Sharing is Caring

Slaves to obedience           [Romans 6:15-23]     Last week, during a wedding service for a couple in our church's English ministry, I gave three recommendations under the title of the sermon titled “By Faith,” centered on Hebrews 11:23-26.   One of those three exhortations was to have higher values by faith, refuse to enjoy the sinful pleasures of the world, but choose to be mistreated and to suffer for Jesus Christ.   I took Moses as an example.   What did Moses do with faith?   He made the right choice “by faith”.   Moses made the right choice with faith in the choice between to be called the son of Pharaoh's princess (v. 24) or to be called the son of God, to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a short time (v. 25) or to suffer with the people of God (v. 25), to choose all the treasures of Egypt or suffering disgrace for the sake of Christ (v. 26).   In this way, faith makes the right choice on the path o...

Abraham's faith, our faith     [Romans 4:17-25]     Look at Romans 4:23-24: “The words ‘it was credited to him’ were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness--for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.”   If we look at these words, “… it was credited to him   ….   but also for us, ….”   Based on this word, I would like to meditate on Abraham's faith, our faith.   First, Abraham's faith was his faith in God.   Look at Romans 4:3 – “What does the Scripture say?   ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’”   (1)     Abraham's faith was faith in God who raises the dead.   Abraham's faith was faith in the God of life, the God who gives life.   Look at Romans 4:17, 19: “…   in whom he believed--the God who gives life to the dead   …   Without weakening in his faith, he faced t...

The salvation of God (5)       [Romans 8:29-30]                        Look at Romans 8:29-30: “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”   The fourth stage is ‘God justified’ (Rom. 8:30).              Today I want to think about the fourth of the five stages of salvation, the salvation of those whom God justified (v. 30).   This is Westminster Shorter Catechism Q&A 33: (Q) “What is justification?”   (A) “Justification is an act of God’s free grace, wherein he pardoneth all our sins, and accepteth us as righteous in his sight, only for the right...

‘The result is eternal life’         [Romans 6:19-22]                    “Those things result in death!” (Rom. 6:21)    In other words, the end of the slavery of sin is death.                   First, the slave of sin yields his own members to impurity and to lawlessness (v. 19).   Here, impurity refers to being morally unclean, and lawlessness refers to disobeying and breaking God's law.   Second, the life of a slave to sin is freedom in regard to righteousness (v. 20).   Third, the slaves of sin produce shameful fruits (v. 21).   Fourth, the end of the slave to sin is death (v. 21).   Here, death means three things: (1) Spiritual death: The slave of sin is already spiritually dead.   The reason is because the slave of sin has been cut off with the life, the...