Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 12 July, 2026
“Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone,
a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste” (Isa. 28:16)
Morning Service – 11:00 AM
The Prophecy of Habakkuk (7)
Habakkuk’s Vision on His Watchtower [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Habakkuk 2
Text: Habakkuk 2:1-4
I. The Watchtower
II. The Vision
III. The Promise
Psalms: 91:1-3, 14-16; 28:1-5; 127:1-5; 130:1-8
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
The Christian’s Internal Testimony [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 23
Text: John 3:1-21, 27-36
I. Creed
II. Conscience
III. Gospel
Psalms: 118:1-9; 28:5-9; 51:1-7; 116:4-12
For CDs of the sermons and DVDs of the worship services, contact Stephen Murray
If you desire a pastoral visit, please contact Rev. Stewart or the elders
CPRC Website: www.cprc.co.uk • Live Webcast: www.cprc.co.uk/live-streaming
CPRC YouTube: www.youtube.com/cprcni
CPRC Facebook: www.facebook.com/CovenantPRC
Quote to Consider
John Calvin: “We can form no judgment of God’s providence, except by the light of celestial truth … For to wish God to conform to our rule is extremely preposterous and unreasonable: and there is no place for faith, if we expect God to fulfil immediately what he promises. It is hence the trial of faith to acquiesce in God’s word, when its accomplishment does in no way appear” (Comm. on Hab. 2:1, 3).
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
On the back table are copies of a new RFPA title, Belonging and Comfort: 365 Meditations on the Heidelberg Catechism, which can be purchased for just £15.
Tuesday Bible study meets this week at 11 AM to begin a study of Acts 15 and the Jerusalem council.
Family visitation (Titus 2-3) continues this week: Wednesday – 7 PM: Kuhs; 8 PM: Grahams
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s day (Gospel 846 MW at 8:30 AM) by Rev. Spriensma is entitled “A Smoking Furnace and a Burning Lamp” (Gen. 15:17-18).
Offerings: £2,500.00. Donation: £20 (S. Korea).
Translation Additions: 1 Polish and 2 Spanish.
Kolkata mission updates from last week’s CERC bulletin:
- Pray for the fellowship members who travel long distances for worship (Minakshi, Balai Das, Nripen, Sikha live in remote areas). The journey is often difficult and costly. Pray for their safety, perseverance and spiritual growth.
- Pray for a permanent and safe place of worship. The current landlord has expressed concern about the increasing hostility toward Christians and advised the group to look for another location.
- Pray for Nirma Barui who has not attended church for the last 2 months. He remains uncontactable and his whereabouts are unknown. Pray that the Lord will protect him and restore him to fellowship with the church.
- Pray for God’s strength and encouragement on Minakshi who continues to face opposition and persecution from her family because of her Christian faith.
- Pray for persecuted believers and pastors that they will remain steadfast and the Lord will protect and strengthen his people.
- Pray for the training of pastors, that the Lord will open doors for regular Bible studies and theological training for some 20 pastors who have expressed a desire to study Reformed theology.
- Pray for Pastor Singh’s upcoming trip to the BRF conference. He will also be worshipping with the CPRCNI and sharing on the mission work in Kolkata. Pray for safety in travel, wisdom in speaking, and that many will be encouraged to pray for and support the work of the gospel in West Bengal.
Total Depravity and the Antithesis (1)
Rev. James Slopsema, an article in the Standard Bearer, vol. 59, issue 11
It is quite apparent to anyone with any spiritual discernment that worldliness is more and more creeping into the church. In many cases worldliness has in fact taken over the church. Witness for example how the perspective of the world on almost any subject under the sun has become the perspective of the church. What the world has to say about sex, marriage, divorce, birth control, morality, education and a host of other subjects has in many cases simply been adopted by the church. Consequently, the life-style of the church also closely resembles that of the world. The songs, the dress, the speech, the dance, the entertainments of the world have become a way of life for the church. It is safe to say that there is no church today that is entirely free from this kind of thing. In many cases, this trend is applauded as being good and wholesome. In actual fact, it means the destruction of the church. The devil knows of no better way to destroy the church than to make it worldly. When the church becomes the world, then it’s simply a fact that you no longer have the church.
To combat this trend of worldliness in the church, it is necessary to emphasize the antithesis.
The word “antithesis” implies opposition and contrast. That you have an antithesis means that you first have a “thesis,” something put down and established. That which forms the opposite and contradicts this is the antithesis. Thus, for example, the antithesis of light is darkness; the antithesis of heaven is hell; the antithesis of sin is grace.
Between the church and the world there also exists an antithesis—a spiritual antithesis.
On the one hand there is the world. This world is characterized by spiritual darkness and depravity on account of the fall. Through the fall, man became horribly twisted and perverted, from a spiritual point of view. He lost the image of God in which he had originally been created. To be more exact, the image of God was changed into the very opposite. His righteousness was changed into unrighteousness. Originally, he was holy; now he is profane. Once he was upright; now he is crooked. Through the fall, the mind of man became spiritually darkened, his will obdurate, his heart hard. The heart of fallen man is filled with enmity and hatred against God and his neighbour. This is man’s depravity.
This depravity is total. By total depravity we do not mean that every part of man is to some degree depraved. This is the teaching of some who would allow for some good yet in the fallen sinner. This is a misuse of the term. By total depravity we mean rather that every part of man—his heart, his mind, his soul, his strength—is totally and completely defiled with sin and depraved. Man is so completely depraved that there is nothing good left in him. Nor is there any possibility of his doing any good whatsoever. He is capable only of sin and disobedience to God.
This certainly is the teaching of our Reformed confessions. The Heidelberg Catechism in Lords Day 3, Question 8, teaches that unless we are regenerated by the Spirit of God we are so corrupt that we are wholly incapable of doing any good and inclined to all wickedness. The Canons of Dordt in Head III/IV, Article 4, teach that man does retain some glimmerings of natural light after the fall. But even these he is incapable of using aright, even in things natural and civil.
That man is totally depraved is also the teaching of the Scriptures. Are we not taught, for example, that the natural man is dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1)? Is it not true that the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be (Rom. 8:7)? Is not the judgment of God as He views the wickedness of man that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart is only evil continually (Gen. 6:5)? Certainly the natural, fallen man is depraved, totally and completely.
This depravity of man in turn defiles all of man’s accomplishments. The natural man is able to accomplish many great feats. Due to his glimmerings of natural light, he is able, for example, to discover the various laws and powers in God’s creation and to put them to use. As king in God’s creation, he is able to a certain degree to subdue the creation. Hence, we see the development in history of music, literature, art, medicine, science, technology and the like. All these things, however, the world produces in its depravity. Consequently, it is all defiled with sin and stands in the service of sin.
The antithesis arises because of the work of God’s grace in the heart of His elect. By the power of grace, the elect of God are born again. This spiritual rebirth consists of radical change in the very depths of their spiritual being. They are restored to the image of God, restored to righteousness and holiness. They are given the life which is from above. They are made new creatures who have a new life, able to walk in a new obedience.
Consequently, there are from a spiritual viewpoint two different kinds of people in the world: there are the children of light and the children of darkness; there are those who are spiritually dead and those alive in Jesus Christ; there are those who bear the image of God and those who bear the image of the Devil; there are those who have the ability to serve God and those who can only serve sin. This is the reality of the antithesis. The antithesis is not something we must create or establish. It is an existing reality established by the work of God’s grace as He calls His people out of darkness into His marvellous light.
It is, however; the calling of every child of God to live this antithesis. The antithesis must reflect itself in his life as he lives it from day to day in the world.
