Baptist Catechism - Lesson 16 - Questions 27, 28, and 29

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Lesson 16: Questions 27, 28, and 29 In our last lesson we considered the threefold office of Christ as our Redeemer. We saw that He executeth the offices of a Prophet, of a Priest, and of a King, both in His estate of humiliation and exaltation (Q26). That answer gave us the frame. These three questions now fill in the substance. They show us how Christ carries out each office for the salvation, preservation, and good of His people, and they also help us see why every Christian home must look to Him as the source and standard of all faithful leadership. Question 27: How is Christ a prophet? 17. How doth Christ execute the office of a prophet? 1. Christ executeth the office of prophet in revealing to us, by his word and Spirit, the will of God for our salvation. Christ is our Prophet because He reveals. He does not merely offer wise religious reflections, moral advice, or elevated spiritual sentiment. He reveals “to us, by His Word and Spirit, the will of God for our salvation.” That is necessary because fallen man is not only guilty before God. He is also blind. Left to ourselves, we do not know God savingly, nor do we discover the way of peace on our own. John 1:18 says, “No one has ever seen God; God the only Son, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.” That is the prophetic office in its highest form. Christ does not guess at God. He does not speak from a distance. He comes from the Father and makes the Father known. The prophets of old were true servants and messengers, but Christ is more than a servant. He is the eternal Son. He knows the Father perfectly and therefore reveals Him perfectly. This is why Christ is not merely one prophet among many. He is the great and final Prophet to Whom all the others pointed. 1 Peter 1:10-12 tells us that the prophets searched and inquired carefully concerning the salvation that was to come, and that it was “the Spirit of Christ in them” Who was indicating the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. Even before the incarnation, Christ was speaking. The prophetic ministry of the Old Covenant was already dependent on Him. Then in the days of His flesh, He revealed the Father directly. In John 15:15, Jesus says to His disciples, “for all that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.” That is both tender and authoritative. He does not keep His people at a distance. He makes known to them what He has heard from the Father. His prophetic office is not data transfer. It is self-disclosure for the good of His people. John 20:31 states the purpose of that revelation plainly: “but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” Christ reveals the will of God not to satisfy curiosity, but for our salvation. His teaching is saving teaching. He reveals so that sinners may believe and live. The catechism also says that Christ reveals “by His word and Spirit”. We must hold those together. Christ reveals by His Word. The truth of salvation is objective, spoken, written, preached, and heard. But Christ also reveals by His Spirit. The same truth that strikes the ear outwardly must be applied inwardly by the Holy Spirit if sinners are to receive it rightly. The Word without the Spirit leaves us with outward hearing only. Claims of the Spirit without the Word leave us chasing imagination and subjectivity. Christ joins both. That matters for the life of the church, because faithful preaching is one of the appointed means by which Christ still exercises His prophetic office. He is present when His Word is read and preached faithfully. He still teaches His people. He still corrects them, illumines them, and leads them into truth. Husbands and fathers are prophets in the home in a real, though subordinate, sense: not by receiving new revelation or fore-telling future things, but by forth-telling the Word of God and representing Him to their families. Their calling is to bring the voice of God to bear in the household through the faithful reading, teaching, application, and exhortation of Scripture. A husband therefore must not lead by whim, temperament, or mere pragmatism, but by the revealed Word of God. He is not the source of truth, but he is charged to speak it; not a redeemer or mediator, but a covenant head who must declare what God has said. When he teaches, corrects, warns, or leads family worship, he must do so as a man under authority, echoing the voice of Christ rather than competing with it. A faithful husband is a prophet to his family: bearing and declaring the light God has given. So Christ executeth the office of a Prophet in revealing to us, by His Word and Spirit, the will of God for our salvation. He makes known the God we could not discover, the salvation we could not devise, and the truth we could never find on our own. And every faithful husband and father will reflect this role in the home for his family, “bringing God to His people”, as it were. Question 28: How is Christ a priest? 17. How doth Christ execute the office of a priest? 1. Christ executeth the office of priest in his once offering up himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice and reconcile us to God, and in making continual intercession for us. If Christ as Prophet answers our ignorance, Christ as Priest answers our guilt. Here we are brought to the very heart of the gospel. The catechism tells us that Christ executes the office of a Priest in two great ways: 1. By once offering up Himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice and reconcile us to God. 2. In making continual intercession for us. Hebrews 9:14 says, “how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” Christ does not bring another offering. He offers Himself. He is both Priest and sacrifice. He is the spotless One Whom our sin required. Hebrews 9:28 adds that Christ was “offered once to bear the sins of many”. That word “once” matters immensely. His priestly sacrifice is not repeated, because it does not need to be. The cross is not an ongoing offering. It is a finished sacrifice, complete and sufficient. Divine justice has been satisfied by the self-offering of the Son. The catechism says that this sacrifice was made “to satisfy divine justice and reconcile us to God”. That language is necessary. Our problem is not merely that we feel far from God. Our problem is that we are guilty before a holy God. Sin deserves judgment. On the cross, Christ satisfies God’s justice for His people. Hebrews 2:17 says, “Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” He turns away wrath by dealing with sin, bringing reconciliation made through priestly blood. But Christ’s priestly work did not end at the cross. Hebrews 7:24-25 says, “but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” The Priest Who died for us now lives for us. He appears before the Father on the basis of His finished work. His intercession is not an attempt to persuade an unwilling Father to become kind. The Father Himself sent the Son in love. Rather, Christ’s intercession is the continual presentation of His redemption for His people. This is one of the sweetest comforts in the Christian faith. Our standing before God does not rest on the strength of our devotion, the consistency of our repentance, or the steadiness of our obedience. It rests on Christ our High Priest. He offered Himself once for all; He always lives to intercede. A faithful husband will act as a priest in his home in a real, though subordinate, sense: not by offering atoning sacrifice or mediating between God and his family, but by interceding for them, seeking their peace, bearing burdens, leading them in and to worship, and giving himself for their good. He cannot make propitiation, but he can pray; he cannot reconcile his household to God by blood, but he can labor to lead them in the peace and order of Christ. He must not use headship as a cover for selfishness, harshness, or mere command, but must lead with tenderness and sacrificial care. In this way, a faithful husband is a priest to his family: not competing with Christ’s unique priesthood, but reflecting it in a creaturely, dependent, and imperfect way. So Christ executeth the office of a Priest by once offering up Himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice and reconcile us to God, and by making continual intercession for us. He is the faithful High Priest guilty sinners need. And every faithful husband and father will reflect this role in the home for his family, “bringing His people to God”, as it were. Question 29: How is Christ a king? 17. How doth Christ execute the office of a king? 1. Christ executeth the office of a king, in subduing us to himself, in ruling, and defending us, and in restraining and conquering all his and our enemies. If Christ as Prophet answers our ignorance and Christ as Priest answers our guilt, Christ as King answers our rebellion, weakness, and danger. He does not merely teach us and cleanse us. He rules us. He gathers a people, subdues them to Himself, defends them, and triumphs over every enemy that stands against them. The catechism begins with Christ “subduing us to himself”. That is exactly where it should begin, because the first enemy Christ conquers in salvation is the rebel heart (think of Pastor Mike’s “glory-robbing rebels” line here). Fallen sinners do not naturally submit to Christ. Acts 15:14-16 speaks of God taking from the Gentiles “a people for his name” and connects that work to the restoration of David’s fallen tent. Christ the King gathers His people and brings them under His gracious rule. This subduing is not the cruelty of a tyrant, but the mercy of a Savior-King. He subdues us to free us from the bondage of sin. Before Christ rules us, sin rules us. His conquest is our liberation. The catechism then says He executes the office of a King “in ruling”. Isaiah 33:22 says, “For the Lord is our judge; the Lord is our lawgiver; the Lord is our king; he will save us.” Christ does not merely claim authority. He actually governs His people. He gives order, direction, law, and discipline. Faith is not mere admiration. It is allegiance. Then the catechism says He executes the office of a King “in defending us”. Isaiah 32:1-2 says, “Behold, a king will reign in righteousness”, and then describes refuge, shelter, and streams of water in a dry place. Christ’s kingship is not only authority over His people; it is also protection for His people. He does not rule and then abandon. He guards what He governs. Finally, the catechism says He restrains and conquers all His and our enemies. 1 Corinthians 15:25 says, “For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet”. Psalm 110 shows the same glorious reality. He reigns at the Father’s right hand until every enemy is subdued. Some enemies He restrains now. Others He progressively conquers. All will finally fall beneath His feet. Sin, Satan, every hostile power, and finally, death, will not prevail against Him. A faithful husband will act as a king in his home in a real, though subordinate, sense: not by possessing absolute authority, ruling a private kingdom, or demanding reverence for himself, but by providing and protecting, leading and ordering, loving and serving his household under the authority of Christ. He cannot rule as Christ rules, for Christ alone is King of the church, and all human authority is subordinate, accountable, and limited. But he can reflect Christ’s kingly care by cultivating structure, making wise decisions, accepting responsibility, guarding the home from spiritual, moral, and physical danger, and establishing habits of worship, honesty, kindness, modesty, chastity, order, obedience, and repentance. He must not rule with selfishness or harshness, but must lead with humility and love. He must not rule for his own convenience, but must lead for the flourishing of his family. He must not crush, but protect. He must not demand reverence for himself, but must cultivate reverence for Christ. In this way, a faithful husband is a king to his family: not competing with Christ’s unique kingship, but reflecting it in a creaturely, dependent, and imperfect way. A husband who abdicates leaves his family exposed. A husband who dominates wounds his family. A husband who leads under Christ seeks their good with steadiness, gravity, and love. He takes responsibility. He does not flee difficulty. He does not outsource spiritual development while retaining only the language of authority. He is first in repentance, first in responsibility, and first in bearing the weight of leadership. So Christ executeth the office of a King in subduing us to Himself, in ruling and defending us, and in restraining and conquering all His and our enemies. He is the enthroned and reigning King His people need. And every faithful husband and father will reflect this role in the home for his family, providing and protecting in a way that echoes Christ’s love for His bride, the Church. Conclusion Questions 27, 28, and 29 show us how Christ executes His offices for His people. * Q27: As Prophet, He reveals to us, by His Word and Spirit, the will of God for our salvation. * Q28: As Priest, He offers up Himself once for all to satisfy divine justice, reconciles us to God, and ever lives to intercede for us. * Q29: As King, He subdues us to Himself, rules and defends us, and restrains and conquers all His and our enemies. Taken together, these questions show the completeness of our Redeemer. He does not save in fragments. He teaches the ignorant (Prophet), atones for the guilty (Priest), and rules the rebellious (King). He answers our darkness, our guilt, and our danger. There is no deficiency in Him. And they also help us think more clearly about the home. Husbands and fathers must never rival Christ in these offices. They are not redeemers, not mediators, and not sovereigns. But under Christ they are called to reflect, in lesser, derivative, and subordinate ways, something of His prophetic, priestly, and kingly care by teaching the Word, praying sacrificially, and leading responsibly. So take this lesson with you this week in two ways. FIRST, let it shape what you believe: that Jesus Christ is the complete Redeemer of His people — our Prophet, Priest, and King. He teaches the ignorant, atones for the guilty, intercedes for the needy, subdues the rebellious, rules the weak, defends the endangered, and conquers every enemy. And believe that Christ’s offices give shape to godly order in the home. Our culture despises this, especially when applied to husbands and fathers. But Scripture is our standard, not culture. A husband is not Christ. He is not the Redeemer, the Mediator, or the lord of anyone’s conscience. Yet under Christ, he is called to reflect something of Christ’s prophetic, priestly, and kingly care. Husbands and fathers, believe your leadership is a holy responsibility, not an optional preference. Wives and mothers, believe this order is not a threat, but a gift when exercised under Christ. Children, believe God’s order in the home is for your good. SECOND, let that corrected belief change what you do. Husbands and fathers, do not abdicate, dominate, or drift. Teach the Word. Pray for and with your family. Lead in worship. Protect your household from spiritual, moral, and physical danger. Confess sin first. Repent quickly. Lead as a man under authority, remembering that your authority is never original, never absolute, and never for yourself. Wives and mothers, honor what Christ honors. Encourage faithful leadership. Submit to your husband in everything as to the Lord. Do not despise imperfect obedience, but help with wisdom, patience, prayer, and honest, humble speech. Children, obey your parents in the Lord. Honor your father and your mother. Receive instruction, correction, and discipline as gifts from the Lord. We can live this way because Christ, as our Redeemer, is our perfect Prophet, Priest, and King.

Baptist Catechism - Lesson 27 - Questions 62, 63, and 66

Lesson 27: Questions 62, 63, and 66 In our last lesson we considered the third commandment. We saw that God’s Name must not be taken in vain, and that this commandment reaches far beyond obvious profanity. It requires the holy and reverent use of God’s names, titles, attributes, ordinances, Word, and works, and it forbids profaning or abusing anything by which God makes Himself known (Q58-61). Now the catechism turns to the fourth commandment, where God teaches us that time itself must be ordered before Him. Question 62: What is the fourth commandment? * What is the fourth commandment? * The fourth commandment is, Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy; six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God, in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor the stranger that is within thy gates; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. (Cited from Exodus 20:8-11) The fourth commandment begins with the word “Remember”. That word already tells us something important. God knows that fallen man forgets holy things. We forget God’s works. We forget God’s order. We forget that our time belongs to Him. We forget that work is not ultimate. We forget that rest is not optional. So the Lord says, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” (Exodus 20:8). This commandment is not merely about stopping work. It is about keeping a day holy to the Lord. The word “holy” means set apart. The Sabbath is not ordinary time. It is time claimed, blessed, and hallowed by God. Six days are for ordinary labor. One day in seven is a Sabbath to the Lord. That immediately challenges modern assumptions. We tend to think of time as ours. We speak of “my time”, “my weekend”, “my schedule”, “my day off”. Of course, there is a legitimate sense in which we manage our responsibilities. But, at the deepest level, time does not belong to us. We are creatures. God gives, numbers, governs, and commands how our days are to be used. Notice also the balance in the commandment. God commands labor: “Six days you shall labor, and do all your work” (Exodus 20:9). Laziness is not the ideal. God made man to work. Before sin entered the world, Adam was placed in the garden to work it and keep it. But man was not made for ceaseless toil. The commandment dignifies work, but it also limits work: “but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God.” (Exodus 20:10a) Man may work, but man may not become a slave to work. Work is good, but it is not god. Productivity is good, but it is not ultimate. The Sabbath is mercy because God Himself interrupts our ordinary labor and gives one day in seven for worship, rest, and refreshment. He says, in effect, “You are not sustained by your own productivity. You are My creature. You must stop, worship, rest, and remember.” Or another way: “I can prosper you more in 6 days than you can in 7.” The reason given in Exodus 20 is creation. “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” (Exodus 20:11, ESV) God did not rest because He was tired. He rested as the divine pattern of creation. The Sabbath is built into the moral order of the world. It reminds us that creation is not ultimately ordered toward endless production, but toward God’s glory, worship, and holy rest. So Question 62 gives us the commandment itself. God commands one day in seven to be remembered and kept holy. Work matters. Rest matters. Worship matters. Time matters. The Lord of creation has authority over them all. Question 63: What does the fourth commandment require? * What is required in the fourth commandment? * The fourth commandment requireth the keeping holy to God such set times as he hath appointed in his word; expressly one whole day in seven to be a holy sabbath to himself. The catechism now opens the positive requirement of the commandment: “the keeping holy to God one whole day in seven to be a Sabbath to Himself.” In this lesson, we are dealing with the basics: * What is the commandment? * What does it require? * What does it forbid? Next week, Lord willing, we will deal with the more advanced questions: * Which day is the Christian Sabbath? * How is the Sabbath to be sanctified? * What reasons are annexed to the commandment? For now, notice the heart of the requirement. The fourth commandment requires one whole day in seven to be kept holy to God. Exodus gives the creation pattern: six days of labor and one day blessed and hallowed by the Lord. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Exodus 20:8-11, ESV) Deuteronomy repeats the command, but with a different emphasis. There, the Sabbath is tied to Israel’s redemption from Egypt: they were slaves, the Lord brought them out with a mighty hand, and therefore they must give rest even to those under their authority. Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. (Deuteronomy 5:12-15, ESV) Both passages teach that the Sabbath is not a loose suggestion. It is a command of God. The phrase “to God” is crucial. The Sabbath is not merely a personal recovery strategy, though it is restful. It is not merely a family day, though it may bless a household. It is not merely a day to avoid work, though ordinary work is set aside. It is kept holy to God. The day belongs to Him in a special way. That means Sabbath keeping must begin with worship. The day is for the Lord before it is for us. We do not ask first, “What do I want to do with this day?” We ask, “What has God made this day for?” The Sabbath is for worship, rest, fellowship, mercy, necessity, and the joyful ordering of life before God. It is a day to step back from ordinary labor and worldly striving in order to remember that the Lord is our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. This also means that Sabbath keeping is not supposed to be grim. Some people hear “Sabbath” and immediately think “burden”. That is not how Jesus teaches us to think. And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27, ESV) That does not cancel the commandment. It explains its goodness. The Sabbath is a duty, but it is a gracious duty. It is a command, but it is a beneficial command. We need both sides. If we only call it a gift, we may become careless and treat it as ours to spend however we please. If we only call it a duty, we may become harsh and make the day feel like a cage. Scripture gives us something better: the Sabbath is a holy gift from the Lord. It is duty and mercy together. This is where we must examine ourselves. * Do we treat the Sabbath as holy to God, or merely as the leftover space around our preferences? * Do we arrange the day around gathered worship, or do we fit worship around everything else? * Do we prepare for worship, or stumble into it distracted and spiritually cold? * Do we use the day to strengthen the soul, encourage the saints, and delight in the Lord, or do we simply collapse into self-indulgence? The fourth commandment requires more than attendance. Attendance at gathered worship is central, but the day itself is to be kept holy. That means we should think intentionally about the whole day. How can this day be ordered so that God is honored, worship is prioritized, ordinary labors are set aside, bodies and souls are refreshed, families are shepherded, mercy is shown, and fellowship is pursued? This should not lead to anxious scrupulosity. We should not create a thousand man-made rules. That is legalism. The Pharisees received scathing rebukes for exactly that kind of Sabbath-keeping. The point is to receive God’s rhythm as good. One whole day in seven is to be kept holy to God. That is not an interruption of real life. It is part of the pattern God gives for a rightly ordered life. The Sabbath is intended to be the cornerstone of our lives. Question 66: What does the fourth commandment forbid? * What is forbidden in the fourth commandment? * The fourth commandment forbiddeth the omission or careless performance of the duties required, and the profaning the day by idleness, or doing that which is in itself sinful, or by unnecessary thoughts, words, or works, about worldly employments or recreations. Skipping 2 questions, the catechism now opens the negative requirement of the 4th commandment. It forbids: * Failing to do the duties required * Careless execution of our duties * Profaning the day by idleness * Sinful pursuits * Unnecessary thoughts, words, or works about worldly employments or recreations FIRST, the commandment forbids “the omission or careless performance of the duties required”. A rebuke from Ezekiel about profaning the day is instructive: Her priests have done violence to my law and have profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean, and they have disregarded my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. (Ezekiel 22:26, ESV) Amos adds a rebuke related to self-indulgence: Hear this, you who trample on the needy and bring the poor of the land to an end, saying, “When will the new moon be over, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may offer wheat for sale, that we may make the ephah small and the shekel great and deal deceitfully with false balances, that we may buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals and sell the chaff of the wheat?” (Amos 8:4-6, ESV) Malachi rebukes disinterested worship: But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says the Lord of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the Lord. (Malachi 1:13, ESV) That is searching. Sabbath breaking is not only doing obviously worldly things. It may also be attending worship with a cold, resentful, bored, or dismissive heart. It may be going through the motions while inwardly wishing the holy duties were finished. The Lord is not honored by merely external Sabbath observance while the heart says, “what a weariness.” SECOND, the commandment forbids “profaning the day by idleness”. While I agree with this sentence, it must be handled carefully. I also don’t agree with the catechism that Eutychus falling asleep during Paul’s sermon (which went until after midnight!) is a violation of the Sabbath. But the catechism is right to warn against idleness. The Sabbath is rest, but it is not spiritual laziness. Rest is not the same thing as drifting through the day without attention to God. So, while I do not think rest and idleness are at odds with one another, wasting the entire day in idleness violates the clear positive commands we have for what to do on the Sabbath. THIRD, the commandment forbids doing what is in itself sinful. Ezekiel condemns those who profaned the sanctuary and Sabbaths while also committing abominations. The Lord said to me: “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Declare to them their abominations. For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. With their idols they have committed adultery, and they have even offered up to them for food the children whom they had borne to me. Moreover, this they have done to me: they have defiled my sanctuary on the same day and profaned my Sabbaths. For when they had slaughtered their children in sacrifice to their idols, on the same day they came into my sanctuary to profane it. (Ezekiel 23:36-39a, ESV) Sin is not necessarily more sinful because it occurs on the Sabbath, but it is especially perverse to take a day set apart for God and use it for rebellion against Him. FOURTH, the commandment forbids unnecessary thoughts, words, and works about worldly employments or recreations. Jeremiah 17 warns of judgment for Judah for profaning the Sabbath: “‘But if you listen to me, declares the Lord, and bring in no burden by the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but keep the Sabbath day holy and do no work on it, then there shall enter by the gates of this city kings and princes who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their officials, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And this city shall be inhabited forever. And people shall come from the cities of Judah and the places around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the Shephelah, from the hill country, and from the Negeb, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and frankincense, and bringing thank offerings to the house of the Lord. But if you do not listen to me, to keep the Sabbath day holy, and not to bear a burden and enter by the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem and shall not be quenched.’” (Jeremiah 17:24-27, ESV) Isaiah 58 has a promise for those who faithfully keep the Sabbath: If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah 58:13-14, ESV)Here I will do something that I will do very, very rarely with the Baptist Catechism. I am going to revise the wording of an answer to give what I believe to be a more biblically accurate teaching. The original catechism says the commandment forbids unnecessary thoughts, words, or works “about worldly employments or recreations.” My own revised answer is slightly softened: * What is forbidden in the fourth commandment? * The fourth commandment forbiddeth the omission or careless performance of the duties required, and the profaning the day by idleness, or doing that which is in itself sinful, or by unnecessary thoughts, words, or works about worldly employments, or by engaging in recreations that impede the joyful performance of Sabbath duties. Here is the change laid out clearly: * Catechism: or by unnecessary thoughts, words, or works, about worldly employments or recreations. * My version: or by unnecessary thoughts, words, or works, about worldly employments, or by engaging in recreations that impede the joyful performance of Sabbath duties. I want to be very clear: I am making a change. I am softening the catechism slightly at this point. But I am not doing so because I take the Christian Sabbath lightly. I take it very seriously. I simply do not find in Scripture a requirement that the entire day be given to unceasing acts of worship in such a way that all lawful recreation is excluded absolutely. The Sabbath is repeatedly presented as rest. The Sabbath is made for man, not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27). Jesus presents the Sabbath as a gift, not as a crushing burden, though it remains a duty. Therefore, I believe it is lawful to allow some recreation that does not impede worship, fellowship, rest, and works of mercy and necessity. This is not a free-for-all. The day is not about recreation. The day is about rest and worship first. But if the duties of the Sabbath have been joyfully prioritized and fulfilled, then some restful recreation may be received as a blessing from God. Isaiah 58 deserves frank treatment. I am not compelled to read the verse to mean, “do nothing enjoyable on the Sabbath.” The stronger reading, in my judgment, is that God is rebuking a people whose Sabbath practice is fundamentally self-directed: “All you do on the Sabbath is please yourself; you should be pleasing Me.” That interpretation still takes the text seriously. It does not absolutize all pleasure as sin. It rejects self-centered Sabbath keeping and calls us to delight in the Lord. It is also noteworthy that the word for “pleasure” in verse 13 has an ESV footnote of “business”. So Question 66 warns us against two errors. 1. We must reject Sabbath neglect, careless worship, and recreation that crowds out the Lord. 2. We must embrace Sabbath-keeping that is holy, restful, worshipful, joyful, and Godward.Conclusion The fourth commandment teaches us that God claims our time. He gives six days for ordinary labor and one day in seven to be kept holy to Him. That pattern is not arbitrary. It is grounded in creation, repeated in the law, and given for man’s good. (It’s also reinforced in the New Testament.) This commandment should correct our restlessness. Many of us live as though everything depends on us: * Constant labor * Planning * Buying * Building * Checking * Managing But the Sabbath says: * Stop * Worship * Rest * Remember that God is God and you are not It humbles the self-important and comforts the weary. It should also correct our casualness. The Lord’s Day (a synonym for the Christian Sabbath) is not disposable time. It is not merely a leftover day for errands, chores, entertainment, and recovery from poor planning. It is not a catch up day for work. It is holy to God. * Worship should be central. * Fellowship should be treasured. * Mercy should be practiced. * Necessity should be handled wisely. * Rest should be received with gratitude. And yet, we should not make the Sabbath gloomy. The day is a gift from the Lord. It is for delight in Him. The mature Christian should not ask, “How little can I do and still technically obey?” Nor should he ask, “How can I bind consciences beyond Scripture?” Better questions are these: * How can I honor the Lord today? * How can I rest from ordinary labor? * How can I strengthen my soul and my household? * How can I love the saints? * How can I receive this day as mercy? The Sabbath is serious. The Sabbath is holy. The Sabbath is restful. The Sabbath is good.

Yesterday53 min

Baptist Catechism - Lesson 26 - Questions 58, 59, 60, and 61

Lesson 26: Questions 58, 59, 60, and 61 In our last lesson we considered the second commandment. We saw that God must be worshiped only as He has appointed, that His ordinances must be received, observed, and kept pure and entire, that worship by images or any other unauthorized way is forbidden, and that God’s jealousy is a holy zeal for His own glory and the covenant purity of His people (Q54-57). Now the catechism turns from how we worship God to how we handle His Name. The third commandment teaches us that the God Who reveals Himself must be spoken of, confessed, worshiped, invoked, and represented with holy reverence. Question 58: What is the third commandment? * Which is the third commandment? * The third commandment is, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. (Exodus 20:7, ESV) At first, many people hear this commandment and think almost entirely of profanity. That is included, certainly. Using God’s Name as a swear word, an exclamation, a joke, or emotional filler is wicked. It is not a small matter to drag the Name of the Holy One into careless speech. But the commandment is much broader than that. It forbids taking God’s Name in vain, and God’s Name includes everything by which He makes Himself known. In Scripture, a name is not merely a label. God’s Name reveals His character, authority, presence, covenant faithfulness, and glory. When the Lord reveals His Name, He is not handing man a religious sound to use casually. He is making Himself known. Therefore, to take His Name is to deal with His self-revelation. To take His Name in vain is to handle that self-revelation emptily, falsely, lightly, hypocritically, manipulatively, or wickedly. This means the third commandment reaches speech, worship, doctrine, prayer, vows, preaching, baptism, church membership, evangelism, discipline, and daily Christian conduct. If we call ourselves Christians, we bear the Name of Christ. Jesus commands: Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” (Matthew 6:9, ESV) If we pray thus, we are asking that His Name be regarded as holy. If we sing His praise, confess His truth, teach His Word, swear lawful oaths, or gather as His church, we are handling holy things. The commandment also teaches us that reverence is not optional. God does not say, “Try to be a little more respectful.” He commands us not to take His Name in vain. There is a kind of casualness that people mistake for spiritual maturity. They assume that: * Because God is Father, they may be flippant * Because Christ is Friend, they may be familiar in a fleshly way * Because grace is free, they may be frivolous with holy things But biblical intimacy with God never destroys reverence. The adopted child cries, “Abba! Father!” by the Spirit, but that child still approaches the Holy One. So Question 58 introduces the third commandment as a commandment about holy reverence toward God’s revealed Name. The true God must be worshipped. He must be worshipped as He commands. And His Name must be handled reverently. Question 59: What does the third commandment require? * What is required in the third commandment? * The third commandment requireth the holy and reverent use of God’s names, titles, attributes, ordinances, word and works. The catechism now opens the positive requirement of the commandment. The third commandment does not merely forbid wicked speech. It requires something: “the holy and reverent use of God’s names, titles, attributes, ordinances, word and works.” FIRST, it requires holy and reverent use of God’s names. Jesus teaches us to pray, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” (Matthew 6:9). That petition should govern the whole Christian life. We are asking God to cause His Name to be treated as holy in the world, in the church, in our homes, in our speech, in our worship, and in our hearts. Deuteronomy also warns Israel to “fear this glorious and awesome name, the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 28:58). His Name is not ordinary. It is glorious and awesome. SECOND, the commandment requires holy and reverent use of God’s titles. Psalm 68:4 calls God by His covenant Name and summons His people to exult before Him: Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts; his name is the Lord; exult before him! (Psalm 68:4, ESV) Titles like Lord, God, Father, King, Redeemer, Shepherd, Judge, Savior, and Almighty are not religious decorations. They identify Who God is and how He relates to His people and His creation. To use them rightly is to confess Him truthfully. THIRD, the commandment requires reverence toward God’s attributes. And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.” (Revelation 15:3-4, ESV) God’s attributes are not abstract theology for clever people. They are the glory of God displayed to His creatures. When we speak of His holiness, justice, love, sovereignty, mercy, wrath, immutability, omniscience, and faithfulness, we must speak as worshipers, not as technicians handling dead facts. FOURTH, the commandment requires reverence toward God’s ordinances. For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. But you profane it when you say that the Lord’s table is polluted, and its fruit, that is, its food, may be despised. But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says the Lord of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the Lord. Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations. (Malachi 1:11-14, ESV) Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are not bare symbols for man to manipulate. Public worship is not a religious stage. Church discipline is not personal revenge. Preaching is not entertainment. Prayer is not performance. The ordinances belong to God and must be handled accordingly. FIFTH, the commandment requires reverence toward God’s Word. I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. (Psalm 138:1-2, ESV) Psalm 138 ties God’s Name and God’s Word closely together. God is to be thanked for His steadfast love and faithfulness, and His Word is not beneath His Name, but exalted with it. Therefore, Scripture must not be twisted, mocked, ignored, marketed, or used as a prop for our opinions. To read Scripture faithfully is to receive it reverently as the Word of the living God and interpret it soberly and rightly. SIXTH, the commandment requires reverence toward God’s works. Remember to extol his work, of which men have sung. All mankind has looked on it; man beholds it from afar. (Job 36:24-25, ESV) Creation, providence, redemption, judgment, and sanctification display God’s wisdom and power. We must not speak of God’s works as accidents, inconveniences, or raw material for complaint. We may lament faithfully, but we may not despise His hand. And this also means we must be careful how we speak of man, because man himself is one of God’s works, uniquely made in His image. Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:26-27, ESV, emphasis added) This does not mean man is God, nor does it mean that every man bears God’s Name in the same covenantal sense that God’s people do. But it does mean that man bears the stamp of God’s image and contempt for our fellow man is not a small thing. James 3:9-10 makes this connection directly: With [our tongue] we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. (James 3:9-10, ESV) It is deeply inconsistent to bless God while cursing people who are made in God’s likeness. Reviling, demeaning, despising, mocking, or treating our neighbor with contempt is not merely a violation of love of neighbor. It is also a failure to reverence one of God’s works. We dishonor the Craftsman and violate the third commandment when we treat His image-bearers as trash. This does not mean we may never rebuke sin, expose error, correct folly, or speak plainly about wickedness. Scripture does all of those things. But even necessary rebuke must remember that the person being addressed is not an animal, not an object, not a punchline, and not beneath basic creaturely dignity. Man is fallen, guilty, and often wicked. But man is still made in the image of God. Therefore, the third commandment should govern not only how we speak directly about God, but also how we speak about the works by which God displays His glory. And among those works, mankind has a unique place. So the third commandment requires total reverence toward God as He has made Himself known. His Name, titles, attributes, ordinances, Word, and works must be treated as holy because He is holy. Question 60: What does the third commandment forbid? * What is forbidden in the third commandment? * The third commandment forbiddeth all profaning and abusing of any thing whereby God makes himself known. The catechism now opens the negative requirement of the 3rd commandment: “all profaning and abusing of any thing whereby God makes himself known.” That language is broad because the commandment is broad. Wherever God makes Himself known, man must not profane or abuse that revelation. To profane something is to treat what is holy as common. To abuse something is to misuse it, twist it, exploit it, or handle it contrary to its purpose. So the third commandment forbids not only blasphemy and profanity, but false doctrine, hypocritical worship, manipulative use of Scripture, empty vows, religious showmanship, careless prayer, irreverent preaching, and claiming God’s authority for what God has not said. Malachi is especially important here. “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ By saying that the Lord’s table may be despised. But you profane it when you say that the Lord’s table is polluted, and its fruit, that is, its food, may be despised. (Malachi 1:6-7, 12, ESV) They were not atheists. They were religious leaders. They were near the altar, near the sacrifices, near the language of worship, and yet they dishonored God. That is terrifying. It is possible to be religious and still profane the Name of the Lord. This is a warning for pastors, teachers, fathers, mothers, worship leaders, and every church member. The third commandment is not only violated in the bar or on the street. It may be violated in the pulpit, classroom, living room, prayer meeting, counseling session, small group, and Lord’s Day gathering. Whenever God’s Name is used to advance ourselves, excuse sin, manipulate people, argue dishonestly, or dress up our preferences as divine commands, we are in dangerous territory. If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. (Malachi 2:2, ESV) That is a searching word. Religious office does not protect a man who dishonors God. Religious usefulness does not excuse irreverence. God sees how His Name is handled. Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape. (Malachi 3:13-15, ESV) That is the sin of cynical religion. It speaks as though obedience is pointless, worship is wasted, and God is not worth serving unless He pays out immediately according to our expectations. That too profanes His Name. It treats God as a bad employer rather than the holy Lord. We should apply this carefully. The third commandment forbids using God’s Name as a swear word. It forbids saying, “God told me”, when He has not. It forbids making promises in God’s Name and breaking them. It forbids praying with the mouth while the heart is far from Him. It forbids preaching Scripture as a means of personal display. It forbids singing great truths while despising them in practice. It forbids using doctrine as a weapon for pride rather than as truth unto worship and obedience. This should not make tender Christians afraid to speak of God. The answer is not silence. The answer is reverence. We should pray, sing, confess, teach, and evangelize. But we should do so as those who know that God is holy and that His Name must not be used emptily. Question 61: Why the third commandment? * What is the reason annexed to the third commandment? * The reason annexed to the third commandment is, that however the breakers of this commandment may escape punishment from men, yet the Lord our God will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgment. Question 61 explains the warning attached to the commandment. God says, “for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.” (Exodus 20:7). The catechism draws out the point: men may escape human punishment, but they will not escape God’s righteous judgment. This is necessary because many violations of the third commandment are hard for men to judge. We can hear blatant blasphemy. We can sometimes identify false teaching. We can sometimes see hypocrisy. But we cannot see the heart perfectly. We cannot always know whether a prayer is sincere, whether a vow is honest, whether a preacher is seeking God’s glory or his own, whether a religious sentence is spoken in faith or manipulation. Men may miss much. God misses nothing. The sons of Eli are a sobering example. Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the Lord. (1 Samuel 2:12, ESV) Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the Lord, for the men treated the offering of the Lord with contempt. (1 Samuel 2:17, ESV) Now Eli was very old, and he kept hearing all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who were serving at the entrance to the tent of meeting. (1 Samuel 2:22, ESV) These were not outsiders attacking Israel’s worship from the outside. They were priests corrupting holy things from the inside. God’s judgment came because Eli honored his sons above the Lord by allowing them to fatten themselves on the best of the offerings: Why then do you scorn my sacrifices and my offerings that I commanded for my dwelling, and honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel?’ (1 Samuel 2:29, ESV) Later, the Lord announces judgment: And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. (1 Samuel 3:13, ESV) That is exactly the issue of the third commandment: profaning and abusing the things by which God makes Himself known. This should sober every leader in Christ’s church. Those who handle holy things must not be casual. To teach, preach, administer ordinances, lead worship, shepherd souls, or represent Christ publicly is a serious mercy. It is mercy because Christ uses weak men and ordinary means. It is serious because the Lord will not hold guiltless those who abuse His Name. “If you are not careful to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, the Lord your God, then the Lord will bring on you and your offspring extraordinary afflictions, afflictions severe and lasting, and sicknesses grievous and lasting.” (Deuteronomy 28:58-59, ESV) The point is not that every suffering is tied to a specific violation of the third commandment. The point is that God Himself guards the honor of His Name. He will not be mocked. We need this warning because human beings are easily impressed by what God hates. A man may take God’s Name in vain and become popular. A church may profane worship and grow numerically. A teacher may twist Scripture and sell books. A leader may manipulate people with religious language and gain influence. A hypocrite may fool men for years. But the Lord will not hold him guiltless. And yet, we must also hear the gospel. Who among us has perfectly honored God’s Name? Who has prayed with perfect reverence, sung with perfect sincerity, spoken of God with perfect care, used Scripture with perfect purity, and represented Christ without blemish? None of us. The third commandment exposes our need for Christ. Christ alone hallowed the Father’s Name perfectly. Christ alone spoke every word in truth. Christ alone prayed without hypocrisy, taught without error, worshiped without corruption, and bore the Name of God without vanity. Christ alone bore the guilt of His people, including our irreverence, hypocrisy, careless speech, and profaning of holy things. Therefore, the warning should not drive believers to despair. It should drive us to repentance, faith, gratitude, and careful obedience. Conclusion The third commandment teaches us that God’s Name is holy because God Himself is holy. His names, titles, attributes, ordinances, Word, and works are not common things for sinners to handle however they wish. They are holy because they reveal Him. So take this lesson with you this week in three ways: FIRST, watch your ordinary speech. Do not use God’s Name as filler, decoration, exclamation, leverage, or cover for your own desires. That includes obvious profanity, but it also includes careless religious language: * “God told me” (Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!!!) * “God wants this” * “I prayed about it” * “The Bible says” Some of this can be valid. But it is blasphemous when we are really using holy language to baptize our own opinions. Let your speech about God be truthful, careful, and reverent. SECOND, watch your religious duties. We must repent not only of obvious irreverence, but also of religious vanity: * Empty prayers * Careless songs * Sloppy doctrine * Manipulative uses of Scripture The third commandment reaches everywhere: * The sanctuary * The pulpit * The classroom * The dinner table * The prayer meeting * The heart Holy things must be handled in a holy way. THIRD, watch how you treat God’s works, especially people made in His image. We dishonor the Craftsman when we treat His image-bearers as trash. That does not mean we cannot rebuke sin, expose error, or speak plainly. Scripture does all of those things. But contempt, mockery, reviling, and demeaning speech do not fit those who hallow God’s Name. AND YET: Reverence is not the enemy of joy. Holy fear is not distance from God. The Name we must not take in vain is also the Name by which we are saved. We call upon the Lord because He has revealed Himself in mercy. We hallow His Name because Christ has brought us near. The Lord will not hold guiltless the one who takes His Name in vain. But in Christ, forgiven sinners are taught by grace to honor the Name above every name.

5. juli 202649 min

Baptist Catechism - Lesson 16 - Questions 27, 28, and 29

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