“Not only does the Lord through forgiveness of sins receive and adopt us once for all into the church, but through the same means he preserves and protects us there. For what would be the point of providing a pardon for us that was destined to be of no use? . . . We must firmly believe that by God’s generosity, mediated by Christ’s merit, through the sanctification of the Spirit, sins have been and are daily pardoned to us who have been received and engrafted into the body of the church.”
These are the words by John Calvin, a much needed reminder on God’s protection over His bride, the Church.
What is the solution for two parties to no longer be in enmity with each other? The only possible solution is to reconcile. But reconciliation is often initiated by first person toward another and is more inclined to settle the matter at personal cost. In this passage, we see God taking such posture of reconciliation toward mankind, even to the point of sacrificing His own Son, Jesus Christ. He ordains His Son to die on the cross on behalf of sinners, so that they would be reconciled to Himself. Reconciliation is made possible only through the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ.
“God is goodness itself, in whom all goodness is involved. If therefore we love other things for the goodness which we see in them, why do we not love God, in whom is all goodness? All other things are but sparks of that fire, and drops of that sea. If you see any good in the creature, remember there is much more in the Creator. Leave therefore the streams, and go to the fountainhead of comfort.” These are the words by puritan Richard Sibbes beautifully portraying the goodness of God toward mankind. In this sermon, we meditate on God’s goodness and our response to that glorious truth.
We start helping out each other and show acts of mercy during natural disasters, calamities and famine. This is a natural response of human beings because we are all made in the image of God; we still exhibit certain character traits that display kindness, sacrifice and generosity during difficult times. But the struggle to survive is not just against physical powers but also spiritual. There is sin in all of us that we need to fight against. So, what kind of character traits should a christian show forth in the church and in the world especially in times of spiritual adversity? Listen to the sermon to learn the marks of a healthy Christian.
The Bible says “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts”. It doesn’t describe in the same way about His love, mercy, or justice. Why is there such a description about God’s holiness unlike any of His other attributes? Well, that’s because holiness captures the perfections of all the other attributes of God. Which means, His mercy, justice and love can also be understood as His holy justice, Holy love, and His Holy mercy. To be Holy also means to be set apart or to be separate, which implies that God cannot withstand nor exhibit anything that is unholy. How then does He allow sinners like us to come to Him despite our sinfulness? Listen to the sermon to find out.
Christianity stands or falls on the doctrine of Christ’s resurrection; you take away resurrection, and you’ll lose Christianity. It is this truth that seals believer’s faith firmly and gives hope of life after death precisely because Jesus Christ rose from the dead. It indeed shows us that Jesus Christ is the Son of God came to die for sinners, to purchase the forgiveness for their sins. In this passage, we learn how unrealistic, illogical and hopeless it is to disbelieve in Christ’s resurrection, and what blessings the truth of resurrection entails for those who trust in Him.
