Disclaimer

Disclaimer: I am not a Biblical scholar. All my posts and comments are opinions and thoughts formulated through my current understanding of the Bible. I strive to speak of things that can be validated through Biblical Scriptures, and when I'm merely speculating, I make sure to note it. My views can be flawed, and I thus welcome any constructive perspectives and criticisms!

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

081217: Romans 4 & 5 & 6

Romans 4 "Abraham Justified by Faith"
- a good summarization of Romans 1-3 and a brief mentioning of the history of God's people
- "If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about--but not before God. What does the Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteuousness.'"
- "He is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised... and he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised."
- "It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless."

Romans 5:1-11 "Peace and Joy"
- "Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith ino this grace in which we now stand."
- "Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man... while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Romans 5:12-21 "Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ"
- "Sin is not taken into account when there is no law."
- "For if the many died by the trepass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!"

notes from NIV:
- Adam introduced sin and death into the world; Christ brought righteousness and life.
- Adam stands for humanity's condemnation; Christ stands for the believer's justification.
- Adam by his sin brought universal ruin on the human race; Christ brought universal blessing through one righteous act.
- Death: physical death is the penalty for sin; it is also the symbol of spiritual death--ultimate separation from God

Romans 6:1-14 "Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ" --> the concept of "born again Christian"
- "We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."
- "Our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin--because anyone who has died has been freed from sin."
- "Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus."

081214: God's Radical Intervention

Sermon by Pastor Don Willeman

1 John 4 & 5

theme: what it means to know God

Faith does NOT equal to will power but the power of God within us.

Romans 3:11
"There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God."

Ephesians 2
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that on one can boast."

Love God for God's sake!

Confession of Faith (adapted from Romans 1:1-4)
"The Gospel is what God promised beforehand, through His holy prophets in the Hebrew Scriptures, concerning His Son, He was born of the seed of David, according to the flesh, declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness: Jesus, the Anointed King, our Lord."

081130: Knowing What to Pray For

Sermon by Pastor Don Willeman

Colossians 1:3-14
"For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God."

- what urged Paul to pray:
a. faith of Christ
b. love of saints

- Paul prays for the people living the Christian way, for life-style changes

-the knowledge of "His Will"
misconceptions:
a. moralistic: to know the 10 commandments
b. pre-conceived notion of Christian sub-culture
* "2-step Christianity": how to live as a Christian after becoming a Christian (aka Disciple)
* "what does God want me to do," i.e. God would whisper into my ear about what I should do"
truth:
a. His plan/purposes in Christ, thus, is to really understand God/Christ, to understand the Mission
b. Christians should continually seek more knowledge, to continually wonder WHO Jesus is--"to know it in a way that could never be filled"
and thus, to be continually filled with the knowledge of His will


- thus, knowing what to pray for:
Adolation
Confession
Thanksgiving
Supplecation (asking/petitioning)