Reformed Christian Studies

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 elde

 By Pastor Benjamin Glaser - Posted at Thoughts From Parson Farms: Why Christ Made the Institutional Church For His Sheep Good Morning! There is probably no other doctrine which is more under attack, either directly or by apathy than what the Bible teaches about the Church. Yet, while we remain on this mortal coil there is no institution that we should more deeply care for than the universal (or as the Apostles’ Creed calls it catholic ) body of believers. The Church’s significance is immense and in today’s look at the Catechism we are going to talk about why. It’s form, purpose, and definition cannot be forsaken or forgotten by individual believers. All of it matters and hopefully when we are done today you’ll have a greater appreciation for why it does. Here’s the Q/A’s to get us going: Q. 62: What is the visible church? A. The visible church is a society made up of all such as in all ages and places of the world do profess the true religion, and of their children. Q. 63: What are th

Posted at Zwinglius Redivivus : They serve God … who by faith and obedience gather themselves into the holy assembly at specified times; who keep the ecclesiastical discipline derived out of the word of God; who hear the word of God, or the holy exposition of the sacred scriptures; who pray publicly with the church; who religiously participate in the sacraments; and observe other lawful and wholesome rites or ceremonies. By this their service they glorify God among men… Truce-breakers are they, disloyal, and infamous through their adultery, whosoever, being not knit to one God by faith, or worship him alone, or call upon him through Christ, and who do not serve him also as he himself hath said in his word he would be served.— Heinrich Bullinger Source:  https://zwingliusredivivus.wordpress.com/2018/05/10/bullinger-for-today/

Belgic Confession Article 28: The Obligations of Church Members We believe that since this holy assembly and congregation is the gathering of those who are saved and there is no salvation apart from it, no one ought to withdraw from it, content to be by himself, regardless of his status or condition. But all people are obliged to join and unite with it, keeping the unity of the church by submitting to its instruction and discipline, by bending their necks under the yoke of Jesus Christ, and by serving to build up one another, according to the gifts God has given them as members of each other in the same body. And to preserve this unity more effectively, it is the duty of all believers, according to God's Word, to separate themselves from those who do not belong to the church, in order to join this assembly wherever God has established it, even if civil authorities and royal decrees forbid and death and physical punishment result. And so, all who withdraw from the church or do no