The Benefit of Believing
Minister: | Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: | 7/22/2012 AM |
Text: | John 20:30,31; Lord's Day 23 |
Psalters: | 405, 42, 190, 242 |
- The content: righteous.
- What we believe is Scripture as summarized in the Apostles? Creed (Lord?s Day 7).
- That we ?might have life,? i.e., have the right to have life in God?s judgment (imputed righteousness).
- This is over against our knowing what we deserve.
- But God declares that those who believe Jesus to be the Christ are justified, have the right to live (forever).
- The justified stand before God as if he has never committed any sin, guiltless and in perfect harmony with God.
- This righteousness God also grants to us (an imparted righteousness) so we have life.
- What a tremendous benefit to receive the gift of righteousness in Christ!!
- God enables believers consciously to appropriate this righteousness.
- Humans constantly strive 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 holds for truth is my guilt and my sin.
- And faith holds for truth what God declares He has done in Christ.
- The experience of faith.
- What are the beneficial results of being righteous by faith alone through grace alone in Christ alone?
- Faith has us look at ourselves the way God sees us: righteous in Christ.
- This is in contrast to our conscience and to what others say about us.
- Faith makes us see ourselves from the viewpoint of God says in His Word.
- The result is a peace which passes all human understanding (Romans 5:1).
- Faith has us look at ourselves the way God sees us: righteous in Christ.