The Profit Of Believing
Minister: |
Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: |
2/6/2011 AM
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Text:
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Romans 4;
Lord's Day 23
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Psalters: |
401, 84, 87, 190 |
- The profit of believing is that we are accounted to be righteous before God (Rom. 4:3 and Gal. 3:6).
- This is a righteousness God imputes (our state) to us.
- God, the Judge, declares one to be without sin in heart and life, and to be in harmony with His perfect Self.
- For any child of Adam to be righteousness, we must be made such by God.
- This is righteousness God grants us - an imparted, so we have the real life (our condition).
- This righteousness is imparted life, the Spirit breathing into us the new, heavenly life (John 3:36; 5:24).
- The present possession of this life means that we are heirs of eternal life.
- What a tremendous profit to receive the gift of righteousness in Christ.
- God enables believers consciously to appropriate this righteousness.
- Human nature constantly strives to be righteous before God because of works.
- God determined that the only way to appropriate His gift of righteousness is by means of His gift of faith.
- This faith is the exercise of the spiritual ability to hold for truth what God has revealed in His Word.
- The first thing faith sees is my guilt and my sin.
- Faith is the spiritual power God gives which unites the elect with Jesus.
- The experience of faith.
- Faith is reasonable, influencing the mind/intellect.
- Faith moves us to look away from self as the source of any righteousness, worth, or value.
- Faith embraces and appropriates Christ and His work.
- Faith is a certain assurance that I am righteous before God by grace alone.
- Harmonious peace with God is the experience of my righteousness by faith alone Romans 5:1).
- Faith’s confidence is in what God says in His Word, not what I experience, feel or think.
- Faith gives the answer to our conscience and the accusations of men, which are not the source of truth.
- We are still sinners, but God has most graciously declared us to be righteous in Christ.