Most, no doubt, are familiar with the Parable of the Prodigal Son, as recorded in Luke 15. It has been read and preached perhaps more than any of the parables of Jesus. It is a very common, earthly story, and one that is sadly true the world over. It also has a spiritual meaning which is sadder still, but at the same time is filled with very good news. To better understand this parable, I would pose the following two questions: 1. In this parable, is Jesus talking ABOUT you? 2. Is Jesus talking TO you? How you answer these questions will reveal which of the two sons you are.

The characters Jesus sets forth in this parable are a father and his two sons, a very common and earthly situation indeed. Jesus first concerns Himself with the father and his wayward son. At the time that Jesus spoke this parable, the custom among the Jews was that a father could either bequeath his possessions to his heirs by drawing up a testament or, during his lifetime, assign them to his heirs in the form of a gift. So the younger son collected all of his possessions that he had received as a present from his father and lost no time in going and enjoying his newly found freedom and goods in selfish indulgence. He tears himself away from the parental home and goes to a distant land in order to be as far away as possible from the watchful eye of his father, enabling him to live as he pleases without any restraint or rules.

The result was that he soon wasted his substance in riotous living with wicked people. He wanted to be free and live as he wished. He wanted to live like those out in the world, and soon the world had him in its grip and philosophy, i.e., eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow may not come. Thus, he exchanges the real freedom, which consisted in obedience to his father's loving will, for the slavery of the world and sin. It may not seem like slavery, but try to get that person away from the world and its grip, and you will discover what a firm hold the world has upon such a person. He cannot escape it!

After his possessions had been wasted and lost, there came, to top it all off, a great famine upon the "far country," and not one of his so-called friends, who had helped him spend and waste his life and possessions, could or would help him. The result was that he began to be in want. At wit's end and driven by hunger, he accepts the most humiliating and repulsive kind of servant labor, especially for a Jew, that of caring for the pigs of one of the citizens in that distant country. But even this was not yet the lowest depths of his misery. He is treated worse than the pigs that he has to feed and has to fight with the them for food, which was equally as scarce for both the pigs and himself.

Finally, thinking about the whole mess he had gotten himself into, he is brought to realize how foolishly he had acted in tearing himself away from his father. Thinking about how it used to be at his father's home, he sees what kind of miserable situation he has brought himself to, and swallowing his pride, he decides to bid farewell to the far country and to return to his father. With a penitent spirit he sets out for home. Notice from what he had decided to say to his father (cf. Luke 15:18-19), that he is truly sorry and not simply trying the last thing before he starves to death, or because he knows he will have it easier there. He decides to ask to be received, not as a son, but simply as a hired servant. He feels that he is no longer worthy to be called his father's son. In his humility, he is now willing to take the very lowest place and to obey his father's commands.

Thus making up his mind, he arises and goes to his father, never dreaming of the surprising reception that awaits him. The heart of the father had continued to remain true in love for his wayward son. He had never ceased to watch and wait for the son's return, and that was the reason he saw him coming. Driven by loving compassion, the father runs to meet him, embraces him, and heartily kisses him. In his complete forgivingness, the father won't hear of it that his wayward son be taken back as a hired servant: "But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry" (Luke 15:22-24).

Jesus goes on to describe the attitude of the older son, who, instead of rejoicing with his father, is extremely annoyed at the joyful celebrations and at the honor shown to the younger son. Nonetheless, the father also goes out to the older son to invite him to join the celebration (cf. Luke 15:28b). But the older son is conceited and regards himself as the perfect son. In his eyes he had earned and deserved all the honor and praise, while his brother should no longer have any right to what belonged to his father. So he accuses the father of having favorites; in fact he no longer thinks of the young son as his brother, as is obvious when he speaks of him as "your son" and not as "my brother" (cf. Luke 15:30).

The father, deeply hurt, tells the older son that he is not being unfair to him; rather, all of his riches are, and always were, at his older son's disposal. And if he has not received any real enjoyment of them, he himself is to blame, because he has become a stranger to his very own father; he has been living as one of his servants and not as his child; he has not really used or appreciated the riches given him by his father. The father goes on to tell the older son that it is impossible for a family not to rejoice when a wayward child returns, no matter how terrible his life has been. And the hearty welcome and celebration given to the returning son has nothing to do with rewards according to merits, but is wholly a matter of rejoicing and gratitude that the prodigal son has come back home.

We have now seen a very earthly and common story-a very sad reminder to many a parent and a solemn warning to those who wish to escape all parental authority. We have yet to discover the heavenly or spiritual meaning of the story. To do that, recall again the two questions: Is Jesus talking about you or is He talking to you?

To begin with, we must re-evaluate the places and characters in this parable and equate them with their spiritual meaning. The father, as you have probably already surmised, is God; the far country is the world of sin; the two sons are the answer to the two questions: Is Jesus talking about you? Is Jesus talking to you? The spiritual meaning of their characters will determine which of the two you are.

In describing the attitude of the older son, Jesus is talking to the Pharisees and scribes who are dissatisfied with Him for receiving publicans and sinners: "Then all the tax publicans [tax collectors] and sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, ‘This Man receives sinners and eats with them'" (Luke 15:1-2). Jesus then begins to relate a number of parables in order to refute this attitude of the Pharisees and scribes, i.e., lost sheep, lost coin, prodigal son. Who is Jesus talking to? He is talking to the Pharisees and scribes.

Using these parables, Jesus very effectively exposes the true attitude of the Pharisees, for they also are inwardly strangers to God and have allowed their religion to degenerate into slavish bondage and self-righteousness. While they themselves remain spiritually cold and far removed from God, they despise and avoid persons like the "publicans and sinners," who, in their eyes, are no longer worthy to be sons of the father or members of the real people of Israel. However, when Jesus tells of the conversation the father has with the older son in regard to the son that has returned, He is teaching very clearly that God has been longsuffering to give the people of Israel the first opportunity of entering His kingdom and receiving and enjoying the fullness of life: "Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found" (Luke 15:31-32).

Thus the Lord not only calls for the "publicans and sinners" to repent, but also the Pharisees and scribes, i.e., the older son-those who outwardly still remain with the Father, making a show of religion but inwardly are strangers to God and not sons, that they, too, should come to the Father and understand His love for the lost. So the question, to whom is Jesus talking, is answered in the older of the two sons. Jesus is talking to the scribes and Pharisees.

One question remains: Who is Jesus talking about? The obvious answer is the younger or wayward son. Again, a reminder: Keep applying these questions to yourself-Is Jesus talking to me or about me?

A life of sin and wrong is, in its deepest and innermost nature, the rebellious breaking away of man's life from God. Under the false yearning for "freedom," such a person enters the far country, the country of sin, Satan's domain, there to waste in selfishness and recklessness the precious gifts which he has received from God as did the wayward son from his father. All those things which a man wastes and destroys when he lives in sin, he has received from God as gifts wherewith to glorify God, for which purpose he was created, and which is also the only way to real freedom and happiness in life. Otherwise, you are simply like a fish out of the water, deceiving yourself into thinking you can make it out of the water. Who but the Creator gives to man his physical strength for making a living? his brain whereby he can think and reason? his spiritual insight wherewith he can believe? Who is the Maker of everything in nature that was put at man's disposal to rule over and use to glorify the Creator God in heaven?

When a man has sacrificed his life on the idolatrous altars of pleasure and selfishness in the far country, he must be brought back to his senses and to the realization that this distant land has nothing to offer compared to the precious treasures he has wasted there, and in his innermost being is left impoverished and starved. In the far country of sin, where the erring son desires to go and enjoy what he believes is real happiness and freedom, he sooner or later falls into the cruelest and most hateful forms of slavery and spiritual famine. Life loses all meaning and he is put to shame and will suffer fatal injury.

The first step towards true repentance is that a man must become conscious of the misery into which he has fallen in the far country of sin and see himself as he really is, rebellious, polluted, and lost. The lost one must first realize he has no right to claim that he should be accepted as a child of God on his own merit. Whosoever desires to go to God trusting in his own dignity or making excuses instead of confessing his sins openly, is in no condition to receive the forgiveness of God. All of this the wayward son had realized when he said he was no longer worthy to be called a son.

So wonderful is the love of the heavenly Father that He not merely forgives the sorrowful sinner, but actually goes out to meet this son and embraces him in His love and grace. He seeks and draws the sinner through the redeeming work of Jesus Christ and through the leading of the Holy Spirit, even long before the sinner shows remorse for his sins: "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (Jn. 1:12-13).

Read again how the wayward son, the sinner, is received: "Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet." What is the best robe? Is it not the robe of Christ? The prophet Isaiah wrote of it: "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord. My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with jewels" (Isa. 61:10).

The apostle Paul says, "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ." Reading this phrase in its context , one wonders if it was not written with the wayward son in mind: "The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts" (Rom. 13:12-14). Righteousness is imputed to the sinner. The redeemed sinner stands before God the Father clothed in the pure garments of Jesus Christ. The words of a familiar hymn express it well: "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness; When I shall launch in worlds unseen, O may I then be found in Him; Dressed in His righteousness alone, Faultless to stand before the throne. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand" (Trinity Hymnal #582).

And what about the shoes? As slaves went barefoot, the shoes suggest that the believer is no longer a slave but a son. The ring on the finger confirms it. The "family ring," or signet ring, points to the doctrine of adoption. When the sinner returns to the heavenly Father, He does not reproach or punish him, nor does He humiliate him to the position of a hired servant or a slave, but He accepts him in Christ as His beloved child and gives him the full status and all the privileges of a son: "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!' Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ" (Gal. 4:4-7).

Remembering the question, who is Jesus talking about, I trust this parable has become a lot clearer to you and that in wonder and amazement, you are thinking to yourself: "Why, Jesus is talking about me! That is exactly how God has treated me! He gave me new clothes and dressed me in the righteousness of His beloved Son. He raised me from the level of a servant or slave to that of a son."

Is Christ talking to you or is He talking about you? God grant that Jesus is not talking to you as a Pharisee but about you as a sinner who has come home, and that you have the Spirit of adoption in your heart so that you, like the prodigal son, can cry, "Abba, Father!"

Rev. Vernon Pollema
Bakersfield, CA

President's Report on the State of the Church

265th RCUS Synod

Rev. Vernon Pollema

Esteemed Brethren:

Excerpts from the reports of the Presidents of the Executive Committees of the Classes (cf. The Constitution of the RCUS, Art. 111), moving from the West to the East, provide us with a panoramic view of the state (temporal and spiritual condition) of the Reformed Church in the United States:

Western Classis:

"After reading your reports, your President notes some severe congregational afflictions, especially for pastors. These afflictions are both spiritual and physical. Thus the morale of some of our men is at ebb tide. Also, some of our churches continue to bleed red ink. Yet, in other churches there are, perhaps, moderate improvements in their financial situations. This is in marked contrast to last year, when it seemed that most of us were hemorrhaging."

"The greatest need of the Western Classis concerns filling the two ministerial positions at Lancaster and Rehoboth Chapel. As you know, in the past it has been difficult to lure men outside of the Golden State to relocate here. Thus, virtually all of our empty pulpits over the past few years have been occupied by Californians." [Note: Since this report was given, both positions have been filled, again with present or former Californians.]

"The second issue is an important footnote to the Special Meeting of Classis concerning ministerial deposition. Although the procedure and result of the meeting was God-glorifying and all the issues were resolved in a Christ-centered way, it was clear that there was some confusion as to how much authority a Spiritual Council has over a minister of Classis. The problem was complicated by the fact that a few years ago Synod voted that all ministers become ministers of their local congregations. Yet the Constitution reads as if the Classis alone has authority over its ministers. Certainly, a Spiritual Council cannot depose a minister (Article 120), but this raises the question as to whether the selfsame Council has the authority to debar a minister from the Lord's Supper. I remind you that when a minister becomes a member of a church, be becomes subject to the fourth membership vow, promising that if he ‘should be found delinquent in doctrine or in life to heed its discipline,' that is, the discipline of the Spiritual Council of the congregation. . . ."

"One thing is certain: the administration of discipline had a healthy effect upon us ministers and elders. I think that the result of the Special Classis Meeting resulted in an increased ‘fear of God' (cf. Acts 5:5, 11). Our action should cause us to hate sin with a holy passion. How can we save others, if we ourselves are in sin? God surely will not bless our congregations if we are physicians who need to heal ourselves. With regard to heart-purity, let us hear the Apostle Paul: ‘Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery¼' (Rom. 2:22)? Your President is reminded of a letter sent by Robert Murray McCheyne in 1840 to the Rev. Dan Edwards who was ordained to be a missionary to the Jews: ‘I trust you will have a pleasant and profitable time in Germany. I know you will apply hard to German; but do not forget the culture of the inner man,-I mean of the heart. How diligently the cavalry officer keeps his sabre clean and sharp; every stain he rubs off with the greatest care. Remember you are God's sword-His instrument-I trust a chosen vessel unto Him and bear His name. In great measure, according to the purity and perfections of the instrument, will be the success. It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God.' Let us diligently attend to the culture of our hearts!"

South Central Classis:

"As I write this report, the world around us seems to be in a state of turmoil. Major earthquakes, wars, unrest across the Arab world and economic difficulties are all around us. But it is from times such as these that we gain great comfort from the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and assurance in God's providence." [As President Morris takes what he calls a "tour of the congregations," this year, from the east to the west, some of the "stops" were:]

"At Trinity Reformed Church in Sioux Falls, SD, things are going well. We have visitors on a regular basis and our auditorium is usually pretty full. We built on to our building and added classrooms, offices, and a library which is being used by Heidelberg Theological Seminary. HTS began having classes at our facility last fall and that seems to have been a good move for the seminary."

"The Greeley, CO and Vermillion, SD congregations are now self-supporting and no longer receiving mission support. The Limon, CO congregation is receiving mission funding from Classis, but has already requested a reduction in support."

"Last October, the missions committee flew to Sherman, TX where the Rev. Neale Riffert has been working with a group of believers. The work appears to be doing well and the missions committee has requested mission support of $1500 per month for that work."

"The Rapid City congregation has indicated a desire to start a work in Scotts Bluff, NE. There is a Bible study going on there and the congregation in Rapid City is seeking to discern the Lord's will about what to do next. . . . In the past, our Classis has had a Regional Home Missionary who could oversee some mission works. It worked well in the past and perhaps it is time to reconsider that program."

"All in all, it was a relatively quiet year in the South Central Classis. We are seeing signs of growth in many of the congregations. Let us pray that the Lord would continue to help us grow and to give us wisdom that we might bring the gospel and plant churches in our Classis."

Northern Plains Classis:

"We begin by considering the state of our membership. Looking at the statistics, our communicant membership has dropped again this year from 479 to 460, a loss of about 4 percent. In 2009 there were four students confirmed, but in 2010 there was not a single person confirmed. . . . We have 264 families and 523 baptized members. That means the average family had 1.8 members. Therefore, we must have a large number of single members in our churches-both very young and very senior."

"I believe the numbers show that we have an aging membership with fewer families with two parents and children. If this is true, there is only one alternative for our Classis, and that is evangelization. . . . Unless we have an infusion of new members, our membership will continue to decline."

"The Watertown, SD congregation receives financial assistance from Classis. For 2011 they are requesting a reduction of $1600 over 2010. This is a positive sign that the congregation is supporting seriously this work. This is real encouragement."

"Potentially, the most significant matter to be considered will be our attempt to establish a mission work in Dickinson, ND. The classical Home Missions Committee has recommended that we employ a home missionary in that town. Their report details the attendance at the Bible studies held there, and which would become the core group for a mission work. The questions Classis needs to ponder include the following: Is the core group described in the Missions report sufficient to justify hiring a missionary? Can the Classis sustain the additional financial commitment?"

"This report has sought to detail the state of the Classis as we begin our 2011 spring meeting. We look back and see the good hand of God prospering us this past year. Let us be in prayer that the Lord will guide us unto His will as we chart our future."

Covenant East Classis:

"As I read the parochial reports . . . the words of the apostle John came to mind: "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth" (III Jn. 4). The churches of Classis are indeed walking in the truth and this is an occasion for great joy when it comes time for the annual report to Classis on the State of the Church."

"The parochial reports reveal that the churches of Classis are spiritually healthy and growing in grace. This does not mean that they are without their struggles from time to time, especially when it comes to the application of discipline to erring members, and the fallout from that, to attempting to reclaim those whose love for Christ has grown cold and who resist the entreaties of family members or their overseers. But it does mean that these disciplinary or reclaiming efforts are engaged in according to the truth of God's Word, thus reflecting on the faithfulness of our churches to the third mark of a true church (BC #29). This is a ground for great joy!"

"According to the reports . . . the Word of God is faithfully proclaimed by His called servants both in the formal worship services of the churches, the youth activities, the various gender related Bible studies, the Sunday School classes and in various mid-week Bible studies and prayer meetings, thus evidencing the first mark of a true church. What also characterizes these reports is the joy our ministers have in ministering the Word . . . even in the midst of personal struggles with health or the death of a family member or the personal injuries of family members that can so distract a minister."

"The reports reveal an earnest, prayerful desire to beseech the LORD for the needs of the church, but also that He will add to the church such as are being saved. We have not drifted into thinking that we can build the church apart from the grace of God. The dependence of our churches upon the Lord's blessings for their provision and growth and not upon the novel pop techniques again illustrates the desire to walk in the truth for without Him we can do nothing."

"Increasingly over the years the CEC has developed a healthy home missions' consciousness. This does not appear to be abating any time soon. At present we have home mission works in Bentonville, AR, in Waymart, PA and at present, a beginning work in the Minneapolis, MN area. In addition, the Executive Committee has been in contact with a family in SC and a representative of a small group in Richmond, KY who have shown interest in the RCUS. . . . The Executive Committee . . . has also been working with Sovereign Grace Church in Gettysburg, PA, who four years ago began to show interest in the RCUS. . . . The recent call of Rev. J. Fluck to be their pastor and thus to labor outside the bounds of Classis, has taken the possible union of Sovereign Grace Church to the RCUS to a higher level."

Some additional comments on the State of the Church

A comparison of membership and financial statistics shows the following: Communicant Members this Year and Total Receipts compared to last year indicate a decrease of -1% and -4% respectively. Giving to Synod Guidelines and Giving to Classis Guidelines this year compared to last year indicate a difference of -13% and +10% respectively. Giving to Synod per Communicant Member and the Giving to Classis per Communicant Member last year as compared to this year indicates a difference of -1% and +14% respectively. Although overall giving decreased slightly, the increase in giving to the Classes and the decrease of giving to the Synod is a move in the right direction. One other statistic of note is the 22% increase in the number of confirmations. However, that is more than offset by the decrease in the number of members received by Letter of Transfer and Profession of Faith, -23% and -5% respectively.

The immediately preceding figures point to the need for missions and church growth. In that respect, references to new works in the Presidents' Reports above and the Permanent Home Missions Committee Report are encouraging. Let us redouble our commitment to support these works and those already in existence in prayer as well as with our tithes and offerings.

This Synod will see a number of changes this year with regard to how it conducts its business and we will see how those changes work for us. For some, these changes were long overdue. For others (perhaps mostly the older generation), change is questionable, if not difficult. As a member of that older generation, permit me to offer a word of caution or a brotherly admonition. Change should come carefully and in some cases, not at all. We must give due honor and respect to the traditions of our fathers, especially as they have come down to us through the Constitution, the Directory of Worship, and the Rules of Order. To the one who will assume the office of President, I give this reminder: "He shall preserve order, guard against any violation of the Constitution of the Church and the Rules of Order, and endeavor to conduct all business to a speedy and proper conclusion" (The Rules of Order-Duties of the President, #9. Speaking of violations, how about Standing Rule #13!)

Other matters of concern coming before Synod which touch upon the state of the church:

The Executive Committee Report includes the letter we were assigned to write to the Dordt Board of Trustees about a number of concerns brought to the attention of last year's Synod by the permanent Christian Education Committee and its Sub-Committee to Confer with Dordt College, resulting in the suspension of Dordt College from the list of approved colleges and from Guideline support. Also included, is the requested letter of response from the Dordt Board of Trustees to this year's Synod. These items will need to be referred to the Standing Education & Student Aid Committee for review and action.

The Sunday School Curriculum Sub-Committee of the Christian Education Committee is recommending that Synod move forward with developing an integrated Sunday School curriculum based on the 2010 revised pedagogical approach.

The Foreign Missions Committee reports that what are now the United Reformed Churches of the Congo (URCC), as opposed to the Evangelical Reformed Confessing Church (ERCC), continue to grow and prosper and the Reformed Fellowship Church of Kenya (RFCK), as opposed to the Free Reformed Church of Kenya (FRCK), is now receiving our financial support. The United Covenant Reformed Church of the Philippines (UCRCP) has formed its first classis consisting of three organized congregations with the possibility of a fourth, and is seeking a formal relationship with us.

The Interchurch Relations Committee includes the report of the delegation to Synod London 2010 of the United Reformed Churches of North America where major reports concerning Justification & the Federal Vision and the pro and con of reception of believers into communicant membership without requiring the parents to present their unbaptized children for the sign and seal of the covenant, were presented. The underlying issue of the latter was that of confessional church membership. Another report is that of the delegation to the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, Liberated (GKNv) with some answers to the worrisome developments within that sister denomination the last number of years. Because of these developments, the OPC and URCNA have refrained from entering into closer ties with this denomination.

The Ministerial Aid Fund (MAF) has now surpassed the one million dollar mark. A decision will need to be made as to what to do with the amount in excess of the one million.

The Special Committee to Study the Belgic Confession, Article 9, and specifically the wording of the phrase, "the Holy Spirit appeared in the shape of a dove," has presented a very thorough report with the resultant wise and excellent recommendation to simply replace the phrase at issue with the Biblical text itself. The only question: Why the text of Luke 3:22 as opposed to that of the other Gospels?

What is the state of the Church? of the RCUS? Contrary to Mr. Harold Camping, the Church is alive and well and continues to exist both as an organism and an organization. Christ has ascended into heaven to "there appear as the Head of His Church, by whom the Father governs all things" (HC50). His Bride, the Church, continues to eagerly await His coming, when He "shall take me with all His chosen ones to Himself into heavenly joy and glory" (HC52). Again, contrary to Mr. Camping, I don't know when this will happen. However, this I know. Until then, Christ will continue to care for and build His Church. Her marks, i.e., the pure preaching of the Word, the proper administration of the sacraments, and the faithful exercise of discipline will continue "and the gates of hell shall not prevail against her" (Matt. 16:18).

Finally, allow me a point of personal privilege. I am most grateful for the privilege and honor of serving you in this office and for the respect and confidence placed in me over the years. The love and communion of this brotherhood is precious and a foretaste of that which will endure throughout eternity.

I conclude with a quote from my first President's State of the Church Report in 1980 after having received the gavel from the late and beloved Norman Hoeflinger in 1979. I believe it is as applicable now as then: "How distinctively Reformed should we be? Like the Reformers of all ages, we must go back to the Scriptures as our only rule and authority. May we never be divided in our evaluation of the Bible and as a confessional church, may our confession(s) never become a dead letter to us. May our preaching and teaching be based on the whole of the Bible and may our distinctiveness never go beyond the confines of Scripture. So may our distinctiveness be a worthwhile distinctiveness, ever realizing that although no human interpretation of Christianity can lay claim to perfection, consistent Reformed and Calvinistic theology is Christianity in its purest and most nearly perfect expression. Let us always test the spirits, steadfastly refusing to detract even a little from our Reformed heritage, "earnestly contending for the faith once delivered to all the saints" (Jude 3), confident that where that faith is preached and taught, the Lord will build a strong and healthy church."

Respectfully submitted,
Vernon Pollema

"The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; and Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram; and Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon; and Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; and Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias; and Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa; and Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias; and Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias; and Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias; and Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon: and after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel; and Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor; and Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; and Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations." (Matthew 1:1-17)

"And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge, which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er, which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim, which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David, which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson, which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor, which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala, which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech, which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God." (Luke 3:23-38)

Biblical genealogies, as a rule, do not receive a lot of attention. To most people genealogies are uninteresting and not all that important. Besides, the names are usually difficult to pronounce, and it can be embarrassing when required to read them out loud. However, the fact that genealogies are recorded in Scripture tells us that they are important and are there for a purpose, for "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness . . ." (2 Tim. 3:16).

There are a number of genealogies in the Bible, but for this article we will focus primarily upon the genealogies of Christ as they appear at the beginning of this article, as well as any other that might have a direct bearing.

So, what is the purpose of the genealogies of Christ? There are a number of answers that can be given, all of which have to do with God fulfilling His covenant of grace. As we discuss various aspects of the above genealogies, that central fact must always be in the forefront. There are a number of peculiarities or differences between Matthew and Luke's genealogies. Without going into great detail, these can be explained as follows:

Perhaps the most notable difference is where the two genealogies end up: Matthew with Abraham and Luke with Adam. Both are summarizing the history of the covenant which embraces the entire economy of God's sovereign grace. Luke traces Jesus' descent back to Adam, indicating that the whole of man's history from the very beginning has been, and continues, under the sovereign rule and control of God and that, from the very beginning, God had promised that He would divide humanity into two groups: the redeemed, who love God, and the reprobate, who love self and Satan. God says to the serpent (Satan): "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel" (Gen. 3:15). This division finds its ultimate fulfillment in the triumph of Christ as the second Adam, and those united with Him, over the power of sin, death and Satan (cf. Rom. 5:12-19; 1 Cor. 15:20-23, 45-49).

Matthew traces Jesus' descent back only to Abraham, to emphasize that Jesus is the goal and climax of the covenant of salvation by grace as formally established with Abraham as the spiritual father of all believers (cf. Rom. 4:11,12; Gal. 3:28, 29).

Matthew also organizes Christ's genealogy into three groups of fourteen (cf. 17), perhaps for graphic effect, but most certainly to show the history of the covenant people. The historical periods are from Abraham to David, from David to the Captivity, and from the Captivity to Jesus. These periods involve the origin, the rise to power, the decay and downfall of the house of David into its eternal establishment through David's greater Son and Lord, Jesus Christ: "And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee; thy throne shall be established forever" (2 Sam. 7:16; cf. Mk. 12:35-37; Acts 2:34-36).

Luke, on the other hand, is more concerned to list names from the beginning of the world to show that covenant community that Jesus, as the Second Adam, came to save.

Another difference or peculiarity is the name of Joseph's father, who is, according to some, Jacob in Matthew 1:16 and Heli in Luke 3:23. How is this to be explained? Is this a glaring contradiction or is Joseph, in some sense, a son of both Jacob and Heli? Luke 3:23 states: "And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli." One explanation of the parenthetical phrase, "as was supposed," is as follows: Jesus was thought to be, by the uninformed, the biological son of Joseph, but was, in fact, only the biological son of Mary. Thus Joseph was the son-in-law of Heli who was actually Mary's father. Another explanation of the above is that the Greek text represents Jesus as being "the son of Heli, and not, as was supposed, the son of Joseph." Biologically, this makes Jesus the grand-son of Heli through His mother, Mary.

This leads to a consideration of the intent of each of the genealogies. Whereas Matthew gives the legal Davidic lineage through Joseph, Luke gives the blood (fleshly) lineage through Mary. While Joseph is explicitly declared to have been a descendant of David, Mary is not so described; but as implied by the following references, she too was of Davidic lineage. "Concerning his son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh" (Rom. 1:3); "Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised according to my gospel" (2 Tim. 2:8); "Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn an oath to him [David], that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne" (Acts 2:30); Why is this blood or fleshly lineage important: I refer you to the Heidelberg Catechism:

Q35. What is the meaning of "conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary"? "That the eternal Son of God, who is and continues true and eternal God, took upon Himself the very nature of man, of the flesh and blood of the Virgin Mary, by the operation of the Holy Spirit, so that He might also be the true seed of David, like unto His brethren in all things, sin excepted."

Q16. Why must be he a true and righteous man? "Because the justice of God requires that the same human nature which has sinned should make satisfaction for sin, but one who is himself a sinner, cannot satisfy for others."

The legal Davidic lineage through Joseph is also important because it gave Jesus official claim to the Davidic throne. Jesus was the legitimate heir to become King. In addition, Matthew's genealogy through Joseph, meets the slander that Jesus was the illegitimate offspring of Mary. Joseph, in light of all the facts concerning the origin of Jesus (cf. Matt. 1:18-25), marries Mary and gives her the protection of his good name as well as royal lineage.

Another notable difference between the two genealogies is the inclusion of the names of women by Matthew, not all of whom were of noble character and would be considered serious blots in the family history of the Davidic house. For example, of the five women included, three were quite ignoble. Tamar reminds us of Judah's failure to follow through on his promise to give Tamar her dead husband's younger brother to raise up family seed and her subsequent deceptive seduction of Judah, her father-in-law, resulting in the birth of Pharez, whom we will consider later (cf. Gen. 38:6-30). Rahab, who harbored the spies sent by Joshua to explore the city of Jericho, was a prostitute (cf. Josh. 2:1-24). Bath-sheba, the wife of Uriah, one of David's mighty men, was a seductress and committed adultery with David (cf. 2 Sam. 11:1-27). Ruth, although of noble character, was a Moabitess, not of the covenant line, but of a lascivious and incestuous relationship between Lot and one of his daughters (cf. Gen. 19:29-38). Of all the women, only Mary is of Davidic descent, and because she finds favor with the Lord, is chosen to become the mother of Jesus. Why are the names of these women included? Mary, we can understand. But what about the other four? Surely it is to convey to us that God is no respecter of persons or nations and that, from the beginning to the end of the world, He will gather His people from out of the whole human race (cf. H.C. #54). These women, including Mary, also remind us that we are part of a chosen sinful community whom Jesus came to save and thus have nothing of which to boast (cf. Luke 1:46-48; Eph. 2:8,9).

The Book of Ruth is of special significance in the genealogy of Christ and provides a crucial, indispensable link between God's covenant promise and its fulfillment. To understand this, we must begin with the blessing (and prophecy, cf. 2 Sam. 7:16) that Jacob pronounces upon his son, Judah: "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be" (Gen. 49:10). However, when Jacob uttered this prophecy, Judah had most likely already disqualified his descendants from ruling. For that, we must go to Gen. 38 and the illegitimate child of Judah and his daughter-in-law, Tamar, who was named Pharez. Decades later, during the life of Ruth, the evil consequences of Judah's act were exposed by a law that seemed to cut off all hope of Judah's heirs ever holding royal office: "A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the Lord" (Deut. 23:3). To "enter into the congregation of the Lord" did not mean that illegitimates were prohibited from attending church, but that they were prohibited from holding office in the commonwealth of Israel. The Book of Ruth closes with the genealogy of Pharez, who, centuries in the past, through no fault of his own, happened to be a bastard son, yet in the royal line. Yet this law of God prevented Judah's heirs from holding any office for ten generations. And that is why the name Pharez comes up at the end of the book of Ruth as the people sing to Boaz, the husband of Ruth: "And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the Lord shall give thee of this young woman" (Ruth 4:12). And now look at the genealogy of Pharez: "Pharez begat Hezron, Hezron begat Ram, Ram begat Amminadab, Amminadab begat Nashon, Nahshon begat Salmon, Salmon begat Boaz, Boaz begat Obed, Obed begat Jesse, Jesse begat David" (Ruth 4:18-22). Count them. David was Judah's tenth descendant! The first descendant in Judah's line to become King was also the first descendant who was legally eligible!

Ultimately, of course, this points to Jesus Christ. As the angel Gabriel said to Mary: "And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end" (Luke 1:31-33).

Jesus tells us that "where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Luke 12:34). As we look around us and at the world in general, we can't help but see that the majority of mankind think they are laying up treasures in this world that will last and last. In fact, almost all men's thinking, planning and work is based upon the view that man is going to be in this world forever and ever, and that he will develop this world into the perfect society and solve all of its problems. This world is his treasure.

How different the view of the book of Hebrews:

"By faith [Abraham] sojourned in the land of promise. As in a strange country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. . . . These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, "n heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city... For here we have no continuing city, but seek one to come" (Hebrews 11:9, 10, 13-16; 13:14).

"Here we have no abiding city, but we seek the coming one." It is important that we be continually reminded of this in a world that thinks it will last forever! Though we enter into new eras from time to time (the ‘60's, the space age, the computer age, etc.), in another decade it quite possibly will be something else. It may be that the next age could be one of great tribulation. At any rate, we are still in the same old world in which the wise man of God, Solomon, has said, "There is nothing new under the sun" (cf. Eccl. 1:9,10). It is the same old world which cast out the Christ, and which will force those who are called by His name to bear His reproach and to confess that they are pilgrim Christians; to confess that here they have no abiding city, but seek one to come. Pilgrim Christians must be careful that they are not putting their roots down too deeply because they may be moving in the morning. Sometimes people get to talking about all the times they've moved. Each time they hope it will be the last time. It's so much work and one gets tired and just wants to stay put and settle down.

Yet that is exactly what the Christian pilgrim in this world is not to do. It is an heavenly object which the Christian pilgrim seeks: God's city, the heavenly Jerusalem. Of that city we only begin to have a glimpse and can have only a small understanding of it here in this present world. God's Word does give us such a glimpse, often using symbolic language (cf. Rev. 21).

This heavenly city is most glorious indeed! God is the chief joy of it. His presence fills the city and the temple. His blessed, perfect covenant is the very essence of all its joy and bliss. Its gates are set with pearls and precious stones, and its streets are paved with pure gold. It has no need for the light of the sun, for the glory of God and the Lamb enlighten it. It is the opposite of all that is earthly and has passed away; it is the realization of God's eternal plan of heavenly perfection. The gates thereof are never shut, and in it there is no night. Into this city shall nothing enter that defiles or makes a lie (cf. Rev. 21). It will be a new heaven and a new earth wherein righteousness shall dwell (cf. 2 Pet. 3:13). It's the home of the perfected saints! And the saints are the Lamb's bride, the elect church of God, loved by Him eternally, chosen by Him from before the foundation of the world (cf. Eph. 1:4), and predestined to be conformed to the image of God's Son (cf. Rom. 8:29). He is their Head and Redeemer. With Him they form one elect body.

That we have here no continuing or abiding city, but seek the coming one, must mean that the one we seek is in contrast to anything here below. And that contrast is very sharp. Nothing in this present world is permanent. The world and its institutions crumble and fall, kingdoms come and kingdoms go. Nations rise to the height of power, only to fall before the destructive power of another that is greater. Cities, it seems, can rise up over night, and then disappear like the morning dew. And man that dwells in them is as destructible as the world and its things. According to the Psalmist he is "like grass which groweth up. In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth" (Ps. 90:5, 6); or "as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more" Ps. 103:15, 16). He lies silent and forgotten in the grave!

How foolish is our depraved nature that entices us to dig deeply and attempt to build a lasting place in this world! How easy it is, especially in times of affluence, to assume the position of the fool who had prospered materially and who said: "Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry" (Luke 12:19), not realizing that at the end of the day he said this, his very soul would be required of him; or to take the position of Nebuchadnezzar who gloated over his amassed treasures, and said: "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built . . . by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?" (Dan. 4:30). And that very night the city was sacked and completely destroyed! Even Jerusalem, that mighty citadel of David, was left with not one stone standing upon another (cf. Mk. 13:2).

Not so the eternal, heavenly and abiding city! It shall never pass away. It has no destructive forces in it, nor is there any enemy that is able to bring it to destruction. The city of God shall stand forever!

God's city has foundations in the sense that no other city has, i.e., lasting foundations. Such foundations are peculiar only to the city of God. It alone strands securely. Its foundations were laid already in His eternal counsel and plan, and that is as sure as God Himself. And in that same counsel He, of His own good pleasure, purposed that in this city of everlasting foundations, the redeemed of all ages would dwell.

Think of it! An abiding city for pilgrim seekers! A pilgrim has no abiding place here below. He lives in a tent, a temporary abode. It rests only on the surface of the earth. It is collapsible, easily taken down and moved from place to place (reminiscent of the wandering Israelites on the way to the promised land). The Christian pilgrim has no desire to build a city in this world (like the tower of Babel, cf. Gen. 11). The Christian pilgrim tarries only for a night. He is traveling, always traveling toward the city which has foundations.

Along the way there are many temptations, many signs that call out to him to stop and abide here. The worldly Chambers of Commerce approach the weary pilgrim with many attractive appeals. They call their cities by such names as "Brotherly Love," "Havens of Rest," "A Place in the Sun," etc. With ensnaring words and pictures they attempt to create in the mind of the pilgrim a desire for the things of this world. And always there is in the old nature of the pilgrim the urge to listen to these appeals.

However, in his heart, the Christian is a pilgrim. He is a stranger here as were his fathers. He is born from above, and it is the life of the heavenly city that courses through his spiritual veins. It is the life of regeneration, the life of his resurrected Lord. Through grace he has become a citizen of the kingdom of heaven. And so he longs, hopes, yearns and presses forward on the narrow way until he enters that city he seeks.

What's more, the Christian pilgrim knows the way. It is the way that his Savior has shown him, for He walked that way before him. It is the way of sorrow and self-denial. It is the way of the cross that leads home! It leads to Calvary where Christ shed His life's blood for the pilgrim, where He was despised and rejected of men, and accounted as nothing and a reproach. In that fountain of blood drawn from Immanuel's veins, the pilgrim may be washed from all his guilty stains, from all unrighteousness, and come away wearing the pure and clean garments of Christ's righteousness, the only passport into that city which has everlasting foundations.

Praise God, the pilgrim knows the way! There is a light to lead him (remember the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night that led the Israelites in the wilderness, cf. Ex. 40:34f). The Christian pilgrim has the light of the Holy Spirit, which the Lord received without measure when He entered again the Holy City at His ascension, and which Spirit He pours out into the heart of the pilgrim. Moreover, that Light He also sheds in His Word, which serves the pilgrim as a lamp to his feet and a light upon his path (cf. Ps. 119:105). Just as we sing: "Open now the crystal fountain, whence the healing stream doth flow; Let the fire and cloudy pillar lead me all my journey through" (from the hymn, Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah).

We are Pilgrims in This World

In conclusion, do not misunderstand. The way of the pilgrim does not bypass this present world. Nowhere is the pilgrim told to flee to some lonely island or to isolationism. The Lord of the pilgrim prayed:

"I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil One." (Jn. 17:15)

We must firmly understand that while the pilgrim is in this world, he is not spiritually of it. Clearly the way leads through the world, where he will have to bear the reproach of Christ. The pilgrim knows that he is not greater than his Lord. As they hated Him, so they will hate and despise the pilgrim. Nonetheless, it is a certain, as well as a precious way. So precious, that the pilgrim seeks out his fellow pilgrims and talks with them of the object of their hope. Together they worship and proclaim that "Here we have no abiding city, but we seek the one to come." And in so doing, the pilgrim confesses that he is a stranger here in a foreign land, that there is no place in the whole world which he will call his own, and that heaven is his home. This confession does not imply that the pilgrim may own nothing, but when he possesses anything, he lives as though possessing nothing. He is not tied to anything that he cannot leave behind at a moment's notice. In the words of an old familiar spiritual:

"This world is not my home, I'm just a passing through. My treasures are laid up Somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me From heaven's open door; And I can't feel at home in this world anymore."

Here is a confession of faith, the confession of our fathers:

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek . . . a better country, a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God" (cf. Heb. 11).

Is this also your confession? If it is, may your pilgrimage be blessed with peace and joy in 2007.

2 Chronicles 34

Four hundred and ninety years ago, Martin Luther nailed the 95 theses or statements of Biblical truths to the door of the Castle Church at Wittenberg, Germany.

Today, there are still those churches who observe the celebration of this event which became known as the Reformation; not Halloween, but the birthday of the denominations that are known as Protestant and Reformed.

Sadly, among those who would celebrate Reformation Day, the celebration for the most part is a tribute more to what it was and did, than to what it is and should be doing today. The great biblical truths that were set forth, or restated, or rediscovered by the Reformers 490 years ago have been abandoned once again by most Protestant denominations. Even worse, some Protestant leaders would like the church to move back to the days before the Reformation. This is the aim of the liberal ecumenical movements today. Back to one world church, just as it was 490 years ago when Roman Catholicism was the world religion and the pope, a mere man, was the supreme authority that even kings were expected to bow before!

Today we must be reminded of another similar period of history recorded in 2 Chronicles 34, when Josiah became king of Judah. When Josiah became king at the tender age of eight, the nation of Judah, God's chosen people, the church of the Old Testament, was steeped in iniquity, idolatry, murder and intrigue. Conditions then were much like those that existed before the Reformation. Then too, the church had become corrupt and was beset by the sin of idolatry. The sale of indulgences was a thriving business. People were duped into believing that goodness, righteousness and forgiveness could be purchased!

When Josiah came to the throne, he began to purge out the places of idolatry and began to rebuild the temple that had fallen into great ruin and neglect. During the process of repairing the temple, the Law of God (most likely the book of Deuteronomy and possibly more) was found. Such was the sad state of affairs! God's Word, because it was unused, had become lost and forgotten! But hidden in the unused temple was a copy of God's law. When it was brought and read to King Josiah, he was convicted by it as any true believer must. He repented in fear and trembling for it showed to him the greatness of his sin and misery and the wrath of God against sin. Josiah turned to the Word, back to the Bible for more understanding and for the good news of salvation: "And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book" (II Chron. 34:31).

This is also what happened again 490 years ago. Martin Luther, John Calvin, Zwingli, and others went back to the Bible, after it had been mutilated and all but lost by the Roman Catholic hierarchy. The Reformers, too, were confronted by the Law of God. Martin Luther stood terrified before the Law of God, for by that Law comes the knowledge of sin (cf. Rom. 3:20). No matter how much penance Luther performed, his sins and sinfulness continued to plague him. When sin is known for what it is, i.e., rebellion against the Almighty God; when there is the fear of falling into the hands of an angry God; then the gospel will get a hearing; then the meaning of the words, "Unto whom shall we go? Thou alone hast the words of eternal life," (Jn. 6:68) hits home. The Law of God needs to be rediscovered today; it needs to be preached. As the apostle Paul states: "If it had not been for the law, I should not have known sin" (Rom. 7:7). When Josiah heard the Law and trembled before it, he felt its curse as it is clearly taught in Deut. 27:26: "Cursed is he that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them."

The Heidelberg Catechism is a product of the Reformation. It is quite significant that in setting forth the three parts of the Catechism, the first thing that was deemed necessary in order to have comfort in life and in death, was the knowledge of the greatness of one's sin and misery. The first question to deal with the subject of sin and misery is #3: Whence knowest thou thy misery? The answer: Out of the Law of God.

Today, the church, the nation, and all people must go back to God's Word, the Bible, as the absolute divine authority for faith and all of life. Today, the churches are few and far between that speak forth on the sinfulness of sin as rebellion against the Almighty God who demands absolute perfection and holiness. Man is no longer made aware of his sin and therefore sees no need for salvation nor does he have any fear of judgment. God, who is holy, righteous and just, does not change, Even though man fell into sin and his nature became totally depraved, incapable of any good, and prone to all evil, God continues to require of man absolute and perfect obedience to His Law, for God so made man that he could keep it, but man willfully disobeyed. When Adam disobeyed, he deprived all mankind of the ability to keep the law perfectly. Nonetheless, man remains responsible before God for such obedience and is at fault for his corrupt nature.

When the Israelites of Josiah's day heard the newly found Law read to them, they were terrified and prostrated themselves before God, begging for forgiveness. When God spoke through His Word to certain men during the Sixteenth century Reformation, they repented, believed and lived.

Today the church needs to again preach the truths of the Reformation

The bulk of theology being taught today denies that the Bible is, in any supernatural sense, the Word of God. Most seminary graduates today have exchanged the truths of the Bible for myths and legends, and as a result, Sunday worship services have become nothing more than little social gatherings where the injustices and evils of present day society are discussed and debated, or where men and women are made to feel good about themselves, but where no cause and cure is ever forthcoming because God's Word is not applied and the corruption of sin is not preached. Consequently, God's Law is again lost to the bulk of today's generation.

Today, as in the past, God's Word must be brought back into the pulpits of the land and its truths faithfully proclaimed. The great principles rediscovered during the Reformation: grace alone, faith alone, Scripture alone, and Christ alone, must again be proclaimed. God's Word offers much more than a way of escape from hell; it extends the opportunity for an inward reformation, a reformation in the human heart. It is inward reformations that blossom forth in outward reformations.

The principles that served as the watchword of the Reformation 490 years ago: grace alone, faith alone, Scripture alone, and Christ alone, can also be used to speak of the reformation that takes place in the individual's life when Jesus Christ comes in.

Grace Alone (Sola Gratia)

"For by grace are ye saved" (Eph. 2:8).  The Christian life begins and continues on the basis of God's grace. God is at work in the Christian to change him from a selfish, self-willed rebel into a son of God whose purpose in life is to do his Father's will. Paul told the Philippian Christians that God the Holy Spirit was continually at work within them, first to make them desire His will and law, and then to help them do it. The apostle Paul said of himself and of every Christian: "It is no longer I that live, but Christ who lives in me" (Gal. 2:20); "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13). The Christian who misses this principle of grace and seeks to live the Christian life by flexing his own spiritual muscles will fail miserably.

Faith Alone (Sola Fide)

"For by grace are ye saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God" (Eph. 2:8).  Closely related to the principle of grace is the necessity of faith in the Christian life. There is no genuine experience of God's power apart from faith. However, we are not acceptable to God on account of the worthiness of our faith. First of all, it is not our faith. It is the gift of God. But we can receive the benefits of Christ (perfect satisfaction, righteousness and holiness) and make those our own in no other way than by faith only (cf. Heidelberg Catechism 60 & 61). Faith then calls for commitment of the whole being to the person and work of Christ. In the words of the Psalmist, to have faith is to "delight thyself also in the Lord; to commit thy way unto the Lord" (Ps. 37:4,5). It is to deny oneself and to acknowledge Christ as both Savior and Lord. It is that "hearty trust that . . . forgiveness of sins, everlasting righteous-ness and salvation are freely given by God, only for the sake of Christ's merits" (cf. Heidelberg Catechism 21). This is what the Apostle Paul means when he writes: "The just shall live by faith" (Rom. 1:17). And this is what Martin Luther rediscovered when he went back to the Bible. It was the righteousness of Christ, not his own, and that could be received only by faith. It is true faith that holds for truth all that God has revealed in His Word.

Scripture Alone (Sola Scriptura)

The Scriptures must be the warp and woof of the individual's life. It is through Scripture alone that we come to know Jesus Christ as "the way, the truth, and the life" (Jn. 14:6). In the pages of Scripture we find what we need to know about sin, salvation, and the way of Christian living. The Bible is the only book that authoritatively speaks of the past, present, and future. In its pages are to be found the answers to the problem of sin and man's greatest need.

It is little wonder that Satan hates God's Word! From the beginning he has sneeringly asked: "Did God say?" (Gen 3:1). He fears the Bible because it is the Sword of the Spirit against which he cannot stand. His greatest victory today is among those in whom he has planted a seed of doubt, by frank denial or insinuation, in the classrooms of our schools, in the books we read, through Hollywood and the mass media, and yes, from the pulpit itself. God speaks to us today through the prophet Jeremiah: "The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the Lord; and what wisdom is in them?" (Jer. 8:9). To the believer the Word also speaks: "For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven. The entrance of thy words giveth light: it giveth understanding unto the simple" (Ps. 119:89, 130).

Christ Alone (Solus Christus)

As one looks back at grace alone, faith alone, and Scripture alone, it becomes abundantly evident that each one centers upon Christ alone. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord" (1 Cor. 1:30,31).

Today God's Word needs to be rediscovered. We have to go back to the Bible. The dust-ladened Bible lying upon the shelf, the oft talked about but undigested Word, the reinterpreted Word resulting from some new hermeneutic, is just as much lost and forgotten today as it was in the days of Josiah. God's Law, His will for the people, needs to be read and reread in the hearing of all people if they are to be brought to a knowledge and sorrow for their sins. How refreshing it would be to have those who aspire to lead this country refer the people to the Law of the Lord and encourage them to abide by it as did Josiah. Since that seems extremely unlikely, may it begin with us. May our response to this Word be that of the Psalmist, even as it must have been for the people of Josiah's day and for the Reformers of the Sixteenth century Reformation: "I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil" (Ps. 119:162).

To God Alone Be the Glory! (Soli Deo Gloria)

Part of our form for the baptism of infants states: "In the new dispensation no less than the old, the seed of the faithful, born within the church, have, by virtue of their birth, interest in the covenant and right to the seal of it and to the outward privileges of the church. For the covenant of grace is the same in substance under both dispensations."

As Reformed, covenantal believers, we believe that our children, including infants, must be baptized because they are included in the covenant of God, established already with Abraham, and therefore, are also heirs of all the promises of salvation.

The question naturally arises: Why are children included in the covenant of God? The answer to this question must be: Because God establishes His covenant in the line of continued generations. There is only one people of God throughout the ages, both in the Old and New Testaments, which is the true seed of Abraham. It is imperative that we see and understand this.

One Covenant People

The main reason why so many people reject the baptism of infants is that they fail to recognize the scriptural truth that the people of God are one and the same throughout all ages. That same grace is given and the same covenant is established with them and with their children throughout their generations, both in the Old and New Testaments. All are saved in and through the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ on the cross; those in the Old Testament as they looked forward to it and as all their sacrifices and ceremonies foreshadowed it; those in the New Testament as they look back and celebrate the now completed sacrifice and atonement of Christ.

Those who reject infant baptism fail to see this truth. According to them there are two peoples of God, two different seeds of Abraham: the Jews and the church, or natural Israel and spiritual Israel. The Jews, they say, are the real and natural Israel, with special privileges, a special promise, a separate covenant for them only, and a special future. For them is meant earthly Jerusalem, earthly Mount Zion, the earthly throne of David, the earthly temple, the earthly land of Canaan for an everlasting possession. It is for this reason that we see so much religious support for modern day Israel. They are and will be the real and true Israel forever, the proper seed of Abraham. But believers in the New Testament are called the seed of Abraham in a different sense, i.e., a figurative or spiritual sense, and have no covenantal connection with Old Testament Israel. The church of the New Testament is a temporary interruption, a parenthesis, if you will, with different laws and a different way of salvation. When this period is finished, God will resume with His Old Testament people.

One Seed of Abraham

The Word of God knows of only one seed of Abraham: the spiritual seed, the elect, the children of the promise. This is true of both the Old and New Testaments. It is wrong to say that, in the Old Testament the Jews were the seed of Abraham, while in the New Testament, believers are this seed. The Jews, per se, never were the seed of Abraham! For a time the seed of Abraham was found among the line of his descendants as they are now found among all nations. Scripture never states that Abraham's blood descendants are the same as Abraham's seed. Rather, the seed of Abraham or children of the promise are first, at all times, only the believers! In Old Testament times they were found among the generations of Seth, Noah, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel). In the New Testament they are found among all nations, there no longer being any difference between Jew and Gentile. Wherever they are found, the children of the promise, named after Abraham as the father of believers, are always the true children of God. Believers, and believers only, are the seed of Abraham. Scriptural proof is abundant, and that from one who was himself a Jew, though a converted one, and one who wished himself accursed if only his fellow Jews would become believers. I am referring to the apostle Paul who writes the following:

". . . I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, in Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed" (Rom. 9:2-8).

From the above passage, three things are clear: 1) The apostle Paul is speaking of the Jews in the Old Testament. 2) Paul makes a distinction between those that are of Israel and those that are Israel indeed. The people as such, the nation, were all of Israel; but even in the Old Testament that was not true Israel. They were indeed all of the seed of Abraham according to the flesh; yet they were not all the true, spiritual seed. 3) Only spiritual Israel or believers, that were born not of the flesh, but of the promise as Isaac was (a special creation and choice of God), are counted for the seed.

Therefore, when the Lord speaks of the seed of Abraham, one must not make the mistake of applying the Word of God to the Jews as such. It does not mean the Jews, but only true Israel-the children of the promise. They only are the seed of Abraham. Thus, all the Jews never were the seed the Abraham, although, for a time, the seed of Abraham were Jews, but only secondarily. Primarily, the seed were always believers. Again, hear the apostle Paul:

"And [Abraham] received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. . . . Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all" (Rom. 4:11-13, 16).

In the above passage, Abraham is pictured as the father of all them that believe, both those that are of the circumcision, which would mean the Jews, and of those that are of the uncircumcision, which would mean those of all nations. Thus, once again, believers are the seed of Abraham.

Note, too, that not all those of the circumcision are the true seed of Abraham, but only those among them that also believe. For he is "the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being uncircumcised" (vs 12). In other words, just the mere act of circumcision didn't guarantee you were the true seed. There had to be true faith like that of Abraham.

One Inheritance

And, finally, note that to this one seed there is one and the same promise: that, with their father Abraham, they should be heirs of the world. There is one father, Abraham, one seed of Abraham, one promise, and one way to obtain the promise, i.e., the way of righteousness which is by faith in Christ Jesus.

Continuing with the apostle Paul:

"For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God" (Rom. 2:28, 29).

This passage speaks for itself. It teaches plainly that the mere Jew was never the seed of Abraham and was never a real Jew. Only he was a real Israelite in whose heart faith was present. The Jews, as such, are not the seed of Abraham. They never were. Only believers, those of faith, are the true seed of Abraham.

The apostle Paul's letter to the Galatians provides further proof:

"Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, forseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. . . . Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ. . . . For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Gal. 3:7-9, 16, 26-29).

Here is, I believe, the clearest statement of the unity of the people of God in both the Old and New Testaments. The apostle teaches that, essentially and centrally, the seed of Abraham is Christ. This becomes especially clear in verse 16 where the singular seed is used: "He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ." The seed of Abraham finds its focal point; its unity in Christ. And if Christ is the seed of Abraham in the central sense, it stands to reason that they only can be seed with Christ that are in Christ, whether they be of the Old or New Testament. "Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham" (vs 7). Once again, only believers are the seed of Abraham.

The entire passage emphasizes that there is only one promise for the one seed of Abraham, and that therefore believers are the only heirs of the one promise: "If ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (vs 29).

Christ, himself, declared, "Before Abraham was, I am" (Jn. 8:58). Believers, Abraham's seed, were chosen "in him before the foundation of the world" (Eph. 1:4).

The Word of God teaches that there is only one people of God; that this seed is called the seed of Abraham in Christ; that the seed of Abraham is neither the Jews as such, nor the Gentiles as such, but believers, those of faith. And thus, the unity of the church of all ages is firmly and surely established. The people of God have always been one in both the Old and New Testaments.

One Covenantal Sign

Now, finally, we must take the next step, i.e., the defense of infant baptism, by showing that there is also essentially only one sign of the covenant made with Abraham, but that it merely changed in form. In the Old Testament it was circumcision; in the New Testament it is baptism; the meaning of both is the same.

Circumcision was the cutting away of the foreskin of all male children. Under representative headship, the female children were included in the male. Figuratively and spiritually, circumcision was a sign of the righteousness which is by faith, a circumcision of the heart, of the cutting away of the old man of sin, of love for God out of a new heart, of being separated or set apart unto God. The spiritual meaning of this sign is clearly stated in Deut. 30:6: "And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayst live."

Thus we see that circumcision is a sign of the same grace that is designated in baptism. Both have the same meaning, though they differ in form. Concerning baptism we read: "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call" (Acts 2:38, 39). Baptism, too, is the sign for the "cutting away" or the washing away of sin and of the righteousness which is by faith.

Circumcision belonged to the times of types and shadows when blood had to be shed to signify the great, once-for-all shedding of the blood of Christ. The foreskin was cut and blood was shed. But now, since the great, once-for-all sacrifice has been made and the final blood shed for sins, circumcision had to make room for the unbloody sign, baptism, as the sign of fulfillment. Instead of blood, water, an unbloody sign, is used to point back to the shed blood of Christ which alone cleanses from sin. Thus, baptism has come in the place of circumcision, although both signs have essentially the same meaning and signify the same cleansing, i.e., through the blood of Christ. Thus we read in Colossians 2:11, 12, where both are brought together:

"In whom [Christ] also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ (His shed blood): Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead."

Now those opposed to infant baptism also believe that baptism is a sign and seal of the righteousness by faith, of forgiveness of sin, and of regenerating grace. However, it may be administered only to those whom we know to be believers, i.e., to those who confess faith, who have come to the years of discretion and understanding (Thus, the designation: "Believer's Baptism). But this contradicts the Scriptures, for what is argued against infant baptism must then also be argued against infant circumcision. Yet the circumcision of infants is directly commanded by the Lord upon the seed of Abraham in their generations: "And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in thy house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed" (Gen. 17:12). Today, the seed of the faithful, born within the church, are also the seed of Abraham. As infants in the Old Testament were included in the covenant and circumcised, so today infants are baptized because God establishes that covenant in the line of continued generations for an everlasting covenant. "And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee" (Gen. 17:7). "For the promise is to you, and to your children (the believers, the church), and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call" (Acts 2:39). Lydia and the Philippian jailor were among those "afar off" whom the Lord called. He establishes His covenant with them and the sign of the covenant, baptism, is administered to them and their households (seed): "And when she [Lydia] was baptized, and her household, she besought us saying . . . And he [jailor] took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway" (Acts 16:15, 33). And thus a new line of continued generations has begun, and now, in time, their children would baptize their children!

One in Christ

There always has and always will be but one people of God: those with whom He establishes His everlasting covenant of grace in Christ: "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and in you all" (Eph. 4:4-6).

In conclusion, infant baptism is not an absolute guarantee that every infant will actually receive the blessings of the covenant, There are children and parents that never really receive the blessing of the promise and, who trample under foot the covenant of God. They are covenant breakers, and they have caused many to react against the covenant and inclusion of children in that covenant by baptism. However, the abuse of the covenant and its sign does not invalidate the covenant and its sign. This was so in the Old Testament and within the nation of Israel. All Israel experienced the deliverance of God and His provisions in the wilderness; they all received the law and message of the prophets; they all offered sacrifices at the altar; yet, with many God was not well-pleased. There were the true children and the false who despised God's covenant and trampled under foot the holy things of God. Yet, it was the will of God that ALL receive the sign of circumcision.

It is no different in the New Testament. Many people in the church today have received baptism in their infancy as the sign of the covenant. They hear the Word of God preached. They celebrate the death of Christ at the Lord's table. Yet, in their hearts, they despise the things of God. They are hypocrites, the whited sepulchers, just as the Scribes and Pharisees of Jesus' day (cf. Matt. 23:27, 28). They said: "We have Abraham to our Father" (Matt. 3:9). But, as we have already seen, "they are not all Israel who are of Israel." Neither are they children of God because they are of Abraham's natural seed. Only true believers are the true seed of Abraham, and to them and to their seed is the promise (covenant) of grace and that will never fail.

The prophet Isaiah spoke some of the most notable and familiar prophecies concerning the coming of the promised Messiah. For example, who hasn't heard or committed to memory the following:

"Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel" (7:14). "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined. . . . For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this" (9:2, 6-7). There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord" (11:1-2).

Not as well known is the prophecy we read in 8:14: "He will be as a sanctuary, but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, as a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem." Nonetheless, this prophecy, as so many others, is quoted by both Paul and Peter: "As it is written: ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, and whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame' " (Rom. 9:33). "But to those who are disobedient, [He is] ‘a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.' They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed" (1 Pet. 2:7-8). Why, then, is this prophecy not as familiar or quoted as much by the church today?

Before answering that question and focusing on this prophecy, it is helpful to focus upon the prophet Isaiah. Much of this information is found in chapter 7 of Isaiah. His ministry was a long one, continuing from the time of his call to the prophetic office in the reign of Uzziah, king of Judah, on through the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah and possibly into a short period of Manasseh's reign, all kings of Judah as well. Isaiah was also a statesman who read the broad meaning of events in the big political issues of the day. But first and foremost, Isaiah was the appointed and chosen prophet of the Lord, proclaiming His divine purpose.

His father's name was Amoz (cf. 1:1), who, some say, was a brother of King Amaziah, the father of King Uzziah. That would make Isaiah and King Uzziah cousins and explain how Isaiah had easy and frequent access to the royal house and political scene.

Isaiah was married. He refers to his wife as the prophetess (cf. 8:3). To him and his wife were born two sons: Shear-jashub meaning "a remnant shall return" (cf. 7:3) and Maher-shalal-hash-baz meaning "the spoil speeds, the prey hastens" (cf. 8:3). These sons and their names were given to Isaiah as signs of what was to come and as a reinforcement of his prophecy: "Here am I and the children whom the Lord has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, Who dwells in Mount Zion" (8:18).

In the eighth chapter we read how Isaiah was to make a large sign (billboard) and write upon it in Hebrew and Aramaic, that all might read it, and know that the Lord had, indeed, spoken by the mouth of His prophet through the names of his sons and especially through the name of his second son, Maher-shalal-hash-baz. This name was to convey the message that before the child would be able to utter his first words, i.e., father or mother, the destruction of Damascus (Syria) and Samaria (Israel) by the Assyrians will be an accomplished fact (cf. 8:4). Every time the child's name was mentioned, it would serve as a reminder of the approaching judgment. Syria and Israel, who were now in league against Judah, would very shortly become "prey to and the spoil of" the king of Assyria and his victorious army. Hence the name, Maher-shalal-hash-baz.

But many in Judah were sympathetic with Israel and Syria in the desire for more worldly power. For that, God would chastise them and use the king of Assyria and his invading army to vex them as well. This was God's judgment against them for putting confidence in man, in human governments and power, and for making alliances so that they could become great on the earth. Isaiah was sent to tell them that whatever, or whoever, sets itself up against God and His cause cannot stand, but must inevitably fall. Isaiah tells us how he was himself taught by God:

"For the Lord spoke thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying: "Do not say, ‘A conspiracy,' concerning all that this people call a conspiracy. Nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow; let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread. He will be as a sanctuary" (8:11-14a).

God instructed the prophet not to go along with this people and their ideas; not to say what they were saying or do as they were doing; not to make a league with them through unbelief and distrust of God.

Human nature, which is fallen and sinful, is all too apt to walk in the way of the people amongst whom they live, even though it is not a good way. The people of God must be careful about their associations, remembering that though they are in the world, they are not to be of the world (cf. Jn. 15:19; 17:14, 16). The apostle Paul is very clear about this:

"Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.' Therefore, ‘Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters says the Lord Almighty' " (2 Cor. 6:14-18).

James writes: "Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God" (Jas. 4:4). This latter verse I've always found to be especially sobering. How many friends of the world do I, do you, have? This verse is not referring only to people, but to worldly mindedness as well. Those whom God loves and owns He will instruct and enable to stand up against the world's temptations. Fear and obey God. He will be a sanctuary, a safe retreat, a refuge, a shelter in the time of storm to that remnant He chooses, that "remnant that would return," as prophesied through the name of Isaiah's first son. But for the rest in both Israel and Judah, He would be "a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense."

So it was the names of Isaiah's children that were prophetic of both the mercy and the judgment of the Lord. And when taken together with the father's name, Isaiah meaning Jehovah saves, they also have meaning for the eternal purposes of the Lord for they point to the coming Messiah, the author and captain of salvation: How do we know this? In the letter to the Hebrews we read:

"For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain [Founder or Author] of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying: ‘I will declare Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.' And again: ‘I will put My trust in Him.' And again: ‘Here am I and the children whom God has given Me'" (Heb. 2:10-13).

The Messiah would teach His people to trust in God and to live by faith. As Isaiah and his children were signs of God's faithfulness to his generation, so Jesus, who is so much greater than the prophet, now has His circle of children given Him by the Father: "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given me out of the world. They were Yours. You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word" (Jn. 17:6). There are many in the church who stumble over this truth. While espousing the sovereignty of God, they deny it with regard to salvation by insisting that man has a free will and the power to receive Christ, thus getting hung up on the worthiness of their own faith (cf. Jn. 1:12, 13; Eph. 2:8, 9; H.C. #61).

Jesus, whose name means Savior, came to save His people from their sins; to give them peace with God the Father; to bring down the wall of separation, and reconcile them with their God. But Jesus also came to be "a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense." When He came, the vast majority of people, including many of His own people, the Jews, religious people, did not receive Him (cf. Jn. 1:11). As Isaiah prophesied, "He is despised and rejected by men" (53:3). This continues very much to be the case today.

In our day there has come into existence a "church" (call it liberal or modern), which makes no pretension to being Christian at all. It calls itself "trans-denominational," but it is really a new multi-faith religion which cuts across all lines-Muslims, Jews, Christians, Buddhists, etc. Documentaries and news stories on the beneficence of Islam are all over the news media, and schools are inviting Muslim children to tell about their religion. The enemy, we are told, is not Islam but intolerance. It is that narrow-minded, restrictive view of religion that is to blame. People who think "theirs is the only true religion" are the real enemy.

Noted columnist Thomas Friedman says that "World War II and the Cold War were fought to defeat secular totalitarianism." The new world war, he says, is against "religious totalitarianism," which he defines as "the view that one faith must reign supreme and can be affirmed and held passionately only if all others are negated." Conservative Christians and Jews hold to this view, he says, as well as Muslims. "Can Islam, Christianity and Judaism know that God speaks Arabic on Fridays, Hebrew on Saturdays and Latin on Sundays, and that He welcomes different human beings approaching Him through their own history, out of their language and cultural heritage?" This new world war, says Mr. Friedman, must be fought not just on the battlefield but in houses of worship. It is urgent that the different religions "reinterpret their traditions to embrace modernity and pluralism and to create space for secularism and alternative faiths."

To this "church" Christ has become irrelevant. He is not necessary for salvation, contrary to who He said He was: the Son of God (cf. Matt. 16:13-17; Jn. 8:56-58); contrary to what He said He came to do: to save sinners (Jn. 3:13-17; Matt. 1:21); and contrary to His words: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (Jn. 14:6) and "He who is not with Me is against Me" (Matt. 12:30; Lk. 11:23). For such, Christ is a stone of stumbling and a scandal. Though believers see Christ as the cornerstone and foundation in building the church, the unbelieving builders (false and apostate churches), having left the stone lying around, will stumble and fall over it to their own hurt and destruction. Christ is an offense to them. Those who have rejected Christ stumble and fall into a snare like trapped animals and will be destroyed. Such is both Isaiah and Peter's use of the word, "offense." These are the people who stumble at the truth, being disobedient to the Word. Such refuse to hear and believe the Word of God, the prophecies of Isaiah, the epistle of Peter, and the Bible as a whole. To this end they were appointed: "who have eyes and see not, and who have ears and hear not" (Jer. 5:21; cf. Matt. 13:15, 16; Isa. 6:10); "[who] will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned to fables" (2 Tim. 4:4). The Word of the Lord, though many do not believe and obey it, does not return to Him void or empty; it always accomplishes what God intended and it always succeeds in the thing for which He sent it (cf. Isa. 55:11). He sends His Word both to save and to condemn:

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. . . . but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1 Cor. 1:18, 23, 24). "For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life" (2 Cor. 2:15-16).

As more and more people stumble over Christ; as He becomes, more and more, a rock of offense, we will see apostate "churches" grow. There will be a movement to combine all of the world's religions into one great world church where everyone will be called to embrace one overarching ideology, i.e., tolerance and acceptance of all religions. Christians will find themselves demonized as intolerant when they stand up for Jesus. In the past Christians have endured persecution and even martyrdom for the cause of Christ. This should not come as a surprise. Jesus predicted it:

"And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved" (Matt. 10:22). "A servant is not greater than his master. If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you" (Jn. 15:20).

I was encouraged recently, although somewhat surprisingly, when news commentator Brit Hume publicly affirmed this very thing. Mr. Hume was asked what predictions or hopes he had for 2010. He focused on Tiger Woods and how he could save his golf career. He said the best thing Tiger could do was to turn to Jesus Christ for forgiveness and redemption, to turn from Buddhism to Christianity. Proof that such conversion was real, and not a charade, as is often the case with celebrities, would be evidenced, said Mr. Hume, in a truly changed life and reconciliation with his wife and family. As a result, and again, predictably so, Mr. Hume was castigated severely for what he said. When asked why people become so hostile when the Christian faith is espoused, Mr. Hume responded, again, surprisingly but refreshingly, "It's always been that way. It's to be expected."

Will we endure the unpopularity of indentifying with Christ, who, to many, has and will become "a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense"? Isaiah's prophecy and the names of his sons should and must continue to be both a warning and encouragement to us today. Should not this prophecy be as familiar to the church and committed to memory as well?

When a builder or contractor, or perhaps you as an individual, undertakes a particular building project of one sort or another, there is a lot of work to be done before the project is completed, or before it even gets started. A procedure is followed. The first consideration is purpose and design. There must be a reason for the building. What is it good for? How will it function? Next, there is choosing the materials for the building. What kind of materials will be used? There will be many different kinds of materials needed to complete the building, e.g., strong floor joists, 2 x 4’s, 2 x 6’s, sheet rock, doors, moldings, hardware, siding, etc. Following the selection of materials, they need to be purchased. After the materials have been paid for, they need to be gathered from the different places and brought to the building site. Finally, the materials must be assembled, i.e., put together in the form of the building. Construction begins with the foundation. The proper foundation is most important. Otherwise, all the subsequent preparation and work is in vain. As the building begins, each piece is cut and fitted for its proper place.

In Matthew 16:18 Jesus says to the apostle Peter, “I will build my church.” Jesus is the Master Builder. The building is His church, a building not made of wood, brick and mortar or steel, but a spiritual house composed of people. Later the apostle Peter would write in his first epistle: “You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 2:5).While this building is spiritual, it is also structured. A procedure was, and is, followed that is illustrated by the procedure used for erecting a physical building.

Christ had a purpose and design for building His church: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you should show forth the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy” (1 Pet. 2:9,10). Christ chose the people for His church with this purpose and design in mind: “Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved” (Eph. 1:4-6). Here the illustration breaks down, for Christ did not choose the best or most beautiful materials as we would for our building project. He did not have that luxury! We read in Deut. 7:7: “The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you because you were more in number than any people, for you were the fewest of all people: but because the Lord loved you.”

In I Cor. 1:28 we read: “The base things of the world, the things which were despised, has God chosen . . . that no flesh should glory in His presence.” Does this mean that the church of Jesus Christ is made of shoddy materials and workmanship? No it does not. Christ does something to those who make up His church: “And 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. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them” (Ezek. 36:26,27). “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 obedience, . . . but God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ . . . and raised us up together, and made us to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:1,2,4-7). “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (II Cor. 5:17). Thus, Christ rebuilds the materials that make up His church.

Jesus also purchases those people who make up His church. The apostle Paul charges the Ephesian elders: “Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to feed the church of God which He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). Paul writes to the Corinthians: “For you are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Cor. 6:20). The apostle Peter writes: “Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Pet. 1:18,19).

Next, Christ gathers these people into His church. He brings them together to the place where they may feast upon the Word of God, and where they may worship together in spirit and truth (cf. John 4:23,24). Christ gathers His church out of the whole human race from the beginning to the end of the world: “That in the dispensation of the fullness of time He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him” (Eph. 1:10); “And they sang a new song, saying: You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Rev. 5:9).

Finally, Christ assembles His church. He puts it all together to form His body of which He is the head. Each member has his or her place in the body: “For the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,’ is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,’ is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased” (1 Cor. 12:14-18); “And He gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:11,12).

Christ is indeed the builder of His church. This becomes very clear when we see how Christ designed, chose, purchased, gathers and assembles His church. No flesh may nor can glory or boast! That Christ is the builder becomes still more evident when we see that Christ builds His church upon Himself: “For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:11). Not only is Christ the foundation, but also the chief cornerstone. The apostle Peter, quoting Isaiah’s Messianic prophecy, says: “Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him shall not be put to shame” (1 Pet. 2:6).

The Scriptures leave no doubt that Christ builds His church, and that is what Christ is telling Peter in Matt. 16:18. In the course of His traveling ministry, always accompanied by the chosen twelve, Jesus expresses an interest in the different opinions that are circulating concerning Himself. And so, on the coast of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asks His disciples the question: “Who do men say that I the Son of man am?” (vs. 13). In other words, “What is the latest thing going around about me? What have you been hearing?” Of course, Jesus already knew the answer, but He was preparing the disciples for another question.

There were various answers to Jesus’ question: Jesus’ fame was spreading. People were hearing about Him, about the things He was preaching and doing. And as is quite natural, people were expressing their views and opinions. Some said Jesus was John the Baptist come back to life. Others said He was Elijah, the prophet of judgment, or Jeremiah who prophesied about the kingdom, or some other prophet (cf. Matt. 16:14). Everyone had an opinion. It is the same today. There are many views concerning Jesus—a great teacher, moralist, a myth, a legend, a fake, etc. All of these opinions were wrong then as well as now.

Now Jesus is ready to ask His disciples the next question: “But who do you say that I am?” (vs.15). Peter, who often acts as the spokesman, answers for all of them: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus also knew what was in the hearts and minds of His disciples, and through this question draws from them a confession, a confession that revealed the gift of faith that had been given them: “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven” (vs. 17). Faith is not self-made. Later, the apostle John would write: “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (Jn. 1:12, 13). Jesus goes on to tell Peter: “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (vv. 18,19).

There have been various interpretations to the preceding verses. The reason is because of what the Roman Catholic Church has interpreted them to mean, i.e., that here Peter is given supreme authority over the church, next to Christ Himself, and has all the power in the church signified by “the keys of the kingdom.” Thus, Peter was the first pope and this power has been passed on from pope to pope down through the centuries to the present. Never mind that Jesus, on another occasion, gives this same authority not only to Peter, but to all of the apostles, (cf. Matt. 18:18). What these verses do teach is the governmental structure, authority and discipline of the church, (cf. Heidelberg Catechism 83-85).

Again, what is abundantly clear and must be understood is that Christ is the Builder of His church. He builds well and permanently so that nothing can, or will, destroy His church. The material and workmanship is His. By the working of His Spirit and the preaching of His Word, He adds souls to His church. He builds it up with “living souls” (cf. I Pet. 2:5). He begins with rock, Himself, as the only and lasting foundation. Then He uses solid, living stones such as Peter. Christ addresses only Peter by name because he has confessed for all of the disciples, but all of them are stones. Peter, like stone or rock, is solid, fixed, firm, not easily swayed by all the different opinions that were going around concerning Christ.

To be sure, we must acknowledge that Peter is given one of chief places among the living stones in Christ’s church, for it is “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone” (Eph. 2:20). The apostles are the first layer of stones, for we read in Rev. 21:14, that the names of the twelve are written in the foundation of the new Jerusalem. The church is built of living stones into which Peter had been fashioned.

The meaning of Peter’s name, i.e., rock, fits the confession Peter makes. Some say that Jesus is only referring to Peter’s confession in order to get away from Rome’s idea of Peter being the first pope, but you cannot separate the confessor and confession. Jesus uses both together. He uses rocks like Peter with solid, rock-like confessions. This behooves us to look closely at the meaning of Peter’s confession, for it must be our confession if we are to be a part or stone in Christ’s church; “For you are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (vs. 16). There is a wealth of meaning in the various names that are given to the Son of God, the living God, Creator of heaven and earth, as opposed to all the idols fashioned by sinful man. Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ. The Heidelberg Catechism devotes two separate questions and answers to the meaning of that name: “Why is He called Christ, that is, Anointed? Because He is ordained of God the Father and anointed with the Holy Ghost to be our chief Prophet and Teacher, who has fully revealed to us the secret counsel and will of God concerning our redemption; and our only High Priest, who by the one sacrifice of His body, has redeemed us, and ever liveth to make intercession for us with the Father; and our eternal King, who governs us by His Word and Spirit and defends and preserves us in the redemption obtained for us. 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 may confess His Name, may present myself a living sacrifice of thankfulness to Him, and that with a free conscience I may fight against sin and the devil in this life, and hereafter in eternity reign with Him over all creatures.” (H. C. Q/A 31, 32)

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”—a solid, rock-like confession from a solid, rock-like confessor. Christ builds His church. It is all His material and workmanship. Are we confessors with a confession like Peter’s? Are we living stones in Christ’s church? That is the kind of material that Christ fashions and uses to build His church. Because His church is so built, the powers of evil, including death, will never prevail against it. What do you think of Christ? Who do you say that He is?

"I Will Build My Church"

Rev. Vernon Pollema

When a builder or contractor, or perhaps you as an individual, undertakes a particular building project of one sort or another, there is a lot of work to be done before the project is completed, or before it even gets started. A procedure is followed. The first consideration is purpose and design. There must be a reason for the building. What is it good for? How will it function? Next, there is choosing the materials for the building. What kind of materials will be used? There will be many different kinds of materials needed to complete the building, e.g., strong floor joists, 2 x 4's, 2 x 6's, sheet rock, doors, moldings, hardware, siding, etc. Following the selection of materials, they need to be purchased. After the materials have been paid for, they need to be gathered from the different places and brought to the building site. Finally, the materials must be assembled, i.e., put together in the form of the building. Construction begins with the foundation. The proper foundation is most important. Otherwise, all the subsequent preparation and work is in vain. As the building begins, each piece is cut and fitted for its proper place.

In Matthew 16:18 Jesus says to the apostle Peter, "I will build my church." Jesus is the Master Builder. The building is His church, a building not made of wood, brick and mortar or steel, but a spiritual house composed of people. Later the apostle Peter would write in his first epistle: "You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 2:5).While this building is spiritual, it is also structured. A procedure was, and is, followed that is illustrated by the procedure used for erecting a physical building.

Christ had a purpose and design for building His church: "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you should show forth the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy" (1 Pet. 2:9,10). Christ chose the people for His church with this purpose and design in mind: "Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved" (Eph. 1:4-6). Here the illustration breaks down, for Christ did not choose the best or most beautiful materials as we would for our building project. He did not have that luxury! We read in Deut. 7:7: "The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you because you were more in number than any people, for you were the fewest of all people: but because the Lord loved you."

In I Cor. 1:28 we read: "The base things of the world, the things which were despised, has God chosen . . . that no flesh should glory in His presence." Does this mean that the church of Jesus Christ is made of shoddy materials and workmanship? No it does not. Christ does something to those who make up His church: "And 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. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them" (Ezek. 36:26,27). "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 obedience, . . . but God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ . . . and raised us up together, and made us to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:1,2,4-7). "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (II Cor. 5:17). Thus, Christ rebuilds the materials that make up His church.

Jesus also purchases those people who make up His church. The apostle Paul charges the Ephesian elders: "Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to feed the church of God which He purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28). Paul writes to the Corinthians: "For you are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" (1 Cor. 6:20). The apostle Peter writes: "Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot" (1 Pet. 1:18,19).

Next, Christ gathers these people into His church. He brings them together to the place where they may feast upon the Word of God, and where they may worship together in spirit and truth (cf. John 4:23,24). Christ gathers His church out of the whole human race from the beginning to the end of the world: "That in the dispensation of the fullness of time He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth-in Him" (Eph. 1:10); "And they sang a new song, saying: You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation" (Rev. 5:9).

Finally, Christ assembles His church. He puts it all together to form His body of which He is the head. Each member has his or her place in the body: "For the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,' is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,' is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased" (1 Cor. 12:14-18); "And He gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ" (Eph. 4:11,12).

Christ is indeed the builder of His church. This becomes very clear when we see how Christ designed, chose, purchased, gathers and assembles His church. No flesh may nor can glory or boast! That Christ is the builder becomes still more evident when we see that Christ builds His church upon Himself: "For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid which is Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 3:11). Not only is Christ the foundation, but also the chief cornerstone. The apostle Peter, quoting Isaiah's Messianic prophecy, says: "Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him shall not be put to shame" (1 Pet. 2:6).

The Scriptures leave no doubt that Christ builds His church, and that is what Christ is telling Peter in Matt. 16:18. In the course of His traveling ministry, always accompanied by the chosen twelve, Jesus expresses an interest in the different opinions that are circulating concerning Himself. And so, on the coast of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asks His disciples the question: "Who do men say that I the Son of man am?" (vs. 13). In other words, "What is the latest thing going around about me? What have you been hearing?" Of course, Jesus already knew the answer, but He was preparing the disciples for another question.

There were various answers to Jesus' question: Jesus' fame was spreading. People were hearing about Him, about the things He was preaching and doing. And as is quite natural, people were expressing their views and opinions. Some said Jesus was John the Baptist come back to life. Others said He was Elijah, the prophet of judgment, or Jeremiah who prophesied about the kingdom, or some other prophet (cf. Matt. 16:14). Everyone had an opinion. It is the same today. There are many views concerning Jesus-a great teacher, moralist, a myth, a legend, a fake, etc. All of these opinions were wrong then as well as now.

Now Jesus is ready to ask His disciples the next question: "But who do you say that I am?" (vs.15). Peter, who often acts as the spokesman, answers for all of them: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus also knew what was in the hearts and minds of His disciples, and through this question draws from them a confession, a confession that revealed the gift of faith that had been given them: "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven" (vs. 17). Faith is not self-made. Later, the apostle John would write: "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (Jn. 1:12, 13). Jesus goes on to tell Peter: "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (vv. 18,19).

There have been various interpretations to the preceding verses. The reason is because of what the Roman Catholic Church has interpreted them to mean, i.e., that here Peter is given supreme authority over the church, next to Christ Himself, and has all the power in the church signified by "the keys of the kingdom." Thus, Peter was the first pope and this power has been passed on from pope to pope down through the centuries to the present. Never mind that Jesus, on another occasion, gives this same authority not only to Peter, but to all of the apostles, (cf. Matt. 18:18). What these verses do teach is the governmental structure, authority and discipline of the church, (cf. Heidelberg Catechism 83-85).

Again, what is abundantly clear and must be understood is that Christ is the Builder of His church. He builds well and permanently so that nothing can, or will, destroy His church. The material and workmanship is His. By the working of His Spirit and the preaching of His Word, He adds souls to His church. He builds it up with "living souls" (cf. I Pet. 2:5). He begins with rock, Himself, as the only and lasting foundation. Then He uses solid, living stones such as Peter. Christ addresses only Peter by name because he has confessed for all of the disciples, but all of them are stones. Peter, like stone or rock, is solid, fixed, firm, not easily swayed by all the different opinions that were going around concerning Christ.

To be sure, we must acknowledge that Peter is given one of chief places among the living stones in Christ's church, for it is "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone" (Eph. 2:20). The apostles are the first layer of stones, for we read in Rev. 21:14, that the names of the twelve are written in the foundation of the new Jerusalem. The church is built of living stones into which Peter had been fashioned.

The meaning of Peter's name, i.e., rock, fits the confession Peter makes. Some say that Jesus is only referring to Peter's confession in order to get away from Rome's idea of Peter being the first pope, but you cannot separate the confessor and confession. Jesus uses both together. He uses rocks like Peter with solid, rock-like confessions. This behooves us to look closely at the meaning of Peter's confession, for it must be our confession if we are to be a part or stone in Christ's church; "For you are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (vs. 16). There is a wealth of meaning in the various names that are given to the Son of God, the living God, Creator of heaven and earth, as opposed to all the idols fashioned by sinful man. Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ. The Heidelberg Catechism devotes two separate questions and answers to the meaning of that name: "Why is He called Christ, that is, Anointed? Because He is ordained of God the Father and anointed with the Holy Ghost to be our chief Prophet and Teacher, who has fully revealed to us the secret counsel and will of God concerning our redemption; and our only High Priest, who by the one sacrifice of His body, has redeemed us, and ever liveth to make intercession for us with the Father; and our eternal King, who governs us by His Word and Spirit and defends and preserves us in the redemption obtained for us. 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 may confess His Name, may present myself a living sacrifice of thankfulness to Him, and that with a free conscience I may fight against sin and the devil in this life, and hereafter in eternity reign with Him over all creatures." (H. C. Q/A 31, 32)

"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God"-a solid, rock-like confession from a solid, rock-like confessor. Christ builds His church. It is all His material and workmanship. Are we confessors with a confession like Peter's? Are we living stones in Christ's church? That is the kind of material that Christ fashions and uses to build His church. Because His church is so built, the powers of evil, including death, will never prevail against it. What do you think of Christ? Who do you say that He is?

Have you ever known someone, and been so impressed that you wanted to be like that person? Have you ever heard or read something that you wanted others to hear and read too? Have you ever been so convinced of something that you wanted everybody else to be convinced of it as well? Or, do you think that that is too self-serving, too opinionated, and conceited as well? After all, we must be tolerant. Everyone is entitled to his or her own views and beliefs. What is right for one may not be right for another. Everyone must make up his or her own mind.

If this is your attitude, you are going to have a problem with the apostle Paul and his statement in Acts 26:29: "I would to God, that not only you, but also all who are listening to me today, were both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains." What did Paul mean when he said this?

To begin with, let's see these words in their context or setting. Paul had been falsely accused by the Jews, arrested by the Roman authorities, and given the opportunity to defend himself before Felix the governor. When it appears that he will not receive a fair hearing, he appeals to Caesar which is Paul's right as a Roman citizen. However, before he is brought before Caesar, he has another hearing before the new governor, Festus, who can't really find any fault with Paul. In the meantime, King Herod Agrippa and his wife come to pay their respects to the new governor. Governor Festus informs King Agrippa about Paul, as well as about his dilemma in not knowing what charges to write against Paul for his appeal to Caesar:

Then Agrippa said to Festus, "I also would like to hear the man myself." "Tomorrow," he [Festus] said, "you shall hear him." So the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp, and had entered the auditorium with the commanders and the prominent men of the city, at Festus' command Paul was brought in. And Festus said: "King Agrippa and all the men who are here present with us, you see this man about whom the whole assembly of the Jews petitioned me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying out that he was not fit to live any longer. But when I found that he committed nothing deserving of death, and that he himself had appealed to Augustus, I decided to send him. I have nothing certain to write to my lord concerning him. Therefore I have brought him out before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the examination has taken place I may have something to write. For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner and not to specify the charges against him." Then Agrippa said to Paul, "you are permitted to speak for yourself" (Acts 25:22-26:1a).

The context of Paul's statement comes in his defense before King Agrippa. What does Paul say to King Agrippa? Paul begins his defense with an account of his early life as a Pharisee and persecutor of Christians followed by the story of his conversion on the road to Damascus. During his defense, Paul challenged the King to admit that God, the Almighty Creator God, could raise the dead: "Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?" (Acts 26:8). Now, Agrippa would have heard the story about Jesus' resurrection. Whether he believed it or not is another question. But that he knew about it Paul is certain: "For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner" (Acts 26:26). Earlier Paul had referred to the Old Testament Scriptures and how they spoke of the coming Messiah:

"Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come-that Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles" (Acts 26:22-23).

"But Paul," we can hear King Agrippa saying, "even if this were true, and I don't believe it for a moment, how do you know what this risen Christ commands?" Paul's answer was the vision of the ascended Lord which he received on the road to Damascus. It was a revelation of the truth which Paul stood ready to defend. Later, more truth would be revealed to Paul (cf. 2 Cor. 12). Concerning this truth, Paul wrote to his young spiritual son, Timothy: "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a workman who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15). That Paul was such a workman is indicated by Festus' excited response to Paul's defense: "Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!" (Acts 26:24). Festus had to recognize that Paul was presenting a scholarly and intelligent defense and tries to dismiss it by saying his great learning had gone to his head. Paul answers: "I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason" (Acts 26:25). It was the truth as spoken by the prophets as well as that revealed to him by the risen Christ which the apostle Paul so zealously and fearlessly proclaimed.

We, too, have the truth. The same Lord, who appeared to Paul, revealed Himself to all the writers of Scripture. We have our Lord's revelation of Himself and the truth in the Scripture. Jesus says: "Thy Word is truth" (Jn. 17:17). In modern church history, those Christians who have established a reputation for the most scholarly and intelligent defense of the truth, of the whole counsel of God, of all of Scripture, have been the sixteenth-century Reformers, whose sole objective was to reform the church according to the Scriptures. While liberalism and neo-orthodoxy has made inroads, the Reformed faith, as it came forth from the days of the Reformation, which was simply a return to the truth of God's Word, continues today as the purest and most faithful expression of the truth of God's Word. Please note that I did not say that only those who belong to the Reformed church know the truth. I am saying that the Reformed faith is the purest expression of the truth of God's Word. In defense, I only ask that you listen to the preaching and read and study the confessions. There is no other faith today that is as insistent upon grounding itself thoroughly upon the truth of Scripture and preaching all of that truth. It is that form of doctrine or faith that was once and for all delivered to the church (cf. Jude 3), and was rediscovered and re-emphasized at the time of the Reformation. It is the faith that had been revealed to the apostle Paul and which he so zealously and fearlessly proclaimed. That's why I am in the Reformed church. I trust that is why you are too.

Paul continues: "King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe" (Acts 26:27). Paul challenges the king to believe the truths which he proclaimed. King Agrippa's answer seems to suggest that he was nearly convinced: "You almost persuade me to become a Christian" (Acts 27:28). However, the Greek has a different sense which we can understand if we read King Agrippa's reply as one of sarcasm, i.e., "Ha, in so short a time you would persuade me to become a Christian fanatic like yourself!"

But that is just what Paul would do if he could. He wanted this king and all who heard his words to believe them. He wanted them to believe as he did: "I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains" (Acts 26:29). In other words, "Be like me, except for the chains." This is not the only time Paul expresses such a desire:

"For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Therefore I urge you, imitate me. For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church" (1 Cor. 4:15-17; cf. 11:1).

And now, what does it mean to be like Paul and what does this mean for the church, for the congregation, for you and me? Paul, an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, wrote a major portion of the New Testament. It was Paul who wrote: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness" (2 Tim. 3:16). We don't have the time to cover all that the apostle Paul wrote, but certainly all that he wrote must apply to his statement that all who hear him be convinced of the truth as he was-the truth as it was revealed to him and to all the other apostles and writers of scripture. Surely it means that as Paul was convinced of the things he wrote, so, too, we are to be convinced and will want others to be so convinced. What are those things? The following are samples of those truths, some of which, according to the apostle Peter, "are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of Scriptures" (2 Pet. 3:16).

Total Depravity

"As it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one'" (Rom. 3:10-12). "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 disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as others" (Eph. 2:1-3). Man's depravity, as a result of the fall, is total. He is dead, blind, deaf, and unteachable in the things of God and ruled by Satan through his perverse heart and corrupt soul. He does not have the free will to come to God. God must first come to man with His electing grace.

As a further description of man's depraved condition the apostle Paul writes the following, which is actually a commentary on what had happened in the Old Testament cities of Sodom and Gomorrah:

"Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lust of their hearts to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who changed the truth of God for the lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men, committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting" (Rom. 1:24-28).

The men of Sodom had changed the truth of God into a lie! Today, men, rulers, and judges continue to do the same. According to Paul, "we wrestle against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Eph. 6:12). Marriage, which God made good and beautiful between a man and a woman, they have perverted and made vile. In the above passage the apostle Paul not only points out the immoral behavior but presents a practical and irrefutable argument from nature. Pardon the bluntness, but the very human anatomy of the male and female destroys any support for homosexual acts, nor can these acts produce offspring, another God-ordained purpose for marriage. Like Paul, we must be ready to speak and defend the truth before all men, including those in authority over us.

Unconditional Election

Praise God that He has not abandoned all mankind, but comes with His electing grace: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved" (Eph. 1:3-6). "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Eph. 2:4-9). "For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.' So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy" (Rom. 9:15-16). That mercy and electing grace is also extended to the homosexual: "Do you not know that the un-righteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor. 6:9-11).

Limited Atonement

According to Paul, Jesus came to die and make atonement, not for the sins of everyone, but for a specific group of people. Writing about the duties of the Christian husband, Paul makes this comparison: "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her" (Eph. 5:25). Jesus came to lay down His life for the sheep, those given to Him by the Father. Hear Him tell it: "As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. . . . My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand" (Jn. 10:15, 29).

Irresistible Grace

All that the Father gave to Christ shall irresistibly come to Christ. The apostle Paul was himself a perfect example of this when, on the road to Damascus, he was irresistibly drawn to Christ and changed even while "breathing out threatening and murder against the disciples of the Lord" (Acts 9:1). Later Paul would write: "It is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13). And as Jesus Himself taught, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day" (Jn. 6:44).

Perseverance of the Saints

"And I WILL raise him up at the last day." That Jesus will surely do. As Paul writes to the Philippians, the Thessalonians, and the Romans: "Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6). "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it" (1 Thess. 5:23, 24). "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:37-39).

This is a sample of those things of which the apostle Paul was totally convinced and for which he was zealous and enthused; truths from the whole counsel of God that Paul would not shrink from declaring (cf. Acts 20:27); these are the truths of which he wants you and me to be convinced, and for which he wants you and me to be equally zealous and enthusiastic. I trust you realize that these are truths we often refer to as the doctrines of sovereign grace, the five points of Calvinism, the doctrines of the Reformed faith. How zealous and enthusiastic are you for the Reformed faith? How zealous and enthusiastic for others to be so convinced?

Here we come face to face with the desire and motive for personal evangelism-for our witness in our communities. I trust we have a desire to witness to the Reformed faith wherever we live. Such a desire requires more than just the existence of a church building. It requires a personal zeal and enthusiasm for the Reformed faith by each one of us; a desire for others within our community, within our circle of friends, within our families to become as convinced of the Reformed faith as we are because we are convinced it is the truth and we long for others to know that truth. If each of us, singly or jointly as a family, would focus on a friend, a son, a daughter, a brother, a sister, an uncle, an aunt, a relative, another family, etc., those who know and trust us, and lead them to a conviction and love of the Reformed faith, our numbers would increase significantly.

Or, if the truth be told, are we simply content with a "mix and match" theology, with a bland sort of faith? Are we content to blend in with all the other churches and theologies, just believing it's "different strokes for different folks," "I'm okay, you're okay," and why "can't we all just get along?" If this is our attitude, then are we not doing with Paul's teachings the very thing the apostle Peter said many would do, i.e., twisting them to their own destruction?

To be Reformed or not to be Reformed: that is the question. If we don't believe the Reformed faith is worth defending and promoting, then let's be honest. Either we're content to remain the "frozen chosen," content with our own little clique or niche, or we don't agree with and are ignoring Paul and his conviction and desire: "I would to God, that not only you, but also all who hear me this day, were both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains." Let us BE LIKE PAUL .

The beginning of each year is similar to an anniversary. As such, it’s a time to look back and remember. To some it was a good year; to others, it could have been better. We remember both the good and the bad. Some have known heartaches, hardships, and disappointments; for others, sickness and affliction has been their lot, and some have driven the road to the cemetery where they have laid loved ones to rest.

Yes, the end of one year and the beginning of a new year, like an anniversary, is a time to remember, to evaluate, and a time to think about our life: where we’ve been, where we are going. It’s a time to review our spiritual condition, a time to count our blessings, and a time to face the future.