NOTES OUT OF THE CATECHISM CLASSES Of Rev. J. Fraanje Using the Catechism Book

The Lord’s Supper Lesson 38 Part III

As long as the world exists the visible church will consist of chaff and wheat. The false church has always existed among the true church and it is impossible for anyone, including ministers, to determine positively who are living members and who are not. The living members only are invited and, in respect to this, everyone is obliged to examine himself (especially in the 3 points Hellenbroek presents above) regarding the relationship between God and his soul.

Further, this examination involves two kinds. One is external and another internal. The external examination concerns a person’s obstinence of gross, openly sinful living; which also prohibits him from partaking of the sacraments. The internal examination is a personal matter.

Now Hellenbroek puts this question: “Is it not for children?” “No”, says he, “because they cannot examine themselves.”

It might be logical to ask, “Cannot children be living members of Christ?” Certainly, that is why it is necessary that we carefully examine this answer together. There are examples in God’s Word of persons who feared the Lord while still young; for example, Timothy, Obadiah, Heman and others.

When a child is converted he receives grace and faith just as surely as does a grown person and he may receive the sacrament for strengthening as well. I do not mean children who have not reached the age of discretion, in other words, infants, but those who can speak with some degree of intelligence.

If a minister notices such a child in his congregation in which it appears something has taken place and of which his thoughts tend to say, “It is very possible the Lord has worked savingly in this child,” what should the minister do under such circumstances when speaking to the child? Should he say, “Little boy or girl, you are too young to experience conversion?” That would be foolishness and wickedness too, because the Lord has converted many of His people in their early youth. What then? Would it be more appropriate to say, “Well, my child, you surely have been blest, that you were converted so young. You certainly ought to attend the Lord’s Supper?”

Would it be wise to speak in this vein to the child? No, it would show a lack of judgment.

You can see that it is not a simple matter to handle this honorably and just. The most sensible thing for a minister and consistory to do would be to say very little and watch over this child closely, allowing the good work begun within to season, and, trusting the Lord to continue working through. He must not dishearten them in a disparaging or discouraging way but also not immediately beautify with laying on of hands.

This is what Hellenbroek means. When he says that children are not sufficiently capable of examining themselves, he practices exercise of sound judgment.

Of course there can be unusual cases where the Lord glorifies Himself in the knowledge of a child and in such a case the sacrament would not be withheld from such a child. It has happened more than once that the Lord worked in an unusual way in a child and it excelled above many grown ups in spiritual exercise and grace.

But I see the time has gone by and the other catechumens are already waiting to come in.

Boys and girls, meditate upon this serious lesson. In review, I have said; do not attend the Lord’s Supper in an unconverted state; but on the other hand, when you sit in church and witness the administration of the sacrament and you say to yourself, “I am unconverted and have no right to it and I will conform to the usual practice and refrain from attending,” would not this cold attitude indicate a frightful spiritual state? A state of not being able to receive the holy sacrament? No, that must become a condition you cannot retain because it is a sign that you have no part in the merits of Christ. Hold not a lofty attitude when you abstain from the Lord’s Supper having made an orthodox confession, because it should be your greatest grief in prayer to God that you cannot proclaim that you have portion in the death of the Mediator. And may there be among you now, or soon, some for whom this matter is one of close examination. Lay to heart the serious answer of the last of our lesson namely, whether we sincerely repent of our sins. That has serious content! Many people deceive themselves on this particular point.

In some cases, if there had been a change in their lives and they were compelled to forsake certain sins, they think they have genuine sorrow for those sins but it is still far from having sorrow for all their sins. They speak about faith and conversion, breaking with some sins but their heart still cleaves to them. They have not broken with all sins. Why not? Because they never had a heartfelt sorrow for sin as sin.

They chopped the branches because they realized they had damage from them, but the root had never been uncovered, nor lamented.

I do not say that God’s people do not sin after their conversion or that they cannot fall into great sins.

Alas yes, the Bible records much of this! This is certain though, every elect sinner, for whom God uncovers his guilt and whom God makes a genuine sinner, shall have heartfelt sorrow for all his sins at the precise moment the blow falls. And he will break with every sin. None are excluded.

Even the most favorite sin becomes an inward loathing. This is true even if he falls into it again later and sometimes living in it for a long period of time.

Many talk about conversion but have never, from the bottom of their heart, broken with all sin. One of the greatest and deepest of sins is certainly the sin of tolerance of sins, leniency toward sin, first in our heart, then in our home, in the church and finally everywhere. Men tend to leniency in all sin. Just as I have said so often; first it is, give in, then participate and finally conformity to the world. That is the way it goes.

But the Lord is not lenient with sin. He has never been so. The Lord’s Supper is a speaking witness of that because the Son of God had to die on account of sin.

He expects, too, that all His sincere people become enemies of sin, not one excepted.

Children, always pay attention whether sin is dealt with correctly in conversation and remember this: if they do not give the genuine account of misery; their account of redemption will not be genuine either. It cannot be any other way.

A sincere soul, who had been made honest by God the Holy Spirit, shall say, “Yes, that is the way I feel the most darling sin must be dealt with and I want that God’s justice shall not overlook them.

A definite choice will have to be made. Not to be able to lean on that choice but to learn to know the God of that choice, because He can be the life and breath of a new creature.

May you for the first time or by renewing come into contact with that God. That is the essential fact upon which there can be a heartfelt sorrow for all sin. Only those who do can believe in Christ and that shall surely be revealed in their walk. Depend upon it, that it will be revealed in the fruit and in day by day living!

May the Lord work in and through you and produce within your precious and never dying soul an esteem for the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.

Amid the thronging worshipers
Jehovah will I bless;
Before my brethren, gathered there,
His Name will I confess.
Come, praise Him, ye that fear the Lord,
Ye children of His grace;
With rev’rence sound His glories forth
And bow before His face.

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