Loveland Protestant Reformed Church
709 East 57th
Street; Loveland, CO 80538
Services: 9:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. (7:00 p.m. June through
August)
Vol. 5, No. 20 Pastor: Rev. G. Van Baren Phone: (970)
667-9481
Homepage on Internet: http://www.prca.org
Contents:
We have been studying the doctrine of the perseverance of saints. Before we finish, something needs to be said about the reference to "saints" in this doctrine. The word means, you understand, "holy ones" and refers to the sanctification of God's people.
A proper understanding of the word is very important. If saints, as some suggest, are spiritually self-made people, i.e., those who are holy by their own works and will, then there is no certainty of perseverance. As quickly as they made themselves holy, so quickly can they decide that they no longer wish to be holy.
This is the teaching of free-willism. It says that a person is saved by his own choice and that his sanctification and growth in grace also depend on him. He must choose to make use of the grace that is available to all if he is to be holy. Then, of course, no one would ever be holy!
We believe that saints are made saints by grace - that it is only by grace that they have any holiness at all. To put it another way, they are saints and faithful "in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 1:1, Phil. 1:1, Col. 1:1-2).
Their holiness is not the result of their own freewill choice but of God's sovereign election and choice of them. Thus we read in Ephesians 1:4; "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him." God's gracious election is the source of their holiness.
What is more, their holiness is not obtained by their own works but is purchased for them by the blood of Christ. Of this we read in Colossians 1:21-22; "And you, that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight." The shed blood of Christ is the ground of their holiness.
Nor is the holiness of saints then dependent on them, as though God says, "I have provided all things for you, it is up to you to make use of them and be holy as I command." Saints become holy in their conduct and speech by the work of the Holy Spirit. Sanctification is the "sanctification of the Spirit" (I Pet. 1:2). For this reason Scripture speaks of their being "called to be saints" (Rom. 1:7, I Cor. 1:2). It is the powerful word of God's calling that brings them to holiness.
Nor does the Spirit begin the work of making saints and then leave it up to them to persevere in holiness to the end. Their continuing in holiness depends completely on the continued presence and power of the Holy Spirit. We do not learn to be saints by our own efforts. It is the grace of God that brings salvation that is "teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world" (Tit. 2:11-12). The grace of the Holy Spirit is the power of holiness.
Nor may we forget that it is only saints who shall see the Lord (Heb. 12:14). How wonderful, then, to know that God gives us what is necessary that we may see Him in glory. Rev. Ronald Hanko.
(Continued from the previous issue)
When the gospel is preached and applied to the elect people of God, it is impressed on their consciousness by the inward call of the gospel, namely the work of the Holy Spirit.
In our last article, we talked about how that can and does take place when the doctrines of Scripture are proclaimed.
But the Holy Spirit works the same way in all the preaching.
When the preacher brings the admonitions of Scripture to the congregation, the Holy Spirit so impresses that Word upon the consciousness of the elect child of God that he sees his own inability to keep that Word of God, and he flees for grace to the cross of Christ.
When the threatenings of judgment are proclaimed, then the sinner hears them with trembling as the Spirit seals that Word upon his own conscious awareness of his many sins; and he seeks the cross that he may find shelter beneath its shadow.
When the preached Scriptures call to those who are burdened and weary - or thirsty for righteousness, or poor in spirit, the Holy Spirit of Christ so makes that Word a power within the elect sinner that he sees himself described just as the preaching describes him.
And when the call of the gospel comes ("Come unto me all ye that labor...."), he looks in wonder and amazement at Christ Who calls. He says, from the depths of his sorrow, "That is my name. Is He calling me? I can scarcely believe that He would call me to Himself, for my sins are very great. Yet I hear my name. I will go to Him."
But it is the spirit that applies the Word in such a way that the sinner hears Christ calling him.
This is what Jesus meant when He said, "...the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name (literally: name by name), and leadeth them out."
Christ calls them by their spiritual names and they hear, by the work of the Spirit, their own names called as the Spirit impresses these spiritual names upon their consciousness.
When the promises of the gospel are proclaimed, indeed the minister does not know who are the elect and who are not. But the Holy Spirit of Christ knows. And He so works in the hearts of the elect that the blessed promises of the gospel are impressed so upon the believer's heart that he sees them in all their beauty. And when they are proclaimed to all who believe in Christ, put their trust only in Him, and flee to Him for a refuge, then the Spirit works such graces in their hearts that they lay hold on Christ, hurl themselves into His arms, and rest in the serene and overwhelming consciousness of His love.
The address of the gospel is the work of the Spirit.
Several things ought to be apparent.
First of all, this all has much to say about how we ought to hear. Scripture urges upon us the admonition: "Be careful how you hear." When we listen so that we hear Christ speak, and eagerly lend our ears to see what He has to say, we truly hear Him. And when we listen to what He has to say, we indeed hear Him speak to us - in such a personal and intimate way that there is no escaping what He says. And when we listen to what He says in obedience and faith, then His love and peace fill our souls.
Secondly, this is how Jesus Himself draws His people to Himself. "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me: and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37). And: "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, "And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me" (John 6:44,45).
Such is the blessed address of the gospel. Prof. H. Hanko
What is Reformed Evangelism? (3)
We have established the fact that evangelism is nothing more nor less than the preaching of the gospel. That is what the word "evangelism" means. From this it follows that all preaching of the gospel is evangelism, including preaching to those who are already saved, the members of the church. This aspect of evangelism is almost entirely neglected today so that God's people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hos. 4:6).
We have also established the fact that gospel preaching is preaching "the whole counsel of God," that is, all of Scripture. There is, therefore, no such thing as, nor any need for a special "gospel" message or "evangelistic" service, especially when that is nothing more than haranguing sinners or pressing them for some decision.
We would add that the call to repentance and faith is not just for unbelievers either. Those who are already saved need to hear that call in order that they too may turn from their sins (and they do commit sin as long as they are in this body of flesh) and that their faith may be stirred up and strengthened. This is also part of true evangelism.
With this in mind there is no need for the preacher to divide the congregation up into groups in his own mind or in his preaching, directing some of his preaching to one group and some to another. ALL the hearers need to hear whatever God the Lord says in a particular passage of His Word. There is not one message for the church, another for the world, one for the "unconverted," another for those who are "saved and safe" (as a certain preacher once put it).
Even the promises of the gospel, though they concern and are only for those who repent and believe, must be heard by all, if for no other reason than that their condemnation may be the greater when they do not believe. True gospel preaching is the exposition of the Word of God, including its solemn call to repentance and faith, to ALL who hear.
In that connection we wish to emphasize here that the Reformed faith believes in the preaching of the gospel to those who are outside the church as well as to those who are saved and are members of the church, to the heathen as well as to Christians. Here also the Reformed faith is not the enemy of evangelism.
Even here, however evangelism may not be limited to those who have never heard the gospel. Those also who have heard and departed, those who make a profession of Christianity but do not know the truth of God's Word and those who are members of churches where the gospel is not preached or not preached purely are also the objects of evangelism. When Jesus spoke of fields white for harvest He was thinking especially of the multitudes who were fainting and scattered abroad as sheep that have no shepherd (Matt. 9:36-38).
What the Reformed faith does oppose is the preaching of lies - that God loves everyone and wants to save everyone, leaving the impression with the unbelieving that all is well. It is the enemy of the idea that the promises of gospel are for all (note: they must be preached to all but are not FOR all). The things promised are only for such as repent and believe under the preaching of the gospel, not for everyone conditionally. To preach otherwise is to give false hope to those who do not believe and to suggest that God is helpless in the face of continued unbelief. This Reformed evangelism may not and will not do! Rev. Ronald Hanko
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We offer the free pamphlet: "Church Membership in an Evil Age." by Rev. Steven R. Key. This popular pamphlet has been read and enjoyed by many.
(Calvin comments on I Tim. 2:4): "The other texts adduced are not declarative of the Lord's determination respecting all men in his secret counsel: they only proclaim that pardon is ready for all sinners who sincerely seek it (Ps.145:9). For if they obstinately insist on its being said that God is merciful to all, I will oppose to them, what is elsewhere asserted, that 'our God is in the heavens; he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased' (Ps. 115:3). This text, then, must be explained in a manner consistent with another, where God says, 'I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will show mercy on whom I will show mercy' (Ex. 33:19). He who makes a selection of objects for the exercise of his mercy, does not import that mercy to all. But as it clearly appears that Paul is there speaking, not of individuals, but orders of men, I shall forbear any further argument...."
(Calvin's Institutes, Book III, Chap. 24, XVI)
Last Modified:18-Aug-1999