The Creed

I BELIEVE I BELIEVE in in GodGod the Father Almighty, the Father Almighty, Maker Maker of heaven and earthof heaven and earth: And in : And in Jesus Christ Jesus Christ his his

only only SonSon, , our Lordour Lord; who was conceived by the ; who was conceived by the Holy Holy GhostGhost, , born of the virgin Maryborn of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius , suffered under Pontius Pilate, was Pilate, was crucifiedcrucified, dead, and buried, dead, and buried; he descended ; he descended

into into hellhell; the third day ; the third day he rose again from the he rose again from the deaddead; he ascended into ; he ascended into heavenheaven, and sitteth on the right , and sitteth on the right

hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come he shall come to judge to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Holy

GhostGhost; the holy catholic ; the holy catholic churchchurch; the ; the communioncommunion of of saints; the saints; the forgiveness of sinsforgiveness of sins; the ; the resurrectionresurrection of of

the body; and the the body; and the life everlastinglife everlasting. Amen. Amen

The CreedThe CreedI BELIEVE in GRACEI BELIEVE in GRACE

The Creed – I Believe in GraceThe Creed – I Believe in Grace

“When I get to heaven I shall see three wonders there. The first wonder

will be, to see many people there whom I did not expect to see—the

second wonder will be, to miss many people whom I did expect to see; and the third and greatest

wonder of all, will be to find myself there.”

- John Newton


SoliSoliSolusSolusSolaSolaSolaSolaSolaSola

Faith is…


“True faith is not only a knowledge and conviction that everything God reveals

in his word is true; it is also a deep-rooted assurance, created in me by the Holy Spirit through the gospel, that, out of sheer grace earned for us by Christ not only others, but I too, have had my sins forgiven, have been made forever right with God, and have been granted

salvation.”- Heidelberg Catechism (Q. 21)The Creed – I Believe in GraceThe Creed – I Believe in Grace

Grace is…



Unwarranted confidence in human ability is a product of fallen human nature. This false confidence now fills the evangelical world; from the self-esteem gospel, to the health and wealth gospel, from those who have transformed the gospel into a product to be sold and sinners

into consumers who want to buy, to others who treat Christian faith as being true simply because it works. This silences the doctrine of justification regardless of the official commitments of our churches. God's grace in Christ is not merely necessary but is the sole efficient cause of salvation. We confess that human beings are born spiritually dead and are incapable even of cooperating with regenerating grace.

We reaffirm that in salvation we are rescued from God's wrath by his grace alone. It is the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit that brings us to Christ by releasing us from our bondage to sin and raising us

from spiritual death to spiritual life.We deny that salvation is in any sense a human work. Human

methods, techniques or strategies by themselves cannot accomplish this transformation. Faith is not produced by our unregenerated

human nature.- Cambridge Declaration on Grace

The Cambridge Declaration


But if we’re saved today through faith and grace via the death of Jesus…


"The Lord spoke to Moses that very same day, saying, “Go up to this

mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab opposite

Jericho, and look at the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the sons of Israel

for a possession. “Then die on the mountain where you ascend, and be

gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people, because you

broke faith with Me in the midst of the sons of Israel at the waters of Meribah-

kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, because you did not treat Me as holy in the midst of the sons of Israel. “For you shall see the land at a distance, but you shall not go there, into the land which I

am giving the sons of Israel.”"(Deuteronomy 32:48-52)

An Old Testament Lesson on Faith/Works

2 Men


2 Types

2 Covenants


1. Acknowledgement of God2. Acknowledgement of sin3. Acknowledgement of faith

δικαιόω;dikaioo: same word used in Romans 3:28


God Looked Forward for those Before

the Cross

God Looks Back for those After the Cross

Faith and Grace – Present in Both Periods


“Proleptic” Speech

"‘Have you not heard? Long ago I did it; From ancient times I planned it. Now I

have brought it to pass."(2 Kings 19:25)

"He was despised and forsaken of men … He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore,

And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,

Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon

Him, And by His scourging we are healed…. But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him."(Isaiah

53:3-6)


"Unless I am convinced by the testimonies of the Holy

Scriptures or evident reason (for I believe neither in the Pope nor councils alone, since it has been established that they have often

erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures adduced by me, and my conscience has been taken

captive by the Word of God, and I am neither able nor willing to recant, since it is neither safe

nor right to act against conscience. God help me. Amen”

- Martin Luther, Defense at Diet of Worms

Faith and Grace – The Transforming Power


“In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate

Street, where one was reading Luther’s preface to the Epistle to the

Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the

heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was

given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me

from the law of sin and death.”- John Wesley, Personal Journal

Faith and Grace – The Transforming Power


During his last hours, John Knox woke from a slumber sighing, and told his friends

that he had just been tempted to believe that he had “merited Heaven and

eternal blessedness, by the faithful discharge of my

ministry. But blessed be God who has enabled me to beat down and quench the fiery dart, by suggesting to me such passages of Scripture as these: “What hast thou

that thou didst not receive?” “By the grace of God I am what I am.” “Not I, but the

grace of God which was with me.””


"Then those whose balance (of good

deeds ) is heavy, they will be successful. But those whose balance is light, will be those who have lost their

souls; in hell will they abide,"

Sura: 23:102-103

Grace in Islam?


Karma is best translated “cause and effect.” Whatever one does in this life exercises an impact on

the next one. It guarantees that all people get exactly what their actions merit.

Grace in Hinduism?


“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on

the last day.” (John 6:44).


• “There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; “ (Ro 3:10-11)

• “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father” (John 6:65).

• “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven.” (John 3:27)

• “You did not choose Me but I chose you ” (John 15:16)• “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who

comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.” (John 6:37)• “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has

lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?” (Luke 15:4)

• “I was found by those who did not seek Me, I became manifest to those who did not ask for Me.” (Ro 10:20/Isaiah 65:1).

God Pursues Us; We Don’t Pursue Him


“Christian theology teaches the doctrine of

prevenient grace, which briefly

stated means this, that before a man can seek God, God

must first have sought the man.”

- A. W. Tozer


"“What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? “When he has

found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. “And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep

which was lost!’ “I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over

ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. “Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until

she finds it? “When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!’ “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who

repents.”"(Luke 15:4-10)

God Pursues Us; We Don’t Pursue Him


"“For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. “The Lord did not set His love on

you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the

fewest of all peoples, but because the Lord loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your

forefathers, the Lord brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery,

from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt."(Deuteronomy 7:6-8)

God Gives Us Grace Without Cause


Alexander Whyte, the great Scottish preacher, once stood up in his pulpit in

Edinburgh and said: “I have discovered the most wicked man in Edinburgh … ” Then

he paused, while the congregation eagerly

awaited the name; whereupon the preacher continued—”Alexander

Whyte”


"We love, because He first loved us."(1 John 4:19)

"For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to

shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen,

the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before

God."(1 Corinthians 1:26-29)

God Gives Us Grace Without Cause


"Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also

has forgiven you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;"

(Ephesians 4:32-5:1)

We Forgive as We’ve Been Forgiven


We Forgive as We’ve Been Forgiven


"This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the

Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles

among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as

righteousness. Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith

who are sons of Abraham.”(Galatians 3:2-7)

We Stop Trying to Earn God’s Favor


Grace Doesn’t Mean Freedom to Sin


“Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”(Luke 6:46)

Lord: Kurios “Owner , Controller of a

person”

Grace Doesn’t Mean Jesus is Only Savior


“The Lord will not save those whom He cannot command. He will not divide His offices. You cannot believe on a half-Christ. We take Him for what He is – the anointed Savior and Lord who is King of kings and Lord of all lords! He would not be Who He is if He saved us and

called us and chose us without the understanding that He can also guide and

control our lives.”- A. W. Tozer, I Call it Heresy!

Jesus is Both Savior and Lord


“Scripture never speaks about anyone ‘making’ Christ Lord, except God Himself, who

as ‘made Him both Lord and Christ’ (Acts 2:36). He is Lord of all (Romans 14:9,

Philippians 2:11), and the biblical mandate for both sinners and saints is not to ‘make’ Christ Lord, but rather to bow to His lordship. Those

who reject His lordship or give mere lip service to His sovereignty are not saved (cf. 1

Cor. 12:3, Luke 6:46-49).”- John MacArthur, The Gospel According to

Jesus

Jesus is Both Savior and Lord


"“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle

and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your

souls. “For My yoke is easy and My

burden is light.”"(Matthew 11:28-30)







The CreedThe CreedI BELIEVE in GRACEI BELIEVE in GRACE

The Creed

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