The Weekend Word
What did you teach?
What did you learn?
Did you hear the Gospel?
The Canons of Dordt
The Second Main Point of Doctrine
Christ’s Death and Human Redemption Through It
Article 1: The Punishment Which God’s Justice Requires
God is not only supremely merciful, but also supremely just. His justice requires (as he has revealed himself in the Word) that the sins we have committed against his infinite majesty be punished with both temporal and eternal punishments, of soul as well as body. We cannot escape these punishments unless satisfaction is given to God’s justice.
Article 2: The Satisfaction Made by Christ
Since, however, we ourselves cannot give this satisfaction or deliver ourselves from God’s anger, God in his boundless mercy has given us as a guarantee his only begotten Son, who was made to be sin and a curse for us, in our place, on the cross, in order that he might give satisfaction for us.
Article 3: The Infinite Value of Christ’s Death
This death of God’s Son is the only and entirely complete sacrifice and satisfaction for sins; it is of infinite value and worth, more than sufficient to atone for the sins of the whole world.
Article 4: Reasons for This Infinite Value
This death is of such great value and worth for the reason that the person who suffered it is–as was necessary to be our Savior–not only a true and perfectly holy man, but also the only begotten Son of God, of the same eternal and infinite essence with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Another reason is that this death was accompanied by the experience of God’s anger and curse, which we by our sins had fully deserved.
Article 5: The Mandate to Proclaim the Gospel to All
Moreover, it is the promise of the gospel that whoever believes in Christ crucified shall not perish but have eternal life. This promise, together with the command to repent and believe, ought to be announced and declared without differentiation or discrimination to all nations and people, to whom God in his good pleasure sends the gospel.
Article 6: Unbelief Man’s Responsibility
However, that many who have been called through the gospel do not repent or believe in Christ but perish in unbelief is not because the sacrifice of Christ offered on the cross is deficient or insufficient, but because they themselves are at fault.
Article 7: Faith God’s Gift
But all who genuinely believe and are delivered and saved by Christ’s death from their sins and from destruction receive this favor solely from God’s grace–which he owes to no one–given to them in Christ from eternity.
Article 8: The Saving Effectiveness of Christ’s Death
For it was the entirely free plan and very gracious will and intention of God the Father that the enlivening and saving effectiveness of his Son’s costly death should work itself out in all his chosen ones, in order that he might grant justifying faith to them only and thereby lead them without fail to salvation. In other words, it was God’s will that Christ through the blood of the cross (by which he confirmed the new covenant) should effectively redeem from every people, tribe, nation, and language all those and only those who were chosen from eternity to salvation and given to him by the Father; that he should grant them faith (which, like the Holy Spirit’s other saving gifts, he acquired for them by his death); that he should cleanse them by his blood from all their sins, both original and actual, whether committed before or after their coming to faith; that he should faithfully preserve them to the very end; and that he should finally present them to himself, a glorious people, without spot or wrinkle.
Article 9: The Fulfillment of God’s Plan
This plan, arising out of God’s eternal love for his chosen ones, from the beginning of the world to the present time has been powerfully carried out and will also be carried out in the future, the gates of hell seeking vainly to prevail against it. As a result the chosen are gathered into one, all in their own time, and there is always a church of believers founded on Christ’s blood, a church which steadfastly loves, persistently worships, and–here and in all eternity–praises him as her Savior who laid down his life for her on the cross, as a bridegroom for his bride.
This is for Nancy~
Ive been hearing how good laughter is,
We were at the very subdued French speaking church today,
sitting in the very last row of the balcony, nearing the end of service;
when one of my youngest daughters got the case of giggles,
which wiggled its way to my eldest daughter, to my eldest son, to the man at the end of the row..each one doing their best to contain an outburst, through muffled snickers…
meanwhile, Im doing pretty good not catching those snickers myself.
thats up until the elderly lady in front of us
turned and curtly scolded the entire right side of our back row in words i could not make out..
that was it. I lost it. and could barely contain my laughter, trying so hard to stop, tears were streaming down my face…
So I learned today that not everyone appreciates a little girls attempts to muffle their giggles and its better just to step out. Or maybe find a charismatic church? 😀
Sister Christian i just loooooved this!
Going to teach on the importance of bringing people to Jesus, not to your ideals, personality or person. The only possible way we can do that is to follow Jesus on the path of discipleship and self denial. Our lives are hid in Christ. Anything other than that and we risk presenting another Jesus.
Mat 23:15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell [fn] as yourselves.
Interesting. All this effort in the name of YHWH and the end result is they go into outer darkness instead of into His marvelous light.
I grew up old school SBC and the hell fire damnation preacher in me is coming out….. I don’t want to lead a congregation that has no interest in a God breathed vision and purpose. They can love us or hate us, but if they don’t see Jesus in us, they will not experience true life.
Mixing audio for a worship service this AM.
Pete Jacobs leading, a pioneer in CCM.
A pro, a gentleman, humble, kind, fun loving & a great musician.
Rehearsal is great. This is going to be a fine experience
Na’amah,
well i wish you had been the one sitting in front of us!
Centorion~
your post is so encouraging!
“I don’t want to lead a congregation that has no interest in a God breathed vision and purpose.”
May God truly bless your direction in teaching and leading, may He fill you so full of His Spirit, that you cant help but to be a compelling influence upon the hearts minds and souls of those who are a part of your congregation.
Centorion~
To continue, May The Good Lord also bring in those souls from the community He is calling to walk with Him in God breathed vision and purpose.
Michael…things are so clear now…everything is making “sense” like never before.
God’s Will be done. May He be glorified.
We need to obey God and preach the Gospel. The Holy Spirit will make a divine appointment…in His timing…with those who the Father will Regenerate and the Son will save…and the Holy Spirit will empower. It takes all the focus off of us. Just do what God has called you to do. He is in control. We just need to obey Him.
Being Born Again is supernatural…one is a New Creation. You cannot “create” yourself through your “free will”.
Satan’s great sin was pride…he wanted to be like God.
Man’s great sin is pride…we want to be like God.
God Is…we are not…we are His creation, His workmanship.
He, in His Mercy, saves some.
But, God is Love…yes. Is it unloving to give a gift to some but not to others? All men reject the gift. Justice requires that all should perish.
God is Love…He loves His Son…and He loves those who are His through the work of His Son on the Cross.
God is a God of Justice. All deserve punishment. All who are not found in Christ as a New Creation…born of the Spirit…will perish.
The flesh begets flesh…and will perish. The Spirit begets spirit and will live.
It is the Spirit who begets spirit…not the flesh who begets spirit.
Read John 3 knowing that it is God who is the Creator…both of Adam…and of the New Creation. It is amazing.
Believe,
That about sums it up…there are still mysteries, but the answers all end in His name .
Centy, prayed for you and your people during my walk this morning.
Believe,’Being Born Again is supernatural…one is a New Creation. You cannot “create” yourself through your “free will”. amen
all we can do (or not do) is respond and receive, eh?
Michael…what are the mysteries as you see them?
Believe,
There’s almost too many to name.
All of the “why” questions…why does God allow/decree evil, why does He elect one and not another, why must blood be shed to propitiate His wrath…we can go on.
My answers are simple and they guide my life and guard my heart…everything God does is morally perfect, His reasons are always morally perfect, His intentions are always morally perfect, and the end of all things will be morally perfect.
When I come to a place where I cannot understand, that is a cue to worship…He is God and I am not…His ways are higher than mine.
He is always sovereign…He is always good…even when my eyes and heart would question both.
The greatest mystery…how can He love a man like me?
“¶ Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
¶ “For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”
“Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”
¶ For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”
(Romans 11:33–36 ESV)
Michael…amen.
LNPC pastors Emily & Randy are great on the liturgy & talk on the commandments series, did honour parents (reconcile as needed) & do not kill (not just murder, how about bitterness & resentment?), Pete Jacobs guest worship leader did great with the music part of worship.
Very cool pack of Presbyterians!
In our church today, we had someone raise their hands, which is pretty rare…
It was a woman doing liturgical dance. Very moving.
“If you have Faith, you can move mountains.”
We often approach this verse from the supposition that if “we” can muster up enough faith…we should be able to do this…since Jesus said it can be done. And then we get frustrated because we cannot move the mountain. That’s because “we” can’t.
Rather, view this verse in this context: If God GIVES you enough Faith…and tells you to do it…you WILL move mountains.
Paul was not Paul because “he” decided to use his supposed “free will” to become Paul.
Paul was Paul because God chose him to be Paul…told him to be Paul…and empowered him to be Paul.
I’m really trying not to show how happy Believes comments are making me… 🙂
Holly,
So…did the priest explain how the Eucharist helps us find assurance of our election?
It is a beautiful prayer…
Michael said, “All of the “why” questions…why does God allow/decree evil”
Could Good be Good…if there was never evil?
Could Light be Light…if there was never darkness?
Could Love be Love…if there was never hate?
Could Justice be Justice…if there was never injustice?
Don’t know…just the philosophical mind searching…
Believe, gotta say that i hope for the day when all evil, darkness, hate, injustice… are only theoretical impossibilities…
That made me cry like a little girl.
M*B,
Well, the dancer was a female but she’s not a minister. I’m not really dogmatic about the issue, though, FWIW.
We also had a special program between services at our church for our graduates — four college grads and one high school.
MB…beautiful stone…I know what you feel.
Prayers
thanks for your prayers jlo. It was a very impacting service and message for some. We went the off the map. I so glad we that freedom to do so. And with all do respect, I didn’t need a conference to receive a fresh wind, fresh fire.
Pastor Brian’s emphasis last week and this week was on evangelism – be missionaries to your culture, your workplace. Make non-Christian friends at work, with the parents of the other players on your kid’s swim team, sit next to strangers in the food court. Get to know people, spend time in their lives, to tell them about Jesus and get them to church. Community groups should be planning outreaches to their neighborhoods, cookouts, parties, picnics in the park.
This is in keeping with our church and another A29 church here in town, where being missionaries to one’s own neighborhood and community is emphasized.
finished 1 Timothy
Guard that which was committed to you, avoid profane and useless wranglings…
Grace be with you, amen.
then we had communion.
Great times.
We continued in 1 John, looking at Ch 3:4-15. Christians are to be a people who practice what we preach: righteousness & love. What wonderful assurance we have of the work of Jesus in our lives as we see the visible transformation of our lives by His power & grace.
Oh…notes are here, if you’re interested.