Partner
  2. 2 min

    Accepted in the Beloved

    When I begin premarital counseling with a couple in our church, one of the first things we talk about is the purpose of the marriage covenant. I usually astonish the couple when I explain that their marriage is not primarily about them. After the initial shock, the young couple usually just looks at me with blank stares. I then explain that marriage is first and foremost about God and His kingdom (Eph. 5:30–32). We spend some time talking about the creation ordinance to be fruitful and multiply, and I explain that their marriage is intended to bring glory to God as each fulfills his and her covenant role in the relationship. I explain that they are getting married not just to live under the same roof with the same last name, but that their marriage is to reflect the relationship of Christ and His Bride (Eph. 5:25–29). When they understand that truth, they have a good foundation on which to build a loving and full marriage.
    When we begin to realize that salvation is not primarily about us, but about God’s kingdom and His glory, only then are we able to have a right understanding of our salvation. We are not Christians so that we can merely live under the same roof as other Christians, or for the mere reason to be called a “Christian.” We became Christians because God accepted us by adopting us into His family. We were dead in our trespasses and sins, but God the Father made us alive in Christ (Acts 10:35). Though this is quite simple, it is confusing to many who have been duped into thinking they have somehow accepted God as their Father. However, the Word of God is clear; it is not that we have accepted God; rather, He has accepted us into His family. The apostle Paul writes: “…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 NKJV).
    God accepts us into His family (Ps. 19:14; Rom. 14:3; 1 Tim. 2:3; 1 Peter 2:5), and if it is God who accepts us as His adopted children, it is God who keeps us so that we might be holy and blameless coram Deo. Jesus Christ is our Great Shepherd, and we are His sheep who hear His voice, who follow Him, and for whom He laid down His life so that we would be adopted by the Father only as a result of the Son’s perfect, and completely acceptable, life and death (John 10:1–11).
    Burk Parsons
  4. Tabletalk
    Print Article : September 2020

    The Time to Come

    For the first time in my life, people around me are tracking death rates daily. Global pandemics make us think about death and make eternity seem less distant. Former hallmarks of stability—a growing economy, predictable routines—have been undermined. New or previously deferred questions arise. Is there more than this present age? What is life about? And does the Bible’s teaching on eternity have any bearing on my life here and now?
    William Boekestein
    Tabletalk Magazine
  5. 5 min

    A Call to Maturity

    tell them that you love them (corporately and individually). To love them genuinely and patiently is to love them as God loves us.
    2. Share with them what is most important for you.
    They should see your passionate love for God’s Word. It instructs you, guides you, encourages you, and convicts you. It is a vital component of every day of your life. “I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food“ (Job 23:12, NKJV). Share specific passages that have gripped your life recently. Also, convey to them that prayer is another essential that the Christian must not live without. Pray with them and for them. Paul’s testimony of Epaphras was that he was “always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God” (Col. 4:12). Urge them to fight on tirelessly in their battle with sin. They must flee youthful passions (2 Tim. 2:22) that wage war against the soul (1 Peter 2:11). Furthermore, challenge them to see God at work in all events, including the details of their lives. Encourage them to be constantly thanking God for this and giving all glory to Him. Are these elements the most important things in your life?
    3. Invest in them.
    Buy them books that have made a spiritual impact on your life, and offer to study these books with them. Offer to take them to Ligonier conferences and other Christian gatherings. The investments we make in their spiritual lives will pay everlasting dividends. “Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days” (Ecc. 11:1).
    So, “to what shall I compare this generation?” Surely it is a generation like no other. But it is also a generation that needs to know Christ’s redeeming love, and needs to shine as lights in the world in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation (Phil. 2:15)—just as we of the older generation needed to do back in our day (and now). May God help us to be examples and loving instructors to them, and may they do likewise to the generation that follows them.
    Robert Carver
  6. 3 min

    What Is Spiritual Warfare?

    Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Gal. 1:3–5, NKJV)
    With these words, the Apostle Paul celebrates God’s deliverance of His people through the work of His Son on our behalf (Col. 1:13–14). He also reminds us that we live out our days in a fallen world, in which we contend with spiritual opposition in our walk with Christ and work for Him (Eph. 2:1–10).
    The Context of Spiritual Warfare
    In His High Priestly Prayer, our Lord Jesus prays for us as ones who are in the world (John 17:11) but not of the world (John 17:14). As such, He asks not that the Father would take us out of the world, but that He would keep us from the Evil One (John 17:15). The prayer He taught us to pray as His disciples mobilizes us to seek the kingdom of God into which we have been established and to serve His will, taking into account the opposition of a spiritual enemy (Matt. 6:10, 13).
    The redemption God promised in Eden is framed in terms of conflict (Gen. 3:15). That Promised One would come in the fullness of time (Gal. 4:4–5) to do battle with him who is identified as “ruler of this world” (John 12:31) and “god of this age” (2 Cor. 4:4). Christ Jesus, the eternal Son of God, took on true and full humanity so that He might wage war for our deliverance and destroy the works of the devil (Heb. 2:14–18; 1 John 3:8).
    Key to our engaging in spiritual warfare is recognition that the victory is Christ’s and is ours in Christ. We do not fight for victory but in victory. The prelude to Jesus sending us out to make disciples is the declaration of His accomplished mission: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matt. 28:18; see Eph. 1:20–23).
    When Jesus tells us that He is with us always, even unto the end of the age, He is assuring us of His presence, power, and promise as we serve Him and seek His kingdom. Doing so will necessarily involve spiritual warfare, both for our spiritual growth (Matt. 28:20; Eph. 5:1–14) and in our kingdom service (1 Thess. 2:18; 2 Thess. 3:1–3).
    We tend to think of spiritual warfare as something extraordinary to the Christian life, but it is part and parcel of living under the lordship of Jesus and seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness. We daily contend with a spiritual foe who appeals to our wayward desires through the philosophy and values of this fallen world in which we labor (James 1:14).
    The Conduct of Spiritual Warfare
    What is involved in waging spiritual battle? Where do we encounter our invisible foe? Peter issues this directive: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your
    Stanley Gale
  7. 3 min

    Love That Is Patient and Kind

    First Corinthians 13 is one of the most famous passages in all of Scripture, for in it the Apostle Paul gives us a marvelous exposition of the character of godly love. He starts by showing the importance of love, writing that if we have all kinds of gifts, abilities, and achievements but lack love, we are nothing (vv. 1–3). Then, in verse 4, he begins to describe what godly love looks like, saying, “Love is patient and kind,” or, in the wording of a more traditional translation, “Love suffers long and is kind” (NKJV). I find myself intrigued by this pairing—patience and kindness. Why did Paul place these traits first in his description of love, and why did he pair them?
    Paul tells us that love is patient, that it “suffers long.” I like this more traditional translation because it conveys the idea that loving others can be difficult. Loving people means we do not write them off the first time they offend us. In our relationships, we tend to be far more patient with some people than with others. If a longtime friend does something to irritate or annoy me, I usually say, “Oh, that’s just his way, that’s his personality, we’re all human, none of us is perfect.” I make allowances for him. But if I meet another person and find that he behaves in exactly the same way my friend behaved, I might want nothing more to do with him. We tolerate things in our friends that we will not tolerate in strangers.
    Longsuffering love does not keep a scorecard. The first time you offend me, I could say, “Strike one,” and then give you two more strikes before you’re out. But if my love suffers long, you can get to the seventy-seventh strike, and I’ll still be hanging in there with you.
    Why does Christian love suffer long? It is because Christians imitate Christ, who imitates God the Father, and longsuffering is a chief characteristic of God. The Bible often makes the point that God is slow to anger, that He is longsuffering with His stiff-necked people. For instance, God describes Himself this way: “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Ex. 34:6). Likewise, Paul speaks of “the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience” (Rom. 2:4).
    If you are a Christian, how long did God endure your unbelief before you were redeemed? How long has He endured your abiding sin? If not for the longsuffering of God, we would perish. If God treated us with as much impatience as we treat other people, we would be suffering in hell right now. He has endured our disobedience, our blasphemy, our indifference, our unbelief, and our sin, and He still loves us. That is who God is. That is how He manifests His love. He shows His love by His patience, which is a long-lasting patience.
    We are called not only to be patient but to suffer long. We
    R.C. Sproul
  9. 8 min

    What Is Mormonism?

    did not exist before creation. Scripture nowhere teaches that people become gods.
    Jesus died in the place of His people on the cross in order to atone for their sins (1 Cor. 15:3; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24) and propitiate the wrath of God (Rom. 5:9; 8:1; 1 Thess. 1:10; 1 John 2:2). Jesus died to save His people from their sins and from eternal wrath (Matt. 1:21). On the last day, all who believe in Christ will be raised to eternal life (Mark 10:30; John 3:15–16, 36; 5:24), and all who did not believe will be raised to everlasting punishment in hell (Matt. 18:8; 25:46; Mark 9:44; 2 Thess. 1:9; Jude 6–7).
    How can I share the gospel with those who hold to this false teaching?
    Focus on the infallibility, inerrancy, and authority of Scripture. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the only infallible, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God (Prov. 30:5; John 17:17; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20–21). If possible, work from the King James Version of Scripture when witnessing to Mormons. Because Mormons use the KJV, using it in encounters with Mormons will make witnessing to them much easier than trying to do so with a modern English version. Focus on the Bible’s closing prohibition against continuing revelation (Rev. 22:18–19).
    Focus on the scriptural truth about the triune God. The Bible’s teaching about the Godhead is essential to helping a Mormon see the truth (Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14). Explain that the Bible sometimes speaks of the triune God as He is in Himself and sometimes of the various roles of the members of the Godhead in the work of redemption. Explain those passages that speak of the deity of Christ (John 1:1–3; Rom. 9:5; Col. 1:15–16; Heb. 1:1–3, 8–12), as well as those passages that speak of His submissive role as the Mediator in the work of redemption (John 10:29; 1 Cor. 11:3; 1 Tim. 2:5–6).
    Focus on the Bible’s teaching about the gospel. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone (Gal. 1:8; Eph. 2:8–9). Jesus is God “manifested in the flesh” (1 Tim. 3:16; see John 1:14). A mere created being could never substitute himself for the sins of another, let alone for the sins of a multitude. Only Jesus, the infinite and eternal God incarnate, could come and place Himself on the cross as a substitute for the sins of His people. He did not merely make salvation possible by guaranteeing our resurrection; He actually accomplished it for His people through His once-for-all, perfect sacrifice. Salvation is not based on our obedience; it is based entirely on the finished work of Christ.
    : “Facts and Statistics,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, accessed February 20, 2020, https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/facts-and-statistics. : Most of this historical survey can be found in Joseph Smith— History from the Pearl of Great Price, accessed September 20, 2019, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/js-h/1?lang=eng.
    Ligonier Editorial
  11. 36 min

    The Belgic Confession

    the righteous and elect, since their total redemption will then be accomplished. They will then receive the fruits of their labor and of the trouble they have suffered; their innocence will be openly recognized by all; and they will see the terrible vengeance that God will bring on the evil ones who tyrannized, oppressed, and tormented them in this world.
    The evil ones will be convicted by the witness of their own consciences, and shall be made immortal—but only to be tormented in the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
    In contrast, the faithful and elect will be crowned with glory and honor. The Son of God will “confess their names” before God his Father and the holy and elect angels; all tears will be “wiped from their eyes”; and their cause—at present condemned as heretical and evil by many judges and civil officers—will be acknowledged as the “cause of the Son of God.” And as a gracious reward the Lord will make them possess a glory such as the heart of man could never imagine.
    So we look forward to that great day with longing in order to enjoy fully the promises of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
    : 2 Peter 1:21. : Gal. 1:8. : Deut. 12:32; Rev. 22:18–19. : 1 John 4:1. : 2 John 10. : Gen. 1:26–27. : Gen. 3:22. : Matt. 3:17. : Matt. 28:19. : Luke 1:35. : 2 Cor. 13:14. : 1 John 5:7, KJV. : Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3. : Gen. 1:1. : John 1:3. : Heb. 1:2. : Col. 1:16. : Mic. 5:2. : Heb. 7:3. : Matt. 10:29–30. : Ps. 49:20. : John 1:5. : John 3:27. : John 6:44. : Rom. 8:7. : 1 Cor. 2:14. : 2 Cor. 3:5. : Phil. 2:13. : John 15:5. : Rom. 5:12–13. : Rom. 7:24. : Gal. 4:4. : Gen. 3:15. : Phil. 2:7. : Heb. 2:14. : Acts 2:30. : Rom. 1:3. : Luke 1:42. : Gal. 4:4. : 2 Tim. 2:8. : Rom. 15:12. : Heb. 7:14. : Heb. 2:17; 4:15. : Matt. 1:23. : Heb. 7:3. : Isa. 53:4–12. : Ps. 69:4. : 1 Peter 3:18. : Luke 22:44. : Matt. 27:46. : 1 Cor. 2:2. : Phil. 3:8. : Matt. 1:21. : Rom. 3:28. : Ps. 32:1; Rom. 4:6. : Rom. 3:24. : Ps. 143:2. : 2 Cor. 5:17. : Rom. 6:4. : Gal. 5:6. : Phil. 2:13. : Luke 17:10. : 1 John 2:1. : Phil. 2:6–8. : Heb. 2:17. : Rom. 5:10. : Rom. 8:34; Heb. 1:3. : Matt. 28:18. : Heb. 2:17. : Heb. 2:18. : Heb. 4:14–16. : Heb. 10:19, 22. : Heb. 7:24–25. : John 14:6. : 1 Kings 19:18. : 1 Tim. 3. : Matt. 28:19. : Col. 3:9–10. : Col. 2:11. : 1 Cor. 11:27. : 1 Thess. 4:16. : 1 Cor. 15:51–53. : Rev. 20:12. : Matt. 12:36. : Matt. 25:14. : Matt. 10:32.
    Guido de Bres

  12. The Testing of Deacons

    One does not have to be a Christian for very long before he sees, as one commentator notes, that theology and ethics cannot be separated without fatal damage to both. A person’s view of God inevitably impacts the way he lives his life and vice versa. Without a biblical view of the Lord’s holiness, for example, it is all too easy to minimize sin and thus fail to confess and repent of it, which in turn makes the pursuit of godliness subject to our looking for loopholes in the law. How many people, for instance, try to justify an adulterous relationship by attempting to redefine Scripture’s teaching on love and marriage?
    God’s Word, not our experience, is the final court of appeal when it comes to all matters of faith and life, and we find that Scripture affirms the interrelationship of theology and ethics. “As he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23:7, KJV). Those who are consumed by sensuality cause the way of truth to be blasphemed (2 Peter 2:2). Moreover, Paul’s list of qualifications for deacons bears witness to this principle. The deacon’s need to live a blameless life is mentioned in the same context as his need to “hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience” (1 Tim. 3:9–10). Blamelessness is not perfection; rather, as John Calvin writes, blameless people “are not stained by any marked vice.”
    Note that this need to be blameless is shared also by the elders who must likewise evidence godly traits and be regarded as upright by outsiders (vv. 2–3, 7). Furthermore, the period of testing needed to ascertain the deacon’s holy character (v. 10) is most certainly required of the elder as well, even though the apostle does not specifically mention it when he is talking about elders. After all, how could the church know if a potential officer meets all of the requirements in 1 Timothy 3:1–13 and Titus 1:5–9 if it has not taken the time to examine him?
    Elders and deacons alike must pass the test of background, reputation, experience, and confession. Perfection is not the standard, for if it were, no man would be qualified to serve in Christ’s church (1 John 1:8–9). Instead, the potential elder or deacon leads a repentant life, free of grievous sin and having no tendency toward misbehavior that he is not trying to correct.
    1 timothy 3:10
  15. 3 min

    A Pilgrim People

    people. The Apostle Peter is clear: “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11; KJV). We still await the holy city and heavenly Jerusalem. That is the home we were made for. “Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God” (Rev. 21:3).
    On this side of heaven, the Lord gives us a glimpse of our heavenly home in many ways, especially when we gather for corporate worship. I’ve experienced this in my home church, Saint Andrew’s Chapel, where every Lord’s Day we gather and cross the threshold from the secular to the sacred. But I’ve also seen it when I have worshipped in foreign lands.
    About twenty years ago, I traveled through Eastern Europe to preach and teach in several lands that had been closed to Christian missionaries during Communist rule, which had ceased just a few years earlier. At one church in Transylvania, I had the opportunity to preach one Sunday morning, and when I looked out over the congregation, I saw many elderly women, whose faces were etched with wrinkles born from years of toiling the land with primitive tools. Though they were dressed head to toe in black—black skirts, black blouses, and black babushkas—there was nonetheless a serenity about them. They looked almost angelic. These women were listening intently to my sermon, and sometimes I even saw a tear roll down one of their cheeks.
    Standing there, I heard my preaching translated into their native Romanian language, and I marveled at what was happening. I felt a real kinship with them, a bond forged from nothing of this world. We had nothing in common. We spoke different languages, came from different cultures, followed different customs, and otherwise had nothing to tie us together. But we did have the blessed tie that binds—a shared love for God’s Word. We were all citizens of heaven, passing through this world in different geographies but with a profound union that resulted from our common union with Christ. I and those peasant women were both pilgrims on our way to the heavenly country.
    God gives us many blessings in this world and in our earthly homes. Nevertheless, “this world is not [our] home . . . “[we’re] just a passin’ through.”
    R.C. Sproul
  16. 6 min

    Study Bibles for Our Hearts, Homes, and Churches

    of Christian living.__
    If you want to learn more about a particular teaching of Scripture, you can read an article related to it in your study Bible. Look up particular verses cited in the article, and read them and the study notes with them. Look up the cross-references and use a concordance to find more verses until you have plumbed the topic in some depth. Since a basic principle of Bible study is to interpret Scripture by Scripture, it is helpful to look up as many verses on a topic as possible. By so doing, then reading all the articles and verses on that topic in a study Bible, you will eventually study most of the major topics of theology and ethics.
    1. Consider specific applications for your life.
    Some study Bibles have special sections for application, devotion, or family worship. After reading the text of Holy Scripture with prayer and meditation, read the notes for that passage. Give thought to what God is calling you to do in light of His Word. If you are doing this study with others, ask questions about the text and discuss its application to your mind, heart, and life. Resolve to build your house on the rock by obeying Christ in specific ways (Matt. 7:24–25).
    1. Discuss the Bible with family and friends.
    A study Bible is a great tool for leading family worship, a devotion for a small group, or a study with a friend.
    1. Read the creeds and confessions along with Scripture.
    Many churches have classes to study doctrinal standards such as a confession of faith or catechism. If your church has such a class, you can use a study Bible that includes the ecumenical creeds and Reformed confessions among the helps provided. Look up the proof texts attached to a confession of faith or catechism, and study those texts in their biblical contexts. Many study Bibles have several other helpful features such as articles on archaeology, church history, and other important topics. Take time to explore your study Bible’s particular features.
    1. Meditate on the sermon after you return home.
    To maximize your profit from the preaching of the Word, make notes on the sermons you hear in church and review them at home as a form of meditation. Look up the texts your pastor referenced, and use the notes in your study Bible to augment your meditations. Pray for the assistance of the Spirit, and study with the intent to obey God’s Word.
    Conclusion
    Having recently written for and edited a study Bible (The Reformation Heritage KJV Study Bible), I can say from firsthand experience that, joined with prayer and the Spirit’s illumination, God blesses study Bibles as important means for our spiritual growth. The most important way to use any Bible, regardless of whether it has notes or other helps, is to read it in order to know, trust in, and love Jesus Christ better and to become conformed to His image (Rom. 8:29). The Pharisees turned Bible study into an art,
    Joel Beeke
  17. 5 min

    Faith and Assurance

    A man and a woman stood hand in hand on the beach. For a time, the only sound was the crashing of waves. Then the man asked, "What are you scared about?" She answered: "I want to marry you more than anything on earth. But I keep thinking that you'll change your mind and leave me just like. . . ." Her eyes fell to the ground. "Just like your dad left your mom?" he asked gently. Hesitantly, she nodded.
    "Don't you trust me?" he asked.
    "Oh yes," she said. "You are the most trustworthy man I have ever met." She paused, then said, "But I'm afraid that you'll realize that I'm not what you really want."
    His hand grasped hers more firmly as he said: "I've known you since we were little kids. I know your faults. But I love you. I chose you, and there's no one else I want."
    "I do trust you," she told him, "I just need to learn to trust you more."
    Christians may find themselves in a similar position with their Lord. As believers, we trust God and know He is trustworthy. But doubt, guilt, and fear can eat away at our assurance that we are His and always will be. We can sometimes fear that we might be forsaken.
    Assurance of salvation is both profoundly personal and deeply doctrinal. It was at the heart of the Reformation debate. The Roman Catholic Church said a Christian cannot have assurance without first having an extraordinary direct revelation from God. Reformers such as John Calvin said that assurance is the birthright of every believer, though it can be experienced in varying degrees.
    We must first understand the relationship between faith and assurance. Assurance arises from the essence of faith, just as apples naturally grow on apple trees. Assurance is the cream of faith. The essence of faith is trust. Faith grasps the covenant God and finds Him sufficient. As Psalm 18:2a says, "The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust" (KJV here and throughout).
    Therefore, believers may rightfully have assurance of their salvation. David confesses, "The LORD is my shepherd" (Ps. 23:1). Paul declares, "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day" (2 Tim. 1:12).
    The essence of assurance is knowing that I am saved—that my sins are forgiven and I belong to God—and therefore I know and experience communion with the triune God. In Ephesians 3:11–12, Paul writes of God's eternal purpose "in Christ Jesus our Lord: in whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him." He describes this access in Trinitarian terms: "For through him [Christ] we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father" (Eph. 2:18).
    Each person in the Trinity is involved in the assurance of faith. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit lead us to approach God boldly as our merciful and glorious "Abba, Father" (Rom.
    Joel Beeke
  18. 6 min

    Signs and Seals of Union

    Just as He called the world into being by the power of His Word (Ps. 33:6–9; Heb. 11:3), so God brings His church into being by the power of the gospel call (2 Thess. 2:13–14; 1 Peter 2:9–10). That calling summons us into union with Christ by faith, as one people under the triune God (Eph. 4:4–6). The church is defined by our calling into fellowship with Christ and with one another, as Paul reminds the Corinthians: "Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints. . .. God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord" (1 Cor. 1:2a, 9; KJV here and throughout).
    Communion with God in Christ is the heart of experiential Christianity. The fullness of the church's joy is to have fellowship with one another and with the Father and the Son (1 John 1:3–4). Because of our union with Christ as members of His body, the church (Eph. 1:22–23), the Spirit of Christ who dwells in Christ the head dwells in all His members (Rom. 8:9).
    The indwelling Spirit is the essence of our communion with the Father and the Son (2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 2:18). John Calvin said, "The Holy Spirit is the bond by which Christ effectually unites us to himself" (Institutes 3.1.1). As husband and wife are "one flesh," we are "one spirit" with the Lord Jesus (1 Cor. 6:16–17). Imagine how close you would be to a friend if your very soul could dwell in him. Such is Christ's intimacy with each of His members through the indwelling Holy Spirit. This same Spirit baptizes us into the one body of Christ, uniting us in faith, life, worship, and service (1 Cor. 12:12—13; Belgic Confession, Article 27).
    Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the sacraments of the church confirm and manifest our union with Christ and with each other. Galatians 3:26–28 says: 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.
    Galatians 3:26 clearly says that we are saved by faith, not by any of our works, whether moral works such as keeping the Ten Commandments or ceremonial works such as circumcision, baptism, or the Lord's Supper (see also 2:16; 5:2). Yet verse 27 says that those who have been baptized "have put on Christ" and, therefore, are "one in Christ." How is this to be understood? They are to look to their baptism not as a cause but as a sign of their union with Christ by faith and, in Him, with each other. In his 1545 Catechism, Calvin sets forth this definition: What is a sacrament? An outward attestation of the grace of God which, by
    Joel Beeke

  19. Be Ye Perfect

    In Matthew 5:33–48, Jesus tells us how we are to fulfill the law — not legalistically, but in a spirit of Christ-like love. The goal is that we might strive to obey His final admonition in verse 48: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (kjv). This Christ-like perfection is nothing less than God’s purpose for us, that we “be conformed to the image of his Son” (Rom. 8:29).
    When have you last heard someone casually say, “I swear,” or “I promise with all my heart”? Such words are illustrations of what Christ is warning against here. The Pharisees were flippantly swearing oaths but not keeping them. They also claimed to find loopholes in the Old Testament law concerning oaths. Christ seeks to restore the Old Testament provision for making promises to God, saying, “Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths” (Matt. 5:33; see Lev. 19:12; Num. 30:2; Deut. 23:21). 
    The Pharisees would swear by heaven, earth, the temple, the altar, even their own heads, but not by God. They would swear an oath for the smallest occasions, and that only lent an aura of uncertainty and mistrust to their oaths. 
    What are you doing when you give your word? Do you do so lightly, or is your speech that of a righteous man whose yes means yes, and whose no means no (James 5:12)? Much distrust and miscommunication today stems from people not living up to their promises. Christ calls us to be honest in our words to others and in our vows to him. Such “sound speech…cannot be condemned” (Titus 2:8). 
    Jesus emphasizes truthfulness in our conversation, which comes from our inward parts, from the heart (Pss. 15:2; 24:4; 51:6). Truth in the heart comes out of a living, vital relationship with Christ, who is the Truth. Through His righteousness alone, we are enabled to live righteously in this world. 
    The second issue that Jesus addresses in Matthew 5:33–48 is retribution, or taking vengeance on others. Again He appeals to the Old Testament laws that the Pharisees had misapplied (Ex. 21:24–25; Lev. 24:20; Deut. 19:21). This law was not intended for the average Israelite but for the magistrates who were to deal justly in criminal matters, exacting punishment in proportion to the crime committed. We must not take the law into our own hands. 
    In our daily walk with the Lord and with others, do we turn the other cheek, exemplifying the law of kindness? Or do we demand vengeance, “rendering evil for evil” (1 Peter 3:9)? How do we relate to our spouses, children, parents, and friends? It is impossible for us to obey this law perfectly, but Christ provides the righteous example that we are to follow (1 Peter 2:11). He showed how to turn the cheek to those who plucked out His hair and to turn His back to those who scourged Him. He hid not His
    Joel Beeke
  21. Tabletalk
    Print Article : October 2024

    Good and Necessary Deductions

    How should we read the Bible, and what should we expect to “get out of it”? Perhaps you have heard that we should read the Bible like any other book. Reading any book entails getting at the author’s intent by asking good questions. What is the book’s aim? How does the author make his or her case? If it is an old book, then what factors in the author’s context affected what he or she wrote? Are we listening to authors on their own terms or just seeing our own reflections by reading our ideas into theirs? Author intent gets tricky, however, when the author implies things without spelling them out. In saying that the Son always obeys the Father, did the author intend to say that the Son obeys the Father eternally, or rather only during His earthly life? Does a passing statement that Christ died for all mean that He died for every individual without exception, or rather that He died for all kinds of people without distinction? Were the authors ambiguous on purpose, or did they mean to imply something?
    Ryan McGraw
    Tabletalk Magazine
  22. Tabletalk
    Print Article : June 2021

    The Confessing Church in History

    From the very beginning, even in their Old Testament manifestation, the people of God have been a confessional community. The “primal creed” of Scripture is the Shema: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Deut. 6:4). This creed is invoked by both Jesus (Mark 12:29) and Paul (1 Cor. 8:4–6). On Mount Sinai, God revealed Himself as a God who is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Ex. 34:6). In the judgment of some scholars, this expression also served a creedlike function for the old covenant people; it was repeated several times in the story of Israel, from the Pentateuch to the Prophets, including three references in the Psalms (Pss. 86:15; 103:8; 145:8).
    John Muether
    Tabletalk Magazine
  23. Tabletalk
    Daily Study

    Be Ye Perfect

    In Matthew 5:33–48, Jesus tells us how we are to fulfill the law — not legalistically, but in a spirit of Christ-like love. The goal is that we might strive to obey His final admonition in verse 48: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (kjv). This Christ-like perfection is nothing less than God’s purpose for us, that we “be conformed to the image of his Son” (Rom. 8:29). When have you last heard someone casually say, “I swear,” or “I promise with all my heart”? Such words are illustrations of what Christ is warning against here. The Pharisees were flippantly swearing oaths but not keeping them. They also claimed to find loopholes in the Old Testament law concerning oaths. Christ seeks to restore the Old Testament provision for making promises to God, saying, “Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths” (Matt. 5:33; see Lev. 19:12; Num. 30:2; Deut. 23:21). The Pharisees would swear by heaven, earth, the temple, the altar, even their own heads, but not by God. They would swear an oath for the smallest occasions, and that only lent an aura of uncertainty and mistrust to their oaths. What are you doing when you give your word? Do you do so lightly, or is your speech that of a righteous man whose yes means yes, and whose no means no (James 5:12)? Much distrust and miscommunication today stems from people not living up to their promises. Christ calls us to be honest in our words to others and in our vows to him. Such “sound speech…cannot be condemned” (Titus 2:8). Jesus emphasizes truthfulness in our conversation, which comes from our inward parts, from the heart (Pss. 15:2; 24:4; 51:6). Truth in the heart comes out of a living, vital relationship with Christ, who is the Truth. Through His righteousness alone, we are enabled to live righteously in this world. The second issue that Jesus addresses in Matthew 5:33–48 is retribution, or taking vengeance on others. Again He appeals to the Old Testament laws that the Pharisees had misapplied (Ex. 21:24–25; Lev. 24:20; Deut. 19:21). This law was not intended for the average Israelite but for the magistrates who were to deal justly in criminal matters, exacting punishment in proportion to the crime committed. We must not take the law into our own hands. In our daily walk with the Lord and with others, do we turn the other cheek, exemplifying the law of kindness? Or do we demand vengeance, “rendering evil for evil” (1 Peter 3:9)? How do we relate to our spouses, children, parents, and friends? It is impossible for us to obey this law perfectly, but Christ provides the righteous example that we are to follow (1 Peter 2:11). He showed how to turn the cheek to those who plucked out His hair and to turn His back to those who
    Tabletalk

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