Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 16 May, 2021
“O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness:
fear before him, all the earth” (Ps. 96:9)
Morning Service – 11:00 AM
The Third Petition of the Lord’s Prayer [youtube]
Scripture Reading: I Samuel 18
Text: Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 49
I. Praying Regarding Our Wills
II. Praying Regarding Our Callings
Psalms: 131:1-3; 103:17-22
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
Jesus Christ in Paul’s First Recorded Sermon [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Acts 13:14-52
Text: Acts 13:14-41
I. The Goal of OT History
II. The Fulfilment of OT Prophecy
III. The Justifier From OT Law
Psalms: 105:36-45; 16:6-11
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 49: “For what, then, do we pray in the third petition? First, we are taught to beseech our Father in heaven for grace always to accept our positions in life as our particular assignments from him and our ways as what he ordained for us, in order that in those positions and ways we may function as his servants and do his will. We need much grace every day to assume that attitude. How inclined we are to divide life into separate spheres: religious life, in which we serve the Lord and clearly think to discern a calling and office, and everyday life, which we may mix with some religious exercises, but in which we fail to consider ourselves servants of God who must ask and do his will … The Christian has been called out of darkness into God’s marvelous light and liberated from the slavery of sin in order that with his entire life, in all its relationships, he may be taken into the service of his God. Wherever he is stationed and in whatever way God leads him, there he must see his calling” (The Perfect Prayer, pp. 113-114).
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
Two new issues of the Standard Bearer are available for subscribers on the back table.
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)
Tuesday Bible study at 11 AM will meet in the auditorium to discuss further the difficulty of faith.
Belgic Confession Class will meet and be streamed live this Wednesday at 7:45 PM. At this last class of the season on Article 37, we will be looking at the overall picture presented by the many biblical texts on the last days. It is recommended that you bring a pen or pencil with you.
Saturday night Bible study will meet this week at church and on-line to consider Hebrews 9:11-22.
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s day (Gospel 846 MW at 8:30 AM) by Rev. R. Kleyn is entitled, “The Pressures of Jesus’ Ministry” (Mark 3:7-12).
Rev. McGeown is to preach for the CPRC next Sunday. Alfonso, Salome and Dale Mansona from the LRF will also be in N. Ireland from Tuesday afternoon to Monday morning looking at properties, coming to our meetings and seeing the country, etc.
Offerings: General Fund: £815. Donation: £50 (Malaysia).
Translation Additions: 1 Russian.
PRC News: Hudsonville PRC will call from a trio of Revs. Barnhill (Peace, IN), Bruinsma (Pittsburgh, PA) and R. Kleyn (Spokane, WA). Wingham PRC’s new trio is Revs. Barnhill, Regnerus (Lynden, WA) and DeBoer (Edgerton, MN).
The Free Offer and Irresistible Grace (2)
Herman Hoeksema (Standard Bearer, vol. 59, issue 19)
Now there are a couple of conclusions which seem to be obvious in all this. The first is that, strangely enough, it is common grace which takes on an irresistible character. Common grace is given to all and it is given without man wanting it, asking for it, seeking it or in any way working to obtain it. It is simply there, given graciously, coming from God’s own heart, directed to every sinner and given in an irresistible manner. Common grace becomes irresistible grace. Common grace is worked irresistibly in the hearts of men. And while it does not save in itself, it is nevertheless God’s gracious and free gift which comes whether men want it or not.
Secondly, this irresistible common grace is inseparably connected with saving grace in this way. It is by common grace that a man possesses the power to accept or reject the saving grace in Christ offered in the gospel. After all, we face the inescapable question: If God desires the salvation of all, why is it that not all men are saved? And the answer is that man rejects the grace which is offered. Thus Berkhof writes in his interpretation of Romans 2:4: “The explanation of (the riches of God’s goodness) must be found in the purpose God had in view with this revelation of His love. And what was this purpose? Was it to cast the ungodly Jews more deeply into perdition? No, but to lead them to repentance … But in the case of the Jews the result does not correspond to the intention. They hardened themselves against this revelation of God’s goodness” (quoted from “The Triple Breach;” italics mine).
So the relation between common grace and saving grace is this: common grace puts a man into a position to accept the overtures of saving grace in Christ or to reject them, thus frustrating the intention of God. So common grace is irresistible; saving grace is not. Saving grace can be resisted so that God’s intention can be frustrated.
Those who defend the doctrine of the free offer of the gospel insist that saving grace is irresistibly given. They do this in the interests of trying to salvage a semblance of Calvinism and in an effort to demonstrate that they still maintain the “five points.” But this will not do. But it simply remains a fact, and that fact cannot be denied, that, if God desires the salvation of all and expresses this desire in the preaching, then, when all are not saved, it is because man has resisted these overtures of grace. Grace is resistible. Salvation is no longer sovereignly accomplished. Salvation depends upon the work of man. The Arminians were at least consistent; Berkhof states as much—although the meanwhile professing some sort of strange allegiance to Calvinism.
But all this is emphatically repudiated by Scripture and the confessions.
There is an important point here which ought never to escape our attention. When we talk of the irresistibility of grace, we are not talking about some abstract concept of grace, as if grace were a power in itself. Grace is God’s grace. It is His attitude of favour and goodness, of love and mercy. Because it is God’s attitude, it is an attitude which is rooted in His own sovereign will. And that will is always efficacious. The question is not finally whether grace is, in itself, resistible or irresistible but whether God’s will is resistible or irresistible. And all Scripture and the confessions teach the truth that God is sovereign.
This is the emphasis of Canons III/IV:11: “But when God accomplishes His good pleasure [note this emphatic statement concerning God’s good pleasure, H.H.] in the elect, or works in them true conversion, he not only causes the gospel to be externally preached to them, and powerfully illuminates their minds by His Holy Spirit, that they may rightly understand and discern the things of the Spirit of God; but by the efficacy of the same regenerating Spirit, pervades the inmost recesses of the man; he opens the closed, and softens the hardened heart, and circumcises that which was uncircumcised, infuses new qualities into the will, which though heretofore dead, he quickens; from being evil, disobedient, and refractory, he renders it good, obedient, and pliable, actuates and strengthens it, that like a good tree, it may bring forth the fruits of good actions.”
The same is true of the Westminster Confession of Faith 10:1-2. And the same is the teaching of all Scripture (e.g., Matt. 11:25-26; John 6:65; 10:26-30; 12:39-40; Rom. 8:29-30; 9:18; 11:7-10; II Cor. 2:14-16; etc.).
What is the conclusion of the matter?
In the first place, it ought to be clear that it is impossible to maintain the doctrine of the free offer without at the same time denying the irresistible character of grace. If there are those who persist in wanting the free offer, let them openly admit that they do not want the historic position of Calvinism and the Reformed creeds. This would, at least, be honest.
In the second place, it ought not to escape us that the comfort of the believer is finally in the sovereignty of God’s grace. If his salvation depended upon himself, he would be forever cast about on the stormy seas of doubt, for he can do nothing for his salvation since all his works are corrupted by sin. But his comfort is in resting only upon Christ. And resting only upon Christ, he rests upon the particular and sovereign grace of his God who has delivered him from sin and will surely preserve him to the end to the praise of the glory of God’s grace.
