Q6. MAY ALL MEN MAKE USE OF THE SCRIPTURES?

ANSWER. All men are not only permitted, but commanded and exhorted, to read, hear, and understand the Scriptures. (John 5:39; Luke 16:29; Acts 8:28-30; 17:11)

I. ALL MEN ARE NOT ONLY PERMITTED

We are permitted to make use of the Scriptures. In fact, Jesus expects us to!

Matthew 12:3 He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him:

Matthew 12:5 Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless?

Matthew 19:4 He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female,

Matthew 22:31 And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God:

Mark 12:10 Have you not read this Scripture: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;

Mark 12:26 And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?

Luke 6:3 And Jesus answered them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:

My question to you is this: Have you read?

II. BUT COMMANDED AND EXHORTED

We are commanded and exhorted explicitly:

Isaiah 8:20 “To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.”

2 Peter 1:19 “we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place.”

Luke‬ ‭16:29‬ “But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’”

We are commanded and exhorted by example:

Mark‬ ‭12:24 “Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God?”

Acts 17:11-12‬ “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men.”

III. READ, HEAR, AND UNDERSTAND THE SCRIPTURES

Psalm 119:97-105

97 Oh how I love your law!
 It is my meditation all the day. 
98 Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,
 for it is ever with me.
 99 I have more understanding than all my teachers,
 for your testimonies are my meditation.
 100 I understand more than the aged,
 for I keep your precepts. 
101 I hold back my feet from every evil way,
 in order to keep your word. 102 I do not turn aside from your rules,
 for you have taught me. 
103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104 Through your precepts I get understanding;
 therefore I hate every false way.
 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
 and a light to my path.

NOTICE THE MANY WAYS GOD COMMUNICATES TO US IN HIS WORD.

Look at Psalm 119:97-105 and see the variety of words he uses to describe what we simply call “The Bible.

Your Law (v.97)
Your Commandment (v.98)
Your Testimonies (v.99)
Your Precepts (v.100)
Your Word (v.101)
Your Rules (v.102)
Your Words (v.103)
Your Precepts, again (v.104)
Your Word, again (v.105)

WHAT MUST WE DO WITH GOD’S WORD?

I) Read / Study (implied in every verse)

II) Meditate / Reflect / Think (v.97, 99)

III) Memorize (v.98 “for they are ever with me”)

Jesus modeled this for us perfectly in his earthly ministry. Almost every time there is a problem or someone has a question Jesus would say either, “Have you not read?” or “Gegrapeti!” which means “It is written.”

IV) Keep/Obey (v.100-102)

Jesus himself says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” To Keep Gods Word is also part of our Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). Jesus also commands us through his earthly brother James, “Do not be hearers of the Word only, but doers!” What must we do with God’s Word? We must be readers, meditators, memorizers, and keepers.

WHAT DOES GOD DO TO US THROUGH HIS WORD?

Through His word, God gives us:
His Teaching (102)
Wisdom (v.98)
Understanding (v.99,100,104)
Holiness and Hatred of sin (v.101-102, 104-105)
Joy (v.103)

Jeremiah the Prophet says it like this: “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.” – Jeremiah 15:16

Why joy? Because the main thing God is communicating to us in His word is Jesus.

THE WHOLE BIBLE IS ABOUT JESUS.

In Genesis, Jesus is the Seed of the woman who will crush the head of the serpent.

In Exodus, Jesus is the Passover Lamb, slain so the LORD’s people can be spared justice.

In Leviticus, Jesus is our true High Priest offering a better sacrifice than the others.

In Numbers, Jesus is the Pillar of cloud by day and the Pillar of fire by night, leading His people to the Promised Land.

In Deuteronomy, Jesus is the Prophet like Moses whom we must listen to or perish.

In Joshua, Jesus is the Captain of the LORD’s army, making war on His enemies.

In Judges, Jesus is the Judge we long for to correct our rebellious hearts.

In Ruth, Jesus is our Kinsman Redeemer.

In 1st and 2nd Samuel, Jesus is our trusted Prophet, revealing God perfectly to us.

In Kings and Chronicles, Jesus is the King we long for who will rule righteously forever.

In Ezra, Jesus is the Rebuilder of the broken down walls of the city of God.

In Esther, Jesus is the one who doesn’t simply RISK his life, but GIVES his life to save his people.

In Job, Jesus is our ever-living Redeemer.

In Psalms, Jesus is the Son we must Kiss and our Good Shepherd.

In Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, Jesus is the very embodiment of wisdom.

In the Song of Solomon, Jesus is the Church’s Loving Bridegroom.

In Isaiah, Jesus is the Prince of Peace, the Gospel Preacher, and the Suffering Servant.

In Jeremiah, Jesus is the Righteous Branch.

In Lamentations, Jesus is the better Weeping Prophet—who doesn’t simply weep for sin but kills sin by letting himself be killed in the place of sinners.

In Ezekiel, Jesus is the wonderful Four-Faced man.

In Daniel, Jesus is the fourth Man in the fiery furnace with Shadrach Meshach and Abednego, he’s the One who closes the lion’s mouths for Daniel, and He is the Son of Man given an eternal Kingdom after His ascension.

In Hosea, Jesus is the Faithful Husband, forever married to the backslider.

In Joel, Jesus is the baptizer with the Holy Spirit.

In Amos, Jesus is our true Burden-Bearer.

In Obadiah, Jesus is the One Mighty to Save.

In Jonah, Jesus is the better one that was thrown into the sea of God’s wrath so those on board would be spared.

In Micah, Jesus is the Messenger with beautiful feet.

In Nahum, Jesus is the Avenger of God’s elect.

In Habakkuk, Jesus is God’s evangelist.

In Zephaniah, Jesus is our Saviour.

In Haggai, Jesus is the restorer of God’s lost heritage.

In Zechariah, Jesus is the fountain opened up in the house of David for sin and uncleanness.

In Malachi, Jesus is the Sun of Righteousness, rising with healing in His wings.

In the Gospel Accounts, Jesus is the God-Man come to save sinners by grace.

In Acts, we see what Jesus continued to do the first 30 years after He ascended to Heaven.

All the Letters of the New Testament clarify who He is, what His gospel means, how we should live for Him, and to watch out for those who teach contrary to His Prophets and Apostles.

In Revelation, Jesus is our coming King—He will slay men who refuse to come to Him and remain in their sin; He will perfect His people who trust Him by faith and He will perfect the entire world. Those who refuse to repent and believe on Jesus and His gospel will be thrown in the fiery pit of hell to be punished for their sin for all eternity. Those who belong to Jesus in this life will belong to Him forever in the perfect life to come, where we will enjoy Him forever for His glory and our gladness!

Q5. HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD?

A. The Bible evidences itself to be God’s Word by the heavenliness of its doctrine, the unity of its parts, its power to convert sinners and to edify saints; but the Spirit of God only, bearing witness by and with the Scriptures in our hearts, is able fully to persuade us that the Bible is the Word of God. (1 Cor. 2:6,7,13; Ps. 119:18, 129; Acts 10:43, 26:22; Acts 18:28; Heb 4:12; Ps. 19:7-9; Rom. 15:4; John 16:13,14; 1 John 2:20-27; 2 Cor. 3:14-17)

NATURAL WAYS WE KNOW THAT THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD

The Bible evidences itself to be God’s Word by…

I. THE HEAVENLINESS OF ITS DOCTRINE

ISAIAH 55:8-9 
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, 
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

“The mystery of Scripture is so [perplexing] and profound that no man or angel could have known it, had it not been divinely revealed. That eternity—should be born; that he who thunders in the heavens—should cry in the cradle; that he who rules the stars—should suck the breasts; that the Prince of Life—should die; that the Lord of Glory—should be put to shame; that sin should be punished to the full—yet pardoned to the full; who could ever have conceived of such a mystery, had not the Scripture revealed it to us?” – Thomas Watson. Works. Monergism Books. Kindle Edition.

II. THE UNITY OF ITS PARTS

40 authors, spanning 1,400 years, all with one message: “God is holy, man is not, Christ Jesus came to save sinners, we must turn from sin to faith in God’s Savior.”

ACTS 26:22-23 
22 To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: 23 that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.

ROMANS 4:2-6 
“2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. 5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:
 7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; 8 blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”

III. ITS POWER TO CONVERT SINNERS

HEBREWS 4:12 
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

1 PETER 1:23-25 “you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for 
“All flesh is like grass
    and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
    and the flower falls,
25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.”
And this word is the good news that was preached to you.”

ACTS 2:37 
“Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

MARTIN LUTHER: I beat importunately upon Paul at that place, most ardently desiring to know what St. Paul wanted. At last, by the mercy of God, meditating day and night, I gave heed to the context of the words, namely, “In it the righteousness of God is revealed, as it is written, ‘He who through faith is righteous shall live.’” There I began to understand that the righteousness of God is that by which the righteous lives by a gift of God, namely by faith. And this is the meaning: the righteousness of God is revealed by the gospel, namely, the passive righteousness with which merciful God justifies us by faith, as it is written, “He who through faith is righteous shall live.” Here I felt that I was altogether born again and had entered paradise itself through open gates. There a totally other face of the entire Scripture showed itself to me.” – The Legacy of Luther, Sproul and Nichols, Reformation Trust

CHARLES SPURGEON: lifting up his hands, [the man] shouted, as only a Primitive Methodist could do, “Young man, look to Jesus Christ. Look! Look! Look! You have nothin’ to do but to look and live.” I saw at once the way of salvation. I know not what else he said,—I did not take much notice of it,—I was so possessed with that one thought. Like as when the brazen serpent was lifted up, the people only looked and were healed, so it was with me. I had been waiting to do fifty things, but when I heard that word, “Look!” what a charming word it seemed to me! Oh! I looked until I could almost have looked my eyes away. There and then the cloud was gone, the darkness had rolled away, and that moment I saw the sun; and I could have risen that instant, and sung with the most enthusiastic of them, of the precious blood of Christ, and the simple faith which looks alone to Him. Oh, that somebody had told me this before, “Trust Christ, and you shall be saved.” Yet it was, no doubt, all wisely ordered, and now I can say,— “Ever since by faith I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply, Redeeming love has been my theme, And shall be till I die.” – Charles Spurgeon, Autobiography: The Early Years, Banner of Truth

IV. ITS POWER TO EDIFY SAINTS

LUKE 24:25-27, 30-32 
“25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. . . . 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”

EPHESIANS 2:19-21 
19 you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.

NATHAN COLE: “And my hearing [George Whitefield] preach gave me a heart wound; by Gods blessing my old foundation was broken up, and I saw that my righteousness would not save me, then I was convinced of the doctrine of Election.” – George Leon Walker, Some Aspects of the Religious Life of New England (New York: Silver, Burnett, and Company, 1897), 89–92.

THE SUPERNATURAL WAY WE KNOW THAT THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD

I. But the Spirit of God only, bearing witness by and with the Scriptures in our hearts, is able fully to persuade us that the Bible is the Word of God.

2 CORINTHIANS 2:13 “And we impart [wisdom] in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.”

2 CORINTHIANS 3:14-17 14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. 16 But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

1 JOHN 2:20 “But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.”

Beloved, it is not enough to know the Scriptures and trust that they are the word of God.

JOHN 5:39-40 “39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.”

You must go to Jesus is faith, whom the whole Bible reveals! Your GPS can tell you exactly how to get to the Grand Canyon, but you have to go there to see it. The Bible tells you perfectly how to have eternal life, but you have to go to Jesus to get it.

Q4. WHAT IS THE WORD OF GOD?

A. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, being given by divine inspiration, are the Word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice. (2 Peter 1:21; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Isaiah 8:20)

Westminster Shorter Catechism Q.2 is this: What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy Him? 

I. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments

OLD TESTAMENT: We use the same OT Jesus used, which excluded the Apocrypha. 

LUKE 11:50-51 “50b …the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation.”

NEW TESTAMENT: Jesus promised His Apostles would speak on His behalf.

JOHN 16:12-14 “12 I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

2 PETER 3:15-16 “15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.”

Watson: “The two Testaments are the two lips by which God has spoken to us.”

II. are the Word of God

1 THESSALONIANS 2:13 “And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.”

III. being given by divine inspiration

2 TIMOTHY 3:16 “All Scripture is breathed out by God (theopneustos).”

2 PETER 1:20-21 20b “…no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along (same word as “born from heaven”) by the Holy Spirit.”

IV. the only infallible rule of faith and practice

INFALLIBLE (inerrant; perfect)

Psalm 19:7-11 7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
    reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
     making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right,
     rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
    enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is clean,
     enduring forever;
the rules of the Lord are true,
     and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
    even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
    and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.”

FAITH

ISAIAH 8:19-20 19 “And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.

2 TIMOTHY 3:14-17 14 “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God…

PRACTICE

2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

BRAKEL: “The written Word is competent to teach the truth, to rebuke error, to correct evil, and to identify that which is good, so man may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. In one word, it is able to make man wise unto salvation. More one need not desire, for to have this is to have all. Indeed, the vitality and efficacy of Scripture is such that it is both perfect and sufficient.”

WATSON: “The Word is the judge of controversies, the rock of infallibility. That only is to be received as truth which agrees with Scripture, as the transcript with the original. All maxims of divinity are to be brought to the touchstone of Scripture, all measures are brought to the standard.”

DR. MARTYN LLOYD-JONES: “Here in this Book is a message that would solve every single problem of the human race.”

Q3. HOW DO WE KNOW THERE IS A GOD?

A: The light of nature in man, and the works of God, plainly declare that there is a God; but His Word and Spirit only, do effectually reveal Him unto us for our salvation (Rom. 1:18-20, Psalm 19:1-2, 2 Tim. 3:15, 1 Cor. 1:21-24, 1 Cor. 2:9-10).

We know there is a God by the light of creation and conscience; yet only the light of the canon of Scripture illumined by the Comforter will lead to our conversion.

I. CREATION (the works of God)

Psalm 19:1-2 “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.”

Romans‬ ‭1:18-21‬ “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

II. CONSCIENCE (the light of nature)

Ecclesiastes 3:11 “God has put eternity into man’s heart.”

Romans 2:14-16 “For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.”

So by the testimony of Creation and Conscience all men know there is a God—we are all without excuse.

Psalm 14:1 “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”

III. CANON (His Word)

Romans 10:14-17 “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? … So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

Luke 16:29-31 “But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”

MacArthur Study Bible: “Although the evidence from conscience (1: 19; 2: 14), creation (1: 20), and God’s Word is irrefutable, men choose to resist and oppose God’s truth by holding fast to their sin (cf. Ps 14: 1; Jn 3: 19, 20).”

John 3:19-20 “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.”

IV. COMFORTER (His Spirit)

John 14:26 (Comforter/Helper/Paraclete)

1 Corinthians 1:22-24 “For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”

1 Corinthians‬ ‭2:9-10, 12‬ “But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God…Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.”

A. The light of nature in man, and the works of God, plainly declare that there is a God; but His Word and Spirit only, do effectually reveal Him unto us for our salvation.

We know there is a God by the light of creation and conscience; yet only the light of the canon of Scripture illumined by the Comforter will lead to our conversion.

Q. HAVE YOU BEEN CONVERTED? (effectually…for our salvation)

If not, look at Jesus as He is revealed in His Word until the Spirit calls you to Him! Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved!

If so, boast in the LORD!

1 Corinthians 1:30-31 “And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.””

Q2. WHAT IS THE CHIEF END OF MAN?

A. Man’s chief end is to glory God and to enjoy Him forever. 

INSTRINSIC AND ASCRIBED GLORY

Distinctions to be made concerning the glory of God: 1) Intrinsic glory. 2) Ascribed glory.

The Intrinsic glory of God: God is glorious!
The Ascribed glory of God: “God is glorious!”

The intrinsic glory of God is like the Grand Canyon and ascribing glory to God is like giving others a helicopter ride through it to simply behold its beauty. The glory is there. You cannot add to it. You are but meant to show it!

Or if you prefer, the glory of God is like the moon. It is huge and beautiful but it seems far away to we simple men. To glorify God is like helping others look through a telescope to see its bigness and beauty up close!

Q. WHY MUST WE “GLORIFY GOD”?

I. Because it is the plain teaching of Scripture that this is why we exist. II. Because this is why all things exist. III. Because this is why Jesus purchased sinners on the cross.

I. We must glorify God because it is the plain teaching of Scripture that this is why we exist. 

1 CORINTHIANS 10:31 “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

1 PETER 4:10-11 “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

WATSON: “The glory of God is the silver thread which must run through all our actions.”

PHILIPPIANS 1:20 “as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.”

WATSON: “The glory we give God is nothing else but our lifting up His name in the world, and magnifying Him in the eyes of others.”

II. We must glorify God because this is why all things exist. 

COLOSSIANS 1:16-18 “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. … that in everything he might be preeminent.”

III. We must glorify God because this is why He purchased sinners on the cross. 

1 PETER 2:9 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

1 CORINTHIANS 6:20 “You were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

Those who know they were bought on the cross with the precious blood of Christ make it their aim to glorify that precious One whose blood was spilled for their sake!

Q. WHAT IS IT TO “GLORIFY GOD”? 

WATSON: “To glorify God consists in four things: I. Appreciation. II. Adoration. III. Affection. IV. Subjection. This is the yearly rent we pay to the crown of heaven.”

I. APPRECIATION (THOUGHT/PRAYER LIFE)

WATSON: “To glorify God is to set Him highest in our thoughts.” 

PSALM 97:9 “For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.”

WATSON: “To glorify God is to have God-admiring thoughts; to esteem Him most excellent, and search for diamonds in this rock only.”

II. ADORATION (WORSHIP)

Psalm 29:1-2 “Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.”

III. AFFECTION (LOVE) 

DEUTERONOMY 6:5 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

IV. SUBJECTION (JOYFUL OBEDIENCE)

1 CORINTHIANS 6:20 “You were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

Q. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO “ENJOY HIM FOREVER”?

PSALM 73:25-26 “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

PSALM 16:11 “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

PHILIPPIANS 3:7-8 “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ”

PHILIPPIANS 1:21, 23 “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. … I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.”

Q. HOW MAY WE MOST ENJOY GOD HERE AND NOW? 

I. Fellowship with Him through the scripture and prayer.

II. Trust His promises. 

III. Fellowship with His saints. 

IV. Take, by faith, His Supper.

V. Help others know Him and enjoy Him. 

VI. Enjoy Him by glorifying Him and glorify Him by enjoying Him.

Q1. WHO IS THE FIRST AND BEST OF BEINGS?

A. God is the first and best of beings.

Q. WHY DOES THE CATECHISM BEGIN HERE, WITH GOD CLARIFIED AS THE FIRST AND BEST OF BEINGS?

I. WE MUST BEGIN WHERE THE BIBLE BEGINS

GENESIS 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

II. WE MUST BEGIN WHERE TRUE WISDOM BEGINS

PROVERBS 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

PROVERBS 9:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.”

PSALM 111:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!”

Stories are best begun in the beginning or confusion will abound. Foundations are best laid on the ground or everything will fall apart. So it is when we are seeking to be grounded in the faith—we must begin with God or confusion and crumbling may surely follow us all the days of our life.

Q. What is God? A. God is the Creator and Sustainer of everyone and everything. (New City Catechism Q2)

Q. WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT GOD IS FIRST?

I. FIRST IN EXISTENCE

GENESIS 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

JOB 38:1-7 1 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: 2 “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? 3 Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. 4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. 5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? 6 On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, 7 when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

PSALM 90:2 “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”

COLOSSIANS 1:16-17 “16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

REVELATION 22:13 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

II. FIRST IN EMINENCE

PSALM ‭97:9‬ “For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.”

COLOSSIANS 1:18 “And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.”

See the sad state of all who do not honor God, the first and best of beings.

ROMANS 1:21-23 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things

ISAIAH 44:9-11 9 All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame. 10 Who fashions a god or casts an idol that is profitable for nothing? 11 Behold, all his companions shall be put to shame, and the craftsmen are only human. Let them all assemble, let them stand forth. They shall be terrified; they shall be put to shame together.

Q. WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT GOD IS BEST?

I. BEST IN GLORY AND GOODNESS

PSALM 8 O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?
5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet,
7 all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
9 O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
See the happy state of all who are reconciled to God by His Son Jesus Christ!

The first and best of beings—Jesus Christ our Lord—was made a little lower than the angels. He debased himself in order to Redeem His bride.

On the cross, the first and best of beings was treated like the last and worst of beings. Why? So that you could be cleansed of your filthy sin and clothed in the pure white robes of Christ.

HEBREWS 2:9-11 9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
 10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers.

BENJAMIN KEACH (1640-1704)

Originally from Buckinghamshire, Keach worked as a tailor during his early years. He was baptized at the age of 15 and began preaching at 18. He was the minister of the congregation at Winslow before moving in 1668 to the church at Horsleydown (Horse-lie-down), Southwark where he remained for 36 years as pastor (1668-1704). This congregation later became the New Park Street Church and then moved to the Metropolitan Tabernacle under the pastorship of Charles Spurgeon. Keach’s catechism was first published in 1693.

For a brief biography of Keach, see http://baptisthistoryhomepage.com/keach.benjamin.tbe.html

For easy access to a digital copy of The Baptist Catechism, see http://www.ekklesiamuskogee.church/the-baptist-catechism/

To purchase a hard copy of The Baptist Catechism, see https://www.amazon.com/1689-Baptist-Confession-Faith-Catechism/dp/1599253771/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=The+Baptist+Catechism&qid=1590608161&sr=8-2

HERCULES COLLINS (1646/7-1702)

For a brief biography of Collins, see https://founders.org/2012/07/12/baptists-and-1662-the-persecution-of-john-norcott-and-hercules-collins/

To purchase a hard copy of An Orthodox Catechism, see https://www.amazon.com/Orthodox-Catechism-Hercules-Collins/dp/0980217911/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1590608349&sr=8-1

For easy access to as digital copy of An Orthodox Catechism, see https://www.thecalvinist.net/etc/1680%20Orthodox%20Catechism%20(Hercules%20Collins).pdf

Ekklesia Muskogee is a reformed baptist church that gathers for worship in Muskogee, Oklahoma. We confess the 1689 second London baptist confession of faith. We affirm the five solas of the Reformation as well as the doctrines of grace (otherwise known as the five points of Calvinism), and each of our pastors would not be ashamed to be called a Calvinist. We are a church led by elders, of which there is a plurality (also called pastors and overseers in the Scriptures). Our mission is to make disciples, love cities, and plant churches.