FRF June 20
FRF Web • Jun 22, 2020
Grace alone, faith alone
Greetings brothers and sisters,
Tonight, we gathered, we worshiped, prayed, praised, we had fellowship. Yet all of this, was ordained by God, not one of us, as Pastor Bob boldly, faithfully and truthfully expounded from the scriptures, was of our own accord. Tonight we covered a section of scripture which has more treasure than any of us can fathom, we were in Ephesians 2 1-10.
Pastor Bob, taught what the scriptures so clearly say, and it should both humble us, and bring us great joy. We are reminded that before God had intervened and would draw us to His Son, Jesus Christ; we were dead in our sins and trespasses. To put it bluntly it's no different than one of us standing over a pile of bones, and watching that pile of bones try deciding to follow Jesus. And as Pastor put it tonight, a phrase we should find great relief in..."But God...."
What did he mean by that phrase? Let's start in verse 1, and brethren this is fantastic news about what God has done!
[1]And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, [2]in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. [3]Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. [4]But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, [5]even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), [6]and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, [7]so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. [8]For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; [9]not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. [10]For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
You see there? But God...! Wow, let us take in for a moment at how great a love God must have for us that He would do this, by his grace, and the gift of faith that He gives us, would do that for those who are dead in their sins and trespasses. What a great and wonderful Savior indeed that we serve, Risen forevermore!
We live in a day and age, where many may tell you, it's your choice and God has nothing to do with it. That my friends is pelagianism rearing it's ugly head. This same teaching also wants all of us to think that none of us are affected by original sin, that is, Adam and Eve's disobedience. Don't believe it brethren, believe God alone, and His Word alone. Left to our own devices, not one sinner wants anything to do with God. Those are are still in their sins, as the scripture says here, and as Jesus said to the Jews in the temple, are children of the devil. This is heartbreaking, to not know God is to not be His own, and is to not know Life Himself.
The good news is that anyone can be saved, anyone God chooses, and we should pray for those who don't know Christ, to be given a new heart, a heart for God. We don't know who is chosen, and who isn't among the ages, but we are called to preach the Gospel, let's do that together with our testimony of what the Lord has done for us. For we were all dead at one point, but now alone, with Christ.
Once again, I can do no justice to the preaching done by our wonderful pastoral brothers, please join us each Saturday, or bible studies throughout the week. If you hear the call today, come and you won't be turned away.
Grace alone, faith alone, Christ alone....Praise God
FRF Team
