Lent - Day 36 (March 31)

Larger Catechism – Day 36 of Lent

Question 75:  What is sanctification?

Answer:  Sanctification is a work of God’s grace for those whom God has chosen to be holy before the beginning of the world and to whom in time the powerful operation of the Spirit applies the death and resurrection of Christ. They are thus renewed in their whole persons after the image of God, have the seeds of repentance unto life and all the other saving graces put into their hearts, and these graces are so aroused, increased, and strengthened that they more and more die to sin and rise into newness of life.

It has been said that over time a dog owner begins to look like their dog.  True?  False?  Maybe?  All I know is that many times a dog owner does look like their dog.  

Dave Ramsey says that if you want to become financially secure (wealthy) then you need to see what financially secure (wealthy) people do and then do those things.  He also says that if you want to be poor (because of bad financial choices) then see what those people do and then do those things.

Many, many years ago Bill Gothard of Basic Youth Conflicts told young people to never say, “I am not going to raise my kids like my mom and dad did,” because if we focus on way our parents raised us (even if we didn’t like it) then that is how we will raise our kids.

Simply put, we tend to become like those things on which we focus.

Spiritually speaking, as we follow Christ, doing the things that he told us to do and modeling our lives after his life we will begin to look and act more like Christ.

Sanctification is the process by which the Holy Spirit enables us to die to sin and live into the newness of life that we have in Christ Jesus.  The more we live into that newness of life the more we will resemble Jesus.

Christ’s followers were first called “Christians” at Antioch.  They were called “Christians” because it meant “little Christs”.  Jesus’ followers resembled their Lord and master.

The sanctification of Christ’s followers is a life-long process.  We will not be perfect in this lifetime.  However, over time the Holy Spirit works in the lives of Christ’s followers to help us be more like Christ.

Lent - Day 35 (March 30)

Larger Catechism – Day 35 of Lent

Question 74:  What is adoption?

Answer:  Adoption is an act of God’s free grace in and for his only son, Jesus Christ, by which all those who are justified become his children, have his name put on them, have the Spirit of his Son given to them, are provided for under his fatherly care, are welcomed to all the liberties and privileges of the sons of God, and are made heirs of all the promises and fellow-heirs with Christ in glory.

Before launching into today’s question and answer from the Larger Catechism of the Westminster Confession of Faith I would like to thank each of you for being on this journey through Lent 2015.  This is the last week of Lent.  Holy Week has begun.  I hope and pray that as we go through this week that we will catch a glimpse of the deep love that the Lord has for us.

Over the years I known many people who have been adopted.  No two people respond in the same way to knowing that they are adopted. Today I would like focus on those who had a profound sense of love and thankfulness that a family made a choice to adopt them.  The family opened their arms, hearts, home and lives to the adopted person.  The family gave their name to the adopted person.  Literally and figuratively the adopted person became one of the family.

People are separate from God because of original sin and their own sinfulness.  Through Jesus people are adopted into God’s family and given all the rights, privileges and liberties that go along with being a part of that family.  The adopted ones are written in Christ’s “will” as fellow-heirs of his glory.

It should be of great comfort to us to know that it is by grace that we have been adopted into the family of God.  It should be of great comfort to us to know that we have been “chosen” by God.  It should be of great comfort to know we have an inheritance as a part of Christ’s family.  It should be a comfort to know that we are loved so deeply.

As we progress through Holy Week I hope that we can see the great love that Christ has for us in that he secured our adoption through his work on the cross and victory over sin and death.  Truly it is humbling to being adopted into such a great and loving family.

Lent - Day 34 (March 28)

Larger Catechism – Day 34 of Lent

Question 72:  What is justifying faith?

Answer:  Justifying faith is a saving grace that works in the hearts of sinners by the Spirit and the word of God.  By it sinners are convinced of their sinfulness and miserable condition and realize that neither they nor anyone or anything else can get them out of that lost condition, and by it they give full assent to the truth of the gospel promise; they receive and rest on Christ and his righteousness for pardon from sin, as the gospel tells us, and for being accepted and accounted as righteous in the sight of God for salvation.

As mentioned in yesterday’s post, God gives people the faith that leads to regeneration.  Today’s question seeks to clarify the steps that happen in justifying faith. 

The steps are:

1.       The sinner is convinced of their sinfulness and condition that is “miserable,” realizing that they are totally lost.

2.       The sinner realizes that no one, not even themselves, can get them out of the condition.

3.       The justifying faith then has the sinner give “full ascent” to the promise of the gospel concerning new life in Christ.

4.       The sinner then receives Christ and forgiveness of sins.

5.       God then sees the sinner as “righteous” and grants salvation.

Justifying faith is very different than a “faith” that yields no change in who is in control of one’s life.  Believing that Jesus walked on the earth is not necessarily justifying faith.  Believing that Jesus had a spiritual resurrection on Easter morning is not justifying faith.

Justifying faith is when the Holy Spirit get hold of a person, the person sees how totally lost they are, the person then totally yields the ownership of their life to Christ because of the truth and promises of the Bible, the person then receives forgiveness for sins and new life.

Justifying faith is truly a miraculous kind of faith.

Note:  There will be no blog post tomorrow.  Sunday's are a day for worship and are not a part of the forty days of Lent.  Have a great time in worship!