Chapter XXV: The Gifts Given Freely to the Kirk (Church)

Although the Word of God truly preached, the sacraments rightly ministered, and discipline executed according to the Word of God, are certain and infallible signs of the true Kirk, we do not mean that every individual person in that company is a chosen member of Christ Jesus.

We acknowledge and confess that many weeds and tares are sown among the corn and grow in great abundance in its midst, and that the reprobate may be found in the fellowship of the chosen and may take an outward part with them in the benefits of the Word and sacraments. But since they only confess God for a time with their mouths and not with their hearts, they lapse, and do not continue to the end. Therefore they do not share the fruits of Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension.

But such as unfeignedly believe with the heart and boldly confess the Lord Jesus with their mouths shall certainly receive his gifts. Firstly, in this life, they shall receive remission of sins and that by faith in Christ’s blood alone; for though sin shall remain and continually abide in our mortal bodies, yet it shall not be counted against us, but be pardoned, and covered with Christ’s righteousness. Secondly, in the general judgment, there shall be given to every man and woman resurrection of the flesh. The seas shall give up her dead, and the earth those who are buried within her.

Yea, the Eternal, our God, shall stretch out his hand on the dust, and the dead shall arise incorruptible, and in the very substance of the selfsame flesh which every man now bears, to receive according to their works, glory or punishment. Such as now delight in vanity, cruelty, filthiness, superstition, or idolatry, shall be condemned to the fire unquenchable, in which those who now serve the devil in all abominations shall be tormented forever, both in body and in spirit.

But such as continue in well doing to the end, boldly confessing the Lord Jesus, shall receive glory, honor, and immortality, we constantly believe, to reign forever in life everlasting with Christ Jesus, to whose glorified body all his chosen shall be made like, when he shall appear again in judgment and shall render up the Kingdom to God his Father, who then shall be and ever shall remain, all in all things, God blessed forever. To whom, with the Son and the Holy Ghost, be all honor and glory, now and ever.  Amen.

Arise, O Lord, and let thine enemies be confounded; let them flee from thy presence that hate thy godly Name. Give thy servants strength to speak thy Word with boldness, and let all nations cleave to the true knowledge of thee. Amen.

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We come to the end.  Thursday, November 20, 2008 was the date of the first chapter of the Scots Confession.  Here, over two years later, is the 25th chapter.  I'm a little ashamed that it's taken me this long.  Of course, considering that it took me seven months to get from Chapter 1 to Chapter 2, I have to say I've picked up the pace a little--otherwise it would have taken me over 12 years!  I'll have to pray about carrying on through the rest of the Book of Confessions.

What I get from this last chapter is an overwhelming desire that God alone be seen as the judge.  It is so tempting, at times, for us to start making a list of who will be saved, but here, in the last chapter of the confession, the authors cry out that it is not for us to be judges, but should leave that task to God.

If we give up our role as judge, then we are free to be humble, to go forward grounded in faith in Christ, but also filled with humility at the fact that we do not have all the answers.  We believe in salvation through Christ alone, in the power of His saving hand, but accept that God's ways are bigger than ours, that God's love and grace is deeper than we can imagine, and that God alone knows exactly how everything plays out in the end.  We cannot say much with certainty, but we can say that we are held in the hand of God, that all of life is an offering to Him, and that He will reign this day, and forever more.

Amen!

Chapter XXIV: The Civil Magistrate

We confess and acknowledge that empires, kingdoms, dominions, and cities are appointed and ordained by God; the powers and authorities in them, emperors in empires, kings in their realms, dukes and princes in their dominions, and magistrates in cities, are ordained by God’s holy ordinance for the manifestation of his own glory and for the good and well being of all men. We hold that any men who conspire to rebel or to overturn the civil powers, as duly established, are not merely enemies to humanity but rebels against God’s will.

Further, we confess and acknowledge that such persons as are set in authority are to be loved, honored, feared, and held in the highest respect, because they are the lieutenants of God, and in their councils God himself doth sit and judge. They are the judges and princes to whom God has given the sword for the praise and defense of good men and the punishment of all open evil doers.

Moreover, we state that the preservation and purification of religion is particularly the duty of kings, princes, rulers, and magistrates. They are not only appointed for civil government but also to maintain true religion and to suppress all idolatry and superstition. This may be seen in David, Jehosaphat, Hezekiah, Josiah, and others highly commended for their zeal in that cause.

Therefore we confess and avow that those who resist the supreme powers, so long as they are acting in their own spheres, are resisting God’s ordinance and cannot be held guiltless. We further state that so long as princes and rulers vigilantly fulfill their office, anyone who denies them aid, counsel, or service, denies it to God, who by his lieutenant craves it of them.
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I suppose this is further evidence of God's sense of humor--one minute I'm lamenting the fact that I don't have much honor and respect for many politicians, the next thing I know I open up the confessions and discover that I am on the chapter regarding the respect, honor and love (love!  How many of you confess to loving your local politicians?  Be honest!) of those in power.

I've always struggled with this idea.  I understand the roots of it, and the necessity of it, at times.  But what of those despots intent on enriching themselves at the cost of the citizens--what are we to say to Mugabe, to Duvalier, etc?  What about those who instill terror in us to this day, such as Stalin and Hitler?  How are we to resist those who support laws we find unjust, such as slavery and abortion?

I suppose Jesus would tell me I am supposed to love them even though it may be easier to demonize them.  I imagine Jesus would say that I am supposed to enter into dialogue, to explain my stance and pray for the Spirit's guidance.  I suppose Jesus would tell me that I am still to have honor and respect, even while I work and pray for change.  Considering that my Lord and Savior told me to love my enemies, I doubt he would let me off the hook simply because I deem their political maneuverings or opinions to be reproachable. 

I often fall into the trap of believing that love is a feeling--something warm and fuzzy for the heart.  Love is a command, an action verb, and I am to love myself, my neighbors, my enemies--every single one of God's precious children.  Even when they make it hard for me to do so.

CHAPTER XXIII To Whom Sacraments Appertain

CHAPTER XXIII

To Whom Sacraments Appertain

We hold that baptism applies as much to the children of the faithful as to those who are of age and discretion, and so we condemn the error of the Anabaptists, who deny that children should be baptized before they have faith and understanding. But we hold that the Supper of the Lord is only for those who are of the household of faith and can try and examine themselves both in their faith and their duty to their neighbors. Those who eat and drink at that holy table without faith, or without peace and goodwill to their brethren, eat unworthily. This is the reason why ministers in our Kirk make public and individual examination of those who are to be admitted to the table of the Lord Jesus.

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I've had the infant baptism discussion many a time, and I will freely confess that I still wrestle with it.  I love the idea of our identity in Christ being rooted from the time we are young.  I appreciate the theology that we recognize that God claims us long before we ever discover the wisdom to seek to live out our gratitude with every fiber of our being.  I love the depth of the acknowledgment that we are a part of a community, and in baptism the entire community of faith makes a promise to help raise the infant in the church, as a Christian.

I just want control.

I want to be able to say that it was my decision, that it was my wisdom that led me to my decision to be saved through my baptism.  I want the first word, cutting God off before God gets a word in edgewise.  It's hard to depend on someone else's wisdom, even when that someone is God.  I still want to live by my rules.

I think that's the heart of my opposition to infant baptism.  Others make well-reasoned cases that I respect and acknowledge.  They have great theology and simply do not believe that anyone should be baptized without their consent.  Often, I find myself swayed by their arguments.

But in my own case, I think it is a matter of control--I find it so hard to accept that God's love is unconditional, because I see the depth of my own sin.  I wonder how it is that God can freely choose to love me, even knowing all the sins I have committed and will continue to commit.  I am trying to dredge up all the sins that God has cast deep into the ocean, and I guess I want God to try and win God's love, even though I can't, even though God loves me more than I will ever understand.  For some reason, God's free gift of abundant grace just doesn't seem to make sense to me, so I wrestle with it.

Chapter XXII: The Right Administration of the Sacraments

The Right Administration of the Sacraments  (Only two chapters left!)

Two things are necessary for the right administration of the sacraments. The first is that they should be ministered by lawful ministers, and we declare that these are men appointed to preach the Word, unto whom God has given the power to preach the gospel, and who are lawfully called by some Kirk. The second is that they should be ministered in the elements and manner which God has appointed. Otherwise they cease to be the sacraments of Christ Jesus.

This is why we abandon the teaching of the Roman Church and withdraw from its sacraments; firstly, because their ministers are not true ministers of Christ Jesus (indeed they even allow women, whom the Holy Ghost will not permit to preach in the congregation to baptize) and, secondly, because they have so adulterated both the sacraments with their own additions that no part of Christ’s original act remains in its original simplicity. The addition of oil, salt, spittle, and such like in baptism, are merely human additions. To adore or venerate the sacrament, to carry it through streets and towns in procession, or to reserve it in a special case, is not the proper use of Christ’s sacrament but an abuse of it.

Christ Jesus said, “Take ye, eat ye,” and “Do this in remembrance of Me.” By these words and commands he sanctified bread and wine to be the sacrament of his holy body and blood, so that the one should be eaten and that all should drink of the other, and not that they should be reserved for worship or honored as God, as the Romanists do.

Further, in withdrawing one part of the sacrament—the blessed cup—from the people, they have committed sacrilege. Moreover, if the sacraments are to be rightly used it is essential that the end and purpose of their institution should be understood, not only by the minister but by the recipients. For if the recipient does not understand what is being done, the sacrament is not being rightly used, as is seen in the case of the Old Testament sacrifices.

Similarly, if the teacher teaches false doctrine which is hateful to God, even though the sacraments are his own ordinance, they are not rightly used, since wicked men have used them for another end than what God commanded. We affirm this has been done to the sacraments in the Roman Church, for there the whole action of the Lord Jesus is adulterated in form, purpose, and meaning. What Christ Jesus did, and commanded to be done, is evident from the Gospels and from St. Paul; what the priest does at the altar we do not need to tell.

The end and purpose of Christ’s institution, for which it should be used, is set forth in the words, “Do this in remembrance of Me,” and “For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye do show”—that is, extol, preach, magnify, and praise—“the Lord’s death, till He come.” But let the words of the mass, and their own doctors and teachings witness, what is the purpose and meaning of the mass; it is that, as mediators between Christ and his Kirk, they should offer to God the Father, a sacrifice in propitiation for the sins of the living and of the dead. This doctrine is blasphemous to Christ Jesus and would deprive his unique sacrifice, once offered on the cross for the cleansing of all who are to be sanctified, of its sufficiency; so we detest and renounce it.
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Well, at least you don't have to worry about not knowing how they feel!  It's interesting to read this--on one hand, I strongly disagree with their statement against women, but I love the criticism of the church for not teaching the meaning of the sacrament.  If we can't communicate the truth of the sacrament, then we are failing in our duties.  We, as ministers, are called to educate, to equip, and to empower the people of God--not merely entertain and amuse.  I think that the church today is often just as guilty of this as the church then was--we are so worried about how things look, about how smoothly they flow, that we can be afraid to stop and ensure that everyone knows exactly what we're doing.  May we take this responsibility seriously, that the sacraments are so important that we educate those receiving them, that we may not try and stand in the way of the Holy Spirit and God's transforming power.

Chapter XXI: The Sacraments

CHAPTER XXI

The Sacraments

As the fathers under the Law, besides the reality of the sacrifices, had two chief sacraments, that is, circumcision and the passover, and those who rejected these were not reckoned among God’s people; so do we acknowledge and confess that now in the time of the gospel we have two chief sacraments, which alone were instituted by the Lord Jesus and commanded to be used by all who will be counted members of his body, that is, Baptism and the Supper or Table of the Lord Jesus, also called the Communion of His Body and Blood. These sacraments, both of the Old Testament and of the New, were instituted by God not only to make a visible distinction between his people and those who were without the Covenant, but also to exercise the faith of his children and, by participation of these sacraments, to seal in their hearts the assurance of his promise, and of that most blessed conjunction, union, and society, which the chosen have with their Head, Christ Jesus.

And so we utterly condemn the vanity of those who affirm the sacraments to be nothing else than naked and bare signs. No, we assuredly believe that by Baptism we are engrafted into Christ Jesus, to be made partakers of his righteousness, by which our sins are covered and remitted, and also that in the Supper rightly used, Christ Jesus is so joined with us that he becomes the very nourishment and food of our souls. Not that we imagine any transubstantiation of bread into Christ’s body, and of wine into his natural blood, as the Romanists have perniciously taught and wrongly believed; but this union and conjunction which we have with the body and blood of Christ Jesus in the right use of the sacraments is wrought by means of the Holy Ghost, who by true faith carries us above all things that are visible, carnal, and earthly, and makes us feed upon the body and blood of Christ Jesus, once broken and shed for us but now in heaven, and appearing for us in the presence of his Father. Notwithstanding the distance between his glorified body in heaven and mortal men on earth, yet we must assuredly believe that the bread which we break is the communion of Christ’s body and the cup which we bless the communion of his blood. 

Thus we confess and believe without doubt that the faithful, in the right use of the Lord’s Table, do so eat the body and drink the blood of the Lord Jesus that he remains in them and they in him; they are so made flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone that as the eternal Godhood has given to the flesh of Christ Jesus, which by nature was corruptible and mortal, life and immortality, so the eating and drinking of the flesh and blood of Christ Jesus does the like for us. We grant that this is neither given to us merely at the time nor by the power and virtue of the sacrament alone, but we affirm that the faithful, in the right use of the Lord’s Table, have such union with Christ Jesus as the natural man cannot apprehend.

Further we affirm that although the faithful, hindered by negligence and human weakness, do not profit as much as they ought in the actual moment of the Supper, yet afterwards it shall bring forth fruit, being living seed sown in good ground; for the Holy Spirit, who can never be separated from the right institution of the Lord Jesus, will not deprive the faithful of the fruit of that mystical action.

Yet all this, we say again, comes of that true faith which apprehends Christ Jesus, who alone makes the sacrament effective in us. Therefore, if anyone slanders us by saying that we affirm or believe the sacraments to be symbols and nothing more, they are libelous and speak against the plain facts.  On the other hand we readily admit that we make a distinction between Christ Jesus in his eternal substance and the elements of the  sacramental signs. So we neither worship the elements, in place of that which they signify, nor yet do we despise them or undervalue them, but we use them with great reverence, examining ourselves diligently before we participate, since we are assured by the mouth of the apostle that “whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.”

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 May we trust in the Holy Spirit, that the Spirit may come and dwell with us, in us, and guide us as we try and live out the mysteries of our faith.  Our feeble minds cannot understand all that God sees, yet with faith we come forward and are joined with Christ through the sacraments, the 'visible signs of invisible grace.'  They are not magic, yet they should stir up some deep emotions, deep gratitude, within us, that afterward we go forth into the world as a people filled with passion for Christ.  It is never easy to step aside and let the Holy Spirit work, yet it is my prayer that, as I continue to come before Christ as an unworthy sinner, His grace will fill me and send me out to testify to the goodness and grace of Christ.

The Scots Confession, Chapter XX

CHAPTER XX
General Councils, Their Power, Authority, and the Cause of Their Summoning

As we do not rashly condemn what good men, assembled together in general councils lawfully gathered, have set before us; so we do not receive uncritically whatever has been declared to men under the name of the general councils, for it is plain that, being human, some of them have manifestly erred, and that in matters of great weight and importance. So far then as the council confirms its decrees by the plain Word of God, so far do we reverence and embrace them. But if men, under the name of a council, pretend to forge for us new articles of faith, or to make decisions contrary to the Word of God, then we must utterly deny them as the doctrine of devils, drawing our souls from the voice of the one God to follow the doctrines and teachings of men.

The reason why the general councils met was not to make any permanent law which God had not made before, nor yet to form new articles for our belief, nor to give the Word of God authority; much less to make that to be his Word, or even the true interpretation of it, which was not expressed previously by his holy will in his Word; but the reason for councils, at least of those that deserve that name, was partly to refute heresies, and to give public confession of their faith to the generations following, which they did by the authority of God’s written Word, and not by any opinion or prerogative that they could not err by reason of their numbers. This, we judge, was the primary reason for general councils. The second was that good policy and order should be constituted and observed in the Kirk where, as in the house of God, it becomes all things to be done decently and in order. Not that we think any policy or order of ceremonies can be appointed for all ages, times, and places; for as ceremonies which men have devised are but temporal, so they may, and ought to be, changed, when they foster superstition rather than edify the Kirk.
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In other words, we all have the freedom to read and interpret Scripture. We stand together and do so in community, but the general council, or whatever governing body exists, is not infallible and cannot run afoul of Scripture and roughshod over anyone who opposes them. We have the freedom, and I would say the responsibility, to hold them accountable to the living Word of God. When they err, may we point this out, in humility and compassion, and be willing to be open and vulnerable, hoping that our common wisdom might guide us, as we are all willing to be led by the Spirit of God.

I've spoken about this before, but our political dialogue scares me right now--we are so concerned with being right, with winning the arguments, that we aren't listening to each other. I'm worried that this attitude will transfer itself to everyday life, to the church, where signs of it already exist. Are we willing to be humble, to see where we might be wrong, to be corrected by our brothers and sisters, by the Word of God? Or are we so convinced that we're right that we won't bother to listen to other voices?

May we be humble and faithful to the Word of God.

The Scots Confession, Chapter XIX

The Authority of the Scriptures

As we believe and confess the Scriptures of God sufficient to instruct and make perfect the man of God, so do we affirm and avow their authority to be from God, and not to depend on men or angels. We affirm, therefore, that those who say the Scriptures have no other authority save that which they have received from the Kirk are blasphemous against God and injurious to the true Kirk, which always hears and obeys the voice of her own Spouse and Pastor, but takes not upon her to be mistress over the same.
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  How tempting it is to try and control Scripture!  How alluring it might be to be able to claim authority over the Scriptures, to aver that we have complete authority over how the Scriptures must be interpreted!

  One of my favorite aspects of the Presbyterian church is that we each have the ability to interpret Scripture, because it is inspired by God and no one has control over Scripture.  I can say what I believe it to mean, but others within the church can claim that it means something else, in which we must both enter into dialogue with humility, recognizing the gifts and abilities of each other.  We do not elevate the pastor above the others; instead we acknowledge our common humility before God!

  It's what makes Bible study so much fun for me--I love to lead the discussion, but it is a treat to hear how others read the Scriptures, how they hear the words and what they mean to them--for so often it means something different to another than it does to me, and in the discussion my horizon is broadened, and I see and understand in a new light.  The Holy Spirit works through us all, as long as we are willing to do the hard work of study, as long as we are willing to be led by God.

The Scots Confession, Chapter XVIII

CHAPTER XVIII

The Notes by Which the True Kirk Shall Be Determined from the False, and Who Shall Be Judge of Doctrine

Since Satan has labored from the beginning to adorn his pestilent synagogue with the title of the Kirk of God, and has incited cruel murderers to persecute, trouble, and molest the true Kirk and its members, as Cain did to Abel, Ishmael to Isaac, Esau to Jacob, and the whole priesthood of the Jews to Christ Jesus himself and his apostles after him.

So it is essential that the true Kirk be distinguished from the filthy synagogues by clear and perfect notes lest we, being deceived, receive and embrace, to our own condemnation, the one for the other. 

The notes, signs, and assured tokens whereby the spotless bride of Christ is known from the horrible harlot, the false Kirk, we state, are neither antiquity, usurped title, lineal succession, appointed place, nor the numbers of men approving an error. For Cain was before Abel and Seth in age and title; Jerusalem had precedence above all other parts of the earth, for in it were priests lineally descended from Aaron, and greater numbers followed the scribes, pharisees, and priests, than unfeignedly believed and followed Christ Jesus and his doctrine . . . and yet no man of judgment, we suppose, will hold that any of the forenamed were the Kirk of God.

The notes of the true Kirk, therefore, we believe, confess, and avow to be:

(1) first, the true preaching of the Word of God, in which God has revealed himself to us, as the writings of the prophets and apostles declare;

(2) secondly, the right administration of the sacraments of Christ Jesus, with which must be associated the Word and promise of God to seal and confirm them in our hearts;

(3) and lastly, ecclesiastical discipline uprightly ministered, as God’s Word prescribes, whereby vice is repressed and virtue nourished.

Then wherever these notes are seen and continue for any time, be the number complete or not, there, beyond any doubt, is the true Kirk of Christ, who, according to his promise, is in its midst. This is not that universal Kirk of which we have spoken before, but particular Kirks, such as were in Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, and other places where the ministry was planted by Paul and which he himself called Kirks of God. Such Kirks, we the inhabitants of the realm of Scotland confessing Christ Jesus, do claim to have in our cities, towns, and reformed districts because of the doctrine taught in our Kirks, contained in the written Word of God, that is, the Old and New Testaments, in those books which were originally reckoned canonical. We affirm that in these all things necessary to be believed for the salvation of man are sufficiently expressed.

The interpretation of Scripture, we confess, does not belong to any private or public person, nor yet to any Kirk for  pre-eminence or precedence, personal or local, which it has above others, but pertains to the Spirit of God by whom the Scriptures were written. When controversy arises about the right understanding of any passage or sentence of Scripture, or for the reformation of any abuse within the Kirk of God, we ought not so much to ask what men have said or done before us, as what the Holy Ghost uniformly speaks within the body of the Scriptures and what Christ Jesus himself did and commanded. For it is agreed by all that the Spirit of God, who is the Spirit of unity, cannot contradict himself. So if the interpretation or opinion of any theologian, Kirk, or council, is contrary to the plain Word of God written in any other passage of the Scripture, it is most certain that this is not the true understanding and meaning of the Holy Ghost, although councils, realms, and nations have approved and received it. We dare not receive or admit any interpretation which is contrary to any principal point of our faith, or to any other plain text of Scripture, or to the rule of love.

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  The debate here is how we tell the true church from one that is not faithful to Christ.  The authors of the Scots Confession argue that it has three attributes:  faithful preaching from the Word, administration of the sacraments, and church discipline rightly administered.

  But how to tell if these things are truly happening?

  It takes time.  We'd like to have a label on the outside of the church, telling us if these things are truly happening.  But instead, we have to dig in, to discover if the Word is truly driving the church, if the sacraments are helping the people fall in love with God all over again, if we are being accountable to one another.  And it takes discipline on each individual's part to commit to reading the Word and seeking the will of the Holy Spirit, for how is one to discover what is or is not present at a church if one isn't seeking to have God present in one's own life?  How easy it is to let others do the work for us...

  How hard it is to accept the challenge of discipleship and accept Christ's Lordship over ALL aspects of life.  The church struggles with this as well, and we grow comfortable, allowing our life together to be driven by comfort, or laziness, rather than the hard call of discipleship.  May those within the church be faithful to Christ in all areas, and may we form a community that invites others into the life-giving relationship that can be found only in Christ.

The Scots Confession, Chapter XVII

The Immortality of Souls

The chosen departed are in peace, and rest from their labors; not that they sleep and are lost in oblivion as some fanatics hold, for they are delivered from all fear and torment, and all the temptations to which we and all God’s chosen are subject in this life, and because of which we are called the Kirk Militant. On the other hand, the reprobate and unfaithful departed have anguish, torment, and pain which cannot be expressed.  Neither the one nor the other is in such sleep that they feel no joy or torment, as is testified by Christ’s parable in St. Luke XVI, his words to the thief, and the words of the souls crying under the altar, “O Lord, thou that art righteous and just, how long shalt thou not revenge our blood upon those that dwell in the earth?”

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  The proof of our faith in this comes only at death, when we pass through that shadow to discover the truth of the life in God that Christ has assured of us.  We are baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and due to grace, and grace alone, we have hope beyond death.

  This section brings up all sorts of questions--Do people go to hell?  What kind of life exists after death?  What kind of resurrected bodies do we have?  I don't have specific answers to these questions.  I do believe that hell is real and that people go there of their own desire to exist without God.  I do not believe there are streets paved with literal gold; I believe the glory of God makes gold look pale and cheap in comparison.  I believe life without God is miserable, and that all of our attempts to fill it up with idols is vain and empty.  But I don't know most of the answers to life after death.

  What I do know is that the Lord is righteous and just, and that through the grace of God that righteousness is imputed upon us.  Through the mercy of Christ on the cross, I have the promise of eternal life with God.  I don't know what this will look like.  I don't know what it will feel like.  I don't know what I will look like.  But I have faith that I will bow low before the throne of God, and for all of eternity will cry out, "Worthy is the Lamb!"

The Scots Confession, Chapter XVI

THE KIRK

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(Before we begin, by Kirk, they mean Church)

As we believe in one God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, so we firmly believe that from the beginning there has been, now is, and to the end of the world shall be, one Kirk, that is to say, one company and multitude of men chosen by God, who rightly worship and embrace him by true faith in Christ Jesus, who is the only Head of the Kirk, even as it is the body and spouse of Christ Jesus.

This Kirk is catholic, that is, universal, because it contains the chosen of all ages, of all realms, nations, and tongues, be they of the Jews or be they of the Gentiles, who have communion and society with God the Father, and with his Son, Christ Jesus, through the sanctification of his Holy Spirit. It is therefore called the communion, not of profane persons, but of saints, who, as citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem, have the fruit of inestimable benefits, one God, one Lord Jesus, one faith, and one baptism.

Out of this Kirk there is neither life nor eternal felicity. Therefore we utterly abhor the blasphemy of those who hold that men who live according to equity and justice shall be saved, no matter what religion they profess. For since there is neither life nor salvation without Christ Jesus; so shall none have part therein but those whom the Father has given unto his Son Christ Jesus, and those who in time come to him, avow his doctrine, and believe in him. (We include the children with the believing parents.)

This Kirk is invisible, known only to God, who alone knows whom he has chosen, and includes both the chosen who are departed, the Kirk triumphant, those who yet live and fight against sin and Satan, and those who shall live hereafter.

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I love the church. I love the way we gather to worship, the way we hurt for each other, the way we celebrate with each other. May faith in Christ is strengthened because of the interactions I have with my fellow Christians--I see their faith and examine my own. I see their joy and share in it. I hear their prayers and am strengthened by them.

I couldn't be a Christian living on my own in the desert--I need the interactions and the faith of others to be in community. I believe that God designed us to be together (From the very beginning in Genesis it has said that it is not good for us to be alone) and that in the church we live that.

Being in the community takes work. It requires sacrifice and it requires devotion. I believe the rewards we reap are worth every ounce of the sacrifice, but that doesn't mean it is easy. But just like with every family and every other form of community, when we work together it can be so beautiful, and I believe that is worth all the hard work, the sweat and the tears, because it is so joyous to rejoice together!

The Scots Confession, Chapter XV

The Scots Confession, Chapter XIV

The Perfection of the Law and the
Imperfection of Man

We confess and acknowledge that the law of God is most just, equal, holy, and perfect, commanding those things which, when perfectly done, can give life and bring man to eternal felicity; but our nature is so corrupt, weak, and imperfect, that we are never able perfectly to fulfill the works of the law.

Even after we are reborn, if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth of God is not in us. It is therefore essential for us to lay hold on Christ Jesus, in his righteousness and his atonement, since he is the end and consummation of the Law and since it is by him that we are set at liberty so that the curse of God may not fall upon us, even though we do not fulfill the Law in all points. For as God the Father beholds us in the body of his Son Christ Jesus, he accepts our imperfect obedience as if it were perfect, and covers our works, which are defiled with many stains, with the righteousness of his Son.

We do not mean that we are so set at liberty that we owe no obedience to the Law— for we have already acknowledged its place—but we affirm that no man on earth, with the sole exception of Christ Jesus, has given, gives, or shall give in action that obedience to the Law which the Law requires. When we have done all things we must fall down and unfeignedly confess that we are unprofitable servants. Therefore, whoever boasts of the merits of his own works or puts his trust in works of supererogation, boasts of what does not exist, and puts his trust in damnable idolatry.

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This fits perfectly with what we've been talking about on Wednesday night with our Romans Bible study. How are we saved? What do we contribute to our salvation? What must we do?

Here in the confession we find the answer--we must accept the grace of Christ. There aren't actions that must be followed, steps that we take in order to attain salvation. No, we accept Christ's love and acknowledge that it transforms us, even in the midst of our sin. We are sinful and broken, but Christ and his amazing sacrifice for our sins has redeemed us. The only way we are to approach Christ is with humility, recognizing our ability to sin and his forgiveness, offered freely to us through faith. It is hard to accept his grace and our own powerlessness, but that is the way that we have--dropping our own yoke and taking on Christ's, which has been prepared for us. Thanks be to God for grace and love beyond what we can imagine!

The Scots Confession, Chapter XIV

The Scots Confession, Chapter XIV

The Works Which Are Counted Good Before God

We confess and acknowledge that God has given to man his holy law, in which not only all such works as displease and offend his godly majesty are forbidden, but also those which please him and which he has promised to reward are commanded. These works are of two kinds. The one is done to the honor of God, the other to the profit of our neighbor, and both have the revealed will of God as their assurance. To have one God, to worship and honor him, to call upon him in all our troubles, to reverence his holy Name, to hear his Word and to believe it, and to share in his holy sacraments, belong to the first kind. To honor father, mother, princes, rulers, and superior powers; to love them, to support them, to obey their orders if they are not contrary to the commands of God, to save the lives of the innocent, to repress tyranny, to defend the oppressed, to keep our bodies clean and holy, to live in soberness and temperance, to deal justly with all men in word and deed, and, finally, to repress any desire to harm our neighbor, are the good works of the second kind, and these are most pleasing and acceptable to God as he has commanded them himself.

Acts to the contrary are sins, which always displease him and provoke him to anger, such as, not to call upon him alone when we have need, not to hear his Word with reverence, but to condemn and despise it, to have or worship idols, to maintain and defend idolatry, lightly to esteem the reverend name of God, to profane, abuse, or condemn the sacraments of Christ Jesus, to disobey or resist any whom God has placed in authority, so long as they do not exceed the bounds of their office, to murder, or to consent thereto, to bear hatred, or to let innocent blood be shed if we can prevent it.

In conclusion, we confess and affirm that the breach of any other commandment of the first or second kind is sin, by which God’s anger and displeasure are kindled against the proud, unthankful world. So that we affirm good works to be those alone which are done in faith and at the command of God who, in his law, has set forth the things that please him. We affirm that evil works are not only those expressly done against God’s command, but also, in religious matters and the worship of God, those things which have no other warrant than the invention and opinion of man. From the beginning God has rejected such, as we learn from the words of the prophet Isaiah and of our master, Christ Jesus, “In vain do they worship Me, teaching the doctrines and commandments of men.”

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I believe it's important to notice that in the section above, sin is defined not only as things we do but also as those things we fail to do, such as turn to God alone when we are in need. Sin is every instance in which we fail to rely upon and worship God alone. It is so easy for me to label and notice those things in my life which are definitely sin, but it can be so difficult to notice the sins of omission I commit, the times when idols stealthily replace the worship of God.

And so I begin again in grace, hoping that my feet might not find the edges of the path, trying to humbly walk in the light of Christ, moving forward on the paths of Truth and righteousness. Trying to love God, trying to love neighbor, always serving both before self. It is so easy to say, yet so hard to walk. As Paul says at the end of 1 Corinthians 12: But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.

In God, there is always more. The depth of his love and the wideness of his mercy exceeds our capacity to test them. We live in the richness of eternal love. How great is our God!?!?

The Scots Confession, Chapter XIII

The Cause of Good Works

The cause of good works, we confess, is not our free will, but the Spirit of the Lord Jesus, who dwells in our hearts by true faith, brings forth such works as God has prepared for us to walk in. For we most boldly affirm that it is blasphemy to say that Christ abides in the hearts of those in
whom is no spirit of sanctification. Therefore we do not hesitate to affirm that murderers, oppressors, cruel persecuters, adulterers, filthy persons, idolaters, drunkards, thieves, and all workers of iniquity, have neither true faith nor anything of the Spirit of the Lord Jesus, so long as they obstinately continue in wickedness.

For as soon as the Spirit of the Lord Jesus, whom God’s chosen children receive by true faith, takes possession of the heart of any man, so soon does he regenerate and renew him, so that he begins to hate what before he loved, and to love what he hated before. Thence comes that continual battle which is between the flesh and the Spirit in God’s children, while the flesh and the natural man, being corrupt, lust for things pleasant and delightful to themselves, are envious in adversity and proud in prosperity, and every moment prone and ready to offend the majesty of God.

But the Spirit of God, who bears witness to our spirit that we are the sons of God, makes us resist filthy pleasures and groan in God’s presence for deliverance from this bondage of corruption, and finally to triumph over sin so that it does not reign in our mortal bodies. Other men do not share this conflict since they do not have God’s Spirit, but they readily follow and obey sin and feel no regrets, since they act as the devil and their corrupt nature urge.

But the sons of God fight against sin; sob and mourn when they find themselves tempted to do evil; and, if they fall, rise again with earnest and unfeigned repentance. They do these things, not by their own power, but by the power of the Lord Jesus, apart from whom they can do nothing.

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My initial reaction is disdain for this selection. Surely I can choose to do good, right? Surely there is some part of my will that is not so stained with sin that I am constantly falling, constantly failing to do what the Lord wills. Right?

Then I come to the realization that I simply cannot choose what is right on my own. I look back on the history of wrecks caused by my poor decisions and recognize that sin, be it pride, greed or some other failing, indeed stains my decisions. I am not proud of it, but it is part of who I am.

I believe it is important to recognize this reality. Without the realization that sin is a part of everything, there isn't an accompanying need for grace. If we can choose to live correctly, what need is there for a Savior?

But we are stained by sin, and thus in desperate need of a Savior, Jesus Christ. Christ comes to save, to liberate, to illuminate. Christ sends his Spirit to strengthen us, to encourage us to fight the fight, to struggle onward, to choose the Spirit over the flesh. Christ does not remove temptation or sin from our lives, but rather promises a better way, a higher way, an eternal way. Christ promises true life, and the Spirit moves within us, imploring us to fight on.

The Scots Confession, Chapter XII

Chapter XII

Faith in the Holy Ghost

Our faith and its assurance do not proceed from flesh and blood, that is to say, from natural powers within us, but are the inspiration of the Holy Ghost; whom we confess to be God, equal with the Father and with his Son, who sanctifies us, and brings us into all truth by his own working, without whom we should remain forever enemies to God and ignorant of his Son, Christ Jesus. For by nature we are so dead, blind, and perverse, that neither can we feel when we are pricked, see the light when it shines, nor assent to the will of God when it is revealed, unless the Spirit of the Lord Jesus quicken that which is dead, remove the darkness from our minds, and bow our stubborn hearts to the obedience of his blessed will. And so, as we confess that God the Father created us when we were not, as his Son our Lord Jesus redeemed us when we were enemies to him, so also do we confess that the Holy Ghost does sanctify and regenerate us, without respect to any merit proceeding from us, be it before or be it after our regeneration. To put this even more plainly; as we willingly disclaim any honor and glory for our own creation and redemption, so do we willingly also for our regeneration and sanctification; for by ourselves we are not capable of thinking one good thought, but he who has begun the work in us alone continues us in it, to the praise and glory of his undeserved grace.

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Sin. It's not pretty, and we have covered ourselves in it. Our efforts are stained by it. Thanks be to God for grace and mercy. Thanks be to God for the Holy Spirit, which works in our hearts and awakens us to recognize not only our own sin but also the grace of God. We cannot save ourselves, but the Holy Spirit working through us can open our eyes to the salvation we have in Christ.

I want so badly to be able to take credit for salvation. I want to be able to say that it is my one pure thought, my one good deed, that enables me to serve my Lord and God. But it simply isn't. I am such a cauldron of greed and pride that if it were left to me, I would still be vainly clawing at the walls of the pit of death that Christ destroyed so many years ago. Thankfully the Holy Spirit is at work within me, opening my eyes to recognize the wonder of God, opening my heart to receive the work of Christ, opening my life to be a conduit so that God might work through me to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ, my Lord and my God.

The Scots Confession, Chapter XI

CHAPTER XI

The Ascension

We do not doubt but that the selfsame body which was born of the virgin, was crucified, dead, and buried, and which did rise again, did ascend into the heavens, for the accomplishment of all things, where in our name and for our comfort he has received all power in heaven and earth, where he sits at the right hand of the Father, having received his kingdom, the only advocate and mediator for us. Which glory, honor, and prerogative, he alone amongst the brethren shall possess till all his enemies are made his footstool, as we undoubtedly believe they shall be in the Last Judgment.

We believe that the same Lord Jesus shall visibly return for this Last Judgment as he was seen to ascend. And then, we firmly believe, the time of refreshing and restitution of all things shall come, so that those who from the beginning have suffered violence, injury, and wrong, for righteousness’ sake, shall inherit that blessed immortality promised them from the beginning. But, on the other hand, the stubborn, disobedient, cruel persecutors, filthy persons, idolators, and all sorts of the unbelieving, shall be cast into the dungeon of utter darkness, where their worm shall not die, nor their fire be quenched.

The remembrance of that day, and of the Judgment to be executed in it, is not only a bridle by which our carnal lusts are restrained but also such inestimable comfort that neither the threatening of worldly princes, nor the fear of present danger or of temporal death, may move us to renounce and forsake that blessed society which we, the members, have with our Head and only Mediator, Christ Jesus: whom we confess and avow to be the promised Messiah, the only Head of his Kirk, our just Lawgiver, our only High Priest, Advocate, and Mediator. To which honors and offices, if man or angel presume to intrude themselves, we utterly detest and abhor them, as blasphemous to our sovereign and supreme Governor, Christ Jesus.

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It fascinates me that the ascension and judgment are so closely tied in this text. It would have been far easier for this section of the confession to simply end after the first paragraph, but instead the authors wanted a theological statement to be made about what is to come based on what has been.

Isn't that who we are, as Christians? Aren't we always looking forward based on what has come before? We trust in God because we know that God is reliable. God has a great track record! We know that God will be faithful to God's promises, so we look forward to the day when those promises will be fulfilled.

Comfort, the confession says, should be found in the ascension. It says that we should take great comfort in knowing that the God who ascended to heaven will descend one day, and the very thought of that should give us great comfort in the face of every mortal danger. We have nothing to fear because we have a God in heaven who loves us.

That should change the way we live. Does it?

The Scots Confession, Chapter X

Chapter X

The Resurrection

We undoubtedly believe, since it was impossible that the sorrows of death should retain in bondage the Author of life, that our Lord Jesus crucified, dead, and buried, who descended into hell, did rise again for our justification, and the destruction of him who was the author of death, and brought life again to us who were subject to death and its bondage. We know that his resurrection was confirmed by the testimony of his enemies, and by the resurrection of the dead, whose sepulchres did open, and they did rise and appear to many within the city of Jerusalem. It was also confirmed by the testimony of his angels, and by the senses and judgment of his apostles and of others, who had conversation, and did eat and drink with him after his resurrection.

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It fits that I'm preaching the resurrection this coming Sunday, which also happens to be All Saints' Day. You'd think I planned it that way...

In the resurrection we find our life and our hope. Without it, and the conquering of death, there would be no hope, only a tomb waiting to swallow us.

However, because of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, the Author of Life, we have hope. Love that sacrifices itself on a cross is powerful beyond words; love and power that defeats death so that we might have life is beyond our understanding. God had been trying to help us understand His gracious will for centuries; in Jesus Christ we see His power revealed among us in the most jaw-dropping way. It was indeed witnessed to by many, and we are left in awe of what God has done.

What of our doubts? How do we understand this? How do we grasp such an action?

I'm not sure we truly can. I think we have to leap forward in faith, trusting in God. "I believe, help my unbelief" was the father's cry in Mark. I, too, often utter that statement, unsure of how to grasp such a strange and wondrous event. It is through faith, not knowledge or certainty or any other thing, we are saved and transformed. Through faith we recognize the resurrection as an event we join with in our baptisms, as Christ defeats death for all who believe. Thanks be to God!

The Scots Confession, Chapter IX

The Scots Confession, Chapter IX

Christ’s Death, Passion, and Burial

That our Lord Jesus offered himself a voluntary sacrifice unto his Father for us, that he suffered contradiction of sinners, that he was wounded and plagued for our transgressions, that he, the clean innocent Lamb of God, was condemned in the presence of an earthly judge, that we should be absolved before the judgment seat of our God; that he suffered not only the cruel death of the cross, which was accursed by the sentence of God; but also that he suffered for a season the wrath of his Father which sinners had deserved. But yet we avow that he remained the only, well beloved, and blessed Son of his Father even in the midst of his anguish and torment which he suffered in body and soul to make full atonement for the sins of his people. From this we confess and avow that there remains no other sacrifice for sin; if any affirm so, we do not hesitate to say that they are blasphemers against Christ’s death and the everlasting atonement thereby purchased for us.

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"But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

Sin. It is a dark, ugly stain upon us and our efforts. It is a part of everything we do. It is a powerful thing, one capable of binding us and restraining us from ever breaking free.

Thanks be to God for Jesus Christ. Despite our sin and our turning from God, God saw fit to send us a Savior who died for us. This was the only way sin could be broken; we could never have done it on our own, and the bonds of sin would still hold us today were it not for Christ. We can never achieve what Christ did upon the cross: our forgiveness. Thousands of years ago a man hung upon a cross, held there not by nails forged by human hands but rather by the love of a God unwilling to let us go. Jesus Christ died and descended into hell for the sake of humanity.

Now that we have a Savior who died for us, are we willing to live for Him?

The Scots Confession, Chapter VIII

The Scots Confession

Chapter VIII

Election

That same eternal God and Father, who by grace alone chose us in his Son Christ Jesus before the foundation of the world was laid, appointed him to be our head, our brother, our pastor, and the great bishop of our souls. But since the opposition between the justice of God and our sins was such that no flesh by itself could or might have attained unto God, it behooved the Son of God to descend unto us and take himself a body of our body, flesh of our flesh, and bone of our bone, and so become the Mediator between God and man, giving power to as many as believe in him to be the sons of God; as he himself says, “I ascend to my Father and to your Father, to my God and to your God.”

By this most holy brotherhood whatever we have lost in Adam is restored to us again. Therefore we are not afraid to call God our Father, not so much because he has created us,which we have in common with the reprobate, as because he has given unto us his only Son to be our brother, and given us grace to acknowledge and embrace him as our only Mediator.

Further, it behooved the Messiah and Redeemer to be true God and true man, because he was able to undergo the punishment of our transgressions and to present himself in the presence of his Father’s judgment, as in our stead, to suffer for our transgression and disobedience, and by death to overcome him that was the author of death. But because the Godhead alone could not suffer death, and neither could manhood overcome death, he joined both together in one person, that the weakness of one should suffer and be subject to death—which we had deserved—and the infinite and invincible power of the other, that is, of the Godhead, should triumph, and purchase for us life, liberty, and perpetual victory. So we confess, and most undoubtedly believe.

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We could not have done it. With all the brainpower, with all the strength in the world, we needed God to overcome our oversized problem of sin. It was our own choice to fail, but it was not our choice to be saved. That was God's choice. No matter how badly we wanted to repent, we could not defeat sin and death by our own hands; it had to come from God.

But how could God overcome something which God could not suffer? The answer was Christ. Perfect man, perfect God. Death and liberty could come only from him.

The answer still is Christ. We struggle to create new answers to our new problems, and while we are certainly called to create anew each and every day, the answer is, was, and will always be Jesus Christ our Lord.

Thanks be to God

The Scots Confession, Chapter VII

CHAPTER VII

Why the Mediator Had to Be True God and True Man

We acknowledge and confess that this wonderful union between the Godhead and the humanity in Christ Jesus did arise from the eternal and immutable decree of God from which all our salvation springs and depends.

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Thanks be to God that Jesus Christ was fully human and fully divine. Why? We know that he understands us completely. He understands our sorrow, our broken hearts, our tears and temptations. He knows what it is like to have a body that breaks down, to have a spirit that can be depressed. He understands our weakness. Because Jesus was fully human, we can call upon him and know that he understands us completely. He has been there, and because of that, we know we can trust him.

But had he been merely human, he could not have saved us. Only because he was truly divine was he able to resist temptation. Only because he was fully divine was he able to fully defeat the powers of death and temptation and lead the sinless life. The fullness of the divinity that dwells within him allows him to be our savior and our friend, our comforter and our strength.

Because of this mystery of Christ as fully human and fully divine, we have a Savior who is reliable, who is compassionate, who is stronger and wiser than we can ever be, but who knows what it feels like to have tears pour down his face at the death of a friend. Thanks be to God for God's infinite wisdom!

The Scots Confession

CHAPTER VI

The Incarnation of Christ Jesus

When the fullness of time came God sent his Son, his eternal wisdom,
the substance of his own glory, into this world, who took the nature
of humanity from the substance of a woman, a virgin, by means of
the Holy Ghost. And so was born the “just seed of David,” the “Angel
of the great counsel of God,” the very Messiah promised, whom we
confess and acknowledge to be Emmanuel, true God and true man, two
perfect natures united and joined in one person. So by our Confession
we condemn the damnable and pestilent heresies of Arius, Marcion,
Eutyches, Nestorius, and such others as did either deny the eternity of
his Godhead, or the truth of his humanity, or confounded them, or else
divided them.

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John 1:14 The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish. (The Message)

'The very Messiah promised.' I may never fully understand what it means for God to become human. I may not be able to grasp, in my limited mind, what it might mean for two natures to be united in one person. I understand the concept, but the reality is so far beyond my human mind that it seems as though I may as well be trying to re-create the earth with my own feeble words.

But I understand promises, and I know what it means to break a promise, and how good it is when promises are kept. Jesus Christ was the Messiah that had been promised, and when he was born of Mary, the angels and shepherds alike rejoiced at what God had done. Thanks be to God for grace and mercy, for love beyond knowledge and love in the neighborhood.

The Word became flesh and moved into the neighborhood--I love this translation because it makes the Word real, next door, walking beside us and loving us in the midst of our messy humanity. We don't have it all figured out, but have a Savior, promised and true, who has love beyond measure.

Thanks be to God.