Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 1 February, 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
Scripture Reading: John 1:1-18, 29-34
Text: Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 6
I. The Natures Which Are United
II. The Person in Whom They Are United
III. The Necessity of This Unity
Psalms: 122:1-9; 10:1-6; 22:13-20; 45:1-6 (AOS)
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
Jew and Gentiles United in Christ (3)
The Middle Wall Broken Down [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 2
Text: Ephesians 2:14-15
I. The Meaning
II. The Method
III. The Result
Psalms: 117:1-2; 10:7-12; 67:1-7; 18:43-50
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 Eadie: “[Ephesians 2:15 refers to] the actual, existing enmity of Israel and non-Israel—an enmity of which the ceremonial law was the virtual but innocent occasion. It was this hatred which rose like a party wall, and kept both races at a distance. Deep hostility lay in their bosoms; the Jew looked down with supercilious contempt upon the Gentile, and the Gentile reciprocated and scowled upon the Jew as a haughty and heartless bigot. Ample evidence is afforded of this mutual alienation. Insolent [Jewish] scorn of the Gentiles breaks out in many parts of the New Testament, while the pages of classic literature show how fully the feeling was repaid.”
George Smeaton (1814-1889): “As another fruit of the atonement, an end was put to the Jewish law, considered as ‘a partition-wall’ between Jew and Gentile … The ceremonial law given to Israel as a separate people, and of positive appointment, was capable of being removed when its purpose was served; being destined to continue only till the reality or true sacrifice which it foreshadowed should appear. Accordingly the cross, in which the law found its accomplishment, put a period to the ceremonies. They were not simply revoked, but fulfilled: the atonement of the cross terminated the ceremonies, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, for ever” (Atonement According to Christ and His Apostles [Grand Rapids, MI: Sovereign Grace Publications, repr. n.d.], II:129).
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
Marina Mawhinney went to be with the Lord this past Thursday. We extend our condolences to Willie John, Ivan & Helen, Alan and the wider family. The funeral is to be arranged for some time next week. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints” (Ps. 116:15).
Ivan Reid remains in Antrim Hospital (Ward 4C) receiving antibiotics for an infection in his gall bladder and is improving.
Monday night catechism classes:
5:00 PM: Felicity & Sophie (Juniors NT)
5:45 PM: Grace, Jonas, Liam & Sammy (Beginners NT)
6:30 PM: Eleanora, Hannah, Jorja, Penelope & Xander (Seniors NT)
7:15 PM: Jason, Maisie & Sebastian (Heidelberg Catechism – Book 2)
The Council meets tomorrow evening at 8 PM.
Tuesday Bible study will meet this week at 11 AM to continue our study of “The Existence of God.”
The Belgic Confession class meets at 7:30 PM on Wednesday to begin a discussion of the bodily resurrection.
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s day (Gospel 846 MW at 8:30 AM) by Rev. Haak is entitled “The Faithful Witness: Our Motivation” (Isa. 43:12).
Offerings: £1,170.50.
Translation Additions: 1 Burmese, 1 Chinese, 1 Polish and 11 Urdu.
PRC News: Calvary PRC (IA) called Rev. Eriks (Unity, MI). Grandville PRC called Rev. Spronk (Faith, MI). Heritage PRC (SD) called Rev. De Boer (Edgerton, MN). Hope (Redlands, CA) called Rev. D. Holstege (Wingham, ON). Rev. Spronk declined the call to Southwest. Byron Center PRC will call from a trio of Revs. Eriks, Maatman (Southeast, MI) and Spronk to serve as minister-on-loan (MOL) to Provident PRC in the Philippines.
The Only Way (2)
an article by Rev. Herman Hoeksema in the Standard Bearer, vol 13, issue 20
Who, then, shall enter? Not everyone!
For, lo! they that shall enter have already entered and the door is shut; yet you may still hear voices from without clamouring for admittance, evidently claiming that they have a right to a place among the blessed that entered the kingdom of heaven. And they call on Him that is set over the whole House of God …
And, hark! they call Him Lord! And hear them plead! Lord, Lord, the door is shut and we are still without, we, who surely belong within; did we not prophesy in Thy name? Did we not cast out devils in Thy name? Did we not perform many wonderful works in Thy name? Should we, then, because we professed Thy name, and in that name prophesied and fought evil and improved the world and accomplished many marvellous things, not be allowed to enter into Thy kingdom? Surely, us of all men Thou canst not cast out! …
Shall the Lord from within hear their plea? Should He not open the door and let them in and give them a place of honour among His blessed saints in the kingdom of glory?
For, behold, these men speak the truth! You may recognize them, as those that, in this world, had the name of Christ on their lips. They professed Him as their Lord. Emphatically, devotedly, more so than many that are now within the kingdom of glory in this day of Christ, they confessed His name! Lord, Lord! they said. They spoke of Him in private and in public. They professed Him, some of them from cathedrals and pulpits, in lecture-rooms and houses of worship. They did prophesy in the name of Christ. They spoke of His Kingdom and its righteousness, at home and in far heathen lands. They glorified His name as the good Man of Galilee, in whose steps we must follow, whose work we must do, whose example we must follow, in whose name we must save the world! And many devils did they cast out! Always they fought the devil of drunkenness, the devil of debauchery, the devil of hatred and malice, the devil of war and bloodshed! They stood for peace in the name of the Prince of peace, for righteousness among the nations and in society in the name of the King of righteousness. Wise men, honest men, devoted men, mighty men … The very best of this world!
Shall not the Lord harken to their plea?
But hark! The voice of the Lord, stern, austere, implacable! Depart from me, ye that work iniquity! I never knew you!
How terrible!
Is it, then, after all possible, that we shall all deceive ourselves? Is there, then, reason to fear, that we also shall think to enter in and shall be cast out; that instead of hearing the blessed summons: come, ye beloved of my Father! we must hear the terrible: depart from me; I never knew you!? …
But consider, then, once again these men, that plead for admittance into the kingdom of heaven, attend unto their speech, and mark the words which the Lord addresses unto them, and judge for yourselves whether they be of Christ.
Note, first of all, that the works of which they speak are not necessarily works of the kingdom of God. O, truly, they said Lord, Lord, like the most devoted of Christ’s brethren, but remember that it is quite possible to honour Him with our lips, while our heart is far from Him. They prophesied in His name, but consider that, first, it is not impossible that a man prophesies in the name of the Lord, teaches and preaches, that he even proclaims the truth of the gospel in a fashion, while he walks in the way of iniquity; and, secondly, that many prophesy in the name of Christ falsely, preaching as the gospel what is but the false philosophy of man. They cast out devils and performed works which in their own eyes and in the eyes of the world were, indeed wonderful, and they professed to perform them in the name of Christ, but remember that all these mighty works were external, not of the heart, and that a man may do them without loving mercy and truth and righteousness and without ever offering to God the sacrifice of a broken and a contrite heart …
Such were these men! For, the Lord judges of them that they work iniquity!
And not only was their heart far from the Lord, not only did they profess the Lord and loved and worked iniquity in their heart, but they also actually and openly wrought iniquity! For, it is, indeed, possible to cast out devils and serve the Devil; it is possible to profess the name of Christ and to despise and persecute His people; it is possible to prophesy in the name of the Lord and to crucify Him … It is quite possible to insist that you shall adopt the mark of the Beast in the name of Christ!
And fail not to mark the false note in their plea, when they appeal to their works as the ground upon which they would base their claim to admittance into the kingdom of glory! They prophesied; they cast out devils; they did many wonderful works! Their own works constitute the basis of their plea! Their righteousness is the righteousness of works. The righteousness of the Pharisees and Sadducees. The righteousness of man. Not the righteousness of the Kingdom of heaven, which is the righteousness of God in Christ.
Not everyone that saith Lord, Lord! Depart from me!
But who shall enter?
There is an only way: the way of doing the will of His Father which is in heaven! And, then, do not forget that it is merely the way in which, not the ground upon which one can possibly enter that kingdom.
The sole and only ground upon which you and I shall be able to plead for a place in that kingdom of eternal life and glory, is grace, free grace, sovereign grace, the grace that was revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ, when He, the Son, came into the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin; when He descended into the dark vale of our deepest woe, with our sins and our transgressions upon Him, there to bear the wrath of God in our stead and to carry away our iniquities forever; when He arose from the dead and in that resurrection received testimony from the Father that He is righteous, that He, indeed, finished the work the Father gave Him to do.
Jesus, crucified and raised from the dead,—that is the ground upon which we enter that kingdom, now and in “that day.”
For, our righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees and scribes!
Yet, to do the will of His Father which is in heaven is the way in which they walk that enter into the kingdom of glory! Another way there is not.
For them, for whom He died and whom He justified in His blood, He also makes partakers of His righteousness by His Spirit and Word, through faith. He renews them; he calls them; He instils into them the love of God, the Love to God; they believe; they repent, they seek the cross; they find forgiveness; they become children of God, children of light; they have their delight no longer in iniquity, but in the precepts of their God …
They also say: Lord, Lord! And they manifest it in their walk, that he is their Lord indeed! Doing the will of His Father! The only way!
