O HAPPY DAY

Recently, the world wondered outloud about the way the United States Army regulates sexual activities. Of course, the world wants to ruin those in authority who have taken advantage of underlings, just so long as it is the heterosexuals who are being brutish about it! But, when the worldly media discovered that any adulterous escapades outside the bounds of marriage are officially frowned upon, well the media that delights in the entertainment value of such activities can only wonder why. Yet, it is well within the realm of responsibility for military forces to regulate social activities that disrupt the morale and integrity of small unit dynamics. In the US Navy, the most avid opponents to sending women to sea are the wives of the men who must now share their ships.

In the same way as these examples, there is indeed a difference between the way the world anticipates the future and the way that the Church of Jesus Christ anticipates His return. And just as the military is regulated, so in fact is the Church regulated as well. Today, we come to the end of the first part of our Shorter Catechism. These first thirty-eight questions have a purpose in mind, and that purpose is to regulate what we should believe according to the revealed sense and understanding of the Old and New Covenants. How many congregations will you find in America today who worry too much about what they should believe? Just yesterday I stopped into a local Christian book store to see about a title or two. The owner of the store told me about a new book that had been sent out by a Christian publisher. It is supposed to be a hot item in the next few months. On the back, the book was clearly labeled as "New Age" and should be posted in that area of the Christian book racks! The shop owner wondered how any Christian publisher could even consider such an outrage. Well, I'm sure that the profit motive has a lot to do with it, and then worldly knowledge and beliefs has certainly penetrated very very many churches these days.

Verses twenty-two and three in our passage tells us how we can tell the difference between those who are Christian and those who are not! And yes, there are congregations who think more of Jonathan Livingston Seagull than they do of Jesus Christ. Verse twenty-four is extremely important here in the context of this section in John's first letter. The assumption here is that we must abide in the teachings that we have heard in Christ's Church. To our Reformed mind, those teachings are several and include distinctive regulations to hold the Church accountable to God's Word and His revealed Messiah.

First, we are encouraged to hold fast to specific doctrines which as a system keep our eyes firmly on Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Second, we are encouraged to live in a manner that gives greater glory to Him who is revealed in our word and witness.

Third, we are instructed in the manner and purpose of prayer so that we may live within the providence and purpose of our God.

Fourth, we are to worship the Lord in a manner prescribed by Him and regulated by His revealed will.

Fifth, we are to organize and run His Church by means of the revealed wisdom contained in the Scriptures.

In verses eighteen to twenty-three we should understand that there are many who would lead the Church away from her appointed bridegroom, even Jesus Christ. In the section before us, verses twenty-four to twenty-seven encourage us to maintain the purity of God's truth in our midst so that we may be prepared for Christ's coming.

The last verses in this section, twenty-eight to verse three of Chapter three, admonish us to relate to our Father God as children do to parents. This means that we must all learn to live under authority to God without raising up any little gods in between us and him.

Some time ago, we lost a family who could not continue here because I was expected to speak with God's authority even while I was also expected to accept certain principles and ideas which were out of context with our confessional standards. In other words, I was expected to override the very system of government, belief and worship as if I could possibly know better than the Fathers, Doctors and brethren of Christ's Church. Certainly, every member does not have to accept every little detail of the system of faith outlined in our standards. Our elders are encouraging our Presbytery to make those candidates who take exceptions to the Standards to write papers defending their exceptions. Too many in the last few years have been allowed to take exceptions without offering a biblical defense. Yes, there have been pragmatic reasons, there have been social reasons and even reasons that might allow the church to grow faster! But, any exceptions to the biblical standards must be made upon the basis of Scripture alone. Why bother you may ask, just as the worldly ask. After all, isn't it more important that the church gains enough adherents to impact society?

I often wonder how much impact a church has when it has accepted abortion and even described that procedure as a covenant duty? O how about an exciting church that is more entertaining than a night club? Perhaps a church that is so inclusive that any sinner is welcomed into full fellowship no matter how sinful his ongoing actions really are?

I am reminded of a story told on the radio by Ben Hayden. Another pastor once counseled an alcoholic for a year and a half. The man, his wife and the pastor enjoyed their hour and a half a week immensely. Finally, the man blurted out, "this isn't doing me any good, I still go on drinking, isn't their any reason you can think of that I should stop?" The pastor was taken aback that his pop psychology methods were not working. He said pointedly: "If you don't stop, you're going to go to hell!" The man turned white and said, "Why didn't you tell me that a year ago?" That is a good enough reason to quite he thought, don't you think? This is the reason why we hold fast to the confessional standards for belief, practice, prayer, organization and worship that we do, because in all of these areas it is the responsibility of the session to point your eyes to Christ alone.

Recently I heard from a family overseas who is becoming Reformed. Where they came from, the people would sing a chorus dozens of time to enhance the hypnotic effect of worship in the spirit. We cannot do that, because we understand worship must be made in spirit and in truth. Recently I heard from another family that our confessional standards have been perverted in another place. Simply by changing a few words, the confession means something entirely different. We cannot do that, because we understand that we must believe what the Bible sets forth faithfully and accurately. I could go on and on but, it is time to get to our closing emphasis. And that is this: If you would enjoy the Lord fully for all of eternity when Christ comes again, you need to be in preparation for that great Day.

Even as He comes quickly to bring us into glory, we know and understand that in the heavenly realms we shall live as dependent creatures basking in the greater glory of the Son of God. Shouldn't we be enjoying Him in the same manner today? Look at the purification enjoined in our last verse:

"And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure."