Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - May/95

Contributor - Rev. Dr. John H. Muller

Title - I Believe - What About The True Church

Topic - Belgic Confession

ARTICLES 28 and 29 of our BELGIC CONFESSION deal with our obligation to be a part of the church, and how to recognize the true church from false ones.

ARTICLE 27 laid out the oneness and unity of the church everywhere. Now DeBres goes on to tell us that we have an obligation to be a part of it. No one should be "content to be by himself'. We are obliged to join it and promote its unity. We need to hear this today when many downgrade and depreciate the church. It is the body of Christ, and to disparage the church is to slight the very Son of God.

Our mandate is to be a part of the church, to submit to its instruction and discipline, to serve to build it up, and to edify one another by the use of our talents.

The last part of ARTICLE 28 comes out of the struggle of the day when the CONFESSION was written. "Join this assembly wherever God has established it, even if civil authorities and royal decrees forbid and death and physical punishment result." DeBres himself paid the supreme penalty, and many others suffered punishment and death. Truly "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church." We follow in their train, and proudly claim to be a part of the church.

With different churches claiming and boasting that they are "the true church" we can easily find ourselves confused. ARTICLE 29 points up the marks of the true church. "The true church can be recognized if it has the following marks: The church engages in the pure preaching of the gospel; it makes use of the pure administration of the sacraments as Christ instituted them; it practices church discipline for correcting faults. In short, it governs itself according to the pure Word of God rejecting all things contrary to it and holding Jesus Christ as the only Head. By these marks one can be assured of recognizing the true church - and no one ought to be separated from it."

Is the Gospel preached? Are the sacraments properly administered? Are faults in the Christian life corrected?

It is not hard to tell whether the Gospel is being preached when you visit a church. The matter of sacraments and discipline would take more time and some intimate knowledge of the church.

Some groups are quite outspoken about their claims to be "the true church". They also become very judgmental of every group but their own. Beware of the claims of sects and "pure" churches.

More is said about the members of the true church. They should have "the distinguishing marks of Christians; namely by faith, and by their fleeing from sin and pursuing righteousness once they have received the One and Only Saviour, Jesus Christ. They love the true God and their neighhours ... and they crucify the flesh and its works".

The above, at best, is achieved only in part. DeBres recognizes this when he says that Christians must fight against weakness "all the days of their lives." Their appeal is "to the blood, suffering, death and obedience of the Lord Jesus, in Whom they have forgiveness of their sins."

DeBres' references to 'the false church" seemingly refer to the Roman Church of his day. "In rejecting sects as well as the false church the CONFESSION means to censure the party spirit. A sect is a fractional, narrow group; the church is catholic and inclusive of all who acknowledge Jesus as Lord. The sectarian spirit wishes to exclude all from the circle of fellowship who are not in agreement with one's own little circle of ideas. Those who have caught the spirit of the holy, catholic church accept into their fellowship those whom Christ receives." (Osterhaven)

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