From What Does Faith Proceed? The Holy Spirit
Minister: | Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: | 11/1/2015 AM |
Text: | I Corinthians 1; Lord's Day 25 |
Psalters: | 282, 61, 10, 212 |
- His use of means.
- As God’s created world is worked in a uniform way, so the Holy Spirit works in a uniform way (Canons III,IV-17; V-14).
- There are means or instruments the Spirit uses to give and strengthen the gift of faith.
- The Holy Spirit powerfully declares that He gives faith by the hearing of the word of God (Rom. 10:17).
- To preach is to herald the good news of the gospel.
- The preacher must be "sent" (Rom. 10:15), which is done by the elders (Acts 13:1-3).
- Christ Himself speaks and is heard (John 5:24; 10:3,4,27; Rom. 10:14-17; Eph. 4:21; I Thess. 2:13).
- The preaching of the Word a means of grace requires a specific, distinct kind of hearing.
- This is that kind of hearing which hears the One you believe to be able to save you and thus you call on Him (Rom. 10:13,14)
- This is the kind of hearing which sheep do toward their Shepherd resulting in their following Him (John 10:27).
- To preach is to herald the good news of the gospel.
- The Holy Spirit confirms faith by the sacraments.
- The sacraments are signs, i.e., visible representations of invisible realities.
- And they are seals, i.e., a pledge of the promise of the gospel, guaranteeing what is revealed in the sign.
- How are they signs and seals? They have no power in themselves, but it is only by the Spirit working.
- The clear implication is that we must use correctly the means God uses to give grace.
- We are bound to use them if we want grace and an increasingly stronger conscious faith.
- Pray for the preacher and preaching (I Thess. 5:25; Eph. 6:19; Col. 4:3; Heb 13:18).
- “Receive the truth with faith, love, meekness, and readiness of mind, as the word of God; meditate, and confer of it; hide it in their hearts, and bring for the fruit of it in their lives." (Larger Catechism, q. 160).