"Bavinck also takes up a discussion of covenant adults and their spiritual state, and here Bavinck specifically takes up the work of preaching -- both preaching unto the last afar off and preaching to covenant members of the church. Whereas it is wrongheaded to treat covenant people as unbelievers, it is likewise wrongheaded to fail to call them to faith and repentance after the pattern of the Old Testament prophets, as well as John the Baptist and Jesus. Similarly, the apostolic letters refer to the covenant people as God's elect and members of Christ, yet the churches could be infected with hypocrites not yet detected and with various forms of error and unrighteousness that require continual calls to faith and repentance. Scripture teaches us to regard one another as God's people, but also to be aware that false brothers and sisters slip in as fakes, and they do not constitute the essence of the church. This discussion clears the way for Bavinck to take up calling and re...
Thoughts on the Reformed faith, preparation for ministry, and doing all to the glory of God.