The Marhs of the Church.

and the Means of Grace

Reformed theology has always
maintained that there are three specific
marks of a true church ofjesus Christ:
the true preaching of the Word of God.
the proper administration of the
sacraments. and the faithful exercise of
church diSCipline (a fourth mark.
church government. is sometimes
listed). Louis Berkhof. Manual of
Christian Doctline. pp. 285-287. The
latter mark. church discipline. is one
of the ways by which "the church
will ... be purified." The WCF XXXlV.4.
The former two marks.
along with prayer. which
has been studied in chapter
three. are also considered
to be "means of grace." by
which Christians grow in
their relationship with the
Triune God. SCriptural
support for this telminology
- "means of grace"-can
be found in 2 Peter 3: 18.
where the apostle enjoins
Christians to "grow by
means of grace." The Greek
en chariti. used here by
Peter. is an instlUmental dative. As
stated in the Shorter Catechism (Q
88). "The outward and ordinary means
whereby Christ communicateth to us
the benefits of redemption. are His
ordinances. especially the Word.
sacraments. and prayer; all which are
made effectual to the elect for salvation."
This work of grace is canied out by
the Spirit. In the Westminster
Confession (XIV. I) we read that: "The
grace of faith .. .is the work of the Spirit
of Chlist ... and is ordinarily wrought
by the ministty of the Word: by which
also. and by the administration of the
sacraments. and prayer. it is increased
and strengthened." Here the
ConfeSSion. in RefOlmed tradition.
properly maintains that the Word of
God is the most important means of
grace. because it stands on its own; itis
complete. The Word of God. when
made effective by the Spirit. both begets
and strengthens faith. Thesacraments.
on the other hand. are not complete
without the Word. They do not beget
faith. they only strengthen it. The Word
creates the sacraments. not vice-versa.
Tile Holy Spirit alld
The Word of God
In chapter two we saw that the
Spilit is the author of Sctipture. He is
that member of the Trinity by whom
"holy menofGod ... [were] moved along:
so that they infallibly insClipturated the
A STUDY OF THE PERSON AND WORK
OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
BASED ON THE WESTMINSTER STANDARDS
Bible (2 Pet. 1:20.21). But the Spirit is
also the illuminator. interpreter. and!
orteacher o[Scripture (l Cor. 2:6-16).
Non-believers may read and
understand what the Bible says Oas.
2: 19). but they never acquiesce to. or
put their tlUst in the whole lluth as
revealed in SClipture. They have no
"spiritual"understanding (l Cor. 2: 14).
The Sphit is the one who works in
lost. elect sinners. to give them
(spiritual) ears to hear and (spiritual)
eyes to see the tlUth of God in Christ.
It is "the Spirit of Christ" who enables
the elect "to believe to the saving of
their souls." The Westminster
ConfessionofFaithXIV.l. He produces
belief in the their minds.
A compalison of Matt. 11:25-27;
13:16.17; and 16:17, with 1 Peter 1:10-
12; and Rev. 2:7.11,17,29; 3:6.13.22.
shows that the Father gives this saving
grace (economically spealdng) through
the work of the Holy Spirit. This is
what the Bible calls the "anointing
from the Holy One" (l In. 2:20.27).
Says John Calvin. it is the Spilit
who "must form the earto hear and the
mind to understand" the Word of God;
He alone gives life to the Scriptures.
John Calvin. Institutes 11:2:20;
CommentalY Oil John 15:27.
As noted above. this is also the
doctrine of the Westminster divines.
"The grace of [saving] faith .. .is the
work of the Spirit of Chlist in
their [the elect] heans. and is
ordinarily wrought by the
ministry of the Word: "He
[the Spirit] gives efficacy to
the Word." The Westminster
Confession of Faith XIV. 1;
XXXIV.4.
The same Spilit who uses
the Word to draw elect
sinners into a saving
relationship with Jesus
Christ. also spiritually
nourishes them in the Word
(1 Pet. 2: 1-3; 1 Tim. 4:6).
The Bible is spilitual food and drink
for God's children (Heb. 5:11-14); it is
necessary fortheir sanctification (2 Th.
2: 13). "Sclipture is ... the source of
spiritual nourishment. It is so by union
with Christthrough His Word. in which
He is found to be the Bread of Ufe:
Sinclair B. Ferguson.John Owen on the
C/llistian Life, p. 200.
Too. the Spirit uses the Bible to guide
Christians into all lluth On. 14:26;
16:13.14). This is the way. the only way.
that He guides people today. Pieter
Potgieter wlites: "Evelyone who knows
Christ as his redeemer. has the Holy
Spirit ashis guide; He leads him on his
way through the tlUth of Holy Scripture.
TIlis is exactly the reason why God gave
us His Word in Wlitten form." Pieter C.
Potgieter. Victmy: 1lle WOlkoJ p. 10.
November, 1993 THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon 17
We saw in chapter two, that with
the close of the canon of Scripture,
extra-biblical special revelation ceased
(l Cor. 13:8-13). God still speaks to
His people in His Word, but never
apart from it. Thus, it is in Scripture
alone that the Spirit leads, guides, and
directsHispeople(jn.16:13-15;Rom.
8:14; Gal. 5:18)
Along this line, R.c. Sproul writes:
"The Holy Spirit may be distinguished
from the Word, but to separate the
Word and the Spirit is
spiritually fatal. The Holy
As the Spirit teaches believers the
Word of God inscripturated, He
transforms them into its image, which
is the character of Christ, the Word of
God incarnate (cp, 2 Cor. 3:6-18;Jn.
1:1- 3,14; 2 Th, 2:13; see also Pss,
1:2,3; 19:7-11; 119), Prayer for the
Spirit to effectively minister the Word
to one's heart, soul, and mind, and to
build him up in the faith is essential to
Christian growth, The Larger
Catechism (Q 157) states: "The holy
Christ [salvation]; ofconfonntngthem
to His image, and subduing them to
His will; of strengthening them against
temptations and corruptions; of
building them up in grace, and
establishing their hearts in holiness
and comfort through faith unto [full!
complete] salvation [sanctification]."
Douglas Kelly cites Charles
Spurgeon as stating that the preaching
of the Word of God is like "letting a
lion loose. " But, says Kelly, asimpqrtant
Spirit teaches, leads, and
speaks to us through the
Word and. with the Word,
not apart from or against the
Word ... The Word of God is
~ s the Spirit teaches
believers the Word of God
as the preaching of the Word
is, it is not enough in itself.
Each believer must get his
dailyportionofHolyScripture
as spiritual nourishment. Here
we find the "Spirit's presence"
the Spirit's Word ... The Word
is truth; it is the Spirit's truth."
R.c. Sproul, The Mystery of
the Holy Spirit, p. 12l.
This is an important
concept forus to grasp'. There
inscripurated, He
transforms them into
its image, which is the
character of Christ, the
Word of God incarnate."
is so, much teaching in
Christian circles today
regarding the Spirit's
guidance through an inner light, or a
mystical experience, Such thinking is
irrational; it is sub-biblit:al. Neither
can the conscience be OUr guide. The
Bible warns us that the conscience has
been seared by sin (l Tim, 4:2), It is
untrustworthy. The conscience must
be held captive by the Word of God. A
good conscience is one which has been
purified' by the Spirit and trained by
Scripture (Heb. 9:14: 10:22; 1]n.3:18-23).
in its richest sense. And when
we spenc\ this daily time with
God in His Word, anc\ in
prayer, we "let loose forces in
our lives as powerful as a lion."
DouglasF, Kelly,ifGodAlready
Knows, Why Pray?, pp. 191-
.197.
, The Confession (1,6) is very clear
on this point: "The whole counsel of
God, concerning all things necessary
for His own glory, man's salvation,
faith, and life, is either set down in
Scripture, or by good and necessary
consequence may be deduced from
Scripture: unto which nothing at any
time is to be added, whether by new
revelations of the Spirit, or traditions
of men."
Scrtptures are to be read with an high
and reverent esteem of them; with a
finn persuasion that they are the very
Word of God, and that He only can
enable us to understand them ... [and
they are to be read] with meditation,
application, self-denial, and prayer."
Thus, the Westminster divines
stressed, not only individual study (Ps.
1:2,3; Josh, 1:8), but especially the
preaching of the Word (2 Tim. 4:2; Tit.
2: 1) as a mark of a true church and a
means of grace. They realized that this
was the Spirtt's principle tool in the
whole work of salvation (ordo salutis),
The Larger Catechism (Q 155) states:
"The Spirit of God maketh the
reading, but especially the preaching
of the Word, an effectual means of
enlightening, convincing, and
humbling sinners; of driving them OUl
of themselves, and drawing them untO
18 '" THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon t November, 1993
With this the Westminster
divines wholly concur. If the
Word of God is going to be effectual in
our lives, then, "we must attenc\
thereunto with C\iligence, preparation,
and prayer; receive it with faith and
love, layit up in our hearts, anc\ practise
it in our lives." The WestminsterShoner
Catechism, Q 90.
It shoulc\ be notec\ that Reformec\
theology c\istinguishes between two
parts in the Worn of God as a "means
of grace": law anc\ gospel. As we saw in
the third chapter, there are three uses
of the law: pec\agogical, political, and
pattern. First, the law conviCts men of
sin, brtngs them to a recognition of
their need for a Savior, and becomes
theirtutorto lead them to Christ (Rom.
3:20; Gal. 3:24). Second, the law
restrains sinners. And thirn, the law
becomes the pattern by which man is
to live. The gospel, on the other hand,
is the "good news' that the cross work
ofjesus Christ has merited salvation in
behalf of the elect 0 Cor. 15:3,4; Rom.
1:16,17).
Although there is a biblical
distinction between law and gospel,
there is no radical dichotomy. They are
to be distinguished, but not separated;
they are inextricably related. As stated
in the Confession (XIX,?), "Neither,
are the forementioned uses of the law
contrary to the grace of the gospel, but
do sweetly comply with it; the SpiJit of
Christ subduing and enabling the will
of man to do that freely and cheerfully
which the will of God revealed in the
law requireth to be done."
The Holy Spirit and the Sacraments
Accordingto the Shorter Catechism
(Q 92), a sacrament is a "holy ordinance
instituted by Chlist, wherein, by
sensible signs, Christ, and the benefits
of the New Covenant, are represented,
sealed, and applied to believers." Calvin
quotes Augustine with approval in
calling the sacraments visible signs of
certain inward graces. John Calvin,
Institutes IV: 14: 1.
As seen above, the Westminster
divines maintain that the sacraments
are also means of grace. But they are a
lesser means than is the Word. The
latter is com p1ete in itself, the
sacraments are not.
In this, Reformed theology is in
radical contradistinction to the teaching
of Roman Catholicism. Rome teaches
that the sacraments contain all that is
necessary for salvation. They work,
says Rome, ex opere operato (Le., "from
the work done"). That is, the sacrament
itself is the efficient cause of the
operation of grace in the life of the
recipient. Not so, say the Westminster
Standards: "The grace which is
exhibited in or by the sacraments,
rightly used, is not conferred by any
power in them ... [rather, it depends]
upon the work of the SpiIit, and the
Word of institution; which contains
together with a precept authOrizing
the use thereof, a promise ofbenerit to
worthy receivers." The Westminster
Confession of Faith XXVII,3; SC, Q 91.
In the New Testament era there are
two sacraments: baptism (Mt. 28:19)
and the Lord's Supper (Lle 22: 14-20).
These two are the same in substance as
the two Old Testament sacraments
which they replaced or fulfilled:
circumcision and the Passover (Col.
2:11,12; 1 Cor. 5:7; 10:1-4). In each
sacrament, it is the SpiJit who blings
about a "sacramental union" between
the element (Le., water, and bread and
wine) and that which it signifies (the
baptism of the Spirit into union with
Jesus Christ, and the body and blood
of Christ). Thus, through this Holy
SpiJit(ual) union, the believer receives
spiJitual nourishment, by faith, when
he partakes of the elements, because
therein, "Christ, and the benefits of the
New Covenant, are represented, sealed,
and applied to believers." The
Westminster Shorter Catechism, Q 92.
Water baptism is a sign and seal of
one's entering into a covenant
relationship with God, through Jesus
Chlist. It is symbolic of the baptism of
the Holy Spirit, into union with Chlist,
as in salvation (Lk. 3: 16; Tit. 3:5,6).
Robert Shaw Wlites that "the outward
sign represents the blood and SpiJit of
Chlist. .. As water has a cleansing virtue
for removing defilements from the
body, so the blood of Chlist removes
the guilt of sin and cleanses the defiled
conscience, and the Spirit of Christ
pmifies the soul from the pollution of
sin." Robert Shaw, An Exposition oj the
Conjession oj Faith, p. 285.
As water baptism represents one's
entering into union with Christ, as in
salvation, it is only to be administered
once, and in the name of the Tliune
God (Mt. 28:19).
The Lord's Supper, on the other
hand, is a sign and seal of one's abiding
in a covenant relationship with God,
through Christ. It symbolizes the
process of sanctification, as by faith we
feed on Christ's body and blood for
nomishment and growth in Him (Lk.
22:14-20; 1 Cor. 10:16,17; 11:23-26).
Therefore, it is to be taken frequently.
Jesus Christ is not present in a
corporeal fashion at the Lord's Supper,
as in Rome's doctrine of
Transubstantiation, orin the Lutheran's
Consubstantiation. Rather, He is
present spiritually, wherem the "wonhy
receivers [of the Supper] are, not after
a corporal and carnal manner, but by
faith, made partakers of His body and
blood, with all His benefits, to their
spiritual nourishment, and growth in
grace." The Westminster Shorter
Catechism, Q 96; see also John Calvin,
Institutes IV: 17: 12,26.
At the same time, however, we must
point out that the presence of Christ at
the Supper, though spiritual, is a real
presence. That is, as Calvin correctly
teaches, it is the whole Christ which is
given in the sacrament, not just a part
of Him. As stated in chapter three, the
union that believers have with Christ is
with the person, the divine and human
natures being inseparable. Yet, there is
no "carnal mixture" of Christ's flesh
with the recipient.- Ronald Wallace,
Calvin's Doctrine oj the Word and
Sacrament, pp. 199-203.
In this sense, says the Shorter
Catechism (Q 91), the Lord's Supper,
as with baptism, becomes an effectual
means of grace, "not from any vinue in
them ... but only by the blessing of
Christ, and the working of His Spirit in
them that by faith receive them."
Interestingly, John Calvin, John
Owen, and Jonathan Edwards all
believed the Lord's Supper to be so
essential for one's spiritual growth,
that they strongly recommended a
weekly Communion service. John
Calvin, Institutes IV: I 7:43; John Owen,
Works, Vol. XV, p. 512; John H.
Gerstner, The Theology oj Jonathan
Edwards, p. 72.0
November, 1993 THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon 19