LBCF 1689 Reflections. Part 150

Reflections on the Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689

 

23 Aug 14 began a perhaps unbroken, orderly, and personal journey through my favorite written confession of faith. These are my personal reflections on this beloved historic Particular Baptist confession of the Christian Faith.

 

NEXT-

 

Section 17, “Of the Perseverance of the Saints.” 17.2c: “…the oath of God…”

 

They’re writing about the persevering nature of the Faith in the hearts of all God’s elect. Where it comes from. How it looks in action, etc. Please see my previous entries here in weeks past if needed for thoughts on what’s in the confession in section 17 up to this point.

 

“The oath of God.” A brief citation here. There are a few ways I feel best to flesh out what they’re talking about here. There is the big picture oath of God in his promises to the patriarchs that he’s fulfilled in Jesus. He speaks of them somewhat frequently. Acts 13:26, 32-33 comes to mind. There are very few such things we can say that God swore about in the Bible. This is one of them. God fulfilled his promises to Abraham, and that fulfillment is ultimately through the Cross. I want to highlight in this brief devotional this week that “the oath” also looks like this:

 

“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” Romans 10:8-11.

 

The believer lives this passage out daily. Sin’s passing pleasures can no longer satisfy. Hope can be dashed and dashed like waves against the rocks, but by faith the ship holds firm somehow still. The upward call of God in Christ has not weakened with years of testing in their life. It’s only stronger. More rooted. Grounded. Immovable. Educated.

 

Paul says that those who live out and love through Romans 10’s truths here, “…will be saved.” Please hear me, reader: THERE IS NO MAYBE! The promises of God in Christ are not “maybe” and “perhaps,” but “yes” and “amen.” 2 Corinthians 1:20. So, are you in Jesus? Do you believe? If so, you have the oath of God that your faith cannot fail.

 

The writers here cite: Romans 8:30 Romans 9:11, 16; Romans 5:9, 10; John 14:19; Hebrews 6:17, 18; 1 John 3:9; Jeremiah 32:40 for good reason.

 

God promises that all those who put their trust fully in Christ “…will not be disappointed.” Such is the very heart of the oath we have in Jesus. We have the Holy Spirit himself living within us and burning in our hearts to worship God and show us this guarantee of our redemption. God’s word means something. All the more when we have an oath. Trust in his word. You will not be disappointed because he’s eager to show himself faithful.