Posted on 07/25/2013 10:44:56 AM PDT by Gamecock
I’ve just returned from Heidelberg, Germany, where I joined brothers and sisters from around the world to celebrate the 450th anniversary of the Heidelberg Catechism. In addition to illuminating papers and warm fellowship, we enjoyed one of the city’s several museum exhibits celebrating the anniversary. Of special note was the Heidelberg Palace exhibit, “The Power of Faith: 450 Years of the Heidelberg Catechism.”
Frederick III, ruler of the Palatinate and imperial elector, was nicknamed “the pious” by fellow princes. Embracing Reformed teaching, he was distressed with the low level of knowledge of even the basics of the Christian faith in his territory. Drawing together the best theologians and pastors in the region, he oversaw (and even contributed to) the drafting of a catechism that would be taught in schools, churches, and homes.
Soon after publication in 1563, the Heidelberg Catechism was translated into various languages—including early modern Hebrew and Greek. It soon enjoyed wide use in the English-speaking world as well. Students learned this catechism at Oxford and Cambridge. Today, it is more widely known and used in Asia, Africa, and the Americas than in Europe or even North America. As my children repeat back the clear teaching of the gospel from this great catechism, I am reinvigorated in my own faith.
Yet in Germany itself, the story is rather different.
In Luther’s home state of Saxony-Anhalt, after nearly a century of atheistic indoctrination, only 19% of the population professes belief in God. Yet even more tragic is the widespread unbelief in the west, under the auspices of a privileged but largely apostate Protestant Evangelical Church (EKD). A union of Lutheran and Reformed bodies, the EKD and the Roman Catholic Church claimed 30% of the population each by the end of 2008. Affiliation, however, may mean no more than having been baptized. These Landeskirchen (established churches) continue to receive tax money to fund their undermining of the Christian faith. In recent decades, there have been free (i.e., independent of the state) Lutheran bodies maintaining evangelical convictions, but Arminian Baptist and Pentecostal groups are much larger.
Across the nation, 45% say, “I believe there is a God,” while among the youth the percentage drops to 30%, and 34% are “unaffiliated.” According to a 2010 Eurobarometer Poll, 55% of the total population claim to be atheists, agnostics, or “non-religious.” Germany has always been the vanguard of intellectual, cultural, and religious trends on the continent. What happens in Germany, for good or ill, has repercussions for the whole of Europe.
During my brief time in Heidelberg, I was impressed with the small group of committed believers who are longing and praying for a new Reformation. Spearheading this event last week was the Free Reformed Church (Selbstündige Evangelisch-Reformierte Kirche) in Heidelberg with the Rev. Sebastian Heck. I joined North American colleagues Joel Beeke, Lyle Bierma, Jason Van Vleet, and Jon Payne in giving some papers on the catechism, but for me it was definitely more blessed to receive than to give.
Among other speakers was Dr. Victor d’Assonville, an astute Reformed theologian. He leads a new seminary that holds great promise as a center for sound training of the small but growing band of future ministers, evangelists, and teachers. Students come from Lutheran and Reformed backgrounds and I had the pleasure of getting to know some of them at the conference. Many were raised in East Germany, where atheism was the state ideology. I was deeply moved by their stories of coming to understand the evangelical faith against all odds (including their own churches) and the depth of their zeal, knowledge, and clarity.
In other travels, I’ve seen first-hand the remarkable blessing of God on his means of grace. There is a hunger for Reformation Christianity around the world. And yet the land of the Reformation is now largely pagan. There is a great need for prayers and financial support for small but zealously faithful ministry in Germany.
Answer: That I with body and soul, both in life and death, (a) am not my own, (b) but belong unto my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ; (c) who, with his precious blood, has fully satisfied for all my sins, (d) and delivered me from all the power of the devil; (e) and so preserves me (f) that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; (g) yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, (h) and therefore, by his Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, (i) and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him. (j)
(a) Rom.14:7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. Rom.14:8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. (b) 1 Cor.6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? (c) 1 Cor.3:23 And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's. Tit.2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. (d) 1 Pet.1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 1 Pet.1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 1 John 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:12 I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. (e) Heb.2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 1 John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. John 8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. John 8:35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. (f) John 6:39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 2 Thess.3:3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil. 1 Pet.1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (g) Matt.10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. Matt.10:30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Matt.10:31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Luke 21:18 But there shall not an hair of your head perish. (h) Rom.8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (i) 2 Cor.1:20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. 2 Cor.1:21 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 2 Cor.1:22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. 2 Cor.5:5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Eph.1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Eph.1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. Rom.8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: (j) Rom.8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 1 John 3:3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
Soon after publication in 1563, the Heidelberg Catechism was translated into various languages—including early modern Hebrew and Greek. It soon enjoyed wide use in the English-speaking world as well. Students learned this catechism at Oxford and Cambridge. Today, it is more widely known and used in Asia, Africa, and the Americas than in Europe or even North America. As my children repeat back the clear teaching of the gospel from this great catechism, I am reinvigorated in my own faith.
Ping for later
I don’t understand the logic of sola scriptura doctrine with a catechism or confession.
Simple....
God commands that we do it.
Hoss
Thanks you for your response.
OK, God commands you to spread the Gospel, but what reason are you giving listeners to join a church? If all you need to be saved is faith (not works) and God predestines some to be saved and some to be damned, wouldn’t listeners just reason, “Well, I believe in God and He’s already decided whether I’ll go to Heaven regardless of what I do, so why shouldn’t I sleep in on Sunday morning?”
In no particular order.
To worship Him.
To worship Him along with others who love Him.
He commands it.
To hear the Word preached and thus to know the Lord and His Word more in our lives.
To be spurred on and to spur each other on to good works - prepared for us from before the beginning of the world
To grow in Him - and therefore, in sanctification and in His peace etc
OK, good answer. Thank you.
I'm not surprised.
not trying to be impertainent, and not a theologian, but in a small attempt to help, i’ll respond to your question(s) with a question in hopes of sparking you to do further research,, while hopefully not misleading (God forbid) or doing damage to you or anyone reading this.
i ask you to ponder: why did God require Moses to raise his arms to part the red sea when He clearly could have done it alone with no input whatsoever from moses?
God commands we take the Gospel to the ends of the earth; it's what he does with it that matters; he is sovereign in all things. We don't know who he has predestined just by looking at them. We might have a hint by seeing their fruits... but ultimately we want to spread his Word because he commands it; and if we are saved, we want to do his will!
To take your thought a little farther: if all we need to do is to have faith and not works, "why shouldn't I just sleep in...?" Faith and faith alone saves; scripture plainly states that (Eph. 2:8-10) -- yet, we don't have the capacity to just "have" that faith. Does that mean no free will? Of course not. We do have free will. However, if we're not saved, our will is NOT to seek God in any way -- we have enmity with him -- our will is freely exercised, and it's exercised in sin. However, when the Lord saves us, he saves us from a state of death:
Eph. 2:1-10
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
bold mine
So, if we were dead, there is nothing we could ever do on our own; and if by his grace we are predestined to be saved, when we ARE saved, we want to do those things that he wants us to do; our "free will" now despises sin and seeks to serve God. Going to church is a subsidiary issue; it doesn't save you. God does.
Does "sleeping in" on Sunday morning damn you? No. But, if you're saved, it becomes something you want to do. Just like good works; they are a sign of salvation, not a way to salvation.
I'm sure there are MANY others that can give you a far more detailed response; Ephesians just happened to be at the front of my gourd when you posed the question. However, predestination is not something made up from whole cloth; it's in the Scriptures. Even Christ states that the only way we come to him is that the Father draw us... and if I recall correctly, that "draw" is a mild translation of the original; it should read more like "dragged, kicking and screaming." :D
Hoss
I'm not surprised you're not surprised.
But that doesn't help answer the question of the logic of it.
I get your point...I think...I’ll keep thinking about this.
In Calvinism, that's the disconnect. The loss of meaning.
“keep thinking.”
excellent advice for us all. may God continue to be with us on our journeys.
There are several good answers to your question. Another is that is how God has decided that people would be saved. We are given the privilege to participate in the redemption of God’s elect through spreading the Gospel, to all tongues, tribes and nations.
Because we know the elect are out there we are embolded in our witness, for we KNOW that God’s word will save all who he has foreordained. To us it is not a theoretical exercise, but we are acting on a promise. A promise that all whom He wills to be saved, will be saved.
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