Rev. Key is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hull, Iowa. The second aspect of the Holy Spirit’s work in our salvation is that of the calling. The calling is that work of God bringing the regenerated sinner into the consciousness of his salvation in Christ Jesus. Through the Spirit of Christ the triune God addresses the elect, regenerated sinner by the Word of the gospel, enlightening the understanding and drawing him out of darkness into the light of life. When we continue the figure of the seed (of regeneration), as we considered from I Peter 1:23-25, the calling can...

Rev. Key is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hull, Iowa. We have considered the necessity of being born again, and have seen it as a wonder work of divine grace. The question now becomes, also as a matter of personal importance: How is that wonder of regeneration brought to consciousness with all that it includes? How do I know that I am regenerated? That is an urgent question, as you who are elect strangers can certainly sense. We have seen that the Holy Spirit works the wonder of regeneration by implanting the incorruptible seed of Christ’s life in...

Rev. Key is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hull, Iowa. As we begin our consideration of the Holy Spirit’s work in our salvation, we look first at the wonder of regeneration, otherwise known as spiritual rebirth, being born again. The very concept of being born again sets before us an urgent necessity. You must be born again! Those were the words of Jesus to Nicodemus in John 3. That necessity is set before us in Scripture by use of a contrast between natural life and spiritual life. Every man is born into what is generally called life. That birth,...

September 6-8, 2000 at Randolph, Wisconsin After an enjoyable officebearers’ conference on Tuesday, September 5, on the subject of “Understanding the Old Testament,” Classis West met in Randolph, Wisconsin from September 6-8 for an extended session of work. Rev. A. Brummel opened classis with a brief exposition on the qualification of an officebearer to be “blameless.” Rev. A. denHartog then took the chair as president and presided over the assembly. The agenda was weighty, and the decisions taken were of utmost seriousness. The delegates were required to labor all day and long into the night from Wednesday until classis finally...

Rev. Key is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hull, Iowa. Previous article in this series: November 15, 2005, p. 92.   The Power of Preaching  To understand the preaching as a means of grace, we must clearly understand the power of preaching. Preaching as a power is rarely understood today. There are more than a few in our day who are much disillusioned with preaching! There are various reasons for such dissatisfaction, some good reasons, many not so good reasons. There are some children of God who long for the warmth and vigor of lively preaching and who...

Rev. Key is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hull, Iowa. Having seen that the Holy Spirit works, sustains, and nourishes faith by the use of means, we have noted that the preaching of the gospel is the chief means of grace. Many times we have heard of the high calling of a minister of the gospel. It is a calling intricately connected with the salvation of God’s people. Isaiah emphasized that tremendous calling when he said in Isaiah 52:7: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good...

Rev. Key is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hull, Iowa. The substance of this article was the keynote address given at the Officebearers’ Conference of Classis West in Randolph, Wisconsin, on August 1, 1004. The speech has been adapted by the author for publication in the Standard Bearer. Previous article in this series: November 1, 2005, p. 57. Having considered together in our last article the basis for Christian education, we now turn our attention to the goal and fruit of such dedicated instruction of the church’s children. The Goal In the instruction of our children we strive...

Rev. Key is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hull, Iowa. The substance of this article was the keynote address given at the Officebearers’ Conference of Classis West in Randolph, Wisconsin, on August 1, 1004. The speech has been adapted by the author for publication in the Standard Bearer. The subject of this article is one that lies dear to my heart, and indeed to the heart of our Protestant Reformed Churches. It has been well developed in the churches and it is found important throughout the churches. For that reason, this article will not set forth any new...

Rev. Key is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hull, Iowa. In considering the gathering of the church, we saw how Scripture reveals that gathering as God’s work exclusively. It is the wonder work of divine, sovereign grace. It is the work of particular grace. That is evident in what the inspired apostle writes to the church at Thessalonica in II Thessalonians 2:13-14: “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:...

Rev. Key is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hull, Iowa. Previous article in this series: August 2007, p. 444. We have seen that in the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper God is pleased to sit at the feast table with us. The table of our Lord is the table of the covenant! The great and holy God takes sinners into His fellowship—not as sinners, but as those cleansed with the blood of His dear Son. Christ’s work in our redemption instills in us a desire to join our Lord in the fellowship of His love, to confess His...