When we speak of the Bible as “inspired,” we do not mean that the Bible is “inspirational.” What we do mean by the term “inspired” is that the Bible is given to us by God as part of his self-revelation for the purpose of giving us a knowledge of his will (the law) as well as knowledge of how to be delivered from the guilt of our sins (the gospel). That said, we’ll address the limits of the term “inspired” momentarily.

When discussing Article Two, we made the case that as our post-Christian culture becomes increasingly hostile towards Christianity in general, and Reformed Christianity in particular, one way in which we are to respond to the unbelief around us is to personally believe those things revealed to us by God in his word and then publically confess these doctrines as a church before the watching world.

One of the most important things we must confess to the unbelieving world is that the Bible is a divinely-inspired, self-revelation of God, through the agency of various human writers. Because God has spoken to us in and through his word, we have a sure and certain foundation for our knowledge of our Creator and Redeemer. God has not left us in the dark with only our own pious opinions about religious matters. Through the words of Holy Scripture, God speaks to us, even this very day.

To read the rest of this exposition: An Exposition of Article Three: The Written Word of God

When someone says “I think God is like,” I can be certain that the person speaking hasn’t got a clue as to what God is like. Since the only way God can be known is through his self-revelation in creation and his word–the topic of article two–someone who defines God based upon personal experience, or personal opinion, is engaging in rank idolatry. While it is easy to think of idolatry as something associated with the primitive peoples of the past, or with pagan religions of the east, nothing could be further from the truth. We are all habitual idolaters. America is a land filled with idols. When we believe and confess that there is only one God, we are raising a standard against the spirit of the age.

The confession of the Reformed churches that there is only one God is at the very heart of all Christian theology. The famous Shema, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4) is the basic confession of faith of Israel and separates biblical revelation from all forms of paganism. Christians do not worship the “sun god” nor the “moon god” as do the ancient pagans. We worship the true and living God who created the sun and the moon. Nor are we pantheists and identify God with that which he has made, as in “the earth is our mother,” the creed of those environmentalists who worship nature. There is only one God–not many gods–and since God has created all things, God cannot be equated with that which he has made. He is transcendent and Lord over all the earth.

To read the rest of this exposition, click here: Exposition of Article One of the Belgic Confession --There Is Only One God

“We Believe and Confess” An Introduction to the Belgic Confession

We are pilgrims passing through a foreign land. Like Abraham, the father of the faithful, we too are looking for the promised land flowing with milk and honey, that place where at long last we will find rest for our weary souls. In Hebrews 11:10, Abraham is commended because even though the land of promise was not yet his, and even though he believed that God would keep his promise and give him the land, nevertheless Abraham was looking beyond that land lying between the Euphrates and the River of Egypt to that heavenly city whose builder and architect is God. Abraham did this, Scripture says, “by faith.”

To continue, click here: An Introduction to the Belgic Confession (PDF)