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IN THIS ISSUE....
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including details of our various congregations, please visit our
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and are understood to refect generally the theological position
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Strapline
'Ecclesia reformata semper reformanda est'
the Reformed Church is always reforming
Editor
Gareth Burke
33, Onslow Gardens,
BELFAST,
BT6 0AQ
Phone: 07803 282489
Email: gnburke@yahoo.co.uk
'TIme: an ever-rolling stream'................
A silver celebration in Groomsport.......
7 things to remember..............................
The EPC & the modern world.................
The Gospel and Genesis.........................
New Initiatives in North Belfast..............
The Return of Christ................................
The 5 Solas...............................................
What is the Gospel?................................
Book Reviews..........................................
Dear Rev...................................................
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Book Reviews
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3
F1RST WORD
'Tme: an ever - rolling stream'. Many people are thinking a lot about time these days.
As we approached Christmas we felt that we didn't have enough time. We got ourselves into
a little bit of a panic as we considered the many things that had to be attended to and the short
space of time in which everything was to be sorted out. Now that Christmas is past we're still
thinking about time. 'Time is marching on', we say. 'The years are fying by' is our frequent
lament.
2013 has drawn to a close and 2014 has begun. We are simply staggered at how quickly
another year has passed into eternity and amazed at the speed with which we are growing older.
Amidst these concerns about the rapid passing of the years it is very comforting and reassuring
to consider God. God is not hemmed in by considerations of time. He is not limited by time
constraints such as characterise us in our frail humanity. When he revealed himself to Moses at
the burning bush in Exodus 3 he declares, in response to Moses' questioning, that he is the great
' Am'. He is the Eternal Being who has always been and will never cease to be.
Personally fnd these thoughts totally mind-blowing. To consider that God has always been -
that there was never a time when he was not there is utterly beyond our human comprehension.
The eternity of God is a reminder to us of the sheer unmanageableness of God. He is vast and
infnite.
But here is something else quite breathtaking. The Bible tells me that although God is vast and
eternal and immense am able to call him 'Father'. (Galatians 4: 4 6) How can this be? How
can a weak, frail, limited, time-bound and sinful human being address the one who is both
eternal and holy in such an intimate way?
The answer is simple. Jesus Christ has made it possible. He came forth from God, entered our
world, bore our sin and died on a cross so that we who have faith in him might be reconciled to
God and call Him 'Father'. Simply amazing! The amazing grace of God!
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4
E0: Jejj, lease share wth us a lttle concernny
your ubrnyny and how you came to jath
n Chrst

As a chIld attended CortIn Church of reland where
the gospel was rarely preached, except perhaps by
a vIsItIng preacher from the Church Army. However,
my parents also InsIsted that attend chIldren's
meetIngs, FaIth |IssIon servIces etc, all of whIch
hated at the tIme, so from an early age was never
In any doubt about what the gospel really was.
came to faIth at UnIversIty several years later when
varIous factors came together whIch compelled me
to thInk about eternal matters. FIrstly, my parents
splIt up and that focused my mInd on what mIght
lIe ahead for me. Secondly, someone from the
ChrIstIan UnIon moved Into the room next door and
hIs wItness Impacted me for good. ThIrdly, some
personal problems thrust me on the Lord for help,
wIth the result that began to seek hIm, although
now know that He rst sought me. |y sIster
AngelIne also came to faIth around the same tIme
whIch was a great encouragement, especIally as we
used to ght prIor to that!
Unfortunately don't have a date for my
conversIon. n fact could just about pIn It down to
a certaIn year 1977, so If anyone InsIsts that that a
date Is necessary, then 'm stIll unconverted!
wIll refraIn from doIng what a certaIn gentleman
In our denomInatIon once dId. Apparently the
church cIrcles he worshIpped In at the tIme InsIsted
that a date was necessary, otherwIse noone would
belIeve you were truly saved, so he made one up!
Thankfully has repented of hIs folly sInce then!

E0: How were you called nto the mnstry

Shortly after was converted worked In the sound
Industry for several years and It was my IntentIon
In those days to become |anagIng 0Irector of the
company that employed me. However, through tIme
the Lord put that notIon rIght out of my head.
A new |anagIng 0Irector arrIved who had lIttle tIme
for my ChrIstIan prIncIples, wIth the result that lIfe
at work became very dIfcult. SImultaneously, got
Involved In a local church (In London) where began
to teach In Sunday School and Youth Club. enjoyed
thIs so much that thIs partIcular combInatIon of
cIrcumstances forced me to thInk that perhaps my
future lay elsewhere. A certaIn verse In scrIpture
also meant a lot to me at the tIme. n hIs dramatIc
encounter wIth the Lord, as descrIbed In saIah
chapter 6, the prophet saId "Here am Lord send
me". remember brIngIng that verse before the
Lord In prayer, askIng HIm If that was HIs desIre for
my lIfe. Through tIme It proved to be the case.
At that poInt returned to N reland where Fev N
Creen, a former mInIster In Dmagh, encouraged me
to pursue the ChrIstIan mInIstry. 8ecause hadn't
been a member of the church for 2 years had to
support myself as a prIvate student for the rst year
at the FP College, but that was good for me. The
way the Lord supplIed my needs throughout that
year encouraged me to belIeve that was In the
centre of HIs wIll. After that became an ofcIal
student for the mInIstry and thoroughly enjoyed
the rest of my tIme at college. also met a certaIn
young lady there too, so that was a denIte bonus.
The rest as they say Is "hIstory".

E0: You mnstered jor a number oj years n
the Lsburn Road conyreyaton ror to yony to
anyor. Please tell us about the Lsburn Road
days - what are your revalny memores

|y prevaIlIng memorIes are of certaIn elderly ladIes
who "brought forth fruIt In old age".
know that we sometImes tend to see the past
A silver celebration
in Groomsport
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5
through rose tInted glasses, but have to say that
some of those dear ladIes are among the nest
people have ever met. They were entIrely free
from pettIness; they never hurt me at any tIme;
theIr prayer lIfe was exemplary and theIr loyalty
was unquestIoned. Some of them even went "on
the doors" and thank Cod for every remembrance
of them. Sadly sInce then have encountered
"consumerIsm", where folk approach church the
same way as they approach shoppIng. Those dear
old ladIes could have taught these people much
about what It means to be a true church member.

E0: How has the Lord bult u the work n
anyor/Croomsort and what are your hoes and
vson jor the juture
Dur famIly moved to 8angor some 19 years ago and
we are thankful for progress made. Dur facIlItIes
are excellent, thanks to our good frIends In CrumlIn
and we also have a good core of hard workIng folk
who are an encouragement to us. Dver the years we
have also seen a number of our young people come
to faIth In ChrIst, so we are thankful to the Lord
for all of these blessIngs. However, we've also had
dIsappoIntments, partly due to the "consumerIst"
outlook mentIoned above, but we contInue to
persevere. Unfortunately up to thIs moment In
tIme we haven't seen local folk converted, although
we do have many contacts through "LIttle Jewels"
(our mother and toddler group) and "Youth Club".
n addItIon to glorIfyIng the Lord In our lIves, the
conversIon of folk from Croomsport would be our
prImary desIre. Dn a purely personal level, If
managed to leave behInd a testImony as good as
those lIttle old ladIes that mentIoned above,
would be more than thankful.

E0: lj we were to bansh you to a desert sland
what two books would you take wth you - the
ble s already there!
As look up from my desk at the books whIch
surround me would hardly know where to start
to answer thIs questIon. n thIs generatIon we are
blessed wIth so many great authors and books that
we are truly spoIled for choIce. have volumes
before me by 0r |artIn Lloyd Jones, John |urray,
88 Wareld, 0A Carson, Fobert Feymond, J Packer
and many, many others. |ay also at thIs poInt
take the opportunIty to publIcly thank the trustees
of the EvangelIcal 8ookshop for theIr kIndness
towards our mInIsters In past days. For years they
have supplIed us wIth an annual grant whIch has
enabled us to "buy" the best books free of charge.
ThIs has been a real blessIng to me personally.
Thank you gentlemen. Keep up the good work!
f you were to twIst my arm and InsIst that name
just two books, perhaps would suggest CalvIn's
nstItutes or PIlgrIm's Progress because of theIr
endurIng value. However, a volume on boat
buIldIng or a manual teachIng me how to swIm
mIght be more useful!

E0: How do you relax

|onday Is my day off and If the weather Is good
usually play golf In the mornIng and football In the
evenIng, whIch may explaIn why am sometImes
late for Presbytery! t's usually a case of gettIng
stressed out playIng golf and then playIng football
to get rId of It. |ark tells me that he gets stressed
out watchIng me because apparently have the
worst golf swIng he has ever seen. He also says that
all the goals score are offsIde! |y golf obvIously
causes Sheena some stress too, because she has had
enough of my complaInts and recently booked me In
for a golf lesson after J5 years of playIng the game!
As for AbIgaIl, she doesn't lIke my sense of humour,
so she'll get stressed out readIng thIs. All In well
we're a very relaxed famIly!
6
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SEVEN THINGS TO REMEMBER
God has graciousIy given to us one day in seven to be used especiaIIy for the nourishment of our
souIs. So often the Christian Sabbath or the Lord's Day is seen as a burdensome day of ruIes and
reguIations on which we are not aIIowed to do this or that. How very sad!
We shouId approach the day with a positive mindset, thankfuI that we are abIe to draw aside from the
normaI routines of Iife and to spend a IittIe time getting our spirituaI batteries recharged.
For beIievers it ought to be a IittIe gIimpse of heaven itseIf as we meet in worship and as we meet with
God's peopIe. Our forefathers referred to it as being Iike a 'market day for the souI'.
Here are seven things to remember concerning the Sabbath. As we meditate on each of these
principIes hopefuIIy we'II come to appreciate the day even more and be abIe, with God's heIp, to use
it weII.
John, while in exile on Patmos, refers to the Christian Sabbath as the Lord's Day which is an
excellent term that summarises what the day is to be about the Lord and our fellowship with
him and his people. Revelation 1:10
After the resurrection of Jesus the early church began meeting on the frst day of the week to
celebrate the resurrection. The Sabbath day was changed form the seventh to the frst day of
the week. Acts 20:7. 1 Cor. 16:2
Jesus gave us clear teaching about what we can legitimately do on the Sabbath works of
necessity and mercy: Matthew 12: v 1 to 14
Jesus observed the Sabbath: Luke 4:16
During the wilderness journey of the children of srael from Egypt to Canaan God demonstrated
the importance of properly observing the Sabbath by providing a double portion of manna on
the sixth day: Exodus 16: 22 & 23
The Sabbath was included in the Ten Commandments commandment 4 Exodus 20: 8 11.
Often today it is asserted by many evangelicals that the Sabbath was part of the Old Testament
ceremonial law and is not binding upon us today. The argument goes like this 'the ceremonial
law found its fulflment in Christ and, as such, we are no longer bound to keep it today'. Whilst
there were ceremonial aspects to the Sabbath day its inclusion in the Ten Commandments
demonstrates its binding nature upon all men.
The Sabbath was established at creation - Genesis 2: 1 3. Often it is suggested that the
Sabbath was established at Sinai but Scripture shows us that along with work and marriage
God gave this special day to us right at the beginning at creation itself.
7
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- some editoriaI musings on how we are to
reIate to an ever changing society
Channel 81 the Parliament Channel is my
favourite TV programme. As a means of relaxing
will tune in and am rarely disappointed. Recently
watched an excellent lecture delivered by John
Bercow, Speaker of the House of Commons. Mr
Bercow was addressing the Hansard Society on the
fascinating subject of 'Digital Democracy'. During
the course of his lecture Mr Bercow made the
following insightful and penetrating comment. He
stated that our society was 'more fuid than formal'.
Now of course the Speaker is concerned about the
extent to which Parliament is adapting to digital
technology and to the world of social media. What,
you might say, has this to do with the EPC? A lot,
think.
We need to come to terms with the changes that
are all around us in society. My generation has
lived through a digital revolution as signifcant in
our day as the ndustrial Revolution. More than
that, society has become much more informal and
relaxed in terms of how we deal one with another.
Familiar use of Christian names, a casual attitude
to time keeping and a more informal dress code
are some of the signs that remind us of the more
relaxed age in which we live. Things are 'more fuid
than formal'.
To what degree are we to adapt to the society
in which we live? The world cannot dictate
to the church. Nor can we allow prevailing
attitudes in society to affect the message that we
preach. ndeed the gospel message cannot be
compromised or toned down. But it is evident that
Jesus, in presenting the gospel to men and women,
considered carefully the background and spiritual
understanding of the people to whom he was
speaking. He didn't simply repeat a few gospel
statements on every occasion without paying heed
to who stood before him.
This point is validated by a consideration of John 3
and John 4.
Similarly we need to think about the importance of
adapting to those legitimate trends in society lest
the church be seen as anachronistic and irrelevant.
Take for example our use of Sunday. Now am
impassioned about the importance of the Lord's
Day and the need to observe one day in seven as
a day of rest and worship. But is it appropriate in
2014 to be holding services at 11.30 and 7.00?
haven't been able to discover the origins of these
service times the standard meeting times for
most churches within the Greater Belfast area but
throughout the rest of the week would you consider
starting your day at 11.30? think not. Also
because of the way in which we 'do church' today
many congregations consist of folks who don't often
meet each other throughout the week at the school
gate or at the shops. As such we need to maximise
the time we spend together on a Sunday.
Below is a timetable for Sunday which think would
greatly enhance the fellowship of our congregations
and would provide us with better opportunities for
teaching and prayer. nitially you might not feel
drawn to the idea but surely we need to make the
most of this great day that God has given to us.
Change might prove enriching. After all - as the
magazine cover reminds us - the Reformed Church
is always to be reforming.
TIMETABLE FOR SUNDAY
9.30am: Meet for coffee etc
10.00am: Prayer meeting (crche facility and
children's programme running alongside)
10.45am 12 noon: Morning worship
12 noon to 2pm Lunch and informal fellowship
2.00pm to 3.00pm: All age Bible Classes and
Sunday School
3.00pm to 3.30pm Missionary focus
3.30pm to 4.00pm: Coffee etc
4.00pm to 5.15pm: Afternoon Worship
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8
The Gospel and Genesis
Sometimes we hear the comment that someone is
indifferent about what they believe about Genesis
because "only the gospel of Jesus Christ is really
important. This opinion refects a lack of serious
thought about what the Bible says, and a poor
understanding of the gospel message. A brief
consideration of some gospel texts will illustrate my
point.
The Meaning of Gospel Terminology
Rom.6:23 "For the wages of sin is death but the
gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
teaches that death is the result of sin and God's
judgement on it. Death is put in contrast to 'eternal
life'. What is the scriptural foundation for such a
statement? The Genesis creation account narrates
the story of a world originally without sin or death,
and describes how this state of innocence was
lost when Adam and Eve yielded to the serpent's
temptation and disobeyed God. The explanation
for death says Paul is the entrance of sin into the
world. The existence of pre-adamite men would
mean that death was in existence before Adam and
not a judgement of God on wrong doing.
Rom.5:12 states the matter even more clearly
"through one man sin entered the world and death
through sin, and thus death spread to all men,
because all sinned. The idea favoured by some
evangelicals that at some stage God invested
certain progenitors of early man with a divine soul
so making them morally accountable not only has
no Biblical or scientifc basis but is clearly contrary
to scriptural teaching. We need to accept Genesis
as it is written to understand sin and death in their
gospel context.
The History of the Gospel Story
The unveiling of God's plan of redemption begins
in Gen.3:15 with the proto-evangel "And will
put enmity between you and the woman, and
between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise
your head, and you shall bruise his heel. God
reveals that a man, the seed of a woman (not of
the seed of a man), would one day come to deal
the serpent (Satan) a fatal blow. This pointed to
the virgin birth of Christ. When Adam and Eve
sinned and immediately became embarrassed by
their nakedness they sewed together fg leaves to
clothe themselves. God's response was to replace
the fg leaves with coverings of animal skin. This
necessitated the deaths of the animals, due to
Adam and Eve's sin. t inaugurated the sacrifcial
system of an animal dying because of the sin of
man. A short time later Abel's offering of members
of his fock along with their fat was acceptable to
God, while Cain's offering of the fruit of the ground
was rejected. (Gen.4:3-5). The frst thing Noah did
after the food was to offer a blood sacrifce, and
Abraham, saac and Jacob were instructed to make
blood sacrifces for the forgiveness of sin. These
sacrifces pointed forward to Jesus Christ, "the
Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world
Jn.1:29. To deny the literal historicity of these
events is to seriously damage the credibility of the
history of redemption.
The Death of Christ
Christ died as our substitute and the value of his
sacrifce was suffcient to atone for the sins of the
whole world. Paul argues in Rom.5:17 "For if by
one man's offence death reigned through the one,
much more those who receive abundance of grace
and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life
through the one Jesus Christ and in 1 Cor.15:22
"For as in Adam all die , even so in Christ shall all
be made alive. n each case the representative
role of Christ as Redeemer fails if a literal Adam
never existed. Christ was crucifed wearing a crown
of thorns which signifed God's curse on the earth
because of sin i.e. "thorns and thistles Gen.3:18.
Those who deny a literal Genesis, a literal fall,
a literal death and curse because of sin have
undermined the biblical teaching on the redemptive
work of Christ. Genesis as it is naturally understood
is foundational for the gospel.
Robert Beckett has served for many years
as the minister of Crosscollyer/Somerton
Road EPC. He has throughout his ministry
been very active in engaging with those who
have been 'caught up' in the civil unrest that
has characterised North Belfast and has
a particular heart for those wrestling with
various addictions. Within EPC circles he
is well known, not least as the leader of the
Senior Camp. He is often sought after as a
lecturer on 'Creation' and 'Origins'.
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9
We are delighted to report the appointment of
Pablo Mandresa as church planter in the Somerton
church. Pablo along with his wife Victoria and
children Priscilla and Nathaniel come from
Argentina and have been engaged for several
years in similar ministries in both North and West
Belfast. Both were born into Roman Catholic
families and have a burning desire to see people
saved. They offcially commence work in January.
Meanwhile David Burke is seeing encouragements
with his outreach to the young people of the
district. The building is now open for youth work
on two nights per week and good relationships for
sharing the gospel are emerging.
t is planned to rename the work Hope Fellowship,
North Belfast. Pablo and David are seeking to
establish a core group of committed helpers who
feel led to support them in their outreach ministry
and welcome inquiries. From January all Sunday
services and the Wednesday mid-week meeting
will be held in Crosscollyer church.
n due time we expect regular services to resume
in the Somerton Road building.
A special service to mark the inauguration of this
new initiative is planned for Wednesday January
15th in Somerton church.
We also will soon be announcing news of the
appointment of a community outreach worker
to assist in the work in Crosscollyer Street. We
request your prayers for the Lord's blessing on
every aspect of these ventures.
'Except the Lord build the house they
labour in vain that build it". Ps.127:1
RCB
The Ofciul Luunch of

"#$% FELLOWSHIP
NORTH BELFAST
in Somerton Roud Church
on Wednesduy 15th Junuury
ut 7.45pm

All welcome
!"# %!%&%'&%(")
%! !*+&, -"./')&
10
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The Return of Christ
Part 7 - 'The Resurrection of the Dead'
'Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in
which all who are in the graves will hear His voice
and come forth - those who have done good, to the
resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to
the resurrection of condemnation.' (John 5: 28 & 29)
Having considered the timing and manner of Christ's return it
is important for us to now refect on those things that He will do
when He comes. As such we turn our attention in this article to
the words of Jesus Himself in John 5 where He reminds us that
on the day of His return He will raise the dead. Perhaps the
best way of unpacking the teaching of these verses is to ask a
number of pertinent questions.
WHEN?
When will He raise the dead? Jesus tells us that 'the hour
is coming' when He will call forth the dead from their graves.
This, of course, begs the question when is that hour? The
consistent testimony of the New Testament Scriptures is that
Jesus will raise the dead at the moment of His return in power
and glory. 2 Peter 3: 7, 2 Thessalonians 1: 7 to 10 and Acts
17: 31 all refer to a 'Day', a day of judgement, a great climactic
moment when the Saviour will come to judge all men, a day in
which He will raise the dead. Jesus Himself refers to that day in
Matthew 24: 36. t is clear that there is a day marked on God's
calendar when the world will end and 'all who are in the graves
will hear His voice.'
WHO?
Whom will He raise? There are many places in the New
Testament where it clearly states that the righteous God's
people will be raised up at the last day. A casual glance
at John chapter 6 proves the point where again and again
the resurrection of the just is set forth in verse 39,40,44 and
54. However there are also texts that make it clear that the
unrighteous will also be raised up by Jesus when He comes.
Paul declares in Acts 24: 15:
' have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that
there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the
unjust.'
This same note is struck by Jesus in John 5:28 when He
declares that 'all' will hear His voice and in the next verse
expands on this by declaring that the 'all' includes both those
'who have done good and ..those who have done evil.'
WHAT?
What will our resurrection body look like? R A Finlayson
in his excellent book, 'God's light on man's destiny' states
that the Scriptures say ' very little about the night side of the
resurrection'. This is certainly an accurate comment. There is
very little record in the Bible as to what kind of body will be given
to the unbeliever when his body and soul are reunited on the
last day. We can but agree with Professor John Murray who
soberly commented:
' All we can say of the resurrection of the unjust is that they will
be raised from the dead, that their disembodied spirits will be
reunited with their bodies, that the integrity of personal life will
thus be reconstituted, and their bodies will be endowed with
qualities adapted to their eternal abode.'
Much more is said about the body that will be given to the
believer. Three qualities of this resurrection body are particularly
set before us.
It wiII be gIorious.
n Philippians 3: 20 and 21 Paul says:
'For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly
wait for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform
our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body,
according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all
things to Himself'.
As we contemplate this glorious body that will be given to us we
acknowledge that there is much that we do not yet understand
but undoubtedly one of the key aspects of this 'glory' will be a
total freedom form sin and failure. As John reminds us in 1 John
3: 2 ' we shall be like Him'. We shall resemble Christ Himself
in the sense that as He was completely conformed unto the
Father's will and without spot and blemish so we will be free from
sin in every way.
It wiII be SpirituaI.
Sometimes folks wonder how a body could be spiritual. s this
not a contradictory statement? But this is Biblical language. n
1 Corinthians 15: 44 Paul speaks about 'the spiritual body' which
we will receive at Christ's coming. He is surely thinking about
the fact that when our souls and bodies are reunited on the day
of resurrection we will be free from sin and utterly under the
control and direction of God's Holy Spirit. That same Spirit which
is at work in us now in sanctifcation will be wholly at work in us
then enabling us to be perfectly conformed unto the mind and
will of God.
It wiII be simiIar
As we contemplate what lies ahead for us we are excited at the
prospect of obtaining, by God's grace, such a wonderful body
glorious and spiritual. Will this body bear any resemblance to
the body have now? The answer must be a resounding 'yes'.
n 1 Corinthians 15: 42 44 Paul contrasts the body that we
now have with the body which we will receive on the last day.
The language he uses is signifcant. 't is sown.it is raised'
t's gardening language! The seed that you plant in the ground
bears little resemblance to the beautiful fower that grows up
from it. Yet there is an intrinsic relationship between the seed
sown and that fower which grows from it. n like manner there
is an intrinsic relationship between the body which we now have
and the body which Jesus will give to us when we come. There
is an essential element of continuity between what now am
and what will be as one who inhabits the new heavens and
the new earth. This is reassuring in relation to the vexed issue
of the recognition of our loved ones in heaven. J C Ryle in his
pamphlet, 'Shall we know one another in heaven?' is comforted
by the thought that 'the saints in heaven shall know one another.
They shall have the same body and the same character that they
had on earth a body perfected and transformed like Christ's
in his transfguration, but still the same body - a character
perfected and purifed from all sin, but still the same character.
But in the moment that we are saved shall meet our several
friends in heaven, we shall at once know them, and they will at
once know us.'
We look forward as those who are in Christ to seeing,
and recognising, our brothers and sisters in glory
but we look forward especially to seeing the Saviour
'who loved us and gave Himself for us'.
11
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'Christ Alone' is a huge subject and this is the briefest of
outlines. At Bible College our theology lecturer Rev James
Beggs often earnestly reminded us to hold the highest
possible view of Christ. This was tremendous advice. "Christ
Alone is the hub that holds all the other 'Solas' together;
it is the hinge upon which they swing; and it is the strong
foundation upon which they stand. t follows that our personal
view of Christ will infuence every part of our lives.
Some people believe that Jesus simply didn't exist and the
Bible isn't true. Others believe that Jesus was a real person,
the human son of Mary and Joseph. As such they view Him
as a good man, even a great man, but not the God-man. Still
others do believe that Jesus is the eternal virgin-born son of
God, but that this puts Him out of our reach - He is beyond
knowing personally. The Reformation however, rediscovered
the great reality that we can individually know Jesus as He is
revealed to us in the Scriptures.
For us to know more about Jesus there are many important
concepts to consider, two of which will examine here.
Firstly, Jesus humbled himself by coming to the earth this is
referred to as His Humiliation. Secondly Jesus' resurrection
from the dead and ascension into heaven is called His
Exaltation.
Jesus' Humiliation
Jesus humbled Himself throughout His entire life. He was
subject to the law which He perfectly fulflled. He was afficted
with the indignities of the world, temptations of Satan, and
infrmities in His fesh.
AA Hodge sets out some important points about Jesus'
humility in His coming:
"1. ...Jesus of Nazareth was a true man, possessing all
the essential properties of humanity, conceived by the
power of the Holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin Mary,
of her substance.
2. That he was absolutely without sin.
3. That he was no less very God, the eternal Son of the
Father.
4. That nevertheless this God and this man is one single
person.
5. That this personality is the eternal person of the divine
Son, who in time took a union with Himself.
6. That although one person, the divine and the human
natures in Christ are not mixed or confounded in
one, but remain two pure and distinct natures, divine
and human, constituting one person forever.
(Hodge, p. 138)
Jesus was also humbled in death. He was betrayed by Judas,
forsaken by His disciples, scorned and rejected by the world,
condemned by Pilate and by His persecutors. He clashed
with the terrors of death, along with the powers of darkness.
He felt and bore the weight of God's wrath; He laid down His
life an offering for sin, enduring the painful, shameful, and
cursed death of the cross; He was buried, continuing in the
state of death under the power of death till the third day.
Robert Campbell, who has recently
completed his theological studies at the
Whitefeld College of the Bible, has a
particular interest in rish Presbyterian and
Reformation Church History. Currently
residng in Londonderry with his wife and
young son, he also 'heads up' the Twelve
Stones Media Company. He has preached
in a number of EPC congregations. Robert
has recently developed an interesting
website detailing the history of some of our
Presbyterian forefathers check it out at www.irishworthies.org
Jesus' Exaltation
There are four parts to this concept: His resurrection,
ascension, sitting at the right hand of the Father, and His
coming again to judge the world.
His resurrection: the risen Lord Jesus was seen by and spoke
to many people after His resurrection. He rose from the dead
by His own power. Jesus possessed the same body that had
been nailed to the cross, and He is no longer liable to death.
His ascension: the Scriptures teach of His ascension - that 40
days after His resurrection He ascended into heaven, into the
presence of His Father.
His sitting at the right hand of the Father: "By Christ sitting
at the right hand of God is meant, His being exalted unto the
highest honour, and power, and favour in heaven.
(Vincent, p. 87)
His coming again as judge: when Jesus comes again He
shall judge the world. The one who was unjustly judged and
condemned by wicked men shall judge perfectly and justly.
Jesus shall come again at the last day in great power. He will
fully manifest His own glory. He will come with a shout, with
the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, to
judge the world in righteousness.
Next time we will fnally consider 'The Glory of God Alone'.
Bibliography
1647. Westminister Confesion of Faith Larger Catechism.
Hodge, A. A., 1869. The Confession of Faith. 1983 ed.
Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust.
Vincent, T., 2004. The Shorter Catechism Explained from
Scripture. Banner of Truth.
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12
n a time of great confusion and opposition in the
church, John under the inspiration of God the Holy
Spirit picks up his pen and writes his frst Epistle.
His reason for writing is given in 1 John 5:13:
"These things have written to you who believe
in the name of the Son of God, that you may
know that you have eternal life, and that you may
continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
What will reassure God's people? What is big
enough and sure enough to remove their doubts
and strengthen their faith? There is only one
answer: They must know the Gospel! 1John 1 is
all about the Gospel it answers the fundamental
question: "What is the Gospel?
First and foremost: The Gospel is a person.
Jesus is the Gospel! t's all about Christ! He is the
living Word of God.
John starts with Jesus being eternal: "That which
was from the beginning, it is an echo of John 1:1
"in the beginning was the Word and that echoed
Genesis 1:1 "n the beginning, God...
At the very beginning, even before the world was
called into existence, Jesus the Son of God existed.
He had no beginning. He is eternal. Jesus is the
second person of the glorious triune God.
But John goes on, Jesus is more than God! (t
sounds like heresy!) But this same Jesus became
a real man. John is crystal clear about it! Jesus
really did become a real man! " heard Him, saw
Him, watched Him says John. Remember, this is
John the beloved disciple, the one to whom Christ
entrusted his own mother while on the cross he
knew Jesus. " even touched Him! The God of
heaven made fesh. The same hands that wrote this
letter have handled the very Son of God. "Don't tell
me He's not real says John, " heard Him, saw
Him, watched Him and even handled Him!
Jesus Christ is eternal; Jesus Christ is historical,
and reading between the lines in these early verses
John is saying something wonderful
Jesus Christ is knowable!
John knows Him perhaps more than any other on
earth! And his life since Christ's ascension has had
one purpose, to proclaim Him so that others may
know Him too.
The Gospel is a person. The Gospel is Jesus Christ.
He is eternal, He is historical and He is knowable.
Do you know Him? You're reading a sermon in the
EP magazine: you probably know all about Jesus
Christ. You know He is divine, you know He is the
God-man. But do you know Him personally?
Do you hear Him by reading His words in the bible?
Do you listen to Him intently seeking to learn from
Him? Do you see Him with the eye of faith? Jesus
said "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet
have believed. Do you behold Him in the Lord's
Supper? Do you walk with Him close enough to be
touching? f yes, then you know Jesus Christ. You
know the person of the Gospel.
Secondly the Gospel is a Proclamation.
Three quick questions: 1. Who is proclaiming it?
Here it is John the Apostle. He is bearing witness of
the Lord Jesus Christ he has personal experience
of Him. He can declare the Gospel because he
knows Jesus! n fact all who know Jesus Christ
as Lord and Saviour are to declare Him. We are
commissioned to "Go into all the world and preach
the Gospel to every creature.
Bearing witness to Jesus Christ strengthens faith,
it brings assurance to our souls because the more
we speak of Christ, the more we know in our hearts
that He is real, He is the only Saviour, and He is my
Saviour.
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13
Robert comes from Co. Fermanagh, where
he was brought up on a dairy farm. After
studying Biology at Queen's University
Belfast, he worked in environmental
monitoring for the university for 8 years,
specialising in spiders. After working
one year as student worker in his home
congregation of Stranmillis, Robert
trained for the ministry in the Reformed
Presbyterian Theological College. He
became minister of Knock in January 2009.
2. Why is he proclaiming it? V3 and 4 provide us
with two answers: Fellowship and joy. John has the
big picture in view. Whilst the Gospel is proclaimed
for salvation, that is just the beginning of fellowship
with God Himself. But the gospel goes beyond
that: it provides the grounds for fellowship between
believers. On top of that it produces joy! Don't you
long for it! Where does it come from? Here it comes
from fellowship with God, with Christ, and with other
believers. John knows that these believers need
fellowship and joy so he brings the Gospel to
them.
3. What is this proclamation? f set you a
challenge to summarise the Gospel in just three
words, wonder what you'd write. Perhaps "God is
love or "Jesus is Saviour or "Jesus loves you, but
John in v5 writes "God is light.
He starts with God. t's a message from Him, and
it's a message about Him. There is no mysterious
hidden knowledge that we need to seek after,
because God is light, there is no darkness in Him
at all!
We don't need to break some ancient code or fnd
clues from past history to fnd out new information
about Jesus. God is light. God reveals himself to
us. t is in His very nature to reveal Himself. And He
does so primarily through His Son Jesus could
say to Philip: "he who has seen me has seen the
Father.
Because God is light, we are exposed as guilty
before Him. We cannot run and hide. His light
catches us and reveals just who we are. We are
sinners in the hands of an angry God. This is the
start of the Gospel and necessitates our last point.
Finally the Gospel is Propitiation.
1 John 2:2 says "and He Himself is the propitiation
for our sins. Jesus Christ is the believer's
propitiation. He is the one who turns away the anger
of God. He satisfes the wrath of God by bearing
our sins upon Himself on the cross. Without Christ
as our Saviour the wrath of God remains upon us.
Our sin arouses his holy anger and a holy God must
punish sin.
f we are to be saved then God must be propitiated.
Our sin has angered Him and His holy anger must
be satisfed. Jesus alone can propitiate the Father
for us, because only He has taken the barrier,
the flth and the guilt of our sins away, by dying in
our place.
And now the risen Christ is able to deal with our
present sin. n 2:1-2, we are urged to fee to our
Saviour. He alone is our Advocate He is our
defence lawyer. He pleads with the Father on
our behalf and He has never lost a case. That's
because Christ Himself has satisfed the Father, by
paying the price for our sin.
You've sinned already today, that much is certain
but have you been in touch with your advocate
today? Have you confessed your sin before Him?
Don't try denying your sin but be quick to confess it,
and know His cleansing and pardon afresh.
This is the Gospel says John.
Pardon for sins and a peace
that endureth!
We have an Advocate who is the propitiation for our
sins. We have a proclamation; a message to tell, a
message that is clear and bright like God Himself.
Most fundamentally, we have a Person, One who
is eternal, and historical and knowable we have a
Saviour, Jesus Christ.
n a world of confusion and opposition, the whole
world (2:2) needs this same Jesus. There is only
one Gospel, One Lord Jesus Christ. The whole
world must know this Jesus, if they are to be saved.
14
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CS Lewis A Life RRP: 20.00 Our Price: 17.50
Author: Alister McGrath
Publisher: Hodder
Published: 2012
384 pages, paperback
work in an offce block in the centre of Belfast where three of the foors are each named after a "creative Ulsterman; Oscar Wilde, Thomas
Andrews and CS Lewis. How is that Lewis reaches the parts other Christian writers/apologists cannot? Alister McGrath, himself of Belfast
extraction and an Anglican who is also an academic (formerly Oxford, currently London), is better placed than most to tackle this question.
What has McGrath added to the considerable body of writing about Lewis?
A plausible new dating of the "process of Lewis' conversion (the key points remain, it happened and there was a signifcant time gap
between his acceptance that God existed and his belief that Jesus was Christ).
A fair consideration of the major faws in his pre-conversion life and character. Not just the relationship with Mrs. Moore, but how the young
Lewis abused the fnancial generosity of his father.
There is some evidence that Joy Davidman's purpose in coming to England was precisely to "move in on Lewis (McGrath's words).
Having said that, McGrath argues she then became a major spur to his creativity.
Just how diffcult Lewis's fnal years were; apart from bereavement and his own illnesses, the threat of a large tax bill given his book royalties.
McGrath, convincingly, absolves Lewis of many of the allegations that he was a misogynist. Compared to 1940s-50s Oxford he was probably
relatively accepting of women academics/writers (e.g. his acceptance that Elizabeth Anscombe had demolished some of his philosophical
defence of Christianity).
Lewis was a frm opponent of vivisection.
Lewis stood full square on orthodox, Credal Christianity ("mere Christianity- incidently, he borrowed that phrase from Richard Baxter). He
was no conservative evangelical (or Reformed person). McGrath notes how some (American) fundamentalists condemned Lewis (although,
one of the themes of McGrath's book is how after Lewis' death much of US evangelicalism and parts of the US Roman Catholic church fell in
love with Lewis). McGrath mentions Lloyd-Jones' considerable reservations about Lewis.
Any frustrations about this book? Yes, a few:
A minor one, tantalisingly, early in the book McGrath offers some observations about Lewis' sense of (national) identify- rish and/or English
etc. He does not bring this to a conclusion. hope readers in this part of the world will be amused by the Lewis quotation on page 10,
"[Ulster].is very beautiful and if only could deport the Ulstermen and fll their land with a populace of my choosing, should ask for no
better place to live in.
The account of Lewis' conversion feels like a bit of a black box to me (but then, how can any third party adequately describe the workings of
the Holy Spirit in someone else's life?). believe in Romans 10:13-14 but how was the Truth "preached to Lewis? McGrath is probably right
that it came indirectly through Lewis' reading of pre-modern English literature which was saturated by a Christian worldview (alongside some
positive infuence from Lewis' then friend, the Catholic JRR Tolkien who introduced Lewis to the interesting concept that Christianity was the
ultimate "true myth).
n 'C.S. Lewis: A Life', McGrath has produced a fair, detailed, scholarly yet readable account.
Esmond Birnie (Belfast)
'I wish Jesus hadn't said that.but I'm really glad he did.' RRP: 8.99 Our Price: 6.75
Author: Steve Timmis (IVP)
Publisher: VP
Published: 2012
160 pages, paperback
'Let's face it, sometimes being a follower of Jesus can be inconvenient.' With these words, Steve Timmis introduces his short book (156 pages)
on some of the challenging statements and commands of Jesus. n each chapter he outlines the context of Jesus' words, explores why we fnd
them diffcult, and suggests how we might apply them, before concluding that ' may wish Jesus hadn't said that, but 'm really glad he did.'
Throughout the book he is refreshingly honest about himself, and peppers it with illustrations, some of which didn't appreciate, not being a
fan of popular culture. He covers sayings, such as Love your neighbour, Love your enemies, You cannot serve both God and money, and Be
alert! You do not know when the time will come, using them to discuss a range of subjects including materialism, relationships, and the second
coming. Particularly helpful (and challenging) are the chapters on persecution and Here are my mother and brothers, in which Timmis considers
the church as a family. As read, wondered why most churches know do not represent the family ideal, and what we could do about it. This is
the purpose of the book: to make us pause over some of the sayings of Jesus that we too readily dismiss, and ask how we should obey them.
This book is easily read, and deeply Biblical. t would make an excellent resource for small group discussion, or even a series of sermons. 'm
glad Steve Timmis wrote it!
By the way, did you know that the most important word in the great commission is 'therefore?!'
Michael Thompson (Dungannon)
15
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What Every Christian Needs to Know About the Qu'ran' RRP: 11.99 Our Price: 9.99
Author: James White
Publisher: Bethany House
Published:
240 pages, paperback
Those familiar with Dr. White's previous books will know that they are written in an engaging, well researched style, and are benefcial to
those that read them. 'What Every Christian Needs to Know About The Qur'an', is no exception. n just over 200 pages, this important topic is
covered in a very readable and digestible manner. The slamic contention is that the Qur'an was given by God to the prophet Muhammed via
the Angel Gabriel, and is therefore the very words of God himself. Dr. White challenges this assertion by examining the Qur'an to see if this
claim of 'Divine perfection' stands. n the 4th chapter, for example, on the Qur'an and the Trinity, Dr White points out that the Qur'an defnes the
Trinity as God, Jesus and Mary, yet no christian has ever believed this. So how could a book, that came from God, make such an erroneous
statement? The book goes on to discuss Jesus,The Cross, Salvation etc in the Qur'an. n chapter 10 Dr. White discusses some of the various
parallel accounts contained in the Qur'an of the same event and contrasts them. eg What did Lot say to the people of Sodom? The Qur'an
has four differing accounts of this. Dr White asks, "f God narrated it perfectly in the frst account, why alter it in the second? He goes on to
say, The same Muslims who say differences in the Gospels are evidence of their unreliability rarely if ever consider that the Qur'an contains
parallel accounts of the same events that differ in detail, order, and content. The book is not written in a combative, condemnatory fashion
but rather in a friendly,thought provoking, informative way with Christian/Muslim dialogue in mind and evangelism as its ultimate goal. This
book could be given to a Muslim friend to read without fear of offence. Dr. White, who is Director of Alpha and Omega Ministries, and an elder
at Phoenix Reformed Baptist Church, is at the forefront of Christian Apologetics and has debated many leading Muslim apologists. He has
provided a great resource for Christians seeking to understand slam and witness the truth of the Gospel to Muslims. The book, by publisher's
choice, follows an endnote format rather than footnotes on each page, but these are at the end of each chapter, which is defnitely more user
friendly than being at the end of the book. There's also a glossary of Arabic terms used throughout the text. All in all, a great book. Highly
recommended.
Paul Carson (Belfast)
Follow Me, A call to die, A call to live. RRP: 9.99 Our Price: 8.99
Author: David Platt
Publisher:
Published:
245 pages, paperback
The apostle Paul encourages us to examine ourselves, to see whether we are in the faith, 2 Cor 13:5. imagine this verse would have been
in the mind of David Platt when he set about writing this stirring, encouraging, but also frightening book. Packed full of real life examples and
illustrations, as well as numerous bible verses, it is both easy to read and edifying for the soul.
As the author of the New York Times bestseller, "Radical, David Platt has written "Follow Me as an explanation of the logical next step in the
life of a true Christian. He argues that "Radical was focusing on worldly values that we need to let go in order to turn to Christ. "Follow Me
then is focusing on what Christians should cling to, and is in essence examining what the true Christian life should look like.
The author attempts to address what he sees as problematic misconceptions in the Christian church today. He looks at the deception of the
simplicity of becoming a Christian, examining commonly used phrases such as "asking Jesus into your heart and criticising them for leading
many people into a false sense of eternal security. He also examines the desires of a true Christian, for example to be involved in a loving
and edifying Church environment and to be naturally outspoken regarding a love for Christ, with a true and deep desire for all those who are
lost around us. He looks at what it really means to be children of God a topic of great blessing to the true believer's soul. He looks at the
misconception of seeking after "God's will, arguing that God's will does not have to be sought after like some heavenly mystery. Rather, it is to
seek out how God wants us to be involved in making disciples of all nations. ndeed, this phrase "making disciples is used often throughout the
book. He explains that this is the central role for any Christian, and points out that it is not just numbers of conversions, but seeing people grow
in their faith that is the true Christian's aim.
At times was surprised and made to feel uncomfortable by the frank nature of some of this book. However, these feelings were being evoked
in me because much of it was very true, and directly challenging. t gets to the very core of what it is to be a follower of Jesus. Platt reminds us
clearly that it is certainly not a life of superfcial religion that is undertaken after saying "the sinner's prayer. As Paul says, it is good for us to
examine ourselves, to see if we are in the faith. Are you willing to do this? This book will certainly help!
Mark Thompson (Belfast)
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C/ristiur cxpcricrcc urd t/c 9ubbut/ ucrds ur
cxccIIcrt cppcrturitg tc wcct tcgct/cr rct crcc
but tvicc.
O ccursc t/crc urc ct/cr uctcrs t/ut vc rccd
tc ccrsidcr us vcII. T/c wcrc ccwirg tcgct/cr cr
vcrs/ip is rct ir itscI rcccssuriIg gcirg tc iwprcvc
cur vuIk vit/ Qcd. wc rccd tc /uvc t/c rig/t
uttitudc c /curt. wc rccd tc spcrd scwc tiwc
prugirg bccrc vc gc tc t/c scrvicc urd crsurc t/ut
vc'rc rct just gcirg tc vcrs/ip bccuusc it's v/ut
vc uIvugs dc. T/c psuIwist dcIig/tcd ir gcirg tc
t/c /cusc c Qcd[PsuIw 8+}. 9iwiIur uttitudcs c
dcIig/t urd jcg wust c/uructcrisc us. Tcc ctcr vc
gc tc wcct vit/ Qcd cut c u burc scrsc c dutg cr
truditicr cr scwc ct/cr rcuscr.
Nc vcrdcr vc dcr't gct t/ut wuc/ cut c t/c
scrviccs. Prcpuruticr urd uttitudc c /curt urc
vituI.
Ncv Hcrbcrt, bccrc cIcsc - v/cr urc gcu gcirg
tc cuII vit/ Cgrt/iu. wc /uvcr't wct /cr gct.
CuII sccr
T/c Rcv'