Faith before Ritual [Romans]
Paul’s exposition of Gen 15.6 turns from justification by faith without works to justification by faith without circumcision. This argument is particularly devastating to the ritual-dependent nature of Judaism (and of Judaizers, see Galatians). The argument devastates the ritual-dependent misunderstanding of the Gospel by churches and Christians that practice infant baptism or even such things as ‘delayed infant baptism’ or the confidence placed in ‘go-forward invitations’. Salvation is by faith without works, especially religious works of ritual.
Facets of Man (4) [Basic Theology]
Today we finish this chapter of Ryrie’s Basic Theology. The lesson today is on the Mind and the Flesh, two aspects of our inner nature. As we bring the lesson to a conclusion, we get a mini-sermon on the new life in the Spirit vs. the old life of the flesh. A victorious inner life comes by a life walking ‘in the Spirit’. By this life we overcome the flesh.
Beloved Beware [Christian Growth]
2 Pt 3.17-18
Beloved, beware lest you be led away … Beloved beware for yourself. As we consider our Christian growth, we have to be aware and beware that the truth can be ‘put on the rack, and twisted’. Since this is true, we need to be aware and beware of movements in the church that would drag us away from truth and make us spiritually unstable. Instead, may we grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. If that is our focus, we will be stable and unmoved by the winds of change that always threaten the Christian church.
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I have to relate a little story from the end of our services today. We have two little fellows in the church about 6 years old. As they left the last service, one of them said to the other, “Man, we sat through the whole thing!” The other sagely replied, “Yep, we’re growing up.”
We all got quite a laugh out of that one.
Why would they think it is such an accomplishment to sit through ‘the whole thing’ when I am preaching? We wonders…
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