Hi, my name is James R. Hamilton. I'm the Minister of Full Reformed Evangelical Chapel here in North Staffordshire in the United Kingdom. We are studying the Heidelberg Catechism. We're on Lord's Day 7. Lord's Day 6, we saw that Christ is given us a complete redemption. He is our redemption. And so the question now is, do all enjoy that redemption in Jesus Christ. This requires not only a dogmatic but a personal answer for we mustn't rest until we know that we ourselves personally have been redeemed by this mediator Jesus Christ. The word saved sounds to be in the future but it's not Scripture speaks differently in Ephesians 2 and verse 8, for by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Her salvation is now. The question of course, as to who has already been, or how many rather, has already been asked by the disciples of the Lord Jesus in Luke chapter 13 and verse 23 Lord are there few that be saved? and of course he answers them in the next verse 24 he tells them to look to themselves strive to enter in at the straight gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able The danger in this, of course, is that whilst we are gazing at others, we forget ourselves. So the answer here ought to disappoint, sadden even the few that walk the narrow path. But of course, what we must do is forget about the numbers, forget about how many, and not be sad at all, but rejoice that some are safe. because there's none of us, not a single one of us deserve to be so. So question 20, the new birth. Are all men then saved by Christ as they perish through Adam? Answer no, but only those who by a true faith are engrafted into him and receive all his benefits. This pertains to the new birth to regeneration. The answer is brief and plain. No, all are not saved. So the next question that follows on from that then, who is saved? In Luke chapter 19 and verse 42, we have the sobs, we have the cries of the Lord Jesus Christ of the Saviour himself. if thou hadst known even thou, at least in this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace, but now they are hid from thine eyes, speaking of course of his own, who of course received him not. So the truth, Matthew 20 verse 16. So the last shall be first and the first last, for many be called, but few chosen. Many hear the outward call, Many hear the proclamation, the presentation of Jesus Christ, but few are chosen. At the end, Matthew 25 verse 30, But many in this our day and generation in the church, in the visible church, many imagine themselves to be more loving than God is. and they are determined, whatever God says, whatever God thinks to proclaim to all in a sundry that God loves everybody and so tells them but I suggest to you that from the truth of scripture and from the truth expounded here in the Heidelberg Catechism that such preaching is nothing short of cruelty because it just is not true The answer to who is, is not short, simple no. It's positive, it's clear, no. But only those who by faith, true faith, are engrafted into him. And that engrafting into him, into Christ, is something that God does. And God chooses. God selects. God elects. those who are engrafted and will be engrafted into Jesus Christ by true faith. So it's this engrafting, it's this act of regeneration on God's part, united to Christ. Relationship to Christ is the vital factor, being united, engrafted into Him, being united to him by faith. It's more than just an acknowledgement of who Christ is as many suggest. Many are encouraged, many are instructed to simply make an acknowledgement of who Jesus Christ is. Make some kind of admission about their sin and then make some kind of decision. It's not a human decision, it's not the human will it's of God John chapter 1 and verse 13 but the redeemed you see are a unity not a bunch of singles wondering about the earth saved but a cohesion a body saved into the body of Christ and a body that is united through this bond of faith to Jesus Christ and grafted into him united to Christ living members of the new humanity under the headship of Christ Adam was the head of the old community Christ is the head of the new community and those who have been redeemed those who have been engrafted into him live under him as their head and eventually again God's doing the unsaved as a tumor will be cut out of the body. Does this person engrafted into Christ by faith obtain the benefits that flow from Christ? No, but only those who by true faith are engrafted into him and receive all his benefits. While life of course is the first one, the moment a person is united, is engrafted into Christ Life is there, life from the dead. He's the living Christ. I am the resurrection and the life, he says. I am the way, the truth and the life. Not that he has life in himself, but that he has the ability to impart, to give life unto all who are engrafted into him. As branches grafted into the true vine, they immediately begin to draw, to suck life out of the true vine and into themselves. It flows naturally into them. You see, the answer in the catechism is practical. It doesn't say the elect. It goes to the visible, not the invisible. The elect are invisible. You don't know who they are. I don't know who they are. Only God knows who they are. That's invisible. But the Catechism's answer goes to the visible, the fruit, all those who receive the benefits, His benefits, by being united to Him. And they show that they're alive. They live out of Christ. They have life, His life, His mind, His power. flowing from the true vine into the branches that have been engrafted into him and we are instructed by the Lord Jesus Christ himself in John 15 and verses 1 and following that he is the true vine and that by abiding in him we will bear fruit we must bear fruit If a person is united to Jesus Christ, engrafted into him, there must be fruit because it naturally flows from the true vine into the branches, into the engrafted member. There must be fruit. There must be the fruit of life. There must be the spiritual power. There must be the Christ-mindedness. So when we speak about being saved, it must be seen, it must be visible, it must be evident in our lives there will be fruit there. And we will truly believe. You see all this, we are totally passive in it, it's an act of God. John 1 verse 12, we receive one of the benefits that is received from being engrafted into Christ is the ability to believe, the ability to do what we couldn't do before, to believe in Him. We add and we achieve absolutely nothing, we just simply receive through God's act of regenerating us, engrafting us into Christ uniting us in the bond of faith into Christ, we receive. And in that reception, part of that reception, one of those benefits that we receive is faith. And that faith shows itself in living. But the branch, as ever, is always dependent upon the life-giving sap that flows from the true vine. flows from Christ into his members into his body it cannot live on its own by itself it must remain in the vine in the true vine in order to continue living so next the true faith question 21 what is true faith answer True faith is not only a sure knowledge whereby I hold for truth all that God has revealed to us in His Word, but also a firm confidence which the Holy Spirit works in my heart by the Gospel, that not only to others, but to me also, remission of sins, everlasting righteousness and salvation are freely given by God, merely of grace, only for the sake Christ's merits, the true faith. If we err here it is fatal, we have fool's gold, it's spiritual suicide because there is other than true faith, there is a pseudo faith, there is a temporary faith, which of course the Lord Jesus speaks of in the parable of the sower. In Matthew chapter 13 there is a historical faith as we so call it. Faith, a professional faith that never enters into the life communion with Christ. Connection to him being engrafted into Christ causes life, causes spiritual understanding, emotion, the will is submitted to God's will. Our affections, it affects every part of our beings. We become members of his body. So what is the true faith? Not just the catechism says, not just the acceptance of a bunch of truths. not just the confession of certain principles those are included but not just we live lives that are eternal quality of life here and now not just eternal life in terms of the life everlasting but here and now in this world yes we live as others but yet we are totally different there is that antithesis that that God himself has placed between his people and the world. Totally different. Living out of faith. Christ's faith. James chapter 2 verse 1. My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. The faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. We live out of his faith. of course the question posed here in our catechism supposes that well an imitation does exist so what what is true faith not well it's not only assurance it is that it is also that but not only that that's included but james again in chapter 2 verses 17 and following he well he tells us there that um You know, the devils believe and they tremble. A person, James says, says that they have faith but there's no evidential works. There's no fruit there to show that there's a reality to that faith. There might be knowledge. Knowledge is to do with the intellect. You may know lots. You might be a veritable theologian. You might be a theologian. understand the Hebrew, the Greek, understand the doctrines of the faith. Cold without taste, disputing without witness, principle but no love, proud, arrogant, knowledge. There must be confession with the belief, with the faith. So what is this true faith? Well, the opposite. the opposites all emotion those who say well I just love you know I love Jesus I love God I love I love I love but no time for the truth no time for doctrine no time for the principles the propositions in scripture concerning the Lord Jesus Christ then there's those who are all works they just want to work they just want to be kind and help other people all works but no truth no nothing of the doctrines of Christ Well the Catechism is telling us that this engrafting into Christ, this new birth and this true faith, it grips the whole man, his head as well as his heart. And it evidences itself in works, in good, in gospel works, that is supporting the church. Supporting the church of course, well according to our gifts. We have our limitations and Some of course are more gifted than others and some are limited by their capacities and health and wealth and strength and the station in which the Lord has placed us. But in some way, in some measure, no matter how much we have or how little we have, that faith will evidence itself in works supporting the church and no matter what gifts, no matter the amount, the strength of faith that we have, it will be that desire to penetrate, to dig into the truth that God has revealed to us. Our will is bent in doing God's will and our hearts trusting in Him and what He has revealed. Faith is in our heart but it's evidenced by our outer conduct, by our conversation in this world. So what are the things that we believe, thirdly? Question 22. What then is necessary for a Christian to believe? Answer all that is promised us. in the gospel which the articles of our catholic and doubted christian faith teach us in a summary. In question 23 one of these articles and answer of course it goes on to quote the apostles creed i believe in god the father almighty maker of heaven and earth and so on the things we believe It's not how much, it's the articles, it's what we believe. There are some, there are many in the church in the Western world in these days that wish to get by with very little. A minimum of faith and a minimum of works and a maximum of the world. Those who will seek to squeeze through the turnstile into glory in those last days. Their knowledge you could put on the back of a stamp, a costless Christianity with no self-denial. It is as broad as they're not, in this our day, an anti-intellectualism. People don't come to church to engage their minds anymore, to listen to the preaching of God's word, to listen to the doctrines of the faith and to learn them and to study them. They say, I come I come to switch off, I come to relax, to enjoy myself. Not to work, not to study. The opposite is the truth. We are called to glorify God with our minds. In worship, our minds are engaged in worship. Two thirds of a worship service and the engaging of the congregation's minds in that preaching. So what is in the gospel? All that's promised in the gospel, nothing less and nothing more. Not what's in the catechism, not what's in your favourite systematic theology, but what's in the foundom, what's in the Bible, what's in the source of Christian truth, the Holy Scriptures. And not just the New Testament, but all of it, The entire, the whole Bible, all the Bibles summed up you might say in one word, promise. The Bible, the scriptures are the promise of God. So the minimum in answer to question 21 is expanded into a maximum scripture The entirety of it, the whole Bible, is because Scripture is a body. There's a cohesion to it, the whole thing hangs together. Old and New Testaments, all 66 books of it, there's a cohesion, it all hangs together. And just as you can't dispense with parts of your body, with a leg, with an eye, you need the whole, you need all the parts of your body is a cohesion to your body in order for it to function properly you need the whole. Now you may not understand all the functions of your body but rip your heart out from your body and see how much you need it. Even though you do not understand all the parts of the Bible it's all needful because it's a whole. a whole body of truth there's a cohesion to it and our task as Christians all Christians our task is to dig into that mine of truth and to find the treasures therein the study of God's word of the scriptures doesn't belong just to theologians it belongs to us all to all Christians So the question again, what is in the gospels? Has not neglect of study, the study of God's word I mean, has it not been the death of the church? Has it not been a victory for the Antichrist? I mean, if we lose our Bibles, if we lose the appetite, the desire for our Bibles and the study of scripture, What defence do we have against all the and many anti-Christian ideas and philosophies that abound in our world today? Question 23, or answer 23, refers us to the Apostles' Creed, which is taken as just simply as a starting point. It's just, if you like, a very basic statement of faith. But is not the poverty in the church today, well in our country, in our nation at least anyway, isn't the poverty of the church seen in this, that it hasn't even expanded on the Apostles' Creed, which is a mere, which I suggest to you is just a basic statement of Christian faith? How many Christians do you know in the United Kingdom today who could tell you what the Apostles Creed is? Who could tell you what it teaches? Who have even read it? Who have in any measure at all expanded on it? You see, this amazing statement, this outline, this starting point, the Apostles Creed These are the articles, the basic articles that are needed for a Christian to believe. I don't say for the Reformed to believe. I do believe in the Reformed faith and I believe it's the best, it's the most wonderful exposition, explanation, if you like, of biblical truth. I believe and I'm committed to Reformed theology. But unless we turn ourselves into a cult, we need to remember ourselves that there are Christians, genuine Christians, outside of the Reformed faith who may not believe with all our theology and our doctrine, but who are yet true genuine Christians but these things are spoken of here in the Apostles Creed and the answer to question 23 of our Heidelberg Catechism these are the things that's needful for any Christian to believe the Apostles Creed you see is ecumenical in the right sense Because every Christian ought to be able to affix their signatures to this statement of faith. To this, every Christian ought to be able to say, Amen. In the ensuing Lord's days, we will dig into and we'll open up this apostles treat the statement of faith and we'll see exactly what it means to affirm these articles of faith these things that we are required that a Christian is required to believe but how blessed are they that know the joyful sound when they hear thy voice in happiness about