Prayer Service 11-8-23

Opening Prayer

Supplications:

Thanksgivings:

Many healthy babies and mothers

Successful procedures for Amber

Sparing the lives of Hugh and Travis Webster

Andrew’s access to his children

Preservation of all our families

Preservation of “our” church

Others?

Needs:

Ongoing Health Needs from Bulletin

Allen, Mark, Danny, Gale, Sonya, Ty, Hope, Randy

Shalimar’s Friend with heart trouble

Repentance and Faith for Hugh and Travis W.

Help for our Nation

Help for Christians in the Middle East

Others?

Five Solas

(Ask Congregation to name)

Sola Scriptura

Solus Christus

Sola Gratia

Sola Fide

Soli Deo Gloria

Sola Scriptura

Definition from James Montgomery Boice :

“The Bible alone is our ultimate authority—not the pope, not the church, not the traditions of the church or church councils, still less personal intimations or subjective feelings, but Scripture only.” — JMB

Introduction to Justification

Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary Justification

JUSTIFICATION — the process by which sinful human beings are made acceptable to a holy God.

Solus Christus (Christ alone)

Sola Gratia (Grace alone)

Sola Fide (Faith alone)

Solus Christus

Our own confession explains this one well:

11:1 Those God effectually calls He also freely justifies.

He does this, not by infusing righteousness into them but by pardoning their sins and accounting and accepting them as righteous.

He does this for Christ’s sake alone and not for anything produced in them or done by them.

He does not impute faith itself, the act of believing, or any other gospel obedience to them as their righteousness.

Instead, He imputes Christ’s active obedience to the whole law and passive obedience in His death as their whole and only righteousness by faith… — 1689 LBCF 11:1

11:3 By His obedience and death, Christ fully paid the debt of all those who are justified.

He endured in their place the penalty they deserved.

By this sacrifice of Himself in His bloodshed on the cross, He legitimately, really and fully satisfied God’s justice on their behalf.

Yet their justification is based entirely on free grace, because He was given by the Father for them, and His obedience and satisfaction were accepted in their place.

These things were done freely, not because of anything in them, so that both the exact justice and the rich grace of God would be glorified in the justification of sinners. — 1689 LBCF 11:3

Is this biblical?

1 Timothy 2:5 (ESV)

5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

John 14:6 (ESV)

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Acts 4:12 (ESV)

12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Hebrews 9:12 (ESV)

12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.

Hebrews 7:24–25 (ESV)

24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever.

25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

Who does this exclude:

This EXCLUDES:

The Pope as a “vicar of Christ”

A New Covenant priesthood!

We have only one!

The sacrifice of the Mass.

The intercession of:

Mary

The Saints.

Indulgences

Priestly Absolution

Ephesians 2:13–14 (ESV)

13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

14 For he himself is our peace...

Ephesians 2:18 (ESV)

18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

Galatians 2:21 (ESV)

21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

Romans 3:21–24 (ESV)

21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—

22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

Not Christ PLUS anything:

Galatians 5:2–4 (ESV)

2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.

3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law.

4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.

Romans 10:3–4 ESV

3 For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

Romans 5:18 (ESV)

18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.

Revelation 20:11–15 (ESV)

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.

12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.

13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.

14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Is there any other way to survive the Judgment?

Who’s book is it?

Revelation 21:27 (ESV)

27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Who writes down the names?

Through what means?

Revelation 7:9–14 (ESV)

9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,

10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

Anyone else helping out?

11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,

12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?”

14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

White = Innocence, Purity, Righteousness.

There is no other way

Solus Christus

Christ Alone!

Prayer of Adoration