Dear BPCWA worshipper, In this final part of the pastoral series on our historical Reformed Faith, I want to help our worshippers understand an important part of our covenantal Reformed Faith, which is often what distinguishes between those who term themselves as “reformed” vs the historic Reformed Faith.

Covenantal Signs & Seals. Since it is the same covenant running across the OT and NT, the substance of the covenant is the same in the OT and NT, but with different administrations. This is particularly apparent in the covenantal signs. The signs and seals of the covenant are “instituted by God, to represent Christ and His benefits; and to confirm our interest in Him: as also, to put avisible difference between those that belong unto the Church and the rest of the world; and solemnly to engage them to the service of God in Christ, according to His Word” (WCF 27.1, italicised for emphasis). It is apparent that in the OT, circumcision was a sign of the Covenant of Grace. It was commanded to Abraham and his household and was not for Abraham to question, negotiate, or suggest alternatives. Abraham was to keep the “token of the covenant betwixt me and you” (Gen 17:11) by ensuring that “he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you” (Gen 17:12). God did not expect the 8-day-old baby to have an express declaration of his faith before the infant was circumcised. That was simply how God expected Abraham to “keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations” (Gen 17:9). In the OT, circumcision (or conversely, uncircumcision) was a sign that distinguished (or “put a visible difference”,as expressed by WCF) between the people of God and the Gentiles (Ex 12:48, 1Sam 14:6). One of the benefits of the Covenant of Grace is that God is a familial God who desires to set apart the believer’s family as their God. When Abraham obeyed and kept this sign, he was confirming his interest in bringing up the child as God’s people and for God. This act was not about the child’s personal salvation. Even in the Old Testament, infant circumcision did not mean that merely being born in the line and being circumcised saved anyone. The Apostle Paul, bemoaning the rejection of the great privilege God had granted to the Israelites, acknowledges that not every descendent of Abraham who was circumcised under the old covenant was saved, for “Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children” (Ro 9:7). Paul says further that “They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed” (Ro 9:8). In the NT, the covenantal sign is not removed, but replaced. Instead of circumcision, it is now “the circumcision of Christ” (Col 2:11) which is told to us is being “buried with him in baptism” (Col 2:12). In the same way where once circumcision was administered to believers and even their infant children, we now baptise both believers and their infant children as a sign of the covenant. Through baptism, there is a visible difference between the believer’s baptised family and that of the world because if not for the believing parent, “else were your children unclean; but now are they holy” (1Cor 7:14). Just like the Apostle Paul emphasized, we are not saying that every child who is infant baptised is or will be saved. We are simply obeying God’s covenantal sign and confirming our interest to be set apart for and by Him. The other covenantal sign that space forbids me to elaborate on is the Passover, which has been replaced by the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper in the NT. 

The Local Church. Another aspect that many don’t relate to the covenant is the visible church, which is the visible identification as God’s people and with God’s people. In the OT, circumcision (the sign of the covenant) was essential to be part of God’s people (Gen 17:14). Hence, in the NT, baptism makes one a member of the local church. This is an important concept of the covenant but has been forgotten, neglected, or ignored. Hence, few take baptism and church membership seriously. Certainly, not everyone who was circumcised was saved, because Rom 9:6,7 tells us that “they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children.” Yet, they are collectively called “Israel” and may even have partaken of the Passover. Similarly, we know that even in the NT church, try as you may, it would be unwise for any church to claim that they only have regenerate membership because Christ Himself tells us otherwise in the parable of the wheat and the tares. The Board of Elders endeavour to do our best in the rigorous interview of even adults professing salvation and desiring to be baptised or to join church membership. Sadly, I can say based on experience that what some have claimed during their membership interviews, they have turned their backs on in time. This will be the nature of the visible witness of God’s people until the end, as the Lord has said, “Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them” (Matt 13:30). Conversely, with the understanding of the unity of the covenants, the Church Universal is made up of all true believers both in the OT (Acts 7:38) and in the NT (Eph 1:22-23).

I have tried to briefly summarise key points of the historic Reformed Faith’s theology regarding God’s covenants. In doing so, I hope that it has begun to whet the appetites and aroused a hunger and thirst amongst our worshippers to learn more about this Biblical doctrine. Teaching our worshippers is our defence mechanism to protect what we know and believe is Biblical. We must continue to uphold the historic Reformed Faith because it is Biblical. And we must have convictions about our faith before we will want to continue to uphold it. Every member and parent must be able to articulate and defend this Biblical system of our faith if called upon to do so. Importantly, we must all know our faith so as to pass it on to our children and faithful men. May we give ourselves to the thorough understanding and study of God’s great plan and purposes revealed in these doctrines because the counter-reformation will continue to attack from outside and within Christianity.

Lu 10:23-24 And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: 24 For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Yours in our Lord’s service,
Pastor