Sep 20
13
Baptist Catechism 35
Question 35: What benefits do they that are effectually called, partake of in this life?
Answer: They that are effectually called, do in this life partake of justification, adoption, sanctification, and the several benefits which in this life do either accompany or flow from them. (Rom. 8:30; Gal. 3:26; 1 Cor. 6:11; Rom. 8:31,32; Eph. 1:5; 1 Cor. 1:30)
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:3–14, ESV)
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[Please excuse any and all typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church, but without the benefit of proofreading.]
Introduction
I think it is right to call question 35 the leading question of yet another section of our catechism. These sections come and go rather quickly, don’t they?
Questions 26-31 told us about how Christ accomplished our salvation in his life, death, resurrection, and ascension.
Questions 32-34 dealt with the application of the salvation that Christ has earned to God’s elect by the Spirit.
And here beginning with question 35 we will consider the benefits of this redemption. Again, the question is, what benefits do they that are effectually called, partake of in this life?
If you wish to look ahead a bit in the catechism you will notice that questions 35-41 deal with the benefits or blessings that come to those who have faith in Christ. Questions 35-39 tell us about the benefits the believer enjoys in this life. Question 40 tells about the benefits that come to the believer at death. And question 41 tells us about the benefits that come to the believer at the resurrection, that is, on the last day when Christ returns to make all things new.
What a wonderfully encouraging section this is! Here our catechism aims to open our eyes to see how rich we are in Christ in this life and the life to come. As always, the catechisms aim is to collect and summarize the teaching of Holy Scripture, which we have already confessed to be “the only rule (or standard) of faith and obedience” (see BC 4). And when we go to the scriptures with the question, what benefits do those who believe upon Christ enjoy in this life, in death, and in the life to come? we learn that we are very blessed indeed! God has provided for our every need in Christ. He has lavished us with his love. We are richly supplied. We have a glorious inheritance in Christ Jesus.
Knowing this is important for many reasons. But I think it is especially important for the one who is suffering in this life, or facing death, to know these things for certain. How will the Christian who is facing trials of many kinds count them as joy? Only by knowing the benefits that are theirs in Christ Jesus in this life and in the life to come.
In my experience, many Christians have a very narrow understanding of the benefits that are theirs through faith in Christ. Many will think only of the forgiveness of sins, and the promise of eternal life when they consider the blessings that are theirs in Christ. Now, please don’t misunderstand. It is a very great blessing to have your sins forgiven! In fact, many of the other blessings that we will identify can only be ours because we are forgiven. To be forgiven is indeed a great blessing, as the Psalmist says, “Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity…” (Psalm 32:2, ESV). And it is also a great blessing to hope in heaven, that is to say, in life in the world to come. As Peter says, “But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13, ESV). By no means do I intend to minimize how blessed it is to have the forgiveness of sins and the hope of life everlasting. I am simply saying, there is more.
Our catechism does help us to see that we are rich in Christ. There are not one or two benefits that come to us when we believe upon Christ, but many. Some of these we enjoy in this life, others we will enjoy at death, and still others we will enjoy at the resurrection and in the world to come.
And so let us consider the answer to question 35 piece by piece. “What benefits do they that are effectually called, partake of in this life?”
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Justification
The first benefit that is mentioned is justification. I will not say too much about justification tonight, for if you notice question 36 will ask, “What is justification?”, and a thorough answer is provided there. We will come to that next week, Lord willing.
For now, learn the term “justification”. It is a legal term. To be justified means to be declared not guilty. You may picture a judge making that declaration as he pounds his gavel. “Not guilty”, he says. What a relief those words must be to the accused! And in Christ, we are justified, pardoned, declared not guilty by the judge of all the earth. In Christ, we escape the punishment of eternal damnation.
Justification is a biblical term. In Romans 8:30 we read, “And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified” (Romans 8:30, ESV). And in Romans 3:23ff we read, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by [God’s] grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…” (Romans 3:23–24, ESV).
Justification is a benefit that we receive at the very beginning of the Christian life the moment we turn from our sins to trust in Christ. It is then that we are moved from standing guilty before God to being innocent in his sight.
Justification is not progressive, but absolute. The one who has faith in Christ does not grow in justification. She does not come to be more justified over time, but simply is.
Justification is listed as the first benefit because none of the other benefits could be ours apart from it. Guilty persons who stand condemned and deserving of God’s wrath cannot be adopted as his children, nor made holy by the Lord. The guilt of sin must first be removed, and so it is for all who are effectually called.
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Adoption
Adoption is listed as the second benefit. I will not say too much about adoption tonight, for if you notice question 37 will ask, “What is adoption?”, and a thorough answer is provided there. We will come to consider that in two weeks, Lord willing.
For now, learn the term “adoption”. Adoption is not a legal term, but a familial one. When you think of adoption you do not imagine a judge with a gavel, but the relationship between a father and son. Of course, even adoption has a legal basis for it. But ultimately, to be adopted is to be brought into a family. Whereas the term “justification” is legal and may seem cold, the term “adoption” is familial. It is filled with warmth and with love.
Already you can see why I have warned against reducing salvation down to the mere forgiveness of sins. Indeed, if you are in Christ you are forgiven. And indeed, it is a great blessing to have your sins forgiven. But if you are in Christ you are not merely a pardoned sinner. In Christ, you are a beloved child of God.
Think of how that changes things. Not only do you stand innocent before the judge of all the earth, but you also have God as your Father. He has set his love upon you. He has given you his name. He cares for you, has promised to never leave you nor forsake you, and has the power to bring you safely home into his heavenly kingdom, where Christ has a room prepared for you. As you sojourn in this world you are invited to speak to your Father in heaven through prayer, and you are comforted by your brothers and sisters in Christ who have been adopted into the same spiritual family through their union with the same Christ.
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Sanctification
Thirdly, “They that are effectually called, do in this life partake of justification, adoption” and now we say, “sanctification”. I will not say too much about sanctification tonight, for if you notice question 38 will ask, “What is sanctification?”, and a thorough answer is provided there. We will come to that in three weeks, Lord willing.
For now, learn the term “sanctification”. You have noticed that I have encouraged you to learn these terms. I believe that learning new and biblical terms is an important part of discipleship. For some time now the trend within the evangelical church in America has been to do away with biblical and theological jargon. In general, I think that is a mistake. One of the ways that we grow in our understanding of a particular subject is to learn the terminology. And knowing the truth of scripture will require us to learn new terminology — justification, adoption, and sanctification are three terms for you to learn even now.
If justification is a legal term, and adoption is familial, perhaps we might say that sanctification is a religious term. To be sanctified is to be set apart to God and made holy.
Sanctification may be considered in two ways. One, there is positional sanctification. This kind of sanctification is not progressive but is absolute. The moment you believed upon Christ you were set apart from the world and made holy unto God, having been washed in his blood. Two, sanctification might also be called progressive. Here we are referring to maturity, growth in Christ, the process of becoming more and more holy in our thoughts, words, and deeds.
So here is a question for you: will the one who has been effectually called — that is to say, the one who has faith in Christ — be sanctified? The answer is, yes! He has been sanctified positionally (set apart and unto the Lord by the Spirit) and he will be sanctified progressively. As Paul says in Philippians 1:6, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6, ESV). And this is why Paul commands the believer “to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22–24, ESV). All who have true faith will be sanctified. The progress might slower for some than for others.
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And The Several Benefits Which In This Life Do Either Accompany Or Flow From Them
Lastly, our catechism mentions “the several benefits which in this life do either accompany or flow from them”, that is, from justification, adoption, and sanctification. I will not say too much about these “several other benefits” tonight, for if you notice question 39 will ask, “ What are the benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification?”, and a thorough answer is provided there. We will come to that in four weeks, Lord willing.
For now, notice that a distinction is made between the three fountainhead benefits, as I will call them, and the several other benefits that flow from them. Why this distinction? Why are justification, adoption, and sanctification given this privileged place over these other benefits that are said to flow from them?
The answer is that all who are united to Christ by faith receive justification, adoption, and sanctification. No true Christian is lacking these. But when we come to the benefits that flow from them we will notice that not all who are united to Christ by faith have these. Or, some may have them, but only to a certain degree. They are, “assurance of God’s love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Spirit, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end.”
These benefits which accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification are available to the believer, but not all have them, or at least not to the same degree. Some, for example, struggle to feel assured of God’s love for them. Others are anxious, and not at peace. Some lack joy. Many factors may contribute to the lack of these things, but we will discuss those in the weeks to come.
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Conclusion
For now, let us rejoice at how blessed we are in Christ Jesus. God has provided for our every need in him. In Christ, we are well supplied.
I chose to read from Ephesians 1 at the beginning of this sermon because in that passage the Apostles seems to get carried away with excitement concerning the blessings that are ours in Christ Jesus. He erupts with praise, saying, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places…” (Ephesians 1:3, ESV). And then he goes on to speak of our election in Christ, our adoption in him, our “redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7, ESV), and our sure inheritance, which is sealed by the promised Holy Spirit.
How important it is for you to know these about these benefits and to be sure of them, brothers and sisters. It is important at all times, but especially in times of tribulation. For these blessings that are ours in Christ will prompt us to praise, even when life grows very difficult.
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?… No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Romans 8:35–37, ESV)
