Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 27 February, 2022
“… walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us
an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour” (Eph. 5:2)
Morning Service – 11:00 AM
Solomon: Israel’s Wisest King (24)
Solomon’s Explanation of the Glory Cloud [youtube]
Scripture Reading: I Kings 8:1-13
Text: I Kings 8:12-13
I. The Basic Idea
II. The Thick Darkness
III. The Gospel Reality
Psalms: 97:1-8; 21:1-6; 18:9-14; 68:16-20
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
Solomon: Israel’s Wisest King (25)
Solomon’s Two Blessings at the Temple’s Dedication [youtube]
Scripture Reading: II Chronicles 6:1-13
Text: II Chronicles 6:3-11
I. Solomon’s Blessing of Israel
II. Solomon’s Blessing of Jehovah
Psalms: 132:1-9; 21:7-13; 78:67-72; 127:1-5
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
Matthew Henry on I Kings 8: “By this visible emanation of the divine glory, 1. God put an honour upon the ark, and owned it as a token of his presence. The glory of it had been long diminished and eclipsed by its frequent removes, the meanness of its lodging, and its being exposed too much to common view; but God will now show that it is as dear to him as ever, and he will have it looked upon with as much veneration as it was when Moses first brought it into his tabernacle. 2. He testified his acceptance of the building and furnishing of the temple as good service done to his name and his kingdom among men. 3. He struck an awe upon this great assembly; and, by what they saw, confirmed their belief of what they read in the books of Moses concerning the glory of God’s appearance to their fathers, that hereby they might be kept close to the service of the God of Israel and fortified against temptations to idolatry. 4. He showed himself ready to hear the prayer Solomon was now about to make; and not only so, but took up his residence in this house, that all his praying people might there be encouraged to make their applications to him.”
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
The Beacon Lights and two issues of the Standard Bearer are on the back table for subscribers. Free Protestant Reformed Theological Journals on sanctification are also available.
Monday catechism classes:
5:00 PM: Jason, Maisie & Sebastian (Juniors NT)
5:45 PM: Eleanora, Felicity, Hannah, Jorja, Penelope, Sammy, Somaya, Sophie, Xander & Yossef (Beginners OT, Book 2)
6:30 PM: Angelica, Bradley, Jack, Josh, Samuel & Taylor (Heidelberg, Book 1)
7:15 PM: Alex, Jacob & Nathan (Essentials)
Membership Class: Monday, 8:15 PM with the McCaugherns.
Tuesday Bible study at 11 AM will meet to discuss the category of faith.
The Belgic Confession Class will meet on Wednesday at 7:30 PM to consider the things which must happen before Christ’s return.
Membership Class: Thursday, 11 AM with the Goulds.
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s day (Gospel 846 MW at 8:30 AM) by Rev. Bruinsma is entitled, “Made Perfect Through the Promise” (Heb. 11:39-40).
Offerings: General Fund: £970. Donation: £100 (Malaysia).
Translation Additions: 4 Afrikaans, 2 Hungarian, 1 Polish, 5 Portuguese, 1 Russian and 2 Spanish.
PRC News: Rev. Kortus declined the call to Doon PRC. Hudsonville PRC’s new trio is Revs. D. Kleyn, J. Laning and Marcus. Peace PRC will call from a trio of Revs. Guichelaar, J. Holstege and Marcus. Classis West meets this Wednesday (2 March).
Jesus Actually and Fully Saves
Herman Hoeksema (an excerpt from “Jesus Saviour and the Evil of Hawking Him”)
… Jesus does not offer salvation but works it. His name is Jesus, because through Him salvation has become, not a possibility, but a reality. He is called Jesus, because He is Jesus. The name Jesus, Joshua, Jeh-oshua, signifies: Jehovah-saves. In Him Jehovah, our Triune Covenant God, is revealed as the God of our salvation. Therefore He receives His name by a special injunction from heaven: Thou shalt call His name Jesus. And the reason for this name is also expressed by the heavenly messenger: “Because He shall save His people from their sins.” Note: He shall save His people. He shall not throw out a lifeline which you may, perhaps, grasp, that He may pull you to safety; or which you may, at your pleasure and folly, sneer at and refuse to grasp, so that you perish in the raging sea. No, He shall save. He shall not beg you to allow Him to save you, to come to Him, to accept Him, to let Him in, so that you may make it possible for Him to realize His name, Jesus. His name is Jesus, for He shall surely save His people from their sins.
… Now, God has sent His Son into the world and called His name Jesus, because through Him this entire marvellous work of salvation must be accomplished.
In Him we are made righteous, that is, declared free from all our guilt before the supreme bar of justice, because of His atoning self-sacrifice He fully satisfied for all our sins. Hence, the guilt of our sin is taken away. All our sins are blotted out. This is a historic fact. The cross and the resurrection are the actual justification of all for whom He died and rose again. Who they are must be discussed in our second part. If only one point is made clear, let it be that the cross of Jesus establishes an actual not a possible righteousness. Although we become partakers of this righteousness through faith, yet faith is not the cause of our righteousness. Objectively, before God, His people are righteous on the basis of the atoning blood that was vicariously shed for them, by the gracious will of God over them, by Jesus, Jehovah-salvation.
The actual blotting out of our sin does in no way depend upon our faith. It is in no sense contingent upon the choice of your will or mine. Jesus is Saviour because He fully satisfied for all our sins. He was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification (Rom. 4:25). Ye are bought with a price (I Cor. 6:20). For the love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead, and He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him who died for them and rose again (II Cor. 5:14-15). Christ hath (not: will or can) redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree (Gal. 3:13). But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building, neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us (Heb. 9:11-12). And by one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified (Heb. 10:14).
Now, however, the next question arises: how do we become partakers of this righteousness and of all the riches of salvation of which it is the basis? Does Jesus simply offer it to whoever desires it and is willing to accept it? Does He merely throw out the lifeline of His atoning sacrifice, leaving it to the will of man to take hold of it?
God forbid! If this were the truth He would not be Jesus. This presentation of the matter would make of Jesus a possible Saviour, who merited a possible righteousness, in whose death and resurrection there is the possibility of redemption, but who is dependent upon the choice of the sinner’s will for the realization of the mighty possibilities He created by His death. And such a possible Saviour is after all quite an impossible Saviour, for we are dead in trespasses and sins, enemies of God and His Christ, only willing to reject the offer and to cast the lifeline far from us, and we cannot come to Him unless the Father draw us (John 6:44).
No, but the answer of Scripture is: Jesus saves. And this salvation is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy (Rom. 9:16). Not only the objective realization of our righteousness, but also the subjective application of it is solely the work of the God of our salvation, which He accomplishes through Jesus Christ. For God raised Jesus from the dead and wrought the exceeding greatness of His power in Him; and He set Him at His right hand in heavenly places (Eph. 1:19-20). And Jesus, exalted at the right hand of God, received the Spirit and poured out that Spirit into His church (Acts 2:33).
Through this Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ we are made one plant with Him, members of His body, and He applies all the work of His salvation to us. He is Jesus because He also delivers us from the power of sin and death and the devil, and this not upon the condition of the choice of our will, but without our will as we are by nature and entirely contrary to it. Jesus saves.
The Jesus of the Scriptures is not a Jesus who will save you if you will, but who saves you although you do not will; or rather, He makes you willing before you ever can will to come to Him. He does not merely offer salvation but powerfully, efficaciously, irresistibly He works it within you. He raises you from death and regenerates you. He calls you with an almighty calling from darkness into light. He strikes you down in true repentance and makes you cry out for Him. He implants into your hearts the saving faith and makes you one with Him. He imparts Himself to you and pours forth all the blessings of His salvation into your hearts. He justifies you and gives you peace with God. He sanctifies you and gives you a new delight in His precepts. He dwells in you and bears fruit in you and through you. He makes you persevere even unto the end and glorifies you. And He ultimately raises your body from the dead and gives you with all the saints a place in the eternal tabernacle of our covenant God that will be with men. His name is Jesus because He shall save His people from their sins!
Such is the Jesus of the Scriptures. For, verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3). And such a one is born, not of blood, neither of the will of man, but of God (John 1:13). Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God (John 3:5). Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live (John 5:25). All that the Father giveth unto Him shall come unto Him (John 6:37); and no man can come unto Him except the Father draw him (John 6:44). Some believe not, because they are not of His sheep, but His sheep surely hear His voice, and He knows them and they follow Him and He gives them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of His hand, with whom He is one (John 10:26-30) …
But why quote more? All the Scriptures are one great testimony to the fact that His name is Jesus because He actually saves His people from their sins. The Jesus that is willing to save you, but waits for you to be willing to let Him in, is a pseudo-Jesus, created by the mind of Arminius, but never set forth in the Word of God.
