“Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth;
keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3).
Accomplish the unparalleled work of
the Word through Your gathered Church this day, great Trinity. May our words
serve Your Word and not distract or supplant it. Be lifted up in all of our
hearts and lives as we – together – lift up Your Word for Your glory alone.
- “...in the sentence of
Scripture we are to rest, for it is in Scripture, delivered by the Spirit,
that our faith is finally resolved” (1689 Baptist Confession, 1.10).
- “The grace of faith by which
the elect are enabled to believe, so that their souls are saved, is the
work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, and is ordinarily brought
into being by the ministry of the Word. It is also increased and
strengthened by the work of the Spirit through the ministry of the Word,
and also by the administration of baptism and the Lord's Supper, prayer,
and other means appointed by God...by this faith a Christian believes to
be true whatever is revealed in the Word because this Word has the
authority of God Himself. Also, by this saving faith, a Christian
apprehends an excellency in the Word which is higher than in all other
writings and everything else in the world, because the Word shows forth
the glory of God, revealing His attributes, showing the excellency of
Christ's nature and offices, and also the power and fullness of the Holy
Spirit in His workings and operations. So the Christian is enabled to cast
his soul upon the Truth he has believed, and to see and respond to the
different kinds of teaching which different passages of Scripture contain.
Saving faith equips him to perceive and obey the commands, hear the
threatenings with fear and respect, and to embrace the promises of God for
this life and the life to come” (14.1,2).
- “This promise of Christ and the
salvation which comes by Him, is revealed only by the Word of God” (20.2).
- “Worship is to be given to God
the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and to Him alone...the reading of the
Scriptures, preaching and hearing the Word of God, the teaching and
admonishing of one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing
with grace in our hearts to the Lord; as well as the administration of
baptism and the Lord’s Supper, are all parts of the worship of God. These
are to be performed in obedience to Him, with understanding, faith,
reverence and godly fear” (22.2,5).
- “In the exercise of the authority which has been
entrusted to Him, the Lord Jesus calls to Himself from out of the world,
through the ministry of His Word, by His Spirit, those who are given to
Him by His Father, so that they may walk before Him in all the ways of
obedience which He prescribes to them in His Word. Those who are thus
called, He commands to walk together in particular societies or churches,
for their mutual edification, and for the due performance of that public
worship, which He requires of them in the world” (26.5).
