After four years of trying to have a child, my wife exited the bathroom with tears in her eyes. The crushing blow of a miscarriage accompanied our first sign that she could conceive. I remember crying, holding one another, grieving, and praying. What I also remember is still gathering with God’s people, attending our small group, and being vulnerable with the church about our situation. I remember they prayed for us, loved us, and provided support for us. Most of all, I remember gathering in the presence of God and his people to be reminded of the grace of the gospel and the true nature of Christian hope.
Like all of life, Mother’s Day is a mixture of joy and sorrow. Life in a fallen world does not let us enjoy the former too long before we must face the latter. To be sure, churches can handle this poorly by not acknowledging both realities. It is not loving to acknowledge the oldest mother or the one with the most children without also grieving with those waiting in a season of infertility or mothers grieving the loss of a child. Having said that, we don’t want to overreact and wrongly believe motherhood isn’t worth celebrating. We can and should do both.
The potential pain that Mother’s Day acknowledgments can bring may tempt some women to avoid their local church gatherings altogether. As this day approaches, I want to encourage these struggling sisters gently. I want to admonish those who may be tempted to avoid gathering with their local church to decide now that they will do so. Why should you commit to gathering despite the sorrow it may induce?
Go to testify to the sufficiency of God’s grace. Gathering on this difficult day testifies to the church that the grace of God is sufficient for the Christian life, even in suffering. When Paul pleaded with God to take away his thorn in the flesh, God responded, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor. 12:9). Coming to church in weakness directs people away from ourselves to the power of Christ that rests upon us.
Go to display and receive love from your fellow members. Gathering with the local church allows us to obey God’s commands to love one another. We are told in Romans 12:15, Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” In Galatians, Paul encourages the church to “…do good to everyone, and especially to those who are in the household of faith.” It’s a glorious testimony to the gospel of Christ to watch a grieving woman celebrate the blessing of another sister in Christ. It is a glorious testimony to the gospel of Christ to watch a mother with reasons for joy choose to weep with a sister in waiting or grief. Jesus told us the world would know us by our love for one another, and Mother’s Day presents a unique opportunity to love as a testimony to the power of the gospel in our lives.
Go to exemplify how the local church is central to Christian discipleship. The local church is God’s primary means for maturing disciples of Jesus Christ. Gathering with God’s people on the Lord’s Day is a command, and it is for our good (1 Cor. 11:17-22; Heb. 10:25). When a grieving woman gathers with God’s people, they exemplify an appropriate fear of the Lord born out of God’s loving grace to her. She exemplifies a belief that God’s commands to his people are good and that those commands are not optional based on how we feel at any given moment.
Go to testify to the nature of Christian hope. Gathering with the local church testifies to the true nature of Christian hope. All of us will suffer and struggle in some capacity. The Christian’s hope is not centered on the best version of our life now but is centered on Christ, who has promised to return to judge the living and the dead. He has promised resurrection life, and eternal blessedness in his presence. He has promised to wipe away every tear from our eyes and that sin and death will one day be no more (Revelation 21:1-5). Committing to gather with the local church testifies that Christ is our only hope in life and death.
If you’re still waiting, grieving the loss of a child, or simply missing a dear mother whose long been with the Lord, sorrow will accompany your gathering with God’s people. It is because this is true that grieving sisters have all the more reason to gather with their church this Mother’s Day. Let us weep with you.
Sermon Idea: God gives peace, grace, and joyful hope to all justified by faith in Christ.
Introduction: If you were to ask me growing up if I was a Christian, I would have said yes. I had been baptized in the first grade, old enough to remember the experience and way too young to understand anything that was happening to me. My parents separated and divorced before I could form any meaningful memories of us as a family. Early on, my church exposure was sporadic, not in places where the gospel was faithfully preached. During a short season when we did attend church, I saw a terrifying drama about demons and Hell that scarred me to the point of making it difficult to sleep.
I remember telling one of my parents how scared I was, and she arranged a meeting with the pastor, who guided me in a prayer that I repeated. He assured me that the words I repeated meant I was saved. I was baptized as a first grader, but I had no understanding of sin, the good news of the gospel, repentance, faith, or the cost of discipleship. I grew up believing I was a Christian because I believed in God, lived in America, and was baptized as a young child. Despite this profession, I lived my life void of faith, and the fruit comes from it.
By God’s grace, my Dad came to saving faith in Christ at the age of 38. He was baptized at First Baptist, Metropolis, became a member, and has followed Jesus since. This meant that I attended a bible-believing, gospel-preaching church every other weekend. This was a good thing. That said, I now had four reasons I could give someone for why I was a Christian: I believed in God, lived in America, was baptized, and went to church at least every other weekend.
Outwardly, I appeared fine. I was respectful and rarely got into trouble, but I was a wreck on the inside. This was exacerbated in my freshman year of High School when the dysfunction of my family peaked and started a series of painful and traumatic events, the consequences of which lasted years.
From the age of 14 to 17, I spiraled internally. I had no peace; my life was void of happiness, not to mention joy, and I was not hopeful about anything. I would have told you I was a Christian while living far from God without any peace, joy, or hope.
I was close to rock bottom in my junior year, on the verge of making very poor decisions, when my Dad signed me up for a youth retreat in Gatlinburg, TN. It was not a youth retreat I was eager to attend. The advertisement was void of fun. This is not Student Life. It was a youth retreat centered around singing hymns and expositional preaching.
There was one sermon I remember particularly well. It was from Romans 5:1-5. The preacher began by telling of a student he met while preaching on a college campus. The student asked him, what’s so good about being a Christian anyway? What’s the big deal? The preachers then used Romans 5:1-5 to answer that question.
God gives peace, grace, and joyful hope to all justified by faith in Christ.
I sat there and thought to myself, “I have no peace, joy, or hope.” If a Christian is someone who has been made right with God through Jesus Christ, and the fruit of that is peace, joy, and hope, then I must not be a Christian.
Being a Christian could not be summed up in several activities that I do: I believe in God, I was baptized, and I attend church every other weekend. Being a Christian is about believing in what God has done in Jesus Christ and trusting God in Christ alone.
I did not say a prayer, but I was changed. I believed in the gospel of Jesus Christ, his finished work on the cross, and I had, for the first time, what Jonathan Edwards called religious affections: a zealous desire for God, His word, and his church.
It took me about six months to realize exactly what had happened to me. I understood that I did not renew my faith that weekend but had true faith for the first time. God’s grace had saved me through faith in Christ! I was eventually baptized shortly after this based on my genuine profession of faith, and I’ve been following Jesus Christ since.
I want to ask you the same question: what’s so good about being a Christian? My sermon will be different, but my hope is the same. I hope that believers in Jesus will be edified as they reflect on the glorious benefits of justification. I hope all who, like me, thought Christianity could be summed up in a few things I do will see the true gospel of grace and be drawn to Jesus Christ.
God gives peace, grace, and joyful hope to all justified by faith in Christ.
It is important to note that these three benefits result from justification by faith. Those who are justified have peace, access to grace, and joyful hope. Those who are not justified do not have peace with God, no access to grace, and are without hope.
So, what is justification by faith?
Put simply, God declares all who put their faith in Jesus Christ righteous before him. God gives the guilty a not-guilty verdict in the great courtroom of heaven. That is justification. God does this totally by grace through our faith in Jesus Christ.
How does he do that? If sinners are guilty before him, how can he declare us to be not guilty and righteous before him?
He does this in the most amazing way. When we trust in Christ, God considers Jesus’ perfect life to be our life and his sacrificial death to be our payment for sin. On the cross, Jesus dies, paying the penalty for all our sins, and through faith, we receive Jesus’ perfect obedience to our account. Christ is our righteousness!
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, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. (Ro 3:23–25)
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Co 5:21)
Justification is the truth we sing about in the beautiful hymn, Before the Throne of God Above.
Because the sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free;
For God, the Just, is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.
To be justified is to stand before God with a righteousness that is not yours. It is to stand before God robed in the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ.
This act of justification is God’s work alone by his grace, but he does it through our faith. Put simply, we are made right with God by placing our trust in Jesus Christ and depending on his perfect life rather than our own.
Faith, if not defined, can seem ambiguous, so what is it?
The New Testament describes faith as “…the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Heb 11:1)
The best of the Christian tradition has taught that faith consists of three elements: knowledge, assent, and trust. To have true faith, you must know the truth of the gospel, who Jesus is, and what he has done on the cross and resurrection. You have to assent that this is true. Most of all, your faith is trust in Jesus Christ, who is at the center of this knowledge you’ve assented to.
The Bible emphasizes the importance of this last element. It is possible to have knowledge and even assent that this knowledge is true but fall short of the trust that is saving faith.
Satan and the demons are an example. They have knowledge and believe it to be true; they just hate the truth.
19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! (Jas 2:19)
As we answer the question, What’s so good about being a Christian, remember that these blessings are only true of those who are justified by faith in Christ. If Christianity to you is simply getting your life together or getting back in church, but you have not placed your faith in Christ and trusted his finished work and righteousness as your standing before God, then you are not a Christian, and these benefits are not true of you.
I pray that if they are not, God will use this sermon to make it true of you today or sometime in the future.
So, what benefits of justification make being a Christian so good? Let’s look at verse one to see that we have peace with God.
I.) We have peace with God (Rom. 5:1)
…we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ro 5:1)
Before discussing the nature of this peace, we need to be very clear about two things. First, it is peace with God. Second, it is through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, there are two important truths that we can draw from this one verse.
First, no one is naturally at peace with God. There is a fracture and a hostility between God and sinners because of their sin. No one is exempt from this because all have sinned.
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Ro 3:23)
12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned (Ro 5:12)
As a result of sin, we are not children of God naturally, but we are children of wrath. As Paul reminds us, before Christ, we “were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” (Eph 2:3)
We deserve God’s just punishment and we are in need of peace with him.
As important as it is to recognize that peace is necessary, it is also important to recognize that peace can only be accomplished through Jesus Christ. God cannot be negotiated with. There is no loophole we can access peace apart from Christ. The God-Man is the only mediator between God and man.
5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time (1 Ti 2:5–6)
19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. (Col 1:19–20)
What is meant then by peace with God? The peace referred to here is a spiritual peace, which ends all the hostility and enmity between God and the sinner, reconciling the sinner to God and bringing them into a new relationship marked by God’s favor and blessing.
It is crucial to see that this peace is not just negative. It is not just the absence of conflict. Many of us would settle for an absence of conflict between Russia and Ukraine or between Israel and the Palestinians.
The peace we have with God is more than the absence of conflict. It is the blessed life in Christ, where our sins are forgiven, and we commune with God as children, sons and daughters of God.
Now, it is quite possible to truly have peace with God, but not always to feel that peace in the same way. Sometimes, sin can temporarily disrupt our feelings of peace; our life circumstances may cool them for a time, but the believer who has it knows this and pursues peace all the more. So be encouraged, saint. Your awareness of your sin and spiritual dryness may impact a subject feeling of peace for a season, but your awareness of it testifies to the reality that you are at peace with God.
It is also quite possible to feel at peace but lack true peace with God through faith in Christ.
One theologian says it this way, “The unconverted and ungodly frequently have a dead and insensitive conscience. They, not being smitten by their conscience, imagine within themselves that all is well before God and that they have peace with God. How rudely they will be awakened, however, and come to the realization that they are children of wrath and never have had peace with God!
Do you have peace with God this morning? The only way to be at peace with him is through faith in Jesus Christ. Believer, rest in Christ, who is your peace. Non-Christians, come to Christ, who makes peace by the blood of his cross.
What’s so good about being a Christian? We have peace with God.
II.) We have access to grace (Rom. 5:2)
The second blessing of justification is access to grace, 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand (Ro 5:2)
Notice again the emphasis on all these benefits being through Jesus Christ. The justified by faith in Christ are granted access to God’s grace through Christ. This grace is where Christians stand; it’s not passing or fleeting. This is not a reference to a mere decision but to a disciple who lives and is sustained by the very grace of God.
The grace mentioned here is not saving grace but sustaining grace. It is the access to grace for our perseverance, strengthening, help, and comfort.
The word “access” is simple to understand. We can consider scenarios and locations that restrict our access. For instance, think of the Oval Office, which does not allow free access. To attempt to access the Oval Office without consent would result in imprisonment at the minimum and death at the worst.
Friends, in Christ Jesus, we have access to something far greater than the Oval Office. We have access to the very presence and grace of God.
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Heb 4:15–16)
The word stand is worth reflecting on because it describes a permanent state. A Christian is someone who lives by and in the grace of God. The grace of God permeates their being, so they are Christians always and everywhere.
A few months ago, Kels and I got a date away from the kids. We went to Patti’s for a nice meal to celebrate her birthday. I was excited because these times are so rare, and they were non-existent when we lived in North Carolina. They put us in a secluded room called the Robin’s Nest. In it is a round table, with 6 or 8 chairs. First, Kels took a picture to show the kids and talked about how we could have brought them with us! Why is that? No matter where she goes, momma can never stop being momma.
A believer in the Lord Jesus Christ thinks, speaks, and acts in reference to God and his Word. They do not compartmentalize their spiritual life from the rest of their life. They are one and the same. The Christian life is to stand in a state of grace, granted access to the very throne of God!
Does this describe you? Is Christ your life or merely a supplement to your life? Do you stand in grace with access to God? All who are justified by faith
How sweet it is to know that we are not left to ourselves. We are not without God’s sustaining grace!
What’s so good about being a Christian? We have access to grace.
III.) We have joyful hope (Rom. 5:2-5)
and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Ro 5:2–5)
The justified possess joyful hope for the future that fuels the present. We can rejoice in our hope because our future inheritance is to be glorified by God. One day, we will see God as he is. We will dwell with God when sin and death are a thing of the past, and we’ll live as humans were meant to live—perfected in the gracious presence of God.
What’s good about being a Christian? We don’t have to fear the future because our future is filled with hope. This hope is not a mere wish but a promised possession. It awaits us; one day, we will fully know it.
Notice though that Christian hope is future, but it’s also present, Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, (Ro 5:3-5)
Rejoice in our sufferings? What makes this good? This does not mean that we enjoy suffering; rather, we rejoice even in our suffering. That is because those justified by faith in Christ know that their suffering is not meaningless but produces endurance, character, and hope that doesn’t put us to shame.
I’m convinced that most people who are into physical fitness do not actually enjoy the physical labor of exercising. They do not enjoy the pain they put their body through. What is it that they love? They enjoy the results of the exercise. They know that the temporary pain produces stronger muscles, better mental health, etc.
The suffering we endure as believers is like a spiritual exercise that strengthens us. Just as an athlete doesn’t rejoice in putting their body through suffering, but in the results that suffering produces, believers rejoice not in their suffering, but in all that suffering produces.
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (Jas 1:2–4)
What’s so good about being a Christian? We have true hope that is both present and future. We will not be put to shame! God will not waste moments of our suffering, pain, and discomfort. It will all be redeemed and purposed for our good and his glory.
God gives peace, grace, and joyful hope to all justified by faith in Christ.
Give a clear gospel invitation and call for a response.
Sermon Idea: Baptism is a means of grace through which God builds up his church by his promised presence.
Introduction: Do you remember your baptism? Do you remember who baptized you, where you were, and what church affirmed your baptism? Did you have family and friends present? Did denounce one way of life and profess faith in Christ Jesus, submitting to a new way of life.
Better yet, how now do you reflect on your baptism? What meaning, significance, and benefit does it still have for your Christian life? Baptism is a one-time act for the Christian, but its meaning, significance, and benefit define the entirety of the Christian life. This is because baptism is a means of grace through which God builds up his church by his promised presence.
I hope to encourage you this morning by reminding you of all that your baptism signifies. I pray that doing so will strengthen your ability to walk in the newness of life.
Two great errors in our thinking about Christian baptism make discussing it as a means of grace potentially difficult. Some overestimate baptism’s role in salvation and others underestimate its importance in and for the church.
The error of overestimating baptism’s role in salvation is that some see that act of baptism as salvific in and of itself. Allow me to say, at the outset, we deny that without hesitation. The act of water baptism itself is not necessary as a work for salvation. We are saved by God’s grace alone in Christ alone through Faith alone.
42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Lk 23:42–43)
Of course, this is an extreme example. So we need not fall into the opposite error, the one more prevalent in Baptist circles, of underestimating the importance of baptism in and for the church. There is a temptation to think that because baptism is not necessary for salvation, it is not necessary. This is the temptation to think that baptism really means little and that it is simply the first act of obedience to Jesus as his disciple.
Understanding baptism as a means of grace helps us avoid both of these errors by seeing it as ordained by Jesus Christ for our good to build up the church by his promised presence. I began by reading Matthew 28:18-20. Let’s look again and see both of these truths—that baptism is ordained by the Lord Jesus and accompanied by his promised presence.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Mt 28:19–20)
Along with baptism being instituted by the Lord Jesus, in which he promises his presence, notice that baptism is first something that happens to believers and second only what believers do. What do I mean by that?
We don’t baptize ourselves; we are baptized, and God puts his name on us in baptism. Isn’t that incredible? God, in his grace, gives us a new identity defined by his own name. We are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Spirit.
Of course, baptism is a believer’s act—I don’t want to downplay that at all. It is a profession of faith in the Lord Jesus. It is the first act of obedience as a disciple of Jesus Christ, but it’s vital to note that our act, by necessity, comes second. We are baptized because God has saved us in Christ, so God’s purpose is primary in baptism.
So although baptism in and of itself does not save, it is necessary because it was instituted by the Lord Jesus. It’s how we are incorporated into Christ and his church, receiving the promise of his presence.
If we are to appreciate and understand baptism as a means of grace, we need to understand that baptism is a sign. We see covenant signs given to God’s people throughout the Bible. After the flood, Noah is given the rainbow, renewing the covenant at creation. Abraham is given circumcision as a sign of belonging to the covenant community. Moses is given the Sabbath as a sign on Mt. Sinai. The sign of the new covenant is baptism. It signifies something, says something, or preaches something.
We call baptism a sign because it is a visible word from the Lord that communicates and assures us of the gospel of Jesus Christ. To remind ourselves of this and reflect on what baptism signifies, I want to read three confessional definitions of baptism. Each of these comes from historic Baptist confessions of faith, albeit from different streams. Listen to the consistency in how these confessions refer to baptism as a sign of the real benefits we have in Christ.
Baptism is an ordinance of the new testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, to be unto the party baptized, or dipped, a sign of our entrance into the covenant of grace, and ingrafting into Christ, in his death and resurrection, and our living, or rising to new life. – The Orthodox Creed 28
Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, to be unto the party baptized, a sign of his fellowship with him, in his death and resurrection; of his being engrafted into him; of remission of sins; and of giving up into God, through Jesus Christ, to live and walk in newness of life. Second London Baptist Confession of Faith 29.1
Baptism is an ordinance of the Lord Jesus, obligatory upon every believer, wherein he is immersed in water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, as a sign of his fellowship with the death and resurrection of Christ, of remission of sins, and of giving himself up to God, to live and walk in newness of life. It is prerequisite to church fellowship, and to participation in the Lord’s Supper. – Abstract of Principles XV
In all of these statements, the sign is the professing believer’s immersion into water, which signifies life in Christ and all its benefits.
It is a sign not only for the baptized but also for the church affirming the profession of faith in baptism. This point is really important for us because it makes every baptism an opportunity to be built up again by the grace of God.
J. Ryan Davidson says it this way, “…as someone is lowered into the water and raised to walk symbolically, in newness of life, each of us has the ability to reflect on our own baptism. Our baptism then becomes a sign again and again and again that the Lord uses to nurture us in our faith. It is a means of grace.”
At Hermon, I encouraged the congregation not to view baptisms as passive participants. After explaining the meaning of baptism, I would encourage the congregation to do three things. They all start with “R,” because I just can’t help myself.
Rejoice
8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Lk 15:8–10)
Remember
Respond
Repent and believe the gospel.
Reflect and return to faithful obedience.
For the remainder of our time together, I want to reflect specifically on five realities that baptism signifies. Every time we baptize, God proclaims visibly glorious truths about who we are in Christ. To do this well, we have to examine several texts.
As we do this, it will be helpful to know that the New Testament often uses baptism to express all that is involved in conversion. We use language this way frequently, though often in less significant manners. Two examples provided by one writer are phrases like “all hands on deck,” where “hands” refers to sailors, and “Check out my wheels,” when asking someone to appreciate your car.
I.) Baptism proclaims union with Christ
This is the most fundamental sign of baptism that grounds all the others. In salvation, we are gloriously united to Christ by the Spirit so that what is true of him becomes true of us. This is because God considers us to have died with Christ and to have been raised with Christ. From this union, we receive glorious benefits. Being united with Christ, the Son of God, we are adopted as sons and daughters of God. Being united to Christ, who is righteous, leads to God seeing us righteous in Christ. Being united with Christ, who is holy, leads to God sanctifying us and setting us apart as holy.
Baptism signifies this union because the believer is visibly immersed in the water, symbolizing being buried with Christ, and then is brought back up to symbolize being raised with Christ. Listen to Romans 6:1-4.
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (Ro 6:1–4)
When a new believer is baptized, it is visible assurance that God really does consider their old self to be crucified with Christ. They can rest assured that God really has raised them to new life. This means that in baptism God grants you a new identity that is defined by the person and work of Jesus Christ.
For all those viewing the baptism, the proclamation of our union with Christ reminds them that they have been buried with Christ in baptism and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life. They are reminded that their identity is defined by Christ.
Remembering your baptism is a means of grace because it provides assurance when we are tempted to feel guilt over forgiven sin and provides fuel and motivation for present obedience, How can we who died to sin still live in it?
II.) Baptism proclaims cleansing from sin
One of the glorious implications of being united with Christ is that our sins are forgiven and so we are cleansed of our sins. Baptism proclaims visibly in a powerful way, because of the use of water that washes over our whole person. Do you see how baptism by immersion into water is so fitting to signify cleansing from sin? This is why in Acts, when Paul recounts his conversion he speaks to baptism as the washing away of sin.
14 And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; 15 for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’ (Ac 22:13–16)
Think about how baptism signifying cleansing from sin can minister to your soul. When tempted to return to shame, remember your baptism. When tempted to return to sin, remember your baptism. Those who’ve been baptized into Christ have been washed by the Spirit of God in the name of Christ.
11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God (1 Co 6:11)
There is no stain of sin that can stick when your washed by the Spirit and in baptism. Your baptism signifies the forgiveness of past sin, but it signifies the promise of forgiveness for present and future sin.
III.) Baptism proclaims new life in Christ
Baptism signifies that since we’ve died with Christ we also have been raised to new life in Christ. This life is eternal and was not earned by us, but graciously bestowed upon us through faith in Jesus Christ.
4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (Ro 6:4)
12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. (Col 2:11–12)
What we also need to reflect on is that since the life we have is eternal, then baptism is a means to proclaim and assure us of the resurrection from the dead. Remembering our baptism and viewing baptisms throughout our Christian life allows us to anticipate in hope that God will raise us just as he raised Christ.
This is why I really appreciate how the Baptist Fatih & Message includes testimony to the final resurrection in its article on baptism.
It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is a testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead.
IV.) Baptism proclaims assurance in Christ
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20 because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him. (1 Pe 3:18–22)
This is one of the most difficult passages in the New Testament to interpret and understand. I put in a ton of work on these verses when I preached through 1 Peter. For our purpose this morning, we can focus on what Peter tells us about how baptism brings assurance.
First, we need to carefully note that baptism saves, not in the act itself. It doesn’t save, says Peter, “as removal of dirt from the body.”
Baptism saves 1.) as an appeal to God for a good conscience and 2.) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
What does Peter mean by appealing to God for a good conscience? Baptism is truly the Bible’s version of the sinner’s prayer. It represents how someone responds to the good news of the gospel and appeals to God. Baptism itself doesn’t accomplish anything, but because the believer has faith in Christ, it assures them of God’s promises, leading to a good conscience. Baptism points to the God who saves us in Christ, allowing the baptized individual to rest in their union with Him, cleansing from sin, newness of life, and so on.
Remembering your baptism brings assurance because we can know that God’s promises are yes to our prayers. I am not saying that you can’t value a pivotal moment in your life when you responded to an altar call or treasure a family member leading you in prayer in response to the gospel.
However, it is crucial to acknowledge that what the New Testament urges us to remember is our baptism for assurance and growth. Just consider all the passages we’ve already read. Remembering our baptism lies at the heart of them all, with spiritual maturity, obedience, and assurance as their goals. Baptism serves as a means of grace.
V.) Baptism proclaims incorporation into the body of Christ
Baptism most certainly marks us out from the world and incorporates us into the body of Christ, the church. It is the means God uses to change our status in relation to the church. It is our initiation into the covenant people of God.
One significant consequence of this is that baptism proclaims unity within the body of Christ. The church consists of individuals from various places and cultures. Although these distinctions persist, a common unity transcends them. Baptism just doesn’t communicate something about an individual’s relationship with God but with the church.
4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Eph 4:4–6)
12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. (1 Co 12:12–13)
Baptism is more than just an act of obedience; it’s more than a symbol. It’s a sign and a symbol of grace through which God builds up the church. It is a visible word through which we see the proclamation of union with Christ, cleansing of sin, new life, assurance, and incorporation into the body of Christ.
Application
Repent and be baptized
Remember your baptism
Rest in the assurance of God’s grace signified in baptism
Sermon Idea: The preaching of the Word is a means of conversion and a means of grace through which Christ speaks to His people.
Introduction: I don’t usually like to begin a sermon by reviewing the previous week’s message, but in this particular case, it is a bit of a requirement. Last week, I introduced the ordinary means of grace, setting the stage for the remaining five weeks.
We began by looking at Acts 2:41-42,41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. 42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. (Ac 2:41–42)
This is an incredible passage that gives us insight into the worship priorities of the early church. After all the wondrous, extraordinary acts of God at Pentecost, what did the early church devote themselves to as they gathered? What did they continue, persist, and persevere in? They were devoted to what later Christians would call the ordinary means of grace.
For the sake of clarity, let me offer a definition adapted from J. Ryan Davidson’s helpful little book, Green Pastures.
The ordinary means of grace are the instruments Christ ordinarily uses to birth and strengthen the faith of God’s people as He is present among them.
Of course, ordinary is not intended to connote boring or uninteresting but to the regular means God uses to strengthen our faith by his grace. It also refers to what has been ordained by Christ for this purpose. You can hear the word connection between ordinary and ordained.
To say something is a “means” is to say it is an instrument or a medium through which something is accomplished.
Although God can and does use a variety of good things for our edification, the reason why these means—the ministry of the Word, Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer—are identified as means of grace is because they were instituted by the Lord Jesus for practice in the church and accompanied by a promised blessing from God.
So last week’s sermon introduced the ordinary means of grace by exploring three points: God saves the church by his grace, God builds the church up by his grace, and God builds up the church by grace through ordinary means.
This morning we are going to see that the preaching of the Word is a means of conversion and a means of grace through which Christ speaks to His people.
The Westminster Larger Catechism states really beautifully what I hope to show you in 1 Peter this morning.
Q. 155. How is the word made effectual to salvation?
The Spirit of God makes the reading, but especially the preaching of the word, an effectual means of enlightening, convincing, and humbling sinners; of driving them out of themselves, and drawing them unto Christ; of conforming them to his image, and subduing them to his will; of strengthening them against temptations and corruptions; of building them up in grace, and establishing their hearts in holiness and comfort through faith unto salvation.
We will look at a number of passages this morning, but we will allow 1 Peter 1:22-2:3 to be our primary foundation because it contains two of the three major points this morning in one passage. Peter helps us see that the preaching of the Word is a means of conversion and a means of grace. Let’s look at verses 22-25 and see how Peter describes the preaching of the Word as a means of conversion.
I.) The preaching of the Word is a means of conversion (1 Peter 1:22-25)
Peter’s main point in these verses is to encourage the church to love one another because they have been born again. I want us to see how Peter describes their conversion and how Peter identifies the means of their conversion.
He first describes their conversion as purifying their souls to obedience to the truth. That is, through repentance and faith in Christ, they have “obeyed” the gospel preaching, which is identified here as the truth.
It is common in the New Testament to refer to the gospel as the truth. For example in Ephesians 1:13 Paul says, and in him you also, when you head the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.
To obey the truth is to respond to the preaching of the gospel with repentance and faith.
So Peter is in no way saying they have saved themselves because our passage already clearly states in verses 18-19 that they were purified by the blood of Christ.
18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. (1 Pe 1:18–19)
God has saved them by grace because of the finished work of Christ, but their response may be appropriately called obedience to the truth.
What is most important for our purposes, though, is the clarity Peter gives us regarding the means of their conversion. The means God used to convert them was the Word of God. Let’s look carefully at verses 23-24.
23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for
“All flesh is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and the flower falls,
25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.”
And this word is the good news that was preached to you. (1 Pe 1:23–25)
God causes us to be born again, but the instrument or the means used is the Word of God. The Word of God is living and abiding because God lives and abides forever. His Word is not like the flesh or the grass; it’s not like the kingdoms of man that rise and fall like Babylon or Rome. No, the Word of God is living and abiding. It is powerful, and it is the good news that God uses to convert sinners. Notice the emphasis on preaching in verse 25, and this was the good news that was preached to you.
And if this is true, it’s hard to think of any activity for the church to prioritize more than preaching the gospel. God saves through the preaching of the gospel, so preaching is central to the church’s life.
14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (Ro 10:14–17)
The Word of God, the gospel, is the power of God for salvation. It is a means of conversion through which God has ordained to work.
The world can think little of preaching all it wants. It can scoff and mock, but Michael Horton is right when he writes, “Though seemingly powerless and ineffective, the creaturely mediation of his Word through faltering human lips is the most powerful thing on earth.”
The power of the gospel is illustrated beautifully by the true story of Elias Keach. That name may not be familiar to you, but his father, Benjamin Keach, was a very influential Baptist theologian and pastor in London in the 17th Century.
Well, his son Elias Keach was an unbeliever who moved to America and decided the best way for him to make a living was to use his family name and pose as a pastor to make a living. What happens during this time is rather astonishing.
As he preached the truths of the gospel as an unbelieving poser, the Spirit of God gripped his heart in the pulpit and converted him. He paused, trembled with tears in his eyes, confessed his sin, and that day marked his conversion. He would later be baptized and properly ordained before being sent out as an evangelist.
He performed well enough till he had advanced pretty far in the sermon. Then, stopping short, looked like a man astonished. The audience concluded he had been seized with a sudden disorder; but, on asking what the matter was, received from him a confession of the imposture with tears in his eyes and much trembling. Great was his distress though it ended happily; for from this time dated he his conversion.
The preaching of the Word is not just a means of conversion. It is also a means by which God builds up the church by his grace. Let’s look at 1 Peter 2:1-3 and see the preaching of the Word is a means of grace.
II.) The preaching of the Word is a means of grace (1 Peter 2:1-3)
To pursue brotherly love for one another, Peter encourages us to put away malice, deceit, hypocrisy, and slander. That’s the negative command, but a positive command follows it.
2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. (1 Pe 2:2–3)
Believers are to continue to depend on the same grace that saved them to sustain, strengthen, and mature them. In fact, we are too long and desire pure spiritual milk as a newborn infant longs for nourishment from its mother. The word translated as “long” here in the ESV is the same word often translated as “desire” in the Greek translation of the Old Testament. Listen to Psalm 83:3.
My soul desires and faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh rejoiced exceedingly in the living God. (Ps 83:3)
We are to long for the pure spiritual milk of the Word for a reason: because it is God’s means to mature us in our faith. In other words, it is a means of grace. Look at the language of verse 2 closely, that by it you may grow up into salvation.
So, as the church gathers on the Lord’s day to hear the Word read and especially the Word preached, Christ by the Spirit is at work in us to build us up by his grace.
Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 3:16,16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Ti 3:16–17)
The necessity of the Word of God as a means of grace is why Paul told the elders in Ephesus, as we saw last week.
32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (Ac 20:32)
This not only places great emphasis on preaching but also emphasizes the importance of preaching well. Three points and a poem won’t cut it. God’s people need more from pastors than cute stories and entertaining jokes. The church needs biblically saturated sermons—sermons that don’t just preach from the Bible but preach the Bible faithfully to its content and aims—to save sinners and transform them into the image of Christ.
Whether I do this well is for someone else to judge, but my hope is that I preach in a way that provides you with a particular appetite for preaching that is thoroughly biblical and centered on the person and work of Jesus Christ. Whether you’re here or moving elsewhere, I hope you will continue to long for the pure spiritual milk of the Word, which is God’s means of maturing you in the faith.
Should this not impact your view of the Lord’s Day gathering? And as I said last week, does it not raise the cost of neglecting to gather with God’s people on the Lord’s Day?
We do not gather to hear reflections by a man we hired to comment on Scripture. We gather to be built up by God through the means of his Word, to hear from God, and to be ministered to by Him.
For all these reasons, the Second Helvetic Confession states without reservation that,
“The preaching of the Word of God is the Word of God…Wherefore when this Word of God is now preached in the church by preachers lawfully called, we believe that the very word of God is preached, and received by the faithful.” (The Second Helvetic Confession, 1566)
Do you think about the Lord’s day and especially the preaching moment in this way? Beloved, when we gather on the Lord’s day, you should have the expectation—an expectation without hesitation and without reservation— that you will encounter the living God through the living Word of God.
This brings us to our last point. The faithful preaching of the Word is Christ speaking to his people.
III.) The faithful preaching of the Word is Christ speaking to his people
A foundational truth undergirds our understanding of the ordinary means of grace: the risen and ascended Christ is not absent, apathetic, or silent.
Remember, these are means. Christ speaks and addresses his people through his Word, even through finite and humble preachers of the Word today. Is there a scriptural proof for this idea? There are actually a few, but we don’t have that much time, so I want to point you to the most obvious because the others may require a little more explanation.
Consider with me for a moment Ephesians 2:14-17. Here, Paul talks about how God in Christ has made Jewish believers and Gentile believers into one body, one people. Listen carefully and pay special attention to verse 17.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. (Eph 2:14–17)
Did you catch it? Who is the “he” in verse 17? The antecedent of he is Jesus Christ. Does Paul mean that Jesus descended from heaven to preach to these people? No, of course not. So what does he mean?
When the gospel is preached truly and faithfully, it is Christ speaking and preaching to his people. Christ saves. Christ builds up the church. To hear the Word faithfully preached its to hear Christ’s divine address.
Several crucial things have to happen for this to be the case. God has not promised to bless any word I say, and we should never think this implies that every pastor’s or preacher’s words are equal to God’s words. That isn’t the case at all.
What is the case, though, is that when God-called pastors proclaim the Spirit-inspired Word of the gospel, it is the very Word of God for the people of God.
Several passages support this understanding of preaching, but none is clearer than 1 Thessalonians 2:13.
13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers (1 Th 2:13)
Isn’t that amazing? We do not worship an absent, apathetic, or silent Lord. Gathering and hearing the Word of God is to be addressed by the risen Christ. It is how the church continues to hear his voice.
Application
Pray persistently for Christ to speak through faithful preaching.
Understanding the preaching of the Word as a means of grace should implore us to pray often for Christ to speak to us through his Word. I wonder what would happen in your life if you committed to praying each Sunday morning, “Christ speak to us through your word, so that we may be built up by your grace.”
Pray persistently for faithful pastors to commune with Christ in preparing to preach.
Understanding the preaching of the Word as a means of grace should lead us to pray often for our pastors. We should pray for the pastors of our own local church and then pray often for pastors we partner with. Pray that pastors walk closely with Christ and preach from the overflow of the Spirit’s work in their lives.
Listen intently & joyfully to the Word of Christ through preaching.
How do you prepare to hear the Word preached? Do you bring a bible so that you can follow along closely? Do you come well rested so that you won’t drift off? Will you sit up with the intent to listen? Will you be easily edified because you long for the pure spiritual milk of the word?
Believe the Word of God is central to the life and ministry of the church.
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said that preaching is the primary activity of the church because God never changes, and man’s needs never change.
“…the moment you consider man’s real need, and also the nature of salvation announced and proclaimed in the Scriptures, you are driven to the conclusion that the primary task of the Church is to preach and proclaim this, to show’s man’s real need, and to show the only remedy, the only cure for it.”
Sermon Idea: God builds the church up by his grace through ordinary means: the ministry of the Word, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, prayer, and singing.
Introduction: On September 12th, 1983, the Scottish pastor William Still reflected on thirty years of pastoral ministry before fifty ministers. His reflection was a testimony of God’s work in his church and his experience of that work through conversions, maturing Christians, and lasting fruit. Of course, ministers and most Christians long to experience the work of God in their midst, so a testimony like this is worth listening to. You can imagine ministers listening and perhaps asking themselves a series of questions.
What secret had Still discovered? What method did he employ to reach such results? Can they be reproduced in our own context? Can we find the secret to unleash the work of God in our midst? What is the plan that must be implemented to see church growth?
To those who would ask those questions, Still’s testimony would be a bit of a disappointment. That is because it is a testimony of God’s work through ordinary means: the Word of God, prayer, and the ordinances.
Years later, reflecting on Still’s testimony, one pastor summarized the takeaway from such a testimony. I want you to listen carefully to his quote because it captures what I want you to embrace with joy over the next several weeks.
“When it comes to the stewardship of the Gospel, there are two basic choices before the Church of Christ. Either the Church will be content to apply itself to God’s ordinary means and trust him for their extraordinary ends; or, the Church will pursue extraordinary means and content itself with ordinary ends.” – Craig Troxel
I want us to reflect on how God builds up the church by his grace through his ordinary means. In doing so, I want us to cultivate a deeper conviction in God’s promise to work through the means he has given us.
If this language is new to you, ordinary is not intended to connote boring or uninteresting but to the regular means that God uses to strengthen our faith by his grace. It refers to what has been ordained by Christ for this purpose. You can hear the word connection between ordinary and ordained.
To say something is a “means” is to say it is an instrument or a medium through which something is accomplished. You might think, for example, of the news media, which is meant to be a means for learning about the news and events worldwide.
What means specifically are we referring to? We are starting here in Acts 2:41-42 because we see the early church observing what was later called the ordinary means of grace. This is a remarkable passage that gives us insight into the worship priorities of the early church fresh off the extraordinary wonders of Pentecost.
The church gathered regularly, and they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. (Ac 2:42)
Devoted communicates persistence and perseverance. The church was committed to observing these things as they worshipped because this is Christian worship. Baptism brings people into the church and once added, there is a shared commitment of fellowship around the gospel. That is what the apostle’s teaching means—a commitment to the gospel and the way the gospel fulfills God’s promises.
They were devoted to breaking bread, which in this context most certainly means more than a simple shared meal but refers to the Lord’s Supper. Similar language is used later in Acts when Paul describes gathering with the church on the Lord’s Day.
7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight. (Ac 20:7)
As followers of Jesus, they were committed to prayer. This probably included frequently reciting the Lord’s Prayer and other prayers.
Major confessions of faith throughout church history have identified the ministry of the Word of God, Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer as the ordinary means of grace.
The grace of faith…. is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts,and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word; by which also, and by the administration of baptism and the Lord’s supper, prayer, and other means appointed of God, it is increased and strengthened.- Second London Baptist Confession 14.1
This morning, I want us to recognize that God builds the church through His grace via ordinary means: the ministry of the Word, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, prayer, and singing.
We’ll do this by reflecting on three aspects: God saves the church by grace, God builds up the church by grace, and God builds the church by grace through ordinary means.
In conclusion, I want to offer a few points about why this is important.
I.) God saves the church by grace
We often use “grace” but don’t define it because we assume a basic knowledge of it. But what do we mean by grace? Grace is God’s unmerited favor, where he lavishes the blessings of salvation on the believer through faith in Christ.
To say that it is unmerited is to say that we cannot and do not contribute anything to gain access to God’s grace. It is given to us as a gift.
As you know, it’s Girl Scout cookie time. That’s not good because I’ll eat them all, and I don’t need to (tip: put the thin mints in the freezer). When you are a member of the Girl Scouts, you can earn merit badges, which are worn on your uniform. Those merit badges signify achievements and accomplishments. The wearing of that badge is based on the merit of the Girl Scouts. You earned the right to wear it.
The grace of God in Christ is not like that. We don’t deserve it and do nothing to earn it, but grace is given to us in Christ. It is offered as a gift by the sovereign grace of God, first for His glory and second for our benefit.
The church is what it is, and Christians are who they are solely because of God’s grace in Christ. Ephesians 2:8-9 captures this truth as well as any other place in Scripture.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Eph 2:8–9)
Not only is grace unmerited favor, but it involves the outpouring of the blessing of salvation on the believer through faith in Christ. Paul says this in Ephesians 1:3, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.
Did you hear the depth of that verse? In Christ, we are blessed with every spiritual blessing. We do not need to search for another source of grace. The work of God in Christ through the Spirit is all we will ever need.
It is crucial to understand that grace is not only for the beginning of the Christian life but for all of it. In theological terms, God saves us by grace, sanctifies us by grace, and glorifies us by grace. From beginning to end, we are creatures of God’s grace.
If that is the case, then the church must grow by God’s grace so that God can strengthen, nourish, and edify it in this life and in preparation for the next.
This brings us to our second point: God saves the church by grace and builds it up by grace.
II.) God builds the church up by grace
During Paul’s encouragement to the elders in Ephesus he commends them to God and says that the Word of God’s grace has the power to build them up.
32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (Ac 20:32)
This passage is really insightful because it teaches us that God builds us up and reveals that God uses means to do so. In this case, the means is the “word of his grace.” In this context, this phrase refers to the gospel, but by extension, it also includes the Word of God in Scripture.
As believers hear the gospel afresh through faith in the reading and preaching of the Word, God, by his grace, increasingly nourishes and strengthens our faith.
God has not saved us and left us to ourselves, but he promises his grace to build us up.
We can also consider 2 Peter 1:2-4, where we learn that grace can be multiplied in the church’s life so that they come to a deeper understanding of God’s grace in Christ.
2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. (2 Pe 1:2–4)
So, to have grace multiplied to you is to have your faith nourished and strengthened in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, who has granted us all things pertaining to life and godliness.
Here is what is interesting. As we read the Bible, we see God builds up the church through ordinary means. There are regular, ordinary means through which God has promised to build the church up by his grace.
Sure, there are many things that God can use to bless and edify believers, but there are certain things that God definitely uses, and that matter a great deal.
In a very helpful book on this topic, pastor J. Ryan Davidson says it this way.
“It is quite possible for the Lord to use anything in the life of a believer. Many could attest to the fact that God often utilizes things outside of the ordinary means of grace; however, there are certain things that He tells us He will definitely use, and that is the main difference. That is why we labeled them the ordinary means of grace. They are the things that the Scriptures have said are instituted by Christ through which we can expect a blessing, thereby making them a “means of grace.”
So, the ministry of the Word, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer can be called means of grace because they were all instituted by the Lord Jesus and are accompanied by a promised blessing from God.
We do not believe these things operate in their own power. Without faith, Baptismal waters are hardly different from a bath. Without faith, the bread and cup don’t unite us with Christ. However, as we come to them by faith, they are means of grace God uses to bless and strengthen the church by his Spirit.
When believers participate in these means through faith, God works through them to bless the church. So, what are the promises associated with these means of grace, and why is this important for the life of the church?
III.) God builds the church up by grace through ordinary means
Ministry of the Word
13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Ti 4:13–16)
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Ti 3:16–17)
Baptism
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Mt 28:19–20)
Lord’s Supper
16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. (1 Co 10:16–17)
Prayer
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Php 4:6–7)
14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. (1 Jn 5:13–14)
5. Singing
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Col 3:16)
Application
The ordinary means of grace give churches a biblical philosophy of ministry.
The ordinary means of grace cultivate humility and dependence upon God in worship.
The ordinary means of grace raises the cost of neglecting to gather with the church.
Sermon Idea: God uses our giving to advance the gospel to the praise of his glory.
Introduction: Throughout our Philippians study, we have explored several important themes. In the initial overview sermon, we said that this letter is about living in a manner worthy of the gospel so that we might be unified and in partnership for gospel advancement.
The foundational truth on which all these themes are built is the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel is the reason Paul is serving as a missionary and the reason the Philippian church exists.
The gospel changed Paul so radically that he went from a persecutor of the church to its most influential missionary.
The gospel so changed women like Lydia and men like the Philippians jailer they became partners in Paul’s missionary efforts. The church in Philippi not only supported Paul in prayer but also with financial partnership.
At its most basic, Philippians is about a people who were changed by the gospel and gave of themselves in support of the gospel.
In verse 15, Paul tells us that the Philippians began to support him after they received the gospel.
15 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. (Php 4:15)
This verse at the end of the letter resonates with several verses from the beginning of the letter.
Paul praises God for their “partnership in the gospel…” (vs. 1:5)
Paul thanks them for joining him in the “defense and confirmation of the gospel” (vs. 1:7)
Their support of Paul, even in his imprisonment, has served to “advance the gospel…” (vs. 1:12)
The gospel of Jesus Christ changes people, so they cherish its truths and give for its advancement. These verses teach us that God uses our giving to advance the gospel to the praise of his glory.
This morning, I encourage us to reflect on four truths about missions giving. These truths will hopefully renew our commitment to partnering with other churches, agencies, and missionaries to advance the gospel.
I.) Giving is a partnership in gospel advancement (4:14-16)
In verses 10-13, Paul informed the church that we had no further financial needs; he was not asking for more money. For example, in verse 11, Paul says, “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. (Php 4:11)
Even so, he wants to express his great gratitude for the church’s financial support, so he reflects on their past giving.
14 Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. 15 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. 16 Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. (Php 4:14–16)
Let’s focus on the phrase, “share my trouble.” The idea here is similar to the references in chapter one about the Philippians being partners in the gospel. This is reaffirmed in verse 15: when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only.
Giving financial support allowed them to share in Paul’s troubles and participate in his mission even if they could not travel with him. Paul describes their early partnership in 2 Corinthians 8.
We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints (2 Co 8:1–4)
When we give to faithful missionaries, we share in their trouble and become partners in the gospel.
As many of you know, Waldo has a rich history of mission partnerships. It’s impossible to tell the story of HeartCry Missionary Society without mentioning Jack Russell and Waldo Baptist Church’s support at some point. That is a history worth celebrating.
This morning, we are tasked with continually asking how we can be faithful gospel partners now and in the future. We aspire to be a church that shares the burdens of missionaries, partners with church planters and helps make disciples of Jesus Christ.
I’ve shared this story once before, but it’s worth telling again. Many of you may have heard of William Cary; he is often called the Father of modern missions. He was a missionary to India who played a vital role in starting the first Baptist Missionary Society.
His friend, Andrew Fuller, did not go overseas as a missionary but stayed home to represent the Baptist Missionary Society and raise funds to support missionaries.
Carey went to India; Fuller remained at home. Only one went, but both labored for the gospel’s advancement among the nations.
Before leaving for India, William Cary famously told Fuller, “I will go down into the pit if youhold the ropes.”
In the New Testament, we are called to obey the Great Commission by either going or sending and supporting it. God did not intend for a special few to bear the world’s lostness on their shoulders. Missions partnership and missions giving is one way we can help share the burden.
By ourselves, it will be hard to give substantial support to missionaries and ministries worth supporting, but together as a church, we can construct our budget so that we hold the rope faithfully for all those we support.
Giving is a partnership in the gospel and an investment in spiritual fruit. Let’s look at verse seventeen.
II.) Giving is an investment in spiritual fruit (4:17)
These verses are rich with financial imagery. In verse 17, Paul implies that giving generates spiritual interest in the church’s account. In other words, there is a spiritual advantage to sacrificially giving to promote the gospel.
17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit (Php 4:17)
You might remember that fruit is exactly what Paul prays for in chapter one. He prays they would be, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Php 1:9–11)
If we take this language seriously, we must say that sacrificial giving produces spiritual maturity in the giver as it supports the one receiving the gift. Paul makes a similar point in 2 Corinthians.
6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. (2 Co 9:6–8)
When we give sacrificially for the good of others, particularly to support gospel ministry, we are making a spiritual investment- one that is partly realized now but will only be fully appreciated on Judgment Day. Although we cannot know all that God is doing through our sacrificial giving, we can trust that we are investing in fruit for our account.
People regularly invest in companies, hoping to benefit financially. It is wise to be a good steward of God’s resources. There is no greater investment than investing in God’s mission to advance the gospel.
Investment in God’s mission and the gospel does not depreciate. The stock will not plummet to our detriment. To invest in the gospel is to invest in heaven, where treasure, neither moth nor rust, destroys.
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Mt 6:19–21)
Jesus tells us that even in the smallest acts of mercy, God credits rewards to our accounts.
42 And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.” (Mt 10:42)
As a church, we should revisit our budget each year and ask ourselves: What are we investing in? Do we believe in the spiritual benefits promised now and into eternity to those who give to advance the gospel?
While serving in North Carolina, one of my members was a retired Wycliffe Bible translator. He and his wife moved their family, an infant son with more children to be born, to the jungle of Brazil. They labored to translate the entire Bible for the Guajajara for thirty years. He completed the New Testament in 1985, and ten years later, the people began to ask about the Old Testament.
A 2008 article from the Pennsylvania Gazette says, “Harrison dove into the translation in 1996 and worked at a breakneck pace. He awoke each morning at 4:30, kept interruptions minimal, and finished a rough draft of the Old Testament—which, at nearly 600,000 words in the original Hebrew, is almost four times as long as the New Testament—in four years. (“Probably a record,” he says.)
The subsequent edits to prepare the manuscript for publication took another seven years; the Guajajara tribe conducted a lively dedication ceremony across several villages and over the course of three days in early October 2007.”
As I think about that remarkable man and the achievement he accomplished, I can’t help but also think of how Wycliffe translators are supported. They depend on churches and personal support partners, which means that many people and congregations invested in his work to translate the Bible for a tribe in Brazil who had no access to Scripture in their native tongue.
Do you think that was a worthwhile investment? You better believe it. The spiritual interest gained by such sacrificial giving can hardly be measured.
Giving is a partnership in the gospel. It is an investment in spiritual fruit. It is also a sacrificial act of worship.
III.) Giving is sacrificial worship pleasing to God (4:18)
18 I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. (Php 4:18)
The language that Paul uses here is used throughout Scripture to refer to the sacrifice and worship of God.
Sacrificial giving is like the fragrance or pleasing aroma of the sacrifices in the Old Testament that were pleasing to God. It’s used in the New Testament to describe Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.
2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Eph 5:2)
Our offerings to the Lord for the support of our church, other churches, ministries, and missionaries are fragrant offerings acceptable and pleasing to God.
Our giving is not a mere transaction between two parties but an act of worship before God. This means that worship is not paused or delayed when we pray and invite our ushers forward to take up the offering. We give of ourselves as an act of worship. Our giving is a sacrifice to God that is pleasing to him.
Paul tells us in Romans 12 that our lives are to be living sacrifices, so it is with our giving.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship (Ro 12:1)
As an extension of this point, allow me to encourage you. If giving is an act of worship, then our budget is a theological document as much as a practical one. So, if you’re a member here, part of this act of worship is being present at member meetings to review our budget, vote for it, and receive financial reports and updates. We are grateful that you give, but we want to call you to embrace the responsibility God has given to church members. Allow your acts of worship to concern not just your personal tithe but our church’s priorities as a whole.
Giving is a partnership in the gospel. It is a spiritual investment and act of sacrificial worship. We do all this believing that God will supply and provide for our needs. So, our final point about giving is to trust in God’s rich provision.
IV.) Giving is to trust in God’s rich provision (4:19-23)
19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen (Php 4:19–20)
We give sacrificially, believing that God will supply every need. This provision is found in Christ Jesus. God has already provided all we need in Christ Jesus for our salvation, so we can trust him to provide our needs.
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich (2 Co 8:9)
Part of living by faith is believing God’s promises because you cherish God’s character. The God who has provided for our salvation in Christ will not abandon us as we give sacrificially for gospel advancement.
Have you ever met someone who is overly optimistic? Nothing can ever get them down. They’re the human equivalent of Tiger. These people are often seen as being “Glass half- full.” On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have those who are pessimistic. The sky is always falling, doom is always on the horizon. These people are like Eeyore, and are often viewed as being, “Glass half-empty.” But there is a third way. In our household, we have what are known as “Brianisms.” These are pearls of wisdom from my father-in-law. One of my favorite Brianisms is this: “I don’t care if the glass is half-empty or half-full. I want to know what’s in the glass.” 1 This is the attitude of the Apostle Paul. As he penned this letter to the church in Philippi, he was not putting on a mask and pretending to be strong and joyful even though he was dying inside. He acknowledged his sufferings, yet was able to rejoice in them because of the person and work of Christ.
This is one of the reasons that the local church is so important for believers. “Bring your baggage in, but leave your mask at the door.” “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” – Galatians 6:2
The gospel call is not, “fake it until you make it.” The gospel message is this: Come as you are, and by God’s grace, you don’t have to stay where you are! Have you repented and believed the gospel? Are you a new creation in Christ, or are you just a well-behaved sinner? The gospel message is NOT behavior modification – it IS repentance and faith in the Triune God of scripture.
1 Brian Brinkley 2 Ryan Anderson
Sinclair Ferguson has explained contentment in this way: “Contentment is never the result of the momentary decision of the will. It cannot be produced merely by having a well-ordered and thought-through time-and life-management plan calculated to guard us against unexpected twists of divine providence. No, true contentment means embracing the Lord’s will in every aspect of His providence simply because it is His providence. It involves what we are in our very being, not just what we do and can accomplish.” 3 In other words, contentment is not rooted in doing as much as it is in being.
Before moving on, a disclaimer must be made: “There is a place for legitimate discontentment. All of us should, to some degree, be discontent with our spiritual growth. If we are not, we will stop growing. There is also what we might call a prophetic discontentment with injustice and other evils in society that is coupled with a desire to see positive change.” What we must avoid at all costs is a sinful, whining disposition that always complains about circumstances.
True contentment is a result of communion with Christ. Contentment is utterly impossible apart from Him. Have you fully submitted your life to Christ, or just added Him to your life? Jesus Christ is not an accessory – something to be kept around, “just in case” you need something.
Are you content with the person, work & presence of Christ? Or are you just content with the blessings you receive from Him?
The quickest path to misery is to pursue passions, pleasures & purpose apart from God. The quickest path to joy is to find your passions, pleasures & purpose in Christ alone. God is not the cherry on top of your already blessed life. He is the one from whom all blessings flow!
“For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” 5 – Romans 11:36. That’s why we sing the doxology; it’s a reminder that everything good in this life comes from the one true living God.
“Praise God from whom all blessings flow / Praise Him all creatures here below / Praise Him above ye heavenly host / Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost / Amen
Philippians 4:10 – We can have joy in gospel partnership In James Montgomery Boice’s commentary, he observes that throughout history, churches have been remembered for different things. The book of Romans reveals a church with remarkable faith, the church at Ephesus was remembered for its hard work, the church at Corinth was remembered for being somewhat carnal/immoral at times, the church at Laodicea is remembered for its apostasy, and Thessalonica for its doctrinal divisions concerning the second coming of Christ. Here, we see the church at Philippi being remembered as a church who shows compassion, stewardship and selflessness. 6 When the day of judgement comes, what will Christ say of His bride at Waldo? How will we as a church be remembered? 100 years from now, will this church on a hill in the middle of a cornfield in Massac County cease to exist, or will we continue to be a light shining in a dark world? Will we be the church who is focused on the things of this world? Will we be the church who chooses division over things that don’t matter? Or will we be the church who is remembered for our joy, charity & worship of God? There is joy in gospel partnership. We can be a part of fulfilling the great commission by praying, proclaiming & sacrificial giving. We are not here to build the kingdom of Waldo. We exist to further the kingdom of God. This can only be done if we are a church who prays, sends & gives our very best for the glory of God and the good of His people.
Philippians 1:3-5. Paul’s relationship with the church at Philippi begins in Acts 16. In God’s providence, the Apostle is prevented by the Holy Spirit from entering various cities in this missionary journey. Paul receives a vision at night of a man in Macedonia, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” One Sabbath day, Paul encounters a woman named Lydia, who along with her household, is converted and baptized. As this encounter ends, Paul casts out a demon from a slave girl. This lands Paul & Silas in prison. As Paul & Silas are in jail, at midnight they began to pray and sing hymns. An earthquake occurs, the prison doors are opened, and the jailer assumes that his prisoners have escaped & decides to take his own life. At the last minute, Paul cries out to the jailer that no one has left the prison. Then we have the conversion of the jailer. The city officials ask Paul & Silas to leave the city, so they visit Lydia & the brothers, they are encouraged by the believers & then carry on their missionary journey.
As Paul concludes this letter, he thanks the church in Philippi that although no other church entered into partnership with him in giving and receiving, they did. His focus was not the material possessions that he would receive from this local church – he was encouraged by the fact that their sacrificial giving would serve to advance the gospel.
“If you want to live big on a small paycheck – give.” 7 When you give sacrificially for the edification of the church, you may have no idea of the impact it could have on this side of eternity. Philippians 4:11 – Contentment must be learned Learning contentment is not easy, but it is possible, necessary & commanded by God. Paul is writing this letter from a prison cell – how can he have joy under these circumstances but by God’s grace alone?
Contentment is learned. It takes both awareness and effort. On one hand, Paul is the most famous Christian in church history. At the same time, the best of men are men at best. We should not idolize Paul, or any other Christian. However, we must recognize that the man who wrote 2/3 of the New Testament, who planted churches, endured hardships & was one of the most zealous followers of Christ – had to LEARN contentment. This should encourage us. 8 “Since this is a secret to be learned, two things are implied: Not every Christian has learned it & it is possible to learn. Many Christians, it seems, go throug their entire lives struggling, fuming, fretting, murmuring, fussing, arguing, and complaining against God and against their life circumstances.” (Davis, 2019) Contentment is a choice. You don’t always get to choose your circumstances. You always get to choose how you respond to them.
“In first-century Stoicism, “contentment” was an admired virtue, the trait of true wisdom. But Stoic “contentment” was self-sufficiency, grounded in aloof indifference. Paul’s contentment was reliant not on himself and his ability to suppress emotions, but on Christ, who held Paul fast and sustained him in all circumstances.”
We are seeing a resurgence of this mindset in our culture today. Self-help authors and alpha-guru personality types (e.g. David Goggins & Andrew Tate) are influencing our culture by preaching the false gospel of self-sufficiency and picking yourself up by your own bootstraps. To be content in the truest sense is only possible by relying on the sufficiency of Christ. Anything apart from that is antithetical to the gospel message. The solution to man’s problems is not the prosperity gospel, the poverty gospel, stoicism or any earthly philosophy. The only answer is Christ crucified on your behalf, dead, buried, raised, ascended to the Father and is coming back to judge the quick and the dead.
Other scriptures “But godliness actually is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. And if we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.” 10 – 1 Timothy 6:6-8
“Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows with blessing will also reap with blessing. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make every grace about to you, so that in everything at every time having every sufficiency, you may have an abundance for every good deed.” 11 – 2 Corinthians 9:6-8
God does not provide good things for us so that we can build our own kingdom. He gives us aptitude, opportunities & resources so that we may play a part in building His kingdom. Note in this verse why He gives grace & sufficiency; SO THAT we may have an abundance for every good deed. Christ is building His church and He is using ordinary people through ordinary means to do so. Do you want contentment? Lay hold of the promises of God. Cling to them like your life depends upon it, because it does!
“Make sure that your way of life is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” so that we confidently say, “The LORD is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?”
John D. Rockefeller was the first billionaire in the U.S. was once asked, “How much money is enough?” He replied, “Just a little bit more.” Money can be a great tool, but is always a terrible master.
Philippians 4:12 – Contentment outside of Christ will not last As we go through our life, some lessons can be taught, while others must be caught. Contentment is not a simple math equation that can be easily understood by using a textbook, it must be learned through experience. Contentment is rooted in being, not just doing. If all we have is action without meaning, we will be of little use in God’s kingdom. Our actions must be rooted in knowing and being known by the One True and Living God.
“To be content as a result of some external thing is like warming a man’s clothes by the fire. But to be content through an inward disposition of the soul is like the warmth that a man’s clothes have from the natural heat of the body. A man who is healthy in body puts on his clothes, and perhaps at first on a cold morning they feel cold. But after he has had them on a little while they are warm. Now, how did they get warm? They were not near the fire? No, this came from the natural heat of his body. Now when a sickly man, the natural heat of whose body has deteriorated, puts on his clothes, they do not get hot after a long time. He must warm them by the fire, and even then they will soon be cold again.”
External circumstances are beyond our control, but the way we respond is within our control. Our response to external circumstances is based upon our inward disposition of our heart. We fail to recognize this truth when we use phrases such as, “That makes me so angry”, “This person causes me to be anxious”, or “I would be happy if I only had _.” The root of sinful anger, anxiety & discontentment is the flesh. In order to kill sin, we must call it for what it truly is & look to Christ alone to set us free.
“As far-fetched as this may sound to us, Jesus actually likens the value of salvation to a secret treasure hidden in a field (Matt. 13:44). Christian contentment is part of that spiritual treasure. It has such transformative power that it is far more valuable than any physical treasure that has ever been buried beneath the surface of the earth. And the apostle Paul claims to know where the treasure of contentment is buried.” (Davis, 2019)
o What the Christian life is NOT: Justification > spend your time on earth complaining about your circumstances > heaven. o What the Christian life IS: Justification > Sanctification > Glorification
Contentment is NOT the same as a lack of ambition. Contentment and ambition exist harmoniously in the Christian life when our affections are ordered properly. If your satisfaction and joy rise and fall with your power, prestige or possessions, rest assured that power, prestige and possessions are not the problem – it’s a heart issue. Christians need to face the reality that sometimes we wrestle with spiritual powers and principalities, sometimes we wrestle with the world, but more often than not, our greatest problem is ourselves, the flesh.
As we pursue contentment in Christ, we must stay on guard against anything contrary to that end. One of the more prevailing sins in our culture that robs us of contentment is anxiety. It’s no coincidence that just a few verses prior to our text, Paul warns against anxiety in the life of a believer. Jerry Bridges wisely stated the following: “The opposite of trust in God is either anxiety or frustration, and Jesus had a lot to say about anxiety. The most prominent passage in which Jesus speaks about it is Matthew 6:25-34, in which He uses the word anxious six times. We are not to be anxious about what we are to eat, drink, or wear, or even about the unknown circumstances of tomorrow… Paul picks up this admonition about anxiety with his words in Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything.” And Peter adds his exhortation, “Cast all your anxieties on him, because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7).
Matthew 6:25-34 – This world is not our home. The words of Jesus and Paul make sense only because they have eternity in view. When I am anxious, I am believing the lie that my Father in heaven does not care for me. When I am anxious, I am refusing to believe God’s promises that He will work all things out for my good and His glory.
In our culture, anxiety is often used as a crutch, or sometimes even displayed as a badge of honor. People will wrap their identity in their anxiety with phrases such as, “I’m an anxious person.” This language has become normalized in our culture. Would we use the same language for other sins, such as envy, greed, lust, or arrogance? As a church, we cannot afford to soften the language the Bible uses for sin because we are worried about offending someone. We’re so worried about not offending anyone, the only person we don’t mind to offend is God. Anxiety, like any other sin, must be put to death in the life of a Christian. The more we see sin for what it really is, the more we can appreciate the beauty and glory of who Christ is and what He has done. In the 23 rd Psalm, we read these words: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me, Your rod and staff, they comfort me.” The psalmist does not whine about his circumstances. He rejoices in the fact that His shepherd loves and cares for Him and is willing to lead him through the deepest and darkest valley. This is the attitude of Paul. If you struggle with anxiety, you are not alone, and there are men and women in this church who will walk alongside you.
Keeping discontentment, anxiety, impure thoughts or any other sin around in your life would like having a rattlesnake as a pet. Eventually you it will bite you. When it does, the venom will coarse through your veins and it will destroy you. What’s the solution? Christ has crushed the head of the serpent – look unto Him!
Philippians 4:13 – Christ ALONE is the source of our contentment
This is one of the 3 most misquoted scriptures in our day. Matthew 7:1 – Quoted when someone is trying to justify their sin and want to do so guilt free. Jeremiah 29:11 – Quoted when someone wants covenant promises of prosperity without the difficulties of living in exile/Babylon. Philippians 4:13 – Quoted in an effort to win God’s favor in a sporting event, business venture, or pursuit of the flesh. By the world’s standards, if anyone had something to complain about, it would have been Paul. When Paul says he can do “all things”, what does he have in mind?
2 Corinthians 11:23-28 – “Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.”
If the Apostle’s goal was to be a motivational speaker, he did a terrible job! What is Paul saying here? “I can endure hunger, beatings, desert heat, arctic cold, persecutions, poverty, wealth or anything in between. Why? Because my view of God is not based upon my circumstances. My view of circumstances is based upon who God is.”
Consider the context of the church plant in Philippi. Acts 16 shows a group of people with differing backgrounds & social status, but their fundamental need is the same – Christ alone. You can be poor, yet be content. You can be rich, yet lack contentment. To be content is not based upon outward circumstances. It’s an internal disposition that is possible only through the power of the Holy Spirit. Contentment is not natural – it is supernatural.
“A carnal heart reads the promises (of God), and reads them merely as stories, not that he has any great interest in them. But every time a godly man reads the Scriptures (remember this when you are reading Scripture) and there meets with a promise, he ought to lay his hand upon it and say, This is part of my inheritance, it is mine, and I am to live upon it.” 16
Application – Consider the provision of God to His people down through the ages and in your own life. In Exodus 16, we see God providing manna from heaven. The Israelites were commanded to gather enough for that day only. If they kept any of it until morning, it would be filled with maggots and unfit to eat. Why? Because Yahweh wanted to teach His people to depend on Him. How long will you try and make your own way? How long will you try and live on yesterday’s manna? Consider Jesus, who taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.”
If the Israelites tried to live on yesterday’s bread, they would get sick. If they tried to live on tomorrow’s bread, they would starve. If they learned to trust in the provision of the One True God, they would be satisfied. That same offer stands today for you: Trust in your heavenly Father to meet all of your needs. Learn to be content in the person and work of Christ the son. Rely on the presence of the Holy Spirit when fears and doubt come your way. Faithfully gather with the saints every week so that you may be a part of what God is doing, building His kingdom through His people.
Closing “What is Heaven, but the rest and quiet of a man’s spirit, that is the special thing that makes the life of Heaven, there is rest and joy, and satisfaction in God. So it is in a contented spirit: there is rest and joy and satisfaction in God. In Heaven there is singing praises to God; a contented heart is always praising and blessing God. You have Heaven while you are on earth when you have a contented spirit.”
Sermon Idea: Peace in the Christian life is offered by trusting God’s promises and living in light of them.
Introduction: Before we dive into Philippians 4, I want you to hear these words from our Lord Jesus in John 16, which describe how he prepared the disciples for the difficulty they experienced upon his death.
32 Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. 33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (Jn 16:32–33)
What strikes me most about Jesus’ words is that he does not comfort them with deliverance from trouble but promises peace in the midst of it. This peace will be found not in themselves but in Christ, who overcomes the world. They were to believe in Christ’s promise that he has overcome the world and live in light of it by taking heart, resulting in peace no matter the circumstance.
As Paul concludes his letter to the Philippians, he encourages them to trust God’s promises and live in light of them. The essence of these promises is peace from God regardless of the conflict, circumstance, or challenge. As you can see in the handout in your bulletin, Paul gives six commands that are rooted in three promises.
Doing so is part of responding to the many calls Paul has given us throughout this letter.
Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ… (Php 1:27)
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Php 2:12–13)
Everything we discussed this morning is only possible because of what God has done in Jesus Christ and is doing in us by his grace in the power of the Spirit.
However, what is heavy on my heart this morning is not a mere understanding of the structure and content. As someone who cares about preaching the text and not merely using it as a springboard to say whatever I feel, I spend a lot of time trying to communicate its meaning understandably and helpfully. I try to understand words and phrases and how they fit together. I want to get the meaning right and let the meaning of the text become the sermon’s meaning.
I don’t want you to know just what the text says—I want you to trust what it says! I want you to experience the promise of peace in your own Christian life, no matter the circumstance or challenge. I want you to know the God of peace speaking to you in this passage, believe in the goodness of his promises, and live by faith in pursuit of the peace offered to you.
This may mean we have to ask some painful questions at the start.
We should question what our absence of rejoicing reveals about the condition of our hearts and whether we genuinely trust that God will be faithful to all His promises.
We should consider what our lack of reasonableness and gentleness toward others reveals about where we have placed our hope.
We should examine what our anxiety reveals about whom and what we truly fear.
We should consider what our lack of prayer reveals about our true beliefs regarding God and His Word
We should reflect on what we think about the most and whether that reveals a desire for what is good, beautiful, and true—namely, God himself.
We should examine our practices and ask whether they resemble a life of godliness and peace in God’s presence.
I ask these questions with you, friends because I don’t want to settle for a mere understanding of the content and structure of these verses. I want to know and trust the God that promises peace as I live in light of that promise.
Peace in the Christian life is offered by trusting God’s promises and living in light of them.
I.) Trust God’s Promises (Philippians 4:4-9)
If we are to experience peace in our Christian lives, we must know God’s promises, trust them, and live in light of them. In these verses, Paul bases his six commands on three promises: the promise of the Lord’s return, God’s peace, and God’s presence.s
God has promised the Lord’s return.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; (Php 4:4–5)
The phrase “The Lord is at hand” refers to the promised second coming of Jesus Christ. We live between the first coming, in which Christ came to give his life on the cross, died, and rose again, and the second coming, where the full victory of Christ accomplished on the cross will be realized. We see the same thing in James.
8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. (Jas 5:8)
This promise of Christ’s future coming is of such consequence that it informs how we think, speak, and live in the present.
to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ (Tt 2:12–13)
How does this inform our present lives? Christians can rejoice and live reasonably among all people because the world’s weight is not on our shoulders. We are not the ones who must correct every wrong, bring justice to every offender, or defeat every enemy that stands against Christ and the gospel.
We can trust that Christ will really right every wrong, execute justice perfectly, and eliminate every evil person and practice.
To state the obvious, we should not live or think about any circumstance of life as if Christ has not come, died, risen, and will not come again.
With Christians throughout the centuries, we cry out, Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!
2. God has promised his peace.
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Php 4:6–7)
God’s promise of peace results from bringing your anxieties before God. It is a peace that guards our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. This peace transcends our human capacities and intellect.
When we pray, casting our anxieties and worries before the Lord, we submit ourselves and our concerns to Him. Prayer acknowledges our weakness and powerlessness, demonstrating our dependence on God’s sovereign power for everything. Through this act, the peace of God guards our minds and hearts as we no longer carry the burdens meant for Him alone. Prayer allows us to receive the peace and rest that come from God shouldering our burdens. It shifts our focus from all we need to do to all God can and will do.
3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you. (Is 26:3)
3. God has promised his presence.
9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Php 4:9)
God promises to be with his people, and he promises to be with us as the God of peace. Throughout the New Testament, the name “God of peace” refers to all that God is doing through Jesus Christ to make peace. First, in Jesus Christ, God makes peace between God and sinners. Second, God makes peace between humanity.
23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. (1 Th 5:23–24)
20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you (Ro 16:20)
God promises the Lord’s coming, his peace, and his presnce.
Why is it crucial to believe and trust in these promises as we seek peace in the Christian life? If we do not believe God’s Word or trust his promises, we will place our trust in ourselves, other people, or the things that bring us peace. We will live for ourselves, other people, or other things. The result of that disordered living brings not peace but chaos.
How are we supposed to live in light of God’s promises? Paul gives six commands. Let’s take them one at a time.
II.) Live in light of God’s promises (Philippians 4:4-9)
Rejoice in the lord.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. (Php 4:4)
Joy has been a prominent theme in Philippians, which is remarkable considering Paul wrote this letter from prison. True joy in the Christian life is found “in the Lord.” Those three words specify the source and reason for the Christian’s joy. Joy in the Christian is not based on circumstances. It is not based on money, possessions, or even health. It is in Christ so that no matter the circumstance, in riches or poverty, in little or a lot, we can rejoice because we are rejoicing in the Lord.
While serving in North Carolina, a homebound member named Carmosina Carlson was very dear to me. She was originally from Brazil and had served as a missionary with Wycliffe Bible Translators.
By the time I met her, she was no longer attending church, suffering from a debilitating auto-immune disorder. I would visit her monthly to talk, pray, sing, and share communion with one another. All the time I knew her, I never saw her leave a wheelchair except to lay in bed. She was thin and frail, almost nothing to her. There were many nights filled with great physical pain, little sleep, and even difficulty breathing.
She was honest about these things, but even when describing her pain, she would turn quickly to praise. Her communion with God, especially through suffering, shaped her so much that reports of pain led her to praise the Lord for his faithfulness, goodness, and care for her. She would raise her hands, tears falling down her face, and say, “The Lord is so good. Praise the Lord.”
Now, this sister is special. I have not met many like her, but that’s what we want to be more like, right? I hope to grow in my joy in the Lord so that I am not affected by my changing circumstances. Every time I left that woman’s presence, I thought about the glory of God in Jesus Christ. That’s the kind of person I want to become.
Live reasonably before all people.
5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand (Php 4:5)
Perhaps some of your translations read, “Let your gentleness be known to everyone.” Peace in the Christian life comes by relating to others in a manner resembling Christ’s humility and self-giving. It is obeying Philippians 2:2-4.
3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Php 2:2–4
The lack of peace we often experience in our lives can result from fractured relationships that go unreconciled because of our own failure to be reasonable and gentle.
When we turn our eyes away from Christ and stop believing that he is near, we take matters into our own hands. We too easily justify unforgiveness, bitterness, resentment, and selfishness over the smallest transgressions.
Friends, love in the body of Christ is reasonable and gentle. It seeks to preserve the church’s peace by being Christlike toward one another.
Don’t be anxious about anything.
6 do not be anxious about anything (Php 4:5–6)
Anxiety is the opposite of peace in the Christian life. To be anxious is to habitually worry, particularly about things that are in the future. The anxiety referred to here is the same as Jesus refers to in Matthew 6.
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you, by being anxious, can add a single hour to his life span? (Mt 6:25–27)
Anxiety reveals a lot about our hearts. Biblical Counselor Jocelyn Wallace says that anxiety.
Points to what you most want.
Points to what you really believe.
Points to what you really think.
Now, it is really important to see that Paul is not simply saying, “Stop it!” This is not a command to fix your own mental health but to pursue the Lord in prayer as a means of directing your worries to God. We are to be anxious about nothing but pray about everything.
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Pe 5:6–7)
Pray about everything.
Peace in the Christian life comes in response to our prayers.
but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Php 4:6–7)
Is it likely that many of the habitual problems in our Christian lives continue to unsettle us because they are not given to the Lord in prayer?
Here is the thing about prayer, though. It is only through prayer that a prayer life is deepened. God uses prayer to change us. Andy Davis describes prayer as a blacksmith’s furnace.
“Prayer is the furnace, the coal bed by which our hearts are heated up from their black coldness toward the things of God to desire what we did not desire before: His pleasure, his presence, his face, his glory, our neighbors, the salvation of lost people, relief for the poor, improvement in marriages, the establishment of faithful ministries, etc.”– Andy Davis
When will we stop settling for a bare minimum of God’s power and presence in our lives and cultivate a rich prayer life?
Does your prayer life reflect a belief that God promises a peace that surpasses all understanding?
Think about what is good, beautiful, and true.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Php 4:8)
We believe that man was created in holiness, under the law of his Maker, but by voluntary transgression fell from that holy and happy state; in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not by constraint but choice; being by nature utterly void of that holiness required by the law of God, positively inclined to evil; and therefore under just condemnation to eternal ruin, without defense or excuse.
Introduction: We cannot afford to think wrongly about ourselves. Misunderstanding the nature of humanity, our great need, and how to fix it is of the utmost importance. Many today wrongly think that humanity’s problems can be solved through technology, but our problem is not a technological one. Others think we can solve humanity’s problems with education, but intellectual ignorance is far from our greatest need. Others may suggest politics is our hope, but public policy cannot get to the heart of our problem. If we diagnose the problem incorrectly, we will prescribe insufficient medicine.
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said that preaching is the primary activity of the church because God never changes, and man’s need never changes.
“…the moment you consider man’s real need, and also the nature of salvation announced and proclaimed in the Scriptures, you are driven to the conclusion that the primary task of the Church is to preach and proclaim this, to show’s man’s real need, and to show the only remedy, the only cure for it.”
This article clearly explains humanity’s problem in our confession. Only by understanding the nature of man’s true need can we accurately see that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the sole solution.
I.) Humanity was created in Holiness
We believe that man was created in holiness, under the law of his Maker
The opening pages of Scripture testify that all of God’s creation was good. Genesis records God’s positive judgment on what he has made with the refrain, “And God saw that it was good” (Gen. 1:10, 12, 18, 25).
God’s creation of humanity continues this pattern but in escalation. Humanity is the pinnacle of God’s creation. Only humans are created in God’s image (Gen. 1:26-27; 5:1), and only after the creation of man does God see that all he has made is “very good” (Gen. 1:31).
26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them. (Ge 1:26–27)
Unfortunately, the text in Genesis does not explain what it means to be created according to the image and likeness of God. Nor does the confession articulate a particular understanding of the image of God. It simply rightly affirms that man was “created in holiness.”
Christians have postulated several interpretations, attempting to locate the image in the capacity for reason, the ability to have a relationship with God, and the function of rule and dominion (Gen. 1:28). Although all of these may relate to what it means to be created in God’s image, they do not constitute the essence of the image itself.
I want to humbly suggest that the image and likeness refer to a royal status that every person possesses as God’s representative on earth. As God’s image and likeness, humanity’s presence on earth marks that God created and thus exercises dominion over all of creation. It is true of everyone regardless of ethnicity, gender, age, mental capacity, or social status. Therefore, every person has an inherent dignity, worth, and value as God’s image bearer.
This understanding of the image is reflected in the Psalmist’s interpretation of Genesis 1:26-28: “What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet.” (Psalm 8:4)
Note that crown, glory, and honor are descriptors of royalty. The rule and
dominion humanity was meant to possess over creation resulted from
being in God’s image, but it’s not the image itself. Of course, to be God’s
royal representative, one also has the capacity to relate to God and other
creatures.
This interpretation parallels how the word “image” was used throughout the culture of the ancient Near East. “In ancient near East, the setting up of the king’s statue was the equivalent to the proclamation of his domination over the sphere in which the statue was erected.”
Furthermore, in the ancient world, kings and pharaohs were believed to be the “image” and adopted “sons” of their particular deities. The Egyptian Pharaoh was called the “Image of Re,” and the Assyrian Kings were called the “Image of Bel” or “Image of Marduk.”
“However, unlike the ancient Near East background, where the concept is applied only to the king, Scripture teaches that all humans (“man” collectively) is created in the image of God, and under Adam’s headship, all humans were created to be rulers over creation.”
Adam was created to be a priest-king over God’s creation and meant to exercise dominion over it. He was created good and in holiness, capable of fulfilling God’s commands and living rightly in communion with God. At creation, there was no sin or disruption of fellowship with God.
Even though Adam was good and created in holiness, he was not free to live and do as he pleased. The confession rightly states that humanity was created”…under the law of his Maker.”
God is holiness, justice, and righteousness. Being created by God means being under the law of our maker. Adam was obligated to God and his holiness. We can and should distinguish between two types of law: natural (moral) law and positive law.
Samuel Renihan helpfully clarifies the difference between the two, “Natural law refers to the universal moral law of God impressed on the mind of men. Positive law refers to indifferent things prescribed or proscribed for a particular period, place, and people.”
When the confession states that man was created “…under the law of his Maker,” it means that Adam was under God’s moral law and particular positive laws because of God’s covenant with God in creation.
What positive laws did God give Adam as part of their covenant relationship?
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Ge 2:15–17)
Some have attempted to suggest that God did not make a covenant with Adam in creation because the word “covenant” does not appear in Genesis 1-2. However, the context of Genesis 1-2 and later biblical texts referring to Genesis 1-2 make it clear that God made a covenant with Adam in creation.
Evidence for the Covenant of Works/Covenant of Creation
1.) In Genesis 2:4, the name LORD (YHWH) is used. As later Israelites read Genesis, they would have most certainly understood this as the name of the covenant Lord (Exodus 3:13-15).
2.) Adam is given commands, promises for obedience, and curses for disobedience. Had Adam obeyed God in the garden, it would have resulted in eternal life (Gen. 3:22-24; Rev. 2:7), but disobedience brought the curse of death (Gen. 2:17; 3:16-19).
3.) Later Biblical texts refer to Adam transgressing God’s covenant,But like Adam they transgressed the covenant; there they dealt faithlessly with me. (Ho 6:7)
4.) In the New Testament, Paul consistently and repeatedly compares Adam and Jesus as two representatives of humanity. It is difficult to think of Christ as the head of the new covenant without Adam also being the head of a covenant in creation.
For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. (Romans 5:15)
17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. (Ro 5:17)
21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Co 15:21–22.)
God created humanity in goodness and holiness. Adam was God’s image-bearer in a covenant relationship who was meant to bear fruit and multiply, extending God’s reign and rule over all of creation.
Unfortunately, Adam failed at his task and broke God’s covenant. The result was dire for him and for the humanity whom he represented.
II.) Humanity fell in Adam
but by voluntary transgression fell from that holy and happy state; in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not by constraint but choice
As Genesis 3:6-24 records, Adam transgressed God’s covenant, and as a result, all of humanity are now sinners, “in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners.”
It is important to note that in Adam, humanity sins not by constraint but by choice. There has never been anyone who forced us to sin. From the moment we are born, our sinful choices are our own, and we are accountable for each one. We are born into sin because Adam is our representative head, but our sin is ultimately our own free choice.
12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned (Ro 5:1)
THE Scriptures teach that the fall of Adam involved also that of his posterity. In the covenant, under which he sinned, he acted not merely as an individual man, the sole one of his kind, or one isolated from all others of his kind, but, as the head of the race, for his posterity as well as himself. The condition of mankind shows that they have all participated with him in the evils which resulted. The Scriptures teach that this is due, not merely to his natural headship, but to a representative or federal headship, because of which his act of sin may justly be considered as theirs, and they may be treated as though they had themselves done that act, each man for himself.- James P. Boyce
III.) Humanity is depraved in Adam
being by nature utterly void of that holiness required by the law of God, positively inclined to evil
The human condition after the fall is dire. Humanity maintains the image of God, but in a tainted and imperfect way (Gen. 9:6). There are no proper representatives of God and his rule on earth because all humanity is in sin with a nature “…utterly void of that holiness required by the law of God, positively inclined to evil.”
The Bible’s description of humanity’s post-fallen condition supports the confessions article.
David refers to himself in Psalm 51:5 as having been born in sin, Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. (Ps 51:5)
When Paul describes human nature in Romans 3, he weaves together several Old Testament passages to show that both Jews and Gentiles are in need of a savior because their nature is totally depraved.
9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
13 “Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 in their paths are ruin and misery,
17 and the way of peace they have not known.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Ro 3:9–18)
When we speak of total depravity, we don’t mean people are as sinful as they could be. We mean that every part of a person is bonded to sin: body, soul, mind, and will. This is such the case that Paul can describe life before Christ as being dead in trespasses and sin (Ephesians 2:1). In other words, the sinful nature of humanity isn’t simply wounded, somewhat good, or a little good. Humanity is by nature opposed to God, void of all holiness, and positively inclined toward evil.
IV.) Humanity is under God’s righteous judgment
and therefore under just condemnation to eternal ruin, without defense or excuse.
God’s holiness and righteousness cannot allow for lawbreakers to go without justice. To be in Adam, as a sinner, is to be under the wrath and judgment of God that will be fully realized in the age to come.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. (Ro 1:18–20)
32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. (Ro 1:32)
36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. (Jn 3:36)
The importance of these doctrines is articulated well by my friend, Jake Stone.
“If God did not pour out His wrath upon lawbreakers, then He would cease to be God. His essence demands that His holiness be vindicated. Eternal ruin is what awaits all those who die in Adam. Do you see why a grasp of the gospel must include a real knowledge about what Adam’s fall did to us and what our condition is? This is not a mere intellectual debate to have but the souls of men are doomed because of their natural condition. The reason that Paul speaks in Gal. 3:10 about cursed are those who rely on the works of the law is because none of us can keep that covenant of works. If I try to, all I am is cursed and all I will know is judgment from God.”
Sermon Idea: As citizens of heaven, we have true Christian hope and live in light of it.
Introduction: One of the great sources of encouragement in my Christan life and pastoral ministry has been the writings of D.A. Carson, Distinguished Emeritus Professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He has written more books than I can count, ranging from technical academic works to edifying popular-level books for the church. He is quite a good preacher, too. Unfortunately, Dr. Carson is currently declining from Parkinson’s and has stopped all speaking engagements and writing commitments.
Upon seeing the announcement about Dr. Carson’s health, many began to quote one of his most famous statements online, “I’m not suffering from anything that a good resurrection can’t fix.”
Only the church can understand that statement because they know it is not rooted in make-believe but is the essence of true Christian hope.
When I found out about Dr. Carson’s condition, I was rereading my favorite of his books, Praying with Paul, to prepare to teach about prayer during our Wednesday evening gatherings. In it, Dr. Carson reminds us how important it is for Christians to set their minds and hearts on the world to come.
“If we do not aim for the new heaven and new earth, many of our values and decisions in this world will be myopic, unworthy, tarnished, fundamentally wrongheaded. To put the matter bluntly: Can biblical spirituality long survive where Christians are not oriented to the world to come?– D.A. Carson
What a question! Can biblical spirituality long survive where Christians are not oriented to the word to come?
Paul may not have used those exact words, but that is essentially what he is telling the Philippians in 3:17-4:1. They are citizens of heaven, and because they are citizens of heaven, they have true Christian hope.
They are not to set their minds on earthly things but to imitate the way of those who have oriented their minds and hearts to the world to come.
If you have been with us throughout our Philippians study, you may remember that we identified something important about verses 27 of chapter 1 and 20 of chapter 3. These verses serve as bookends for the main portion of the letter. Paul wants us to learn how to live as gospel citizens or as citizens of heaven. This is the thesis statement given in 1:27.
27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel (Php 1:27)
The phrase “let your manner of life be worthy” in verse 27 carries the connotation of citizenship and is better translated by the CSB in this way:Just one thing: As citizens of heaven, live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ. (Php 1:27)
This morning’s text concludes the main portion of the letter. It repeats the references to citizenship and the command to stand firm but does so in a way that is charged with hope.
Yes, we are to live as worthy citizens, but we do so oriented toward the world to come. One day, our Savior will return, and we will be transformed to be like him on that day. The return of Christ and the resurrection from the dead is the true nature of Christian hope.
That is in the future, but it changes everything about how we live today. As citizens of heaven, we have true Christian hope and live in light of it.
I want us to hear from the Lord by calling you to do three things this morning: imitate examples of Christian hope, remember the nature of Christian hope, and respond by living in light of Christian hope.
I.) Imitiate examples of Christian hope (Phil. 3:17-19)
A recurring theme in the Philippians is the contrasting of examples. Paul often puts forward himself, his co-laborers, and ultimately Christ over against the unfaithful examples of selfish people or those who put confidence in the flesh. That theme continues here in verses 17-19.
17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ (Php 3:17–18)
Notice how Paul uses the word “walk” to describe both groups. We are called to imitate those who walk according to the example of Paul and his friends. We are to mark and avoid those who walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Paul presents two ways of life. One way is shaped by the cross of Jesus Christ and lives in the hope of all that the cross has accomplished.
The other way of life is opposed to the cross of Christ, living as enemies of the cross and making little of all the cross accomplished by how they live.
This great contrast reminds me of the opening verse of the Didache, a very early piece of Christian writing that was essentially a discipleship book.
There are two ways, one of life and one of death, and there is a great difference between the two ways. – Didache 1:1
Similar to the Didache’s appeal to life and death, Paul urges us to reflect on the end of these two visions of life. We already know how life is in Christ ends. That’s what we’ve discussed extensively over the past several weeks.
All who place their faith in Jesus Christ are counted righteous in God’s sight, share in the power of Christ’s resurrection, and will one day attain the resurrection from the dead. In other words, the end of the Christian life shaped by the cross is perfection in Christ Jesus.
The way of life that is opposed to the cross does not end in perfection and glory but in destruction.
19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. (Php 3:18–19)
Whoever these opponents are, they live in a way that opposes the cross. They are selfishly ambitious, driven by their desires, and even gory in things they should be ashamed of. In other words, their life is contrary to self-denial and so contrary to the cross. They pursue their own self-interest rather than share in the sufferings of Christ. They are earthly-minded people.
This is the path to destruction. Friends, as we hear the call to imitate those who live in Christian hope, we cannot afford to minimize the warning of judgment and destruction.
Did not Jesus warn us of this himself?
13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. (Mt 7:13)
If you could trace the trajectory of your life, where does it end? Paul gives two visions of life. One through the cross that leads to righteousness from God and resurrection life. The other is destruction. One is filled with hope, and the other is hopeless. What trajectory are you on this morning? What describes the state of your life before God?
As we hear the call to imitate Paul’s example of the cross, we should consider the importance of being those examples for one another. Let us be a people who are shaped by the cross of Jesus Christ. Let us be people who press on to the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus and hope for the resurrection from the dead.
Let’s talk in such a way, pray in such a way, worship in such a way, and live in such a way that no one can leave our presence with minds set on earthly things.
We are to imitate examples of Christian hope because we are citizens of heaven. As such, we have true Christian hope. Let’s look at verses 20-21 to remember the true nature of Christian hope.
II.) Remember the true nature of Christian hope (Phil. 3:20-21)
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. (Php 3:20–21)
The church is a people whose citizenship is in heaven. This means that our hope is not in any earthly person, thing, or power. When Paul describes Jesus as a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, he clearly states that Jesus Christ is the source of the Christians’ hope, not any earthly power.
Paul is writing to a people who are citizens of a Roman colony. One of the monikers of Caesar was that he was the “savior of the world” because “he restored order and peace not only in Italy but also throughout the provinces and regions under sovereign rule.” To be a Roman citizen was to worship the Ceaser, “the savior of the world.”
Paul redirects the Philippians to their true Savior from heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ. Christian hope for the future is in the Savior from heaven and not any earthly thing, person, or power.
What is this hope, then? If we are citizens of heaven and have true hope, what is our hope? There are two primary aspects of Christian hope that are mentioned in these verses: the return of Christ and the resurrection from the dead.
The Return of Christ
“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ…”
Core to our faith is the belief that just as Christ came, he will come again. The book of Revelation ends with this way, 20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! (Re 22:20)
In Philippians, Paul does not spend time on the when and how of Christ’s return but on its reality to bring Christan hope.
The language used to describe Christ’s return goes far beyond a confession of belief. Christian hope is not less than confessing his return, but it is much more. Notice the language: “…We await.”
The idea is more than passing the time like you’re waiting in line at the DMV, but like eager anticipation, a longing. Chrisitan hope eagerly awaits the return of Christ Jesus from heaven. This is how Christian waiting is typically described in the Bible.
23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies (Ro 8:23)
28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. (Heb 9:28)
I want you to think with me for a moment about something you eagerly waited for. It can be big or small. It can be trivial or serious.
Like a student completing all their classes and anticipating graduation, like a groom eagerly awaiting to see his bride walk down the aisle; like parents eagerly waiting for a child to be born, we know and understand what it means to wait for something eagerly. We know the difference between passing the time and waiting for something with eager anticipation.
The church is to set its eyes on the hope that is coming and eagerly wait for him.
It is certainly worth asking if our churches are often so unfruitful because we don’t eagerly await his coming. Our minds might be too often preoccupied with earthly things, so we lack the drive to press on and pursue the heavenly, eternal things that matter the most.
Beloved, our hope is a Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord, who is coming from heaven. So, let’s eagerly await him. This is the true nature of Christian hope.
When Christ returns, he will also transform us into being like him.
The resurrection from the dead
21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
When Jesus returns, every believer in Christ will be transformed into the likeness of Christ. All those who have died in Christ will be raised and transformed into the likeness of Christ.
When Jesus was raised from the dead, he became the first fruit of bodily resurrection.
20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Co 15:20–22)
It can’t be stressed enough how important it is to see that what is transformed is our physical bodies. Our lowly bodies, our humble mortal bodies, will be gloriously transformed by the one who once humbled himself by taking the form of a servant, was born in the likeness of men, and humbled himself to the point of death, even death on a cross. The glorious Son of God humbled himself in the form of a lowly servant so that are lowly bodies could be transformed into the likeness of his glory.
Christian hope is not a bodiless, spiritual existence but an eternity in a redeemed and glorified body that has been transformed by the power of Christ.
So much of this is a mystery, but how amazing is it that we are transformed into the likeness of Christ’s glory? We will be perfect as he is perfect, and we will be incorruptible as he is incorruptible.
51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. (1 Co 15:51–53)
We simply don’t know what awaits us, and we must be content with what God has revealed to us in Scripture, being careful not to speculate beyond what is written.
We will be transformed into being like him. That, my friends, is enough.
As citizens of heaven, we have true Christian hope. We have the promised return of Christ and future resurrection from the dead. You’re “…not suffering from anything that a good resurrection can’t fix.
To properly understand Christian hope is not only to believe in the hope we have but to live in light of it. That is the point of 4:1
III.) Respond by living in light of Christian hope (Phil. 4:1)
Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved (Php 4:1)
Future hope is the fuel for the Christian life in the present. Note the words Therefore…stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved. The hope we have leads us to action, not apathy. What might Paul mean by “stand firm?”
It means to obey all the commands Paul has given to us in the main body of the letter.
2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. (Php 2:2–3)
work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Php 2:12–13)
16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain (Php 2:15–16)
We do all of these in joyful obedience to Christ because of our great hope in him.
As citizens, we have true Christian hope and live in light of it. For most of you this morning, my encouragement is to reflect on the return of Christ and the promised resurrection from the dead. One day, you will be transformed to be made like him. Reflect, rejoice, and meditate on how the promise of the resurrection might change how you might live today.
For the rest of you, I want to revisit my previous question.
If you could trace the trajectory of your life, where does it lead? Paul presents two visions of life: one through the cross that leads to righteousness from God and resurrection life, and the other to destruction. One is filled with hope, while the other is hopeless. What trajectory are you on this morning? How would you describe the state of your life before God?
Nathaniel R. Martin 