. Yes, it was the necessary way of salvation and will of God. "And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself" (Luke 24:27). We also see Jesus using catechism instruction in Luke 10:25-28: "And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?' He said to him, ‘What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?' So he answered and said, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.' And He said to him, ‘You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.'"  The lawyer went on to ask the question about who was his neighbor, and Jesus answered with the parable of the Good Samaritan.

Notice the catechetical question and answer dialogue that takes place with Jesus and the lawyer. Throughout Scripture we read of numerous accounts of Jesus employing the catechetical method of teaching to instruct people.

Clearly catechism teaching is at the very heart of the life of the church. This is true also for the covenant children, and pastors have the same calling as did Peter to not only feed Jesus' sheep, but also to feed His lambs (John 21:15-17). The systematic training of covenant youth by catechism instruction is an important aspect of the pastor's calling. For this reason the RCUS Constitution, Article 192 states, "Every pastor shall carefully prepare the youth in his pastoral charge for communicant membership in the Church by diligently instructing them in the doctrines and duties of the Christian religion. The period of instruction shall, if possible, be so extended that the pupils memorize and are able to recite the entire Heidelberg Catechism before confirmation. The course of instruction shall include catechetical explanation and memorization, Bible history, Bible readings and memorizations, and the study of the books and contents of the Bible, the Belgic Confession of Faith, the Canons of Dort, church history, also the singing and memorization of Psalms, hymns, and Scripture songs."

The RCUS Constitution is very clear concerning the duty of pastors; they are to diligently catechize the children of the church entrusted to their care with the entire Heidelberg Catechism. This means it is also the duty of every child preparing to confess his faith before God and His church to memorize the truth of Scripture as summarized in the Heidelberg Catechism. Parents, your roll is to reinforce what your child has been taught in the catechism class by continuing the method of catechism training at home. It is only by faithfully catechizing our covenant youth that we honor God and find great hope in the truth of Proverbs 22:6, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

"Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ..." (Eph. 5:20).

"Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation" (Hab. 3:17-18).

Are you someone who always gives thanks to God regardless of your circumstances, or do you give thanks to God only when things are good, when the crops are in, the barn is full, and the cattle are fat? Are you thankful to God when things aren't so good? When the crops fail, the barn is empty, and the cattle are lean, can you still fall on your knees and sincerely thank God for the little that you have, as the prophet Habakkuk did? You see, to be unthankful in any situation is to sin against God because He is the One who has providentially placed us in every situation we find ourselves. Heidelberg Catechism Q27 asks: "What do you understand by the providence of God? The almighty, everywhere-present power of God, whereby, as it were by His hand, He still upholds heaven and earth with all creatures, and so governs them that herbs and grass, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, meat and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, indeed, all things come not by chance, but by His fatherly hand."

And so our text commands believers to give thanks always for all things to God. Paul simply says, "...giving thanks always for all things." No exceptions, no excuses! The Apostle Paul gives a command to every believer that no matter what may happen to us in this life we must give thanks to God always and for all things. Paul is saying that one of the identifying marks of a true believer is thankfulness to God, not only when things are good, but also when things are not so good. And when Paul says "giving thanks always," he writes in the present tense in the Greek, which means we are to continually give thanks to God. Thanksgiving is not a one-time event, but a continual, habitual practice in the life of a believer. The word "always" could also be translated "at all times." In other words, there's never a time that we should not be giving thanks to God. "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him" (Col. 3:17). Thankfulness is a blessed quality that should be constantly evident in the life of every believer. Therefore, "Thanksgiving" is not a once-a-year holiday for the believer, but a way of life. The believer lives by giving thanks always unto God for all things!

The Bible gives us many reasons to be thankful to God. In the Psalms, we learn that we give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. We thank God because He is the Sovereign of heaven and earth. We give thanks to God because He is our Good Shepherd who loves and cares for His people. He watches over and protects us, and all His actions are holy, righteous, just, and good. And so our text reads: "...giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

What about you? Are you known as a person who is always giving thanks to God? If someone summarized your life, would thankfulness be one of the words they used to describe you? When we always give thanks to God, it means we recognize we are completely dependent upon the grace and goodness of God for everything. Our life, breath, food, health, strength-nothing is excluded. You see, it's in Him that we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). The writer to the Hebrews says that all things are upheld by the Word of God's power, and we read in 1 Corinthians 4:7: "What do you have that you haven't received?"

On the other hand, unthankfulness is the very essence of the unbelieving heart. "Although they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were they thankful..." (Rom. 1:21). It is the unbeliever who refuses to thank God for anything. He professes that things happen in this world by luck or chance, and when things don't go his way he becomes bitter and life becomes very sour because he has a thankless heart. Many others think they control their own lives and have achieved their own good things in life, and so they give glory to themselves. We even live in a society where Thanksgiving Day has become known as "turkey day" and people look to all the food and festivities and forget about the God who has provided so richly for us. Have we as believers fallen into this sin? Have we lost focus of why we celebrate Thanksgiving Day? Do we really look to Thanksgiving Day as another opportunity to praise and worship our God, or do we only look to the food, festivities, and football?

On December 4, 1619, thirty-eight English settlers arrived on the north bank of the James River about twenty miles upstream from Jamestown. The group's charter required that the day of arrival be observed yearly as a "day of thanksgiving" to God. On that first day, Captain John Woodleaf held the service of thanksgiving. What follows is a quote from the section of the charter specifying the thanksgiving service: "We ordain that the day of our ship's arrival at the place assigned for plantacon in the land of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually kept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God."

The characteristic of a believer is to thank God for all things and in everything. He has a new heart and therefore he lives by the principle of grace, and as result he becomes a thankful person. He recognizes and professes that he deserves God's wrath, but instead he has received grace and mercy from God. Giving thanks to God now becomes a pattern in his life as a result of God's grace. But how often do we slip back into being unthankful and act like the unbeliever when things don't go the way we want? How often do we act like the nine lepers instead of the one who came back to give thanks to Jesus? (Luke 17). Hebrews 13:15 teaches, "Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name." Paul writes in I Thessalonians 5:18, "...in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." Are we truly thankful to God in everything? Do we really recognize that our life, breath, children, spouse, land, job, food, water, money, health, sickness, famine, and death all come from the hand of God? Therefore to complain is to be an unthankful person. Maybe what we need to do right now is confess to God that we haven't been thankful as we ought to be. Maybe we need to confess the sin of unthankfulness because we have murmured and complained against the providence of our God! I think we can all feel the weight of this conviction. Praise God our salvation rests completely on the person and work of Jesus Christ and not on our works!!

But not only does the Apostle Paul tell us to give thanks to God always, he also tells us in our text that we are to be thankful to God for all things! "...giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." We all can think of many favorable circumstances in which it's easy to give thanks to God: spouse, children, home, job, health, food, etc. And we can think of many other ways God has been good and gracious to us. Think about what God has done for us in Christ, how He redeemed us and washed us white as snow in the blood of Jesus Christ, and has forgiven ALL our sins so that we now have peace with Almighty God. Meditate on that while you're gathered around the dinner table on Thanksgiving Day with family and friends!

But maybe difficult circumstances are weighing on your heart. Our text teaches us that it's also our duty as believers to give thanks to God even while enduring the thorns, thistles, pains, and losses that come upon us in this troubled life. "The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD" (Job 1:21). We may not be able to understand what God is doing in our lives or why He has done certain things, but we do know He has promised to work all things for His glory and our good (Rom. 8:28). This should cause us to always be thankful in everything, even the adversity that God sends upon us. "Shall we indeed accept good from God and shall we not accept adversity?" (Job 2:10). If we really believe that God is causing all things to work together for His glory and our good, then we can be thankful no matter what situation may come our way.

Think of Paul and Silas in prison in Acts 16:25, "But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God." We must look to the end result of what God is doing and what He has promised, and keep our eyes fixed on Him and not our situation. This is the key to being thankful in everything. How did Job go through such suffering, trials, and tribulation and still offer thanks to God? He knew the Lord. As the Psalmist, Job tasted that the Lord is gracious and he rested in God's grace and trusted His promises. "For I know that my Redeemer lives and He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God..." (Job 19:25-27). Trusting in the Redeemer and looking to the promises of God enabled Job to give thanks to God even in the midst of great suffering!

Beloved in Christ, do you want to face trials and persecution in this life with joy and thanksgiving to God? Do you desire to walk in obedience to Scripture by giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ? Then trust in the Lord Jesus Christ! Rest in Him. It's only through faith in Jesus Christ that we are able to "give thanks always for all things to God." And when you fail to be thankful as you ought, look to Jesus Christ, for in Him there is no condemnation for sin! (Rom. 8:1). Therefore let us "enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations" (Psalm 10:4-5). Amen!

Regeneration can be defined as "the subconscious implanting of the principle of new spiritual life in the soul, effecting an instantaneous change in the whole man, intellectually, emotionally, and morally, enabling the elect sinner to respond in repentance and faith to the outward or public gospel proclamation directed to his conscious understanding and will."¹ (What is meant by Dr. Reymond's use of the word "subconscious" is that regeneration is the sovereign operation of the Holy Spirit apart from the use of any means or man's doing-see Canons of Dort, III & IV, XII.)

A New Life

The Greek term for regeneration (palingenesia) is found in only two verses of the New Testament: Matthew 19:28 and Titus 3:5. And only in Titus 3:5 does it refer to the beginning of the new life in the individual Christian. The idea of this new birth in the sinner is more commonly expressed in the Greek terms gennao, anothen, and anagennao, and these terms mean either to beget, to beget again, or to bear or give birth.² Such a birth is "from above" (John 3:3) and is the direct result of the intervention of the Spirit of God upon the hearts of wicked sinners. A spiritual change must take place in order for the sinner to come to faith, and believe the Gospel of Christ. It is the Spirit of God who is the author of this new birth. "¼all men are conceived in sin, and are by nature children of wrath, incapable of saving good, prone to evil, dead in sin, and in bondage thereto; and without the regenerating grace of the Holy Spirit, they are neither able nor willing to return to God, to reform the depravity of their nature, or to dispose themselves to reformation." (Canons of Dort, 3rd & 4th, III) Just as there is a remarkable event in the conception and birth of a human being, so even to a greater degree there is a spiritual "event" of sorts that parallels natural birth, but into the realm of the kingdom of God's beloved Son. And as a newborn infant has nothing to do with its birth into the world, so also we have nothing to do with our spiritual rebirth into the kingdom of God.

The new birth is the liberation of the soul from Satan, spiritual bondage, and eternal death by the work of the Holy Spirit, and is absolutely necessary in order for a sinner to be translated into the Kingdom of God. In John 3, Jesus makes clear the fact that man is so totally depraved and fallen that his spiritual birth must take place prior to his ever perceiving or understanding the spiritual realities of the kingdom of heaven (John 3:3-5). And this spiritual change is impossible with men, but possible with God "¼by the efficacy of the same regenerating Spirit He pervades the inmost recesses of man; He opens the closed and softens the hardened heart, and circumcises that which was uncircumcised; infuses new qualities into the will, which, though heretofore dead, He quickens; from being evil, disobedient, and refractory, He renders it good, obedient, and pliable; actuates and strengthens it, that like a good tree, it may bring forth the fruits of good actions." (Canons of Dort, 3rd & 4th, XI) Without a manifestly true change of a person's mind by the Spirit of God, men cannot and will not believe (1 Cor. 2:14) nor trust on Christ for salvation. As Jesus declares in John 3, ‘No unregenerate man can see the kingdom of God unless God wills he should see it and converts him to be able to see it.'

An Essential Gift

Therefore, we can safely say that the work of the Holy Spirit is as needful and important as the work of Christ Himself. Christ said in John 16:7, "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you." After His Ascension, Christ promised to send the Spirit to replace His corporeal presence until His Second Coming. The Spirit, then, is the agent by which the work of God is completed and accomplished on earth in this interim period. In Acts 1:8, Jesus states, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Such a power was the direct effect of Christ's kingly enthronement and subsequent order of the redemptive plan. This is why John writes, "But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." (John 7:39) Not that the Spirit was not already present or working, but that He was not dispensed by the enthroned Messiah; for Christ had not died, been buried, raised from the dead, and seated at the right hand of God.

Conviction

The design of the Spirit's work is found in John 16:8-11. Here Christ teaches, "And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged." The Spirit does this by shedding abroad the gift of His work in the hearts of men convincing them of the truth of Christ's person and work. He does this through the Word of God and through the preaching of the Gospel. Such an act is seen very clearly in the case with Lydia at the preaching of the Apostle Paul, "Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul." (Acts 16:14) The first part of the Spirit's work is to convince a sinner of His misery. "When He has come, He will convict the world of sin." (John 16:8) The Spirit convicts men of their state as sinners before God, but this is not enough to transform the soul. Conviction of sin, such as with Esau, Cain, and Judas, is not enough unless one is born from above, and repentance and faith all accompany such a work. "For godly sorrow works repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world works death." (2 Cor. 7:10)

However, in conviction, the work of the Spirit is accomplished in light of the Law of God. As Paul says, "I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death." (Romans 7:9-10) After this, the Spirit presses the sinner to look to Christ who alone can save the soul through His death and resurrection. In this way, the Spirit of God brings a sinner to understand his need of a Savior.

Illumination

After the Spirit has convinced a man of his sin and misery, He then illumines his mind in the knowledge of Christ. "But when God accomplishes His good pleasure in the elect, or works in them true conversion, He not only causes the gospel to be externally preached to them, but powerfully illuminates their minds by His Holy Spirit, that they may rightly understand and discern the things of the Spirit of God."(Canons of Dort, 3rd & 4th, XI) Here the Spirit teaches sinners the person, character, offices, and the work of Jesus Christ, as Paul says, "But the Scripture has confined all under sin that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe." (Gal. 3:22)

It should also be stated that even though there is a conviction of sin, and men are illumined to the reality of the person, office and work of Christ, they may not be saved. Felix trembled before Paul, and many were made partakers of the Holy Spirit and of the blessings of the age to come as recorded in Hebrew 6, but these were, in fact, still lost (Acts 24:25; Heb. 6:1-8). The illuminating work of the Holy Spirit may be said to be the groundwork of all His other operations. It's through the truth, which must be known and believed, that the Spirit fulfills all the functions of His office in the minds of men. By enlightening the mind, He lays the groundwork for the conviction of conscience. This obviously implies a previous state of spiritual deadness and darkness, which is the natural state of all men. Paul says, "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience¼." (Eph. 2:1-2)

This darkness, which affects every man born into this world (Christ excepted), is not just the absence of light, but also a blindness of mind. "Man was originally formed after the image of God. His understanding was adorned with a true and saving knowledge of his Creator, and of spiritual things; his heart and will were upright, all his affections pure, and the whole man was holy. But, revolting from God by the instigation of the devil and by his own free will, he forfeited these excellent gifts; and in the place thereof became involved in blindness of mind, horrible darkness, vanity, and perverseness of judgment; became wicked, rebellious, and obdurate in heart and will, and impure in his affections." (Canons of Dort, 3^rd & 4^th, I) When men are converted, the veil of darkness is taken away (1 Cor. 3:14-16) and the glorious light of the Gospel of Christ shines upon their minds (2 Cor. 4:3-4).

As the One who illumines the soul, the Holy Spirit is the revealer of truth, and the author of the Scriptures (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21), which are used as the instrument of His work. The efficacy of the Word depends completely on the gracious work of the Spirit upon men. In other words, just hearing the Gospel call does not ensure that a person will believe. The Holy Spirit must apply His Word to the soul. As Jesus said in John 6, ‘the Spirit is the One who gives life¼.' He alone illumines and quickens by the light of His Word. And these operations are directed towards man's conscience. His moral faculty is arrested by divine truth to the reality of its sinful state and need of saving grace. This is the direct operation of the Spirit's use of the law. The law is the schoolmaster, Paul said, that brings the sinner to Christ (Gal. 3:24). Sin, then, becomes vile in the mind of the enlightened conscience as the Spirit convinces a man of the sinfulness of his sin (Rom. 7:13).

A New Creation

Regeneration is not a partial work on any one part of the human faculty, but a change in every faculty and the whole man "infusing new qualities into the will, which, though heretofore dead, He quickens; from being evil, disobedient, and refractory, He renders it good, obedient, and pliable; actuates and strengthens it, that like a good tree, it may bring forth the fruits of good actions." (Canons of Dort, 3rd & 4th, XI) The man becomes a new creation as Paul clearly states, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." (2 Cor. 5:17) However, this change does not immediately perfect the sinner as if he had no further need of sanctification. As the Belgic Confession, Article 15, states: "Nor is it (sin) altogether abolished or wholly eradicated even by regeneration." And the Canons of Dort read, "¼though in this life He (God) does not deliver them altogether from the body of sin and from the infirmities of the flesh¼Hence spring forth the daily sins of infirmity, and blemishes cleave even to the best works of the saints." (5th, I, II) Rather, it places the believer in opposition to the life he once lived and translates him from one spiritual life to another-from one kingdom to another. "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love." (Col. 1:13)

Conversion, the third plank in the Ordo Salutis, rightly consists in a sinner being brought intelligently (not by blind faith) to some knowledge of God's truth imparted to the mind by the Holy Spirit, who in turn grants understanding. Sinners are made willing to come to Christ. Every sinner's heart is resistant to the truth (John 3:19-20), and in this way they "resist the Spirit" as Stephen said of the Pharisees (Acts 7:51). This does not mean that the sinner can overpower the work of the Spirit, but that the outward preaching of the Gospel is always and continually resisted by the sinner's depraved and wicked heart. However, once the Spirit regenerates a sinner's heart by sovereign grace, that heart will response to the call of the Gospel. Ezekiel 36:26 clearly says, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." The Canons of Dort also speaks to this issue: "regeneration does not treat men as senseless stocks and blocks, nor take away their will and its properties, or do violence thereto; but it spiritually quickens, heals, corrects, and at the same time sweetly and powerfully bends it, that where carnal rebellion and resistance formerly prevailed, a ready and sincere spiritual obedience begins to reign; in which the true and spiritual restoration and freedom of our will consist." (3rd & 4th, XVI)

United To Christ

This is obviously far more than a moral change or an amendment of life. It's a transformation of the whole faculty of the sinner's soul from death and darkness to life and light. The result of the Spirit's work on an individual sinner is the creation of a new being (2 Cor. 5:17). When a sinner is saved by the work of the Holy Spirit he is then united to Christ, or as Scripture reads, "Baptized into Christ." (Gal. 3:27; 1 Cor. 12:13; Rom. 6) This union with the Lord Jesus Christ is the life-giving power and sustenance of the believing sinner. The sinner receives life through the spiritual head of the church, Jesus Christ, by being a branch attached to the vine.

Christ explains this union and its benefits in John 15:4-5, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." This new creature has acquired a new life, a new view of himself and the world, new affections in the soul for the things of God, and new spiritual insight that he did not possess before. His desires and aims are entirely new, and he now has the desire to continue the new relationship he has with God, and to grow in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. He now says with the psalmist, "My soul thirsts for God, for the living God" (Psalm 42:2).

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4  ¹ Robert Reymond New Systematic Theology pp. 720-21

4  ² Louis Berkhof Systematic Theology pp. 465

"Nor is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name given under heaven among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

Do you think it's possible for a person to be saved apart from faith in Jesus Christ? Most people in our society would say, "There are many roads that lead to heaven, and if you're sincere and live a moral life then surely you'll go to heaven...no matter who you worship or what you believe." But our text teaches there is only one way to heaven, and anyone who teaches there is another way is a liar who is under the delusion of Satan. There is only one way to be saved from the guilt and consequences of our sins, and His name is Jesus Christ! Acts 4:12: "Nor is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name given under heaven among men, whereby we must be saved."

"The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble! He dwells between the cherubim; Let the earth be moved! The Lord is great in Zion, and He is high above all the peoples. Let them praise Your great and awesome name; He is holy" (Ps. 99:1-3).

In 1874 the Lord was pleased to gather a handful of His people in the farmland of Menno, SD, and use them to form the congregation of Zion Reformed Church. In 1879 they built their first church building a few miles north of Menno, and it served as their place of worship until 1966 when a new building was constructed in the town of Menno.