Grace and Peace Episode 10

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Grace and Peace Episode 10
Presbyterian Church of Easton
November 3, 2020

Video

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2

Heidelberg Catechism

20Q.  Are all people then saved through Christ just as they were lost through Adam?
A. No. Only those are saved who through true faith are grafted into Christ and accept all his benefits.
21Q.  What is true faith?

A. True faith is not only a sure knowledge by which I hold as true all that God has revealed to us in Scripture; it is also a wholehearted trust, which the Holy Spirit creates in me by the gospel, that God has freely granted, not only to others but to me also, forgiveness of sins, eternal righteousness,and salvation.  These are gifts of sheer grace, granted solely by Christ’s merit.

God’s justice requires that some will go to heaven and some will not.   Those who totally reject a relationship with Jesus Christ will not be forced to join him in heaven for eternity.  But for those who desire to be with Jesus in heaven, rest assured that your wish will be granted.  We know this because scripture assures us that our faith in Jesus Christ is a sure indication of our salvation.

How do we know if we have this faith which leads to salvation?   First, when we read the Bible we know that it is true.  We read  in 2 Timothy 3:16 “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.”  So when we read the extraordinary good news that Jesus was resurrected from the dead we believe it.

  But faith is more than just believing what scripture says.  We go beyond just believing what the Bible says to trusting that God loves us and cares for us.   We read in Ephesians 2:7-9 “...so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.   Faith is the belief that the God who created the world not knows you but also loves you.

How do we get to the point where we believe that the Bible is true and we trust that God loves us?   What must we do to have saving faith in Jesus Christ and receive all these benefits?   There is nothing we can do.   We can read the Bible every day and still not believe it is true.   We can attend Bible studies and worship and still not trust that God loves us.   Doing things that are good and helpful will never bring us the faith and trust we need.   So where do we get it?

The good news is that we receive faith in Jesus Christ as a gift from the Holy Spirit.  We read in Galatians 5:22 …the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control.  Let’s pray.

Holy Spirit, come upon us with the gift of faith.   Help us to believe that what the Bible says is true.  And help us to trust that God loves us.  We thank you for this most gracious gift.  Amen.