Are we saved initially by God’s grace and then sustained spiritually by our good works? What is the role of God’s grace in our salvation? What are the “acts” dependent on us to be saved? Is anything dependent on us so that we can inherit salvation? Listen to learn more on how a man is saved unto eternal life.
God’s dealing with His people has always been through covenants. The Bible is predominantly divided into two covenants. Old and the New Covenant. In this passage we learn the spiritual benefits of the new covenant in the light of the old covenant.
As human beings, we all experience stress, anxiety, fear and worry. This is also a reminder that we cannot control everything in our lives. This reveals our limitation, but also should point us to the God of the Bible. In this passage, we learn through the trials of David, how to handle stress in a way God commands.
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.
How do you view your relationship with Christ? Do you relate yourself to Him as a sinner or as a saint? If you relate to Him as a sinner then you’re unlikely to experience the joy of forgiveness: justification, adoption (into God’s family), and the certainty of eternal life. However, relating to Christ now as a new creation (saint) also does not negate the fact that you’re a sinner. In this passage, we learn what kind of identity we are given in Christ and the implications of that in our daily lives.
There is one prevailing truth which the Bible keeps reminding Christians about, that is our eternal fellowship with God. This is not just our destiny, but it is also our longing. We were created with a sense of eternity in our hearts, which can only be realized in actuality when we behold God on the last day and enter into eternal fellowship with God. In this passage, the Apostle Paul explains why and how we need to keep groaning for our eternal home, which is God Himself.
We live in the world of injustice. What we see is evil, murder, abuse, corruption, partiality, discrimination, rape and the list goes on…We can all sense the injustice around us because we are made in the image of God, we have been given the ability to do Justice. The other sad reality is that we’re not just the recipients or victims of injustice, but also the perpetrators of injustice (even if it’s done in small ways). So how does a just and righteous God deal with injustice around us and injustice because of us? What does God expect from us? Listen to the sermon to find out.
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.