PUBLIC CONFESSION AND LORD’S SUPPER

There certainly is, for only those who have made public confession of faith may assemble at the Lord’s table. In a number of old catechism books, it can still be seen that instruction was given to those who desired to partake at the Lord’s Supper. We also know that there are many churches in which this close connection is very strongly emphasized and the entire group of young members are required to come to the Lord’s Supper after making public confession. In some Reformed churches they have refused to permit young people to make confession of faith if they do not promise to make use of the Lord’s Supper. What must we think about this?

In the first place, we must realize that public confession of faith is a very significant event. In preparation for it, we may certainly emphasize the seriousness of this step. The catechumens must realize that when they confess in the presence of the entire congregation that they “acknowledge the doctrine of our church to be the true and complete doctrine of salvation, conforming with the Sacred Scriptures,” the “yes” of our lips is not sufficient. The Lord requires the “yes” of our heart. This should drive each person unto the Lord in order to desire that He grant grace. We must not permit this important event to become a hollow formality, so that we merely transfer names of baptized members to confessing members.

In the second place, however, we must not overlook the fact that in the practice of our church life the making of confession of faith is definitely not looked upon as a confession of true, personal and saving faith. If we should desire to view it in this way, then I feel that many would shrink back from it, and would honestly say that they could not do so. We would not want to keep young people, who confess the truth of the Scriptures with a “historical faith,” and desire to live externally in conformity to them, from making public confession of faith. But we must always continue telling them that the Lord says, “My son, give Me thy heart.”

Further, in preparation for confession of faith the fact must be sharply emphasized that there is a connection with the Lord’s Supper, but that we may never disregard the fact that true self-examination must take place between public confession of faith and partaking of the Lord’s Supper.

If an automatic connection would be placed between them, I believe that a very great superficiaüty would develop. It must be cast away as most reprehensible to speak to those who have made public confession at the administration of the Lord’s Supper only about the fact of their confession and urge them to come to the table of the Lord.

It is something different when in the preparatory sermon, at the administration itself and in the reflection sermon, the whole congregation is involved with the Lord’s Supper. For certainly, when we cannot and may not partake because we are missing that which is necessary in order to do so, the unbehef and unwilllngness for conversion must be proclaimed as our fault. It behooves us to always stress to those who, as they say, are “honestly unconverted,” that the fault of their being unconverted is not of the gospel, of God or Christ, but in the persons themselves, “some of whom when called, regardless of their danger, reject the Word of Life” (Canons of Dort, III & IV, Article 9).

Nevertheless, even though the unconverted should be earnestly admonished and warned, great pains must be taken to distinguish between death and life in order to maintain the holiness of the table of the Lord. The Lord Himself commands a separation of the precious from the vile. It is according to the rule of the Scriptures that the distinction be made between the true, saving work of the Spirit and a work which closely resembles it. I believe that in general this is much lacking in our days.

We have emphasized that this distinction must take place according to the rule of the Scriptures. For if this rule is earnestly maintained by the ministers of the Word, Scripture will also be very earnestly listened to under a prayerful looking up unto the Lord. It must be especially placed upon our hearts that no false foundations upon which souls build must be laid in the preaching which would result in a rash approach to God’s table.

Ezekiel teaches us that the faithful watchman should bear the Word of the mouth of the Lord and warn the people from Him (Ezekiel 33). But also in his prophecies the portrait of a faithful shepherd is drawn. The faithful shepherd is, in the first place, He Who could say, “I am the Good Shepherd.” He will search for His sheep and seek them out. “I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment. And as for you, O My flock, thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he goats.”

Has not the Lord, as the chief Shepherd, instructed all the under-shepherds how they are to deal with the lost, driven away, the broken, and the sick? Also with the fat and the strong?

May God give that all of us may with much earnestness be directed by this instruction.

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