Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 11 April, 2021
“O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness:
fear before him, all the earth” (Ps. 96:9)
Morning Service – 11:00 AM
God’s Nearness [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 23:9-32
Text: Jeremiah 23:23
I. According to the False Prophets
II. According to God’s Word
Psalms: 97:1-8; 139:1-10
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
Thou Shalt Not Covet [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Philippians 4
Text: Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 44
I. Others’ Possessions
II. Lawful Necessities
III. Law Breaking
Psalms: 119:89-96; 62:5-10
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
Herman Hoeksema on Lord’s Day 44: “… the proper preaching of the law has through the grace of God a sanctifying influence on the Christian. He constantly endeavors and prays to God for the grace of the Holy Spirit that he may become more and more conformable to the image of God. The preaching of the law holds before him the perfect way of God. Through it Christ admonishes him to put off the corrupt old man and to put on the new man that is renewed according to the image of God in true righteousness and holiness. It always holds before him the constant admonition of scripture: ‘Be ye holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.’ This creates in the Christian a sincere longing for and an endeavor to perfection, to fight the battle of faith even unto the end. It strengthens him in the sincere resolution to walk in all good works. At the same time it makes him realize his own impotence to fight that battle and to overcome and have the victory. The preaching of the law, through the grace of Jesus Christ, bears the fruit that the Christian daily seeks the grace of the Holy Spirit. He prays for grace to strive and to fight the battle” (Love Thy Neighbor for God’s Sake, pp. 211-212).
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
We rejoice with David & Kristin Crossett in the birth of a son, Jonathan Norman, last Sunday afternoon.
Tommy Duncan’s mother died on Monday afternoon. Tommy thanks the members of the congregation for the cards, phone calls and e-mails he received, and those who were able to stand outside after Thursday’s funeral.
Standard Bearers and Beacon Lights are available for subscribers.
Catechism classes:
Monday, 5:00 PM: Jason & Sebastian (Juniors OT)
Monday, 5:45 PM: Eleanora, Hannah, Jorja, Penelope & Somaya (Beginners OT)
Monday, 6:30 PM: Angelica, Bradley, Josh, Samuel & Taylor (Seniors OT)
Monday, 7:15 PM: Alex, Jacob & Nathan (Essentials)
The Council meets tomorrow night, 12 April, at 8 PM.
Tuesday Bible study at 11 AM will meet in the auditorium to discuss the Holy Spirit’s role in our assurance of salvation.
Belgic Confession Class will meet and be streamed live this Wednesday at 7:45 PM to consider Gog and Magog in Ezekiel and Revelation in connection with Article 37.
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s day (Gospel 846 MW at 8:30 AM) by Rev. R. Kleyn is entitled, “Jesus’ Authority to Forgive Sins” (Mark 2:1-12).
Offerings: General Fund: £1,987. Donations: £200 (England), £5 (Surrey).
Translation Additions: 1 Russian and 2 Macedonian.
PRC News: Rev. J. Engelsma declined the call to Byron Center PRC. Kalamazoo PRC called Rev. R. Van Overloop.
If God Be for Us
An excerpt from an article in the Standard Bearer, vol. 59, issue 20 by Prof. Herman Hanko
“Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, Who is even at the right hand of God, Who also maketh intercession for us” (Romans 8:33-34).
Our salvation is complete and perfect! And this is true because all our salvation is the work of God!
This great truth the apostle has set forth in that well-known passage which has sometimes been called, “the golden chain of our salvation.” “For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate … Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them, He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified.”
As the apostle contemplates this glorious truth, he asks a series of questions, questions which echo in the hearts of the people of God who ponder this truth with him. What shall we say to these things? The answer is obvious and clear: If God be for us, who can be against us? But then more questions: Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? Who is he that condemneth? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? And, finally, triumphantly: “I am persuaded that nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect?
It would seem to the beleaguered child of God in this world that everyone is always condemning. The wicked world in which he lives condemns him constantly. This is not surprising. This same world condemned Christ—He Who had never committed any sin, but went about preaching and doing good. They condemned Him to death though He had done no wrong. And He Himself warned His people that even as the world hated Him, so also they would hate us. And so it has been throughout all time. The prophets were killed; the people of God were hunted as wild dogs upon mountains; Paul himself experienced the condemnation of the world; the church has been condemned throughout history. Always charges are brought that the people of God oppose all that the world stands for, that they never fit in with the world, that they march to a different drumbeat, that they are misfits in history. And so their place becomes narrower as time goes on and as the world casts out those who confess the name of God. Even the apostle, a few verses later in the chapter, complains, “For Thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” We might surely respond to the apostle’s question: “Why, Paul, how can you ask such a question? All men bring charges against us and condemns us? What can you possibly mean?”
But this is not the whole story. Behind the wicked world stands Satan himself and his host of foul demons who also bring their charges against God’s people and condemn them. He is even called in Scripture, the accuser of the brethren …
But perhaps worst of all, Satan brings his charges and accusations against us in the forum of our own consciences. He never ceases to remind us that we are sinners, and he tries in a frenzy to rob us of all our hope and comfort. He reminds us that we are no better than others, that we sin in all that we do. And if we try to plead that we do, after all, pray, go to church, give to the poor, he is quick to respond that our prayers are usually mere empty words, that our worship is often lip service, that we give to the poor grudgingly and to be seen of men. How our consciences can themselves accuse us! How we can be robbed of whatever peace and comfort there is by the incessant reminder of our evils which we constantly commit.
These accusations are not empty words either. We have only to take a cursory look at our lives to see that whatever charges may be brought against us, they are usually true.
We have fallen in Adam our head. And we must understand that this involves a state of guilt before God. Before the tribunal of God’s justice we are guilty—guilty for what Adam did; and therefore worthy of hell. But we are ourselves sinners as well. We are born in iniquity and come into the world with a sinful nature in which is no good thing. This very nature is God’s punishment upon us for our involvement in Adam’s sin. It is the just sentence of God’s condemnation. And the result is that we multiply our guilt every moment until it is a mountain so high that it reaches to the heavens.
God condemns us! That is the worst of all. God cannot tolerate sin, for He is holy. He cannot wink at sin, overlook it, act as if it does not exist. We may try to dodge the frightening implications of this, but ultimately this is impossible, for we know that God is God, holy and righteous in His own perfect being. He must condemn sin and punish it in His wrath. He would not be God if He did anything less than this …
What possibly can Paul mean when he dares to stand in the midst of the world and shout the challenge: “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? Who is he that condemneth?” We are almost inclined to wonder a bit whether Paul knows the stark reality of life.
Yet the apostle means exactly what he says.
You must understand, of course, that these questions which the apostle asks are really rhetorical questions; i.e., they are questions which have no answers—need no answers; and they need no answers because the answers are so obvious. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? Who is he that condemneth? Why, no one; no one at all; It is impossible.
Can you understand, people of God, the tremendous power of these questions? Standing in this present world, surrounded by the enemy, plagued by Satan, burdened with a condemning conscience, dying a bit every day, the believer confidently shouts for all to hear: No one, ever, can lay anything to the charge of God’s elect. It is impossible. It can never happen. Let anyone come forward with his accusations if he can. Who anywhere, both now and forever, in this world and before the judgment seat of Christ, can possibly bring any charges? None! It cannot be done.
What can be the reason for this? Fundamentally, the reason is in that simple statement: It is God that justifies …
We have to know this. How can it be, in the light of the righteousness of God, that we are declared righteous? We have to know this so that we can make this bold challenge of the apostle our own. God is holy. He cannot overlook sin. Yet he declares us to be without sin. How is it possible?
The apostle gives his answer. It is Christ that died! That is the answer …
And so there is a firm ground for this verdict of God that we are innocent, a ground which we appropriate by faith. By faith we lay hold on Christ and make Him our own. And by faith we know then that our righteousness is perfect and complete.
So we can make this daring and seemingly impossible challenge our own. Does the world condemn? Does Satan plague us with his evil whisperings? Do our own consciences rob us of peace, of hope? By faith we must tell the world—and Satan—and even our own consciences: be quiet. I know that what you say is true. Oh, how well, I know it. But be quiet. I have Christ! I belong to Him! Now then. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect?
