Westminster Larger Catechism – Lord’s Day 19

Gary Ware

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May 9, 2021

Westminster Larger Catechism – Lord’s Day 19

Q & A 70
Q What is justification?
A Justification is an act of God’s free grace unto sinners *1, in which he pardons all their sins, accepts and accounts their persons righteous in his sight *2; not for any thing wrought in them, or done by them *3, but only for the perfect obedience and full satisfaction of Christ, by God imputed to them *4, and received by faith alone *5.

Q & A 71
Q How is justification an act of God’s free grace?
A Although Christ, by his obedience and death, did make a proper, real, and full satisfaction to God’s justice in the behalf of them that are justified *6; yet in as much as God accepts the satisfaction from a surety, which he might have demanded of them, and did provide this surety, his own only Son *7, imputing his righteousness to them *8, and requiring nothing of them for their justification but faith *9, which also is his gift *10, their justification is to them of free grace *11.

Q & A 72
Q What is justifying faith?
A Justifying faith is a saving grace *12, wrought in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit *13 and Word of God *14, whereby he, being convinced of his sin and misery, and of the disability in himself and all other creatures to recover him out of his lost condition *15, not only assents to the truth of the promise of the gospel *16, but receives and rests upon Christ and his righteousness, therein held forth, for pardon of sin *17, and for the accepting and accounting of his person righteous in the sight of God for salvation *18.

Q & A 73
Q How does faith justify a sinner in the sight of God?
A Faith justifies a sinner in the sight of God, not because of those other graces which do always accompany it, or of good works that are the fruits of it *19, nor as if the grace of faith, or any act thereof, were imputed to him for his justification *20; but only as it is an instrument by which he receives and applies Christ and his righteousness *21.

*1 Romans 3:22, 24-25; Romans 4:5.
*2 2 Corinthians 5:19, 21; Romans 3:22, 24-25, 27-28.
*3 Titus 3:5, 7; Ephesians 1:7.
*4 Romans 5:17-19; Romans 4:6-8.
*5 Acts 10:43; Galatians 2:16; Philippians 3:9.
*6 Romans 5:8-10, 19.
*7 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Hebrews 10:10; Matthew 20:28; Daniel 9:24, 26; Isaiah 53:4-6, 10-12; Hebrews 7:22; Romans 8:32; 1 Peter 1:18-19.
*8 2 Corinthians 5:21.
*9 Romans 3:24-25.
*10 Ephesians 2:8.
*11 Ephesians 1:17.
*12 Hebrews 10:39.
*13 2 Corinthians 4:13; Ephesians 1:17-19.
*14 Romans 10:14-17.
*15 Acts 2:37; Acts 16:30; John 16:8-9; Romans 6:6; Ephesians 2:1; Acts 4:12.
*16 Ephesians 1:13.
*17 John 1:12; Acts 10:43.
*18 Philippians 3:9; Acts 15:11.
*19 Galatians 3:11; Romans 3:28.
*20 Romans 4:5; Romans 10:10.
*21 John 1:12; Philippians 3:9; Galatians 1:16.

The Aroma Of The Gospel (preparing for MGPC 9/5/2021)

Gary Ware

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May 8, 2021

The love of God means that difficult situations are confronted in order that love and fellowship may grow, not to push others away. It is the triumph of Gospel unity in these difficult situations which is a hallmark of the presence and power; a witness to the world.

For those unable to join us at MGPC, the service will be live-streamed.
The video is available at our website and youtube channel.

Song:Your Love Defends Me
Welcome:
Call to Worship
Song: All My Ways
Prayer Of Confession
Song: Through The Love Of God Our Saviour (Rejoice 156)
Affirming our Faith
Song: Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow
Bible Reading: Ezra 2:68–3:13
Bible Memorisation: 2 Corinthians 1:21-22
Song: Glorious Things Of You Are (Spoken Rejoice 295)
Bible Reading: 2 Corinthians 2:5-3:3
Sermon: The Aroma Of The Gospel
The Lord’s Supper
Announcements:
Pastoral Prayer:
Closing Blessing
Song: As You Go

The Witnessing Task Of The World Today (via Marva Dawn)

Gary Ware

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May 7, 2021

Marva Dawn recently died.
Her writings on worship and pastoral care have been valued by many.
But her writing on the book of Revelation, borne of study and personal experience of disability provides wonderful insight.

Recalling how the rapacious abuses that early Christians had endured would have been in their minds, the message of Revelation provides an assurance that echoes through generations:

…Christ is still the sovereign Lord, and so we can be faithful to his purposes – knowing that eventually He will vindicate His people and restore the temple. (In fact, as we shall see at the end of the The Revelation, there will no longer be a need for the temple, for the presence of the Lord Himself will be all that His people need.)
The message for the twenty-first century is the same: God’s ultimate sovereignty empowers our faithfulness. As various empires desecrate our places of worship, cause immeasurable suffering, or mock our faith, we can respond with diligent witnessing – knowing that the sovereign Lord will eventually triumph and vindicate His people.
What is the witnessing task of the Church today? We proclaim the sovereignty of God, not of the nations. Perhaps that might take the form of speaking against the pretensions of nations that would seek to control the world by means of military power and economic exploitation. Perhaps our task is to proclaim to kings the judgment – or hope – of God. Most of all, our task is to live faithfully the ethics of God’s kingdom in our own communities, to stand as a witnessing people against the lifestyles of a world that wears the mark of the beast on its forehead and right hand. We are to be a people marked instead with the Father’s name, persons who live in total dependence on Christ. And then, even if we are killed in the process of such a witness, we will be called to come up to hedge, and the world will be astonished at the greatness of the sovereign God.

Marva J. Dawn, Joy In Our Weakness rev. ed., Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2002, pgs. 147-148.

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