7. What is The Divinely Ordained Purpose of the Gospel Preaching/Ministry of the Word?
What does the Confession of Faith attribute to the ministry of the word? 1689.14.1 states “The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word; by which also, and by the administration of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, prayer, and other means appointed of God, it is increased and strengthened.”
According to the Confession that summarizes the teaching of Scriptures, that which is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the word – by the preaching of the good news of the glorious salvation that God has accomplished in Christ – is faith in Jesus Christ. It is ‘belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel.’ 2Th 2:14. It is certainly not instrumental in any remote way in the begetting of life. Don’t confuse the sovereign work of the Spirit in begetting life, and the work of the gospel preacher in bringing such to a belief in the truth. It is to bring an effectually called, justified and regenerated elect to believe in the gospel truth. In order to believe in the gospel truth, an effectually called, justified and regenerated elect needs to be informed, instructed, persuaded and convinced to believe what God has done... and “the gospel is the only outward and all adequate means God has ordained to reveal Christ and saving grace already applied… to effect their conversion to God.” (1689.20.4). The conversion of Cornelius, the Berean Jews, and Lydia are specific and apt illustrations of this blessed truth. They were regenerated people who were brought to belief in the truth through the ministry of the word. “And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?” asked Apostle Paul. He didn’t ask, “And how shall they be born again by the instrument of the gospel of which they have not heard.” Sadly, that’s what many have imagined Apostle Paul had asked!
Those dear Jewish souls for whom Paul desired salvation already had a zeal of God, but they were ignorant of Christ’s righteousness and still trusting the works of the law for their righteousness (Rom 10:1-5). These were obviously God’s elect Jews, for Paul had already distinguished between physical and spiritual Israel (Rom 9:6,22-24). Paul would not have prayed for those outside God’s election, and he would not have sought to educate those not born again. He was praying and laboring for the conversion of God’s elect Israelites to the glorious knowledge of Christ and from their ignorant confidence in the law. “Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.” 2Ti 2:10. What he was doing is like one who believes in the doctrine of grace desiring to convert the free-will Arminians to the truth of free and particular grace.
Therefore the 1689.20.4 summarizes thus: “Although the gospel be the only outward means of revealing Christ and saving grace, and is, as such, abundantly sufficient thereunto; yet that men who are dead in trespasses may be born again, quickened or regenerated, there is moreover necessary an effectual insuperable work of the Holy Spirit upon the whole soul, for the producing in them a new spiritual life; without which no other means will effect their conversion unto God.”
Please note carefully that Chapter 20 is unique to the 1689, i.e., absent in the WCF (1647). This is significant! Something must have transpired during the intervening period of 1647 and 1677 that made it necessary for the Particular Baptists to add chapter 20. This chapter sheds clear light on how those old Particular Baptists differed markedly from the standard reformed position regarding the biblical role of the gospel in the redemptive purpose as well as the meaning of ‘faith... is the sole instrument of justification.’
The Confession states clearly the function of the gospel as the outward means of revealing Christ and saving grace… the only means to reveal, to make manifest the effectually called elect through belief in the truth and faith in Christ. The function of the gospel is to bring to faith in Jesus Christ those already effectually called, justified and regenerated elect. Only such have Christ and saving grace in them. Only such will manifest faith in Christ. The gospel is the only outward means to effect conversion unto God. The gospel is the outward means to reveal, to make manifest, to evidence, to demonstrate, to show Christ and saving grace which is already present, i.e., the effectual call, justification and regeneration that has ALREADY been applied to an elect. 2Tim 1:10 says that the gospel preaching brings to light or demonstrates the presence of life and immortality, i.e., the grace and salvation by Jesus Christ, in the regenerated elect. If the gospel is the outward means to reveal Christ and saving grace, then faith that responds to the gospel call does exactly the same.
2Tim 1:9-10 says, “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality TO LIGHT through the gospel, whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.”
Brothers, God has saved us according to His eternal purpose in Jesus Christ, and He has executed by Himself all the operations of grace for that salvation, for the bestowal of eternal life. He did not consider our works or conditions; He only considered His purpose and grace in Christ. And He purposed all this before the world began. The coming of Jesus Christ and the commission to preach the gospel brings that glorious mystery of salvation TO LIGHT. It does not bring life and immortality, for only Christ our Creator and Saviour, can give eternal life and immortality. The gospel brings it to light – it reveals, displays, manifests the salvation Jesus Christ has secured for and applied to them. We as preachers and teachers only to call upon the elect – unknown to us but among our hearers – and announce to them what God has already done for them in securing eternal life and immortality, therefore reasoning, pleading and persuading them to forsake the lies and to embrace the gospel truth. We do not bring eternal life or immortality to light in any other way.
Please take careful note of what is said of John the Baptist: “And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; to give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” Luke 1:76-79. The all-important ministry of John the Baptist is described as giving knowledge of salvation to God’s people, to give light to God’s people who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our (God’s redeemed people) feet in the way of peace. There is absolutely no mention of the gospel preaching as the instrumental means of imparting eternal life. Knowledge can only be imparted to one who has spiritual life; light can only be given to one who has spiritual sight; only someone with spiritual life can be led out of the shadow of death into the light of life; and only someone with life can be guided into the way of peace. The gospel is the good news of salvation already accomplished and applied by God to His people… and the preaching of the gospel is to bring His redeemed people to a saving knowledge of this salvation already accomplished for and applied to them. That’s the ministry of the prophet of the highest and all God’s called ministers.
Turning on the light in the dark living room reveals the furniture that has already been placed there. Turning on the light does nothing whatsoever to cause the furniture to be there in the living room! Whoever has such a magic touch would be a divine! The gospel is the only divinely appointed means or instrument to reveal Christ and saving grace that is already present in an elect – the bestowal of eternal salvation, deliverance from eternal condemnation that God has wrought in a sinner. The manifestation of the furniture in the presence of the gospel light is evidence of the solid work of grace, of life and immortality already bestowed by grace. The relation that the light sustains with the solid work of grace is its being the exclusive means or instrument appointed by God to reveal that solid work of grace by God’s grace. To credit anything more to the function of the gospel call is saying more than what the Scriptures say. It is claiming more for the gospel preaching than that which God Himself has ordained.
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