July 2025 New Horizons

Behold, How Good and Pleasant It Is When Brothers Dwell in Unity

by Danny E. Olinger

At the opening of every general assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC), there is a worship service led by the previous moderator, which in the case of the Ninety-First General Assembly was the Rev. John V. Fesko. What is not always the case, however, is that the sermon theme matches the disposition of the assembly that follows as well as Mr. Fesko’s sermon on Psalm 133 and the unity of the brethren in Jesus Christ matched last month’s assembly. A spirit of love for others and humility marked the six days that 142 ministers and ruling elders from the OPC’s seventeen presbyteries gathered to conduct the business of the whole church on the campus of Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois. In his sermon “Are You a Christian?” Mr. Fesko declared that the rich imagery of oil flowing down the head of the high priest upon his collar and robes in Psalm 133 foreshadowed Christ’s anointing as our great high priest. Upon Aaron’s collar were stones with the names of the tribes of ... Read more

The Silent Lamb

by Andrew S. Wilson

Silence can be unsettling, especially for those of us whose experience with the world is so predominantly tech-mediated. We tend to assume that most everything in life can be managed by some pill, procedure, product, policy, protocol, or pioneering innovation. Being subjected to silence reminds us that there is a reality external to our will that imposes itself upon us. In the Bible, silence is the posture of those who are exposed to divine judgment (see Isa. 41:1; Hab. 2:20; Rev. 8:1). When the guilty stand before the righteous Judge of all the earth, there is nothing they can say. They are sinners, and they have absolutely no control over the situation. When Jesus was brought before his human judges, he too was silent. But his muteness was by no means an indicator of guilt or lack of control. As the spotless Lamb of God, he was completely innocent of the charges that had been brought against him. And as the eternal Son of God, he was in full control over everything that was happening to him. In light ... Read more