Redeemed
Jesus referred to the gospel as the “gospel of the kingdom” (Matt. 4:23). The Kingdom was our Lord’s preeminent teaching, illustrated in parables and demonstrated in works of power that showed authority over Satan and reversal of the effects of the fall. For us to embrace the gospel is to recognize Christ as King.
conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear (1 Peter 1:17, NKJV)
What comes to mind when you hear the word “gospel”? You may well think of the good news of great joy announced by the heavenly messenger to the shepherds outside Bethlehem. In the gospel is found a righteousness from God that is by faith in what Christ achieved and not by works done by us. It holds the promise of forgiveness of sins and life eternal.
But the gospel is more than that, just like Christ’s redeeming work involved more than just us. It reaches to the entire creation (Rom. 8). We are not merely new creatures; we are part of a new creation that speaks to the Kingdom of God.
Jesus referred to the gospel as the “gospel of the kingdom” (Matt. 4:23).
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Are People Basically Good?
The fall is not simply a question of rational deduction. It is a point of divine revelation. It refers to what we call original sin. Original sin does not refer primarily to the first or original sin committed by Adam and Eve. Original sin refers to the result of the first sin—the corruption of the human race. Original sin refers to the fallen condition in which we are born.
It is commonplace to hear the statement, “people are basically good.” Though it is admitted that no one is perfect, human wickedness is minimized. Yet if people are basically good, why is sin so universal?
It is often suggested that everybody sins because society has such a negative influence upon us. The problem is seen with our environment, not with our nature. This explanation for the universality of sin raises the question, how did society become corrupt in the first place? If people are born good or innocent, we would expect at least a percentage of them to remain good and sinless. We should be able to find societies that are not corrupt, where the environment has been conditioned by sinlessness rather than sinfulness. Yet the most dedicated-to-righteousness communes we can find still have provisions for dealing with the guilt of sin.
Since the fruit is universally corrupt we look for the root of the problem in the tree. Jesus indicated that a good tree does not produce corrupt fruit. The Bible clearly teaches that our original parents, Adam and Eve, fell in sin. Subsequently, every human being has been born with a sinful and corrupt nature. If the Bible didn’t explicitly teach this, we would have to deduce it rationally from the bare fact of the universality of sin.
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Covid Added to the Childhood Vaccine Schedule: No Science, No Rationality, No Morality
The addition of Covid vaccines to the childhood immunization schedule legalizes mandates imposed by left-wing school districts at the local level, while shielding companies like Pfizer from liability, ensuring that no amount of harm caused by the vaccines will cut into their profits.
In a ghastly new crime against America’s children, particularly those in Democratic states and cities, the CDC today voted to add Covid mRNA vaccines to the childhood immunization schedule, paving the way for mandates by left-wing school districts.
The CDC and media fact-checkers were quick to point out that the CDC cannot impose a national child vaccine mandate—but this is a galling straw-man argument, likely betraying the CDC’s insecurity about what they’ve just done. As the CDC knows, judges have routinely cited deference to the childhood immunization schedule as an adequate basis to uphold vaccine mandates by school districts.
The addition of Covid vaccines to the childhood immunization schedule therefore legalizes mandates imposed by left-wing school districts at the local level, while shielding companies like Pfizer from liability, ensuring that no amount of harm caused by the vaccines will cut into their profits.
According to a recent study in JAMA, Pfizer’s Covid mRNA vaccine resulted in hospitalization in one out of every 500 children under the age of five. While this is in line with the rate of hospitalization from other vaccines, the difference is that those vaccines confer benefits against diseases that are actually harmful to children.
By contrast, it has long been known that Covid presents virtually no risk to healthy children. According to CDC data, Covid’s total mortality rate for all children 0-17 years is approximately 0.002%, and just 0.0001% for those children 0-17 years without comorbities.
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Worship Founded Upon Meekness
The Second Commandment is also largely concerned with comforting us with the news that we need not be ignorant either of how or who to bring praise with and to in response to the grace given in love. The same God who has provided a plan of redemption has presented in His perfect Scriptures a witness to the manner of the worship of His people.
Our catechism lesson today continues with more on the Second Commandment. Without any more delay let’s get right into it as there is much to talk about this week:
Q. 51. What is forbidden in the Second Commandment?
A. The second commandment forbids the worshipping of God by images, or any other way not appointed in His word.
Q. 52. What are the reasons annexed to the Second Commandment?
A. The reasons annexed to the second commandment are, God’s sovereignty over us, His propriety in us, and the zeal He has to His own worship.
Worship, as has been noted, is what we are about as human beings. It is the very essence of our existence. When we are given a peek at God’s redeemed flock in the Heavens in Revelation 7 we see the people gathered around the throne praising the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit with their voices:
After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
No matter where you are from, or who your parents are, or what the provenance of your faith is, in your resting and trusting in Christ the natural response of a redeemed heart is going to be worship. It’s who we are. If you don’t have a burning desire to gather with God’s Church on the Sabbath Day then it’s a moral issue, a sin, full stop, truly worthy of repentance. We bear the fruit of the tree unto which we are a member.
If we are still attached to the date tree of Satan then we will resist the call to worship. However, if we are grafted onto the fig tree that is Christ then we will bring forth praise upon praise, because the means of His grace flows through us as sap in a maple. There isn’t any wiggle room here for there can’t be more than one master under whom we live, as the First Commandment makes clear. We either have the God of the Bible as our Lord, or we have the man-made creation as our idol. Choose this day whom you will serve has implications for this next word given at Sinai.
The Second Commandment is also largely concerned with comforting us with the news that we need not be ignorant either of how or who to bring praise with and to in response to the grace given in love. The same God who has provided a plan of redemption has presented in His perfect Scriptures a witness to the manner of the worship of His people.
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