Join us as we discuss: Covenant Religion

Topics considered include:

Modern Christian Sentiments about Religion

"Christianity is not a religion, its a relationship."

"Religion is man's attempt to reach God. Gospel is about God's coming to rescue man."

Religion is manmade. The Gospel is revealed from heaven.

Religion is about rules that are like rungs on a ladder to climb to heaven. The Gospel is about God coming down the ladder in grace to rescue and relate to man.

Defining Religion

Cicero's etymology relegere= read again

Popular etymology religare = "to bind fast" (Lactantius, Augustine)

James 1:26-27 "If any man among you seem to be religious (thrēskos/religiosum), and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion (thrēskeia/religio) is vain. Pure religion (thrēskeia/religio) and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."

Godward–"Before God and the Father"--life Coram Deo

Practical/Outward–visiting orphans and widows in affliction

Personal/Inward–keep himself unspotted from the world

Religion 18X in Westminster Standards (not including prefaces)

I,8. Of the Holy Scriptures "...so as in all controversies of religion, the Church is finally to appeal unto them."

I,10. "The supreme Judge, by which all controversies of religion are to be determined"

X,4. Of Effectual Calling "much less can men not professing the Christian religion be saved in any other way whatsoever, be they ever so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, and the law of that religion they do profess"

XXIII, 4 Of the Civil Magistrate "Infidelity, or difference in religion, doth not make void the magistrates just and legal authority"

XXIV, 3 Of Marriage and Divorce "And therefore such as confess the true reformed religion should not marry with infidels, Papists, or other idolaters"

XXV, 2 Of the Church "all those throughout the world that profess the true religion, together with their children"

XXXI, 2 Of Synods and Councils "matters of religion"

Title of Larger Catechism "The Covenanted Uniformity in Religion betwixt the Churches of Christ in the Kingdoms of Scotland, England, and Ireland

LC 60 "that religion which they profess"

LC 62 "profess the true religion"

LC 109 "tolerating a false religion"

LC 113 "making profession of religion in hypocrisy, or for sinister ends"

LC 121 "a short abridgment of religion"

True Religion

The Christian Profession of Faith

Without Hypocrisy

The Christian Way of Life

False Religions

Distortions of the Christian Profession of Faith as in Rome

Hypocritical Profession of the Christian Faith

Way of Life Contrary to Christian Practice

True Religion Is Not Merely a Relationship

"Not Merely"--the true religion is a relationship, but it is not just any relationship

Relationship is undefined–there are many types of relationships (employee/employer; parent/child; husband/wife; friendship; partnership; acquaintance; legal, contractual, familial, formal, informal, high expectation, low expectation, consequential, inconsequential)

Relationship is unregulated–tendency for people to set their own terms with God; best illustrated in the words "My god would never…" or endless variety of adjectives SSA Christian, Feminist Christian, Liberal Christian; Christians whose way of life contradicts the commands of Christ

True Religion Is Covenant

Covenant Theology is an understanding of the unity and structure of the Bible

Covenant Religion = speaks of our bond with God in terms of His covenant

His Person = "I will be your God"--this is your first and best relationship

His People = "You will be My people"--you belong to God as Father and the church as mother

His Premises = By grace through faith in Christ

His Promises = eternal communion of life with God

His Precepts = the moral law of God (Ten Commandments; Law of Christ)

His Penalties = 2 Peter 2:20-22 "For if after they have escaped the pollutants of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it has happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire."

Recommended Resources:

John Murray, Principles of Conduct

Your hosts:

TE Josh Owen

TE Aaron Garriott

RE Gabe Williams

Produced by: RE Gabe Will...