Posts in Belgic Confession
An Exposition of Article Thirty-Six of the Belgic Confession -- The Civil Magistrate
An Exposition of Article Thirty-Six of the Belgic Confession -- The Civil Magistrate

In Judges 21:25 we find a remarkably insightful description of what happens when sinful human nature goes unchecked by legitimate governing authority–“In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Where there is no legitimate civil government, lawlessness reigns, even in the covenant community. Because God is gracious to his sinful creatures, he has given us civil government to protect us from ourselves and from each other, as well as to provide a certain level of order and protection so that the church can go about its own divinely-appointed mission of preaching the gospel and administering the sacraments. In Romans 13:1-7, the apostle Paul speaks of the pagan Roman Empire with Nero as the current emperor as a “minister of God.”

As we near the end of 37 articles of the Belgic Confession, we come to Article Thirty-Six, which deals with the Christian view of civil government. Like so many of the other articles of our confession, this article must be considered against the historical circumstances at the time it was written. As we have mentioned on numerous occasions, the Anabaptist kingdom of Münster is clearly in his mind when Guido De Bres composed this article in 1561. During the years of 1534-35, a number of Anabaptist radicals led by John Mattys and then after his death, John of Leyden, overthrew the city government of Münster and instituted what is now known as the “Anabaptist kingdom of Münster.”

Claiming to receive direct revelation from the Holy Spirit, and appealing to those Old Testament passages which refer to Israel’s unique role in redemptive history as a theocracy ruled by divinely-appointed kings, and then applying those verses to himself as though he himself were a Davidic king, John of Leyden and his followers declared all forms of civil government to be illegitimate–except, of course, that government which they claimed God was establishing through them.

Not only did John declare all existing contracts and marriages null and void, he abolished all private property and established a city-wide communal form of living. Seeing Münster as the locale of the millennial kingdom of God then dawning upon the earth, John and his followers took up arms, and for nearly two years held off the poorly trained local armies, claiming these military victories proved that God was on their side. John’s soldiers were not defeated until the local prince finally brought in paid mercenaries for whom the Anabaptists were no match.

The Anabaptists were not only guilty of heresy (for their Christology and rejection of justification sola fide), but of anarchy as well. With the fall of Anabaptist kingdom of Münster and the execution of all those who brought this horrible thing to pass, all of Europe was determined never to let such a thing happen again. In fact, some have argued that the roots of modern Europe’s current secularist mind set can be traced to this very event–if religious zealots can do such things, then religious zeal is a bad thing. If the Reformed wing of the Reformation was to have any legitimacy at all, Reformed theologians and confessions had to be very clear that they had no sympathies for the Anabaptists, not only on a theological level, but they must also clearly state that the Anabaptist view of civil government was unbiblical and those who perpetrated this disaster got everything they deserved–harsh as that was. God gives the sword to civil government to defend its citizens from the likes of John of Leyden.

As our confession takes up this very important subject, De Bres must not only set forth a biblical view of civil government–especially its legitimacy (indeed, its necessity), but he must distance the Reformed view of civil government from that of the Anabaptists, since it was a common Roman Catholic tactic at the time to contend that the Anabaptist’s behavior was the inevitable consequence of the Reformation’s challenge to Rome’s authority. The Roman church saw itself as the glue which held together all of the various institutions of life. So, if Protestants attack the authority of Rome, they are sowing the seeds which came to full flower in Münster.

To read the rest, Article 36 of the Belgic Confession -- the Civil Magistrate

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Belgic ConfessionKim RiddlebargerCivil Magistrate, Belgic Confession Art 36Comment
An Exposition of Article Thirty-Five of the Belgic Confession -- The Lord's Supper
An Exposition of Article Thirty-Five of the Belgic Confession -- The Lord's Supper

Nothing offended the Pharisees any more than when Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners. Since the Pharisees regarded such sinners as “unclean,” it was unthinkable to the Pharisees that Jesus would sit down to eat a meal with such notorious people–since at that time eating a meal with someone was considered a bond of fellowship. Because Jesus ate with people of whom they did not approve, the Pharisees accused Jesus of being a drunkard and a glutton. And what was Jesus’ response to such criticism? “And Jesus answered them, `Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.’” (Luke 5:31). As we consider the doctrine of the Lord’s Supper, we begin with pointed reminder that Jesus still invites tax collectors and sinners to join him in a fellowship meal–a meal which we call the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.

As we consider that section of our confession which deals with the sacraments (articles Thirty-Three through Thirty-Five), we now come to Article Thirty-Five, which deals specifically with the Lord’s Supper. Recall that our confession defines a sacrament as a visible sign and seal of God’s invisible grace. We believe that where the visible signs and seals are present (bread, wine, water) so too the reality is present (Christ’s body and blood, regeneration and the forgiveness of sins). This means that the sacraments are real means of grace because God works through material means. God graciously gives us these visible signs and seals of that which is promised to us in the gospel–namely all the saving benefits of Jesus Christ. Because we are weak and sinful and often insensitive to the things of God, he gives the sacraments to us to nourish and sustain that very same faith which he creates in our hearts through the preaching of the gospel. The sacraments are an essential element of a healthy Christian life, since they confirm all the promises of the gospel, and since they sustain and nourish our ever-weakening faith.

Article Thirty-Three of our confession deals with the sacraments in general. Our confession is careful to distinguish the Reformed view of the two sacraments (baptism and the Lord’s Supper) from that of Rome (which not only teaches that there are seven sacraments, but that the sacraments draw their efficacy from the power Jesus supposedly invested in the Roman church and its sacrificing priesthood) as well as the view of the sacraments held by Anabaptists. The latter denied that the sacraments are in any sense means of grace, since many Anabaptist leaders had difficulty conceiving of God working through material means and not directly upon the human heart. It is important that our confession not only summarize biblical teaching about these two sacraments, but at the same time it distinguish the Reformed view from that of Rome, from the Anabaptists, and from the Lutherans as well.

To read the rest, Article Thirty Five -- "Living Bread"

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Belgic ConfessionKim RiddlebargerThe Lord's SupperComment
An Exposition of Article Thirty-Four of the Belgic Confession -- The Sacrament of Baptism
An Exposition of Article Thirty-Four of the Belgic Confession -- The Sacrament of Baptism

Before our Lord Jesus ascended into heaven, he left his disciples with the following command: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). Based upon these words of the great commission, it is now the mission of Christ’s church to go into the world, preach the gospel and make disciples of all nations. And how do we make disciples? We baptize them in the name of the Triune God.

We are working our way through articles Thirty-Three through Thirty-Five of our confession which deal with the sacraments. Previously, we made the point that the two sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper are visible signs and seals of invisible grace, given to us by a gracious God who is ever mindful of our hardness of heart and insensitivity to things of the Lord.

In Article Thirty-Three, our confession makes the point that the sacraments draw their efficacy from God’s word through the power of the Holy Spirit. This is quite unlike the view of the medieval Roman church. Rome held (and still does) that the sacraments are efficacious because Jesus Christ vested this gracious power in the church through a sacrificing priesthood. Therefore, Rome’s errors regarding the sacraments are two-fold. The water of baptism supposedly regenerates, washing away the guilt of original sin, while the essence of the Lord’s Supper (the Mass) is an unbloody re-sacrifice of Christ’s broken body, which is offered daily by the priests to appease God’s wrath and anger.

Article Thirty-Three also makes the point that the sacraments are means of grace and that God communicates his grace through material things, specifically the water of baptism and the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper. The material language of our confession is drawn from New Testament, and our confession is a response to the Anabaptists of the 1560's, who believed that God works directly upon the human heart apart from means. Since Anabaptists did not understand baptism in the context of God’s gracious covenant, they denied baptism to children of Christian believers. As they saw it, baptism has nothing to do with our ratification of God’s gracious promise to us and to our children. Children are not members of the covenant of grace–contrary to what is taught throughout both the New and Old Testaments. Rather, the Anabaptists understood baptism as an act of obedience on the part of someone able to make a decision to follow Jesus. Therefore baptism is our promise to be faithful–not our ratification of God’s promise to be faithful to us and to our children. Baptism is the public confirmation of our personal decision to follow Jesus.

To read the rest of this exposition click here: "The Son of God Is Our Red Sea"

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Belgic ConfessionKim RiddlebargerThe sacrament of baptismComment
An Exposition of Article Thirty-Three of the Belgic Confession — The Sacraments
An Exposition of Article Thirty-Three of the Belgic Confession — The Sacraments

We are a weak and sinful people. But God, in his grace, gives us tangible signs and seals of his promise to save us from the guilt of our sins and to free us from sin’s bondage. These tangible signs and seals are the water of baptism and the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper. This brings us to a discussion of the sacraments, the means God uses to nourish and sustain our faith.

We move into a new section of our confession, those three articles dealing with the sacraments (Articles Thirty-Three through Thirty-Five). We begin by noting the obvious–at the time in which our confession was written in 1561, the sacraments were a very divisive issue, separating the Reformed churches from Rome, from the Anabaptists, and from the Lutherans–divisions which remain to this very day. Not only did the new Reformed churches need to summarize what the Bible teaches about the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper (hence the production of our confession), but the author of our confession must also refute both the Anabaptist and Roman Catholic views on the subject, as well as differentiate the Reformed view from that of the Lutherans.

As we work our way through these three articles, it is surely proper and fitting to keep in mind that the author of our confession (Guido de Bres) was put to death by Roman Catholic authorities for serving communion to congregations of Reformed exiles. We should not forget that our confession was written in martyr’s blood.

To read the rest of An Exposition of Article Thirty-Three, "to Nourish and Sustain"

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Belgic ConfessionKim Riddlebargersacraments, baptism, Lord's SupperComment
An Exposition of Article Thirty-Two of the Belgic Confession
An Exposition of Article Thirty-Two of the Belgic Confession

There is no subject which brings as much tension as the subject of church discipline. While church discipline is always a difficult thing to do, it is something we must do. A church which does not discipline erring members is a church which risks heresy in its midst, or which allows erring members to profess that they are Christ’s and then through shameful conduct bring disgrace to the master whom they claim bought them (cf. 2 Peter 2:1). While we are all sinners, we are not allowed to bring scandal upon the church, nor shame to its head, Jesus Christ.

We miss the whole point of church discipline if we see it as people often do, the self-righteous removing unpopular or victimized people from their midst. That is not what church discipline is about. Church discipline is about ministers and elders who have been called to shepherd the flock, driving savages wolves away from the sheep. No one likes doing it, but it must be done.

We come to the last article in the Belgic Confession dealing with the doctrine of the church. In Article Thirty-Two, our confession now fleshes out some of the practical ramifications of Paul’s exhortation to the church of Corinth, “but all things should be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40). As we have seen, the New Testament teaches that local churches are to be governed by elders together with the minister(s), and that these same churches are to be served by deacons who ensure that no one in the congregation goes without. Collectively, these men form the church council, which conducts the day to day business of the church.

We have seen that the local church is the visible manifestation of Christ’s invisible body, and that God equips the members of his church for service by giving us gifts of the Holy Spirit for the common good. Since the church is so important to the well-being of every Christian, the New Testament has no category for someone who professes faith in Jesus Christ, but who is also not a member of the local church. Our confession has also identified the three marks of a true church; the clear and consistent preaching of the gospel, the proper administration of the sacraments, and the exercise of church discipline. It is the third mark–church discipline–which is the subject of Article Thirty-Two.

To read the rest, An Exposition of Belgic Confession Article Thirty-Two

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Belgic ConfessionKim RiddlebargerDecently and in Good Order, church disciplineComment
An Exposition of Article Thirty-One of the Belgic Confession
An Exposition of Article Thirty-One of the Belgic Confession

It is the Apostle Paul who tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:12 that we are to “we ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you.” But this is certainly not how ministers are viewed in modern America. If you look at recent public opinion polls which ask people about what professions they regard the highest, ministers finish near the bottom, just above politicians and telemarketers and about on par with lawyers and car salesmen.

While this is a sad situation, there is a reason why people feel the way the do about the church and its leaders. Because American Christians often ignore what the Bible says about how the church should govern itself, the door is opened wide to all kinds of scandal and abuse, the very things which have brought the ministry into such disrepute.

In Article Thirty-One, The Belgic Confession deals with the three offices of Reformed/Presbyterian church government: ministers, elders, and deacons. In this article, the confession takes up the subject of how men are to be chosen for office and how they are to view each other and those they serve, as well as how they are to be viewed by members of the congregation. In this sense, Article Thirty-One continues the same line of thinking found in the prior article, which gives us a definition and defense of Reformed or Presbyterian church government such as that found in the New Testament, in which the church is to be governed by ministers and elders (a consistory) and served by deacons, who collectively administer the day to day business of the church.

The local church is the visible manifestation of Christ’s invisible body. Since the church is the body of Christ, God has given to the members of his church numerous spiritual gifts for the building up of the body for works of service and for the edification of its members. This is why all Christians are bound to join a congregation of like-minded believers. This helps to explain why we should not be content to be on our own (as our confession puts it), apart from the church.

To read the rest of this exposition, click here: Article Thirty One -- "Chosen By the Lord"

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Belgic ConfessionKim RiddlebargerCalling to Church OfficeComment
An Exposition of Article Thirty of the Belgic Confession
An Exposition of Article Thirty of the Belgic Confession

If there is one single Bible verse which characterizes the Reformed understanding of the church and the way it should be governed, it is 1 Corinthians 14:40–“But all things should be done decently and in order.”

We are in that section of our confession (Articles Twenty-Seven through Thirty-Two) which deals with the doctrine of the church. When working our way through previous articles from this section, we have seen that the church is the visible assembly of the mystical (invisible) body of Jesus Christ. This is why all believers are bound to join a local congregation of like-minded believers. In fact, the New Testament has no category for a professing Christian who is not also a member of a local church.

The reason church membership is so important and why our fathers in the faith (such as Calvin and De Bres) argued that apart from the church there is no salvation, is not because the church dispenses grace as the Roman church argues, but because the local church is that place where the gospel is to be preached, the sacraments are to be administered, and where church discipline is exercised over erring members. It is the presence of these so-called marks of a church which tell us whether or not a denomination or a particular congregation is a true church. The false church, on the other hand, assigns more authority to church tradition or extra-biblical sources than to Holy Scripture and the false church frequently persecutes the true church and its members.

To read the rest: An Exposition of Article Thirty -- Good Order in the Church

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Belgic ConfessionKim RiddlebargerGood order in the churches, Decently and in good orderComment
An Exposition of Article Twenty-Nine of the Belgic Confession
An Exposition of Article Twenty-Nine of the Belgic Confession

Whenever we talk about the marks of a true church, we immediately enter a minefield of controversy. To say that one church is a true church is to say that another church is a false church, even when that church may be filled with sincere people who love Jesus. To speak of true and false churches is to pick a fight which the vast majority of modern Americans find completely offensive. But the fact of the matter is the Bible teaches us that there are churches which are faithful to God’s word and there are churches which are not. To complicate things even more, most American churches fall along a continuum somewhere between a true and a false church. As Reformed Christians who stress the necessity of believing certain things and then confessing these same doctrines before the unbelieving world, the discussion of what constitutes a true church and what makes a church a false church is not a discussion from which we can we walk away, no matter how distasteful our contemporaries find the subject. That being said, this is a subject which we must discuss with great care and certainly with a great deal of charity.

Our confession has previously defined the church as a holy congregation of all those who profess a common faith in Jesus Christ and who assemble each Lord’s day to hear God’s word, receive his sacraments, submit to Christ’s yoke, worship according to pattern we find in God’s word, pray together as God’s people, and give thanks through prayer, praise, and our offerings. Such a church is not limited to one congregation, one denomination, or one country, but it can be found throughout the world and across the ages. As Reformed Christians we are also “catholic” Christians.

To read the rest: Article Twenty-Nine of the Belgic Confession -- "Easy to Recognize"

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Belgic ConfessionKim RiddlebargerMarks of a true church, Marks of a false churchComment
An Exposition of Article Twenty-Eight of the Belgic Confession -- The Obligation of Church Members
An Exposition of Article Twenty-Eight of the Belgic Confession -- The Obligation of Church Members

Church membership is not an option for those who profess faith in Christ. Since the church is the mystical body of Jesus Christ, all those who profess faith in Jesus Christ are obligated to join a local congregation of like-minded believers. But membership in such a local congregation of like-minded believers entails a number of privileges and responsibilities. And these privileges and responsibilities are now set forth for us beginning in Article Twenty-Eight of the Belgic Confession.

We are in that section of our confession (Articles Twenty-Seven through Thirty-Two) dealing with the doctrine of the church. Article Twenty-Seven of our confession defines the church as “a holy congregation and gathering of true Christian believers, awaiting their entire salvation in Jesus Christ, being washed by his blood, and sanctified and sealed by the Holy Spirit.” This church has existed from the beginning of redemptive history, first in the form of the family, then throughout the patriarchal period through the extended family (clan) and, then, finally, the church was manifest in and through the nation of Israel. Just as there has always been one gospel and one covenant of grace, so too, there has always been one people of God manifest in different ways throughout the course of redemptive history–Israel in the Old Testament and the church in the New.

That being said, there is a significant redemptive-historical shift during the New Testament era from what had been a narrow focus upon the Jews and national Israel in the Old Testament to a universalizing of the promise which now extends to the Gentiles nations throughout the earth. According to Paul, now that the fulness of time has come with the birth of Jesus (cf. Galatians 4:4-6), believing Gentiles are presently being grafted into the righteous root (who is Christ) from which national Israel has been removed until immediately before the end of the age (cf. Ephesians 2:11-22; Romans 11:17 ff). This explains why the writers of the New Testament often use messianic prophecy to prove to unbelieving Jews that Jesus Christ is the true Israel (the obedient son), and that his mystical body is also the true temple of the Lord, which is now indwelt by the Holy Spirit.

To read the rest: An Exposition of Article Twenty-Eight: The Yoke of Jesus Christ

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Belgic ConfessionKim RiddlebargerChurch membership a necessity, What does Church membership entailComment
An Exposition of Article Twenty Seven of the Belgic Confession: The Holy Catholic Church
An Exposition of Article Twenty Seven of the Belgic Confession: The Holy Catholic Church

The New Testament has no category for someone who is professes to be a believer in Jesus Christ but who is not also a member of a local church. The reason for this is so obvious that we take it for granted. Since all true believers become members of the body of Christ by virtue of their union with Christ through faith, the New Testament assumes that those who are members of Christ’s body will quite naturally identify with a local assembly of those who likewise believe in Jesus and confess him as Lord before the unbelieving world. Sadly, many Americans have different assumptions.

Given the rugged individualism of American culture and our populist suspicion of authority and institutions, many Americans who consider themselves faithful Bible-believing Christians, make no connection whatsoever between their own personal faith in Jesus Christ and membership in a local church. This is indeed a sad state of affairs and clearly indicates that one of the most pressing issues of our day is the general ignorance of the doctrine of the church and the necessity of membership in a local congregation of fellow like-minded believers. In fact, John Calvin writes in his commentary on Isaiah, “We cannot become acceptable to God without being united in one and the same faith, that is, without being members of the church.” These two things, “justification by grace alone through faith alone,” and membership in Christ’s church are inseparable for Calvin, because the Bible clearly indicates that all those whom our Lord justifies through faith, he also gathers together is a visible assembly.

To read the exposition, An Exposition of Article Twenty-Seven of the Belgic Confession

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Belgic ConfessionKim RiddlebargerA Holy and Catholic ChurchComment
An Exposition of Article Twenty-Six of the Belgic Confession: The Intercession of Christ
An Exposition of Article Twenty-Six of the Belgic Confession: The Intercession of Christ

While it is easy to think of our Lord’s work as high priest exclusively in terms of what he has already done for us in the past–especially his once-for-all sacrifice for our sins upon the cross–we must consider that our Lord’s priestly work on our behalf continues on into the present. Jesus’ priestly office did not expire like an elected official’s term of office when he sat down at the father’s right hand after his ascension. Jesus remains our high priest after his Ascension, and his present intercession for us serves as the basis for both our on-going sanctification as well as our perseverance in faith. As the mediator of the covenant of grace, Jesus, who is our friend and advocate, constantly intercedes for us with our heavenly father. And his intercession is always with full effect. He will not lose a single person given to him by the father but will raise all of them up on the last day.

Article Twenty-Six of the confession deals with the on-going priesthood of Jesus Christ. In Article Twenty-One, our confession carefully summarizes the biblical teaching regarding Christ’s priestly office, focusing upon how it is that Jesus Christ fulfilled the Old Testament’s emphasis upon a perpetual sacrifice for sin, by offering the final sacrifice for sin, namely himself. In Article Twenty-Six, our confession summarizes the biblical teaching that our Lord’s priesthood is an on-going office, that Jesus remains our high priest, and that his priestly work is essential to those of us who live in this present evil age. Without Christ’s on-going prayers on our behalf, who among us would make progress in our sanctification? Who among us would persevere to the end our lives in faith? Without our Lord’s intercession for us, who of us would not wander away from the fold? Not one.

To read the rest, click here: "Who Loves Us More than Jesus Christ Does?"

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Belgic ConfessionKim RiddlebargerChrist as high priest, Jesus our IntercessorComment
An Exposition of Article Twenty-Five of the Belgic Confession: The Fulfillment of the Law
An Exposition of Article Twenty-Five of the Belgic Confession: The Fulfillment of the Law

As believers in Jesus Christ, who are saved by grace through faith, the question inevitably arises, “what do we do with Moses and the Ten Commandments?” One of the major themes running throughout the New Testament is the thorny relationship between a Christian under the new covenant and the law of Moses which lies at the heart of the old covenant. Not only is this a prominent theme in the ministry of Jesus–as for example, Luke 24:44, where Jesus states that “that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled”–but this is a major theme in the letters of Paul. In Romans 10:4, Paul writes that “for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” What do we as Christians do with those ceremonies, feasts, and practices associated with the covenant God made with Moses at Mount Sinai, after Christ has come and has declared all of these things are fulfilled in him?

We now treat two articles which deal with themes related to the work of Christ as our high priest and the sole mediator of the covenant of grace. These two articles (Twenty-Five and Twenty-Six) follow the discussion of faith, justification, and sanctification (articles Twenty-Two through Twenty-Four) because how we understand the covenant God made with Moses and Jesus Christ’s present mediation on our behalf (the subject of article Twenty-Six) will impact considerably our conception of the Christian life and the nature of those good works which we now do because we are justified on the basis of the merits of Jesus Christ which we have received through the means of faith.

To Read the Rest, "The Ceremonies and Symbols of the Law Have Been Fulfilled"

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Belgic ConfessionKim RiddlebargerFulfillment of the law, types and shadowsComment
An Exposition of Article Twenty-Four of the Belgic Confession: The Sanctification of Sinners
An Exposition of Article Twenty-Four of the Belgic Confession: The Sanctification of Sinners

Okay; “if I am justified by grace alone, through faith alone, on account of Christ alone, then why should I do good works?” The answer is because I am justified by grace alone through faith alone on account of Christ alone! The same act of faith which links us to Christ so that his merits become ours and thereby provides the basis upon which God pronounces us “not guilty,” also begins the life-long process of sanctification, in which old sinful habits begin to weaken, new Godly affections begin to grow, and we begin to obey (however, feebly), not some, but all of God’s commandments. Indeed, only justified sinners can actually do good works.

We are in that section of our confession (Articles Twenty-Two through Twenty-Four) which deals with familiar doctrines to many of us: faith, justification, and sanctification. These wonderful doctrines not only unfold throughout the pages of Holy Scripture, but the Reformed formulation of these truths, such as we find in our confession, clearly differentiate Reformed Christianity from Roman Catholicism and Anabaptism at the time our confession was written in 1561. But these doctrines also differentiate Reformed Christianity from Romanism and much of American evangelicalism today. This is why it is so important to be familiar with our confessions, so that we know what we believe and why we believe it. How can we proclaim the truth to the unbelieving world around us, if we do not know the truth?

Articles Twenty and Twenty-One of our confession summarize and describe the saving work of Jesus Christ, which provides the ground or the basis of our justification. Jesus Christ not only satisfied the wrath of God when he suffered upon the cross for us and in our place, so also he came as our high priest who represents us before God. In addition, Jesus came as the mediator of the covenant of grace, so that through his own perfect obedience to the covenant of works and the law of Moses, Jesus’ saving merits (his personal and perfect righteous) are reckoned to us through the means of faith.

To read the rest, Article 24, the Sanctification of Sinners

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Belgic ConfessionKim Riddlebargersanctification, why do good worksComment
An Exposition of Article Twenty-Three of the Belgic Confession: Justification By Faith
An Exposition of Article Twenty-Three of the Belgic Confession: Justification By Faith

It was Martin Luther who once stated that the doctrine of justification is the article by which Christ’s church stands or falls. Luther was absolutely correct about this. If we do not understand how it is that we as sinners are made right before a holy God, we may misunderstand the gospel and therefore risk standing before God on the day of judgment expecting that our own righteousness will be sufficient. But we will also miss out on the wonderful comfort which this doctrine provides. As justified sinners, our sin has been reckoned to Christ, and Christ’s righteousness has been reckoned to us. We now possess the greatest gift imaginable, a conscience free from fear, dread, and terror. The knowledge that our sins are forgiven and that God is as pleased with us every bit as much as he is with his own dear Son, not only quiets our conscience and creates a sense of joy and well-being, but it also provides powerful motivation to live a life of gratitude before God. What is more, understanding this doctrine is the only way we will be able to give all glory and thanks to God, which is the ultimate goal of our justification.

Article Twenty-Three of our Confession summarizes the biblical teaching regarding the doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith alone on account of Christ alone. Article Twenty-Two deals with the nature of faith, point out that justification occurs when the saving merits of Jesus Christ become ours through the means of faith. These merits, which are the ground (or basis) of our justification, are based upon Christ’s active obedience; his perfect obedience to the law of God, as well as his passive obedience, in his voluntarily laying down his life for our sins.

To read the rest: An Exposition of Article Twenty-Three of the Belgic Confession: “Freeing our Consciences from Fear, Dread, and Terror"

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Belgic ConfessionKim RiddlebargerJustification by faith Comments
An Exposition of Article Twenty-Two of the Belgic Confession: The Righteousness of Faith
An Exposition of Article Twenty-Two of the Belgic Confession: The Righteousness of Faith

Many evangelical Christians understand the biblical teaching that we are saved by grace through faith and that we are not saved by our good works (Ephesians 2:8-10). And yet, many of these same Christians think of faith as that one thing God requires of us so that we might be saved. Faith is something which God sees in us and which he is compelled to reward. But properly understood, faith is not a work we perform. Faith receives what God freely offers. And what does God freely offer to sinners? He offers us the merits of Jesus Christ, which are more than enough to justify even the worst of sinner (1 Timothy 1:15).

We move to another section of our confession, (Articles Twenty-Two through Twenty Four) which deal with the application of Christ’s saving work to the individual believer. These three articles address subjects which are very familiar to many of us: faith, justification, and sanctification. These subjects are familiar to us because they lie at the very heart of the gospel. They are also familiar because many of us have had to wrestle with these doctrines in our own journey to the Reformed faith. Not only does the Reformed understanding of these doctrines amount to a repudiation of the Roman Catholic understanding of justification as a process (which was the major issue at the time our confession was written in 1561), but the Reformed understanding of these doctrines often differs significantly from the way in which many evangelicals understand them as well.

As you probably know, the Protestant Reformation largely centered upon the question of how sinners are reconciled to the holy God. At the time of the Reformation, the Roman church understood faith as essentially mental assent to the doctrines taught by the church. According to Rome, when enabled and energized by the grace received through the sacraments, this mental assent to the truth became a “formed faith” which produced genuinely good works. Some of these works are of such a nature that God must reward them as a matter of justice (condign merit), while there are other works which God chooses to reward because he is gracious and decides to reward them (congruent merit).

To read the rest, click here: "Jesus Christ Is Our Righteousness"

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Belgic ConfessionKim RiddlebargerFaith in Christ, Justification by faithComment
An Exposition of Article Nineteen of the Belgic Confession: The Two Natures of Christ
An Exposition of Article Nineteen of the Belgic Confession: The Two Natures of Christ

In order for any of Adam’s fallen race to be saved, God must act to rescue us from the consequences of our sin. God does so in the person of his eternal son, Jesus Christ, through whom God reveals his justice and mercy. In Jesus Christ, God takes to himself a true human nature and comes to earth to do for us those very things sinners cannot do for themselves; fulfill all the righteous requirements of the law and provide an all-sufficient sacrifice for sin. This is why we must believe and confess that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. We must also believe and confess that Jesus Christ remains but one person. But how can this be? How can two distinct natures–one human and one divine–co-exist in one person? This very important question brings us to a discussion of what theologians call the “hypostatic union” of Christ–two natures, yet one person.

Article Nineteen deals with the two natures in Christ (the divine and the human) and the way in which they are related and yet remain distinct. The reason this question must be addressed at this point in our confession is because the prior article dealt with the incarnation of our Lord. When the word became flesh so as to save us from our sins, the question necessarily arises, how can God truly take to himself a human nature? And if he does, how can both human and divine natures co-exist in a single person? Thus the question we seek to answer is not something theologians speculate about to give them something to do. Rather, it is a question raised by the biblical data itself. How we understand these two natures and their relationship to each other says a great deal about what God did in Jesus Christ to save us from our sins.

Click here to read this exposition: Article Nineteen: "We Profess Him to be True Man and True God"

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Belgic ConfessionKim RiddlebargerChrist's Two Natures
An Exposition of Article Seventeen of the Belgic Confession -- God Seeks Sinners: The Covenants of Works and Grace
An Exposition of Article Seventeen of the Belgic Confession -- God Seeks Sinners: The Covenants of Works and Grace

One of the most poignant passages in all the Bible is Genesis 3:8-9. Adam sinned against God and is hiding among the trees, fully aware of what he has done and absolutely terrified of God’s presence. Before Adam sinned, God’s approach was the most delightful moment of the day. Now Adam is completely ashamed of what he had done. He is crushed by the guilt of his sins, the sentence of death hangs over his head. For the first time in his life, Adam is alienated from his creator. In his grace and mercy, it is God who approaches Adam, calling out to him, “where are you?”—not because God didn’t know where Adam was, but to rescue Adam from the consequences of what he had just done. It has been the case that God sets out to find lost sinners ever since.

Adam’s guilt and alienation from God is our own. Because we all sinned in Adam (he, being our biological and federal head), and have committed numerous sins ourselves, we too are estranged from God, guilty for our sins, and terrified of God’s approach. Nevertheless, God is as merciful to us as he was to Adam. He still comes to each one of us in the person of Jesus Christ, calling out, “where are you?” to deliver us from the guilt and power of our sins and to comfort us with the promise of his favor toward us in the person of his son.

To read the rest of this exposition: Article Seventeen of the Belgic Confession: "God Set Out to Find Him"

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Belgic ConfessionKim RiddlebargerGod seking Adam, covenant theology, covenants of works and grace
An Exposition of Article Sixteen of the Belgic Confession -- The Doctrine of Election
An Exposition of Article Sixteen of the Belgic Confession -- The Doctrine of Election

Adam’s fall into sin had disastrous consequences for the entire human race–sin and death, natural disasters, wars and rumors of war. As the biological head of the human race, when Adam sinned against God, he brought about the corruption of human nature and the sting of death not only for himself, but for all of his biological ancestors. But Adam was also the federal head of the human race, acting upon our behalf, so that the guilt of his sin is imputed (or credited) to all of us. Since we are born with Adam’s corrupt nature (what the New Testament describes as “the flesh”) and since we are guilty for Adam’s sin, our confession simply states: Adam’s sin was “enough to condemn the human race.” But Adam’s sin and its consequences for the human race is not the end of the story. In fact, Adam’s sin is only the beginning of the drama of redemption, setting the stage for the glories of the gospel which follow.

Keeping the big picture in mind (i.e,. the box top to the puzzle), the biblical record indicates that as soon as Adam rebelled against God in Eden and brought down the covenant curse upon us all (death), God was immediately present in the garden promising to redeem Adam and Eve and their descendants through the seed of the woman (Eve). While Adam’s act of apostasy has grave consequences for us all, this rebellion did not catch God by surprise, nor did it ruin God’s plan for human history. Even as Adam’s fall into sin was decreed by God–yet in such a way that God is not responsible for Adam’s sin (cf. Article Thirteen of our confession)–so too, God also decreed to save a vast multitude of Adam’s fallen race. This brings us to Article Sixteen of our confession and the article on the doctrine of divine election. As our confession previously pointed out, God decrees whatsoever comes to pass, including the entrance of sin into the human race. But God has also decreed to save such a large number of guilty sinners that they cannot be counted. This is the supreme manifestation of God’s wonderful mercy. God will save countless people who do not deserve to be saved.

To read the rest, click here: Article Sixteen of the Belgic Confession: "Merciful and Just"

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Belgic ConfessionKim RiddlebargerThe Doctrine of Election, The doctrine of reprobation, God's electing grace
An Exposition of Article Fifteen of the Belgic Confession -- Original Sin
An Exposition of Article Fifteen of the Belgic Confession -- Original Sin

There is nothing worse than standing by a casket containing the earthly remains of someone we love. Death is the ultimate enemy of humanity. Contrary to the sentiments of our culture, death is not natural and all the talk of celebrating the departed’s life does not change the grim reality of death one iota. We all dread that phone call in the middle of the night bringing horrible news. Our hearts skip a beat when a newsflash brings word of a national calamity, such as we experienced on the morning of September 11, 2001. Then there is the end of a marriage, the loss of a job, serious illness, injury or accident, an argument with a friend, a loss of temper, an adulterous thought . . . All of these things–from the most consequential to the least consequential–have something very important in common. They are all consequences of Adam’s act of rebellion against God in the Garden of Eden.

While discussing original sin may sound positively medieval and thought of as so much silliness by our contemporaries, original sin is one of the most important topics we can ever address. In Adam’s fall, sinned we all. We cannot escape the horrible consequences of that first sin. From our own sinful thoughts, to our own sinful actions, from those calamities which impact our families, friends and neighbors, to those events which effect nations and vast numbers of the earth’s inhabitants, all of these things are the result of human sin, the consequence of Adam’s rebellion in Eden. Sin does not stem from human finitude. The world which God made is not defective in any way. Rather, Adam acting on our behalf, plunged the entire human race into sin and death when he broke the commandment of God. It is Adam who introduced the principles of sin and death in the world. This is why Christianity is not a philosophy or system of ethics. Christianity is centered in God’s redemption of his people and the redemption of the world he has made. One day God will indeed make all things new and undo the effects of human sin. Until then, we live in a fallen world.

To read the rest, click here: Article Fifteen of the Belgic Confession: Sufficient to Condemn the Whole World

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Belgic ConfessionKim RiddlebargerOriginal Sin, Adam's Fall, Consequences of Adam's FallComment
An Exposition of Article Fourteen of the Belgic Confession: "Because Adam Transgressed"
An Exposition of Article Fourteen of the Belgic Confession: "Because Adam Transgressed"

After God created all things in six days, he rested on the seventh day, gloriously enthroned to rule over all that he had made. According to the Genesis account, after God saw that all he had made was “very good” (Genesis 1:31), he then pronounced his divine benediction upon creation. But the high point of the creation account occurs on the sixth day, when God creates the first man, Adam, from the dust of the earth to rule over the world as God’s vice-regent. The Bible is teaches that Adam is the biological head of the human race, the first human from whom all men and women biologically descend, and that Adam also stands as the federal head of the human race, acting as our representative before God during the time of probation in Eden. It was in this capacity as our biological and federal head that Adam broke God’s commandment not to eat from the tree and thereby plunged himself as well as all of his descendants (us) into sin and misery.

Having set forth the doctrines of creation and providence in Articles Twelve and Thirteen, our confession turns to the creation and fall of Adam in Article Fourteen, before describing the consequences of Adam’s fall upon the entirety of our race in Article Fifteen, which deals with original sin. The creation of the first man from the dust of the earth is the crowning jewel of the creation account. Even though God’s creation of all things visible and invisible out of nothing ex nihilo–an act which gives all things their form and purpose–has already been discussed in Article Twelve, the Confession now devotes a separate article to the creation of Adam and his fall into sin. The creation and fall of Adam sets the tone for all of the material discussed in Articles Sixteen through Twenty-Six of our confession, which collectively deal with the various aspects of our redemption from sin and which play out against the backdrop of Adam’s fall as set forth in Articles Fourteen and Fifteen. We can neither fully understand nor remotely appreciate the greatness of God’s grace in saving us from the guilt and power of sin, unless we are clear about the consequences of Adam’s rebellion against God.

To read the rest, click here: An Exposition of Article Fourteen of the Belgic Confession: "Because Adam Transgressed"

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Belgic ConfessionKim RiddlebargerAdam and Eve, The Creation of The Human Race, Adam's FallComment