THE BELGIC CONFESSION OF FAITH
– A Commentary – By Dr. Chuck Baynard
The Belgic Confession of Faith,
Article XXI
The Satisfaction of Christ, Our
Only High Priest, for Us
We believe that Jesus Christ is ordained with an oath to be an
everlasting High Priest, after the order of Melchizedek; and that He has
presented Himself in our behalf before the Father, to appease His wrath by His
full satisfaction, by offering Himself on the tree of the cross, and pouring
out His precious blood to purge away our sins, as the prophets had foretold.
For it is written: He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for
our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his
stripes we are healed. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and numbered
with the transgressors; and condemned by Pontius Pilate as a malefactor,
though he had first declared Him innocent. Therefore, He restored that which
he took not away, and suffered, the righteous for the unrighteous, as well in
His body as in His soul, feeling the terrible punishment which our sins had
merited; insomuch that his sweat became as it were great drops of blood
falling down upon the ground. He called out: My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me? and has suffered all this for the remission of our sins.
Wherefore we justly say with the apostle Paul that we know nothing save
Jesus Christ, and him crucified; we count all things but loss and refuse for
the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord, in whose wounds we
find all manner of consolation. Neither is it necessary to seek or invent any
other means of being reconciled to God than this only sacrifice, once offered,
by which he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. This is also the
reason why He was called by the angel of God, JESUS, that is to say, SAVIOR,
because He would save his people from their sins.
The reference
to Christ being ordained with an oath is important to the covenant aspect of
Christ as the Mediator. Hebrews
7:20ff refers to the earthly priests not being ordained with an oath but that
Christ was ordained by an oath of God who cannot change or fail. The new
covenant being better because of a more sure and infallible Mediator. We find
this exact wording in Psalm 110:4.
The choice of
the word sanctified in the second paragraph is misfortunate in that it can cause
confusion. The proper word at this point would be justified, though it is a
truth that the justified are sanctified. However through the ages justification
and sanctification have been confused and co-mingled into contortions that are
not biblical.
This is an
affirmation of saved by faith alone. Though good works will flow of necessity
from the regenerated heart, the fact stands that by faith alone man is justified
and there is no other condition to be met. It might be well to note here that if
a man is justified, the process of sanctification begins immediately and good
works will flow from the regenerated by necessity – by their fruit you shall
know them.
