The Holy Church

Minister:
Date: PM
Text: Ephesians 2; Lord's Day 21
Psalters: 237, 377, 268, 132
Preparatory to the Lord's Supper
  1. The meaning.
    1. What does it mean to be “holy?”
      1. Objectively, holiness is to be taken from the service of men (sinful) and set aside for the service of the holy God.
      2. Subjectively, a creature is holy when God makes him ethically holy inside by means of regeneration by the Holy Spirit.
    2. The church is an object of faith, and as such its holiness is not visible.
      1. Like her other characteristics, the church’s holiness is a reality because the Bible tells us so.
      2. The church is holy because it is separated from the world and dedicated to God.
  2. How does the church on earth possess this holiness?
    1. First, she is objectively holy because God’s grace has gifted her with it.
      1. Her holiness can only come from her Head and Lord (I Cor. 1:30).
      2. God formed the church to be a holy nation in election, and then in the justifying cross and by the sanctifying Holy Spirit.
    2. The church’s holiness is real in the way of her conscious submission to the Spirit’s leading her into the Truth/Jesus.
  3. The holiness of the church is manifested in the church and the members perform their callings.
    1. The church has a holy ministry to fulfill.
    2. The church’s holiness is manifested in the holy walk of her members.
    3. We must see the holiness of the church as God sees it in her.
      1. We may not judge anything less than perfection to be a denial of her holiness.
      2. See the church as God views her: spotless in the Lamb.