The true church of Jesus Christ confessed
Dykstra expounds the confession of the holy catholic church as found in the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds and the Heidelberg Catechism, emphasizing that the church is eternally gathered and preserved by Christ through God's sovereign election and free grace. The article grounds ecclesiology in the eternal decree of election rooted in God's good pleasure rather than any foreseen merit in the elect, presenting the church as the glorious body of Christ radiating His glory through its members.
I believe an holy, catholic church. This simple yet profound statement is the confession of countless believers around the world Sunday after Sunday, using the words of the Apostles' Creed. The churches that use the Nicene Creed fittingly add "…and apostolic…" to their confession. The Heidelberg Catechism beautifully expounds this confession in its fifty-fourth answer as follows: That the Son of God, from the beginning to the end of the world, gathers, defends, and preserves to Himself by His...
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