THE SERVER NOT THE CHEF

 The preacher needs to realize that God’s Word is not the preacher’s word. He is to recognize himself as a messenger, not an originator. He is a sower, not the source. He is a herald, not the authority, He is a steward, not the owner, He is the guide, not the author. He is the server of spiritual food, not the chef.

~John MacArthur

Possession of Faith versus of Profession of Faith

 You are not justified by a profession of

faith. You are justified by a possession

of it. You can't manipulate that. Only the

Holy Spirit can convert. Only the Holy

Spirit can change the disposition of the

soul and regenerate that person who is

dead in sin and trespasses. We can't force

that. And when we do? We put people

at everlasting peril by giving them a false

sense of security! RC Sproul

Faith is not giving but receiving.

 Cast away all idea of work, or merit, or doing or performing, or paying, or giving, or buying, or labouring, in the act of believing on Christ.

Faith is not giving, but taking, — not paying, but receiving— not buying, but being enriched. —JC Ryle, Old Paths, Pg. 160

Predestination Must Be Taught

 

"..the doctrine of God's eternal predestination is

so necessary to the Church of God, that, without

the same, can faith neither be truly taught,

neither surely established: man can never be

brought to true humility and knowledge of

himself: neither yet can he be ravished in

admiration of God's goodness, and so moved to

praise him as appertaineth."

John Knox

Another Kovach Post on Justification

 SUMMARY OF THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION

The Scripture doctrine of justification may be briefly summed up in the following particulars.

1. It is God who justifies.

2. Justification is wholly gratuitous, without merit and without any works of our own, as its ground.

3. The merit of Christ, as Mediator, expressed in Scripture by his righteousness, his obedience, his blood, his death, his life, his sacrifice—is the true and only meritorious ground of a sinner's pardon and acceptance.

4. The justification of the ungodly includes the remission of sins, by which often it is expressed in Scripture; but it also includes their acceptance as righteous, for the sake of Christ's perfect righteousness reckoned to their account.

5. Justification is by faith, as the instrument of union to Christ, and the reception of his righteousness.

6. The faith which justifies is always a living, operative, fruitful faith. No one is justified by a faith which is alone, or unattended with good works.

7. Justification and sanctification, though inseparably connected, and equally necessary to salvation, are nevertheless distinct blessings of the new covenant; and the latter is the only certain evidence of the possession of the former.

8. Justification takes place at the moment of believing, and is as perfect at once as it can ever be, and there can be no place for a second justification in the sight of God, and in relation to his law; but there is a manifestation of the genuineness of our faith and sincerity of our profession, both in this world and at the day of judgment, which is also sometimes called justification.

9. No plan of justification which does not make a complete provision for the satisfaction of all the demands of law and justice, is honorable to God or agreeable to Scripture. By this single test may all erroneous theories of justification be tried and condemned.

The importance of the doctrine of a sinner's justification before God, is not exceeded by that of any other in the whole circle of divine truth. Without justification it is evident that no man can be saved. It is then a vital subject. Eternal life is involved in it. For let it be considered, that there is here no middle ground. He who is not in a state of justification must be in a state of condemnation; and if he continues in that state, he must perish forever. One unpardoned sin will sink the soul to hell. What then must be the condition of sinners who are pressed down with the guilt of innumerable transgressions? Justification must never be considered without reference to the believer’s union with Christ. The justified person is found “in Christ” (Phil 3:8-9). Union with Christ is central to the believer’s whole salvation from effectual calling to glorification and justification is one of the crucial elements and must never be isolated from the rest (Rom 8:30). This does not make superfluous the truth concerning the imputation of Christ’s righteousness. The imputation of Christ’s righteousness not union with Christ is the ground of our justification. Justification is based not only upon the Spirit’s work of regeneration and renewal but more importantly on the person and work of Christ. He is the Suffering Servant of whom Isaiah prophesied. The guilt of God’s people was transferred to him and he paid the price by receiving the punishment due, and the obedient Servant’s righteousness was transferred to them so that they were accounted righteous (Isa 53:5-6,11). This is the wondrous exchange that Luther found so precious: Christ takes our sins and he gives us his righteousness. God is able to pardon the ungodly on the grounds of Christ’s redemptive death. (Rom 3:24-26). He paid the penalty and made full satisfaction for every believer’s sins. God considered their sin as belonging to Jesus, his Son, who was sinless, and on the cross he endured the awful consequences (1Pet 2:24). God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us (2Cor 5:21a). Secondly, he is able to pronounce the ungodly righteous because they are given Christ’s righteousness. This is the righteousness from God which consists of Christ’s obedience to the Father in life and death (2Cor 5:21b; Phil 2:7-8; 3:9). As all humanity were constituted sinners in Adam so in Christ believers are constituted righteous (Rom 5:18-19). The clothing metaphor is often used in Scripture to signify the believer’s standing in the righteousness of Christ (Gen 3:21; Isa 61:10; Matt

Quotes on Justification

 Thomas Watson quotes on justification by faith:

* "God does not justify us because we are worthy, but by justifying us make us worthy."

* "It is absurd to imagine that God should justify a people and not sanctify them, He should justify a people whom He could not glorify."

* "Justification is not an act of making us righteous, but of declaring us righteous."

* "Faith is the hand that receives Christ, and the eye that sees Him."

* "Justification is the work of God, not the work of man."

* "We are justified by faith alone, not by faith plus works."

* "Justification is the foundation of our salvation, and it is the ground of our assurance."

* "Justification is the beginning of our sanctification, and it is the source of our hope."

These quotes highlight the importance of justification by faith in the Christian faith. They emphasize that justification is not something that we earn by our own works, but is something that is given to us by God through faith in Christ. This justification is the foundation of our salvation and the source of our assurance.

Here are some A. W. Pink quotes on justification by faith:

* "Justification is not a process, but an instantaneous act of God whereby He declares the ungodly righteous in His sight, not for anything wrought in them, or done by them, but only for the perfect obedience and full satisfaction of Christ, by God imputed to them, and received by faith alone."

* "Justification is not the making of us righteous, but the declaring us righteous. It is not the imparting of a new nature, but the reception of a perfect righteousness into our account."

* "Justification is not a matter of degree, but of absolute perfection. We are either justified or not justified; there is no middle ground."

* "Justification is the ground of our acceptance with God. It is the basis upon which we stand before Him as His children."

* "Justification is the foundation of our hope of eternal life. It is the assurance that we have been forgiven our sins and will one day be with God in heaven."

These quotes emphasize the importance of justification by faith in the Christian life. They teach that justification is an act of God's grace, not something that we can earn or achieve. It is the basis of our acceptance with God and our hope of eternal life.

Some quotes on justification by faith:

* **John Calvin:** "We are justified, not by works, but by faith in Jesus Christ, who suffered and died for our sins, and rose again for our justification."

* **John Owen:** "Justification is God's act of declaring us righteous, not on the basis of our own works, but on the basis of the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed to us by faith."

* **Thomas Watson:** "Justification is not the making of us righteous, but the accounting of us righteous; not the infusion of righteousness into us, but the imputation of the righteousness of Christ to us."

* **William Gurnall:** "We are justified, not by giving anything to God, but by receiving from God what Christ has done for us."

* **Richard Sibbes:** "Justification is the greatest act of God's grace, whereby He makes us righteous in His sight, not for anything in us, but for the sake of Jesus Christ."

These are just a few examples of the many quotes on justification by faith. These quotes emphasize the importance of faith in Christ as the only means of justification before God. They also stress that justification is a gift of God's grace, not something that we can earn by our own works.

Some quotes on justification by faith from John Owen:

* "Justification is an act of God's free grace, wherein he pardoneth all our sins, and accepts us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith." (The Doctrine of Justification by Faith)

* "We are justified by faith alone, but not by that faith which can be alone. Alone respects its influence unto our justification, not its nature and existence." (The Doctrine of Justification by Faith)

* "Justification is not only the forgiveness of sins, but also the communication of Christ's righteousness unto us, so that we are reputed righteous in God's sight, as if we had never sinned." (The Doctrine of Justification by Faith)

* "Justification is not a work of man, but a work of God; it is not something that we earn or deserve, but something that is freely given to us by grace through faith." (The Doctrine of Justification by Faith)

* "Justification is the foundation of all Christian life and experience. It is the basis of our assurance of salvation, and it is the source of our strength to live a holy life." (The Doctrine of Justification by Faith)

These quotes highlight the importance of justification by faith in Owen's theology.

Spurgeon quotes on justification by faith in a professional tone:

* "Justification by faith is the grand central artery of the Christian system. It is the mainspring of all our hopes, the foundation of all our joy, and the root of all our comfort."

* "Justification by faith is the most glorious truth that ever shone upon a darkened world. It is the sun of righteousness, which brings light and life to the soul."

* "Justification by faith is not a mere legal fiction, but a real and substantial change in the condition of the sinner. It is a change from guilt to innocence, from condemnation to acquittal, from death to life."

* "Justification by faith is not a work of our own, but a free gift of God's grace. It is not something that we earn, but something that we receive by faith."

* "Justification by faith is the only way to be saved. There is no other way to be reconciled to God and to obtain eternal life."

These quotes highlight the importance of justification by faith in the Christian faith. Spurgeon emphasizes that justification is not a work of our own, but a free gift of God's grace. It is the only way to be saved and to obtain eternal life.

Concise Meaning of Justification

Justification is not something that occurs in man, nor is it a process. It refers to the legal, judicial and forensic declaration of God. “It is to declare forensically that the demands of the law as a condition of life are fully satisfied with regard to a person, Acts 13:39; Rom. 5:1, 9; 8:30-33; I Cor. 6:11; Gal. 2:16; 3:11.”2 The ground of justification is Christ’s sacrificial death and perfect obedience to the law (i.e., “the righteousness of God,” Rom. 3:21).

When a man by faith lays hold of Jesus Christ and His merits, God imputes that person’s guilt for sins past, present and future upon Christ on the cross. God also imputes Christ’s perfect righteousness to that sinner. The Father then declares that man righteous or just in the heavenly court. Because Christ has removed the guilt of that man’s sins past, present, and future legally before God, it is as though that man never committed sin. He is white as snow (Isa. 1:18). His record is perfect. Judicially, he is just as righteous and perfect as Jesus Christ. Since Christ’s perfect obedience is imputed to him, he has eternal life because Christ merited it for him."

Here is the explanation of our justification by faith alone: faith is the instrument which receives Jesus Christ and, consequently, which receives His righteousness, that is to say, all perfection. When therefore, after St. Paul (Rom 1: 17 ; 3:21-27 ; 4:3 ; 5:1 ; 9:30-33 ; 11:6 ; Gal 2:16-21 ; 3:9 ,10 ,18 ; Phil 3:9 ; 2 Tim 1:9 ; Titus 3:5 ; Heb. 11:7 we say that we are justified by faith alone, or freely, or by faith without works (for all these ways of speaking give the same sense), we do not say that faith is a virtue which makes us righteous, in ourselves, before God. For this would be to put faith in the place of Jesus Christ who is, alone, our perfect and entire righteousness.

But we speak thus with the Apostle, and we say that by faith alone we are justified, insomuch as it embraces Him who justifies us, Jesus Christ, to whom it unites and joins us. We are then made partakers of Him and the benefits which He possesses. These, being imputed and gifted to us, are more than sufficient to make us acquitted and accounted righteous before God.

Theodore Beza (1519-1605) FAITH---------------------------------------------------------------

FAITH...the "Hand that Receives"...

...Faith is essential as it alone unites a sinner to Christ, but faith is not conditional in any meritorious sense.. is it proper to regard faith as the "hand" that receives Christ? Isn't the natural man being attributed some ability by this metaphor? since faith is always both God's gift (Ephesians 2:8) and God's work ("This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath seen" [John 6:29]), how can faith be designated as a "hand"?

The natural man indeed has no ability to reach out to accept the salvation of God in Christ. The natural man is dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). He will never "accept Christ" of his own free will (Matthew 23:37; John 5:40). Scripture teaches that a sinner does not first move toward God, but God first moves toward a sinner to unite him with Christ by faith, for a sinner would never of his own will or desire turn to Christ in faith (Romans 9:16). Even when tormented with the terrors of divine judgment, the natural man cannot be persuaded to flee to God by saving faith for salvation ((Proverbs 1:24-27).

But in regeneration the Holy Spirit grants the gift of a living, empty hand that can turn nowhere else than to Jesus. "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:12-13; cf. Psalm 110:3).

Faith is not called a hand because it works or merits justification in any way, but because it receives, embraces, appropriates Christ upon divine imputation. Faith is not a creative hand, but a receptive hand. As Abraham Booth notes, "Hence,in justification we read of the precious faith in the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1) and of 'faith in His blood' (Romans 3:25), and believers are described as 'receiving the atonement' and receiving 'the gift of righteousness' (Romans 5:11, 17)...

UNDERSTANDING LEADS TO PRAYER

 The ultimate test of my understanding of the scriptural teaching, is the amount of time I spend in prayer. As theology is ultimately the knowledge of God—the more theology I know, the more it should drive me to seek to know God. Not to know "about" Him—but to know Him! The whole object of salvation is to bring me to knowledge of God. If all my knowledge does not lead me to prayer, then there is something wrong somewhere. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Seeing God's Justice on Display: How God Forgives.

 "So the cross does not merely tell us that God forgives, it tells us that that is God’s way of making forgiveness possible. It is the way in which we understand how God forgives. I will go further: How can God forgive and still remain God? – That is the question. The cross is the vindication of God. The cross is the vindication of the character of God. The cross not only shows the love of God more gloriously than anything else, it shows His righteousness, His justice, His holiness, and all the glory of His eternal attributes. They are all to be seen shining together there. If you do not see them all, you have not seen the cross. The Cross, Martyn Lloyd-Jones"

Jones on Penal Substitutionary Atonement

 Martyn Lloyd Jones Penal Substitutionary Atonement.

“It is therefore, quite fitting to say that no-one really begins to understand the love of God and the love of the Lord Jesus Christ who does not believe the substitutionary and penal doctrine of the Atonement.

Think it out. Where do you see the love of God, if God’s Son is simply suffering the cruelty and all that men are doing to Him, in a useless manner? What is the point of it? If it achieves nothing, if it is not substitutionary, if it is not penal, if He is not really dealing with sins, it is useless suffering. It is pointless, it is sheer cruelty, there is no love there. Oh, the tragedy, that men should think that they are exalting the love of God in that way, whereas in reality they are evacuating it of its real essence and of its endless and eternal profundities!

Here is where you see the love of God, that ‘God spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all’! He did not spare Him anything; He poured upon Him the vials of His wrath against sin. He did not spare Him anything. And it was for us, and because of His love for us! Not what men did to Him, but what God did to Him as the Judge of the world, the righteous Judge eternal, the Holy Father—that is the supreme issue in the ‘death of the cross’! And the Son gave Himself willingly, there was no compulsion. He set His face steadfastly. His one desire was to do His Father’s will and thus to bring about our salvation.

And it is only as you see Him as the innocent Victim, the Substitute, who has voluntarily put Himself in our place to receive our punishment, that you even begin to understand and to measure the eternal love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. And the Apostle Paul confirms all that we read elsewhere in Scripture—‘as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.’” “The Atoning Work of Christ”, Darkness and Light, An Exposition of Ephesians 4:17-5:17, 310-311.

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30 Reasons for a Christian's Joy.

 I asked chatgpt for 30 reasons why Christians are joyful. Here is the reply.

1. Salvation: Christians rejoice in the knowledge of their salvation through Jesus Christ.
2. Forgiveness: Experiencing God's forgiveness brings joy and relief from guilt.
3. God's love: Christians find joy in knowing they are deeply loved by God.
4. Eternal life: The hope of eternal life with God fills Christians with joy.
5. Peace: Trusting in God's sovereignty brings a sense of peace and joy.
6. Purpose: Christians find joy in knowing they have a divine purpose in life.
7. Prayer: The privilege of communicating with God brings joy to believers.
8. Community: Fellowshipping with other Christians brings joy and support.
9. Worship: Expressing love and adoration for God through worship brings joy.
10. God's presence: Experiencing God's presence fills Christians with joy and awe.
11. Answered prayers: Seeing prayers answered brings joy and strengthens faith.
12. God's faithfulness: Christians find joy in knowing that God is always faithful.
13. Hope: Christians find joy in the hope they have in God's promises.
14. Changed lives: Witnessing lives transformed by God's grace brings joy.
15. God's guidance: Trusting in God's guidance brings joy and assurance.
16. Miracles: Experiencing or witnessing miracles fills Christians with joy.
17. Serving others: Christians find joy in serving and making a positive impact.
18. Growth: Experiencing personal growth and transformation brings joy.
19. God's provision: Trusting in God's provision brings joy and contentment.
20. God's Word: Studying and meditating on the Bible brings joy and wisdom.
21. God's creation: Enjoying and marveling at God's creation brings joy.
22. Hope in difficult times: Christians find joy in knowing God is with them during trials.
23. God's strength: Relying on God's strength brings joy in times of weakness.
24. Spiritual gifts: Using and developing spiritual gifts brings joy and fulfillment.
25. God's grace: Experiencing God's grace and mercy brings joy and gratitude.
26. Sharing the gospel: Seeing others come to know Christ brings joy.
27. Unity: Christians find joy in the unity and fellowship of the body of Christ.
28. Freedom from sin: Experiencing freedom from the power of sin brings joy.
29. Assurance of salvation: Christians find joy in the assurance of their salvation.
30. Anticipation of heaven: The joy of looking forward to eternity with God.