The Benefit of Believing

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