One problem I have with credobaptism is that it doesn’t consider covenant children part of Christ’s church. Credobaptism assumes covenant children, particularly infants, do not possess the seed of faith and are not united to Christ, therefore, they are considered outside the church and part of the kingdom of Satan. Since the children cannot verbalize faith in Christ, credobaptism assumes they are outside of Christ. Is that an assumption Christian parents and churches should make considering...
Tag - church membership
How about we quickly pick up where we left off last time. Last week, we unpacked the first part of Article 28 of the Belgic Confession with points 1-10. Today we’ll continue with points 11-20. And as a reminder, these points help clarify for us what true faith and unbelief look like practically in everyday life. These points help us know what to repent from and how to obey Christ by faith. We are inclined to withdraw from the church, so we need God’s grace to help us repent, believe, and...
Your church is God’s gracious gift to you. It’s flawed, but hopefully, it bears the marks of a true church, and you’re grateful for it (BC Article 29). Why don’t you thank the Lord for your church right now? Last time I read Article 28 of the Belgic Confession. You can find the Belgic Confession at threeforms.org. Article 28 explains the necessity and blessing of belonging to a local church. I’d like to unpack the article in an affirmations and denials type of format. I’ll...
Perhaps unlike any time in history, many professing Christians today are entirely comfortable attending a local church perpetually without ever intending to belong to that body of believers. To be clear, I’m not talking about that period of time when people look for a law and gospel church, a period of time that should be as short as is prudent and should conclude with membership. I’m talking about perpetual dating without the intent to marry. I’m talking about people who attend a church...
Think about your body – bones and muscles, brain and spinal cord, heart and arteries, white blood cells and lymph nodes, and all the rest. Your body was fearfully and wonderfully made, and each part contributes to your well-being (Ps. 139:14). Think about your right big toe. Not the most glamorous part of your body, but it’s great. Your big toe bears much weight and helps maintain your balance. Walking, gymnastics, and skateboarding are thrilling in part because of big toes...
Christ’s church is a beautiful and wonderful thing. The very concept and existence of Christ’s church is hopeful and comforting. Why would I say that? How could the church’s existence give us hope and comfort? Let me explain. The covenant of works was clearly defined from the beginning: “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Gen. 2:16–17). The...
Years ago, another elder and I met with a couple in their home to talk about their church membership. They were members of our church but did not attend corporate worship with us. In fact, I don’t think they’d joined us for corporate worship in years. They were essentially strangers. When meeting with this couple, the husband seemed disinterested in our church and church in general. I don’t think he believed he needed a local church, and he didn’t show any desire to be an active part...