Second London Confession 26.4

“The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the church, in whom, by the appointment of the Father, all power for the calling, institution, order or government of the church, is invested in a supreme and sovereign manner; neither can the Pope of Rome in any sense be head thereof, but is that antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that exalteth himself in the church against Christ, and all that is called God; whom the Lord shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.”

(Colossians 1:18; Matthew 28:18-20; Ephesians 4:11, 12; 2 Thessalonians 2:2-9)

Scripture Reading: Matthew 28:18–20

“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:18–20)

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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

The first three paragraphs of chapter 26 of our confession are very important because they are fundamental. In paragraph 1, the catholic or universal church is defined. In paragraph 2, the local, visible church is described. And in paragraph 3 we find a word of caution and clarification about local churches: “The purest churches under heaven are subject to mixture and error; and some have so degenerated as to become no churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan; nevertheless Christ always hath had, and ever shall have a kingdom in this world, to the end thereof, of such as believe in him, and make profession of his name.” 

As I have said, the first three paragraphs of chapter 26 of our confession are very important because they present the most fundamental of truths regarding the church. Essentially, they answer the question, what is the church, and who are its members to be? But if you were to ask me, what is the most important paragraph in chapter 26 of our confession, or what is the most important principle in chapter 26, I think I would say, apart from the fundamental principles articulated in paragraphs 1 & 2, paragraph 4 is the most significant, especially the principle articulated in the first sentence:  “The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the church…” It is this principle – the principle of the exclusive Lordship and Headship of Jesus Christ over the church – that informs all that will be said in the subsequent paragraphs regarding the calling, institution, and government of local churches.

Stated differently, if you were to ask me to state the most important principle in our doctrine of the church and do so in one sentence, I would choose the opening line of Second London Confession (2LCF) 26.4: “The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the church, in whom, by the appointment of the Father, all power for the calling, institution, order or government of the church, is invested in a supreme and sovereign manner…” everything else we will say about the doctrine of the church and church polity flows from this governing principle. 

Sadly, the supreme importance of the first half of paragraph 4 is often eclipsed by the now-controversial statement made in the second half of the paragraph. And to be clear, when I say “sadly” I do not mean that I am sad that the second half of the paragraph says what it says! The thing that saddens me is that some are bothered by the statement and allow it to distract them from the main point of the paragraph, which is to assert that the Lord Jesus Christ is alone the Head of the church.

The statement made in the second half of paragraph 4 is probably considered the most controversial statement in our confession by modern readers. I say, by modern readers, because the Protestants and the Reformed living in the 17th century would not have hesitated in the least to confess, “neither can the Pope of Rome in any sense be head thereof, but is that antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that exalteth himself in the church against Christ, and all that is called God; whom the Lord shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.” I confess this without hesitation, and I think you should too! But to confess this without hesitation we need to understand what it means. To understand what it means, we need to interpret these words in their context. And that is what we will do.    

The Lord Jesus Christ Is The Head Of The Church 

In the introductory sermon in this series, I asked you to look for two themes as we progress through chapter 26 together. Look for Jesus Christ and ask, what is the relationship between Christ and the church? And look for the theme of power. Where does church power supremely reside, where does it go, and how is it distributed? Look for Jesus Christ and the theme of church power. That was my request.

Jesus Christ has already appeared in the first three paragraphs. 

Who are the members of the catholic or universal church? 2LCF 26.1 says, that the universal church is invisible and it  “consists of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ, the head thereof; and is the spouse, the body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” Jesus is there identified as the head of the catholic church. And the members of the catholic church are made to be members only through their faith-bound and Holy Spirit-wrought union with him. Christ is the head of the church universally, and all of the elect become members of his body when they repent and believe. 

To review: Who is the head of the catholic church, friends? Christ alone. Is the catholic church visible or invisible? It is invisible, presently. Will the catholic church always be invisible? No, it will be made visible someday. When will the catholic church be made visible? When Christ, the head of the church, returns to judge, make all things new, and bring his body into the new heaven and earth that he has prepared for them. I would encourage you to keep these facts about the catholic church in mind as we progress.    

Jesus Christ also appears in 2LCF 26.2. Who are to be received as members of local, visible churches? Visible saints are. And who are we to regard as visible saints? All people “throughout the world professing the faith of the gospel, and obedience unto God by Christ according unto it, not destroying their own profession by any errors everting the foundation, or unholiness of conversation, are and may be called visible saints…” These are to be received as members of local, visible churches. They are those who profess faith in Jesus Christ, who is the Head of the catholic or universal church. 

Christ also appears in 2LCF 26.3. That paragraph, remember, is about local, visible churches. Notice the word churches is plural. There is one universal church of Christ. There are many local churches. And notice that these churches are said to be on earth, not in heaven. This paragraph is about the local church. It reminds us that no local church is perfectly pure. The best of them are subject to mixture and error. Mixture and error in a local church does not mean that it is not a church of Christ. But it is possible for a church to so degenerate, either through the abandonment of the foundational truths of the faith or by being thoroughly overrun by sin, that it is no longer a church of Christ but a synagogue of Satan. The paragraph concludes with a comforting truth: “Nevertheless Christ always hath had, and ever shall have a kingdom in this world, to the end thereof, of such as believe in him, and make profession of his name.” So then, the local church is the visible manifestation of Christ’s heavenly kingdom. 

Christ is all over the first three paragraphs of 2LCF 26. Christ is the head of the invisible, universal church. He is the head, therefore, of every visible, local church. It’s members are those who credibly profess to be united to him by faith. It is in the local church that the kingdom of heaven is manifest. Christ is the King of that kingdom! The citizens of this kingdom are those who credibly say, “Jesus is Lord!”

Notice how all of this comes to a climax in the first sentence of 2LCF 26.4: “The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the church.” The title Christ appears four times in the first three chapters of 2LCF 26, but here Jesus is called the “Lord Jesus Christ”. This is to stress his Lordship or Kingship over the church. 

When our confession says that Christ is head of the church it means he is above the church and rules over it, just as the head rules over the body. It means that he gives life to the church, just as the head gives life to the body. It means that he provides for the church, just as the head does the body.  

This imagery of Christ being the head of the church comes from Scripture. 

It appears in Colossians 1:18 and 2:19. In Colossians 1:18 Paul says that Christ, “is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.” In Colossians 2:19 the Christian is warned to not go astray and is urged to hold “fast to the Head [that is, to Christ], from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God” (Colossians 2:19). 

Paul uses the same language in his letter to the Ephesians. 

In Ephesians 1:22, after speaking of the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ into heaven, Paul says, “And [God] put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” (Ephesians 1:22–23)

In Ephesians 4:15 Paul exhorts the Christian to speak “the truth in love” and to “grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” (Ephesians 4:15–16)

And finally, in Ephesians 5:23-26 Paul says, “For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word…” (Ephesians 5:23–26) That passage is about marriage, but in it, we also learn a great deal about Christ and his relationship to the church. He is the head of the church, and the church his is body. The church is to submit to Christ in all things.

How did Jesus Christ come to be the head of the catholic church? Our confession says “it was by the appointment of the Father.” It was God the Father who appointed Christ the Son to this position of headship. Christ earned this position through his obedient life and sacrificial death. This reminds me of Psalm 110:1 “The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool’” (Psalm 110:1). This Psalm is about God inviting the Messiah to take his seat on his heavenly throne until the final judgment and consummation of all things. When the Father appoints Christ to this position of headship over the catholic church. When Christ died, rose again, ascended to heaven, and sat down at the Father’s right hand!

What does it mean that Christ sat down at the Father’s right hand? It means that he sat down upon his heavenly throne and assumed power.

Power over what? The Scriptures say that Christ has been given power over all things.

In Ephesians 1 Paul told the Christians in Ephesus that he prayed constantly for them. He also told them what he prayed for them about. It’s interesting, he did not say that he prayed for their ailments and comfort here on earth, but that God would give them “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, [woukd] give [them] the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of [Christ]” (Ephesians 1:17). In particular, he prayed that they would have the eyes of the hearts enlightened and come to know the hope to which God had called them and how rich and glorious their inheritance is in Christ Jesus, “and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:19–21). 

What does Christ have power and authority over? All things. This is what he meant when he spoke to his Apostles after his resurrection, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18). But notice that Christ has a special kind of power and authority over the church, for this is where his heavenly and eternal kingdom is now manifest – in the church. 

In the Ephesians passage we were just considering, after saying that God seated Christ “at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:19–21), Paul adds these words, “And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:22–23).

What does Christ have power and authority over? All things in heaven and on earth. And where is the power of his kingdom especially manifest? In the church! For God has given the one who has all things under his feet as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. That Christ exercises a special kind of headship, authority, and power over the church is also made clear in the great commission. “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18–20). It is Christ’s supreme authority and power over the church that our confession highlights, for that is what this chapter is about – the church! Does Christ rule the nations? Yes! God now rules the nations through him! Chapter 24 or our confession is about that! But here in chapter 26, we are considering the way in which God rules his church through Christ the King. The Lord Jesus Christ has all church power entrusted to him. Here is the full statement: “The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the church, in whom, by the appointment of the Father, all power for the calling, institution, order or government of the church, is invested in a supreme and sovereign manner…”

Not only did I ask you to look out for Jesus Christ in 2LCF 26. I also asked you to look for the theme of church power. It is here in 2LCF 26.4 that the word power appears for the first time. “The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the church, in whom, by the appointment of the Father, all power”, that is to say, church power, “is invested in a supreme and sovereign manner.” The word power will appear five more times in this chapter of the confession and we will need to pay careful attention to it. The question will need to ask is, where does this power go and how is this power executed? But think we must notice today is that church power belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ in a supreme and sovereign manner. His power over the church is supreme. No one is equal to or above him, except the Father who has granted this authority to him. And his power is sovereign. It is unlimited.

How does Christ execute this power that has been invested in him? We will learn more about this in the following paragraphs, but we find a summary here in 2LCF 26.4. Our confession says that Christ has “all power for the calling, institution, order or government of the church.”

2LCF 26.5  will elaborate on the power Christ has to call his church into existence. There we read, “In the execution of this power wherewith he is so intrusted, the Lord Jesus calleth out of the world unto himself, through the ministry of his word, by his Spirit, those that are given unto him by his Father, that they may walk before him in all the ways of obedience, which he prescribeth to them in his word. Those thus called, he commandeth to walk together in particular societies, or churches, for their mutual edification, and the due performance of that public worship, which he requireth of them in the world.”

2LCF 26.6 will elaborate on the power Christ has to institute (begin, establish, or form) local churches. There we read, “The members of these churches are saints by calling, visibly manifesting and evidencing (in and by their profession and walking) their obedience unto that call of Christ; and do willingly consent to walk together, according to the appointment of Christ; giving up themselves to the Lord, and one to another, by the will of God, in professed subjection to the ordinances of the Gospel.” 

2LCF 26.7 will elaborate on the power Christ has to order his churches. There we read, “To each of these churches thus gathered, according to his mind declared in his word, he hath given all that power and authority, which is in any way needful for their carrying on that order in worship and discipline, which he hath instituted for them to observe; with commands and rules for the due and right exerting, and executing of that power.

Finally, 2LCF 26.8 will elaborate on the power Christ has to govern his churches. There we read, “A particular church, gathered and completely organized according to the mind of Christ, consists of officers and members; and the officers appointed by Christ to be chosen and set apart by the church (so called and gathered), for the peculiar administration of ordinances, and execution of power or duty, which he intrusts them with, or calls them to, to be continued to the end of the world, are bishops or elders, and deacons.

This is the power that is invested in Christ in a supreme and sovereign manner. For this reason, the catholic (or universal) church is subject to him and him alone.

The Pope Of Rome Is Not Head Of The Chruch

 It is only against this backdrop that the second portion of 2LCF 26.4 can be rightly understood. Quoting now James Renihan, “It is not primarily a statement about eschatology (which is frequently how it is viewed) but rather of ecclesiology, intended as a contrast with the sovereign lordship granted to Christ. To create a visible head on earth as a replacement for the true invisible head who is enthroned above is blasphemous” (Renihan, Baptist Symboliucs Volume 2, 488). Renihan is correct! And that is precisely what the Roman Catholics have done! They claim that the Pope is the vicar of Christ on earth. They regard him to be the visible head of the catholic church. But alone Christ is the head! And he rules in reigns, not visibly on earth, but in heaven. In the Roman Catholic system, the Pope is exulted to a position he has no right to. He is regarded as the head of the catholic church! And what have they done with Christ? They have, in the sacrifice of the mass, moved Christ off of his heavenly home and have placed him perpetually back on the cross. Both the papacy and the sacrifice of the mass are to be regarded as blasphemies. 

But in reality, “The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the church, in whom, by the appointment of the Father, all power for the calling, institution, order or government of the church, is invested in a supreme and sovereign manner; neither can the Pope of Rome in any sense be head thereof, but is that antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that exalteth himself in the church against Christ, and all that is called God; whom the Lord shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.” 

Today, when protestants hear the word “antichrist” they will typically think of an individual who will appear at the end of time. And so many modern readers of the confession have assumed our confession is claiming the Pope who was alive in the 17th century when the confession was written was the Antichrist. But that is not what the men who wrote the confession (the Westminster or ours) believed. Notice, our confession does not say the Pope is the Antichrist, but that Antichrist. This is a reference to 1 John 2:18 which says, “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.” (1 John 2:18, AV). James Renihan states, “Unlike the Roman interpretations, among the Protestants, Antichrist was not identified as an individual, but as a designation for a system dominated by men” (Renihan, Baptist Symboliucs Volume 2, 488). When the Protestants of the 16th and 17th centuries considered the Pope and the papacy that then existed, they saw a system worthy of the designation “antichrist.” They saw a manifestation of that man of sin, and son of perdition that Paul describes in 2 Thessalonians 2:2-9. That man of sin and son of perdition is, in that passage, said to exalt himself against all that is called God and to take his seat in the temple of God, that is to say, the church. Again I say, that the papacy of the 16th and 17th centuries, and the papacy of today, fits the bill. Finally, our confession adds these words (they are not found in the WCF): “whom the Lord shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.”

Concerning this phrase, Renihan says, “This supplemental sentence does introduce an eschatological element into the doctrine, but its intention may be slightly different to what the modern reader might presume. Commenting on 2 Thessalonians 2.8, which states that the Lord ‘shall destroy with the brightness of his coming’ the Man of Sin, the English Annotations places this event at ‘the day of judgment.’ This fits the language of 32.1, which asserts that judgment will be meted out and all must give an account. Modern eschatological views must not be read back into these confessions” (Renihan, Baptist Symboliucs Volume 2, 490).  

Conclusion

As I have said, I am glad our confession contains this statement about the Pope as that antichrist for is it a concrete example of the usurpation of the power that belongs to Christ alone. But let’s be honest. We have our own problems within Protestantism. Over the years I’ve grown convinced that one of the biggest problems we have within Protestantism today is a deficient doctrine of the church. And if you were to ask me what is the most important principle that has been lost and needs to be regained, it is this: “The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the church, in whom, by the appointment of the Father, all power for the calling, institution, order or government of the church, is invested in a supreme and sovereign manner…” May the Lord have mercy on us and grant us the understanding, wisdom, and strength to build God’s house, not on the shifting sands of the opinions of man, but upon the rock solid truth of Christ and his word.    

Old Testament Reading: Ezekiel 34:1-24

“The word of the LORD came to me: ‘Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord GOD: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered; they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them. ‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: As I live, declares the Lord GOD, surely because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep, therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: Thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them. For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice. As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and male goats. Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture; and to drink of clear water, that you must muddy the rest of the water with your feet? And must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet? Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD to them: Behold, I, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. Because you push with side and shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad, I will rescue my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep. And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the LORD; I have spoken.” (Ezekiel 34:1–24)

New Testament Reading: Luke 15

“Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.’ So he told them this parable: ‘What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. ‘Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.’ And he said, ‘There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. ‘But when he came to himself, he said, ‘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.’ ’ And 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. ‘Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’” (Luke 15)

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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

The three parables we have just read, the parable of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son, go together. 

Christ told these three parables in response to the situation described in Luke 15:1-2. There we read, “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear [Jesus]” (Luke 15:1). This means that, at this point in Jesus’ ministry, many who were known to be sinners within society were flocking to Jesus. The tax collectors were despised by the Jews. If Jewish, they were regarded as traitors because they collected taxes from their kinsmen on behalf of Rome. All of them had a bad reputation given the prevalence of corruption among them. Back in Luke 3, “Tax collectors… came to [John the Baptist to] be baptized and said to him, ‘Teacher, what shall we do?’ And [John] said to them, ‘Collect no more than you are authorized to do’” (Luke 3:14). In other words, he commanded them to repent of their sin of greed and corruption. If they wished to follow after God and Christ they would have to repent. Now we see that many tax collectors followed Jesus. I think we are to take this to mean that many of the tax collectors had turned from their sins and had believed in Jesus as the Messiah. The word “sinners” is more generic. It is used to refer to those who were known to live a life of sin. These sinners were known to be sexually immoral (see Luke 7:37), drunkards, and gluttons (see Luke 7:35). And these were the kinds of people who were responding to the preaching of Jesus and his disciples. These were the kinds of people who were turning from their sins and following after him. “The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear [Jesus]”, our text says. 

In verse 2 we read, “And the Pharisees and the scribes…”, that is to say, those who were regarded as righteous within society, and who regarded themselves to be righteous, they “grumbled, saying, ‘This man [Jesus] receives sinners and eats with them” (Luke 15:2). When you and I consider the words of the Pharisees and scribes, “This man [Jesus] receives sinners and eats with them”, hopefully, we think, Yes, he does! Thanks be to God for the mercy and grace he has shown to us in the Messiah! But the scribes and Pharisees did not rejoice in this fact. Instead, they grumbled and complained. 

Can we just take a moment to think about this reaction and let it sink in? The scribes and Pharisees – the religious leaders and shepherds of Israel – were bothered by the fact that Jesus would associate with sinners. Listen again to the text: They “grumbled, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.’” Notice, they were not upset that Jesus was gaining followers. They did not grumble, saying, why are all these people flocking to Jesus? They ought to be coming to us! No, they themselves wanted nothing to do with these tax collectors and sinners and they were repulsed by the fact that Jesus received and ate with them! Think about it. What does this reveal about the religious beliefs of the scribes and Pharisees? What does this reveal about how they viewed God and his heart for sinners? What does this reveal about their expectations for the Messiah?  What does this reveal about how they viewed themselves? In brief, they could not comprehend that God would show love to sinners like this. As they contemplated the Messiah, they did not envision him as one who would associate with sinners like this. When Messiah comes, he will certainly be one with us and associate with us, or so the scribes and Pharisees thought.  And clearly, they viewed themselves as righteous! They looked upon the tax collectors and sinners with contempt. Only these beliefs in the mind a heart could produce this response: they “grumbled, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.’” 

The three parables that Jesus told, as recorded here in Luke 15, were told in response to the grumbling and complaining of the scribes and Pharisees. The meaning of each of these parables is basically the same. Each one reveals the truth about the heart of God towards sinners. God and his elect angels rejoice in heaven when a lost sinner recognizes his sin and turns from it to place their faith in the Messiah! These parables also teach us something about the mission of the Messiah. God the Father sent the son to seek and to save lost sinners! In Luke 19:10 Jesus states his mission in these exact terms: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” These parables illustrate this truth. And finally, these parables condemn the scribes and Pharisees for their self-righteous and judgemental pride.

If time were not a factor, I suppose I could preach one sermon on all three parables. But given our time limits I thought it best to consider the first two parables – the parable of the lost sheep and coin – today. And to save the parable of the lost son for next Sunday.

The Parable Of The Lost Sheep

Look with me at verse 3. After informing us that “the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them’” (Luke 15:2), Luke writes, “So he told them this parable…” (Luke 15:3). I take the pronoun “them” to be a reference up the scribes and Pharisees and to the multitudes that followed after him, many of them having been notorious sinners before their conversion. To whom did Jesus tell this parable? To the multitude that followed him and to the scribes and Pharisees. This parable, and the two that follow, were designed to condemn the scribes and Pharisees for their lovelessness, their self-righteous pride, and their judgemental spirits, while at the same time bringing comfort to the multitude of sinners that had followed after Jesus.   

In verse 4 the parable begins. “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?” (Luke 15:4). Here Christ suggests that this is the behavior you would expect from a shepherd. If a shepherd has a flock of 100 sheep and one is missing, he will leave the 99 in the open country to graze while he searches for the one lost sheep. 

The shepherd represents Christ. The 99 sheep represent the nation of Israel. 

The nation of Israel is often described as a flock of sheep in the Old Testament. For example, Psalm 78 recounts the Exodus. Verse 52 speaks of God, saying, “Then he led out his people like sheep and guided them in the wilderness like a flock” (see also Psalm 74:1; 79:13; 95:7). Under the Old Covenant, the nation of Israel was God’s flock. 

It seems to me that the Ezekiel 34 passage we read at the beginning of this sermon is very significant. That passage, written long before Jesus was born, is a prophecy about the coming Messiah. It concludes with these words: “I [God] will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the LORD; I have spoken” (Ezekiel 34:23-24). So, the Messiah, the son of David, will be a shepherd to God’s people. Before that, God spoke to Israel, saying, “Behold, I, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. Because you push with side and shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad, I will rescue my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep” (Ezekiel 34:20-22). So, according to this prophecy, when Messiah comes there would be judgments made within the flock of Israel. God would judge between sheep and sheep. And earlier in this prophecy, the shepherds, that is to say, the leaders within Israel, were condemned for being bad shepherds. The shepherds of Israel did not feed the sheep, they devoured them. The shepherds of Israel did not gather the sheep, they scattered them. And at the heart of this wonderful prophecy, the LORD God of Israel says, “Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.” (Ezekiel 34:11–16)

There is no way that the scribes and Pharisees – these experts in the Old Testament – did not think of this messianic prophecy when Christ told this parable. Jesus is here claiming to be the good shepherd of Ezekiel 34. He is the good shepherd who seeks after the scattered and lost sheep. The flock that he leaves behind is the flock of unbelieving Israel. The one that he pursues represents the elect remnant within Israel, God’s true flock, those who believed in the promised Messiah (see Romans 9:27; 11:5).  

One thing to notice in this parable is that it was the shepherd who went to look for the lost sheep. This is how the prophecy of Ezekiel 34 portrayed the coming Messiah. He would be a good shepherd.  He would be a proactive shepherd. He would “search for [his] sheep and [would] seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so [would he] seek out [his] sheep, and… rescue them from all places where they have been scattered…” This is what Jesus did in the days of his earthly ministry, and this is what he does to this present day. He is the good shepherd who came to seek and save the lost (see Luke 19:11).

Christ goes on to say in verse 5, “And when he has found [the lost sheep], he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing” (Luke 15:5). Notice three things about this verse:

One, the lost sheep did not find the shepherd, rather, the good shepherd found his lost sheep. Brothers and sisters, when you first placed your faith in Christ it may have seemed as if you found Jesus, but the truth is that Jesus found you! Christ was proactive. You were not. You were wandering in the wilderness and lost in your sins. God the Father sent Christ to atone for your sins. And the Father and Son sent forth the Spirit to call you to repentance and faith at the appointed time through the word preached. If you are united to Christ by faith, you did not find Jesus, Jesus found you. 

Two, when the good shepherd found the lost sheep, he laid it on his shoulders to carry it home. This illustrates our miserable spiritual condition and the magnitude of our need. So weak and miserable are we in our fallen and sinful condition, we do not have the strength or ability to carry ourselves home. Christ, the good shepherd must carry us home. Consider how kind and compassionate he is. Consider how strong and able he is. Christ is able to carry his lost sheep home. 

Three, notice that the good shepherd rejoices over the lost sheep he finds. In fact, verse 6 says, “when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost’” (Luke 15:6). Consider the heart that Jesus has for elect sinners. He rejoices over the repentance. He is glad to rescue them and to bring them into his fold.  

In verse 7, Jesus explains the meaning of the parable with these words: “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance” (Luke 15:7). 

By these words of explanation, it becomes clear that Jesus is the shepherd who has come down from heaven to seek and save the lost and to carry them on his strong shoulders into their heavenly and eternal home. The one lost sheep represents the sinner who knows he is a sinner, repents, and falls into the loving arms of Jesus. The 99 represents sinners who think they are righteous and therefore see no need to repent.

This attitude of self-righteous pride was a pervasive problem with Israel in the days of Jesus’ earthly ministry. In Luke 18 we will find another parable wherein the self-righteous pride of the Pharisees is condemned. In Luke 18:9 we read. “[Jesus] also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: ‘Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:9–14). 

The 99 sheep in this parable signified those within Israel “who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt”. The one sheep represented the elect within Israel. They were those who, by the grace of God, knew they were sinners. When Jesus Christ, the good Shepherd appeared, they, by the grace of God, “beat their breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” These repentant ones were carried into their eternal home by the good Shepherd having been justified. Those who thought they were righteous in themselves were condemned.  

The Parable Of The Lost Coin

The parable of the lost coin has a very similar meaning. Let’s consider it briefly. Verse 8: “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost’” (Luke 15:8–9). 

It is interesting to read the commentaries on this parable. There are many different opinions as to who the woman represents, and what the house, the lighting of the lamp, and the sweeping of the house represent. 

Clearly, the lost coin represents a lost sinner, just as the lost sheep represents a lost sinner in the previous parable. Verse 10 makes this clear. There Christ explains the parable saying, “Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10). The lost coin that is found must represent a lost sinner who is found, leading to rejoicing in heaven. 

What does the house represent? Given the context, the house must represent the Old Covenant nation-state of Israel. The kingdom of Israel is referred to as the house of David in the Old Testament (see 2 Samuel 7).

Who does the woman represent? I think it is best to view her as a representation of the church, the disciples of Jesus, with Christ as the head. In the previous parable, it was emphasized that Christ is the good shepherd of Eziekle 34 who came to seek and to save the lost. It seems to me, that this second parable emphasized the truth that Christ also seeks and saves the lost through his church, his body, and his bride,  with ministers of the word in the lead. Do not forget that in the days of his earthly ministry, Jesus went around preaching the gospel of the kingdom and calling sinners to faith and repentance, but he also sent his disciples out to do this work. His disciples, first the 12 and then the 70, were sent out into the house of Israel, to make a diligent search for lost sinners. 

What does the lighting of the lamp represent? It must represent the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ! How did the disciples of Jesus make a search for lost sinners within the house of Israel in the days of Jesus’ earthly ministry? They preached the gospel of the kingdom, which is the gospel of salvation through faith in Christ the King! This is precisely how this great multitude, many of them tax collectors and sinners, came to follow after Jesus. It was through the preaching of the gospel in this region by the 12 and by the 70. The light of the lamp signifies the gospel of Jesus Christ shining forth in the darkness of the house of Israel as preached by Christ and his disciples. This is the light by which lost sinners are found. 

And what does the sweeping of the house represent? It must represent the great cleansing of the house of Israel that was taking place in the days of Jesus’ earthly ministry and under the coming New Covenant. The Isreal of Old was filled with corruption and sin. As you know, under the Old Covenant, there were many within the house of Israel who did not believe in the promises concerning the Messiah or lived in obedience to God but rebelled against him. At times only a small remnant remained. But the Israel of God under the New Covenant is different. Who are the citizens of the Israel of God under the New Covenant? It has nothing to do with ethnicity (see Galatians 3:28). Under the New Covenant, the house of Israel is filled with only those who turn from their sins to place their faith in Israel’s Messiah. This sweeping of the house symbolizes the sweeping away of unrighteousness from the house of Israel. 

The term, “house of Israel” appears frequently in the Old Testament. It is used often to refer to the Old Covenant nation of Israel. And it appears very frequently in the book of Ezekiel. I’ve already suggested to you that the parable of the lost sheep was meant to remind the scribes and Pharisees of Ezekiel 34. That passage condemns them, as shepherds within Israel, for their ill-treatment, unconcern, and even disdain for the lost sheep of Israel. And though I cannot prove it to you at this time, I do believe the parable of the lost coin and the image of the coin being found by a woman (the church) who lights a lamp (the light of the gospel) and sweeps the house, is meant to remind us of the words of condemnation spoken by Ezekiel the prophet against the house of Israel and also his words of hope.

God’s judgment is sometimes described in the Old Testament as a sweeping away. Isaiah 14:23 is about the judgment that God would bring upon Babylon. The text says, “I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of hosts” (Isaiah 14:23). Zephaniah 1:2-3 is about the judgment that God would bring upon the earth. The text says, “‘I will utterly sweep away everything from the face of the earth,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will sweep away man and beast; I will sweep away the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, and the rubble with the wicked. I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth,’ declares the LORD.” (Zephaniah 1:2–3). To sweep away is to judge and to cleanse. 

This is precisely what the Messiah did when he came to inaugurate the New Covenant. He came to seek and save the lost, first within the house of Israel, and then from all nations. How did he seek and save the lost? He and his disciples went through the house of Israel (a house filled with darkness) and held forth the light of the gospel of the kingdom. It was by this light – the light of the gospel that the lost coins were found! And what did Christ and the disciples of Christ also do as they preached the gospel? They pronounced judgment upon the unbelieving within the house of Israel. They swept the house as they searched for the lost sinners with the light of the gospel. The house of Israel remains under the New Covenant, but it is not a dirty house filled with unbelief. Under the New Covenant, the house of Israel is swept and lost coins are found as the gospel is preached.

[[I’d like to show you something in Ezekiel before concluding with a few brief suggestions for application. In Ezekiel 34, immediately after that passage we read earlier about the wicked shepherds of Israel and the coming good shepherd, God says this: “I will make with them [that is to say the true sheep of Israel who have the Messiah as their shepherd] a covenant of peace and banish wild beasts from the land, so that they may dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. And I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing, and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing. And the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase, and they shall be secure in their land. And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I break the bars of their yoke, and deliver them from the hand of those who enslaved them. They shall no more be a prey to the nations, nor shall the beasts of the land devour them. They shall dwell securely, and none shall make them afraid. And I will provide for them renowned plantations so that they shall no more be consumed with hunger in the land, and no longer suffer the reproach of the nations. And they shall know that I am the LORD their God with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Lord GOD. And you are my sheep, human sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Lord GOD” (Ezekiel 34:25–31).]]

What does the parable of the lost coin symbolize? It symbolizes how in the days of Christ’s earthly ministry the disciples of Christ were sent out into the house of Israel to seek and to save the lost. They searched for the lost with the light of the gospel of peace. They also swept the house of Israel by pronouncing judgment upon those who remained in unbelief. Christ instructed them, saying, “And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them” (Luke 9:5). And when sinners were found, it resulted in rejoicing. Rejoicing on earth and in heaven. These Pharisees and scribes who grumbled when they saw Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners were in grave danger. Far from being with God and in agreement with his plan of redemption, they were opposed to him. Heaven rejoiced over the salvation of these sinners, but the shepherds of Old Covenant Israel grumbled and complained. If they would not repent of their self-righteous pride and receive Jesus as the Messiah, soon, they would be swept away. 

Conclusion

To apply this text, I think we must simply look at these parables from two different vantage points: first, through the eyes of the scribes and Pharisees and then through the eyes of tax collectors and sinners who had turned from their sins to follow after Jesus.

When we consider these parables through the eyes of the scribes and Pharisees we are strongly warned about the sin of self-righteousness pride. It is possible that some here are like the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day. You falsy believe that you are right with God because of your own obedience and good works. You view God as being pleased with you and displeased with others based upon your own inherent goodness. You look down upon others, therefore. You see yourself as right with God but you see them as being irredeemable. All of this is contrary to the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ. If you persist in this way of thinking you will soon be swept away by God’s judgment.

When we view these parables through the eyes of the tax collectors and sinners who had turned from their sins to follow Jesus, we will be moved to a sense of gratitude and thankfulness to God for the marvelous Savior he has provided for us. Jesus Christ is a good and loving shepherd. Indeed, he came to seek and save the last. How kind God has been to us to send Christ to redeem us from our sin and misery through the cross! How kind God has been to us to send us the light of the gospel and to rescue us from our sin and misery by the effectual working of the Holy Spirit at the appointed and acceptable time. 

Lastly, sinners who have been saved by God’s grace will also be eager to see other sinners saved by God’s grace. If we know merciful God has been merciful to us in Christ Jesus to save us from our sin and misery, never will look upon another sinner and say, this one is too far gone. This one is irredeemable. Jesus would never give his word to this one and sit at table to dine with him. Our Lord is a friend of sinners. He came to seek and save the lost. And when the lost are found, he and his elect angels in heaven rejoice. Let us be sure to have the same heart for sinners as our Savior has.     

Second London Confession 26.3

“The purest churches under heaven are subject to mixture and error; and some have so degenerated as to become no churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan; nevertheless Christ always hath had, and ever shall have a kingdom in this world, to the end thereof, of such as believe in him, and make profession of his name.” (1 Corinthians 5; Revelation 2; Revelation 3; Revelation 18:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:11, 12; Matthew 16:18; Psalms 72:17; Psalm 102:28; Revelation 12:17)

Scripture Reading: Revelation 2:18–29

“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. ‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. Only hold fast what you have until I come. The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” (Revelation 2:18–29)

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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

In this sermon, we will eventually come to consider Second Confession (2LCF) 26.3. But I wish to begin with a question. Please do not answer out loud. Instead, answer the question, quickly and definitively, in the privacy of your mind.  

The question is this: are Christians called to judge?

I do suspect that many in the world and many in the church today would say, no. Christians must never judge. Judging is strictly forbidden! Judging is a sin! 

Christians Must Judge

Dear brothers and sisters, if it is your view that a Christian must never judge, the Word of God disagrees with you. 

Passages such as Matthew 18:15-20, 1 Corinthians 5, and 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15 clearly command Christians to judge. For the sake of time, I’ll read only 1 Corinthians 5 to prove the point. Here Paul is dealing with a situation in the church of Corinth wherein a man had sinned in a heinous way and was unrepentant. He wrote to the church and said, “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. ‘Purge the evil person from among you” (1 Corinthians 5). Other texts of scripture could be read to demonstrate that Christians operating as members of a local church, with elders in the lead, are called to make and pronounce judgments, but this text alone settles the issue. If it is your opinion that a Christian is never to judge, you are at odds with God’s Word. 

Christians must judge if they are to obey God’s word. And what are they to judge? In brief, Christians, operating as members of a rightly ordered local church with elders in the lead, are called to judge the credibility of a person’s profession of faith. 

This we must do before receiving a person into the membership of the church. Let me remind you that in 2LCF 26.2 we are told that local churches are to be made up of visible saints, and that visible saints are those who have professed “the faith of the gospel, and obedience unto God by Christ according unto it, not destroying their own profession by any errors everting the foundation, or unholiness of conversation…” the meaning is this: it is those who have made a credible profession of faith who are to be received into the membership of the church and given baptism if they have not been baptized upon profession before. Stated differently, before a new member can be received into the church the existing members, with the elders in the lead, must judge the credibility of the person’s profession of faith. 

The great commission that Christ delivered to the church through the Apostles demands this. “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18–20). Who is to be baptized? Disciples of Jesus are to be baptized. And who is to be taught to observe all that Christ has commanded (the Lord’s Supper is undoubtedly included in this). Baptized disciples are to be taught to observe all that Christ has commanded. If baptism is to be applied and if the Lord’s Supper is to be faithfully administered, then judgments must be made. A person’s profession of faith must be heard, considered, and judged to be credible before he or she is baptized and received into the church and recognized as a member of the body of Christ.  

And there is another situation that will sometimes arise within church life that requires the judgment of the congregation with the elders in the lead, and that is in cases of church discipline. Two of the most famous passages on the topic of church discipline are Matthew 18:15-20 and 1 Corinthians 5. There are other texts on the topic of disciple that must be considered, but these are the most famous. These two passages are about different circumstances. Matthew 18 teaches us what to do in a situation where one member sins against another. In 1 Corinthians 5, we see how to handle heinous sin in the congregation when the sinner remains unrepentant. The situations are different and so the processes are different. But in the end, the result is the same. If a church member – if a person who bears the name, “brother” –  if a person who was baptized into Christ upon profession of faith in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – is living in unrepentant sin, the members of the church (with the elders in the lead) must act. In Matthew 18, Christ Jesus the Lord commands that the unrepentant sinner be put out of the congregation and regarded as a Gentile and tax collector. This means the person is no longer to be regarded as a brother or sister in Christ, but as a non-believer. The person is removed from the church, wherein the kingdom of God is made visible, and is put out into the world where Satan reigns as king. In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul the Apostle instructed the church in Corinth to do the same thing with the unrepentant sinner. The process was different because the sin was different. This was no private offense. It was very public. The whole church knew about it. And the sin was heinous. It was the kind of sin that would make even a non-believer blush. And the sinner was clearly unrepentant. The sinner was even boasting about it and members of the church we boasting too. And so there was no need for the three-step process of Matthew 18 –  go to him alone – if he does not listen to you take one or two others to serve as witness – and if he does not listen to them, tell it to the church. No, this man was to quickly be removed from the church because the case was so clear. But the end result of the Matthew 18 scenario and the 1 Corinthians 5 scenario is the same. The members of the church with the elders in the lead were commanded by Paul to put the unrepentant sinner out of the church. Paul put it this way: “you [church] are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.” This means that man was to be removed from the church, wherein the kingdom of Christ is made visible, and put out into the world. No longer was he to be regarded as a brother but as a nonbeliever. The hope and prayer of the church was that this mans flesh – that is to say, his sinful flesh would be destroyed, so that his soul would be saved. In other words, when a person is excommunicated or excluded from the church, the hope must always be that they will turn from their sins and to Christ, and thus be saved.  

Dear brothers and sisters, the Holy Scriptures are very clear about this. Christians, operating as members of local congregations, with elders in the lead, are called by Jesus Christ, the Lord of the Church, to judge the credibility of a person’s profession of faith when receiving new members and in cases of discipline. It is the elders who are to lead in matters of discipline, it is the members who are to judge, and it is the elders who are called to pronounce the judgment! If a church will not judge in these matters according to the commands and directions of Holy Scripture, the whole church will find itself living in rebellion against Christ the King and under his displeasure, just as the church of Thyatira found itself under the displeasure of Christ for tolerating that false teacher and seductress, Jezebel, and allowing her to remain in their midst to spread her poison.   

Christians Must Judge Not

Now please hear me. I do understand where this idea that Christians must never judge comes from. 

For one, the culture has criticized Chritsians and churches for being judgemental. In some cases, the criticism is probably valid. And so some Christians, wishing to avoid that charge and wishing to avoid that error, will not only do away with a sinful, judgemental spirit but will refuse to judge at all, even in those cases where God’s word demands it. These Christians have failed to distinguish between judgment that is good and right and judgment that is sinful. Sadly, they have thrown the baby out with the bathwater.

Two, I do believe that some Christians think that Christians must never judge because they have read the Bible, but they have read it poorly. Friends, there are many passages of Scripture that command us not to judge sinfully, harshly, unjustly, or hypocritically. And there are many other passages that command us to love one another (see John 13:34-35; John 15:12), to be willing to cover or overlook personal offenses and sins (see Proverbs 10:12 and 1 Peter 4:8), to be gentle and patient with one another (see Ephesians 4:2), to always forgive one another (see Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13), and to restore those who repentant after being disciplined (see 2 Corinthians 2:6-11). These passages need to be taken very seriously and obeyed. But they must also be interpreted properly. This involves interpreting them in the light of the passages that call the church to judge. 

Perhaps the most famous passage forbidding judgment of a sinful kind is Matthew 7:1-6. There Christ speaks to his disciples saying, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” That seems rather straightforward, doesn’t it? I can see how someone, after reading this one Bible verse, could come to the conclusion that judgment of all kinds is strictly forbidden by God. But we must read on. Verse 2: “For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.” Ah, so the judgment that Christ forbids is a particular kind of judgment, namely judgment that is overly harsh or stringent. We must read on. Verse 3: “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” Interesting. Christ here teaches that we are to take the speck out of our brother’s eye. If we love them, we will. But we must be careful to avoid the sin of pride and hypocrisy. So it is prideful, hypocritical judgement that is here forbidden. And We must read on. In verse 6 we find these words: “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you” (Matthew 7:1–6). So then, the passage that begins with the words of Christ, “Judge not, that you be not judged” ends with Christ commanding his disciples to judge (distinguish) between those who are worthy to receive the holy things of God and those who are dogs and pigs.  

Don’t ever read a Bible verse, friends. Most theological errors have arisen by taking Bible verse out of context. We must always remember what we have read before and read on to be sure we understand the true meaning of a text in its context. And do not forget that the context of every verse in the Bible is ultimately every other verse in the Bible. And so we must not only read Matthew 7:1, “judge not, that you be not judged”, but read on through verse 6. More than this, we must read on through Matthew 16 to consider the keys given to Peter – the keys that bind on earth and in heaven. We must read on through Matthew 18 to consider what Christ taught concerning the use of these keys in church discipline. And we must read on to consider passages like 1 Corinthians 5 to see how these keys of judgment and authority were used in the churches established by the Apostles of Christ, consisting of officers and members. Read on, read on, read on. Study the scriptures with care, dear brothers and sisters, to be sure that what you believe about the church is true. Our aim must be to obey Jesus Christ, for he is indeed the Lord of the church, and we are his servants. 

Second London Confession 26.3

What does this have to do with Second London Confession 26.3?

I’ve introduced this paragraph in this way because I want to draw your attention to how our Confession of Faith, on the one hand, insists that judgments be made in the reception and removal of members, while on the other hand, protecting us against the error of judging too harshly. In fact, paragraphs 2 and 3 both state things in such a way as to keep us from judging too strictly. 

Paragraph 2 answers the question, who should the members of the local church be? Who is to be received into the membership of local churches? Or to speak in terms of the sacraments, who is to be given baptism and the Lord’s Supper? Answer: only visible saints. So the question becomes, who is to be regarded by the church, with the elders in the lead, as a visible saint? Our confession summarizes the teaching of the Holy Scriptures when it says, “all people throughout the world professing the faith of the gospel, and obedience unto God by Christ according unto it, not destroying their own profession by any errors everting the foundation, or unholiness of conversation, are and may be called visible saints…”

We considered this statement last Sunday. I will not repeat all that was said in that sermon. But notice what our confession does not say. Who should be received into the membership of local churches? Thankfully, our confession does not say, only those who have mastered Christian doctrine, or only those who agree with every point of doctrine expressed in this confession, or only those whose belief is pure and without any error, or only those who do not ever sin, or only those who are mature in matters of faith and obedience. Our confession state the qualifications for membership in the local church perfectly. Who should be received into the membership of our churches? The answer is simple and clear. Christians must be received. All people who make a credible profession should be received. All who profess
“the faith of the gospel, and obedience unto God by Christ according unto it, not destroying their own profession by any errors everting the foundation, or unholiness of conversation”, must be received. 

Must the church judge the credibility of a person’s profession of faith before receiving that person into the membership of the church? Yes, of course! But the bar for being received into the church must not be set even a millimeter higher than where the Scriptures set it. 

Stated possibly, must a person trust in Jesus? Must they know the fundamentals of the faith and claim to believe those fundamentals to be received into the church a regarded as a believer? Yes. Stated negatively, should we regard a person to be a believer who destroys the credibility of their profession of faith by holding to theological errors that undermine the foundation of the faith they claim to believe? No. 

Stated positively, must a person turn from sin and endeavor to obey God and Christ if their profession of faith is to be judged true? Yes, of course. True faith always involves repentance and a striving after new obedience. Real Christians obey Jesus (see John 14:15). Stated negatively, should we regard a person to be a Christian – should we call them “brother” or “sister” – if they have destroyed the credibility of their profession by living a life of sin? No.

The thing I want you to see is that our confession slams the bar or standard for membership in the local church down as far as the Scriptures will allow it to go. Or to use the image of a door, our confession opens the door to the church as wide as the Scriptures allow it to be opened. If the bar were set any lower than our confession sets it, or if the door was opened any wider, the world would be permitted membership in the church and granted access to the holy things of God (baptism and the Lord’s Supper), and this cannot be. To quote Nehemiah Coxe, if this error were made, “our numbers may increase, but not our joy” (A Sermon Preached At The Ordination Of An Elder And Deacon In A Baptized Congregation In London, Nehemiah Coxe)! 

But the consequence of raising the bar for membership in the church higher than the Scriptures set it would be truly tragic. The result would be that God’s children – people for whom Christ died – brothers and sisters in the faith – would be kept out of the membership of the church and unjustly denied access to the holy things of God, namely, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Brothers and sisters, our standards for membership in the church must be low enough to obey Romans 14:1 which says, “Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things” (Romans 14:1).  But our standards for membership must be high enough to distinguish between the church and the world.  Our standards for membership must agree perfectly with the Scriptures. And because we can only judge based upon what we see and hear, I do believe it is right for us to judge graciously and to give the benefit of the doubt whenever possible.

And of course, everything I have just said regarding the standard for becoming a member of the church applies to the question of discipline as well. Who must be put out of the church? Should those who are immature be put out? Should those who are offensive be put out? Should those who hold to errors in minor points of doctrine be put out? Should those who sin be put out?  No. If these were the standards, there would be no church left! But those who destroy the credibility of the profession of faith they once made by holding to errors that evert or undermine the very foundation of faith, or live an unholy life and will not repent, must be put out. Those who destroy their profession lose the right to be called visible saints. They also lose access to the Lord’s Table wherein our union with Christ and fellowship within one another is signified. 

Brothers and sisters, the church must judge in these matters. It must judge in a spirit of love, in gentleness, and with much patience. And the church must judge, not according to the arbitrary standards set by the fallible opinions of men, but according to the standards of God’s Holy Word. Some refuse to judge in these matters because they feel it is not loving. The truth is, by judging in these matters, we show our love for God, for Christ, for the church he has purchased with his blood, and even for the person who has destroyed their profession of faith. If you love a person, you will call them to repentance and faith when you see them persistently living in error and sin.  

2LCF 26.3 also keeps us from judging too strictly. The focus here is not on the credibility of an individual’s profession of faith but on whether or not a local church is to be regarded as a true church. Our confession says, “The purest churches under heaven are subject to mixture and error; and some have so degenerated as to become no churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan; nevertheless Christ always hath had, and ever shall have a kingdom in this world, to the end thereof, of such as believe in him, and make profession of his name.”

Notice, first of all, that our confession links the local, visible church with the kingdom of Christ. Christ’s kingdom is invisible. It is spiritual. But where is it manifest on earth? Where is Christ’s kingdom made visible?  In and through the local church. Those who are citizens of Christ’s kingdom ought to be members of local churches. Ordinarily, to be a citizen in Christ’s kingdom is to be a member of Christ’s church, and to be a member of Christ’s church is to be a citizen in Christ’s kingdom. This is what is meant by the language of Matthew 16 and 18, “whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19). If you have loved ones who claim to be Christians and they are not members of a local church, you should warn them concerning their sin. Real Christians obey Jesus. And Jesus commanded his disciples to walk together in churches.

But what church should a person join? Preferably, a healthy one, but at the very least a true church must be joined. There are false churches. Our confession says, “some have so degenerated as to become no churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan…” When does this happen? We can borrow the concepts from 2LCF 26.2 to gain some clarity. A church degenerates to this level when it corporately destroys its profession by preaching and teaching errors that evert the foundation of faith, or is overrun by members and officers who live unholy lives. Historically, true churches are said to bear these three marks: they preach and teach the word of God truthfully, they administer the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper faithfully, and they exercise church discipline. Healthy churches will do these things well. Unhealthy churches will do these things poorly. A church that does not do one or all of these things should be avoided. To be clear, it is Jesus’ job to remove the lampstands of false churches (see Revelation chapters 2 and 3). But true believers are to separate themselves from false churches so they can join true churches.

And to keep us from judging churches too harshly, our confession says, “The purest churches under heaven are subject to mixture and error…” In other words, even the best, most healthy, and strongest churches on earth still have a mixture in them. This means, there will always be false professors in our churches and there will always be sin, for even true Christians are not perfect. And there will be errors too. This must refer to errors in doctrine, order, and practice. This line in our confession should keep us from judging the church we are members of too harshly and it should also keep us from judging other local churches too harshly. 

Please allow me to read you a quote from Benjamin Keach, a prominent pastor who lived in the 17th century and subscribed to the confession that we subscribe to. Are Particular or Reformed Baptist churches the only true churches? Keach said no. He warned his readers against judging too harshly, saying,

“Speak well of all your brethren who hold the Head [that is, Christ], or are sound in the faith, in respect of all fundamental principles, though not in everything of your opinion in some points of religion: for peace among ourselves ought not to be restrained only to the members of that church we belong unto, but to all the saints, let them be Presbyterians, Independents, or Baptists. I do not mean that it is your duty to hold church communion [i.e. membership in one congregation] with all; no, that cannot be, unless all were of one judgment in all the essentials of church constitution: for mutual love is not to be the rule of our church-communion and fellowship, but the word of Christ. But though we cannot as yet be all of one judgment in this case, yet we ought not to censure one another but own each other for brethren, and be all united in love and affections. How unchristian-like is it to render them that differ from us odious, as if they were not members of the mystical body of Christ, or belonged not to the universal church? ‘Speak evil of no man’, no, nor speak of the evils of any, except the evil or sin they are guilty of be public, and notorious; and that not then out of an ill purpose, to expose the person out of spite and revenge; for that is most hateful and abominable in the sight of God, and tends to strife and discord. ‘As much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men’[Romans 12:18], but much more with all the saints and people of God.” (James Renihan quoting Benjamin Keach in Baptist Symbolics Volume 2, 484).

Conclusion

Brothers and sisters, I am aware that this sermon is much longer than the sermons in the second portion of our liturgy typically are. Don’t worry this isn’t the new norm. I’ve taken the time to address this subject with you in some detail because I think it is needed. For some time I have been concerned that we are weak in our understanding of the doctrine of the church we confess. And though I thought that the members meeting we had last Sunday was the best one we have ever had (due to the dialogue that took place amongst the members – our ecclesiology requires deliberation amongst the members) it did confirm my suspicion that there is still some confusion regarding the nature of the church, the purpose and end of discipline, and the responsibilities of the members in discipline. One of the most fundamental questions we must have settled in our minds is, who are the members of the church to be? Once we see that the members are to be those who make and maintain a credible profession of faith, then we must ask, what are the qualities or marks of a credible profession of faith? God’s word is our standard. Our confession of faith does a fine job of summing up the teaching of Holy Scripture. Brothers and sisters, we need to have these truths straight in our minds. We need to hold to these truths with conviction. And we must be willing to act upon these convictions out of love for God, Christ, the church he has purchased with his blood, and one another. May the Lord help us. Amen.

Second London Confession 26.2

“All persons throughout the world, professing the faith of the gospel, and obedience unto God by Christ according unto it, not destroying their own profession by any errors everting the foundation, or unholiness of conversation, are and may be called visible saints; and of such ought all particular congregations to be constituted.” (1 Corinthians 1:2; Acts 11:26; Romans 1:7; Ephesians 1:20-22)

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:1–3

“Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes, To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 1:1–3, 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 thought it best to begin this brief sermon with a few reminders. Last Sunday I delivered the first of, what I think will be, 15 sermons on the doctrine of the church. Many of you are members of this church. You assemble with the church each Lord’s Day. You love the church and long to see her prosper. But what is the church according to the Scriptures? This is a very important question, but it is often neglected. I hope to answer it in the weeks and months to come. 

Those who were here last Sunday will remember that Chapter 26 of our confession of faith – the Second London Confession (2LCF) is about the church. The fifteen paragraphs of this chapter provide us with a succinct yet sufficiently thorough summary of what the Bible teaches about this important topic. Last Sunday, we considered 2LCF 26.1. That paragraph is about the universal or catholic church. It says, “The catholic or universal church, which (with respect to the internal work of the Spirit and truth of grace) may be called invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ, the head thereof; and is the spouse, the body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” 

In the sermon I delivered on this paragraph, I said that I am glad our confession begins with a statement about the universal or catholic church. After all, this is the church for whom Christ died. Christ is the head of the church universal. The church universal is the bride of Christ and is his body. Brothers and sisters, it is very important for us to remember the universal or catholic church. Does this church assemble on earth now? No. Does this church have officers? No. Does this church administer the sacraments? No. Are you and I able to see this church? No. But God sees it. And it will be this church – the one true church – that assembles in the new heavens and earth after Christ returns to make all things new. It is important for us to remember the universal church lest we loose sight of the bigger picture of the redemption accomplished by Christ. He came to redeem, not you and I only, but his elect living in all times and places. This is the church for whom. Christ died. This is the church that will assemble in the new heavens and earth. 

But what about now? Are God’s people to assemble now as we sojourn in this world and eagerly await the assembly of the redeemed at the consummation? Yes, of course. God’s people are to assemble every Lord’s Day (see Hebrews 10:24-25). They are to assemble as members of particular, local, visible churches. That is what 2LCF 26.2 is about. In fact, the remainder of the paragraphs in 2LCF 26 are about the local church and the relationship that local churches are to have with one another. 

Paragraph 2 of 2LCF 26 is very important, for it clarifies who the members of local churches are to be. 

Paragraph 1 told us who the members of the universal church are. They are the elect of God gathered into one body under Christ the head, having been united to him by faith. But who are the members of local churches to be? The answer provided by our confession is very good. It is good, first of all, because it is true to the Scriptures. It is also good because it is sufficiently thorough and clear.  

Local Or Particular Congregations Are Constituted Of Visible Saints

To understand what 2LCF 26.2 is teaching, I think it is best to begin at the end. Who are the members of local congregations to be? The end of the paragraph tells us that particular congregations are to be constituted (composed, comprised, or made up) of visible Saints. 

Notice a few things about this statement.

One, our confession uses the word “Congregation” instead of the word church here. This is to clarify that the word church means assembly. A church is a group of people who congregate together. The church and the word congregation can be used interchangeably. By the way, the idea of attending church virtually is ridiculous. We do stream our services online so that those who are ill or otherwise hindered from assembling with the church may be encouraged from home or wherever they are. But this is no replacement for assembling with the church in person. This should be clear to all. When you watch and listen to a worship service online, you see the pastor, but you do not see the whole congregation. And the pastor and the congregation cannot see you! I’m afraid this is what many of those who “attend” church virtually want! They want to see and hear but to not be seen. This is not Biblical Christianity. A true church is a church that assembles for worship. More than this, a true church has members. As we will soon see, a true church is not a service to attend but a body to belong to as a member.     

Two, when our confession uses the word “particular” it is a reference to a local, visible church. As was said last Sunday, the Scriptures do sometimes use the word church to refer to the universal or catholic church, but more often than not, the word church is used in the Scriptures to refer to particular, local congregations, like this one. 

A moment ago, we read 1 Corinthians 1:1-3. There we heard Paul the Apostle address his letter to “the church of God that is in Corinth.” There the word church refers, not to the church universal, but to one, particular, local, and visible congregation in the city of Corinth. We could pile up many examples like this from the New Testament. One more will do.  In Galatians 1:2 Paul Paul addresses his letter, “To the churches of Galatia…” (Galatians 1:2). Here the word “church” appears in the plural. Why? Because Paul wrote this letter to many particular, local, and visible congregations spread throughout the region of Galatia. So then, the Scriptures sometimes use the word “church” to refer to the universal or catholic church. More often than not, the word “church” is used to refer to particular, local, and visible congregations.

Three, our confession states that these particular churches are to be constituted of visible Saints. In this context the word “constituted” means, composed, comprised, or made up of. Who is a local church made up of? Who are the parts of the whole? Answer: local churches are made up of visible saints. 

Let’s focus on the word “saints” for a moment. In the previous sermon I said, brothers and sisters, we must not be afraid to use the word catholic! We believe in the catholic or universal church. This has nothing to do with Roman Catholicism. And now I say, brothers and sisters, we must not be afraid to use the word “saint”. The Roman Catholics have ruined this word. They claim that only a handful of super Christians are saints. But the Scriptures often use the word “saint” or “saints” to refer to all who have faith in Christ. A saint is one who is holy. All Christians have been made holy through faith in Christ, having been washed in the blood of the lamb. And all true Christians are pursuing a holy life and will make progress in it, by God’s grace. If you read the letters of Paul you will see that he often uses the word “saint” to refer to the Christians who were members of the particular churches to whom he was writing. Listen to Ephesians 1:1: “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus…” (Ephesians 1:1). Listen to Philippians 1:1: “Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons…” (Philippians 1:1). Saints are simply Christians.

And now let us consider the word “visible”. The universal church is invisible, remember?  We cannot see with total certainty who the members of the universal church are. Why? For one, the universal church is made up of God’s elect living in all places and times, past, present, and future. We cannot see that body of believers yet. Two, the universal church is invisible because we cannot see the hearts of men or discern with utter certainty whether or not they have been regenerated or have true saving faith. But the invisible, universal, church of Christ is made visible (in a limited and imperfect way). How so? Through the visible saints as they assemble in Jesus’ name as members of particular, local congregations.     

Visible Saints Identified

Now the big question is, who are we to regard as visible saints and thus receive into the membership of the local church?

The first portion of paragraph 2 tells us. There we read,  “All persons throughout the world, professing the faith of the gospel, and obedience unto God by Christ according unto it, not destroying their own profession by any errors everting the foundation, or unholiness of conversation, are and may be called visible saints…” And then the paragraph concludes, “…and of such ought all particular congregations to be constituted.”

Who should our churches be made up of? Who should the members be? The simplest way to say it is like this: The members of local churches are to be those who have made a credible profession of faith in Christ Jesus. In the simplest of terms, that is what our confession is stating. I am glad, though, that our confession says more, for in saying more, our confession clarifies what a credible profession of faith is. 

Dr. James Renihan’s commentary on the confession is helpful here. He observes that in this paragraph there is “a mirror image of positive and negative qualities of visible saints” (Renihan, Baptist Symbolics Volume 2, 481). Who are the visible saints? Positively, they are those who profess the faith of the gospel and offer up their obedience unto God by Christ. Negativity, the visible saints are those who do not destroy their own profession by any errors everting the foundation, or unholiness of conversation.

Let us consider these positive and negative qualities side by side. 

First, visible saints are those who positively profess the faith of the gospel. According to Renihan, “To profess the faith of the gospel is an ability to articulate [or express] a personal appropriation [or taking ahold] of Jesus Christ by faith and acknowledge and own Christian orthodoxy” (Renihan, Baptist Symbolics Volume 2, 481). Stated differently, a person who professes the faith of the gospel is one who claims to trust in Jesus Christ personally and to rely upon him for the forgiveness of sins and life eternal. More than this, a person who professes the faith of the gospel also knows the fundamental truths of God’s word – the truth about God, creation, man, sin, and salvation in Jesus Christ – and claims to agree with these orthodox tenets of the Christian faith.   

Negatively, visible saints will not destroy their own profession by any errors everting the foundation. Take careful note of this: Our confession does not say that visible saints will not destroy their own profession by any errors. Rather, they will not destroy their own profession by any errors everting the foundation.   

Quoting Renihan again, errors everting the foundation are errors in “those doctrines without which Christianity cannot exist and would include denial of original sin and personal sinfulness, false views of Christ as the God-man and of His work of redemption and resurrection, and a rejection of the ‘scriptural Word as the ground of faith.’ Edward Leigh says, ‘Fundamental truths are all such points of doctrine which are so plainly delivered in Scripture, that whosoever doth not know or follow them shall be damned, but he that doth know and follow these (though erring in other things) shall be saved,’ and then proposes twelve fundamentals of the faith grouped into four sets of three” (Renihan, Baptist Symbolics Volume 2, 481). In brief, the first is about God, the second is about man, the third is about Christ, and the fourth fundamental category presented by Edward Leigh is about “‘the means of applying’ the work of the ‘Redeemer’: salvation is only by faith in Christ and repentance, which produce a holy life…” (Renihan quoting Leigh’s, A Systeme or Body Of Divinity, unnumbered pages 8-9).

The second positive quality of a visible saint is “obedience unto God by Christ.” Renihan says, “Obedience unto God by Christ simply means living carefully under the lordship of Christ” (Renihan, Baptist Symbolics Volume 2, 481). I saw a billboard this past week when driving the 15 freeway. It said, “Real Christians obey Jesus”. Typically, the billboards and church marques that Christians put up really annoy me. I think that was the best Christian billboard I’ve ever seen! “Real Christians obey Jesus”. How true that is! To be a Christian one must confess that Jesus is Lord! And Lords are to be obeyed. Christ himself said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). John the Apostle wrote, “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.” (1 John 2:3). In another place he said, “No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him” (1 John 3:6). To be clear, there is not a Christian alive who does not sin. But a true Christian will not live a life of sin. True Christians will repent. True Christians will pursue obedience to Christ the Lord. 

Negatively, visible saints will not destroy their own profession by unholiness of conversation. Today the word “conversation” means to talk. In the seventeenth century, when our confession was written, the word “conversation” was used to refer to someone’s conduct or behavior”. Unholiness of conversation means and unholy way of life.  True believers will not destroy their own profession by living an unholy or sinful life in disobedience to God’s moral law. 

To bring it all together, local churches are to have members. The members of local churches are to be visible saints. Who are these visible saints? They are those who have made a credible profession of faith. Positively, they are those who say they trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins. They know the foundational truths contained within Holy Scripture – the truths about God, creation, sin, and salvation in Christ Jesus – and claim to believe those truths. Furthermore, a credible profession of faith also involves repentance and a life of new obedience in Christ the Lord. Stated negatively, those who make a credible profession of faith will not destroy their own profession by holding to fundamental theological errors – erroneous beliefs that undermine the very foundation of the faith. And neither destroy their own profession by living an unholy life of sin and rebellion against God’s law. 

Conclusion

Brothers and sisters, all of this might sound very obvious to you. But it has not been obvious to all. In the days when our confession was written, the doctrine of the church expressed in 2LCF 26.1-2 seemed radical to many. In those days, church and state were wed together so that citizenship in a nation would mean membership in the church. Connected to this, in those days most believed that the members of the church were to be those who professed faith in Christ and their children! Many who are reformed still believe this.

As you may know, our confession of faith is based on the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF) – it’s an alteration of it. The Westminster Confession is the confession of the Presbyterians. We agree with them on an awful lot. We disagree with them on some points. The most well-known point of disagreement is over the doctrine of baptism. The Presbyterians believe that the infant children of believers are to be baptized. We believe that baptism is for those who make a credible profession of faith only. But I would like to suggest to you that it is our doctrine of the church that is more fundamental. Who are the members of local churches to be? We say, visible saints, or those who make a credible profession. But listen to what the Westminster Confession of Faith says about the visible church: “The visible church, which is also catholic or universal under the gospel (not confined to one nation, as before under the law), consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true religion; and of their children: and is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, the house and family of God, out of which there is no ordinary possibility of salvation.” We disagree with a number of things that the WCF says about the visible church. For the sake of time, I draw your attention to the remark about the children of believers. They are regarded as members of the church from birth before they can make a credible profession of faith. It is no wonder we also disagree about the timing of baptism, which marks a person’s entrance into the visible church.

Even more concerning to me than the Presbyterian error is the trend that I see today within Evangelicalism. Churches seem to care less and less about formal membership. If a church has formal membership, little effort will be made to discern a credible profession of faith in prospective members. Also, professing Christians will be allowed to bounce from one local church to the next with out much concern over where the Christians are coming from and why they are leaving their previous church. Just as 2LCF seemed radical to the majority of churches in the day it was written, I suspect it would seem radical to most of the churches that surround us if properly understood. 

Brothers and sisters, we must understand what our confession teaches about the church and we must strive to have our practice conform to our beliefs. One of the most important things that a church does is receive and release or remove members. This is what the keys that Christ gave Peter were for (see Matthew 16:19). Keys have the power to bind and lose. Keys have the power to open and close doors. Where did these keys that Christ gave to Peter go? Those who pay careful attention to the rest of the New Testament will see that they were not given to the Pope as the Roman Catholics claim but to the elders and members of local congregations. The elders and members of each congregation each have a key. The elders hold, what has been called, the key of authority. The members hold, what has been called, the key of liberty. One of the things these keys are used for is the opening or unlocking of the door of the church to new members. To receive new members the elders must turn their key and the members must turn theirs. Don’t you think we should know what the qualifications for church membership are? It would be a shame to lock a believer out when he should be received in! And it would also be a shame (and a danger) to let a non-believer in when he should be locked out! And the very same points could be made about church discipline resulting in exclusion or excommunication. The keys that Christ has given to the church through Peter are powerful keys. Christ says, “whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19). The elders of the church do not hold the keys alone. No, one key belongs to the elders. The elders have the key of authority. And the other key belongs to the members. The members have the key of liberty, that is to say, the power and freedom to appoint officers, and to agree or disagree with the elders in the reception and removal of members from the church of Jesus Christ. Again I say, we all better know what the church is and who its members are to be.    

Who are the members of the church to be? “All persons throughout the world, professing the faith of the gospel, and obedience unto God by Christ according unto it, not destroying their own profession by any errors everting the foundation, or unholiness of conversation, are and may be called visible saints; and of such ought all particular congregations to be constituted.” (1 Corinthians 1:2; Acts 11:26; Romans 1:7; Ephesians 1:20-22)

Old Testament Reading: Proverbs 24

“Be not envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them, for their hearts devise violence, and their lips talk of trouble. By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might, for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory. Wisdom is too high for a fool; in the gate he does not open his mouth. Whoever plans to do evil will be called a schemer. The devising of folly is sin, and the scoffer is an abomination to mankind. If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, ‘Behold, we did not know this,’ does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work? My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off. Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous; do no violence to his home; for the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity. Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, lest the LORD see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him. Fret not yourself because of evildoers, and be not envious of the wicked, for the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be put out. My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not join with those who do otherwise, for disaster will arise suddenly from them, and who knows the ruin that will come from them both? These also are sayings of the wise. Partiality in judging is not good. Whoever says to the wicked, ‘You are in the right,’ will be cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations, but those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, and a good blessing will come upon them. Whoever gives an honest answer kisses the lips. Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house. Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips. Do not say, ‘I will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay the man back for what he has done.’ I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction. A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.” (Proverbs 24)

New Testament Reading: Luke 14:25-35 

“Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.’” (Luke 14:25–35)

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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

These words from our Lord and Savior regarding the requirements for being a disciple of his are shocking. Hear him again: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” These words from our Lord grab the attention, don’t they? They are meant to! But they must be properly interpreted if they are to be properly applied. So let us consider these words of Jesus carefully and be sure to take then in their context. 

Luke has just told us about an interaction Jesus had with a group of Pharisees and other prominent people at a dinner hosted by a ruler of the Pharisees. Someone invited Jesus to this dinner and judging by the hard things Jesus said to these elites, as recorded in Luke 14:1-24, I don’t think he made many friends at this banquet! What did Christ condemn these Pharisees for? He condemned them for their legalistic and loveless observance of the Sabbath day, their self-exalting pride, and the favoritism they showed to friends, relatives, and rich neighbors while neglecting the poor and the needy in their midst. Christ concluded his condemning remarks with a classic parable – a story about a man who gave a great banquet and invited many through his servant. The servant obeyed the will of his master and invited the guests of honor, but they all made excuses! The man then instructed his servant to go into the streets and lanes of the city to bring in the poor and the crippled. This the servant did, but there was still room at the table! And so the master “said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.” And then the master remarked, “For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet” (Luke 14:23-24). The meaning of this parable was and is clear. The guests of honor were the Pharisees and other religious elite within Israel. The gospel of the kingdom of God came to them through Jesus, God’s servant, but they rejected the invitation. The gospel of the kingdom would go to the poor and crippled within Israel and would be received more readily by them. And because room remained at God’s banquet table, the invitation would be extended to all nations. 

As we approach our text for today, it is important for us to remember a few things: 

One, the hostility between Jesus and the religious elite within Israel was growing. It was back in Luke 9:22 that Christ spoke to his disciples, “saying, ‘The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised’” (Luke 9:22). Since then, we have watched the hostility grow! Indeed, the hostility would culminate in the crucifixion of Jesus and the persecution of the disciples of Jesus. 

Two, Christ warned his disciples that they would experience hostility, not only from the religious elite within Israel but from their fellow Jews and even from members of their household. It was in Luke 12:49 that we heard Christ say, “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law” (Luke 12:49–53).

Three, we must remember how Luke portrays the Pharisees and others who rejected Jesus. He portrays them as people in love with the world and the things of this world. They are hypocrites who love to appear clean and righteous before men but inwardly they are full of greed and wickedness (see Luke 11:39). They clamored for positions of power and prestige while neglecting the poor. Stated differently, Luke portrays those who rejected Christ as people who loved the world supremely. Love is the most powerful motivator. And what did these people love most? They loved themselves most. They loved the praise of men most. They loved the pleasures of this world most. 

When we remember these things – the increasing hostility between Christ and the religious elite within Israel (a hostility that would result in the crucifixion of Christ, and the persecution of the disciples of Christ), the hostility that would arise against Christians even from the members of their own households, and the thing that hindered people from following after Jesus, namely, a supreme love for self,  the world, and the things of the world – then we will better understand the shocking words of Jesus concerning what is required to follow after him. 

Hear his words again: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.”  

Disciples Of Jesus Must Hate Their Parents, Spouse, Children, Siblings, And Even Their Own Life 

What does Jesus mean when he says that to be his disciple we must hate our father and mother, wife and children, yes, even our own life? Does this not flatly contradict the clear teaching of Scripture?  

As it pertains to the requirement of hating father and mother, what about the fifth of the Ten Commandments which requires us to honor father and mother (see Deuteronomy 5:16)? Did Jesus mean to abrogate the fifth commandment? This cannot be! For one, it is a part of God’s ever-abiding moral law. Two, in another place Christ commands obedience to the fifth, saying, “You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother’” (Luke 18:20). 

As it pertains to the requirement to hate wife and children, what about those places in Scripture that clearly command the husband to love the wife and fathers to lovingly care for their children? For example, Colossians 3:19 says, “Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them”. And in Ephesians 6:4 fathers are commanded to not provoke their children to anger, but to bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Even the requirement to hate your own life seems to be a contradiction, for elsewhere Christ sums up the last six of the Ten Commandments with the command to love your neighbor as yourself (Luke 10:27). Indeed when Paul commands husbands to love their wives in Ephesians 5 he says that “husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church…” (Ephesians 5:28–29). And a little later he says, “let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband” (Ephesians 5:33).

If the words of Christ found here in Luke 14:26 are taken in a strict and literal sense, then Christ contradicts himself and the very Scriptures he has inspired. This cannot be. And so we must ask ourselves, can these words be interpreted in another sense? Indeed they can. 

What then does Christ mean by the words, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple”? He means that the love we naturally have for our mother and father, our spouse and our children, yes, even the natural love and concern that we have for our own well-being, must pale in comparison to the love that we have for him. The love that we have for God and Christ must supersede the love we have for parents, spouses, children, yes, even for our own lives. And here is the real point: if a choice must be made between father and mother, spouse and children, yes, even one’s own life and following after Christ, our love for Christ must prevail, and those who would hinder us from following after him must be neglected, forsaken, and turned away from. 

To be clear, there is nothing about being a disciple of Jesus that requires us to break off relationships with parents, spouses, and children. Ideally, if a parent, spouse, or child does not follow Christ along with you, the natural relationship will remain happy and intact (see 1 Corinthians 7:12). But Christ is here anticipating hostility from the non-believing world and he is calling his disciple to count the cost. 

The point is this: to be a disciple of Christ, one must be willing to lose relationships with the people they love most – parents, spouses, and children – indeed, they must be willing to lose their own lives for the sake of following after Jesus. 

Contrast this with the unbelieving Pharisees at the dinner party. What did those men love supremely? They loved themselves supremely. They loved the world and the pleasures and prestige of the world supremely. What hindered them from following Jesus? Many things, I’m sure. It seems that one of the hindrances was this: they would not let go of their places of honor (see Luke 14:8), or the approval they received from friends, brothers, relatives, or the rich (see Luke 14:12) to follow after Jesus. This, friends, is why Christ said, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” 

Disciples Of Jesus Must Bear Their Own Cross

Christ then stated this same principle in another way: “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” 

In modern times the image of the cross has been sterilized and romanticized. In Jesus’ day, the cross was known only as a brutal instrument of death. The Romans would execute criminals by hanging them on crosses. There they would die, typically of asphyxiation. 

Jesus would soon bear his cross. Quite literally, he would carry his cross part of the way to the place of his crucifixion. He would die on that cross, and there make atonement for the sins of those given to him by the Father in eternity.     

Here Jesus says that all who follow him must bear their own cross. 

Notice, it is not the cross of Christ that we are called to bear. Only Christ could bear that cross. He atoned for the sins of his people on that cross. He bore the wrath of God in the place of sinners on that cross. Only Jesus the Messiah, the eternal Son of God incarnate, could bear the weight of that awful load. The disciples of Jesus cannot bear the cross of Christ, but we are called to bear our own cross.   

This is actually the second time the word “cross” appears in Luke’s gospel. Back in Luke 9:23, we heard Christ say, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). These two sayings of Jesus are very similar. When we take them together it is very clear what Christ means. To take up your cross is to deny yourself. To take up your cross is to die to yourself.  

Sometimes disciples of Jesus will be called to take up their cross in the ultimate sense, that is, to die the death of a martyr. As you know, many of the original disciples of Jesus would be called to take up their cross in this ultimate sense – many were put to death because of their allegiance to Jesus. Indeed, there have been many martyrs throughout the history of the church. Even so, the truth remains that most disciples of Jesus have and will die a natural death. But notice, that all of Jesus’ disciples are called to bear their own cross. And in Luke 9:23 Christ says that this cross is to be carried daily. This means that all disciples of Jesus must die to themselves in metaphorical or spiritual way. This we must do to follow Jesus in the beginning, and this we must do throughout the Christian life.

What does it mean to take up your cross daily and to die to yourself? It means that you no longer live for yourself, for this world, or for the pleasures of this world, but for the pleasure of knowing and serving God and Christ, and for the joy of serving others. 

Paul the Apostle spoke of his personal cross-bearing when he said, “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:7–11)

Earlier in the same letter, Paul urged the believers to bear their own crosses, when he said, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:3–8).

Dear brethren, this is truly the essence of the Christian life. The Christian life begins when a sinner, by the grace of God, dies to self and trusts in Christ. And the Christian life is to be marked by continual and daily cross-bearing. There are many hindrances to this. Pride will rear its ugly head. Selfish ambition will sometimes reemerge. A love for the world and the pleasures of this world will intrude. But the disciples of Jesus must daily put to death what is earthly in them (see Colossians 3:5).

Disciples Of Jesus Must Count The Cost

Now that Jesus has told the multitudes what is required to be a true disciple of his, he urges them to count the cost before continuing with him, lest their profession of faith be found false. This exhortation to count the cost was delivered by Jesus to the crowd through three illustrations.

The first is found in verses 28-30. There we read, “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’” (Luke 14:28–30).

This great multitude that followed Jesus was filled with excitement. They had high hopes for Jesus. But as has been said in previous sermons, the hopes of many in this multitude were misguided. Many expected him to immediately bring an earthly kingdom and earthly prosperity, and so Christ set them straight. Following me may cost you your relationship with your parents, your spouse, or your children. Following me may cost you your life! Those who wish to follow me must bear their own cross. Are you sure you want to continue with me? Are you sure you have what it takes to finish what you are beginning to build?

Of course, we know that all who have true faith in Christ will finish. True believers will persevere because God will preserve them (see Philippians 1:6). But one of the means God uses to preserve his elect is his word. And here, the Word of God says, count the cost! The elect of God will count the cost and will continue with Christ to the end. The nonelect will either turn back immediately or make false professions and turn back later. Why? Because they love this world more than Christ! Their god is their belly; their minds are set on earthly things (see Philippians 3:18-19). But the elect of God will hear the Word of God. The Spirit will call them inwardly and make the word effectual. They will understand what the cost of discipleship is. They will count the cost. And they will say, it is worth it! They will agree with the Apostles and say, “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him…” (Philippians 3:7–9).   

The second illustration is found in verses 31-32. There we read, “Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace” (Luke 14:31–32). 

The illustration is different, but the message is the same. Wise builders will count the cost before building, and wise kings will count the cost before waging war. Disciples of Jesus must do the same. Those who follow after Jesus must first count the cost.

By the way, I do wonder if Jesus used the illusion of building a tower because being a disciple of Jesus involves participating in the building of Christ’s kingdom. Christ’s kingdom is built as the disciples of Jesus die to self daily and testify concerning the hope that is in them through faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ. And I do wonder if Jesus uses the illustration of waging war because being a disciple of Jesus involves spiritual warfare, “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4).

Clearly, Christ calls those who wish to follow him to first count the cost. 

In verse 33 we read, “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). This is another way of saying what was said before: “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27). To renounce is “to willingly give up or set aside what one possesses—‘to give up, to part with one’s possessions’”(Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, 565). Just as not all Christians are called to bear their cross in the extreme by dying the death of a martyr, but must carry their cross daily by dying daily to self, so too, not all Christians will be called to actually give up all that they have. The first disciples of Christ did. In Luke 18:28 we hear Peter speak to Jesus, saying, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” And [Jesus] said to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life” (Luke 18:28–30). Some disciples of Jesus throughout the history of the church, and even in the present time, have been called by God to renounce all to follow Christ, but many disciples of Christ are, by God’s grace, permitted to retain the good things of this life – house, wife, brothers, parents, and children. Those disciples of Jesus who enjoy these blessings must be very careful to obey Christ’s words still! These earthly blessings must be enjoyed and held onto with an open hand and not a clenched fist. Hear again the words of our Savior: “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33).

The third and final illustration is found in verses 34-35. “Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Luke 14:34–35).

Salty salt makes things savory. Salty salt preserves things. But salt that loses its saltiness is good for nothing. It’s not good for the soil. It’s not even good for the manure pile. It is simply thrown away. And this is a warning to the backslider, the apostate, and the false professor. The person who once made a profession of faith but then afterward turns back from it is like salt that has lost its savor. He is in a most miserable condition, for at one time he knew the truth and claimed to love it, but afterward, he went back to the world.  Hebrews 6:4-6 speaks of the miserable condition of the apostate and says, “For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt” (Hebrews 6:4–6).

Conclusion

Count the cost. That is what Christ called the multitude that followed him to do. Christ was not interested in having many followers. He was interested in having sincere and faithful followers though. And the same is true to this present day. Do you wish to follow Jesus? Then count the cost.  “If anyone comes to [him] and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be [his] disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after [him] cannot be [his] disciple” (Luke 14:25–27). Those who do not renounce all they have cannot be a disciple os Jesus (Luke 14:33). Those who love themselves, this world, and the things of this world will surely say, the price is too high! Those whom God has graciously chosen and is calling by his Word and Spirit will say, the price is just right. I’ll gladly suffer the “loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him…”

Old Testament Reading: Proverbs 25

“These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied. It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out. As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, so the heart of kings is unsearchable. Take away the dross from the silver, and the smith has material for a vessel; take away the wicked from the presence of the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness. Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence or stand in the place of the great, for it is better to be told, “Come up here,” than to be put lower in the presence of a noble. What your eyes have seen do not hastily bring into court, for what will you do in the end, when your neighbor puts you to shame? Argue your case with your neighbor himself, and do not reveal another’s secret, lest he who hears you bring shame upon you, and your ill repute have no end. A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear. Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the soul of his masters. Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give. With patience a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft tongue will break a bone. If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, lest you have your fill of it and vomit it. Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor’s house, lest he have his fill of you and hate you. A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a war club, or a sword, or a sharp arrow. Trusting in a treacherous man in time of trouble is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips. Whoever sings songs to a heavy heart is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, and like vinegar on soda. If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you. The north wind brings forth rain, and a backbiting tongue, angry looks. It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife. Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked. It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one’s own glory. A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.” (Proverbs 25, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 14:7-24 

“Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, ‘When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.’ He said also to the man who had invited him, ‘When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.’ When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, ‘Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!’ But he said to him, ‘A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’” (Luke 14:7–24, 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

Luke begins the section we are considering today by saying, “Now [Jesus] told a parable to those who were invited…” This reminds us of the scene. Back in Luke 14:1, we were told, “One Sabbath, [Jesus] went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees…” (Luke 14:1, ESV). Remember, he healed a man of dropsy there, and he confronted the Pharisees for their cold-hearted legalism. So, this is the scene. Jesus is at the home of a high-ranking Pharisee for dinner, and it is to this group that he speaks.

Interestingly, Luke describes Jesus’ teaching as a parable. A parable is an earthly story with a spiritual meaning. Typically, a parable is a fictional story designed to illustrate spiritual truths. Eventually, in Luke 14:15-24, Jesus does tell a fictional story. But he began by using the real-life situation he was in – the dinner at the ruler of the Pharisees’ house – as a kind of living parable. By this I mean, in verses 7-14, Christ used the situation he observed in the room as an opportunity to teach about spiritual things.

What are the spiritual lessons delivered by Christ in this passage? Here Christ teaches us about life in his eternal kingdom and he does so by contrasting it with the way these Pharisees were living. No doubt, these Pharisees thought they were in the kingdom of God. More than this, they believed they were the preeminent ones in the kingdom of God. But here Christ condemns their way of life and insists that the values and ethics of his kingdom are radically different from the values and ethics of theirs.

You have heard me say that the gospel of Luke is all about the inauguration of the kingdom of God at Christ’s first coming, and so it is. If you pay careful attention to what Jesus has to say about life in his kingdom and the ethics of his kingdom, you will see that Christ’s kingdom is an upside-down kingdom when compared to the kingdoms of this world. This is what we see in the text that is open before us today. The way of the world is not the way of Christ and his kingdom. Things work differently in Christ’s kingdom. In brief, it is not the prestigious, powerful, prideful, and self-promoting who flourish in Christ’s eternal kingdom, but those who are humble, lowly, and servant-hearted.   

This passage consists of three parts. 

Everyone Who Exalts Himself Will Be Humbled, And He Who Humbles Himself Will Be Exalted   

The first is found in Luke 14:7-11. There we read, “Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor…”  In that culture, men lounged on the ground at low tables to eat. As it is in our culture, certain positions at the table were considered to be places of honor. The places of honor at the table were the most comfortable, provided the best view of the room, and were situated close to the host or guest of honor so that conversation could be had with those of importance. What did Jesus observe at this dinner party? He saw men clamoring for the best and most honored places at the tables.  

And so he took the opportunity to instruct them concerning them, saying, in verse 8, “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” 

This is a wise saying. It sounds very much like Proverbs 25:6-7: “Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence or stand in the place of the great, for it is better to be told, ‘Come up here,’ than to be put lower in the presence of a noble” (Proverbs 25:6–7, ESV). This is very good advice. One would be wise to follow this advice at dinner parties or at weddings. But I trust you can see this is about more than dinner party etiquette. This is about life in Christ’s kingdom. 

In the world, and even in the world of the Pharisees of Old Covenant Israel, men clamor for positions of honor, power, and prestige.  But this is not how things work in the inaugurated kingdom of Christ, that is to say, the church. In the kingdom of Christ, “everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” It is this final remark from Jesus that makes his teaching a parable. Christ used the scene that was unfolding before him – men clamoring for positions of honor – to make the point, “everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”      

As I was contemplating this passage it occurred to me that later in Luke’s gospel we find another story about Jesus dining with others. It is in Luke 22 that we find Jesus dining with his own disciples. There is a linguistic connection between this passage and that one. In Luke 14:1 we are told, “One Sabbath, when [Jesus] went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees…” (Luke 14:1, ESV). And in Luke 22 the same Greek word translated as “dine” appears. In Luke 22:14 we read: “And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer” (Luke 22:14–15, ESV). There the Greek word translated as “eat” is the same as the Greek word translated here in our text as “dined”. Not only is there a linguistic connection between Luke 14 and Luke 22, but the scenes are very similar. In both scenes, Christ is dining with people. I do believe that Luke wants to compare and contrast these two dinner parties. 

In Luke 14, the ruler of the Pharisees is the host. In Luke 22, Jesus is the host. In Luke 14, the Pharisees are found clamoring for positions of honor. And what do you know, in Luke 22 the twelve Apostles are found doing the same thing. In Luke 22:24 we read, “A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest” (Luke 22:24, ESV). In Luke 14 Christs rebukes and instructs the Pharisees, saying, “everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” In Luke 22:25, Christ speaks to his ambitions, self-seeking, and self-promoting disciples saying, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves” (Luke 22:25–27, ESV). Luke does not tell the story of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples at this Passover feast. Only John tells that story in chapter 13 of his gospel. No doubt, the words of Jesus recorded in Luke 22:17 are meant to remind us of this story. Jesus Christ, the Son of God incarnate, the Messiah, the Lord of Glory, humbled himself and took the position of a servant. As he celebrated the last Passover with his disciples, he “rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him” (John 13:4–6, ESV). And he instructed his disciples, saying, “You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you” (John 13:13–15, ESV).

This is the ethic of Christ’s kingdom. The great are those who are truly humble. The great are those who are resolved to serve and to put the needs of others ahead of their own desires. This kingdom ethic is exemplified by the King of the kingdom, Christ the Lord, “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:6–11, ESV). All who have Christ as their King are to have this mind within themselves (see Philippians 2:5). We are to clothe ourselves with humility toward one another, knowing that “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5, ESV).

It is possible, dear friends, to act humble in public but to lack true humility in the heart. We must not forget that God sees the heart. True humility comes when we begin to see ourselves as we really are.  Those who are proud have a distorted view of themselves. They see themselves as righteous (in themselves), being blind to their sin and folly. They see themselves as self-sufficient, oblivious to the fact that it is God who upholds their life and gives them their every breath. Contrary to all the evidence, the proud think of themselves as immortal and invincible. They do not see that their life is but a vapor and a breath. Those who are truly humble see themselves as they truly are. They agree with God’s word that they are sinners by nature, creatures who depend on God for everything, and created to give thanks and praise to God and to worship and serve him forever. True humility comes only when we begin to see ourselves as God sees us, as revealed in the pages of Holy Scripture. 

The Pharisees lacked a proper view of themselves, and so Christ warned them and taught them, “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Sometimes the proud are humbled even in this life, and sometimes the humble are exalted even in this life. Certainly, the proud will be humbled and the humble will be exulted on judgment day and in the life to come.        

Do Not Invite Those Who Can Repay, For You Will Be Repaid At The Resurrection Of The Just 

In Luke 14:12 Christ delivers another message. This time, he spoke directly to the man who had invited him to the banquet and said, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just” (Luke 14:12–14, ESV).

If in the previous parable, Christ confronted the Pharisees concerning their pride and self-promotion, here Christ confronts them for the preferential treatment they showed to their kinsmen according to the flesh and those with prestige.

It would be a mistake to think that Christ is here forbidding private dinner parties wherein those invited are all friends or members of the same family. Certainly, there is a time and place for private celebrations. Jesus’ words must be interpreted in kingdom terms if they are to be correctly understood. These were Pharisees, remember? They were recognized as religious leaders within that society. Clearly, this dinner that Christ attended was not a simple celebration for family and friends, but an event of religious and political importance. This is why the people were clamoring for the honored places as the tables. I’m sure the whole scene made Christ sick, and so he confronted them for the preferential treatment they showed to family and those with prestige while neglecting the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind among them. 

Jesus’ concerns in this instance seem to be very much like the concerns that James had when he wrote his letter to Christians, saying, “For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, ‘You sit here in a good place,’ while you say to the poor man, ‘You stand over there,’ or, ‘Sit down at my feet,’ have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘

You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well.” (James 2:2–8, ESV)

As I have said, this passage is about Christ’s kingdom and the ethics of his kingdom. I do not doubt that what Christ saw in the house of the ruler of the Pharisees repulsed him. He delivered this teaching as a rebuke to the Pharisees, and also to instruct his disciples concerning life in his inaugurated kingdom, that is to say, in the church. Dear friends, as the church – that is to say, as the officers and members of Christ’s church – we must never show partiality or preferential treatment to family members or to those of wealth and prestige within society but must care for the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind among us. In other words, we must not relate to people thinking, how will I benefit from this relationship in the here and now? Instead, we must love our neighbor as ourselves and do unto them as we would have them do to us if we were in their position. Here Christ reminds us that there will be a reward for those who live according to this ethic when he says, “For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” 

 Blessed Is Everyone Who Will Eat Bread In The Kingdom Of God

Christ had one more lesson for this group. It is found in verses 15-24.

In verse 15 we read, “When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, ‘Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!’” Evidently this man understood that Christ was talking about the kingdom of God and the ethics of this kingdom. Why did he speak up? I do not know. Perhaps he genuinely agreed with Jesus. Perhaps he simply wanted his voice to be heard. Perhaps his statement was intended to prompt Jesus to answer the question, who will eat bread in the kingdom of God? Whatever the man’s motive, Jesus did take the opportunity to teach about entrance into the kingdom of God. Here we find a classic example of a parable. 

Verse 16: “But he said to him, ‘A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet’” (Luke 14:15–24, ESV).

The primary meaning of this parable is clear. The man who gave a great banquet represents God. The banquet represents the marriage supper of the lamb that will be enjoyed in the new heavens and earth when the kingdom of God is consummated (see Revelation 19:9). The servant who was sent out to say to those invited, “Come, for everything is now ready”,  is Jesus Christ. Those who were invited first – the ones who made excuses as to why they could not come because they were preoccupied with the cares of this world – represent the Jews and especially the leaders of the Jews, men like the Pharisees. The master of the house growing angry and saying to his servants, “Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame”, represents the realities of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Not many who were wise according to worldly standards, or powerful, or those of noble birth followed after receiving the invitation to the great banquet. Rather it was foolish, the weak, the low and despised in the world, who responded in faith to the invitation of Christ (see 1 Corinthians 1:26–29). When the servant in the parable spoke to the master, saying, “Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room”, it symbolized the fact that not all of God’s elect were called to faith and repentance in the days of Christ’s earthly ministry. Far from it! There was still room – a lot more room – at God’s banquet table table. When the master said to the servant, “Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled”, it symbolized the fact that the gospel of the kingdom of heaven would soon go out from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth (see Acts 1:8). When the master spoke to the servant saying, “For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet”, it was a condemnation of the Jews, especially the religious elite from amongst the Jews, who had rejected the invitation of Christ and persisted in unbelief. 

The man at the table said, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” No doubt, his statement was true! But Christ made it clear by this parable, that none of these Pharisees would be blessed to eat bread in the kingdom if they continued to make excuses and reject the invitation delivered by Jesus because they loved the world and the things of this world more than God.

This, I say, was the primary meaning of this parable. This is what the parable meant primarily as it was originally delivered by Jesus the audience he had at the ruler of the Pharisee’s house. But parables can have layers of meaning. The secondary meaning of this parable is that this dynamic continues even to the present day. The invitation to the great banquet of God continues to go out. It is the gospel proclaimed by the followers of Jesus Christ. And men and women continue to make excuses and reject this invitation because they love this world and the things of this world more than God and the things of God. 

It could be that you are one of those fools who have chosen the fleeting pleasures of this life over a seat at God’s heavenly banquet table. How do you receive this invitation and come to take your seat at God’s heavenly and eternal banquet table? Only by turning from your sins and trusting in Jesus the Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins. How foolish the men in this parable were! They were invited to a very great and grand banquet! And yet they made excuses. The first one said, “I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it.” Another said, “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.” And another said, “I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.” These were lame excuses indeed. And they reveal the indifference, lovelessness,  and lack of interest that these men have in the master and in the master’s house.  Some who are here might have the same indifference, lovelessness, and lack of interest in God and in the things of God. 

It is so, I pray it will soon change. May the Lord grant to all who hear these words a true appetite for the great banquet of God that will be enjoyed when Christ returns to consummate his kingdom. May our hunger for the things of this earth pale in comparison to our hunger for the marriage supper of the lamb. And dear friends, may the Lord grant us the grace to have our hunger pains for the feast of that great and final day satisfied by the feast that God has set before us now in the Lord’s Supper.  

The man at the table with Jesus was right! “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” This will be true in the world to come when the kingdom of God is consummated. But it is also true now as those with faith in Christ eat bread at the Lord’s table in the inaugurated kingdom of heaven.

Conclusion

Second London Confession 26.1

The catholic or universal church, which (with respect to the internal work of the Spirit and truth of grace) may be called invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ, the head thereof; and is the spouse, the body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. (Hebrews 12:23; Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 1:10, 22, 23; Ephesians 5:23, 27, 32)

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 5:22–33

“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” (Ephesians 5:22–33, 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

For some time now I have been telling you that I would like to present teaching to you concerning our doctrine of the church, also know as ecclesiology. It took me a while to decide where to deliver this teaching. I thought about presenting this material in Sunday School, but then I thought, too many would miss it! I also thought about delivering a series of sermons on the doctrine of the church in the first portion of our liturgy, but I decided against this not wanting to disrupt our study of the Gospel of Luke. And then one day it dawned on me: this study would fit very nicely in the second portion of our liturgy in the place of the catechetical preaching for a time. 

Catechetical preaching is theological or doctrinal preaching, and that is what this will be. In the weeks to come I will present you with a series of short sermons on the doctrine of the church. What do the Scriptures teach us about the church?  That will be the general question we will address. 

And thankfully, we do have time to address this question. For many years now it has been our custom to progress through the 114 questions and answers of the Baptist Catechism once every two years. When we decided many months ago to join the morning service and the afternoon service into one liturgy with two parts, one of the positive consequences was that we will not need to cancel the second portion of the liturgy to make room for the quarterly worship gatherings of our association or members meetings. This means I now have a little room in our two-year schedule. I intend to use that room in the schedule to elaborate further on certain topics addressed by our catechism or to address topics that our catechism does not address at all.

Speaking of our catechism, it is interesting that the Baptist Catechism says very little about the doctrine of the church. The word church appears only once. It is found in question and answer 101. That section of the catechism is about the external and ordinary means of grace: the word of God read and especially preached, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer. Question 101 asks, What is the duty of such who are rightly baptized? A. It is the duty of those who are rightly baptized to give up themselves to some particular and orderly church of Jesus Christ, that they may walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. This is an important question and answer. It helps us to see that baptism is to be administered by those ordained within the church and that baptism marks the entrance into the covenant community. The church is the place where disciples of Jesus Christ are taught to observe all that Christ has commanded. As I have said, Baptist Catechism 101 is very important, but our catechism does not contain anything like a full-blown doctrine of the church. Please hear me, this is not a complaint. The Baptist Catechism is designed to be used to instruct in the fundamentals of the faith. Also, it is designed to summarize our confession of faith. And our confession of faith does contain a very robust statement concerning our doctrine of the church. 

As I thought about the best way to present our ecclesiology to you, I could not think of a better way than to walk through chapter 26 of our confession of faith, the Second London Confession (2LCF). Chapter 26 consists of 15 paragraphs. I intend to present one paragraph to you each Sunday for the next 15 weeks. I trust that these brief sermons will feel very much like the catechetical sermons you are accustomed to hearing. 

After deciding on this approach, the only other question to answer was, when should this be done? Or where would be the best place to break from our journey through the catechism to insert this teaching? I suppose it would have been natural to wait until  Baptist Catechism 101 where the word “church” is found, or to insert this teach right before or after the section on the external and ordinary means of grace, especially the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, given that they are the two sacraments or ordinances of the church (Baptist Catechism 96-104). Frankly, I didn’t want to wait that long. I think we need this teaching sooner rather than later. And so I have decided to insert this teaching on the church right here at this point of transition in Catechism.  We considered question 43 last Sunday. That was the last question in the second major section of our catechism. Questions 7 through 43 teach us what man ought to believe concerning God. Questions 44 through 114 will teach us about the duty God requires of man (see Baptist Catechism 6). This is a very natural place to break, therefore, and to teach systematically on the doctrine of the church. 

There is one more thing I would like to say by way of instruction before looking at paragraph 1 of 2LCF 26. As we begin this topical sermon series I would ask you to read chapter 26 of our confession. In fact, it would probably be good for you to read chapters 26-30, for these five all relate to the topic of ecclesiology. But do please read chapter 26. And as you do, I would ask you to look for two themes. One, look for Jesus Christ and ask yourself the question what is the relationship between Christ and the church? Two, look for the theme of power and authority. Where does church power come from, where does it reside, and how is it disseminated? No doubt, I’ll be drawing your attention to these two themes as we progress through these 15 paragraphs in the weeks to come.  

Now, let us briefly consider 2LCF 26.1. 

The Catholic Church Is The Universal Church

Typically, the first paragraph of each chapter in our confession states the doctrine under consideration in the most general terms possible. If you wish to know what we believe about any given topic addressed by our confession, and you only had time to read one paragraph, you should read the first paragraph. When it comes to chapter 26 of the Confession and our doctrine of the church, you should probably dig deep and read the first two paragraphs, for they are both essential to a proper understanding of the church, as we will soon see.   

This introductory paragraph is about the catholic church. Brothers and sisters, we must not be afraid of the word catholic. This introductory paragraph has nothing to do with what is called Roman Catholicism. That is a false religion. That tradition proclaims a false gospel. Catholic simply means universal. And that is what we are considering here – the catholic or universal church. 

It is worth noting at this point that chapter 26 of our confession is mainly about local or particular churches. Paragraph 2 will turn our attention to local, particular, or visible churches, saying,  “All persons throughout the world, professing the faith of the gospel, and obedience unto God by Christ according unto it, not destroying their own profession by any errors everting the foundation, or unholiness of conversation, are and may be called visible saints; and of such ought all particular congregations to be constituted.” The remaining paragraphs are about local, particular, or visible churches, such as this one. But paragraph 1 is about the church catholic or universal.

The Catholic Church May Be Called Invisible

Here in this paragraph, we are told that the catholic or universal church “may be called invisible.” Local churches are not invisible. You can see them. A photo can be taken of the members of local churches. But the catholic or universal church is said to be invisible. How so? Our catechism clarifies that it is invisible “with respect to the internal work of the Spirit and truth of grace.” So then, the catholic or universal church is not a visible church now. No, it is a spiritual church. 

Now would probably be a good time for me to tell you what the word church means. The word church simply means “assembly”. Local or particular churches are local and particular assemblies. They are visible. But the catholic or universal church does not yet assemble, at least not on earth, and so it is rightly said to be invisible. Invisible to whom? It is invisible to us but not to God.

The Catholic Church Consists Of The Whole Number Of The Elect

Who then are the members of this universal and catholic church? Pay very careful attention to what our confession says.  The universal church “consists of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ, the head thereof…” Stated differently, the members of the universal church are the elect of God and the elect in waiting. The universal church consists of all whom God has chosen. 

I ask you, is the membership of this church mixed? By that I mean, does it consist of true believers and unbelievers, or true believers and false professors? No! In paragraph 3 we will confess that “The purest churches under heaven (that is to say, the purist of the local, visible churches on earth) are subject to mixture and error; and some have so degenerated as to become no churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan; nevertheless Christ always hath had, and ever shall have a kingdom in this world, to the end thereof, of such as believe in him, and make profession of his name.” But the universal and invisible church of Christ is pure. It is only those who are united to Christ by faith who are members of the universal church. And all the members are pure. Why? Because Christ has made them pure! 

This, dear friends, it the one church that Christ laid down his life for. Did Jesus lay down his life for Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church in Hemet CA? No! For two reasons. One, it is possible that there are people on our membership roster who do not have true faith in Christ. Two, it should be abundantly clear that Christ laid down his life for more than just the members of this particular visible church. To use the language of Ephesians 5, what church did Christ “give himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” What church is this? Did Christ lay down his life for the church in Ephesis or the church in Galatia? Not exactly. He laid down his life for one church, and that one church is the church catholic. 

Again, The universal church “consists of the whole number of the elect, that have been”, that is to say, who lived in the past from Adam’s day to the present, “are…”, that is to say, who are alive now, “or shall be gathered into one, under Christ, the head thereof…” This is a reference to the elect who are alive now but have not yet believed, or the elect who have not yet been born. 

The Catholic Church Will Not Always Be Invisible

This catholic or universal church is invisible now. This church has members (the elect), but it does not have officers. The sacraments are not administered within the universal church, for it cannot be assembled on earth. But will the universal church always be invisible? Will it always be unable to assemble? No. Though the catholic church cannot assemble now, it will assemble in the new heavens and earth. And that is what our confession draws our attention to with the words, “shall be gathered into one, under Christ, the head thereof; and is the spouse, the body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.”    

A moment ago I urged you to read 2LCF 26 in its entirety and I asked you to look for two themes. One, look for Jesus Christ and ask yourself the question what is the relationship between Christ and the church? Two, look for the theme of power and authority. Where does church power come from, where does it reside, and how is it disseminated? Church power is not explicitly mentioned in this introductory paragraph, but Jesus Christ is. And his relationship with the church is presented in such a way that it prepares us to take up the topic of church power in the future. 

What is the relationship between Christ and the church? 

Notice, all of God’s elect shall be “gathered into one, under Christ.” Christ is the one who unifies the one true church. The members of the one true church share this one thing in common: spirit-wrought union with Christ through faith in him.

Notice that Christ is here called the head of the church. The English Annotations say, “Christ is said to be the Head of the Church in three respects, especially. First, in that he is above the Church, and ruleth it, as the head guideth the body. Secondly, because he conveyeth life into it, as the head doth to the members. Thirdly, he provideth for it, as the Head doth for the members, and participates in the same nature with it, as the head doth with the members” (English Annotations on Ephesians 1:22).

Borrowing language from Ephesians 5, the church universal is also said to be the bride of Christ. This is the church that Christ laid down his life for. The confession alludes to Ephesians 1:23 when it calls the church “the body of Christ, and the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” 

Conclusion

Though it is true that chapter 26 of our confession will quickly turn our attention to particular local churches (such as this one), and though it is true that the Scriptures speak often of local churches – the church in Ephesus, Philippi, etc., and rather infrequently of the church universal, I’m glad our confession begins here with a definition of the church universal. This should help us to not lose sight of the bigger picture as we sojourn together in these last days as members of a local, particular, visible church. Christ has sheep who are not of this fold! And we must not forget about them. As we seek to build one another up in this local church, and as we seek to encourage the planting and prosperity of other local churches, we must not forget about the church catholic. How marvelous it will be to assemble with that perfect and pure church in the new heavens and earth. She will be a splendid church “without spot or wrinkle or any such thing…” She will be “holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:27, ESV). This is because Christ shed his blood to atone for her sins. He will have then sanctified her, “having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word” (Ephesians 5:26, ESV). 

Friends, being a member of a local congregation matters nothing at all if you are not a member of the church catholic. You must be found in Christ, being united to him by faith. 

Old Testament Reading: Psalm 103

“OF DAVID. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The LORD works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word! Bless the LORD, all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will! Bless the LORD, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul!” (Psalm 103, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 14:1-6 

“One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, ‘Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?’ But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away. And he said to them, ‘Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?’ And they could not reply to these things.” (Luke 14:1–6, 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

Luke 14:1-6 is very similar to Luke 13:10-17. In both passages, Christ heals on the Sabbath Day. In both passages, Christ comes under the criticism of Jewish leaders for it. In Luke 13:10-17 the criticism is spoken; in Luke 14:1-6 it is implied that the leaders were critical and judgemental towards Jesus in their hearts.  In both passages, Christ rebukes his critics and insists that the Sabbath Day is not only a day for rest and worship but a day to show mercy to those in need. 

In the sermon I preached on Luke 13:10-17, I focused on the Sabbath. I attempted to demonstrate that Christ was not against the Sabbath but was concerned to observe it properly. Christ was not preparing to do away with the Sabbath (as many claim) but was rescuing the Sabbath from the heard-hearted and loveless legalism of the Pharisees. In that sermon, I attempted to convince you that the Sabbath day was the very best day for Christ to perform this miracle of healing, for the Sabbath day is meant to remind us of the eternal Sabbath rest we will enjoy when Christ returns to make all things new. When Christ healed the woman with a disabling spirit, it was a foretaste and foreshadowing of the new creation. It demonstrated that Christ has the power to bring us into the state of glory, of which the Sabbath is a sign, and to heal us from all our infirmities. In that sermon, I also attempted to convince you that the practice of Sabbath-keeping remains for the people of God today (see Hebrews 4:9). The Sabbath day is no longer on the seventh day, but is now the first day of the week. Why? Because Christ rose from the dead on the first day of the week, and when he rose on the first day, he accomplished our redemption and inaugurated a new creation and the New Covenant. The seventh-day Sabbath has been fulfilled by Christ and has been taken away, but Sabbath-keeping remains for the people of God. Now, we rest from common labor and recreations to devote ourselves to worship, corporately and privately, on the first day of the week. It is Lord’s Day (see Revelation 1:10) or Christian Sabbath. 

The passage that is open before us today is so similar to Luke 13:10-17, I suppose I could have simply preached that sermon all over again today. But instead of repeating what I said only a month or so ago, I have decided to come at this text from a slightly different vantage point. Instead of focusing on the Sabbath, I wish to focus on the topic of healing. 

If you have been paying attention in our study through the gospel of Luke you will know that Christ healed many in the days of his earthly ministry. If you are familiar with the New Testament Scriptures, you will know that the apostles of Christ could heal (see Acts 3 & 4) and that some within the early church also had the gift of healing (see 1 Corinthians 12:28). 

This raises many questions. Here are the questions that come immediately to my mind. Why did Christ heal? Why were the apostles of Christ given this ability to heal? Why did some within the early church have the gift of healing? Does the gift of healing remain in the church today? If not, does God heal today? If so, how does God heal? Should we expect that God will heal us? Why should we pursue healing when we are physically ill? And how should we pursue healing? These are the questions I would like to address today. 

First, we will move very quickly through our text. After that, we will take up the topic of healing. 

A Brief Exposition Of Luke 14:1-6

In Luke 14:1 we read, “One Sabbath…” As I have said, I do believe this text is about the Sabbath and the practice of Sabbath-keeping. “One Sabbath, when [Jesus] went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees…” I do like the idea that Christ dined with others on the Sabbath day. I do believe that the Sabbath is a wonderful day to have people in your home to eat with them. It is interesting, though, that Christ “dined at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees…” As you know, the Pharisees were typically opposed to Jesus, and that there was opposition and tension in this situation is made clear by the words, “they were watching him carefully.” They were watching him so as to catch him in some perceived error so that they might accuse him. I’m guessing you could feel the tension in the room. This doesn’t sound like a pleasant dinner to me. 

In Luke 14:2 we read, “And behold, there was a man before [Jesus] who had dropsy” (Luke 14:2, ESV). Dropsy is a condition involving swelling due to the build-up of lymphatic fluid under the skin.  We would call this condition, edema. 

In Luke 14:3 we read, “And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, ‘Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?’” (Luke 14:3, ESV). The word “responded” is interesting. Responded to what? The lawyers and Pharisees hadn’t said anything! But they did, if you know what I mean. They said things before, they spoke through their body language, and Christ knew their thoughts, and so he responded to them, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” 

I do wonder if this man with dropsy was a friend of theirs. I assume he was. Poor fellow. When Christ asked, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?”, everyone knew Christ was thinking of him and his condition. I’m sure the man with dropsey wanted everyone to show him mercy and to give the green light, but in verse 4 we read, “But they remained silent.” He must have felt betrayed and unloved by his legalistic friends. Thankfully, Christ showed him compassion. In the second half of verse 4, we read, “Then [Jesus] took him and healed him and sent him away” (Luke 14:4, ESV). 

Jesus then took the Pharisees and lawyers to Sabbath school. Verse 5: “And he said to them, ‘Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?’” (Luke 14:5, ESV). The obvious answer is that everyone in the room would labor to pull their son or ox out of a well on the Sabbath-day. Why? Because these men, though they showed no love to their friend with dropsy, loved their sons enough to rescue them from harm on the Sabbath. And truth be told, they would even rescue their ox if it were in trouble. Why? Because an ox is a living being that is to be cared for and (perhaps this was the more important thing to these men) the ox had great monetary value. Think of how much work it would take to pull a son or an ox out of a water well. It would require a lot of work – way more work than was required of Jesus to free this man from his watery bondage. When the lawyers and Pharisees disapproved of Jesus’ actions in their minds and hearts, they once again were proved to be cold-hearted hypocrites, and so the text says, “they could not reply to these things” (Luke 14:6, ESV).

As I have said in the introduction to this sermon, though this text is mainly about the Sabbath, proper Sabbath observance, and the significance of the Sabbath, I wish to focus attention on the topic of healing.

Why did Christ heal? 

Why did Christ heal? Why did he heal this man in this instance? And why did he heal so frequently in the days of his earthly ministry?

First of all, we must say that Christ healed the sick because he had compassion on them. In Luke 7:13 we are told that Christ had compassion on the weeping widow who had lost her only son before he raised him from the dead. In Matthew 14:14 we read, “When [Jesus]… saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.” There is more to be said about the reason Christ healed, but one reason is that he had compassion on the sick.  

Secondly, when Christ performed these miracles of healing it was a sign. The Apostle John often uses the word “sign” in his gospel to describe the miracles Jesus performed. John 2:11: “This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.” John 2:23: “Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing.” John 3:2: “This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” John 4:48: “So Jesus said to him, ‘Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.’” John 6:2: “And a large crowd was following [Jesus], because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.” John 7:31: “Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, ‘When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?’” Etc. 

A sign is “an event which is regarded as having some special meaning” (Louw-Nida, 442.) The miracles that Jesus performed were signs that demonstrated that: his words were true; he was from God and that God was with him; he was the Messiah just as he claimed.  In Acts 10:38 we hear the Apostle Peter speak of the earthly ministry of Christ, saying,  “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him” (Acts 10:38, ESV). You see, when Christ healed and cast out demons it was a sign that God was with him and that the kingdom of God was indeed present with power (see Luke 11:20).

But why this sign? Why did Christ heal as a sign that God was with him? In other words, is there some special significance or meaning within the sign of healing? Indeed, there is. Friends, the signs Jesus performed were not magic tricks. It is not as if Christ performed miracles merely to impress his audience. It is not as if he said, do you not believe my claims? Well, watch this! No, like with the Ten Plagues that were poured out on Egypt through Moses, the miracles themselves were pregnant with meaning.

When Jesus cast out demons it was a demonstration that he had the power to overthrow Satan and his kingdom and to establish the kingdom of God. And when Christ healed the sick and raised the dead it was a demonstration that he has the power to eradicate all sickness and even death. He has the power to do what the Psalmist hoped for in Psalm 103 – to heal all our diseases and redeem our life from the pit. 

If we wish to interpret the healing ministry of Jesus correctly, we must remember where sickness and death came from. They were not a part of God’s original creation. They were not present before man’s fall into sin. Sickness and death entered the world when Adam rebelled against God. Indeed, the wages of sin is death! The healing ministry of Jesus Christ must be viewed against the backdrop of man’s fall into sin and God’s promise to send a Redeemer. In brief, in Old Testament times it was promised that God would send a Redeemer who would defeat the Evil One who tempted Eve and, through her, Adam. This Redeemer would reverse the effects of the fall. More than this, he would bring his people into the estate of glory, of which Adam, and through his representation, all humanity, fell short. 

When Christ healed the sick it was not only a sign that his words were true, that he was from God and that God was with him, and that he was the Messiah just as he claimed. It was also a sign that he had come to reverse the effects of sin and to bring his people into the estate of glory, where sin and death will be no more.

Why were the Apostles of Christ given the ability to heal? 

The answer to the question, why were the apostles of Christ given the ability to heal?, is almost the same. The difference is this: while Christ healed by his own authority and power, the apostles of Christ healed and worked signs and wonders in Jesus’ name.   

In Acts 3 we find a story wherein the Apostle Peter healed a man who was lame from birth.  The man was begging and he “fixed his attention on [Peter and John], expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, ‘I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!’” (Acts 3:5–6, ESV). The man was healed and the people were astonished, “For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.” (Acts 4:22, ESV).

If you search for the phrase “signs and wonders” in the book of Acts, here is what you find: Acts 4:29-30 we find believers praying for continued boldness in the face of persecution, saying, “And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” In Acts 5:12 we read, “Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles.” In Acts 14:3 we read, “So [Paul and Barnabus] remained for a long time [in Iconium], speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.” In Acts 15:12 we are told that the “assembly [in Jerusalem] fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.”

The apostles of Christ were given the ability to perform wonders in the name of Jesus Christ as a sign that the word they proclaimed was true. These saw Christ resurrected, remember. These were commissioned by Christ to function as his special representatives. It is no wonder that God enabled them to work signs and wonders as a demonstration that their word was true. 

Do you know where else the phrase, “signs and wonders”, is found? It is found in the Old Testament in texts that are about the Exodus. In Exodus 7:3, God speaks to Moses, saying “But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment.” In Deuteronomy 6:22, Moses says, “And the Lord showed signs and wonders, great and grievous, against Egypt and against Pharaoh and all his household, before our eyes.” Jeremiah 32:20 says, “You have shown signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and to this day in Israel and among all mankind, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day.” This is an important observation. The working of signs and wonders is linked to great acts of redemption. God worked signs and wonders through Moses in the Exodus. And God worked signs and wonders through Christ and his apostles in the days when Jesus accomplished our eternal redemption.

Why did some within the early church have the gift of healing? 

Why then did some have the gift of healing in the days of the early church (see 1 Corinthians 12)? I trust you can anticipate the answer. In the days of the early church – in the days before most of the New Testament Scriptures were written – there were apostles, prophets, and other eyewitnesses to Christ’s resurrection ministering the word of God and testifying to what they saw, and miraculous gifts did accompany them – the gift of healing, miracles, and tongues – as a sign that their word concerning Christ was true. 

Does the gift of healing remain in the church today? 

Does the supernatural gift of healing remain in the church today? No. There are no apostles, or prophets in the church today. These are the stones of the foundation of God’s new covenant, new creation temple, remember? Christ is the cornerstone. The church is built upon this foundation. The offices of apostle and prophet have ceased. And neither are there eyewitnesses of Jesus’ resurrection in the church today. For this reason, there are no miracle workers or healers in the church today. The ability to work miracles and heal functioned as a sign that the apostles, prophets, and eyewitnesses of Christ’s resurrection spoke the truth. These have passed away, and now we have their inscriptuarted word. The miraculous gifts have ceased. More could be said in support of our cessationist position, but this will have to do for now. 

Does God heal today? 

But does God heal today? This, my friends, is a different question. And the answer is, yes! Do Christians have the supernatural gift of healing today? No. But does God heal today? Yes. 

How does God heal today? 

And how does God heal? Three categories come to mind. 

One, miraculously, through prayers of his people.

This is why James says, “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord” (James 5:14, ESV). It is not only the elders who should pray for healing. If a person is ill, they should pray for their own healing. They should also pray with others for healing. And if the illness is so severe that they are bedridden and unable to assemble with the church, they ought to ask the elders of the church to come and pray for them and to anoint them with oil. Some say the anointing oil is medicinal. Others say that it symbolizes the Holy Spirit. While I respect the medicinal view, I do believe the oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit. And I do not believe that the symbolic view requires us to call this anointing a sacrament of the church, as the Roman Catholics do. The oil signifies the Holy Spirit. It reminds the one who is ill of God’s presence and of his love for them in Christ Jesus. The oil does not heal. Prayer is the means through which the healing comes (if it is God’s will to grant it), and that what James says next: “And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven” (James 5:15, ESV). The point is this: though the miraculous gift of healing has ceased, this does not mean that God has ceased from healing in miraculous ways. If it is his will to heal, he will do it through the means of prayer

Another way that God heals is naturally, through prayer, with the help of gifted physicians.

Did you know that Luke, the author of this Gospel, was a physician? That is what Paul calls him in Colossians 4:14. As we reflect on the fact that Luke was a physician, I suppose it should strengthen our conviction that God can bring healing to us miraculously or through natural means. Luke knew that Jesus could heal and yet that did not lead him to abandon his work as a physician.  

Dear friends, if you are ill it is not wrong for you to seek help from a physician. God has gifted men and women with the natural ability to study the natural body and to help it heal from injury and illness. We should rejoice in this gift and make use of it when necessary. But I would urge you to be careful. Take care that you do not place your trust in man rather than in God. Take care to avoid the assumption that physicians have all the answers. In our day and age, I believe it is especially important to think critically and to take responsibility for your health. We should recognize that the majority of the doctors in our society operate within a system. In fact, you should know that it is very difficult for a doctor to break away from the established system even if they want to. And while there are many good things about our modern medical system – things to be thankful for – it is my conviction that the system has significant flaws and weaknesses. We should be mindful of the flaws and weaknesses, brothers and sisters, as we pursue health and healing.  

I do not wish to bind anyone’s conscience on this point, but I would encourage you to consider looking outside of the established system for alternative approaches to health and wellness. It is my opinion that while our modern medical system excels at trauma care, there are alternative approaches that better support overall health and healing.  But as soon as I say this, I must caution you again. In my experience, many of the so-called alternative approaches to health and wellness that I have encountered are all tangled up with philosophies, worldviews, and religions that we as Christians must not entertain. I have also read books on alternative theories about health and wellness that claim to be Christian or are written by professing Christians. But upon close examination, I find their use of Scripture to be very concerning and their theology very poor. 

The general point that I am making is simple. God has the power to heal us miraculously and directly.  This he will sometimes do, and if he does it, he will do it through the prayers of his people. But God might also heal through natural means and with the help of physicians. Dear brothers and sisters, in some instances, I do believe it is right for us to seek the assistance of physicians and health practitioners while pursuing health and healing, but we must be discerning. Ultimately, our trust must be in God, not man. All things must be bathed in prayer.   

There is a third way that God heals that we sometimes forget about. God does also heal through prayer and the body’s natural healing processes. 

Friends, God has designed our bodies with this incredible ability to heal. You can see it most clearly when you cut yourself. The cut will heal naturally and over time.  I’m afraid we sometimes forget about this natural ability and feel as if we must intervene whenever symptoms arise. Worse yet, we intervene with medicines even before there is a real problem, having been convinced of a threat. There is clearly a time for medical intervention. But is it not possible that our excessive interventions and our propensity to overmedicate make problems worse in the long run? To be clear, my view is not that all medications are bad. Neither am I advising that those on medications stop the use of them. That can be very dangerous, as you probably know. I am, however, urging thoughtfulness and discernment. I am urging you to take a step back from the system and from the industry that supports and surrounds it and to ask critical questions. When it comes to the topic of health and healing, we cannot forget that God has designed the human body with the capacity to heal itself. I would even propose to you that many of the common symptoms of illness that we experience are in fact an important part of the body’s healing process. When we always rush to suppress symptoms, we might be doing more harm than good. I do believe we would benefit from regaining confidence in the body’s natural ability to heal. Not every fever requires a pharmaceutical. Not every ache or pain requires a consult with a doctor. As I consider our modern medical system, I do wonder if a good deal of the sickness in our society is not the result of a system that overmedicates and is quick to intervene. 

Should we expect that God will heal us? 

Does God heal today? Yes. How does God heal? Sometimes directly and miraculously as his people come to him in prayers. God also heals through natural means, with the help of gifted physicians, and through the body’s natural healing mechanisms. But should we expect that God will heal us when we are ill? This question must be answered carefully. 

One, we must know for certain that God is able to heal us if it is his will. If God does not bring us healing immediately or ever in this life, it is not due to some weakness or inability in him. 

Two, connected to this, we must not forget God’s purposes in our afflictions. Does the Bible teach that Jesus healed and that God can heal the sick? Yes. But the Bible also has a lot to say about the causes and purposes of afflictions in the lives of God’s people.

Earlier I mentioned having concerns with books I’ve read on alternative approaches to health and healing written by authors who claim to be Christians. One of the major concerns I have is with the idea that Jesus Christ came so that we might be healed bodily now. These authors will point to passages like our text for today and say, see, Jesus heals! In him, we are already healed. We only need to believe it and claim it, etc. That’s nonsense

In fact, the Scriptures have a lot to say about the benefits of afflictions and God’s purposes for them. You know, there is a book of the Bible devoted to this very subject, the book of Job. Job cannot be ignored. And neither can we ignore passages like James 1:1-2: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2–4, ESV). 1 Peter 5:6-7 is also precious. Here Peter commands us, saying, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6–7, ESV). These passages teach that we are to submit ourselves to God in the midst of afflictions. We are to trust him, knowing that he loves us. We are to wait upon him, knowing that he will exult us in due time. 

This is what Paul did. In 1 Corinthians 12:7-10, he speaks of a metaphorical thorn in his flesh. “So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:7–10, ESV). Some claim that this thorn in the flesh was not a physical ailment but a person who harassed Paul. I doubt that given what Paul says about the weakness and limitations that Pual endured because of this thorn in the flesh. But really, it does not matter what this thorn in the flesh was. The point is clear. Paul suffered under an unrelenting affliction of some kind. Afflictions of all kinds are a part of life in this present evil age. Paul asked for it to be removed, but God said no. And the affliction was used by God to draw Paul into a closer dependence upon him. In this, Paul rejoiced. 

Those who claim that Christ came to heal us now ignore the fact that afflictions of all kinds are used by God to test, strengthen, mature, and purify his people as we live life in this present evil age. Brothers and sisters, we must have a well-developed doctrine of suffering and afflictions. We will not fare well in this world without it. 

The question that I would really like to ask these people is, what about death? Did Christ come to irradicate death now? Clearly the answer is, no. And that reveals the problem. These folks have developed a system of doctrine that erroneously brings the blessings that will be enjoyed by God’s people in life to come into the here and now. 

Did Jesus come to heal us and to free us from all afflictions? The answer is yes! But we will experience the fullness of those blessings only in the life to come.    

Why should we pursue health and healing?

Some, after hearing what I have said about God’s purposes in afflictions and my warnings against expecting the blessings of the life to come in the here and now, will think: then I suppose we must simply be content with sickness. That is not my point. Yes, we must pursue contentment when sick! But this does not require us to be content with the sickness. In fact, I do believe that Christians have an obligation to pursue health and healing.   

Morally, the sixth commandment requires it! Our catechism is helpful:

Q. 72. What is the sixth commandment?

A. The sixth commandment is, “Thou shalt not kill.” (Exodus 20:13)

Q. 73. What is required in the sixth commandment?

A. The sixth commandment requires all lawful endeavors to preserve our own life and the life of others. (Eph. 5:29,30; Ps. 82:3,4; Prov. 24:11,12; Act 16:28)

Q. 74. What is forbidden in the sixth commandment?

A. The sixth commandment absolutely forbideth the taking away of our own life, or the life of our neighbor unjustly, or whatsoever tendeth thereunto. (Gen. 4:10,11; 9:6; Matt. 5:21-26)

Friends, God has given you a body. We must be good stewards of it! 

How should we pursue health and healing?

How then should we pursue health and healing?

One, always through prayer. When ill, we must pray to God to implore his mercy. As we ask him to remove the affliction, we must also humble ourselves before him and submit ourselves to his perfectly wise will. As we ask him to remove the affliction, we must pray that he would use it for good in our lives and the lives of others. We must also give thanks to God in the midst of the affliction. As Paul says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, ESV). I’m afraid that people make their afflictions much worse when they give themselves over to a grumbly and ungrateful mindset. We are to pursue contentment in God and in Christ in every circumstance. As Paul says in Philippians 4:11, “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:11–13, ESV). How should we pursue healing? Always through prayer. And our prayers must always be perfumed with thankfulness. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4–7, ESV).

Two, when we fall ill, we should make a careful search for sin. All illness is the result of sin in a general way. As has been said, illness was not present in the world before Adam rebelled. To be clear, not every illness is the direct result of some personal and particular sin. The story of Job is clear about that. But some illness is the result of personal and particular sin. When David lived in unrepentant sin, he said that his bones wasted away and that his strength was sapped as by the heat of summer (Psalm 32). Paul says that some who partook of the Lord’s Supper in Corinth in an unworthy manner were weak and ill, and some had died (1 Corinthians 11:30). In the James passage that was read earlier about the one who is ill calling for the elders of the church to pray and to anoint with oil, James says, “And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven” (James 5:15, ESV). James suggests that there may be a connection between illness and sin. It could be that God disciplines his beloved children when they are living in unrepentant sin by permitting them to be afflicted with illness. It could also be the sin that has brought with it what we would call natural consequences. If you are drinking to the point of drunkenness, do not be surprised if your liver is diseased. And similarly, if you are harboring bitterness and unforgiveness in your heart, do not be surprised when that heart sin affects your physical body. Dear friend, we are soul and body. These two parts of our nature must be distinguished but they cannot be divided. The soul affects the body, and the body affects the soul. When I urge you to make a careful search for sin, do not forget to look for sins of the mind and heart. Sins of the mind and heart will affect the natural body if left unchecked. I’m not sure why we have such a difficult time recognizing this in our day and age. When you are angry, you’ll feel hot and grow red in the face. When you are bitter, you’ll feel it in your gut. When you are anxious, you’ll experience tightness in your chest. When these sinful emotions are not dealt with and are allowed to remain, they are bound to impact us physically even resulting in illness. If sin is found, it must be turned from. 

Three, when we fall ill, we should make a careful search for folly. By this I mean, we should examine our lives and ask, am I living foolishly in some way? Under this heading I would encourage you to ask questions like this: am I consuming unhealthy food, am I ingesting, injecting, or implanting things that may be toxic into my body, am I overworking, am I overly stressed, am I staying up to late and not getting enough rest, am I neglecting physical activity and exercise, etc., etc.  These things might not fall under the category of “sin”, but it is possible that foolish living will result in physical illness. If folly is found, we must turn from the folly and pursue a life of wisdom.

Four, when we fall ill, we must look to Christ and place all of our hope in him. We must look back upon his earthly ministry to consider the signs and wonder he performed. When we consider that he cast out demons, healed the sick, raised the dead, and was raised from the dead himself, after which he ascended to glory, we see that he has the power to forgive all our iniquity, to heal all our diseases, to redeem our lives from the pit, to crown us with steadfast love and mercy, and to satisfy us with good so that our youth is renewed like the eagles (see Psalm 103). We must also look to the future to the return of Christ the King when all of these benefits will be ours in full in the new heavens and earth that he has secured. Then and there, God will wipe away every tear from our eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for then the former things will have passed away” (see Revelation 21:4).

Conclusion