Benjamin
Keach and I were reading the Psalms together before the gathering of the Church
this morning, anticipating the corporate enjoyment of salvation in Christ (I
was reading with him in obedience to Hebrews 13:7).
One of our
elders will call us to worship this morning with this Psalm: “Bless the LORD, O
my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my
soul, and forget not all His benefits, Who forgives all your iniquity, Who
heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you
with steadfast love and mercy, Who satisfies you with good so that your youth
is renewed like the eagle’s...He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities...for as high as the heavens are above
the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him; as far as
the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us. As
a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to
those who fear Him...but the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to
everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s
children, to those who keep His covenant and remember to do His commandments” (Psalm
103:1-5,10-13,17,18).
One of our
Baptist forefathers, Benjamin Keach (1640-1704), left us an adaptation of the
Westminster Shorter Catechism to help us remember how all the Lord’s benefits
are applied to our lives and enjoyed. Since we were sharing a cup of coffee and
reading the Psalms together this morning, I asked him to remind me of some of
the Lord’s benefits and how we enjoy them together as the Church.
Q. 36. What
benefits do they that are effectually called, partake of in this life?
A. They
that are effectually called, do in this life partake of justification,
adoption, sanctification, and the several benefits which in this life do either
accompany or flow from them.
Q. 40. What
are the benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification,
adoption, and sanctification?
A. The
benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption,
and sanctification, are, assurance of God's love, peace of conscience, joy in
the Holy Spirit, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end.
Q. 41. What
benefits do believers receive from Christ at death?
A. The
souls of believers are at death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately
pass into glory, and their bodies, being still united to Christ, do rest in
their graves till the resurrection.
Q. 42. What
benefits do believers receive from Christ at the Resurrection?
A. At the
resurrection, believers become raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged
and acquitted in the day of judgment, and made perfectly blessed in the full
enjoyment of God to all eternity.
Q. 95. What
are the outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicates to us the
benefits of redemption?
A. The
outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of
redemption are His ordinances, especially the Word, Baptism, the Lord's Supper
and Prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for salvation.
Q. 99.
Wherein do Baptism and the Lord's Supper differ from the other ordinances of
God?
A. Baptism
and the Lord's Supper differ from the other ordinances of God in that they were
specially instituted by Christ to represent and apply to believers the benefits
of the new covenant by visible and outward signs.
Q. 100.
What is Baptism?
A. Baptism
is an holy ordinance, wherein the washing with water in the name of the Father,
the Son and the Holy Spirit, signifies our ingrafting into Christ and partaking
of the benefits of the covenant of grace, and our engagement to be the Lord's.
Q. 107.
What is the Lord's Supper?
A. The
Lord's Supper is a holy ordinance, wherein, by giving and receiving bread and
wine, according to Christ's appointment, His death is showed forth, and the
worthy receivers are, not after a corporeal 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.
Holy
Spirit, move us to remember all the benefits of the Father You apply to us
through the Son. Help us remember as we read the Word, sing the great truths of
the faith, gather at the Table, and have fellowship with You in the
proclamation of the Word. We thank you for this gathering to rejoice in Your
great goodness, gracious and giving God!
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