Union with Christ Joseph (Part2) The Crucifixion: Mark 15

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The Covenant of Works

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Philippians 1 v 9-11
 CONTENTS
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Theme verses He lost his coat, but kept his character.
Philippians 1:9-11
Joseph (Part 2)
Editor

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The Crucif ixion: Mark 15
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Marcus Hobson The Covenant of Works
Jeff Ballantine
Heather Watson and the Christian Life (Part 2)


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FIRST WORD
In a valiant but ultimately futile attempt to fight off the
encroaching signs of middle age, I have taken to doing a
fair amount of running recently. Of a Saturday morning
I can often be found huffing and puffing my way around
the country lanes surrounding Crumlin, struggling to
keep going!
In various places, the Bible uses the image of running
as a picture of the Christian life. The Christian life is like
a long distance race; we need endurance to keep going.
Sometimes, when the going is particularly tough, we can
feel like we just want to stop, and give up. Maybe that is
how you feel even now.
In Hebrews 12:1-2, the writer gives us some good advice
about how to keep on going in the Christian life, so that
we can “run with endurance the race that is set before
us”.
1) Remember those who have gone before you!
As Christians today, we are not the first ones to run
this race. The writer says that we are surrounded by “a
crowd of witnesses”. He’s talking about believers who
have gone before us, and finished the race themselves.
They have kept going to the end, through all the ups and
downs of the Christian life. They persevered, and they
reached the finish line.
That should be a big encouragement to us as we seek
to live the Christian life. Remember those who have
gone before you! In chapter 11, the writer tells us about
many Old Testament believers who kept going to the
end. Perhaps you can also think of older Christians
who are now in heaven. Perhaps Christian parents,
or older Christian friends, or ministers you know from
years ago, and indeed the founding fathers of our own
denomination. What a great thing that they kept going
and finished the race! So keep going, just like they did! If
they got to the finish line, so can you!
2) Lay aside every hindrance
Running long distances is difficult at the best of times,
but imagine trying to run for miles and miles whilst
wearing a pair of heavy jeans and a woolly jumper, and
carrying a suitcase! Or imagine you ate lots of junk food
and chocolate, and put on an extra couple of stones
which you have to carry with you in the race. It would
make it all so much harder. You need to lay aside those
things.
In a similar way, the writer to the Hebrews tells us that
if we are going to run this race of the Christian life, we
need to lay aside certain things. He says, “let us also lay
aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely.”
Perhaps the writer has in mind, first of all, things that
are not wrong in themselves, but which become a
distraction to us and keep us from running hard in the
Christian life. And certainly, he wants us to turn away
from certain sins which cling to us and trip us up and
make us falter in the Christian life. By God’s grace, lay
those things aside so that you can keep going strong as
a Christian.
Thirdly and finally, the key piece of advice that we must
listen to is this: keep looking to Jesus!
3) Keep looking to Jesus!
If the struggles we face as Christians are difficult
enough, then just consider what Jesus faced. For Jesus,
remaining obedient to his Father meant going to the
cross, where he would suffer the punishment for all of
his people’s sin, once and for all. Yet Jesus “endured the
cross, despising the shame”. Now, Jesus is in the place of
glory! He rose again from the dead, and is seated at the
right hand of the throne of God.
Anyone who looks to Jesus in faith can know that all
of their sin is forgiven because of what Jesus did at the
cross, and one day they will go to be with him in glory
too. They will cross the finish line, and enter into the joy
of glory, with Jesus. Keep looking to Jesus, and all that he
has done; he will get you safely home!
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 Union with Christ

W hen we hear the word “union,” perhaps we

think of marriage, trade unions, plumbing or
even electricity. All these involve union. Marriage joins
two people in heart, mind and body. Trade unions join
workers together. Plumbing joins pipes. Electricity is
about joining wires, united to a source of power. In all
these things, when the union is broken, nothing works.
The union is the all-important thing.

The words “union with Christ” describe a great Bible

truth that is precious to all Christians. It is surprising
how often union with Christ is mentioned in Scripture,
especially in the letters of Paul. For example, in the
book of Ephesians the words “in Christ,” “with Christ,”
and “through Christ,” are mentioned 38 times. That’s a
lot! In just six chapters! In Philippians the term occurs
21 times and in Colossians 22. This is surely evidence
that in the mind of Paul, union with Christ is a central
truth. The idea is also found in the Old Testament in
the great covenant promise God made to Abraham in
Genesis 12, when he said, “In you (in union with you)
shall all the families of the earth be blessed.”

But, what does it mean to be “in Christ”, or in “union

with Christ”? Here are some illustrations:
Christ is like our “home” where believers live. We live
in Christ like we live in a house. Christ is where we find
God’s salvation. Where we find all the blessings like
forgiveness, peace, joy, assurance of God’s love and
the promise of glory.

Or to look at it in another way, Christ is a great

reservoir holding the blessings God has for his people,
and because believers are joined to Christ and linked
to Him, those blessings flow to us. We are joined to
Jesus in such a way that all God’s blessings flow to us
through Jesus.

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When we turn on the water taps in our houses, water
We have seen in Ephesians 1:4 that our union with
comes out because up in the mountains there is a
Christ goes back before the creation of the world. But
reservoir, and our water taps are joined by hundreds
how can that be? We did not exist before the creation
of miles of pipes to that reservoir. You could say, our
of the world. But the Bible says we were in God’s mind
houses are in union with the reservoir. In the same
and plan and when he thought of us, he thought of us
way, we too as believers are joined to Christ, the source
as being in relationship with him through our union
of our relationship with God, and the tap is always open
with his Son, to whom he had given us before creation.
for us to draw from Christ.
Listen to John 17:2 where Jesus says, “Father, you
granted me authority over all people so that I might
This is how our union with Christ works: When we are
give eternal life to all those whom You have given me.”
in trouble we cry out to God and because we are united
Amazing words! Before the world was ever made God
to Christ, the power of God flows to us by the Holy
gave us to Jesus. Even before we existed! That’s not a
Spirit, as we believe God’s promises. Through faith it
theory, that’s what Jesus said. That’s where our union
reaches us, meets our need, whatever that need may
with Christ began, back in eternity, before the world
be: comfort, protection, strength, etc. There is a real
was created. Eventually, when we would be born we
and living connection, by believing, and by the Holy
would share in the blessings of his Son Jesus. We would
Spirit. That is the essence of the Christian life.
share in what Jesus would accomplish by his birth, his
life, his death and his resurrection. We would share
Paul teaches this great truth in the first two chapters
in all the benefits that would come from the work
of Ephesians. He uses this term “in Christ” no less than
of Christ. And that was all in the plan of God before
22 times in these first two chapters. Every time we see
creation. What an amazing thing it is to be a Christian!
the words “in Christ” we can read “in union with Christ”.
Take a look; it is mentioned in almost every verse! This
2. What did our union with Jesus look like when
is a most important truth because it is the basis of our
Jesus came to earth?
relationship with God. Jesus said in John 15:5 “Without
me you can do nothing.” You cannot have a relationship
When Jesus came to earth to carry out his work of
with God apart from union with Christ.
redemption he represented us. When Jesus came to
earth, he perfectly obeyed God’s law, so because we
In this article we are going to trace our union with Christ
are united to Christ, God now looks on us believers
through the ages, by asking and answering 4 questions
as if we had perfectly obeyed His law. In Rom 5:19
... from the Scriptures, mainly from Ephesians, Romans,
we read “By one man’s obedience many will be made
Galatians, and the gospel of John.
righteous.” God dealt with our sins as if they were
Christ’s sins. Remember, we had not yet been born or
1. Where did our union with Christ begin?
had yet committed our sins, but when Jesus came to
earth, God looked on our sins as belonging to Christ
Now here is an amazing truth: God is involved with us,
because he had already united us with Christ.
not just during our lives on earth, but he is involved
with us from eternity past to eternity future. His
When Christ died on the cross at Calvary, God thought
relationship with us is eternal and our union with Christ
of us as having died. Paul says “our old self was
is the basis of that relationship. Look at Ephesians 1:4
crucified with him.” (Rom 6:6) “I have been crucified
“He chose us in Christ,” that is, “in union with Christ”
with Christ, and I no longer live.” (Gal 2:20) Do we know
before the creation of the world, and looking ahead
and experience this union with Christ in our lives on
into the future, the book of Revelation 20 tells us that
a daily basis? If today we live carelessly and selfishly,
we shall reign in union with Christ for all eternity. Our
how can we say we are united to Christ? A life united
union with Christ is the basis for our entire relationship
to Christ should look like this: “I no longer live but Christ
with God, past, present and future. Amazing!
lives in me, and the life I now live in the body I live by
faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself
It is very important that we understand the meaning of
for me” (Gal 2:20)
this union, because it will help us to be patient in trials,
confident of our status as Christians and optimistic
about our future. It will change the way we think about
ourselves day by day.

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 When Jesus was buried, God looked on us as being
buried with Jesus, and when Jesus was resurrected we
too were raised up and we too were seated in heaven
in union with Christ. That is the truth that Paul teaches
in the following scriptures...

Romans 6:4 - “We were therefore buried with him

through baptism into death in order that just as Christ
was raised from the dead through the glory of God the
Father we too may live a new life.”

Ephesians 2:6 - “God raised us up with Christ and

seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ
Jesus.”

Colossians 3:1-3 – “Since then you have been raised

with Christ, set your hearts on things above where
Christ is seated. For you died and your life is now
hidden in union with Christ in God.”

By the time Christ returned to heaven, even though

we had still not yet been born, all the benefits of our
salvation had already been achieved for us by Jesus.
In the mind of God, all these blessings were rightfully
ours, just as if we had earned them ourselves. Because
of our union with Christ they were stored up for us in
Christ, waiting to be applied to us in our lives when we
believed.

3. What does union with Christ look like in our

lives right now?

Now that we have been born and we exist as real

people in the world, our union with Christ is not just in
God’s plan, it is now a present reality. It has happened.
“And you also were included in Christ when you heard
the Word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having
believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the
promised Holy Spirit.” (Eph 1:13-14)

In any union there is something flowing from one to

the other, current flows in electricity, water in pipes,
love in a marriage. Similarly, in our union with Christ
there is a two way flow. Christ communicates with us
through the Holy Spirit in Word, and we communicate
with him by faith, believing his promises. So in this
present life, in union with Christ, we continue to die to
the old life of sin and rise up in union with Christ to a
new life of righteousness. This began for us, when we
first believed in Jesus. But for God it began way back
in eternity.

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All our living is to be done “in Christ.” We have no life
of our own. There has been a dramatic change in the
realm in which we live. We have entered the kingdom
of Christ and the power of the kingdom affects every
part of our lives. Every day, every hour. Everything we
do must be done in union with Christ, by depending and
trusting in Jesus, and by the power of the Holy Spirit
in us.
Here are some of the things the NT says we have to do
in union with the Lord:
We must speak the truth “in Christ.” We are to be
strong “in the Lord” and in his mighty power. We are to
rejoice “in the Lord,” to work hard “in the Lord.” Indeed
we are told we can do everything “through Christ” who
gives us strength. (Phil 4:13)
Jesus himself shows us what union with him should
look like in our lives right now when he talks about the
vine and the branches in John 15. He tells us that there
“But let me show you another man. He was a self-
righteous churchgoer but so proud and full of himself.
Christ’s grace reached down, far down, to him too, and
united him to Jesus.”
What an amazing God we have, that he should take
sinners like us and unite us with his Son before the
world began. And that in this life he should seek us out
and lead us to repentance and faith in him. And that we
will one day reign in glory in union with him. This great
truth takes away our fear of death, and spurs us on to
do everything “through Christ” who gives us strength.
“One with himself I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by his blood,
my life is hid with Christ on high,
with Christ my Saviour and my God.”

“Christ is where we
is no fruit without union. (v5) Apart from Christ we can
do nothing. Union produces great answers to prayer.

find God’s salvation.

(v7) Union shows we are Jesus’ disciples bringing glory
to God. (v8) Union produces joy and love. (v10,11) If we

Where we find all

are truly “in Christ,” these things will be seen in our
lives.

Of course we must not forget that while we are here on the blessings like
forgiveness, peace,
earth we are also united with Christ in his sufferings.
Therefore because of our union with him on earth we
are ignored, belittled, shunned, and even persecuted.

4. What will union with Christ look like in glory?

joy, assurance of
We don’t get glory down here. But we do get glory in
God’s love and the
heaven with Jesus. Rev. 20:6 tells us that because of
our union with him, we will be priests of God and of
promise of glory”
Christ and we will reign with him for a thousand years.

Paul also talks about what our union with Christ will
look like in glory, in Ephesians 2:6-7: “And God raised us
up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly
realms in Christ Jesus in order that in the coming ages
he might show the incomparable riches of his grace
expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” In
Paul’s mind heaven will be like a great museum - to
amazing grace. And we, who are united to Jesus will
Norman Reid is retired from the active ministry of the
be the exhibits. Imagine the angels showing visitors
EPC having served in the congregations of Crosscollyer
around the exhibits! “Look here, this man was a
St, Finaghy and Dublin.
murderer, a child abuser, but he repented and believed,
For the last 13 years of his ministry he was lecturing at
and is now united to Christ. See how God’s mercy and
the Dumisani Theological Institute, Kingwilliamstown,
grace have changed him. South Africa.

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 He lost his coat, but kept his
character. Joseph (Part 2)
I n our last article, we began to think
about Joseph’s life, considering his
family background. We saw a sad
and divided family, marked by foolish
favouritism and hostile hatred. The result
was almost unthinkable – Joseph’s own
brothers plotting murder, selling him to
passing slave traders, and covering up
their sin with an elaborate story to their
father Jacob. What will happen to Joseph
now he’s a slave?
Perhaps surprisingly we’re not told in the
following chapter. Instead Moses, as he’s
carried along by the Holy Spirit, tells us
about the sin of Judah with Tamar his
daughter-in-law. Faced with temptation
and away from home, Judah sleeps
with what he believes to be a roadside
prostitute, but who’s actually Tamar.
Illegitimate twins are born. It’s a sad and
sordid story, which leaves us despairing
of this family. However, it’s here for a
reason. It’s drawing our attention to
Joseph’s godly character. He’s faced with
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precisely the same temptation with
Potiphar’s wife. Far away from home,
where no-one may find out, she tries to
seduce him. In contrast to Judah, Joseph
acts as a positive example of how to
battle temptation.
We face many temptations in life. We’re
in a real spiritual battle (Eph.6:10-12)
with the world, the flesh and the devil.
In this battle, we must be on our guard,
fighting the fight of faith. This is what
Joseph does in Gen.39.
Guard your heart
Satan is after you, but the Lord is
with you
There are times in the Christian life
when we are particularly vulnerable to
temptation. We need to be aware that
Satan and his forces are watching us,
waiting to present us with opportunities
to sin. He wants us to doubt God’s love
for us, so that we will turn from God’s
way to his way, from serving God to
serving self and sin.
This is exactly the situation Joseph finds
himself in. One day, he’s dressed in the
special coat his father’s given him and
going to check on his brothers; the next
he’s in the clothes of an Egyptian slave
and being inspected by potential owners.
He didn’t see this coming when he was
sharing his dreams with his family! What
must be going through his mind?
If you’ve ever watched a boxing match,
you’ll have seen the boxers trying to
“soften their opponent up” – hit him or
her with body shots to exhaust them,
before they go for the knockout punch.
This is often how Satan operates. When
we are in difficult circumstances, he
wants to “soften us up” by targeting
our heart. He wants us to ask ourselves,
“does God really love me?” before he hits
us with a knockout blow. This is what
he suggested to Eve back in Eden, “God
knows that when you eat of it your eyes
will be opened, and you will be like God,
knowing good and evil” (Gen.3:4-5). God
doesn’t want what’s best for you, Eve!
He doesn’t really love you, why don’t
you have this fruit and please yourself
instead?
But God does love us. And God is
with us. No matter how difficult our
circumstances may seem, he never
abandons his people. That’s what was
at the heart of the covenant promise
he’d made to Joseph’s great-grandfather
Abraham (Gen.17:8), his grandad
Isaac (Gen.26:3) and his father Jacob
(Gen.28:15) – “I will be with you”. It was
still true for Joseph here in Egypt, God
hadn’t abandoned him. That’s what
Moses wants us to see in v.1-6, as five
times he draws our attention to this
truth, “the Lord was with Joseph”.
It seems that Joseph understands this
and is clinging to God’s promise. Because
God is blessing his work, his master
Potiphar notices him and he’s brought
inside to work in Potiphar’s house rather
than his fields. Inside the house, Potiphar
sees that “the Lord was with him”. At
first glance this might seem incidental,
but ask yourself, how does Potiphar
know the name of the Lord, Yahweh
or Jehovah? It can only be because
Joseph has told him and explained who
is blessing his work. His heart is being
guarded from bitterness as he clings to
the truth that God is with him.
This reminds us that the battle against
temptation is the battle for faith. Faith
in the promises of God. When we are
facing difficulty and are particularly
vulnerable to temptation, we must cling
in faith to God’s promise, “I will never
leave you or forsake you” (Deut.31:6,
Josh.1:5, Heb.13:5). As Jesus told Peter,
Satan is after us, wanting to sift us and
tempt us to bitterness and sin; but Christ
is interceding for us, that our faith might
not fail (Luke 22:31-32).
Guard your eyes
Look at what’s physical in the light of
what’s spiritual
I don’t know if you’ve been to the
opticians lately. It can be quite an ordeal,
can’t it? We look at red dots and green
dots, big letters and small letters, lens
1 or lens 2, lens 3 or lens 4. The whole
point is to diagnose if we need to have
our vision corrected. As Christians, we’ve
had our vision corrected. We’re able to
look at the world through the lens of
God’s truth and with the eyes of faith!
This is what Paul tells us in 2 Cor.4:6,
“God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of
darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give
the light of the knowledge of the glory of
God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
Joseph is promoted over all of Potiphar’s
staff. God is greatly blessing him, but
promotion brings prominence. We’re
told that Joseph is handsome “in form
and appearance”. He’s extremely
physically attractive. Egyptian women
were renowned for being promiscuous
and Potiphar’s wife notices him. She’s
looking only at what is physical, living
to please herself and fulfil her desires.
So, she propositions him, “lie with
me” (Gen.39:7). He’s good looking, her
husband is presumably not around that
often, why not?
Isn’t the Bible so contemporary? Our
western world has made a god of
appearance and sex. People are obsessed
with how they look, and what others
think of their appearance. They spend
lots of money on beauty products and
treatments, gym memberships and
supplements. They take multiple photos
until they get the perfect one, then filter
them until they look just how they want
others to see them. In recent years we’ve
seen huge spikes in the statistics on
addiction to internet pornography. There
are websites which exist to facilitate
adultery! Why? The eyes of unbelief look
only at what is physical.
What does Joseph see when he looks at
this scene? He too sees what is physical,
but in the light of what is spiritual. Where
the eyes of unbelief see an opportunity
to sin, the eyes of faith see an obligation
to obey. In v.8-9 he refuses her advances.
“My master…has put everything that
he has in my charge…nor has he kept
back anything from me except you,
because you are his wife.” He concludes
his refusal with these words, “how then
can I do this great wickedness and sin
against…” – and we’re expecting him to
say Potiphar, his master, her husband.
But he doesn’t. “How then can I do this
great wickedness and sin against God?”
You see Joseph is living his life aware of
the presence of God. This great spiritual
reality shapes how he views and lives all
of life. God sees me, God hates sin, sin
opposes God. Therefore, I cannot!
There are many temptations around us.
Like Joseph, we must guard our eyes.
In faith we must look at what we can
see, in the light of what we can’t. How
do we do this? Like Joseph we remind
ourselves that we’re living our lives in the
presence of God. When we’ve done well
and are tempted with proud attitudes,
we put on the glasses of Prov.3:34, “God
opposes the proud, but gives grace to the
humble”. When a filthy joke is made in
school and we feel the pull of popularity
to join in, we say “blessed is the man
who does not stand in the path of
sinners” (Ps.1:1). When our marriage is in
a bad place, and we feel the temptation
of lust we remember that our “body is
a temple of the Holy Spirit…you are not
your own, you were bought with a price”
(1 Cor.6:19). We guard our eyes by looking
at life through the Word of God.
Guard your feet
Fight when you can, flee when you
can’t
But Potiphar’s wife is relentless. She
won’t take no for an answer: v.10 tells
us that day after day she propositions
Joseph, trying to entice him. I was
recently reading an article about houses
in England situated near the coast.
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 When they were built, they stood
beautifully, but now they are hanging
over the edge of cliffs, condemned and
no longer habitable. Wave after wave
has battered the coastline and eroded
it. This is what temptation can be like.
Initially we’re able to fight and resist it,
but as wave after wave sweeps over us,
our resolve is weakened, and we give in
to sin.
It makes the perfect obedience of our
Lord Jesus Christ even more wonderful.
The writer to Hebrews describes him like
this, “we do not have a High Priest who
cannot sympathize with our weaknesses,
but was in all points tempted as we
are, yet without sin” (Heb.4:15). Christ
was battered with all the waves of
temptation that we are, and in a more
intense way, for he never gave in. He felt
the full force of temptation, yet he was
without sin.
What does Joseph do? He guards his feet.
He fights the temptation by avoiding her!
“He would not heed her to lie with her,
or to be with her”. He stays away from
her where possible. He knows something
about his own weakness. He’s in danger!
Maybe not on Monday when he’s feeling
strong, but by Thursday he might be
feeling battered and weak. He knows the
truth Robert Robinson expressed so well,
“prone to wander Lord I feel it, prone to
leave the God I love”.
We too must guard our feet and keep
ourselves away from temptation
wherever possible. To do this, we need to
know our own hearts. We need to think
about the areas that we’re most likely to
stumble and fall in, and the times when
we face temptation that we find difficult
to battle.
However, as much as we guard our feet,
there may come a point where we are
faced with strong temptation. The only
way to fight will be to flee! This is what
happens to Joseph. On one particular
day he is in the house, working. None
of the other servants are there, and she
grabs him, “lie with me”. He runs as fast
as he can. He needs to get out of there
immediately. He can’t fight, so he flees!
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God promises us that he will not let us
be tempted beyond our ability, but when
temptation comes he will also provide
a way of escape for us (1 Cor.10:13).
This is Joseph’s way of escape, to flee!
Sometimes it will also be our way of
escape – it might mean we have to turn
off the TV immediately, to walk away
from the conversation when we’re about
to overreact in anger, to close the novel
when it takes an unexpected turn. Guard
your feet – fight when you can, but flee
when you can’t.
Guard your mind
The love of God is better than the lies
of men
Potiphar’s wife is left with Joseph’s coat
in her hands. This is dangerous, as it
might bring her under suspicion. So she
concocts a story of lies, a reversal of
what actually happened. She calls the
house servants to tell them her fiction.
He came onto me! As evidence, she’s got
her ‘smoking gun’, Joseph’s coat. Look, he
left it behind when I cried for help!
When Potiphar returns home, she
repeats the story (v.16-18). Whether
he believes her is doubtful, as the
punishment for attempted rape was
usually execution. But Joseph ends up in
prison (v.20-21). In Psalm 105:18 we’re
given a picture of his experience there,
his feet are in chains. He’s kept there for
around 5 years. There’s a price to pay
for his obedience, a big price. You see
faithfulness to God often brings failure
from a human perspective.
Like Potiphar’s wife, the world may want
to tell lies about us or what we’ve missed
out on. For example, you’re a young
person and all your friends in school
are going out to a nightclub. You wisely
guard your feet and stay at home. The
next day in school all you hear about is
what a great time you missed. But is that
the truth? What you’re not being told
about is the sore head your friend has
from drinking too much, the shame they
feel from what they did they wish they
hadn’t, and the money they’ve wasted
on it all! Or when we stand up for God’s
moral standards, we’re described as
intolerant or full of hate. The lies of the
world are real and they hurt.
Wonderfully, the love of God is far better
than the lies of men. In this dark and
cold prison, Joseph is surrounded by love:
v.21, “the Lord was with Joseph and
showed him mercy”. The Hebrew word
translated mercy here means covenant
love. God’s covenant promises have not
failed, as difficult as Joseph’s situation
seems. In fact, because of God’s covenant
love there is a great purpose to Joseph’s
imprisonment!
Perhaps you are facing the cost of
obedience. Remember, God loves you.
Not because you obey him, but in spite
of the many times you’ve disobeyed
him. He loves you in Christ, who battled
every temptation perfectly. As you face
temptation and fight for faith, look to
Christ who has overcome. In him we have
victory and deliverance. In him we can be
more than conquerors. He has promised
us help and strength and a way of escape
from all our temptation. So guard your
heart, your eyes, your feet and your mind
– looking always in faith to Christ.
John Roger is the newly installed
Associate Minister at Stranmillis EPC.
Last year, he completed his studies
at the Reformed Theological College.
He is married to Claire, and they have
three children: Meredith, Ezra, and
one on the way.
The Crucifixion:
Mark 15
One of my favourite ever TV programmes was a series called
The West Wing, which followed the exploits of a fictional US
President Jed Bartlet. The beauty of the West Wing was that
each episode stood alone; if you had watched before, you
could watch a single episode and enjoy it, but each episode
also fitted in to the overall narrative.
In this article we want to consider the crucifixion of Jesus as
we find it in Mark 15, and as we are going to see, there are
five episodes which we will consider on their own and then
see how they tie together the narrative as a whole.
5 episodes:
Jesus and Pilate
Pilate and the crowd
Jesus and the Soldiers
Jesus and the Crowd
Jesus and Sin
Jesus and Pilate (v.1-5)
On the previous evening Jesus had been praying in the
Garden of Gethsemane. He had been betrayed and arrested
and faced the hostility of the Council, and now the following
morning there will be more trials ahead; there will be no
respite for Jesus.
A meeting is convened of the chief priests, the elders and the
whole council to decide what they should do with Jesus, and
ultimately they decide to take him to Pilate. Why? Why take
him to Pilate? Why not sort it out themselves? Because they
themselves have no power or authority to kill Jesus; Pilate
has the jurisdiction to issue the death penalty.
We notice that the charge has been changed; the charge
the night before was blasphemy, yet now before Pilate the
charge is treason for claiming to be the king of the Jews.
Jesus answers them “That is your testimony, that’s what you
say!” It’s ironic, isn’t it? Here they are accusing and abusing
an innocent man, but the thing they are about to punish him
for is actually true; he was the king of the Jews! Just because
they didn’t understand, just because he wouldn’t be their
type of king, the Jews rejected him - but it didn’t make him
any less the king of the Jews.
The Chief Priests keep going and charge Jesus with a long list
of offences, but yet Jesus remains silent and doesn’t answer.
Pilate is amazed. Jesus is fulfilling the prophecy of the
suffering Servant; as the lamb before its shearers is silent so
Jesus wouldn’t make any answer to the accusations that they
make against him (Isaiah 53:7).
Pilate and the Crowd (v.6-15)
In v.6 we read about this strange custom that used to take
place, that at the feast of Passover there used to be one
prisoner who was released. Mark introduces us to this fairly
worthless character called Barabbas, “the son of the father”,
who had committed murder in the insurrection. He was a
rebel and a convicted criminal.
The crowd come up and ask Pilate to do for them as he
usually does: “We want someone to be freed!” So Pilate
says, “Well, do you want me to release for you the king of the
Jews?” Why? Because Pilate knew that the religious leaders
had acted in the way they had only out of jealousy. He knows
that is the reason Jesus is there. He knows that Jesus has
done nothing wrong and yet the religious leaders want him
dead. Yet the religious leaders aren’t happy that Pilate is
trying to have Jesus released to them, and they stir up the
crowd to have Pilate release for them Barabbas instead.
Pilate here makes the mistake of listening to the crowd. He
listens to what they want, perhaps fearing the trouble that
the religious leaders could cause if he didn’t listen to them.
Pilate asks the most searching question of all in v.14: what
crime has he committed? What has he done? Yet the crowd
would provide no answer, and cry all the more, “Crucify him!”
Pilate does what the crowd wants; he releases Barabbas
and has Jesus scourged and then delivers him to be crucified.
Even in the midst of so much darkness there is so much light
for us to hold on to. What are we shown here? In effect, Jesus
dies the death Barabbas deserves to die. He deserved what
he was getting, he was a murderer, and yet the innocent,
sinless Son of God dies in his place. Barabbas’ physical
salvation from death shadows our spiritual salvation.
You see, each of us is as guilty as Barabbas. Each of us has
broken God’s law, each of us has shaken our fist in God’s face
and told him we wanted nothing to do with him.
11
 Yet, as Jesus was delivered to be crucified it was our death
he was dying, it was the punishment that should have fallen
on us that fell on him. Barabbas in a real way foreshadows
the reality of our redemption. Jesus stood in his place.
Jesus and The Soldiers (v.16-20)
Jesus’ humiliation continues, he has been humiliated at the
hands of the religious leaders, he has been humiliated at the
hands of Pilate, and now he is humiliated by the soldiers. The
whole battalion comes together to mock him. Obviously the
commander thought that this was too good an opportunity
to miss to build morale and have a bit of fun. They put a
purple cloak on Jesus, mocking his claim to be the king of the
Jews. They twist together a crown of thorns and put it on
him, again in mockery of the king. They salute him, spit on
him and kneel down in front of him, all mocking his claim to
the king of the Jews. Then when all of this is done they return
his own clothes to him and lead him out to crucify him.
There are always only two responses people make to Jesus:
either we worship him, or else we mock him as the soldiers
do. As we go into the world today with the gospel, the
good news of Jesus Christ, there will always be these two
responses: some will worship Him in all sincerity and yield
their lives to him, while others will continue to mock and
scorn Him.
Jesus and the Crowd (v.21-32)
Pilate had felt the full force of the crowd earlier when he
had tried to have Jesus released, and now Jesus himself is
going to feel the full force of the crowd. Before they get to
the place of execution a man is compelled to carry the cross
beam of the cross for Jesus, a passer-by called Simon, from
Cyrene. Mark records this in v.25 with very little detail, other
than simply that they crucified him; here he was hanging on a
tree, suffering, bleeding and dying, and the execution squad
beneath him is casting lots for his clothing.
From verse 29 onwards we see the vitriol that the crowd are
pouring on Jesus. He was derided by the crowd. “Come down
and save yourself, if you are so powerful, do it!” The religious
leaders also mock him, that if he comes down then they will
believe that he is the king of Israel. Even those who were
crucified with him derided him. The constant picture we have
of Jesus in these verses is one of total and utter humiliation.
Mark is painting for us the death that is the lowest of the
low.
But that’s the way it had to be, hadn’t it? That is what Isaiah’s
suffering servant predicted, a man from whom we hid our
faces, a man who was despised and rejected by men, a man
of sorrows (Isaiah 53v3). This is your saviour, this is your
king: not a great military hero, not a great warrior but a man
hanging naked on a tree.
The religious leaders say, “Well, if he came down we would
believe him,” but Jesus wouldn’t come down because he
knew that this was the revealed will of his Father. He knew
this was the cup that had to be drained.
12
In our modern world we have a tendency to think that our
sin isn’t that bad, that our sin is really just a quirk of our own
personality. Yet as we see Jesus hanging on a tree, mocked
and reviled, we are reminded that it was our sin that drove
Jesus to the cross, when all the voices of the crowd were
crying ‘come down’. Truly I am a great sinner, but truly Christ
is a great Saviour!
Jesus and Sin ( v.33-39)
Finally, we want to focus on two things in this final section
which show the defeat of sin in the death of Jesus. The
first one is the temple curtain being torn in two from top
to bottom. This curtain was the curtain which symbolised
man’s separation from God due to sin. It was the curtain that
separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple; this
was the curtain behind which the High Priest was allowed to
pass once a year. This is the curtain that as Jesus dies is rent
in two, thereby signifying that man can have free access to
God now through the death of Jesus; for those in Christ no
longer does that barrier of sin exist, no longer are they cut off
from God.
The veil today is rent in Christ alone, only his death has
removed that barrier. Only through his death can we come
to God. There is no other way, for “there was no other good
enough to pay the price of sin.” This was true then, and it’s
still true today.
Secondly, we see Jesus’ victory over sin in the cry of
the centurion, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” An
experienced executioner, a man familiar with death, sees
in Jesus something unique. The whole purpose of Mark’s
narrative is to get us to cry with the centurion, “Truly this
man was the Son of God, truly this man was who he said he
was!” This is the answer to the question that Jesus posed in
Mark 8 to his disciples: “Who do people say that I am?” (Mark
8:27). The answer today is the same answer as all those
years ago. The answer on our lips is the same answer that
the centurion gave: “Truly this man is the Son of God!”
Trevor Kane is Minister of Dumfries Free Church. He is
married to Suzanne and they have three boys, Noah, Eli
and Judah, and just recently had a little girl, Eva. In his free
time he enjoys watching sport, especially football.
 The Covenant of Works
and the Christian Life (Part 2)
This series on the covenant of works and the Christian life
aims to show that rich doctrine leads to worship. These
articles are meant practically to provide deeper reasons
to praise God. As noted in part 1, Paul’s most expressive
exclamation of praise came at the end of Romans 11 in
light of the dense theology of the previous chapters. So,
even though these essays are doctrinal, they should be fuel
for adoring Christ. Part 1 discussed what the covenant of
works is, describing that it was an agreement between God
and Adam whereby Adam could by his obedience obtain
eternal blessings from God. Clearly, this arrangement was
possible only before the Fall. Once Adam sinned, it was no
longer possible for a mere human to earn God’s blessings.
But in that original Garden of Eden setting, Adam could have
obtained the new creation by his works. In this regard, part
1 considered the biblical evidence for the fact that God made
a covenant with Adam, as Westminster Confession of Faith
7.2 outlined by drawing on passages like Hosea 6:7; that
the reward for this covenant was an incorruptible state, as
1 Corinthians 15:35-58 presents; and that the condition of
that covenant for Adam was works-based obedience, as the
early Genesis narrative itself details. In part 2, we now need
to establish the theological value of that covenant of works.
Therefore, this essay focuses on the wider biblical testimony
of why it is important that God made the covenant of works
with Adam.
The first theological point worth noting is that the
covenant of works explains why we believe that all humanity
is bound to keep the Ten Commandments. All Christians
should love the Ten Commandments and strive to keep them
to the best of our ability. Sometimes, however, we struggle
to explain why we are bound to these ten laws that were
written in stone on the top of Mount Sinai (Exodus 20) when
we think that the other types of laws about ceremonies
and civil codes from the Mosaic covenant are no longer
obligatory. The solution for this ‘problem’ lies in the covenant
of works. Westminster Confession 19.1-2 explains it this
way:
1. God gave to Adam a law, as a covenant of works, by
which he bound him and all his posterity to personal, entire,
exact, and perpetual obedience, promised life upon the
fulfilling, and threatened death upon the breach of it, and
endued him with power and ability to keep it.
2. This law, after his fall, continued to be a perfect rule
of righteousness; and, as such, was delivered by God upon
Mount Sinai, in ten commandments, and written in two
tables: the first four commandments containing our duty
towards God; and the other six, our duty to man.
We, as Presbyterians, confess that God gave a law to Adam
in the covenant of works. That is likely unsurprising. But we
may not always be aware that we also believe that this same
13
 law that God gave to Adam to bind him to perfect obedience
was given again to Moses in the Ten Commandments, as
Westminster Confession 19.2 explicitly stated. No longer
can we perfectly keep it in order to earn blessings from God,
but the crucial point is that God has not changed the law.
So, the reason why we believe that the Ten Commandments
are still God’s rule of life for humanity is that they were
built into us by creation. We, as those made in God’s image,
have this moral law hardwired into our nature. Although the
ceremonial and civil laws were joined to this moral law as
part of God’s plan to explain Christ’s work in advance and to
regulate the life of God’s people to preserve a distinct group
through which the Messiah could come, those ceremonial
laws were fulfilled and the civil laws expired because their
temporary role in God’s plan came to completion in Christ
(WCF 19.3, 4). The moral law, as summarized in the Ten
Commandments, however, has been God’s will for human
holiness since the beginning and is in no way temporary.
This way of thinking helps us make clear sense of passages
like 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.’ Paul wrote that even those who
are not part of God’s people in some ways know what God
requires of them, even those ‘who do not have the [written]
law.” They may not have the Ten Commandments as they
were written for the Israelites, but they do have them
‘written in their hearts’ and so know ‘by nature what the law
requires.’ So, the covenant of works helps us make sense of
how to explain biblical ethics.
Second, the covenant of works helps us to
understand the relationship of works and grace. In the
covenant of works, Adam obviously needed to love God
and express that by his works. Moreover though, in Adam’s
specific case, he could obtain God’s blessing by works.
He was the one human who could expect to be rewarded
based on the works principle of inheritance. We as sinners,
however, can never expect God to reward our obedience no
matter how well we are doing, simply because a sinner by
definition can never meet the condition in the covenant of
works of ‘perfect and personal obedience’ (WCF 7.2). We who
have broken God’s law can no longer hope to inherit from
him by that law, but may now obtain blessings from him
only by faith. This way of thinking is simply a restatement of
what Scripture says in Galatians 3:10-12: ‘For all who rely on
works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed
be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the
14
Book of the Law, and do them.”  Now it is evident that no
one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous
shall live by faith.” But the law is not of faith, rather “The
one who does them shall live by them.”’ Verse 12 contains
that shocking statement that ‘the law is not of faith.’ If we
do not understand this remark in light of Paul’s argument
in Galatians, and the way we have articulated that point
as the distinction between the law and the gospel as they
are linked to the covenant of works and the covenant of
grace, then we might detrimentally misunderstand that
statement. Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, did not mean
that people with faith do not try to keep God’s law at all,
nor did he mean that because faith has come God has done
entirely away with the moral law. Rather, as the context of
verses 10-12 clarify, that the law is not of faith means that
we must choose between relating to God on the premise
of, or primarily because of, law or faith. If we try to found
our relationship to God upon the law, then we must have
perfect obedience because that it what the law demands as
a principle of inheritance. Faith-fueled best efforts cannot
and will not earn God’s favour, and God forbid we ever try
to present our good tries at obedience as the reason that
God should love us. That attempt would be disastrous for us
and insulting to our Creator. On the other hand, if we found
our relationship with God on faith, we must know that we
receive our heavenly inheritance entirely because of what
God has done for us in Christ. That by no means entails that
we do not after-the-fact strive after new obedience. It does
mean that none of our sanctified good works are reasons
that God lets us into heaven. Either we come to him by the
law and, unless we offer perfect righteousness, are cursed,
or we come to him by faith and we do not pretend that our
good works are any sort of reason for God to be good to us.
Romans 10:5-9 makes this same point: ‘For Moses writes
about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the
person who does the commandments shall live by them.
But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say
in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to
bring Christ down) or “‘Who will descend into the abyss?’”
(that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it
say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”
(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you
confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in
your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be
saved.’ The covenant of works helps us to understand how
these passages teach that there are two ways of relating
to God: works or grace, law or gospel. We must choose
only one as the foundation of our relationship with God. As
sinners though, we can never actually meet the conditions
of relating to God by works and would only receive God’s
curse. All of this is perhaps best summarised in the words
of Westminster Confession 19.6: ‘Although true believers
be not under the law, as a covenant of works, to be thereby
justified, or condemned; yet is it of great use to them, as
well as to others; in that, as a rule of life informing them of
the will of God, and their duty, it directs and binds them to
walk accordingly; discovering also the sinful pollutions of
their nature, hearts, and lives; so as, examining themselves
thereby, they may come to further conviction of, humiliation
for, and hatred against sin, together with a clearer sight
of the need they have of Christ, and the perfection of his
obedience.’ This means obviously that we should come to
God on the foundation of his grace, trusting that he will be
good to us because we have had faith in Jesus Christ.
That second point that the covenant of works
has theological relevance in helping us understand the
distinction between the law and the gospel, however, forces
us to ask the question about how God is just and good to
grant us citizenship in heaven on the premise of grace, when
he required Adam to render perfect obedience to the law
if he were to obtain it for the human race. That leads us to
the third and most important point about the theological
relevance of the covenant of works, which is about how it
helps us understand the work of our Saviour Jesus Christ.
There are deep and profound reasons, as we would expect,
that the Scripture speaks of Christ as ‘second’ or ‘last Adam’
in 1 Corinthians 15:45-49, but since we already considered
that passage in part 1 though, we will think about this
second Adam theme by discussing Romans 5:12-21.
First, we must note the comparison between
Adam and Christ. It is clear throughout these verses
that Jesus Christ is the one who obtains blessing for us
while Adam was the one who failed to do so and gave us
only death. Verse 18: ‘Therefore, as one trespass led to
condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads
to the justification unto life for all men.’ There is a dramatic
contrast between the results of Adam’s work and Christ’s
work. Adam’s work as our representative who broke the
covenant condemned us all and slated us for eternal death.
Christ’s work as the representative of all who have faith
in him, however, brings about the ‘justification unto life.’
Justification is that act wherein God declares us righteous
in his sight, and that declaration brings about the result,
still because of Christ, that we have entitlement to eternal
life. The ESV translated verse 18 to say ‘justification and
life.’ A literal translation of the Greek phrase though would
say ‘justification of life,’ as the KJV rendered it, but what
does ‘of life’ mean? The KJV left the phrase unclarified,
the ESV interpreted it to mean that justification and life
are two somewhat distinct blessings, but I rendered it
here “justification unto life,’ or even ‘the justification that
results in life,’ to indicate that the result of justification is
life because in fact when God justifies us by faith in Christ, it
does guarantee our eternal life (Romans 5:9).
Second, we can see that, despite the radical
difference between the results of Adam’s work and Christ’s
work, there is an obvious parallel between the role of
Adam’s work and Christ’s work as representatives for
what inheritance we will receive from God. As we saw in
part from 1 Corinthians 15, Adam could have achieved the
incorruptible, new creation state for us if he had obeyed. In
Romans 5, although Adam disobeyed, Christ our mediator
obeyed. It is ‘by the one man’s obedience the many will be
made righteous.’ (v.19) This indicates to us that Jesus Christ
is the second Adam not simply as some new representative,
but specifically as our representative who fulfilled the
covenant of works for us. The emphasis in Romans 5 is
undeniably upon Christ’s obedience. So, God did not change
the rules by allowing us to come to him by grace instead
of by law. Our heavenly blessings were still earned by
someone’s perfect obedience, although certainly not our
own or even the first Adam. Jesus Christ himself, the eternal
Son of God, assumed a human nature in order that he could
be born under the law and so fulfill the conditions of the
covenant of works for us (Galatians 4:4-7; Hebrews 5:8;
Philippians 2:1-11). Jesus Christ has earned grace for you.
What is a covenant of grace for us in that God accepts us
freely by faith, was a covenant of works for Christ in that he
earned by his perfect righteousness every blessing that God
grants to us by faith. This is certainly the richest theological
relevance of the covenant of works in that it shows us the
unshakeable foundation of our salvation lies in the fact
that Jesus Christ, as the second Adam, earned, bought, and
merited on our behalf every good gift that God will lavish
upon us in eternity. Should this not lead us to worship?
Harrison Perkins serves as assistant minister at
London City Presbyterian Church, a congregation of
the Free Church of Scotland. He and his wife Sarah
are from Alabama, but the Lord moved them to the
UK in 2016. While doing further studies at Queen’s
University Belfast, Harrison served at a church
in Northern Ireland, which quickly became and
remains ‘home’ to him and Sarah, before taking the
call in London in late 2018.
15
 FROM THE CHURCHES
Junior Camp Reunion
Junior Camp enjoyed a superb day of fun in Ballyclare on
Saturday 23rd February. We had a bumper turn-out of 46
boys and girls who simply loved the day. Meeting with the
friends you made at summer camp is something they relish,
and for a few new faces this was a preview of what camp is
really like! From 10:30am to 4.30pm we packed in games,
crafts, lunch, a photo slideshow reliving the highlights of
camp 2018, and then hit the pool in Ballyclare. They simply
love it! Then back to the church for our meeting where
we revised the memory verses and the Lord’s Prayer and
learned about Abraham too, and we sang our hearts out!
And to cap it all off we had chicken and chips for tea. A
wonderful day filled with God’s goodness.
For more of the same, get your booking form in early for
Dunluce School, 29 June—6 July 2019.
16
Inters Camp Reunion
Inters Reunion was an action packed day from start to
finish! We had 31 campers buzzing to be let loose to
experience Inters and we hope we gave them a day to
remember. We landed at the We Are Vertigo Inflatapark  and
went straight for the obstacle course... think Total Wipeout
meets Gladiators on a giant bouncy castle and you’ll have
a fair idea how much fun was had! After a quick pit stop for
lunch we moved on to the Adventure Centre for high ropes,
soft play and much more. We headed back to Stranmillis for
some more team games and then Jonny McCullough gave
us some great insights into the impact that church camps
have had in his life and shared his testimony, before Ross
Jackson shared from God’s word with a faithful and clear
Gospel message. He challenged and encouraged our young
people already running the race as young Christians in the
real world. The day finished with hotdogs and chippy chips
before heading our separate ways, well fed both physically
and spiritually.
Special thanks to all our dedicated leaders who made the
day run smoothly and gave their infectious energy to make it
a great day!
If you’re aged 11-14 and would like to join us in the Summer
for Inters 2019 please get your booking forms in soon as
spaces are limited! Inters 2019 runs from Friday 28th June
to Friday 5th July and we’ll be based at the Moyallon Centre
near Portadown.
If you’re interested in helping and supporting with Inters
camp this year you can help in several ways - we need
leaders of all ages and experience who would like to be
involved in various capacities (speak to your minister in
the first instance)… we need financial support as any gifts
are much appreciated and help fund camp by enabling us
to continue to give campers memorable experiences... we
need practical help with set up and clear up at the start
and end of the week... and most of all we need your prayer
support that Inters 2019 would be an opportunity to share
the Gospel with our young people. Please get in touch with
Andrew Johnston by emailing epcinterscamp@gmail.com or
on 07773672449 if you would like to help. 
It is our prayer that God would continue to use Inters to
challenge, encourage and inspire our young people to walk
with God in the midst of an increasingly hostile world, and
strive to grow and mature in the knowledge and love of our
Lord! To God alone be the Glory!
Note: Junior and Senior camps would also greatly value
offers of help in the above ways.
FROM THE CHURCHES

Senior Camp Reunion

Details of
The Senior Camp Reunion this year was held in the Faith
Mission Centre, Portadown. The change in location was
Summer Camps
aimed at making the reunion more accessible for more
people. This seemed to be effective, reflected in a rise in
average numbers from the last few reunion weekends. A Junior Camp
group of 20 teens took a break from GCSE revision to enjoy
a combination of indoor and outdoor activities, “chill out”
Date: 29 June – 6 July
time, and importantly times of worship, Bible study and
Venue: Dunluce High School, Bushmills
discussion. We had some excellent talks on Daniel from
Age: 8-11 years old (on 30 June 2019)
Philip Dunwoody (Dervock RP) – these talks were relevant,
Cost: £100 (£90 if other family members are
encouraging and challenging for all present, both campers
attending an EPC Camp)
and leaders. We all benefited greatly from Philip’s ministry
Leaders: Robert and Julie Johnston (075 1989 6063)
and the discussion that it generated. We pray for lasting
Julie.johnston2109@gmail.com
fruit from the seed that was sown. We also pray that God
would protect and sustain the young Christians, like Daniel,
Booking: Please return completed camp form to:
living in an increasingly secular world. We look forward to
Michelle Wright, 102 Grangewood Road, Dundonald,
the summer camp – to be held DV in Ovoca, Co. Wicklow,
Belfast, BT16 1GB
6th-13th July 2019.
Inters Camp
“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the
King of heaven, for all His works are right and His ways Date: 28 June – 5 July 2019
are just” Venue: Moyallon Centre, Portadown
Words of King Nebuchadnezzar after being humbled by Age: 11-14 years old (on 30 June 2019)
Daniel’s God. Cost: £180 (£170 if other family members are
attending an EPC Camp)
Leader: Andrew Johnston (077 7367 2449)
epcinterscamp@gmail.com

Booking: Please return forms to:

Andrew Johnston, 43 Cumberland Park, Belfast,
BT16 2AZ

Senior Camp
Date: 6-13 July 2019
Venue: Ovoca Manor, Wicklow
Age: 15+ years old (on 30 June 2019)
Cost: £200 (£190 if other family members are
attending an EPC Camp)
Leaders: Mark & Jacqui Thompson (077 4634 5389)
epcseniorcamp@gmail.com

Booking: Please go to www.eventbrite.co.uk and

search for ‘EPC Senior Camp’ in ‘Dublin’.

17
 FROM THE CHURCHES

The Moodys
Throughout February and March, a number of EPC
congregations were pleased to have Andrew Moody
(Crosslinks) come and speak at services and prayer
meetings, giving an update of how the work in Uganda is
going, and how to pray for him, Eunice and Joy.
We rejoice to hear of all those who in January completed
the Preachers’ Training Course. 153 people received
certificates in January. It was encouraging to hear how the
students developed through the course of the training,
and how they didn’t want the time of study to come to an
end! We pray that this training will prove to be effective in
the blessing of many others.
A significant change lies ahead for Andrew and Eunice,
who are planning to move further north in Uganda.
In God’s providence, the bishop of Madi and West
Nile Diocese was happy to give land in the Aringa
Archdeaconry compound, Yumbe, so that a house can be
built there.
All being well, the house will be ready by June, and upon
relocating Andrew and Eunice will be within 10 kilometres
of the Bidi Bidi refugee camp – the second largest refugee
camp in the world, with some 270,000 South Sudanese
refugees living there. This move will pave the way for
Andrew to start Preacher Training Courses in two areas of
the Bidi Bidi camp. Please continue to remember Andrew
and Eunice in the midst of these changes, as well as Joy as
she approaches a key time in her schooling.

18
FROM THE CHURCHES
Richhill EPC
When the attendance at Richhill services had become low
by the middle of 2017, Presbytery felt it best to suspend
services during the holiday months of July and August.
However, with no evident prospects of an attendance upturn
as September approached, Presbytery decided against
resumption at that point but scheduled full consideration of
a future mission work in Richhill for March 2019. Presbytery
further decided to maintain the witness in the intervening
period through a series of monthly evening services
commencing in May 2018.
At the suggestion of some of the local people who were
attending we decided to move the services to Sunday
afternoons from January 2019 and at the same time we
increased the number of services to two. These are held
on the second and fourth Sundays of each month and our
ministers have been conducting them in turn. In March
2019 we had a visit from Rev Mark Johnston, minister of
Richhill 1984-1994, and it was good to see former members
and friends on that occasion. The average attendance
for the May-November 2108 period was 22, made up of
people from the Richhill area and visitors from other EPC
congregations. The afternoon switch increased this average
to 26 but the number of local people has more than doubled
between January and March 2019. We greatly appreciate the
support of our own congregations which creates important
activity and visibility around the church.
We advertise the services, speakers and subjects in the local
press and visit the district with invitation cards providing
information about the services.
There is also a large poster with the same information on
the church notice board close to the footpath.
We have a lovely site, building and facilities in Richhill and
it would be wonderful to see it all functioning fully again
to God’s glory. Session has also decided to run a Children’s
Mission 29 April-3 May 2019 through Hope for Youth
Ministries.
As scheduled, Presbytery engaged in a full consideration of
the Richhill work at its April 2019 meeting and decided to
continue the twice-monthly afternoon services. Richhill is
due to return to Presbytery’s agenda in September 2019
and meantime EPC’s Church Development Committee will
consider with the Richhill Interim Session potential steps
to further advance the work. Included in Presbytery’s
original proposal to begin monthly evening services was the
awareness of our dependence on prayer: “that we commit
all our congregations to pray about the situation”. So please
pray for:
• Progressive response from the local community and
continued EPC support
• The ministers who conduct the monthly afternoon
services
• The effectiveness of advertising
• Travel to and from Richhill
• Security and maintenance of the building
• The Interim Session, in managing the day-to-day aspects
of the work
• The Children’s Mission 29 April – 3 May.
• Presbytery, as its members continue to consider the
future direction of the work.
ECB

The Tuwis
When the Tuwis hosted a drop-
in coffee morning on Saturday 16
February in Stranmillis EPC, it gave an
informal opportunity for friends and
supporters to catch up with Catherine
and Aphia, recently returned from
the other side of the globe. For many,
however, the star attraction was baby
Emunah.
Catherine had been in New Zealand
completing a WEC training course
when it became apparent that all was
not well with her pregnancy. Emunah
was born ‘dead’ and resuscitated, but
needing multiple blood transfusions to
combat life-threatening anaemia. God
showed great kindness to the family
in answer to the prayers of his people
around the world, and what a joy it
was to see Emunah, not quite a year
old, bright and alert and enjoying her
food while her parents chatted.
For those who are not familiar
with the Tuwis, they serve as WEC
missionaries in Abéché in Chad, which
is where Catherine (originally
from here) met Aphia who
comes from Vanuatu. Their
ministry is one of evangelism.
In a short video presentation,
Aphia, who builds friendships
through coaching football, told
how the men love to discuss
religion and talk about God.
This gives occasion to invite them
for further conversation over tea in a
restaurant, or to come to his home to
read the Bible, always with a desire to
point them to Jesus Christ.
While herself concentrating on
learning Chadian Arabic, Catherine
has been teaching level one English
to adults, an occupation which has
provided wonderful opportunities
for new friendships with women.
Unlike the men, however, the women
show very little interest in religion
which means openings for the gospel
are more difficult. Where there is
opportunity, Catherine has learned
Bible stories in Chadian Arabic which
she shares with the women in their
own homes.
Now Catherine and Aphia are looking
forward to returning to Chad in the
near future, just as soon as Emunah
is able to drink enough fluid without
the need for it to be pumped through
a feeding tube. In the meantime, we
pray that God will be preparing the
hearts of men and women in Abéché
to hear and receive the words of
eternal life.
19
 FROM THE CHURCHES
In his reply, John spoke of the privileges which had been his in
Ordination of John Roger bringing him to this day, greatest of all being the privilege of
being a child of God.
Thank you to Stranmillis for laying on refreshments which were
Stranmillis EPC opened their doors to many friends and family
enjoyed by those who didn’t have to rush away.
members of John and Claire Roger on Saturday 19 January
Rev John Roger has now commenced his ministry in Stranmillis
for the ordination of John to the Christian ministry and his
EPC and we uphold him, his family and the congregation at this
installation as Associate Minister of Stranmillis EPC. Rev Gareth
time.
Burke, as Moderator of Presbytery, chaired the proceedings.
Worship began with the singing of God’s praise in the words
of Psalm 148. Prayer and further singing were followed by the
reading of 2 Timothy 3:1-4:5. The simple but solemn act of
ordination was then conducted, during which John answered
the prescribed questions put to him by Rev Marcus Hobson,
Clerk of Presbytery, and then signed the formula of subscription.
The congregation witnessed the laying on of hands by the
commission of Presbytery, a recognition of John’s God-given gifts
and calling. Rev Andrew Lucas led the congregation in prayer.
The singing of Psalm 121 expressed the assurance for John,
Claire and all present that My help comes to me from the LORD
by whom earth and heaven were made.
Rev Stephen Roger, John’s father and minister of Ballyclare EPC,
preached helpfully from 2 Timothy 1:13 on the responsibility of
the minister to echo the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the
need for the congregation to embrace that gospel. May both
aspects be true throughout John’s ministry. The singing of Great
is the gospel of our glorious God was a fitting way to end the
service.
Following the benediction, sincere words of welcome were
spoken by Christopher Doherty on behalf of Stranmillis church,
and presentations were made to Claire and the children,
Meredith and Ezra. Likewise, Rev Andy Hambleton warmly
welcomed John into the Presbytery of the EPC as a fellow worker
in the gospel.

20
FROM THE CHURCHES

Surrendering to the Enemy

For over 20 years a ministry has been carried out in
association with Crosscollyer Street church, reaching out to
men and women struggling with addiction. Known as the
Helping Hand, the work has seen God’s blessing, with people
meeting regularly to worship and learn from the Bible. By
God’s grace, some have been converted and their lives have
borne fruit. Gerry, a long-term member of the Helping Hand
group, wrote this article as an allegory of the conflict and
U-turn that conversion involves. We are thankful to God that
it expresses his own personal experience.
Give thanks to God for times of safety, happiness
For 2000 years the battle has raged. Throughout the world and friendship at all three recent camp reunions.
our regiments have always been united in a common cause
Pray that there will be lasting fruit from the seed
and, in obedience to our generals, we have fought side by
side against a foe we could not see. Countless millions that was sown. Pray that many children and
of our troops have perished. Millions of them have also teenagers will apply for summer camps and that
surrendered, yet none were taken by force or captured at these will be times of great usefulness to young
sword or gun point. In fact, our enemy never harmed a single people living in an increasingly secular world.
one of us. Many of my own comrades have fallen all around
me, but I must be with those who remain, fight with them,
never abandon them and die with them. Our casualties are Pray that all the needs for camp leaders and
astronomical and they continue to mount, but the enemy’s cooks will be met and that each team will
war dead, according to intelligence reports, numbers just know God’s help and guidance as plans and
one.
preparations are made. Ask that those preparing
I am just a lowly private trying to stay alive in this terrible, to teach God’s word will do so with dependence
futile war. On one occasion, after a long and arduous upon His Holy Spirit.
campaign I found myself lying in a hollow smothered
under dense foliage. I was trying to get my bearings when
Pray for wisdom and diligence for the POCVA
someone touched my shoulder. I recognised him as an
old friend. He had been listed as missing in action but he board of our church as they oversee the
explained to me that he had surrendered to the enemy. He implementation of child protection regulations
had certainly expected prisoners to be treated humanely in in the congregations. Pray that leaders will
accordance with the articles of war, but he found conditions be attentive to the physical, emotional and
in the enemy camp quite beyond his expectation. There
mental needs of children in their care, while not
were no barbed wire fences or watch towers and anyone
could leave at any time. Those who did were not riddled compromising the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thank
with machine gun fire but were carefully watched over. God for His kindness in protecting from serious
None were recaptured by force but nearly all returned. Life incident and injury.
within the camp was to everyone’s benefit with fellowship
in communal songs of praise, prayer and help for those who
were struggling. Praise God for his kindness to the Tuwi family in
regard to Emunah’s health and development. Pray
I lost contact with my friend and re-committed to the losing for her continued progress and for help for Aphia
legions. I fought on for the next few years enduring the most
and Catherine as they prepare to return to Chad
appalling conditions. It’s an awful thing to give one’s self
up to the foe, to abandon comrades, to give up our shared as a family. Thank God for those who are His in
lifetime cause. But I came to the point where I could not go Abéché and pray that they will be built up in their
on. Covered from head to toe in mud and grime, exhausted faith. Pray that Aphia and Catherine will be used
and completely at an end of myself, I staggered out of the to bring the gospel to men and women who are
trees into a clearing. I fell on my knees and then onto my
still in darkness.
face. Unashamedly, unreservedly, and unconditionally,
I surrendered.

Gerry Robinson
Crosscollyer Street
21

Pray for John Roger as he settles into his
new responsibilities as associate minister in
Stranmillis. Pray that he will faithfully echo the
gospel of Jesus Christ and that the congregation
will have hearts and wills to embrace that
gospel. Pray the same for every minister and
congregation in EPC.
Cry out to God for those (known to you or
not) whose lives are crippled and ensnared by
addiction. Give thanks for the Helping Hand
addiction support group in Crosscollyer Street
church and for those who have been helped
through it. Praise God that he is able to save to
the uttermost those who come to him through
Jesus Christ.
Praise God for the 153 students who have
recently completed the Preachers’ Training Course
with Andrew Moody in Uganda, praying that this
training will prove to be effective in the blessing of
many others. Join Andrew and Eunice in thanking
God for the provision of a site for a new house in
Northern Uganda and pray that the building and
moving in will go smoothly. Give thanks for the
planned training courses to be held in Bidi Bidi
refugee camp. Pray that the gospel would bear
fruit among the many South Sudanese refugees.
At times of sadness and trouble in our society
and nation, pray that people will turn to God in
repentance and faith. Pray that Christians will be
salt and light and will be ready to give a reason
for the hope that is in them.
22
BOOK REVIEWS
Title: Reformed Preaching:
Proclaiming God’s Word from the
Heart of the Preacher to the Heart
of His People
Author: Joel R. Beeke
Publisher: Wheaton, IL: Crossway:
2018
Pages: 504 (Hardback)
RRP £29.99, Our price £22.50
God’s Word remains at
the heart of Reformed faith and
practice. We know that we cannot invent the truth, and so
God must tell us what is true particularly in regards to how
we might be saved. That is why preaching has always had a
fundamental role in the life of Reformed churches. We insist
that the Word of God be proclaimed so that we might know the
true way of salvation and be reminded of the riches of God’s
grace. Joel Beeke has issued us a reminder that preaching is
supposed to address us as whole persons and not just one
of our faculties. Although the title of the book is Reformed
Preaching, the more specific argument is a case for Reformed
experiential preaching that teaches people from the text of
Scripture and uses that text to direct people to adore their God
in affection and deed, as well as thought.
Often the Reformed tradition can be seen as
intellectually driven and bookish. Some people think we are
overly insistent on doctrinal specifics and that we are too
critical of others with whom we disagree. Beeke rehashes
the reasons why that should not be the case. Doctrines are
not simply facts to be known, but truths about God that
should move our hearts. Further, we must be winsome in the
presentation of truth in love even for those with whom we
most stringently disagree. We are meant to teach people and
move them by proclaiming God’s Word. This book is an excellent
devotional guide for pastors to remind us about the full remit of
our calling as we minister to people in Word.
The book falls into three sections. The first outlines
the case that Beeke makes for Reformed experiential
preaching. He describes the major ideas and elements of this
type of preaching. The main point is that, although we do not
let our experiences govern and dictate our life of faith, the
truth about God should in fact stir our emotions to have an
experience of God in light of the truth. The second section,
which forms the bulk of the book, collects examples from the
history of Reformed churches of preachers whom Beeke thinks
followed the same model of preaching that he advocates in
this work. The chapters cover the early Reformation period,
the puritan era, the Dutch Further Reformation, and various
international figures from the nineteenth to the twentieth
centuries. These overviews of the careers of various preachers
will certainly be useful introductions to Reformed thinkers who
 BOOK REVIEWS
laboured in preaching the Word of God. Part three of the book
shifts to describe some practical principles about how we might
shape Reformed experiential preaching today.
This book will serve as a terrific resource for the
church. It will remind preachers that preaching is one aspect of
pastoring, and obviously we do not pastor only people’s minds.
We seek to see God’s people grow in their love for the Lord
and their thrill at his glory. This book will also help us recover
some of the riches of past preaching and help us reflect on how
our preaching should look. We can take great pleasure in this
work, as it should spark us to be more deeply aware of how we
preach, and what we seek to achieve as we do so.
Title: John Calvin, A Little Book on the Christian Life
Edited by Aaron Clay Denlinger and Burk Parsons
Pages: 132 (Softcover)
£5.99
Gift edition RRP £14.99, Our price £12.50
John Calvin, who lived
1509-1664, is perhaps one of
the better-known theologians
of bygone days among
Presbyterians. He is often quoted
in our sermons, and even nearly
five hundred years later, we are
still using and quoting his biblical
commentaries to write our
sermons. Calvin was a second-
generation reformer, meaning
he followed and built on the work of those churchmen who
launched the Protestant Reformation like Martin Luther and
Martin Bucer. Because he did have such an important role in
training ministers, in the Geneva Academy, who would go and
preach the Scripture faithfully throughout Europe, and even
a few in South America, I think many perceive Calvin to have
been a lofty-minded, perhaps even ivory tower, theologian.
But Calvin’s A Little Book on the Christian Life shows that to
be a very false portrait of the Genevan reformer. The title gives
away his focus after all: equip believers to walk with Christ well.
The five brief chapters of this work form a well-
rounded discussion of issues we all face as Christians. Before
diving into the actual content, I should note that this new
edition from Reformation Trust is very well done. It is small
enough to keep in your pocket if you want to read it as you ride
the train or take it to sit in the park to reflect upon it, or even if
you just want a book that does not overrun your bedside table.
But the important matter is what Calvin said. The first chapter
looked at how God uses the Holy Scripture to work in us to
make us more and more into the likeness of Christ. The Word of
God is our call to righteousness. The second chapter addressed
a fundamental issue in keeping God’s law as Christians, which
is the matter of acting as living sacrifices. There is an ongoing
need for us to deny ourselves and submit to what God has
said in Scripture. This most often takes effort on our part.
Chapter three deals with suffering in the Christian life. We
must all bear our crosses, but Calvin pointed us to remember
that God only gives us these crosses as matters of fatherly
discipline. He does not afflict us just to afflict us, but to bring us
into conformity to Christ and redirect us away from sin to the
righteousness of Christ. This flows well into chapter four, which
argued that we must keep our eyes fixed on eternal life. There
is the new creation for which we wait, and that should make all
the sufferings of this world fade away. Modern readers might
think that Calvin overstated his point a time or two here, but I
think his general point stands, and we should remember that
Calvin did not live in the age of household plumbing but of
plague epidemics. Perhaps few were as bright about the world
then as we can be. The final chapter, however, balanced chapter
four by explaining ways in which God does give us enjoyments
in this life as part of his good blessing. It is our responsibility to
be careful in not over- or under- using any of these enjoyments,
as in fact discipline and moderation mean that Christians
cannot outright forbid or glut themselves upon any lawful
pleasure. Sanctification emphasises the priority of keeping
things in their rightful place as reminders of the goodness of
our Lord.
The surprising thing, now that we have considered the
content of this pastorally minded work on the Christian life, is
that this little book is actually an extract from Calvin’s most
famous work, The Institutes of the Christian Religion. Even
early on in the career of that larger work, these brief chapters
were recognised as a treatise on Christian piety that stands
alone in its own right, and it has been published separately.
Now, there are a few important takeaways from this point.
It shows that even Calvin’s most theological work never lost
sight of the church. He was always concerned, even when
writing theology deep enough to equip ministry students to
have categories to understand the whole Bible, to keep his
focus on the Christian’s walk with Christ. Nothing else explains
why this richly pastoral little book actually comes from right in
the middle of Calvin’s chapters on the doctrines of salvation.
Second, and more directed to you readers, you should note as
you work through this little volume how easy it is to read and
how encouraging it is for your walk with Christ. It is practically
minded, and thoroughly biblical and should be of real help to
you. But if you find this little section of Calvin’s Institutes as
helpful as I have, perhaps you might realise that the whole of
Calvin’s Institutes is not beyond your grasp and that you should
pursue that work in full as well. I am sure copies, not only of
this little book, but also of Calvin’s Institutes can be found in
the Evangelical Book Shop.
23
 Best of the Blogs
A selection of online blogs and articles to challenge and Cancer and God’s Sovereignty (Marissa Henley)
encourage you in your walk with God and his people… https://tabletalkmagazine.com/posts/2019/02/cancer-and-
gods-sovereignty/
Covenant Evangelism (Jared Olivetti) “In October 2010, my view of God’s sovereignty went from
https://gentlereformation.com//2019/02/20/covenant- theoretical to critical with one phone call. As a longtime
evangelism/ Christian, I believed that God numbered all my days. But that
“In the RPCNA, when parents bring their children for idea remained hypothetical as I plowed through busy days as
baptism, they take several vows, one of which regards our a mom of three young kids. I assumed the years stretched
responsibility to bring the good news of Jesus to our children: ahead of me for several decades. Everything changed when
“Do you promise to teach your children of their sinful nature, I received a cancer diagnosis on the day before my thirty-
of the plan of salvation which centers in Jesus Christ, and fourth birthday.”
their own personal need of a relationship with Christ?” As
we seek to be faithful to this calling of evangelizing those Almost Half of Practicing Christian Millennials Say
born into the covenant people of God, reformed Christians Evangelism is Wrong
are often subject to pressures and trends they might not
https://www.barna.com/research/millennials-oppose-
fully understand. In response to good conversations during a
evangelism/#.XFxOFiZQCF0.mailto
recent Sunday school class, here is an attempt to shine a light
“Sharing one’s faith—evangelizing—is a core practice among
on those pressures and on God’s better way.”
many religions. For Christians, it’s viewed as a mandate from
Jesus himself before he departed earth: commanding his
Two Cheers for the Spirituality of the Church (Kevin De
disciples to “spread the good news.” Yet, today, a number
Young) of factors are curbing many Christians’ enthusiasm for
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/ faith-sharing, including the decline of religion in America, a
two-cheers-spirituality-church/ spreading apathy toward spiritual matters and a growing
“I believe in the spirituality of the church. I believe it is a cultural suspicion of people of faith.”
doctrine with a rich Reformed pedigree and a doctrine that
can be immensely helpful in today’s cultural and ecclesiastical How Union with Christ shapes our Identity (David Strain)
climate. I also believe the spirituality of the church can, and https://tabletalkmagazine.com/posts/how-union-with-
has been, inappropriately applied. The doctrine has been
christ-shapes-our-identity/
variously understood and is not a quick fix for the problems
“In this article, I want to begin to tease out some implications
vexing evangelical and Reformed churches.”
of our union with Christ, starting with the question of identity.
How should our union with Christ change how we understand
3 Important Questions for the Church about the Lord’s ourselves, our identity as human beings in the world?”
Supper (Guy Waters)
https://www.crossway.org/articles/3-important-questions-
for-the-church-about-the-lords-supper/
“How Is Christ Present in the Supper? New Testament writers
stress that Christ is present at the Supper he has appointed
for his people. This is a running characteristic of covenant
meals—the presence of God with his people for their
blessing. Any understanding of the Supper that reduces it to
a bare memorial or a mere exercise of intellectual recollection
of the meaning of the cross is inadequate. Of course, the
Supper is an ordinance of remembrance, and recipients must
turn their minds to the cross as they approach the Table.
But when they come to the Table, they expect to meet their
Savior.”

24