THE BELGIC CONFESSION OF FAITH
– A Commentary – By Dr. Chuck Baynard
The Belgic Confession of Faith,
Article XXVI
Christ's Intercession
We believe that we have no access unto God but alone through the only
Mediator and Advocate, Jesus Christ the righteous; who therefore became man,
having united in one person the divine and human natures, that we men might have
access to the divine Majesty, which access would otherwise be barred against us.
But this Mediator, whom the Father has appointed between Him and us, ought in no
wise to affright us by His majesty, or cause us to seek another according to our
fancy. For there is no creature, either in heaven or on earth, who loves us more
than Jesus Christ; who, though existing in the form of God, yet emptied himself,
being made in the likeness of men and of a servant for us, and in all things was
made like unto his brethren. If, then, we should seek for another mediator who
would be favorably inclined towards us, whom could we find who loved us more
than He who laid down His life for us, even while we were his enemies? And if we
seek for one who has power and majesty, who is there that has so much of both as
He who sits at the right hand of God and to whom hath been given all authority
in heaven and on earth? And who will sooner be heard than the own well beloved
Son of God?
The natural inclination of man to worship demands a god who created all
things and rules over his creation. Nature declares this Creator is the God of
the Bible. So much so that Paul says in Romans that even those who have never
seen or heard the Scriptures know enough to worship the one and only true God.
Paul continues that to this natural revelation of God, that God has revealed
Himself to natural man, that man knows not only he should worship God alone but
understands the Godhead.
Job spoke of the necessity of a days-man (spokesman or mediator) being
necessary between God and man. Out of doubt and fear alone man will seek a god.
The confession at this point gives both logical and philosophical reasons why
this Mediator must be Christ.
Therefore it was only through distrust that this practice of dishonoring,
instead of honoring, the saints was introduced, doing that which they never have
done nor required, but have on the contrary steadfastly rejected according to
their bounden duty, as appears by their writings. Neither must we plead here our
unworthiness; for the meaning is not that we should offer our prayers to God on
the ground of our own worthiness, but only on the ground of the excellency and
worthiness of the Lord Jesus Christ, whose righteousness is become ours by
faith.
The long-standing battle between the Church of Rome and the
Johnny-come-lately of the 17th century concerning justification by
faith alone should be put to rest with this one short statement. It wasn’t and
continues today. Man from the beginning has demanded autonomy but was not the
originator of this rebellion against the sovereignty of God. It began with the
fall of Satan who desired to be like God and to ascend on high of his own power.
Satan later tempts the first of God’s children in the garden with this same
lie, “you can be like God.” Whereas the Church of Rome honors and worships
the saints of the church having risen to such status by the declarations of man,
these same saints (as all believers are) would never have done the same thing in
their own day. The Bible explicitly forbids worship of any but God.
Therefore the apostle, to remove this foolish fear, or rather distrust,
from us, rightly says that Jesus Christ in all things was made like unto his
brethren, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest, to make
propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered
being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted. And further to
encourage us to go to Him, he says: Having then a great high priest, who hath
passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our
confession. For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the
feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as
we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the
throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help us in
time of need. The same apostle says: Having boldness to enter into the holy
place by the blood of Jesus, let us draw near with a true heart in fullness of
faith, etc. Likewise: Christ hath his priesthood unchangeable; wherefore also he
is able to save to the uttermost them that draw near unto God through him,
seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
While the shedding of blood was a necessity for the atonement (Without
the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin) and this would have made the
incarnation and the assumption of human form a necessity the real comfort from
the humanity of Christ comes from Christ having been where we are and thus
enabled to fully understand our need for a mediator. Note that the confession
continually refers to the errors of worship outside the blood of Christ as
mistrust. This means that in denial of the clear teaching of Scripture man does
not fully trust God for all things, but attempts to add his own efforts to those
of God because man mistrusts the ability of God to accomplish His entire holy
will.
What more can be required? since Christ Himself says: I am the way, and
the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me. To what
purpose should we, then, seek another advocate, since it has pleased God to give
us His own Son as an Advocate? Let us not forsake Him to take another, or rather
to seek after another, without ever being able to find him; for God well knew,
when He gave Him to us, that we were sinners.
An appeal to logic as such once more employed by the confession to show
the foolishness of attempting to cover sins with anything other than the blood
of Christ. Any but the most profound fool can see from the word of God that
there is no other Mediator and to seek such is pure foolishness and that another
will not be found for none exists. When God said there should be no other gods
before me, God was not saying there are other Gods and the Bible clearly teaches
that all other gods are the mere foolishness of the imagination of man. Yet,
this has not stopped the created, angels and men, from attempting to enter into
will worship and to be like God.
Therefore, according to the command of Christ, we call upon the heavenly
Father through Jesus Christ our only Mediator, as we are taught in the Lord's
Prayer; being assured that whatever we ask of the Father in His Name will be
granted us.
I would hastily add to this paragraph that whatever we ask is conditional
in that all such requests to be valid must be in the will of God. The litmus
test for such a request then must be obtained to returning to the purpose for
which God created all things, God’s own glory. The question does it glorify
God must be asked and the Scriptures diligently searched with prayer then, less
in our boldness we inadvertently sin against God with frivolous prayers born of
the lust of the flesh and not the indwelling Holy Spirit.
