ARTICLE 4 OF THE ARTICLES OF RELIGION of the Reformation church of England

by Bishop Jerry Ogles

ARTICLE IV.

Of the Resurrection of Christ.

Christ did truly arise again

from death, and took again His

body, with flesh, bones, and all

things appertaining to the per

fection of man's nature, where

with He ascended into heaven,

and there sitteth, until He

return to judge all men at the

last day.

 

Before my personal view of this 4^th Article, let us briefly examine the evidence supporting the resurrection of our Lord.

 

This Article is at least as important as any other of the Articles of Religion since it the set seal upon the entire ministry of Christ.

 

The evidence: 

1)   The testimony of the New Testament.

a)    The affirmation of Christ: “Mark 8:31 – “31 And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

b)   John 2:19 “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

c)     John 10:18 “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

d)   The witness of the Apostles John 10:33- And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

e)    Believed by the entire early church immediately following the event. See Acts 2:24, 3:15, 4:10, etc

2)   The observance of Holy

a)    Communion as a continuing act of faith of the Church of the resurrection. 1 Peter 1:3 -  “And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.” We all are so convinced of the reality of the resurrection that it almost seems vain to discuss it in such detail.

b)   The testimony of the Lord’s Day as the Church Sabbath –

c)    The moral influence of Christianity – schools, hospitals, orphanages, service for our fellow man.

3)   Doctrinal importance:

a)    References by Jesus in anticipation of the event – see John 2:22 “When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.” 

b)   The resurrection of Christ was the seal of His atoning work. “Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.’ see also 1 Cor 15:17

c)    It was the pledge given for that hope we have in our own resurrection – Romans 8:11 “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” also 1 Cor 15:20 “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

4)   Christ became our High Priest to intercede for us with the Father – He is our Advocate. We need no other intercessor between God the Father and man.

Now my own personal view of the resurrection. The resurrection of Christ gives me assur ance that just as He died and was buried for MY sins, and rose again from the dead – I, too, have that same privilege to rise from my tomb to be with Christ forever. My faith in Christ is sealed by His life, death, and, especially, resurrection. Without that final seal, we would be without hope.

 

God bless you all. 

How do you feel about that resurrection event, for without it, we remain hopeless in our sins.

Hope to see you again later this week with our mid-week parable study.

 

 Ruth, Gleaning the Harvest, 17 April 2026 - by Bishop Jerry Ogles

1 And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name wasBoaz. 2 And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter. 3 And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech. (Ruth 2:1-3)

 

            Indeed, Naomi had a kinsman who was a mighty man of wealth – Boaz. Boaz is a man of great power and influence and, most importantly, a near kinsman-redeemer to Naomi. Boaz, in this delightful pre-Gospel Book, is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Jesus is also our near Kinsman-Redeemer. But just as Boaz is not the man closest in relationship to Naomi, we too have a kinsman who is closer to us in our mortal births than Jesus - that man is the carnal man, Adam, from whom we have our direct and lineal descent. That kinsman must be dealt with first before Christ can be our Kinsman-Redeemer. Christ did, indeed, deal with that kinsman on the cross at Calvary. He defeated that death and sin to which, through Adam, we are heirs to.

            Boaz, in the Hebrew, means a man of prompt action. The left pillar on the portico of the Temple of Solomon was also named Boaz. So Boaz is a Pillar of the Temple, but Christ is the Head thereof. Do not attribute the appearance of Boaz in our story to mere chance – it is the Providence and foreknowledge of God that places him in the way of Ruth and Naomi. God’s care for His people is not confined to our time calculations, but covers all of the earthly, and eternal, lives of His saints. We are never alone or without our Father’s provision and oversight.

            This is the best time to examine the two leading characters, painted by the finger of God, for us in the Book of Ruth: “BOAZ is a type of Christ as the Lord of the Harvest, Redeemer and Bridegroom.  RUTH is a type of the bride of Christ; a poor, penniless, helpless stranger, she became the happy bride of the lord of the harvest.” (Heslop, Rubies from Ruth). These are very real characters that prefigure for us the coming gospel truth. Let us examine in greater detail how Ruth and Boaz prefigure the Church and Christ:

BOAZ: 

1.     Boaz was a kinsman, for angels could not redeem.

2.     He was mighty, for a redeemer must be strong.

3.     He was wealthy, for redemption is costly.

4.     He was compassionate, for redemption is of grace.

5.     He came from Bethlehem, for the redeemer was to come from the house of bread.

 

*CHRIST:

 

1.     He too was a Kinsman-Redeemer, bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh, human and divine.

2.     He is mighty, for in Him was strength.

3.     He is wealthy, for He was the Creator of the universe;

4.     He is compassionate and kind,

5.     He is truthful and tender,

6.     He is good and gracious,

7.     He is sympathetic and strong.

8.     Christ, TOO, was born in Bethlehem.  

BOAZ  and CHRIST loved unto death as Kinsmen-Redeemers.  Of course, there is a profound difference between the two for Boaz redeemed Ruth only from the troubles of this life, but Christ redeems here and in Eternity – and all who are called and elected through grace by faith.

            “And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.” What we call fate, God calls predestination. Unbeknown to either Boaz or Ruth, wealth and beauty are drawn together by the Mind of God. Ruth knows nothing of Boaz, or his fields. But her hand is a hand of diligence – not idle. She knows the conditions that she and her mother-in-law, Naomi, face. So she wastes no time in going into the fields to glean corn behind the reapers along with the poor of the city. You will note that Ruth, though beautiful, does not hesitate to subvert pride to necessity. She is not too proud to perform whatever labors are necessary for the two women’s sustenance. God likes that kind of soul very much, and He is already preparing a remedy for the straights of Ruth and Naomi. Perchance, said Ruth, I shall find grace. She knew not from what source, but believing Naomi’s God to be her Provision and help, she would find grace from some source. By the way, ALL grace comes from God. He may channel it through a Joseph, a Boaz, or His only Begotten Son. 

            It has been a custom in western and Middle Eastern countries for the poor to glean those grains of wheat or barley behind the reapers. There is always some portion left behind. Some compassionate landlords have even caused their servants to leave some extra for the poor. “And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers.” Ruth may have appeared out of place gleaning among the poor. She was a young woman of class and breeding; yet, she did not consider herself above the common labors of the poor. In whatsoever state some folks find themselves, they are therein satisfied. One characteristic that distinguishes Ruth is that of satisfaction in whatever state she found herself. She could have remained in Moab with well-to-do parents and never soiled her hands; but love has driven her to gleaning in the fields among the poor. Loves sells itself for the object of its affection.

            I literally LOVE the way God tells us of His preparation to bring Ruth and Boaz together: “. . . . and her hapwas to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.” Nothing in the works of God happen by accident! He foreordains and predestinates circumstances for His saints. There was not a slender thread of chance involved with the going of Ruth into the fields belonging to Boaz. If you remember back to the day that you surrendered your soul to Christ, does any part of that meeting of surrender seem to have been happenstance? I do not think so. Jesus saw Nathaniel as a baby under the fig tree while his mother was working the fields. God knew Jeremiah (and you and me) while he was yet unborn. Jesus, before meeting a certain Woman at Jacobs Well, “must needs go through Samaria.” We judge all things by the present razor-thin instant of time; but God judges from the beginning to the end, and all points in between.

            This story happened a little more than three thousand years ago, but it was the way God chose to inform us, in advance, of the grace, compassion, and redemption that would also be offered in His Son, Jesus Christ. It did not fall the hap of Jesus to be born in Bethlehem – it was foreordained from before the foundation of the world. So, too, was your coming to Him. He knew you before you knew yourself. You did not choose Him, He chose YOU! “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” (John 15:16)

            God is a loving Father who shows us pictures of what to expect in this life, and in His Kingdom. Do you love to see the pictures, or do you turn away in boredom? Do you eagerly seek His counsel at the first light of day, or do you depend upon a single weekly sermon to feed your starving soul?  I hope you will read ahead in the Book of Ruth so that we may examine together the beauty of this lustrous gem in the midst of sands of judgment and sin.

 THE FAMILY ALTAR

April 17.

"For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge,

that if One died for all, then were all dead; and that He died for

all that they which live should not henceforth live unto them-

selves, but unto Him which died for them and rose again."

2 Cor. 5:14-15

A life for a life ! Our blessed Savior redeemed us at the cost

of His own holy life; now, in return, we owe our life in loving

gratitude to Him. "After we have been redeemed by a ransom

of such endless and unceasing value, what use should we make

of our liberty? This may be illustrated by three words of which

tradition says that they were used in old England at the liberation

of prisoners. They were the three Latin words Exite, Gaudete,

Cavete, that is, Go forth, rejoice, beware. Come out of your cell,

rejoice over your liberty, and beware lest you get into prison again.

The price of your liberty has been paid down by the Son of God.

Therefore: Exite! Come out of the kingdom of darkness. Go

forth from under the curse of the Law. Renounce the service

of sin and Satan, and assert your liberty in Jesus Christ. And,

accepting the grace extended to you in Jesus Christ: Gaudete!

Rejoice over the liberty with which the Son of God has made

you free, and say to Him : Thanks be unto Thee, my Lord Jesus

Christ, because Thy sacred blood has made me free. . . . And in

order that you may be truly thankful, never forget the Cavete

which in ancient Britain was addressed to pardoned prisoners

for their warning. It is the 'Go, and sin no more.' What par-

doned prisoner will be so foolish as to return to his cell, preferring

the darkness of a dingy dungeon to light and liberty? Should

we who have been freed by Christ yield our members as servants

to unrighteousness ? No ! Ever must we guard against sin and

live unto Christ, striving more and more to become like unto Him.

Let us daily consecrate our heart, our mind, and all our members

to Him who drank for us the potion which sin had mixed, and

earned for us the cup of everlasting joy."

It was a strange and dreadful fray

When Death and Life contended;

But it was Life that won the day,

The reign of Death was ended.

Holy Scripture plainly saith

That Death is swallowed up by Death,

Made henceforth a derision.