Category: Faith & Salvation

“Life Judicial”

You know, when a man receives a pardon from Government, he is said to receive his life. So it is here. This word is used in the same sense in [John 5:24], “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” In this verse, you will notice that life is opposed to condemnation, and it appears to mean justification. The same meaning may be attached to those words in the 20th chapter, 31st verse, “These are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that, believing, ye might have life through his name.” See also the first epistle of John, 5th chapter, 12th verse, “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son hath not life.” In this passage, life appears to be the pardon of all sin, and admission into the favour of God. And it is said in Proverbs, “He that findeth me findeth peace.” Now, Christ, when he stood in the midst of the Jews, knew that they were all under the sentence of the broken law, and he knew that he was to die for sinners: therefore, he said to them, “Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.” In my hand there is a pardon: “The Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins:” yet ye will not come to me. This is true among yourselves: He is as much here present as he was then. He has suffered, the just for the unjust. He has died for sinners, and now he offers you pardon. Why are ye not saved? The reason is, ye will not come to him, that ye might have life.

-Robert Murray M’Cheyne (1813-1843)

The Son of God, who is our Red Sea

[Our rebirth] does not happen by the physical water [of baptism] but by the sprinkling of the precious blood of the Son of God, who is our Red Sea, through which we must pass to escape the tyranny of Pharaoh, who is the devil, and to enter the spiritual land of Canaan. So ministers, as far as their work is concerned, give us the sacrament and what is visible, but our Lord gives what the sacrament signifies—namely the invisible gifts and graces; washing, purifying, and cleansing our souls of all filth and unrighteousness; renewing our hearts and filling them with all comfort; giving us true assurance of his fatherly goodness; clothing us with the “new man” and stripping off the “old,” with all its works.

Belgic Confession of Faith (1561), Article 34

“Of Baptism”

I. Baptism is a sacrament of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ,a not only for the solemn admission of the party baptized into the visible Church,b but also to be unto him a sign and seal of the covenant of grace,c of his ingrafting into Christ,d of regeneration,e of remission of sins,f and of his giving up unto God, through Jesus Christ, to walk in newness of life:g which sacrament is, by Christ’s own appointment, to be continued in his Church until the end of the world.h

a. Mat 28:19. • b. 1 Cor 12:13. • c. Rom 4:11 with Col 2:11-12. • d. Rom 6:5; Gal 3:27. • e. Titus 3:5. • f. Mark 1:4. • g. Rom 6:3-4. • h. Mat 28:19-20.

Continue reading ““Of Baptism””

No sign—except the sign of Jonah

“And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. For as Jonas [Jonah] was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineve [Nineveh] shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here” (Luke 11:29-32).

Jesus will soon come in the clouds to judge the nations. He will come to judge you and me, and we will all stand before Him. But though He came so many years ago to show mercy by dying on the cross, suffering the wrath of God for sinners, yet as the great Prophet, He powerfully denounced His generation and threatened fearful judgment. They had received so much, but had proven so unworthy of their blessings!

What is Jesus’ verdict on our generation? Will He acquit? Or will Jesus call witnesses against us?

Join us for our afternoon service at 4:00 p.m. this Lord’s day (Sunday) at the Presbyterian Reformed Church, located at 1870 Route 50, in Tuckahoe. And please feel free to stay after for a shared supper around 5:30 p.m. We would love to have you there!

Los Dos Deudores | The Two Debtors

Español. Únase a nosotros en directo aquí a las 7:00 p.m. del 9 de febrero. Y amigos en Woodbine: Le invitamos a que nos acompañe a las 6:00 p.m. con un refrigerio antes antes del culto de las 7:00 p.m.. La casa está ubicada cerca del antiguo museo de la sinagoga. Póngase en contacto conmigo, Pr. Michael Ives por teléfono o texto al 515-783-5637 o Peter Rivera al 787-800-7839 para la dirección.

English. Join us by livestream here at 7:00 p.m., February 9. And friends in Woodbine: We would warmly welcome you to join us for food and refreshments at 6:00 p.m. before the service at 7:00 p.m. The house is located near the old synagogue museum. Contact me, Pr. Michael Ives by phone or text at 515-783-5637 or Peter Rivera at 787-800-7839 for the address.