By
Rev. Juliet Schimpf
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Broadcast
Notes
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LINK to CFRA broadcast of
Sunday, April 17th, 2016)
http://proxy.autopod.ca/podcasts/chum/6/42359/good_news_205_apr17.mp3
http://proxy.autopod.ca/podcasts/chum/6/42359/good_news_205_apr17.mp3
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This broadcast
has been made possible through the generous contribution of Paul Gopal. We’d
like to say “thank you” for his donation.
'Saved BY grace'
Early on the
morning of October 31, 1517, Martin Luther stood on the steps of the church of Wittenburg with a piece of paper in his hands listing all of the lies
that the church was teaching. The blows of his hammer as he nailed the 95 theses to the church door would be heard around the
world. This event marked the beginning of what we now call the Reformation. Sola
fide (Latin: by faith alone), also
historically known as the doctrine of justification by faith alone, is a Christian theological
doctrine that distinguishes most Protestant denominations.
1. GOD’S
WORK FOR US—WE ARE ACCEPTED!
2. GOD’S WORK IN US –WE ARE SECURE!
3. GOD’S WORK THROUGH US—WE ARE SIGNIFICANT!
1. GOD’S WORK FOR US—
WE ARE ACCEPTED!
NRSV
8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith…”
·
THIS VERSE REPEATS VERSE 5, AND SO
PAUL IS EMPHASIZING THAT IT IS VERY IMPORTANT
·
What world religions have in common;
they affirm that humans need saving.
o
Salvation for a Hindu is called Moksha. Moksha is
when an enlightened human being is freed from the cycle of life-and-death (the
endless cycle of death and reincarnation) and comes into a state of
completeness. He then becomes one with God. There are four ways to Moksha:
§ 1.
The Way of Action: This involves carrying out certain religious ceremonies,
duties and rites. The objective is to perform works without regard for personal
gain.
§ 2.
The Way of Knowledge: This requires using your mind and philosophy to come to a
complete comprehension of the universe.
§ 3.
The Way of Devotion: Salvation is reached through acts of worship, based upon
the love for a God (there are thousands of gods in Hinduism).
§ 4.The
Royal Road: The use of meditation and yoga techniques. This method of reaching
salvation is typically only used by wandering monks.
§ Each
of these ways to salvation in Hinduism requires that a person do certain
things. Salvation is through what a Hindu does. It is through human works.
o
For a Buddhist salvation is reaching Nirvana.
Nirvana is a transcendental, blissful, spiritual state of nothingness--you
become a Buddha.
To
reach Nirvana you must follow the Noble Eightfold Path.
§ 1.
Right Understanding: accepting the Four Noble Truths. (The existence of
suffering; the cause of suffering; the end of suffering; and the end of pain.)
§ 2.
Right Resolve: renounce the pleasures of the body. Change your lifestyle so
that you harm no living creatures and have kind thoughts for everyone.
§ 3.
Right Speech: do not gossip, lie or slander anyone.
§ 4.
Right Action: do not kill, steal or engage in an unlawful sexual act.
§ 5.
Right Occupation: avoid working at any job that could harm someone.
§ 6.
Right Effort: heroically work to eliminate evil from your life. Through your
own effort develop good conduct and a clean mind.
§ 7.
Right Contemplation: make your self aware of your deeds, words and thoughts so
that you can be free of desire and sorrow.
§ 8.
Right Meditation: train your mind to focus on a single object without wavering
so as to develop a calm mind capable of concentration.
§ Following
the Noble Eightfold Path requires that a person do the above eight things.
Salvation is through what a Buddhist does. It is through human works.
o
MORMONISM:
§ "We
know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do." (Book of
Mormon 2 Nephi 25:23)
§ "Men
have work to do if they would obtain salvation." (Doctrines of salvation
vol.3 p.91)
·
Christianity is unique. Salvation is through sheer grace.
§ For
by grace…..
§ you
have been saved….[past tense!]
§ through
faith…………….
·
ACTS 16:30-31
"What must I do to be saved? Paul said," believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ and you will be saved."
·
Faith in what?
The crucified Christ
·
Why in the death and resurrection of Christ?
·
Hebrews 9:22 “without the shedding of blood there
is no forgiveness.”
2.
GOD’S WORK IN US
—WE ARE SECURE!
NRSV VERSE 8: “and this is not your own doing; it is the
gift of God.”
·
Salvation was accomplished BY GOD FOR
US; NOT BY US FOR GOD.
·
JOHN STOTT: SALVATION is more than forgiveness: it is deliverance from the death, slavery, and wrath described in
verses 1-3.
·
What an interesting word—“GIFT”—IN
VERSE 8
o
We simply need to accept the gift.
o
This requires humility.
o
We simply need to embrace the gift.
o
Jesus Christ, “It is finished”.
NRSV VERSE 8: “not the result of works, so that no one may
boast.”
·
Salvation is a finished work:
o
JOHN 17: After Jesus
said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that
your Son may glorify you…. 4 I have brought you glory on
earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.
o
John 19:30 “It is
finished!”
o
Do we really
believe this?
§ If I preach a little bit better;
God will love me more.
§ If I pray a little harder; my salvation will be more secure.
§ If I serve on a committee; my eternity in heaven is sealed.
o
We cannot add anything to the blood. We cannot subtract anything from the
blood—THE BLOOD IS SUFFICIENT!
o
Isaac Waats: “What can take away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus”
3.
GOD’S WORK THROUGH US--
WE ARE SIGNIFICANT!
NRSV 10 “For we are what he has made us” [NASB: For
we are His workmanship……NLT: For we are
God’s masterpiece]
·
The greek word translated
“workmanship” is poiema, from which we derive our English word poem.
·
Towards the end of John Stott’s time
as a theological student at Ridley Hall, Cambridge, the Rev. Paul Gidbson
retired as Principal, and a portrait of him was unveiled. In expressing his thanks, he paid a
well-deserved compliment to the artist.
He said that in future he believed people looking at the picture would
ask not “Who is that man?” but rather “Who painted that portrait?”
NRSV 10 “created in Christ Jesus for good works, which
God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.”
·
WE ARE RCREATED IN CHRIST JESUS FOR A
PURPOSE:
o
1.
“GOOD WORKS”
§ Wiersbe, “We are not saved by faith plus good works, but by a
faith that works.”
o
2.
“WHICH GOD PREPARED BEFOREHAND”
§ The purpose is God’s. So
the better question is not “What is MY purpose?” but “What is GOD’S purpose?”
§ We participate in His grand project: Philippians
2:12 “continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”
o
3.
“TO BE OUR WAY OF LIFE”
§ John Calvin wrote, “It is faith alone that justifies, but faith
that justifies can never be alone.”
§ JAMES 2: 14 What good is it, my brothers and
sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save
them? …..26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without
deeds is dead.”
Let’s pray:
Our gracious Heavenly
Father, we thank that you are unlike any other god.
You say, “Come to me
all ye who are weary and I will give you rest; come to me, I will do all work
on an old rugged tree. I will delight in nailing my Son to that Cross. Will you
receive my gift? So, I pray for the listeners, first of all, who has not yet
placed their sheer faith in the Cross.
They’ve always thought
they had to work a little harder, give a little more money in the plate …help a
little more people. And today, I pray they’d hear loud and clear that all they
need do is place their faith in you, for it is by GRACE they are saved through
faith.
So, I pray that that
person would be accepted into your kingdom this day. I pray for the person,
Lord, who struggles with security. They’re always measuring themselves and
wondering if they’re good enough, are pretty enough, are the smart enough, and
would they find their security in you, alone? Would they just receive your gift
--- no strings attached? Because it’s through a gift, not by works, so no one
can boast.
And lastly, I pray for
every listener that they would be empowered, today, by the WORD, that they are
God’s poetry, God’s workmanship. They have been created to do good works. They’re
not saved by good works, but they are saved FOR good works.
They go forward with boldness,
for they are significant. And we pray all this in Jesus’ name, AMEN.
Rev. Juliet Schimpf
____________________________________________
To listen to the above
broadcast, click on the following link:
http://proxy.autopod.ca/podcasts/chum/6/42359/good_news_205_apr17.mp3
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