Bridwell Heights Presbyterian Church PCA

The Corporate Witness of the Church/ Machen Speaks - Pastor Patrick Hines Reformed Christian Podcast Reading and commenting on this very helpful article by Machen from Mid-October, 1932: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/590be125ff7c502a07752a5b/t/64ea3074213110338973bc95/1693069429121/Craig%2C+Samuel+G.%2C+The+Corporate+Witness+of+the+Church.pdf

Paragraphs 4 & 5 of Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 11, "Of Justification"

Article 4: The Canonical Books We include in the Holy Scripture the two volumes of the Old and New Testaments. They are canonical books with which there can be no quarrel at all. In the church of God the list is as follows: In the Old Testament, the five books of Moses— Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy; the books of Joshua, Judges, and Ruth; the two books of Samuel, and two of Kings; the two books of Chronicles, called Paralipomenon; the first book of Ezra; Nehemiah, Esther, Job; the Psalms of David; the three books of Solomon— Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song; the four major prophets— Isaiah, Jeremiah*, Ezekiel, Daniel; and then the other twelve minor prophets— Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. In the New Testament, the four gospels— Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; the Acts of the Apostles; the fourteen letters of Paul— to the Romans; the two letters to the Corinthians; to the Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians; the two letters to the Thessalonians; the two letters to Timothy; to Titus, Philemon, and to the Hebrews; the seven letters of the other apostles— one of James; two of Peter; three of John; one of Jude; and the Revelation of the apostle John. * "Jeremiah" here includes the Book of Lamentations as well as the Book of Jeremiah. Article 5: The Authority of Scripture We receive all these books and these only as holy and canonical, for the regulating, founding, and establishing of our faith. And we believe without a doubt all things contained in them— not so much because the church receives and approves them as such but above all because the Holy Spirit testifies in our

III. Christ, by His obedience and death, did fully discharge the debt of all those that are thus justified, and did make a proper, real, and full satisfaction to His Father's justice in their behalf (Rom. 5:8-10, 19; 1 Tim. 2:5-6; Heb. 10:10, 14; Dan. 9:24, 26; Isa. 53:4-6, 10–12). Yet, in as much as He was given by the Father for them (Rom. 8:32); and His obedience and satisfaction accepted in their stead (2 Cor. 5:21; Matt. 3:17; Eph. 5:2); and both, freely, not for anything in them; their justification is only of free grace (Rom. 3:24; Eph. 1:17); that both the exact justice, and rich grace of God might be glorified in the justification of sinners (Rom. 3:26; Eph. 2:7). IV. God did, from all eternity, decree to justify all the elect (Gal. 3:8; 1 Peter 1:2, 19-20; Rom. 8:30), and Christ did, in the fulness of time, die for their sins, and rise again for their justification (Gal. 4:4; 1 Tim. 2:6; Rom. 4:25): nevertheless, they are not justified, until the Holy Spirit doth, in due time, actually apply Christ unto them (Col. 1:21-22; Gal. 2:16; Titus 3:4-7).

1. Those whom God effectually calleth he also freely justifieth;a not by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins, and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous: not for anything wrought in them, or done by them, but for Christ's sake alone; nor by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness; but by imputing the obedience and satisfaction of Christ unto them,b they receiving and resting on him and his righteousness by faith; which faith they have not of themselves, it is the gift of God.c a. Rom 3:24; 8:30. • b. Jer 23:6; Rom 3:22, 24-25, 27-28; 4:5-8; 5:17-19; 1 Cor 1:30-31; 2 Cor 5:19, 21; Eph 1:7; Titus 3:5, 7. • c. Acts 10:44; 13:38-39; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:7-8; Phil 3:9. 2. Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification;a yet is it not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but worketh by love.b a. John 1:12; Rom 3:28; 5:1. • b. Gal 5:6; James 2:17, 22, 26.

Belgic Confession Article 3 - The Word of God Written

Article 2: The Means by Which We Know God We know God by two means: First, by the creation, preservation, and government of the universe, since that universe is before our eyes like a beautiful book in which all creatures, great and small, are as letters to make us ponder the invisible things of God: God's eternal power and divinity, as the apostle Paul says in Romans 1:20. All these things are enough to convict humans and to leave them without excuse. Second, God makes himself known to us more clearly by his holy and divine Word, as much as we need in this life, for God's glory and for our salvation.