Loving Sin More Than Christ

By Pastor Benjamin Glaser - Posted at Thoughts From Parson Farms:

How a Desire to Be Sanctified Testifies to Our Justification

Good Morning,

While it may seem odd to take all three of these at once after giving so much space to justification there is a sense in which it is helpful to see the way the fruits of regeneration brought about by the application of the righteousness of Jesus Christ to the believer work themselves out in time. Each benefit aids us to better understand not only why effectually calling is effectual, but to know that those who claim Christ as their own are by necessity moved in a way that if there is no real change of mind and body it proves their confession to be one of Judas or Alexander the Coppersmith. To quote Matthew 5:14, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.”.

Part of the work of the keys of the kingdom possessed by elders in the church is to examine those seeking membership, either by transfer or by a blessedly new confession of faith. The purpose of the interview is two-fold: 1) It is to protect the flock of Christ from those who may enter in under false pretenses (see Simon Magus), and 2) to protect the individual themselves from making a vow they cannot keep (see Simon Magus). Our form of government in the ARP in Ch. 4.5 notes:

Applicants received by profession of faith into church membership shall be examined by the Session in private with regard to a knowledge of their spiritual need, their faith in Jesus Christ, and their intention to be obedient to Him.

This responsibility is a serious one. To help us to better understand what that all means we have before us today three Q/A’s: ...

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