Introduction Our good and glorious Creator has vested His creation with bonds that are embedded right into the fabric of nature. For example, in chemistry we see bonds that allow different substances to work together or even react to make new substances. Biology teaches us that life, in a sense, depends on different bonds between […]
“We believe, since this holy congregation is an assembly of those who are saved, and outside of it there is no salvation . . .” —Belgic Confession, Article 28 Though we as Reformed Christians may be unsure or even uncomfortable about how freely present-day evangelicals speak about their relationship to Christ in the possessive “my” or […]
“We believe . . . outside of [this holy congregation] there is no salvation; that no person of whatsoever state or condition he may be, ought to withdraw from it, content to be by himself; but that all men are in duty bound to join and unite themselves with it; maintaining the unity of the […]
“All men are in duty bound to join and unite themselves with [this holy congregation] . . . submitting themselves to the doctrine and discipline thereof; bowing their necks under the yoke of Jesus Christ.” —Belgic Confession, Article 28 Christ’s submission to the Father’s will is integral to the gospel. Without the Son’s submission to […]
“All men are in duty bound to join and unite themselves with [the true church] . . . serving to the edification of the brethren, according to the talents God has given them.” —Belgic Confession, Article 28 The most public office in the early church was, of course, apostle. The apostles’ visibility seems to have […]
“And that this may be the more effectually observed, it is the duty of all believers, according to the Word of God, to separate themselves from all who do not belong to the Church, and to join themselves to this congregation wheresoever God has established it.” —Belgic Confession, Article 28 The last bond between the […]