Forgiveness, Faith, and God's Covenant of Grace
Summary
In our journey of faith, forgiveness stands as a cornerstone. We must be ready and willing to forgive, yet true forgiveness requires repentance. This mirrors God's own paradigm, where forgiveness is not conferred without repentance. As we navigate our spiritual lives, we must seek the Holy Spirit's help to maintain a heart ready to forgive, while understanding the necessity of repentance for true reconciliation.
The Lord's Supper is a profound mystery that has been debated throughout church history. Luther's view, often termed consubstantiation, suggests Christ's presence surrounds the elements, offering spiritual nourishment. Calvin, however, presents a different perspective, where the Lord's Supper is a foretaste of the heavenly banquet, lifting us spiritually into Christ's presence. This view challenges the mere memorial perspective, emphasizing the spiritual communion with Christ that occurs during the sacrament.
Understanding salvation involves recognizing the dual role of the sinner as both active and passive. Ephesians 2 reminds us that we are dead in our sins, unable to choose God without His intervention. Our hearts, naturally hostile to God, need transformation. This transformation is a work of grace, enabling us to actively trust and lean on Christ. Salvation is not merely a passive reception but an active faith that results from a heart changed by God's grace.
The righteousness of Abraham, as discussed in Romans 4, illustrates justification by faith. Abraham's faith was in God's promise, a precursor to the faith we now place in Christ. This faith is not merely belief but is evidenced by works, as James 2 explains. Abraham's actions in Genesis 22 demonstrate that true faith results in obedience, proving the validity of his faith. Thus, faith that justifies is always accompanied by works that testify to its authenticity.
The covenant of grace and the covenant of redemption are foundational to understanding God's plan. The covenant of redemption, an inter-trinitarian agreement, precedes creation, while the covenant of grace unfolds in history, offering salvation through Christ. This covenantal framework helps us see the Bible as a unified narrative, revealing God's redemptive plan through successive covenants. Embracing this understanding enriches our reading of Scripture, providing a cohesive view of God's work from creation to consummation.
Key Takeaways:
1. Forgiveness requires a heart ready to forgive, yet true forgiveness involves repentance. This mirrors God's approach, where forgiveness is not granted without repentance, emphasizing the need for both readiness and genuine reconciliation. [01:45]
2. The Lord's Supper is a spiritual communion with Christ, not merely a memorial. Calvin's view lifts us into Christ's presence, offering a foretaste of the heavenly banquet, challenging us to see the sacrament as a profound spiritual encounter. [04:33]
3. Salvation involves both passive reception and active faith. Our hearts, naturally hostile to God, need transformation by grace, enabling us to actively trust and lean on Christ, illustrating the dynamic nature of true faith. [09:06]
4. Abraham's faith, justified by belief in God's promise, is evidenced by works. This demonstrates that true faith results in obedience, proving its authenticity, as seen in the relationship between faith and works in James 2. [13:26]
5. The covenant of grace and redemption provides a unified narrative of God's redemptive plan. Understanding these covenants enriches our reading of Scripture, revealing God's work from creation to consummation, and offering a cohesive view of salvation history. [21:47]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[01:45] - The Nature of Forgiveness
[02:39] - Christ's Presence in the Lord's Supper
[04:17] - Calvin's View on Communion
[06:26] - The Problem with Transubstantiation
[07:39] - Active and Passive Roles in Salvation
[10:12] - Abraham's Faith and Righteousness
[13:09] - Faith and Works in James 2
[15:04] - Christ's Life and Our Accounts
[17:05] - Humanity Under Adam and Christ
[19:14] - Covenant of Grace vs. Covenant of Redemption
[21:07] - Understanding the Covenant of Grace
[23:06] - The Bible as One Narrative
[24:04] - Reformed Theology and Israel
[27:32] - Dispensationalism vs. Covenant Theology
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Ephesians 2:1-10
2. Romans 4:1-5
3. James 2:14-24
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Observation Questions:
1. According to Ephesians 2, what is the natural state of humanity before God's intervention? How does this passage describe the transformation that occurs through grace? [08:06]
2. In Romans 4, how is Abraham's faith described, and what does it say about the nature of justification? [10:27]
3. How does James 2 illustrate the relationship between faith and works using the example of Abraham? What specific event in Abraham's life is highlighted? [13:09]
4. What are the different views on the Lord's Supper discussed in the sermon, and how do they differ in terms of Christ's presence? [04:17]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the concept of being "dead in our sins" in Ephesians 2 impact our understanding of the necessity of God's grace for salvation? [08:06]
2. Romans 4 uses Abraham as an example of justification by faith. How does this Old Testament example help us understand the New Testament concept of faith in Christ? [10:27]
3. James 2 discusses the evidence of faith through works. How can this passage be reconciled with the idea of justification by faith alone? [13:09]
4. The sermon mentions the covenant of grace and the covenant of redemption. How do these covenants provide a framework for understanding the Bible as a unified narrative? [21:47]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you struggled to forgive someone. How can the understanding that true forgiveness involves repentance change your approach to forgiveness? [01:45]
2. The sermon challenges us to see the Lord's Supper as a profound spiritual encounter. How can you prepare your heart and mind to experience this sacrament more deeply? [04:33]
3. Ephesians 2 describes a transformation from hostility to trust in God. What areas of your life still need transformation by God's grace, and how can you actively seek this change? [09:06]
4. Abraham's faith was evidenced by his actions. Identify a specific area in your life where your faith could be more visibly demonstrated through your actions. [13:26]
5. The sermon discusses the covenant of grace as a tool for understanding Scripture. How can you incorporate this perspective into your Bible study to gain a deeper understanding of God's redemptive plan? [21:47]
6. Consider the role of repentance in your spiritual life. How can you cultivate a heart that is both ready to forgive and willing to seek forgiveness when necessary? [01:45]
7. The sermon highlights the importance of both passive reception and active faith in salvation. How can you balance these aspects in your daily walk with Christ? [09:06]
Devotional
Day 1: Forgiveness Requires Repentance for True Reconciliation
True forgiveness is a profound act that requires both a readiness to forgive and the presence of genuine repentance. This mirrors the divine model, where God's forgiveness is not granted without repentance. As believers, we are called to maintain a heart that is always ready to forgive, yet we must also understand that true reconciliation involves the other party's repentance. This balance ensures that forgiveness is not just a superficial act but a deep, transformative process that leads to genuine healing and restoration. [01:45]
Luke 17:3-4 (ESV): "Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him."
Reflection: Is there someone in your life who has wronged you but has not yet repented? How can you prepare your heart to be ready to forgive them when they do?
Day 2: The Lord's Supper as Spiritual Communion
The Lord's Supper is not merely a memorial but a profound spiritual communion with Christ. Calvin's perspective invites us to see this sacrament as a foretaste of the heavenly banquet, where we are spiritually lifted into Christ's presence. This view challenges us to move beyond a simple remembrance and embrace the deep spiritual encounter that occurs during the sacrament, recognizing it as a moment of intimate connection with our Savior. [04:33]
1 Corinthians 10:16 (ESV): "The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?"
Reflection: How can you approach the Lord's Supper with a mindset that seeks a deeper spiritual communion with Christ rather than just a ritual observance?
Day 3: Salvation as Active Faith and Grace
Salvation is a dynamic process involving both passive reception and active faith. While we are naturally hostile to God, His grace transforms our hearts, enabling us to actively trust and lean on Christ. This transformation is not just a passive acceptance but an active engagement with our faith, illustrating the dynamic nature of true belief. It is a journey where grace empowers us to live out our faith actively. [09:06]
Ephesians 2:4-5 (ESV): "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved."
Reflection: In what ways can you actively engage your faith today, allowing God's grace to transform your actions and decisions?
Day 4: Faith Evidenced by Works
Abraham's faith, as described in Romans 4, was justified by his belief in God's promise and evidenced by his works. This demonstrates that true faith is not just an internal belief but is manifested through actions. James 2 reinforces this by showing that faith without works is dead. Abraham's willingness to act on his faith proves its authenticity, reminding us that genuine faith will always result in obedience and tangible expressions of belief. [13:26]
James 2:21-22 (ESV): "Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works."
Reflection: What is one specific action you can take this week to demonstrate your faith in a tangible way?
Day 5: Understanding the Covenants of Grace and Redemption
The covenant of grace and the covenant of redemption provide a unified narrative of God's redemptive plan. The covenant of redemption, an agreement within the Trinity, precedes creation, while the covenant of grace unfolds in history, offering salvation through Christ. This covenantal framework enriches our understanding of Scripture, revealing God's work from creation to consummation and offering a cohesive view of salvation history. [21:47]
Hebrews 8:6 (ESV): "But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises."
Reflection: How does understanding the covenants of grace and redemption change the way you read and interpret the Bible? How can this perspective deepen your relationship with God?
Quotes
i think that you should be ready and willing to forgive. that's that's where i am. there should be no obstacles on your part, but you cannot simply confer forgiveness on someone who is unrepentant. i'm not sure what that even means, uh in reality but, i think i think i want to be able to say by by the help of the holy spirit i am ready and willing to forgive you. [00:01:34]
calvin speaks not so much of communion as christ's presence down with us but in one sense we are having a foretaste of the marriage supper of the lamb to come, and so we as it were are transported up into the presence of christ at the lord's supper and of course that's a different view than the zwinglian or the simply memorial view that this is the elements are just simply in memory of so calvin sort of carves i think a different view there altogether and i think it's worthy of our reflection. [00:04:20]
believing and hearing is not something we do on our own it is the holy spirit who enables. please talk about how the sinner is both active and passive in salvation. this is all to do with i think you understand it well if you understand it's all to do with what our hearts are like naturally. ephesians 2 we are dead in our sins, following the prince of the power of the air. [00:07:39]
our problem is not that we are naturally neutral and therefore happily give someone the information of the gospel and they can just decide for themselves which way might they choose to go. their problem is they don't want god, their hearts are in the wrong place, and so what needs to happen is their hearts need to be turned away from that natural hostility that john 3 love of the darkness. [00:08:18]
there is a need for an active work of god that our hearts might be turned so we have to be passively receiving the grace of god while we were still sinners, god's gracious to us, but that change in our hearts then must work itself out in the act of faith which is itself a receiving of christ, but it is an activity that because my heart has been turned therefore i actively lean upon depend upon christ. [00:08:56]
when paul in romans 4 wants an illustration of justification by faith alone, in christ alone apart from the works of the law or or justification which involves imputed imputed righteousness, he goes to abraham and david, and so so it's not that abraham was was reckoned to be righteous in the sight of god in any different manner than than you or i are reckoned righteous in the sight of god. [00:10:38]
there was a content that abraham was putting his faith in it was it was in god and it was in god's promise, and so you see that as the pattern prior to christ with the anticipation that this is fulfilled in christ and then now that christ has come and we are on this side of the cross that content is in fact christ and that's even as you brought out in your message it's faith in the lord jesus. [00:11:25]
it's not faith that saves it's the object of that faith that saves, and of course chronologically prior to christ there is this anticipation looking forward to and now chronologically after the cross it is christ it is his work that is the content of that same saving faith and as you pointed out is that that litmus test of faith in the lord jesus that we can know that we are a christian. [00:11:56]
we read you see a person is justified by works and not by faith alone, which sounds troubling, but but you read his argument and it very clearly answers this question looking at genesis 22, in james 2 21 james writes was not abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son isaac on the altar you see that faith was active along with his works and faith was completed by his works. [00:12:53]
the scripture was fulfilled that says abraham believed god and it was counted to him as righteousness now if you look at the the chapters he's referring to genesis 15 6 abraham believed god and it's counted to him as righteousness he is justified by faith alone, but what happens then seven chapters later in genesis 22 is he proves the validity of his faith it works out in his actions. [00:13:30]
the covenant of grace would would be viewed as the enactment of that pre-temporal covenant of redemption in space and time, and and that covenant of grace being being seen in various historical epochs uh with with adam with abraham with moses with david and and the prophetic anticipation of the new covenant or the everlasting um covenant in isaiah in in ezekiel jeremiah. [00:20:15]
i would really encourage you to invest energy in reading about and studying the covenant of grace, and moving from just the doctrines of grace as as definitive of the reformed faith and coming to understand the covenant and as you understand that covenant of grace it will unlock scripture for you it will be such a tool for you to be able to make sense it's the it's the it's the puzzle box lid for all the pieces of scripture that you encounter. [00:21:16]
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