G.R.A.C.E. teams will meet on Sundays at the church at 3:30 pm and will return by 5:00 pm in time for M.I.T.  Each team will go out into the community once each month.  Share the gospel of Jesus Christ and pray about your involvement in this great ministry opportunity. Call the church or look for sign-ups coming in the following weeks during Sunday morning service.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

It is One-Dimensional. Some have suggested that proclaiming the gospel on someone’s doorstep may deliver the Word of Christ, but it lacks demonstrations of love and kindness, and so it is one-dimensional. But, the Bible says to speak the truth in love (Eph 4:15), which means it must be possible to demonstrate love in the way we speak to others. If we visit homes and proclaim the gospel, not just to do our monthly duty of evangelism, but from sincere love for God and His glory, and out of an earnest love and care for the souls of sinners, then others will be able to perceive it. If we can’t express love for others in how we speak to them, in the way we show concern for them personally, in the sincerity, kindness, and urgency of our tone of voice, then the problem may be with our sanctification, not with any given method of evangelism. How do we develop an earnestness for souls? We do that by knowing and loving Jesus more. There was none more earnest for the salvation of sinners than our Savior. If we love Him, we’ll become like Him.

It is Too Much Like a Sales Visit. Too many salesmen convince people they have a need they don’t really have, and then they try to sell a product that doesn’t really benefit the buyer. But, preaching the law and the gospel is about showing sinners that they have an urgent need that they don’t know they have and can’t know they have. Satan has “blinded the minds of unbelievers” (2 Cor 4:4), which means unregenerate sinners will always think you’re trying to sell them something. They don’t see that their sin is outright rebellion against their Creator, and consequently, they can’t see that they must be reconciled to a holy God through the blood of Christ. They will never see it apart from the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit. This means we shouldn’t get too caught up in how lost people perceive our work of evangelism. They will never approve of it, until God changes their hearts. Historically speaking, the road to serious theological error has often come through compromises designed to get lost people to approve of evangelism and missions. Christ was the perfect evangelist, full of love and mercy. They killed Him for it. Let us follow Him.

It is Not Enough Time to Present the Whole Gospel. The total gospel is revealed in Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. We are all still learning the many nuances and inter-connections of all the facets of the gospel of Jesus Christ and how they change our thinking and day to day living. So, it is true that an afternoon visit on someone’s doorstep can never communicate everything the gospel communicates. But, it is possible to communicate the basic apostolic teaching about salvation in Jesus Christ in a very brief period of time. That basic message is found in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you – unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” That basic message is what the Holy Spirit uses to open up sinful minds and hearts. Let us be faithful to sow the seed He has provided.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

In the past week, the morning headlines have been astir with reports of the four Americans who were murdered by the pirates who hijacked their yacht over a week ago.  The brutality of this whole episode is quite sad, and it serves to wipe away any romantic notions we might have about chivalrous pirates.  Despite all our supposed progress as human beings, we still live in a world where there are large bands of cutthroat men who are stealing ships and wreaking havoc on transporters and travelers off the horn of Africa.

But current evidence of violent turmoil in the world goes far beyond murderous pirates.  Also in the news this past week were reports of bodies lying in the streets in Libya as protests there continue.  There is unrest throughout the Middle East as citizens are rising up against oppressive governments.  China, the largest nation on earth, is struggling to contain potential threats as small pockets of younger citizens try to organize to unseat their communist government.  Protests involving tens of thousands have even come to American cities as labor unions and political factions are at odds over how to address budget shortfalls created by our crumbling economy.  All that we see bears witness to the fact that peace is always a temporary commodity in a world of sin.

In the midst of all of the violence and unrest, we do see glimpses of the solution.  Jean and Scott Adams, one of the couples killed by the pirates, had been sailing around the world since 2004 with a boat full of Bibles.  Wherever they went, they handed out the Word of Life.  I cannot profess to know much about this couple and their beliefs, but the fact that they manifested such a high regard for evangelism through Scripture distribution is strong evidence of faith.  And though they were not targeted and murdered for being Christians, they were definitely cut down in the line of Christian duty.

Their testimony points to the only solution for violence and unrest in the world — The Gospel!  The Gospel tells us that we are created in the image of the one true God, thus giving special, inherent dignity to every human being.  The Gospel tells us that God is the source of the only just and perfect law, thus showing us how to structure our lives and societies for His glory and our greatest good.  The Gospel tells us of how we have broken God’s law and how sin rules the creation, thus exposing the root of all that is wrong in this world.  The Gospel also tells us of God’s solution for sin and evil — His perfect Son, who sinlessly kept the law, who died as man’s substitute on the cross, and who rose from the grave on the third day.  Through repentance of sin and belief in Christ, we are forgiven of our sins, we are reconciled to our Holy God, and we are empowered and commanded to love God first and to love all of our fellow human beings as God loves.  In this glorious message of forgiveness in Christ, men are able to truly realize a certain, unshakable peace grounded in Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.

What a powerful message!  No other religion in the world can offer true forgiveness, true assurance of peace with God, and the certainty of eternal life with our Creator.  Think of what the Gospel could accomplish all over the earth!  How might this gospel change the heart of an African pirate?  How might the gospel give hope to impoverished, oppressed masses?  How might the gospel give light to countries shrouded in the darkness of false religions?  How might the gospel restore human dignity and respect for one another as image bearers of God?  How might the gospel melt the hearts of political despots?  How might the truth of the gospel end conflict and banish harmful ideologies?  How might the gospel form the foundation for new societies?

We know that this world will not see perfect peace until Jesus returns, until He finally abolishes all wickedness and establishes His eternal kingdom.  But as we pray for that day to come, the unrest in the world reminds us of the importance of our commission.  We are to go forth as ambassadors for Christ, proclaiming His gospel, knowing that as we sow the seeds of His eternal peace accord, fruit will be born according to His sovereign purpose.  This is the only hope for the people of the earth.  We should not fear men, we should not fear the power of nations, and we certainly should not fear death, for a believer’s death means the immediate joy of the presence of our Lord.

1 Peter 2:9-10 says, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”  How are we doing at proclaiming His excellencies?  I love you all dearly!

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Many of us will either be traveling to be with family and friends or we will be hosting family and friends in our homes over the next several days.  For most of us, this means we will have the opportunity to have extended times of interaction with unsaved loved ones.  While witnessing to those closest to us is often difficult (even Jesus was not welcomed by those who knew Him best (Matt 13:53-58)), we are never excused from seeking to share the gospel with unbelievers.  Thus, I want to give us a few helpful suggestions on how to start evangelistic conversations as we are with unsaved loved ones this Christmas.

Now before giving you these suggestions, I want to encourage two steps of preparation.  First, you should always pray for those you are seeking to engage in gospel conversation.  Pray for them by name, pray specifically for God to prepare their hearts, and pray for personal boldness and for your words to be the words of Scripture.  Second, be prepared to share the true gospel.  You could use the Roman Road or our GRACE outline or another Scriptural presentation.  Remember, true evangelism is sharing the reality of holy God, the standard of God’s law, the plight of human sinfulness, the eternal penalty of hell, the beauty of Christ’s atoning work on our behalf, and the call to repent and believe in Jesus Christ alone for salvation.  That being said, here are some good ways to initiate Gospel conversations:

1.  Show a sincere concern for loved ones by conversing with them about specific challenges and triumphs they have faced during the past year.  It may center around family life, work, or other pursuits, but take time to demonstrate a real interest in them.  Then direct the conversation to eternal concerns by asking a question like “So how are you doing spiritually?”  This question can evoke a variety of responses, some of them less than favorable, but at least it directs them to weigh matters beyond our daily activities and pursuits.  If they do respond favorably, be prepared to lead them to the truth of Scripture, or if you are accused of being “preachy,” at least try to share a personal word of testimony about how your faith in Christ has guided and sustained you in the past year.

2.  Take advantage of the spirit of “tradition.”  Unchurched loved ones are more easily persuaded to attend church at holidays like Christmas and Easter if they consider it a matter of “tradition” as opposed to “devotion.”  Take advantage of their sentiment by attending a service where the gospel will be faithfully proclaimed.  If you are out-of-town, you may need to research the location and service times of a solid biblical church, but it will be well worth it to guide everyone to a biblical service.  Go with them to hear the gospel and then follow up the service with a question like “So what did you think of the message the pastor gave?” It is a great discussion starter.

3.  Use opportunities to pray to share the gospel.  Even unbelievers still tend to practice the tradition of saying “grace” before important holiday meals.  And usually, the one who is known to be a “devoted” Christian is asked to say it for the family.  As you may be given opportunity, be prepared to share the gospel through your prayer.  It is so easy to turn prayers of thankfulness for food into prayers of thankfulness for God’s mercy in saving us from judgment through the sacrifice of Christ.

4.  Look for ways to insert the reading of Scripture into Christmas observances.  Once again, favorable views of “tradition” can open the door to the reading of the Christmas story from Matthew or Luke on Christmas Eve or on Christmas morning.  Don’t be afraid to talk to your loved ones about inserting such times of reading into the schedule, and when given such opportunities, don’t be afraid to speak briefly about why Christ came to earth as the baby Jesus.  After such brief devotional opportunities, engage lost loved ones with questions about what they believe about the real meaning of Christmas.

I pray you will use these helpful hints to generate evangelistic opportunities over the next couple weeks.  Remember, if you are in Christ, then you are a child of the King and an instrument of His glory.  Do not hide your light under a bushel, but set it out that it might give light to everyone. (Matt 5:16)  God bless you all, and MERRY CHRISTMAS my beloved!

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

This week, we continue our look at the GCR report with Challenges for Individual Families.  Again, I would ask you to read these and prayerfully consider how they might apply as a challenge to your family.

Challenges for Individual Families
14.  Emphasize biblical gender roles with believing fathers taking the lead in modeling Great Commission Christianity and taking the primary responsibility for the spiritual welfare of their families.

15.  Recognize that parents have the primary responsibility of educating their children and helping them to cultivate a Christian worldview way of thinking and living.

16.  Build gospel saturated homes that see children as a gift from God and our initial mission field. Consider, in this context, the vital ministries of adoption and orphan care.

17.  Make prayer for and the evangelism and discipleship of children a family priority that begins with parents and is assisted by local churches.

18.  Develop strategies as a family for praying for, serving, and sharing the gospel with neighbors, coworkers, and others with whom family members come into regular contact.

19.  Adopt a different unreached people group each month and pray as a family 1) for IMB missionaries working with the people group, 2) for the conversion, baptism and discipling of countless individuals within the people group, and 3) for the establishment of biblical churches among the people group.

20.  Adopt a different North American church plant each month and pray as a family 1) for the church’s leadership team, 2) for the conversion, baptism and discipling of countless individuals in the church’s region, and 3) for the birthing of future church plants from the church.

21.  Spend a family vacation participating in a local church or association sponsored mission trip.

22.  Consider setting up a mission’s savings account for each of your children that would enable them to spend six months to a year in a North America or International Missions context soon after graduating from high school.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

At that point, the pastor himself went into the baptismal pool where he was baptized (again) by one of his staff members.  But that was not the end of the service.  With the pastor’s re-baptism, another staff member proceeded to the platform and began to recount emotional baptismal stories through which he invited everyone present to respond in obedience by running to the front and jumping into the waters (I am not exaggerating in the least).  He told everyone that the church would even provide a change of clothes in which to be baptized, and that nothing should hold them back from participating in this “sign” of devotion.  It was nothing less than unbiblical manipulation of Scriptural truth and of people’s emotions.

That day, I watched in horror as the precious doctrine of believer’s baptism was divorced from the gospel — divorced from any call to repent and believe in Christ, any divorced from any examination of the soul.  Sadly, dozens and dozens and dozens of people went forward in response.  Many of them were likely believers who were misled into being baptized again by the errant teachings of their leaders, and many of them were likely also unbelievers who were further deceived into believing that participation in an outward “sign” of devotion would give them right standing before God.   I wonder if this sister Baptist church will report all those baptized that day as new converts in their annual report?

Dear family, I do not share this story with you to degrade our brethren or to exalt ourselves.  But for the grace of God, I know I would be far more errant and manipulative.  I share this with you all to warn us of dangers that constantly exist in ministry — one general, and one specific.  First, in general terms, we need to beware of the idol of pragmatism.  Pragmatist are driven by results — the end justifies the means — if it works, do it.  They may be completely orthodox in their biblical beliefs, but those beliefs do not serve to define and direct their ministry efforts.  They are merely ornaments from a bygone era that receive lip service but no substantive reverence.  The end goal is to gather as many people as possible, and to have the church as full and as big as possible, even if the gospel itself must be softened or abandoned to reach that goal.  The result is not the making of disciples, but the manufacturing of a “show” that merely entertains the masses as they travel the road to hell.

The second danger, in more specific terms, is the loss of our identity as biblical Christians. More to the point, when the gospel is divorced from the practice of the ordinances, they cease to be biblical ordinances.  On that day in that service, the baptismal pool served as little more than a religious dunking booth.  I dare say that not one person was truly baptized as a sign of identification with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection that comes as a result of confessing Jesus as Lord.   Thus, the biblical ethic of believer’s baptism was sacrificed on the idolotrous altar of religious pragmatism.

My dear church family, we must continue to be vigilant in guarding the faith that was once and for all delivered to the saints.  We are called to do ministry by engaging this world with the truths of the gospel, but even as we seek the most effective way to accomplish our commission, we must never fail to proclaim Christ and to stand upon the instruction and model of Scriptural truth.  As regards the story recounted above, we must also protect our practice of the ordinances.  Christ gave us Baptism and the Lord’s Supper as living pictures of grace to be practiced regularly in the local church, to deepen our worship of Him and to celebrate and remember His redemptive work.  We cheapen them when we fail to practice them biblically; and worse, we can mislead people, speeding them towards a Christless eternity, if we ever fail to couple them with the biblical gospel.  Thus, let us love Christ, and let us practice His truth rightly, all for the glory of His name among the nations.  I love you all!

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

The title of my article is actually the title of the first message of the conference, delivered by Mark Dever.  This was a great message, so I want to recount much of what he had to say in my article this week.

At the outset of his message, Dever noted that a church that is manifestly unhealthy can actually be a detriment to Gospel ministry in the community.  Open, unaddressed sin, infighting, apathy, heresy, and lack of loving witness are just a few of the maladys that can ruin a church’s effectiveness and tarnish the reputation of Christ.  Thus, we must intentionally endeavor to display the Person of God and the truth of the Gospel in the way we “do” church.  Dever then set forth 4 areas in which the church must manifest biblical truth.

First, we must rightly manifest the nature and character of God in three key ways.  First is His Holiness.  God is distinct and set apart, so His people are to be distinct and set apart from the world; do we rightly reflect His purity & holiness?  We are all sinners in the church, but what marks us is that we are continually repenting sinners.  So are we striving for holiness or are we treating sin and God’s Person casually?  Second is His Love.  Do we manifest a love that points to Him, a love that inconveniences and even sacrifices ourselves in order to demonstrate concern for and to do good toward others?  Third is His Authority.  Satan wants us to think that God’s authority contradicts God’s love, but God both loves us and rules us.  A right use of authority in our congregations reflects the authority of God Himself.  Good authority is a God-given blessing.  Without its biblical exercise, authority can be abused or absent, resulting in a lifeless church.

Secondly, he noted we must rightly manifest the truth about humanity.  First, we should not value human beings on superficial criteria, we should value them because they are made in the image of God.  Thus, the church is not just for any one demographic group, but for all those who reflect His image and love His image in others.  Second, our churches should also model and teach the truth of human depravity.  We must acknowledge the fact that we are all fallen.  We must preach this truth, but we must also prove that we understand it.  Where do we stand according to the law of God?  Why are we so deeply in need of forgiveness?  We are to be a living community of people who understand their sinfulness, and we must never soft-pedal the reality of sin to sinners.

Third, we must rightly manifest the truth of our Savior.  We bear His name; He is the object of our worship and we are His body, we are filled with His Spirit.  So how do we make Christ visible?  How are we demonstrating His grace and how are we bringing it to bear on the reality of human depravity?  We should be marked by embodying His love, His work, and His person.  We manifest this first is the way we lay down our lives for one another.  Our congregtions are full of people unlike one another in many respects — age, background, and ethnicity.  Do we value those differences?  Our unity in spite of differences proves the love of Christ in our midst.  It also gives us a solid platform from which to share the truths of His Person and Work with unbelievers.

Finally, our churches should manifest the right response to the Gospel:  Repentance and Faith.  Repentance is the humble admission of fault and subsequent reorientation away from sin and toward God.  Confession and renouncement of sin mark the healthy body.  The Christian life is personal, but not private, and we are not meant to run the race alone.  There are aspects of our spiritual lives that are only visible through relationships in the community of faith.  Secondly, we are to manifest faith in God and in the promises He has given to us in Christ.  The local church is a community of people all acting on things that you cannot see, and yet these unseen realities effect our very real actions continuously.  Thus, we need to treasure and preach God’s Word; in doing so we hold out the promises we are running to.  This is what our sermons should be doing every week, so that God’s promises are calling us forward in repentance and belief.

I hope you all enjoy these truths and give time to contemplating these truths in the weeks and months ahead.  I know they will enrich your perspective and your walk as much as they have mine.  I love you all dearly!

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

This year our featured country will be China.  The night will be filled with activities to enhance understanding of how the gospel is being spread.  Stations will be prepared representing the missionaries who have served in China.  Lottie Moon will be one of the favorites!  Parents please send one tray of brownies or cookies. Be sure to look for sign-up sheets in Adult Sunday School classes or call the church office at 272-2304.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

This past Sunday was a great blessing.  God’s Word to us all was strong and rich and convicting.  The fields are indeed ripe unto harvest, and we must beseech the Lord to send workers into His harvest.  As we pray, we must also labor.  We will be laboring this weekend as we gather to participate in our Community Missions Service Day (Praise God — all but a few of the teams are full!), but we also need to pray for opportunities beyond the ministries of our church.  Each of us are to be Salt and Light in our own personal circles of influence.

Knowing that, I wanted to encourage you all with some specific instructions about how to pursue and engage in witnessing opportunities.  First and foremost, PRAY daily for specific opportunities to share the gospel.  I promise you God will put people in your path when you do so.  Pray for opportunities with family members, friends, co-workers, classmates, and those you encounter when you are out shopping or eating or attending sporting events.  Furthermore, pray for specific persons that you know are lost.  Do me a favor – take a post-it note and write down the names of 5 to 10 people that you know are lost.  Then stick that note on your bathroom mirror and pray for each of them by name as you get ready each morning.  Put a duplicate of that note on your dashboard and pray for them as you drive to and from work.  Remember, prayer fuels evangelism.

Second, be prepared to share the gospel when God opens the door.  Evangelism is more than just talking about God’s blessings or inviting people to church.  Those are good starting points, but evangelism, at its core, is proclaiming Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation.  Thus, take time to re-acquaint yourself with the essential points of the gospel.  Pick up one of our GRACE tracts to help.  You could also practice sharing your Christian testimony as one way to help you open doors to share Scripture about Jesus Christ.  Preparation is the most important component of being able to share the gospel, so know the Scriptures — God’s Word is what is powerful to persuade men.

Third, get out there and do it.  Be intentional about engaging people in conversation wherever you go.  Be intentional about taking part in outreach and evangelism opportunities that we offer as a church.  If you are nervous at first, make it a point to go with someone who is well-seasoned in the practice of evangelism.  Watching them and engaging people with them will help allay your fears and it will help you learn how to initiate spiritual conversations.  One of my favorite ways to turn the conversation to spiritual matters is to ask questions.  After getting acquainted with a person, I like to ask “Do you have a church home?” or “How can I pray for you today?”  These questions frequently allow me to begin sharing about faith in Christ.

inally, be mindful of your goal in evangelism.  Your goal is to share the biblical gospel.  Success in evangelism is achieved by sharing what Scripture says about God’s person and law, man’s sin, Christ’s sacrifice, and the requirement to repent and believe.  Whether or not a person is converted is God’s responsibility.  If they listen to you, you are blessed.  If they reject or ridicule you, you are blessed (Matt 5:11-12).  So do not fear men.  And by the way, studies on evangelism have shown that 4 out of every 5 lost persons are more than willing to politely hear what we have to tell them about Christ.  So tell them!  In evangelism, we only fail when we fall silent in the moment of divine opportunity!  I love you all dearly.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Early in my Christian life I heard someone say, “The Bible was not given to increase your knowledge but to guide your conduct.” Later I came to realize that this statement was simplistic at best and erroneous at worst. The Bible is far more than a rulebook to follow. It is primarily the message of God’s saving grace through Jesus Christ, with everything in Scripture before the cross pointing to God’s redemptive work and everything after the cross–including our sanctification–flowing from that work.

There is an element of truth in this statement, however, and the Holy Spirit used it to help me to see that the Bible is not to be read just to gain knowledge. It is, indeed, to be obeyed and practically applied in our daily lives. As James says, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22).

With my new insight, I prayed that God would use the Bible to guide my conduct. Then I began diligently to seek to obey it. I had never heard the phrase “the pursuit of holiness,” but that became my primary goal in life. Unfortunately, I made two mistakes. First, I assumed the Bible was something of a rulebook and that all I needed to do was to learn what it says and go do it. I knew nothing of the necessity of depending on the Holy Spirit for his guidance and enablement.

Still worse, I assumed that God’s acceptance of me and his blessing in my life depended on how well I did. I knew I was saved by grace through faith in Christ apart from any works. I had assurance of my salvation and expected to go to heaven when I died. But in my daily life, I thought God’s blessing depended on the practice of certain spiritual disciplines, such as having a daily quiet time and not knowingly committing any sin. I did not think this out but just unconsciously assumed it, given the Christian culture in which I lived. Yet it determined my attitude toward the Christian life.

Gradually over time, and from a deep sense of need, I came to realize that the gospel is for believers, not just for unbelievers. When I finally realized this, every morning I would pray over a Scripture such as Isaiah 53:6,” All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all,” and then say, “Lord, I have gone astray. I have turned to my own way, but you have laid all my sin on Christ and because of that I approach you and feel accepted by you.”

I came to see that Paul’s statement in Galatians 2:20, “The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me,” was made in the context of justification (see vv. 15-21). Yet Paul was speaking in the present tense: “The life I now live ….” Because of the context, I realized Paul was not speaking about his sanctification but about his justification. For Paul, then, justification (being declared righteous by God on the basis of the righteousness of Christ) was not only a past-tense experience but also a present-day reality.

Paul lived every day by faith in the shed blood and righteousness of Christ. Every day he looked to Christ alone for his acceptance with the Father. He believed, like Peter (see 1 Pet. 2:4-5), that even our best deeds — our spiritual sacrifices — are acceptable to God only through Jesus Christ. Perhaps no one apart from Jesus himself has ever been as committed a disciple both in life and ministry as the Apostle Paul. Yet he did not look to his own performance but to Christ’s “performance” as the sole basis of his acceptance with God.

So I learned that Christians need to hear the gospel all of their lives because it is the gospel that continues to remind us that our day-to-day acceptance with the Father is not based on what we do for God but upon what Christ did for us in his sinless life and sin-bearing death. I began to see that we stand before God today as righteous as we ever will be, even in heaven, because he has clothed us with the righteousness of his Son. Therefore, I don’t have to perform to be accepted by God. Now I am free to obey him and serve him because I am already accepted in Christ (see Rom. 8:1). My driving motivation now is not guilt but gratitude.

But doesn’t this idea that our acceptance with God is based solely on Christ’s work apart from our performance lead to a type of “easy believism”? In its most basic form, this is the notion that “Since I asked Christ to be my Savior, I am on my way to heaven regardless of how I live. It doesn’t matter if I continue in my sinful lifestyle. God loves and will accept me anyway.”
The Apostle Paul anticipated such “easy believism” in Romans 6:1 when he wrote, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?” His response in Romans 6:2, “By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” Here Paul’s instructions in Romans 6:11 are helpful: “So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

It is important we understand what Paul is saying here because he is not telling us to do something but to believe something. We are to believe that we are dead through Christ to both sin’s penalty and its dominion. But this is not something we make come true by believing it. We simply are dead to sin, whether we believe it or not. But the practical effects of our death to sin can be realized only as we believe it to be true.

The fact is that we are guilty in ourselves, but God no longer charges that guilt against us because it has already been borne by Christ as our substitute. The sentence has been served. The penalty has been paid. We have died to sin, both to its guilt and to its dominion. That is why Paul can write, “Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin” (Rom. 4:8).

But the question arises, “If I’ve died to sin’s dominion, why do I still struggle with sin patterns in my life?” The answer to that question lies in the word struggle. Unbelievers do not struggle with sin. They may seek to overcome some bad habit, but they do not see that habit as sin. They do not have a sense of sin against a holy God. Believers, on the other hand, struggle with sin as sin. We see our sinful words, thoughts, and deeds as sin against God; and we feel guilty because of it. This is where we must continue to go back to the gospel. To consider ourselves dead to sin is to believe the gospel.

This doesn’t mean that we just believe the gospel and live complacently in our sin. Absolutely not! Go back again to Paul’s words in Romans 6:1-2. We died both to sin’s guilt and its dominion. Though sin can wage war against us (hence our struggle), it cannot reign over us. That is also part of the gospel. But the success of our struggle with sin begins with our believing deep down in our hearts that regardless of our failures and our struggle, we have died to sin’s guilt. We must believe that however often we fail, there is no condemnation for us (Rom. 8:1).

If you do not believe you have died to sin’s guilt, you cannot trust Christ for the strength to subdue its power in your life. So the place to begin in dealing with sin is to believe the gospel when it says you have died to sin’s guilt.

Warring against our sinful habits and seeking to put on Christlike character is usually called “progressive sanctification.” The word “progressive” indicates continual growth in holiness over time. The New Testament writers both assume growth (see 1 Cor. 6:9-11; Eph. 2:19-21; Col. 2:19; 2 Thess. 1:3); and continually urge us to pursue it (see 2 Cor. 7:1; Heb. 12:14; 2 Pet. 3:18). There is no place in authentic Christianity for stagnant, self-satisfied, and self-righteous Christians. Rather we should be seeking to grow in Christlikeness until we die.

Sanctification involves hard work and dependence on Christ; what I call dependent effort. And it will always mean we are dissatisfied with our performance. For a growing Christian, desire will always outstrip performance or, at least, perceived performance. What is it then that will keep us going in the face of this tension between desire and performance? The answer is the gospel. It is the assurance in the gospel that we have indeed died to the guilt of sin and that there is no condemnation for us in Christ Jesus that will motivate us and keep us going even in the face of this tension.

We must always keep focused on the gospel because it is in the nature of sanctification that as we grow, we see more and more of our sinfulness. Instead of driving us to discouragement, though, this should drive us to the gospel. It is the gospel believed every day that is the only enduring motivation to pursue progressive sanctification even in those times when we don’t seem to see progress. That is why I use the expression “gospel-driven sanctification” and that is why we need to “preach the gospel to ourselves every day.”

by Jerry Bridges

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Ecuador Theological Seminary In-Gathering

Sunday, September 13

10:30 am

Missionaries Steve and Carol Thompson (our missionary contacts in Patate) have been serving faithfully in Ecuador for over twenty years. They have detailed plans to open a much needed theological Seminary in Patate by January 2010. They have secured the initial leadership for this Seminary and are ready to complete the first floor and phase of this pastoral training center.

At the recommendation of our Pastors body and the Missions and Ministry team, we want to help support the Thompsons by helping to fund this Ecuadorian Seminary. Please know how exciting this opportunity is for us and these Ecuadorian pastors.

There is no available conservative theological seminary in the entire country!

The Thompson’s camp (Camp Chacauco) already serves as a strategic base of operations for planting churches among unreached people groups. With the addition of this Seminary, by God’s grace, it could grow to become the epicenter for sound theological training for pastors and lay persons for decades to come. In some ways, the hope of training and sustaining pastors to continue to ‘preach the gospel’ to this entire country rests on the opening and operation of this Ecuadorian Seminary. What a glorious privilege it is for our church to give sacrificially to meet this need to continue allowing pastors to ‘preach the gospel’ in a spiritually needy place like Ecuador.

Approximate costs for the seminary

Level 1 *
Construction of the First Floor and basic facilities for Start-Up
This includes completion and furnishings of first floor of the building, including the Auditorium, Kitchen, Dining Hall and Library
A total of $ 24,000 is needed to complete this portion

Level 2 *
Construction of the Second Floor
This floor will include Classrooms, Administration areas, a Lecture Hall and the Main Entrance
A total of $ 45,000 is needed for completion of the 2nd Floor

Furnishings *
A total of $ 15,000 is needed to furnish the building for seminary use.

Total Funding Needed for Entire Seminary: $ 84,000

As you can see, the task of single-handedly meeting this need is far beyond the reach of the vast majority of us as individuals, but as a church (and especially one in the wealthiest nation on earth!) this is, by God’s grace, very attainable. For less than the cost of almost any one of our homes here in Alabama, an entire seminary can be built! What a privilege it would be for us to play such a part in impacting an entire nation with the Gospel!

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Journey of Faith Schedule: Sunday Evenings 5:00 – 6:00 pm

Sunday, August 9 – The Gospel of Jesus Christ
Sunday, August 16 – The Christian Life
Sunday, August 23 – Assurance of Salvation
Sunday, August 30 – The Church and Membership

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church