Embracing Grace: Nurturing Faith and Family Devotion

No, they should not be hidden, though we need to understand they are not the gospel in and of themselves; it's how the gospel works. But having said that, Jesus preached sovereign grace to unconverted people, to thousands of unconverted people. He did it in John 6. He did it in John 8. He does it in John 10. "I lay down My life for the sheep." His audience was the Pharisees. [00:00:20]

So, Peter on the day of Pentecost preached the doctrines of grace, the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God. "As many as the Lord our God will call to Himself." So, to follow the pattern and example of Scripture, we would not withhold these doctrines from unconverted people. There have been times when I've even preached on the doctrine of reprobation and double predestination, and people have been converted, unbelievers. [00:00:57]

Every witnessing situation is unique. When you read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the manner with which Jesus addressed the woman at the well was different from Nicodemus, was different from the scribe, different from the rich young ruler. So, there's a different approach angle with the one true gospel in different situations with different people. [00:01:28]

Since the question is asking about a family situation, I think that family devotions are an essential feature of raising a family. I know that's complicated and difficult with school and after school, and so on. We raised our children in Britain, and our children were not sent to post-school activities like every day of the week. [00:03:40]

We would eat. We would talk. We would ask the children about their day. I would read some portion of Scripture, ask for prayer requests. And at different stages in their growth and development from little children to teenagers, you know, and awkward moments and stuff, you know, we took turns to pray and I usually closed. [00:04:39]

I would encourage that college student to turn toward the Scriptures. The reading of God's Word, study of God's Word shows us that God is a speaking God, who primarily is not revealing Himself through visual arts. He is a speaking God and His Word is true. And the character and the nature and the purposes of God are found in the Word of God. [00:06:50]

I think it's very important to preach the gospel to yourself every day, to remind yourself every day, every morning, "Nothing in my hands I bring. Simply to Thy cross I cling," that there is absolutely nothing that I can do to improve my status of justification, that I am justified by faith alone in Christ alone. [00:08:15]

To be in Christ, first of all means that we have a relationship with Christ, a saving relationship with Christ and are brought into union and communion with Him and in such a way that as we are in Christ what is true of Christ becomes true of us, that His grace and His resources become our experience and possession. [00:10:46]

And so, the life of Christ is now in us by virtue of our being in Christ. And the fact of the matter is, and Christ is in us. So, it's a double union, if you will. My entire life is now lived for Christ, but the life that I live is lived by virtue of being in Christ, and His grace, His sufficiency, the riches of His mercy are now available to me. [00:11:38]

I think that a lot of modern Reformed commentaries on Romans disagrees with that view, but I see absolutely no reason to. It is certainly my experience. You know, apart from the logistical argument of what Paul might be saying in Romans 7, the fact is that that language coincides remarkably closely to my experience of what it is to wrestle with sin every day. [00:16:22]

I think there are some people who cannot pinpoint exactly when they were converted. For one reason, they were sitting under such shallow preaching they weren't receiving enough of the truth to actually have a strong sense of evaluating their own experience and what was happening. So, I think someone can be saved and many people are saved who cannot pinpoint that exact moment. [00:19:14]

I think it simply is saying that true saving faith is you come to the end of yourself and that Christ begins and you are under the authority of Christ. And you are now stepping out of the world and stepping out of the slave market of sin, and you are now following Christ by putting one foot in front of another. [00:28:00]