Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 15 January, 2023
“And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed,
and heirs according to the promise” (Gal. 3:29)
Morning Service – 11:00 AM
The Mosaic Law: Illustration, Expostulation & Allegory (8)
The Heavenly Jerusalem, the Mother of Us All [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Galatians 4:21-5:5
Text: Galatians 4:26
I. Jerusalem Is Above
II. Jerusalem Is Free
III. Jerusalem Is Mother
Psalms: 46:1-7; 55:10-17; 87:1-7; 68:16-20
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
The Mosaic Law: Illustration, Expostulation & Allegory (9)
The Children of the Promise [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 53:10-55:5
Text: Galatians 4:27-28
I. The Meaning—as Isaac
II. The Prophecy—in Isaiah
Psalms: 122:1-9; 55:18-23; 105:6-12; 22:26-31
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 on Galatians 4:26: “The heavenly Jerusalem, which derives its origin from heaven, and dwells above by faith, is the mother of believers. To the Church, under God, we owe it that we are ‘born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible’ (I Peter 1:23) and from her we obtain the milk and the food by which we are afterwards nourished. Such are the reasons why the Church is called the mother of believers. And certainly he who refuses to be a son of the Church in vain desires to have God as his Father; for it is only through the instrumentality of the Church that we are ‘born of God’ (I John 3:9) and brought up through the various stages of childhood and youth, till we arrive at manhood. This designation, ‘the mother of us all,’ reflects the highest credit and the highest honour on the Church.”
Herman Hoeksema: “… they are called the children of the promise. What is the meaning of this expression? Does the term simply mean the same as if the apostle had written: the promised children? Thus some interpret the phrase. Or is the meaning, as others would interpret: children to whom the promise pertains, that are heirs of the blessed promise of God? To be sure the children of the promise were also promised children, and the promised blessing was for them. But the expression ‘children of the promise’ has a deeper significance. Frequently Scripture speaks of the promise. Sometimes it uses the singular ‘the promise’; and in other passages it uses the plural ‘the promises.’ Essentially the expression always refers to the same truth. The promise is God’s revealed and pledged, yea sworn purpose of salvation for His people through Jesus Christ our Lord. It implies redemption and deliverance from sin and the inheritance of eternal glory in the kingdom of heaven. Now, children of the promise are brought forth through that promise. The promise is, as it were, their mother. God brings them forth through the power of the promise, by realizing His word of promise in them. Hence, they are those in whom the promise of redemption has been realized in principle, spiritual children, born not of the flesh but of the Spirit. That this the real meaning of the expression ‘children of promise’ may be gathered not only from the expression itself and from the fact that Isaac was the typical child of the promise, but also from a comparison with the expression as it occurs in Galatians 4:23-28. ‘But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.’ The phrase ‘by promise’ in verse 23 literally reads in the original ‘through the promise.’ Isaac was born through the means of, by the power of the promise. So we are also children of the promise as Isaac was. And that this refers, indeed, to their spiritual birth is evident if we compare verse 29 of the same chapter of Galatians: ‘But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.’ By nature, apart from the power of the promise of God, we are born after the flesh. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. But by the promise of God we are born of the Spirit and after the Spirit. For that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. And, therefore, children of the promise are spiritual children, in whom God wrought and realized the power of His promise of salvation” (“The Children of the Promise“).
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
Monday catechism classes:
5:00PM: Corey, Jason, Katelyn, Maisie & Sebastian (Seniors OT)
5:45PM: Eleanora, Felicity, Hannah, Jorja, Keagan, Lucas, Sammy, Somaya,
Sophie & Yossef (Beginners NT)
6:30PM: Penelope & Xander (Juniors OT)
7:15PM: Angelica, Bradley, Jack, Josh, Samuel & Taylor (Heidelberg, Book 2)
8:00PM: Alex, Jacob & Nathan (Pre-confession)
Tuesday Bible study at 11 AM will meet to continue our discussion on Roman Catholicism on faith and reason, etc.
Belgic Confession Class meets this Wednesday at 7:30 PM. In connection with article 37, we will consider the signs of our Lord’s return in the heavens.
Saturday Bible study will be this week, 21 Jan., at 9:30 AM on-line, finishing Malachi 4 and beginning I Thessalonians. I Thessalonians study guides are available for £2.50.
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s day (Gospel 846 MW at 8:30 AM) by Rev. Bruinsma is entitled, “Halting Between Two Opinions” (I Kings 18:20-39).
PRC Church Visitors: Rev. Michael & Dawn DeVries and Elder Pete & Dorothy VanderSchaaf arrive on Friday, 27 January, and plan to stay until Monday, 6 February. A sign-up sheet is on the back table for those who would like to have the church visitors at their home for dinner.
On Wednesday, 1 February, at 7:30 PM, Rev. DeVries will be leading a discussion on men preparing themselves to serve as office-bearers.
The congregational dinner will be held on Friday, 3 February, at Adair Arms Hotel. A menu and sign-up sheet is on the back table. Cost is £10 per adult and £5 per child to be paid to Julian on the night of the dinner.
The 2023 Lord’s Supper dates are 26 March, 11 June, 24 September and 31 December.
Offerings: £2,142.35. Donations: £50 (India).
Translation Additions: 1 Polish, 1 Russian and 2 Tagalog.
John Calvin on the Christian Life: Self-denial as It Relates to our Fellowman
4. Self-denial promotes a humble opinion of ourselves and respect for our neighbour. For when Scripture commands us, in regard to our fellow men, to prefer them in honour to ourselves, and sincerely labour to promote their advantages (Romans 12:10; Philippians 2:3), He gives us commands which our mind is utterly incapable of obeying until its natural feelings are suppressed. For so blindly do we all rush in the direction of self-love, that everyone thinks he has a good reason for exalting himself and despising all others in comparison. If God bestows on us something pleasing, we trust in it and immediately our spirits are lifted, and not only swell up, but almost burst with pride.
The vices we abound in we both carefully conceal from others, and flatteringly represent to ourselves as minute and trivial, nay, sometimes embrace them as virtues. When the same qualities which we admire in ourselves are seen in others, even though they should be superior, we maliciously detract from them and tear them down in order that we may not be forced to yield to them. In like manner we repugnantly exaggerate their vices, not content when we severely and sharply censure them. From this arises the haughtiness with which each, as if exempted from the common lot, seeks to exalt himself above his neighbour, confidently and proudly despising others, or at least looking down upon them as his inferiors. The poor man yields to the rich, the working-class man to the nobleman, the servant to the master, the unlearned to the learned, and yet everyone inwardly cherishes some idea of his own superiority.
Thus each flattering himself, sets up a kind of kingdom in his breast; the arrogant, to satisfy themselves, pass censure on the minds and manners of other men, and when contention arises, the full venom is displayed. Many carry themselves with mildness so long as they experience smooth and pleasant circumstances, but how few are there who, when stung and irritated, preserve the same tenor of moderation? For this there is no other remedy than to pluck up by the roots those most noxious pests, self-love and contentiousness. This the doctrine of Scripture does. For it teaches us to remember, that the endowments which God has bestowed upon us are not our own, but His free gifts, and that those who pride themselves on account of them betray their ingratitude. “Who maketh thee to differ,” saith Paul, “and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?” (I Corinthians 4:7).
Then by a diligent examination of our faults let us keep ourselves humble. Thus while nothing will remain to swell our pride, there will be much to subdue it. Again, we are commanded, whenever we behold the gifts of God in others, so to reverence and respect the gifts, as also to honour those in whom they reside. If God has been pleased to bestow honour upon them, it would ill become us to deprive them of it. Then we are told to overlook their faults. Certainly not to encourage their faults by our compliments; rather, not to insult on account of those faults those whom we ought to regard with honour and good will. In this way, with regard to all with whom we have relations, our behaviour will be not only moderate and modest, but courteous and friendly. The only way by which you can ever attain to true meekness, is to have your heart imbued with a humble opinion of yourself and respect for others.
5. Self-denial promotes the advantage of our neighbour. How difficult it is to perform the duty of seeking the good of our neighbour! Unless you leave off all thought of yourself and in a manner cease to be yourself, you will never accomplish it. How can you exhibit those works of love which Paul describes unless you renounce yourself, and become wholly devoted to others? “Charity (says he, 1 Corinthians 13:4) suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked” etc. Were it the only thing required of us to seek not our own, nature would not have the least power to comply: she so inclines us to love ourselves only, that she will not easily allow us carelessly to pass by ourselves and our own interests that we may watch over the interests of others, nay, spontaneously to yield our own rights and resign it to another.
But, to conduct us to this, Scripture cautions us with this rule, that whatever gifts we obtain from the Lord have been entrusted to us, that they might be directed for the common good of the Church. Therefore, the legitimate use of all our gifts is a kind and liberal sharing of them with others. There cannot be a more certain rule, nor a stronger exhortation to observe it, than when we are taught that all the gifts which we possess are divine deposits entrusted to us for the very purpose of being distributed for the good of our neighbour.
In fact, Scripture goes so far as to compare them to the abilities given to the members of the human body (1 Corinthians 12:12). No member has its function for itself, or applies it for its own private use, but transfers it to its fellow-members; nor does it derive any other advantage from it than that which it receives in common with the whole body. Thus, whatever the pious man can do, he is bound to do for his brethren, not consulting his own interest in any other way than by striving earnestly for the common edification of the Church. Let this, then, be our method of showing goodwill and kindness, considering that, in regard to everything which God has bestowed upon us, and by which we can aid our neighbour, we are His stewards, and are bound to give account of our stewardship; moreover, that the only right mode of administration is that which is regulated by love. In this way, we shall not only always unite the pursuit of a stranger’s benefit with a concern for our own advantage, but also make the latter subordinate to the former.
And so that it not escape our notice that this is the principle for duly administering every gift which we receive from God, He of old applied that law to the minutest expressions of His own kindness. He commanded the first-fruits to be offered to Him as an attestation by the people that it was impious to reap any advantage from goods not previously consecrated to Him (Exodus 22:29; 23:19). But if the gifts of God are not sanctified to us until we have with our own hand dedicated them to the Author Himself, it must be a foul abuse that does not emit a scent of such dedication. It is in vain to contend that you cannot enrich the Lord by your offerings. Although your liberality cannot reach God (as the Psalmist says), yet it is to be exercised toward to the saints which are upon the earth (Psalm 16:2, 3). For that reason acts of mercy are compared to holy offerings, as today they correspond to the offerings under the Law.
