The Holy Church
Minister: | Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: | 5/7/2017 PM |
Text: | Ephesians 2; Lord's Day 21 |
Psalters: | 237, 377, 268, 132 |
Preparatory to the Lord's Supper |
- The meaning.
- What does it mean to be “holy?”
- Objectively, holiness is to be taken from the service of men (sinful) and set aside for the service of the holy God.
- Subjectively, a creature is holy when God makes him ethically holy inside by means of regeneration by the Holy Spirit.
- The church is an object of faith, and as such its holiness is not visible.
- Like her other characteristics, the church’s holiness is a reality because the Bible tells us so.
- The church is holy because it is separated from the world and dedicated to God.
- What does it mean to be “holy?”
- How does the church on earth possess this holiness?
- First, she is objectively holy because God’s grace has gifted her with it.
- Her holiness can only come from her Head and Lord (I Cor. 1:30).
- God formed the church to be a holy nation in election, and then in the justifying cross and by the sanctifying Holy Spirit.
- The church’s holiness is real in the way of her conscious submission to the Spirit’s leading her into the Truth/Jesus.
- First, she is objectively holy because God’s grace has gifted her with it.
- The holiness of the church is manifested in the church and the members perform their callings.
- The church has a holy ministry to fulfill.
- The church’s holiness is manifested in the holy walk of her members.
- We must see the holiness of the church as God sees it in her.
- We may not judge anything less than perfection to be a denial of her holiness.
- See the church as God views her: spotless in the Lamb.