Baptist Catechism 37

Question: What is adoption?

Answer: Adoption is an act of God’s free grace, whereby we are received into the number, and have a right to all the privileges of the sons of God.

Scripture Reading: Romans 8:12-17

“So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” (Romans 8:12-17, ESV)

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Please excuse any 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

So we are considering the benefits or blessings that belong to those who have been effectually called, that is to say, to those who have believed upon Christ. The first blessing that they receive is justification. Those who believe upon Christ are pardoned by God, who is the Judge of all the earth. And having been pardoned, or declared “not guilty”, these are accepted as righteous in God’s sight. That is quite the transition! These who believe upon Christ are in a moment moved from standing guilty before God to standing as righteous before him. And all of this is possible only because Jesus the Christ lived a righteous life on their behalf and paid for their sins when he died on that cross. He takes away the sins of those who believe upon him and he gives them his righteousness as if it were their own. To illustrate, he removes our garments that are stained with sin, and he clothes us in garments that are gleaming white and pure with righteousness.

It is right that justification is listed as the first blessing that those who believe upon Christ receive. The problem of sin and guilt is so very great that it would be impossible to receive any of these other blessing that we will soon discuss unless that problem is taken care of. If we stand guilty before God — if we are his enemies and under his wrath — then it is impossible for us to be blessed by him. The problem of sin and guilt must first be addressed, and so it is. The moment we believe upon Christ, we are justified by his grace. 

But that is not all, friends. I do love how our catechism brings this out. The forgiveness of sins is not the only blessing that comes to those who have faith in Christ. No, we must also talk about adoption, sanctification, and the many other blessings which either accompany or flow from theses.      

I have noted in the past that justification is a legal term. The image that we should have in our minds is that of a judge dressed in his black robe with a gavel in his hand making the declaration, “not guilty”, as he slams his gavel down. What a wonderful relief those words must be to the one on trail! And what a wonderful relief those words are to the sinner saved by grace! But as I have said, the courtroom is a cold environment. I don’t know if you have ever been in a courtroom before or witness a trail. The atmosphere is not one of warmth, love and affection. It is cold. It is legal. 

And I am so very glad that when God the Father sent Christ to save us from our sins he did not merely intend to pardon us and to send us away “not guilty”, but to redeem us, to reconcile us to himself, and even to adopt us as his beloved children. 

Adoption is a family term. It is not legal and cold, but familial and warm. When you think of adoption you are to think, not of the courtroom, but family room and the dinner table. You are to think of a father, a mother, and a child. You are to think of love, discipline, and education. You are to think of relationships bound together forever. You are to think of shared moments, life lived together with laughter and tears.

Brethren, in Christ you are not only justified by God. No, you have been justified so that you might also be adopted by him. And this is why we call him Father.

There are many who teach that God is the Father of all, and that all are his children. And there is a sense in which that is true. If we are using the term Father to say that God is the source of all, or Creator of all, then of course we agree with that. But when the scriptures speak of God as Father it is not often in that sense. Instead, God is called Father not because he is our Creator but because he has set his love upon us, cares for us, disciplines and instructs us,  protects us, and has an inheritance prepared for us. And if we use the name Father in this sense (as the scriptures do), then we must confess that not all have God as Father. In fact, when Christ spoke to those who persisted in unbelief he said, “You are of your father the devil…” (John 8:44, ESV). And Paul also teaches that we are by nature “children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3, ESV). So no, all do not have God as Father, but only those who are united to Christ by faith, Christ being the only begotten Son of God. We are son and daughters of God, only if we are in the Son. 

We should remember that Christ taught his disciples, and not the unbelieving world, to pray, “Our Father who art in heaven…” 

And we should remember the teaching of John, who said, speaking of Jesus Christ, “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:9–13, ESV).

Who are those who have the right to become children of God? They are those who believe upon Christ, the eternal Son of God come in the flesh to atone for sins and to reconcile us to the Father.

This teaching about adoption is so very important. Sometimes it gets lost. I’m not sure the reasons for it. But sometimes this doctrine seems to be pushed to the side as theologians debate about justification and its relationship to sanctification. We must be careful to not neglect the doctrine of adoption. 

Think of what happens if we do. If we neglect “adoption” and focus only on “justification” and “sanctification” then we begin to think that Christ died only to forgive our sins, to save us from the just wrath of God, and to make us better people as we live in this world. Indeed, Christ did die to accomplish these things. But we must not forget that he died to reconcile, or bring us back, to the Father so that he might be our Father, and we his children. 

Do you remember that parable that Jesus told about the prodigal son? That is a wonderful parable, and there is so much  to learn from it, but I’ll use it now to illustrate what I am saying. Do you remember the story of how the son disrespected his father by asking to have his inheritance early before his father died, and then took his inheritance only to waste it on filthy living? Do you remember how the son after growing destitute came to his senses and said to himself, “How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants’” (Luke 15:17–19, ESV). Notice that the prodigal son did not expect much from his father. He only wished to be forgiven so that he could serve in his father’s household at a distance. He certainly did not expect to be reconciled to his father and warmly embraced. But what happened? “He arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate” (Luke 15:24, ESV). 

This parable is not exactly a parable about adoption, but it does illustrate what I am saying here about salvation. When we come to faith in Christ we are not merely forgiven by the Father. No, we are warmly embraced and lavished with every spiritual blessing as beloved children of God. 

The doctrine of adoption compels us to draw near to God as Father in a way that the doctrines of justification and sanctification do not. To know that we have been adopted as beloved sons and daughters should move us to come to the Father, to speak to him in prayer, to trust him for provision and protection, and to rejoice in his discipline, which always proceeds from his love for us. The doctrine of adoption is warm and familial. “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him” (Romans 8:15-17, ESV).

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 Catechism Explained

Let us now briefly consider the catechism piece by piece. 

What is adoption?

First, we learn that “adoption is an act of God’s free grace…” 

Adoption, like justification, is an act. It is an action that is accomplished all at once. You are not justified progressively, nor are you adopted progressively. You are justified and adopted fully and finally in the moment that you turn from your sins to trust in Christ. 

Adoption, like justification, is an act of God. If you are in Christ, God justified you. You did not justify yourself. And so it is with adoption. God adopted you. You did not adopt yourself. Justification and adoption are things that God does to us and for us. We contribute nothing at all. 

And “adoption is an act of God’s free grace.” “For by grace you have been saved [justified and adopted] through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9, ESV). You did nothing to earn your justification and adoption, and neither can you do anything to lose your justification and adoption — they are the gift of God. If you are justified, you cannot be un-justified. And if you are adopted, you cannot be un-adopted. You did not earn these blessings  in the beginning, nor must you earn the right to keep them, for they are acts of  God’s free grace. 

The word “whereby” indicates that we are about to be told what adoption involves. 

First, when we are adopted “we are received into the number.” This means that we are numbered as one of God’s children. We are made to be members of his household, citizens in his kingdom, and sheep of his pasture. As Christ said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27, ESV). Brethren, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are” (1 John 3:1, ESV).

Secondly, when we are adopted we come to “have a right to all the privileges of the sons of God.” And what are these privileges? I suppose they are too numerous and too great to list! But three things come to mind. One, we have access to God as Father. We can come to him in prayer, crying out “Abba! Father!”, as Romans 8:15 says. And what a high privilege this is! Two, we have the assurance of God’s love. Truly, this is also a great privilege. It should bring peace and comfort to our souls even as we experience difficulty in this world or come under the Fathers discipline. Do not forget that “ for those who love God all things work together for good” (Romans 8:28, ESV). And do not forget that “ Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives” (Hebrews 12:6, ESV). When those who are alienated from God because of their sin experience difficulty in this life they assume that God is against them. But when a child of God experiences difficulty they may rest assured that God loves them, for they have been adopted as beloved children by his grace. Three, we have the privilege of a sure and unfading eternal inheritance. As Paul says, “the Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him” (Romans 8:16-17, ESV).

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Conclusion 

As we conclude I wish to encourage you to think of your salvation in Christ, not merely in terms of the forgiveness of sins and of rescue from the wrath of God and flames of hell for all eternity — indeed, you have been saved from these thing in Christ Jesus, thanks be to God — but think also of your adoption. Remember that you have been forgiven so that God might reconcile you to himself. His aim was to draw you near, to bring you in, to make you sons and daughters so that you might be his, and he might be yours. Truly, God is glorified in us when we  draw near to him as Father, rely upon his sustaining grace, and enjoy his loving presence. Indeed, this we will do for all eternity if we are in Christ the Son.

Question: What is adoption?

Answer: Adoption is an act of God’s free grace, whereby we are received into the number, and have a right to all the privileges of the sons of God.

Old Testament Reading: Leviticus 9:9–18

“And the sons of Aaron presented the blood to him, and he dipped his finger in the blood and put it on the horns of the altar and poured out the blood at the base of the altar. But the fat and the kidneys and the long lobe of the liver from the sin offering he burned on the altar, as the LORD commanded Moses. The flesh and the skin he burned up with fire outside the camp. Then he killed the burnt offering, and Aaron’s sons handed him the blood, and he threw it against the sides of the altar. And they handed the burnt offering to him, piece by piece, and the head, and he burned them on the altar. And he washed the entrails and the legs and burned them with the burnt offering on the altar. Then he presented the people’s offering and took the goat of the sin offering that was for the people and killed it and offered it as a sin offering, like the first one. And he presented the burnt offering and offered it according to the rule. And he presented the grain offering, took a handful of it, and burned it on the altar, besides the burnt offering of the morning. Then he killed the ox and the ram, the sacrifice of peace offerings for the people. And Aaron’s sons handed him the blood, and he threw it against the sides of the altar.” (Leviticus 9:9–18, ESV)

New Testament Reading: 1 Timothy 1:3-7

“As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.” (1 Timothy 1:3–7, ESV)

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Please excuse any 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

Brothers and sisters, I think we are in for a real treat with this study of Paul’s letter to Timothy. The closer I look at this epistle, the more excited I get about preaching through this book. I think it is going to be a very timely study for our congregation. 

As you know, in Sunday School we are addressing questions relating to our responsibilities in the civil realm as citizens of a kingdom (or nation) of this world. But as we consider Paul’s letter to Timothy our focus will be upon our life together within Christ’s church, which is the earthy manifestation of the kingdom of Christ — a kingdom not of this world — a kingdom inaugurated now which will be consummated at the end of time. 

Of course, life in these two kingdoms — the kingdoms (or nations) of the earth in which all Christians live, and the kingdom of heaven into which all who have faith in Christ have been called — does always overlap and interrelate. How could it not! We are sojourners now. We are called to live in this world but be not of this world. In fact, if we were to think carefully about the interrelationship between our life lived as a citizen of this nation and our life lived as a citizen of Christ’s kingdom, we would have to confess that they are very much interrelated. The two realities cannot be untangled. We live one life, but that one life is lived as citizens of two kingdoms. Or to put it another way, we live one life, but we live that one life in different realms or spheres — we live in families, in political communities, and in the church. And I hope that you would agree with me, friends. We are not to be three different people living three different lives in these three different spheres, or two different people living two different lives in these two kingdoms, but we are to be one and the same person. We are to be authentic and sincere. We are to be genuine and unhypocritical. We are not only to worship and serve Christ while in the church but in the home and common political realm too. 

These distinctions that I am making between the kingdoms of this world and the kingdom of Christ, or the three spheres of family, society, and church, are helpful distinctions. And they are certainly biblical distinctions. But they must not be misunderstood as if we are saying that these spheres and kingdoms are so distinct that they are unrelated. Indeed, they are intertwined significantly. Life in one realm will affect life in the other. The kingdom of Christ will impact the kingdoms of this world and vice versa. And from time to time you can really feel the tension, can’t you?

It seems to me that we have felt the tension of our dual citizenship a little bit more than we have been accustomed to as of late. We should not be surprised by this as if some strange thing were happening to us. Truth be told, throughout the history of the world God’s people have sometimes enjoyed peace and tranquility as they sojourned amongst the nations. For some Christians, the tension of their dual citizenship was hardly felt. Yes, they were tempted by the world as we all are. And yes, many in the world did consider their faith to be foolish, etc. But they lived at peace. For others, the tension was extreme. For Christ himself, the tension was extreme. His own kinsmen delivered him to the Romans to be crucified because, among other things, he claimed to be the King of a Kingdom. The apostles of Christ, and the early church along with them, felt the tension too. Many of them endured persecution of one kind or another. And so, though we pray for peace and hope for peace, the Church of Christ must be prepared to suffer in this world. This is why Christ warned his disciples, saying, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you” (John 15:18, ESV).

I don’t know what the future holds for Christians living in this country. Will this nation continue down the path that the founding fathers set before it? One that seeks to honor all men as men made in the image of God? One that gives men the freedom to practice their religion without disturbance from governmental powers?  Will this nation continue to pursue the ideal that men and women be honored as such no matter their race or creed? Never has this nation lived perfectly according to this ideal. Indeed, at times it has fallen far short of it. But this ideal is embedded at the very heart of our Republic. Remember the preamble to the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”. This idea has produced the freest society in the history of the world. Christians, along with those of other religious convictions, have (generally speaking) been left free to worship as they please. And as a result, Christians living in this nation have felt relatively little tension as it pertains to their dual citizenship. Will our nation continue to pursue this ideal? Or will we go in the direction that some within our society are trying to take it, constantly drawing attention to our differences, rather than to what unites us, and allowing those who are strong to silence and oppress those with whom they disagree? Only God knows what the future holds. I’m praying that our liberties will be preserved and even enlarged. I also intend to engage politically — to vote for liberty and to seek to persuade others to do the same. 

But what if it is the will of the Lord to judge this nation by giving her over to her sin, and by allowing unjust rulers to ruler over us — men and women who govern with pride in their hearts and give no consideration to God or to his moral law revealed in creation and in the Holy Scriptures? What then?

Well, then the church in this land will need to learn how to live with the tension that many of our brothers and sisters in Christ live with throughout the world today. They are exiles and sojourners, and so are we. But they know it and feel it in ways that we who have lived within this free society have not. The same can be said about many of the Christians who have gone before us. They too lived as exiles and sojourners, as do we. But many of them knew it and felt it in a way that most of us have not. Christ lived with this tension. Paul the Apostle lived with it. And so did Timothy, his true child in the faith. These lived in an earthly kingdom that had very little toleration for the Kingdom of God and its claims.    

This is starting to feel like a real downer of a message, isn’t it? But really, it is not intended to be. In fact, I’m very hopeful concerning the future. I choose to be optimistic concerning the direction of our country — I pray that the Lord would have mercy , and much more importantly, my hope is in Christ. My hope is not in this country, our founding documents, a political party, or a presidential candidate. My hope is in Christ and in his kingdom. That is where my hope lies, and that is where my peace is found. I hope the same is true for you!  Furthermore, I am confident that Christ’s church is well equipped to thrive in societies that are free and open, and also in societies that are oppressive and closed. 

But if the church is to thrive in either of these types of societies, she must understand what she is and what she is called to do. Truth be told, there are many dangers for the church living in the midst of free societies. How easy it is for the church to grow complacent, to lose sight of her mission, and to forget how very distinct she is from the world.But the pressures that come upon the church living in an oppressive society are different. The church is pushed to the fringes of society, her members are often deprived of worldly comforts, and sometimes they are persecuted severely. In societies such as this Christians will be tempted to abandon the everlasting glories of the Kingdom of Christ so that they might enjoy the fleeting pleasures of this world. In both scenarios, the church had better know what she is and what she is called to be, if she is to remain faithful. Paul’s first letter to Timothy is going to help us, I think.

Here in verses 3 through 7 we immediately  begin to learn about what the church is and what she is called do. Two things are to be recognized. One, the church is a society born of the truth and called to defend and promote the truth. And two, the church is a society of love.

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The Church Is A Family Of Truth

First of all, let us recognize that the church is a family of truth. She is a family born of the truth. She is to preserve the truth. And she is to promote the truth within the world. 

Notice what Paul commanded Timothy to do. Verse 3: “As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus [that is, in the church at Ephesus] so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies…” (1 Timothy 1:3–4, ESV).

Timothy, remember, was a co-worker of Paul’s. He helped him plant many churches. And he served as Paul’s representative to churches that were in need that Paul was unable to visit (for whatever reason). Timothy functioned like a Pastor in these churches, but temporarily. His job, among other things, was to appoint elders (or Pastors) to continue the work after he left. 2 Timothy 2 speaks to this transition that was to take place between Timothy and those who would continue his work. There we find the words of Paul, “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:1–2, ESV). So the work that Paul gave to Timothy to do would be entrusted to others, specifically elders, who were considered faithful. 

What did Paul command Timothy to do? And by way of extension, what do the scriptures call Pastors to do within Christ’s church to this present day?

The first thing mentioned in this epistle is the proclamation and preservation of the truth. Timothy was to “charge” or we might say, order or command “certain persons not to teach and different doctrine.” 

The implication, of course, is that there were some within the church of Ephesus doing this very thing. Now, this should not surprise us. Pick up and read any book in the New Testament and you will discern that false teaching was a constant threat to the early church. Christ himself struggled with false teachers. And the apostle of Christ also fought against them constantly. In fact, take up and read the Old Testament scriptures too and you will see that false teaching has always been a threat to the people of God. And do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, when false teaching is something that we must contend with too.

Timothy, “charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine.” Think about that statement. That little statement says a lot. 

“Different doctrine”? Doctrine simply means teaching, by the way. Command that people not teach anything other than what has already been taught. No different teaching is to be allowed in Christ’s church, is the command. And the question that we must ask is, different from what? The answer to that question is rather obvious. No teaching is to be permitted in Christ’s church that differs from Paul’s teaching. And if we were to press the matter further we could say, no teaching is to be permitted that differs from the teaching of all the apostles, for they were unified in their doctrine (see Galatians 2, for example). And to push it a step further we could say that no teaching is to be permitted that is different from the teaching of Christ himself. The apostles, after all, were committed to further, not their doctrine, but the doctrine of Christ (see Luke 24 and Matthew 28, for example). And even Christ himself did not teach doctrine that was brand new and never before heard, but as the fulfillment of the law, the prophets, and the Psalms.

When Paul wrote to Timothy, saying, “charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine”, not only does he mean, do not allow any teaching that differs from mine, but also, do not allow any teaching that differs from the teaching of Holy Scripture — the law, the Psalms, and the prophets, of Christ as the fulfilment of these, and of his apostles, sent out into the world as his special representatives to make disciples, to baptize, and to teach observance of all that Christ has commanded.

Brethren, please understand this. The church of the living God is born by the truth of God’s word, she grows by this truth, she is held together by this truth, and she is therefore called to preserve and promote it. Paul will say this very thing a little later in his letter to Timothy: “I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:14–15, ESV).

Sound doctrine is vital to the church for many reasons. As I have just said, the church is born of the truth and she grows in her purity and maturity by the truth. But the truth of God’s word does also preserve the  unity and peace of the church. 

Verse 4 hints at this. Here Paul continues forbidding that any different doctrine be taught by forbidding the promotion of “myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith” (1 Timothy 1:4, ESV). Don’t allow anyone to teach different doctrine, and specifically, do not allow them to promote “myths and endless genealogies…”

What were these “myths and endless genealogies” that were being promoted amongst the Ephesians? 

Let me begin by simply defining the terms. “Myths” are legends, made up stories, fables and tales. And you know what “genealogies” are. A genealogy is a list of descent traced from an ancestor. Now, certainly there is nothing wrong with reading a fairytale to your children at bed. And certainly there is nothing wrong with researching your ancestry, or the ancestry of others. Clearly, these false teachers, whoever they were, were promoting “myths” and “genealogies” as if they were somehow central to the Christain faith and vital to the life of the church. Stated differently, instead of preaching and teaching the good news of Jesus Christ, they were devoted to speculations regarding mythical tales and genealogical records.

Students of the Bible and of history have wondered who exactly these false teachers were. Some believe that this teaching was an early form of gnosticism. Gnostics claimed to have special knowledge and insight. Their teaching would come to prominence in the second century AD, and the church in that age certainly had to contend with them. Others believe that these false teachers were of a Jewish background. And this seems more likely to me. You will notice that in verse 7 it is said of these teachers that they desire “to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions” (1 Timothy 1:7, ESV). The law that Paul refers to here is certainly the law of Moses. This will be proven next week. And so these teachers, whoever they were, and whatever their school of thought was, claimed to be experts in the law of Moses. They confidently asserted that they knew how to properly interpret Moses. But at the heart of their doctrine were “myths” — these were probably extra-biblical legends regarding the life of the Patriarchs — and “genealogies” — speculations drawn from the genealogical record of the law of Moses. And notice that these false teachers were bold. They made confident assertions regarding their claims. They were probably even eloquent and filled with charisma, as false teachers often are. But Paul urged Timothy to warn them against teaching this “different doctrine”.

Now some might be wondering, who’s to say that Paul and Timothy were right in their handling of the Old Testament and that these people were wrong? I suppose that is a valid question. In fact, the same question is asked regarding the differences of opinion that arise within Christ’s church to this present day. How do we know whose interpretation of scripture is correct?

To answer that question thoroughly would take some time, but for now let me simply say this. The Holy Scriptures are not merely a collection of individual and unrelated books written by many human authors over a long period of time. Rather, the scriptures claim to have one author, namly God himself, who inspired these human authors to write what they wrote. And one of the evidences for God being the author of scripture is the way in which all of these individual books tell one unified story. That story can be summarized in different ways. It is the story of our creation, man’s fall into sin, redemption in Jesus the Christ, and the consummation of all things at the end of time when all in Christ are brought to glory. Or we might tell the story in terms of promise and fulfilment. Or we might tell it terms of the advancement of God’s kingdom on earth — his kingdom was offered but rejected, promised to Adam, prefigured in Israel, inaugurated at Christ’s resurrection and will be consummated at the end of time. No matter how you tell the story, the covenants that God transacted with man are of central importance. Furthermore, as we read through the pages of Holy Scripture we recognize that they present not only the words of scripture themselves, but also a method of interpretation. David looked back upon the law of Moses, for example, and interpreted them in a particular way. And the prophets looked back upon David and Moses and interpreted them in a particular way. And Christ himself looked back upon the law, the Psalms and the prophets and interpreted them in a particular way — he saw himself as the fulfilment (see Luke 24!). And this method of interpretation was passed along to his apostles. And his apostles, having written scriptures themselves, passed along the scriptures of the Old Testament and then New to the next generation of pastors and teachers along with this method of interpretation embedded within. 

Perhaps you have noticed that false teachers quote scripture a lot. They make confident ascension, one of the common ones being, we are biblical! Well, how do we know? After all, they claim to believe the Bible and are quoting from it to support their teaching! One thing we must learn to do is to ask the question: are they handling the scriptures in the way that the psalmists, the prophets, Christ and his apostles handled it. Are they telling the same story, or some other. Are they preaching Christ as the fulfillment of the law, Psalms and prophets? Are they showing him to be the anti-type to all of the types found in the Old Testament? Are they telling of the arrival of his kingdom? Are they preaching the glories of the gospel, the marvelous truth that the Redeemer has come, and that salvation is found in him? Or are they distracted with some other empty message which leads only to empty speculations and division?

There is nothing new under the sun, friends. How easy it is for the church today to get off  track and to devote themselves to endless speculations about things other than Christ and his kingdom as revealed in the pages of Holy Scripture. 

This little phrase “charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine”, brought to mind the end of our time at the church that many of us were driven out of over 9 years ago now. One of the refrains that I heard over and over again was “doctrine divides by Jesus unites.” Perhaps some of you remember that refrain. The meaning is that when doctrine is taught within the church it brings division to the church, but if we would only focus on Jesus then we would remain united. I thought that was a ridiculous statement 9 years ago, and even more so today! In fact, we have found the opposite to be true. Having a robust confession of faith and teaching biblical doctrine has preserved and strengthened our unity. And this also is the clear teaching of scripture. God’s truth does not divide, it unifies his church. Speculation over things not revealed in scripture will divide, but doctrine unites! The church is born out of truth, she is sanctified by truth, and she is also unified in the truth.

Notice what Paul says regarding the fruit of this false teaching which promoted “myths” and never ending discussions about “genealogies”. These “promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith” (1 Timothy 1:4, ESV). 

To speculate is to form a theory without firm evidence. These “myths” and “genealogies” could not provide a firm foundation for the people of God to build their faith upon, for they were empty stories and a misuse of the genealogies found within the law of Moses. These myths and genealogies produced nothing but empty and never ending speculation within the congregation — “vain discussion[s]”, as they are called in verse 6 —  rather than what the truth of the gospel is to produce, namly “stewardship from God that is by faith.”

A steward is a household manager. He is a servant in his masters’ home whose responsibility it is to set the household in order and to keep it that way. Timothy, and all other ministers of the gospel, are to view themselves as stewards. Their job is to establish and maintain order in the church which is “the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15, ESV). This, by the way, is why one of the qualifications for an elder is that “He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?” (1 Timothy 3:4–5, ESV). A pastor is called to manage God’s household and to establish and maintain good order there. And what will produce good order? Truth will. Sound doctrine will. Faith in God and in his word will.  

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The Church Is A Family Of Love

The church is a family of truth. Secondly, lastly, and rather briefly, the church is a family of love.

This is what Paul says in verse 5: “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5, ESV). Paul’s charge — that is the charge that no different doctrine be taught, but only the true doctrine of Christ which he had first preached to the Epheians — has this as it aim, its goal, or objective: love.

This is a beautiful and very succinct way to state the object of the minister of the gospel: love is the goal. And what is love? To say that “love is love” is to say nothing at all. Instead, we must confess that God is love. And if someone is to love truly, first they must love God supremely, and the Christ that he has sent. Only then will they be able to love their neighbor to the utmost. But what does it look like to love God and man? To love God with all the heart, soul, mind and strength and to love one’s neighbor as oneself is to keep God’s commandments. This is Paul’s aim: love. This is what he desires to produce within the Christian congregation, not idle speculation and vain discussion, but love. Love for God, and love for one another.

I do not mind devoting less time to this point today, for really we will pick up here in the next passage where Paul defends the goodness of the law, provided that one uses it lawfully. There in verses 8-11 we will be given an overview of God’s law as summarized in the ten commandments. And do not forget what Christ said when he was asked to identify the most important law. He said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37–39, ESV).

This is Paul’s objective, to produce love for God and love for one another within the Christain congregation. This is another way of saying that obedience to God’s moral law, righteousness and holiness is his aim. If we are God’s children redeemed by the blood of the lamb and adopted as sons, then it follows that we should be holy. This is what Peter says: “but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:15–16, ESV). And this is the apostles aim. When he forbids false doctrine, and commands that true doctrine be preached, his aim is love. Love for God and man, which is also conformity to God’s law from the heart. 

You can probably hear the echo of Christ’s words, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”, in Paul’s words, “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith”. Paul’s aim is not to produce a superficial love, or the appearance of love within the church, but true love, mature love, love that issues from a heart made pure. 

First of all, Paul teaches that for love to be true it must issue from a pure heart. The heart is the center of man’s being. It is the true person. And if the heart is impure, our love will be impure, tainted with selfish ambition, pride, greed, and all manner of pollution. Do you wish to love God truly? Do you wish to love your neighbor as yourself? Then your heart must be pure. It must be made pure by the blood of the Lamb and the regeneration of the Spirit, but it must also be keep pure. If you allow bitterness or unforgiveness to reside in your heart it will pollute your love. If you are jealous, it will pollute your love. If your heart has been overrun with the anxieties of life, your love will be stifled. Paul’s aim is love that issues from a pure heart within the congregation.

Secondly, true love must issue from a good conscience. The conscience is that part of man that ios able to discern between right and wrong. Our conscience condemns us when we do wrong, and commends us when we do right. The conscience of sinful man is not good, but is seared because of sin — twisted out of shape so that we often call evil “good”, and good “evil”. If we are to love God and man truly, then our conscience must be good. We have a conscience because we are made in the image of God. Our conscience is corrupt because of the sin of Adam, but it is renewed in Christ. Friends, if your conscience is to be good then you must be renewed in Christ by his word and Spirit. And even those in Christ must keep the conscience pure by doing that which is good, and turning from that which is evil. Paul’s aim is love that issues from a good conscience within the Christian congregation. 

Three, true love must issue from a sincere faith. It is only through faith in Christ that our hearts can be pure and our consciences good. And it is only through faith in Christ that we can love, worship, and serve God in a way that is pleasing to God. Apart from faith in Christ we stand guilty before him. If we are to love the brethren then we must have sincere faith — faith that is genuine and lacking in pretence — for it is our faith in Christ that binds us together. By faith we are together united to Christ. By faith we are together adopted into God’s family. By faith we have together been set apart in this world to worship and serve Father. Paul’s aim is to make our faith strong and sincere, so that we might love God truly, and be bound together in love.

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Closing Prayer

Baptist Catechism 36

Question: What is justification?

Answer: Justification is an act of God’s free grace, wherein He pardoneth all our sins, and accepteth us as righteous in His sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone. 

Scripture Reading: Romans 3:21-30

“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.” (Romans 3:21–30, ESV)

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Please excuse any 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 fair to say that the doctrine of justification is among the most important doctrines of the Christian faith. There are other doctrines that are of supreme importance.  For example, it is imperative that we think correctly about the inspiration and authority of Holy Scripture, the nature and attributes of God, and the person and work of Christ. Really, there is no such thing as an unimportant doctrine, since all doctrine does hang together — what we think about one topic affects what we think about other topics. But I’m sure that you would agree that some doctrines are more foundational and central to the Christain faith than others. The doctrine of justification is one of those foundational and central doctrines.

The doctrine of justification falls under the heading of the doctrine of salvation. When we talk about justification we are asking, in general, how can a sinner be made right with God? Certainly, this question should be of great concern to us. We know that we are by nature sinners who stand guilty before God. How can we be made right with him?  

It is well understood that this question was a central concern of that movement that was sparked in the 16th century by Martin Luther, commonly called the Protestant Reformation. The Reformers did not randomly decide to fixate on the doctrine of justification but were forced to given that this central and foundational doctrine had been so terribly distorted by the church as it developed (or we might say, degenerated) in the medieval period. In the days leading up to the Protestant Reformation, it was commonly taught and believed that a person was justified, not by the grace of God alone, and by faith in Christ alone, but by works also. To be justified, God must do his part, and you must do yours. That was the view, simply stated. 

There is only one problem with that view: it is not true, according to the scriptures. The Reformers were able to recover the truth regarding justification only because they first understood that the scriptures are our authority for truth, and not tradition, as the Romanists were teaching, and still teach to this present day. Five “solas” (or “alones” summarize the Reformed position: “Sola Scriptura” (Scripture Alone); “Sola Gratia” (Grace Alone); “Sola Fide” (Faith Alone); “Solus Christus” (Christ Alone); and “Soli Deo Gloria” (To God Alone Be Glory). Four of the five”solas” have the question of justification in view. How can a sinner be made right with God? Well, the Reformed said, and we agree with them, that we must go to the scriptures to find out, for the scriptures alone are our authority for truth. Tradition may be helpful — indeed, it is very helpful to consider what those who have gone before us in the history of the church have said — but tradition is not authoritative in the way that scripture is. “Sola scriptura”. And when we go to the scriptures with the question, how can a sinner be justified? The answer is very clear: by the grace of God alone, through faith in Christ alone, and to the glory of God alone.

You heard all of that when I read Romans 3:21-30 just a moment ago. 

The righteousness of God, that is to say, the righteousness that God requires and provides is made available to sinners apart from the law (though the law and prophets bear witness to it). In other words, no one will be made right before God by law-keeping. We cannot be justified through obedience to God or good works. When the Romanists teach that we are justified by grace, through faith, and by merit, they contradict the clear teaching of scripture. And they obliterate the gospel.  No, we are not made right by merit. Instead, “the righteousness of God [is] through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.” 

The apostle is clear, we are justified by grace. It is a gift to be received, not a reward to be earned. And how is this justification received? It is received by faith — faith in the Christ who laid down his life as a propitiation, or sacrifice, to atone for sin and to appease God’s wrath. God accomplished our salvation in this way so that he might be both “just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus”.

Paul notes, as he does in many other places, that there is no room for boasting, therefore. We are justified, not because of anything that we have done, but because of what God has done for us in sending his Son and in calling us to himself through faith in him. This is the gospel, pure and undefiled. It is all by the grace of God, and not of works, lest anyone should boast. 

And then Paul concludes that passage with these words, “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.” So no, there is not one way of salvation for the Jews, and another for the Gentiles. All have broken God’s law and are guilty. So if any are to stand righteous before the God of all creation, then they must be found in Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. 

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 Catechism Explained

As I have said before, our catechism is simply a summary of the teaching of Holy Scripture concerning doctrines that are foundational and central to the Christian faith. The catechism provides a very brief summary of the doctrines, and does so in the form of questions and answers. Our confession of faith also summarizes the teaching Holy Scripture. The confession is more thorough. And instead of asking questions and answers, it simply presents statements — the confession confesses what we believe the scriptures to teach. Both documents are very useful in their own ways. I would encourage you to look at the Second London Confession chapter 11 for a more thorough presentation of the doctrine of justification. For now, let us briefly consider Baptist Catechism 36 piece by piece. It is a marvelous little presentation of the Bible’s teaching on justification. 

Question: What is justification?

The first thing we learn is that “Justification is an act of God’s free grace…” 

Who justifies? It is not we who justify ourselves, but God who justifies us!

And why does he justify a sinner? What has moved him to do such a thing? Well, nothing deserving within the sinner. “Justification is an act of God’s free grace…” He justifies a sinner freely. It is by grace, which means that it is a gift, pure and simple. 

It is important that you are able to distinguish the difference between a gift and a wage. Paul actually makes this distinction in Romans 4, which follows the passage we have been considering tonight. When someone gives you something and calls it “a gift”, that means you did nothing to earn it, nor is anything expected of you in the future. It is a gift. If the person gives you something — money, or some other thing, as compensation for something that you did, or are expected to do, then it is a wage. It is payment for some good or service that was, or will be, rendered. And Paul is adamant, justification is a gift that is received, it is not a reward or payment to be earned. And so our catechism is right to say that “Justification is an act of God’s free grace…”

The word “wherein” indicates that we are about to be told what justification involves. Two things are mentioned: 

One, when we are justified “[God] pardoneth all our sins”. This means he forgives our sin, excuses our sin, and declares us not guilty. As I have said before, this is legal terminology. The judge of all the earth pardons us when we are justified.

Two, he “accepteth us as righteous in His sight…” The legal declaration brings about a change as it pertains to our position before God. We are moved from standing guilty before the judge, to being righteous in his sight. 

This is marvelous news. Not only does God pardon us, he makes us righteous. He does not merely forgive our sin so that he might send us away “not guilty”, he does also make us righteous so that we might stand before him. In financial terms, he does not merely forgive our great debt so that we have a balance of zero (only to send us away a broke beggars), a makes a deposit to our account of infinite worth so that we stand before him rich and well supplied.

How does he do this? How can the judge of all the earth simply pardon sin, and make those pardoned righteous? 

Actually, this is a problem that Paul addressed in that passage we have been considering. Do you remember that little phrase, “so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” That little phrase concludes a little section where Paul is wrestling with the question, how can God simply pardon sin? In other words, is it right or just for God to simply pardon sin. And if you follow the Apostle you will see his answer. God is able to be both “just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus”, because of the way that he has accomplished our redemption. In brief, he has provided a substitute. Someone truly righteous has died in the place of sinners, Christ Jesus the Lord. 

And notice, lastly, that our catechism concludes by making this very point, saying, “only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.”

We are pardoned because our sins were paid for  by Christ on the cross. He stood in our place as our substitute. He bore the wrath that was owed to us. He paid the penalty that we deserved to pay. Our sins are forgiven because they have been paid for by Christ. And stand before God righteous because Christ has given his righteousness to us. 

A great exchange has taken place. Christ took our sins stained garments away, and we have been clothed in white, Christ’s righteousness having been imputed to us. And so we stand before God pure. We have reconciled to him, the problem of the guilt of sin having been removed. 

And how is all of this received? By faith. Faith is trusting in the work of another. Faith is running into the arms of Jesus for rescue. To have faith in Christ means that you have abandoned all hope and confidence in yourself, and look to Christ alone for the forgiveness of sins. 

Let me ask you this, how else could we possibly receive this gift of salvation if not by faith. Any other means of receiving salvation would turn salvation from being a gift to be received into a reward to be earned. For Jesus Christ, salvation was a reward to be earned. He earned it through active and passive obedience to the Father. He perfectly accomplished God’s will, he kept God law, and he suffered in whole of life and in death. Christ earned salvation. But he gives this salvation to God’s elect as a gift. And I am asking, how else could this gift possibly be received if not by faith? If God were to say to us, salvation is yours, provided that you do so many good works, or provided that obey my law more than you disobey, or provided that you love me enough, or serve me enough, or climb this mountain, or make this pilgrimage, our give this alms… I think you get it. If being justified depends upon anything other than faith in Christ, then this salvation is not a gift to be received, but a wage to be earned. And if salvation is a wage to be earned, then the gospel is no gospel at all, for we are helpless sinners.  

This idea is not mine. Paul said this very thing in Romans 4:16: “That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all…” (Romans 4:16, ESV).

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Conclusion 

So I must ask, are you justified? Have your sins been pardoned and have you been clothed with the righteousness of Christ? Do you stand righteous before God? Stated differently, do you have faith in Christ?

This might seem like a strange question to ask of a group of people who have assembled in Jesus’ name on the Lord’s Day evening to offer up worship to God. But consider these things:

One, this audio is being recorded. Who knows who will listen to it in the future. Perhaps the Lord would use this teaching concerning justification to draw a sinner to repentance. If that is you — if the Spirit of God is using the word of God to convict you of sin and to draw you to faith in Christ, then turn from your sin truly and confess that Jesus is Lord through the waters of baptism. This will require you to find a church where the word of God is proclaimed and the ordinances of Christ are faithfully administered. Contact us if you need help finding such a church.

Two, there are children and young people present in this assembly. It is possible that one of these has listened to this teaching on justification, has understood the gospel for the first time, and has come to the realization that they are not Christains because their parents are Chridtians, but that they must turn from their sins to trust in Christ. Children and young people, do you have in Christ? Do you trust, not in your own good works, but in his good work, to make you righteous before God. Repent. Turn from your sin and say Jesus is Lord through the waters of baptism. You may speak to your parents or to me if you have further questions.

Three, I am aware that it is possible for a person to attend church for a very long time, and even to be a faithful member of the church, but to be lost in the sin, having been blind to the truth of the gospel for all those years. Some people practice religion but with pride in the heart. Though they profess to trust in Christ, in the heart they trust only in themselves. We should all be aware of this possibility. We should examine our hearts daily to drive away sin and pride, and to be sure that we are indeed in Christ, trusting only in him and in his finished work, for the forgiveness of our sins. 

Question: What is justification?

Answer: Justification is an act of God’s free grace, wherein He pardoneth all our sins, and accepteth us as righteous in His sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone. 

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)