Covenant Theology: Part 10

Show Notes

Rev. Scott Wright

Adult Sunday School

What is Redeemer Church Sermons?

We exist to exalt, proclaim, and treasure the Lord Jesus Christ that He may have devoted followers throughout the world. A congregation in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) located in Hudson, Ohio.

Speaker 0: You're listening to an adult Sunday school class at redeem Church, a Pc congregation in Hudson Ohio io. For more information, visit us at redeem Ohio dot org.

Speaker 1: Any questions on on this chart or the other 1 or anything associated with it. Very ellis? There This 1 sure. Yeah. Absolutely.

You got that 1 Okay. Okay. Yeah. Be happy to get that. Casper.

Anybody else want 1 of those? I can try make Okay. I can make a bunch of them or I'll have lauren do it. She's better than me. She's more efficient.

So I'll try to have those next week if that's alright. Okay. So God's distinguishing love as you remember single out Abraham to whom he made a solemn commitment and we always turn to Genesis 12 when we talk about the Abraham at call. Now, the Lord said to Abraham, go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I'll show you, and I will make you a great nation. And I will bless you, and I'll make your name great so that you will be a blessing, and I will bless those who bless you and him who dis honors you, I will curse and in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

And, of course, this is the call The initial call by which Abraham was let out of her of the cal into the land of promise. He was an idol. He was descended from idol and God and his distinguishing grace called this particular man. For reasons known only to him. And it's the same with you and me.

For reasons known only to him, he calls you and me for no other reason. There's nothing about you or me that is any different from any other center. The God of glory appeared to him according to Stephen, which apparently suggests that he called Abraham broom with great displays of his divine splendor. So was not just a verbal call, although that's the most important thing. But Stephen tells us inspired by the holy spirit that the God of glory appeared to him.

And this alone was what enabled Abraham him to recognize the divine call something so splendor that he was wanting to give up everything that was familiar to him. The Apostle Paul says that this promise in Genesis 12 1 to 3 was formally ratified or sanctioned by a covenant oath. And this is what God often does when he gives a promise, he will rat it or he will formally confirm it for formally authorize it. So we find in Hebrews 6 when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no 1 greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying surely, I'll bless you and multiply you and thus Abraham having patiently waited and obtain the promise for people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes and Oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincing to the heirs of the promise, the un unfavorable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath.

So we asked ourselves, well, what was the oath that God used to guarantee the promise that he'd made and of course, we're gonna find in Genesis fifth seen that the ceremony that he had Abraham contribute to with the slain animals, that was his oath. It ratified the promise. Just like here, the promise is given from the pulpit and the confirmation is given at the table. That's his oath. So every Sunday, we have 2 infallible things that gives us more more assurance.

For should. The promise was declared to Abraham in the call and confirmed to Abraham in the solemn oath, And so insofar as Abraham was the father of All who believe we understand that the promise remains in full force to all of us. So you'll find a great nation, bless you, your name great, all the families in the earth bless. Those 4 aspects of the Abraham abrahamic a call. And we find all 4 associated with us in Christ, a great nation.

We're part of the visible church. That is a huge privilege. I don't think we understand what a great privilege that is. We're blessed in Christ. With that spiritual blessing in the Heavenly places.

Ephesians 2. Your name great. We're given a great name in Christ. We bear the name of Christ as Christians. And all the families in the earth shall be blessed.

We're participating in the whole worldwide spread of the gospel when God gathers his people. So this promised to Abraham is still in enforced with respect to us. Any questions on this slide. Okay. So Genesis 15 for the first time, Moses scribes the Abrahamic promise as a covenant.

It is a covenant. It was Abraham to or genesis 12. But for the first time he uses that word and the promise in Genesis 12 then contain the covenant substance which the oath ratified in Genesis 15. As we said. The lord the God of heaven who took me from my father's house and from the land of my kindred and who spoke to me and swore to me.

Promise, ratification. To your off spring I'll give this land. He will send his angel before you and you shall take a wife for my son. Abraham is talking to his servant in La who who sending to get a son for his wife isaac. But notice how he says, God spoke to me and then he swore to me.

He told El that got me a promise and ratified it with an oath. The lord sealed his covenant promise with an oath ceremony to help cultivate Abraham assurance. That's the whole purpose of the oath to show more convincing to the heirs of the promise, the un purpose of his a decree. He wants us to be assured. He takes delight and trying to encourage us The ritual that he used was a common method of gratifying covenants among the ancients.

You can go to Jeremiah 30 for where he talks about men who have violated the covenant, and the way that they made that covenant was having the animals and walking through. Them. So the animals were halved, and the severed halves were laid over against each other in 2 rows. The smoking fire pot and the flaming torch passed alone through the severed animal halves while Abraham was put into a deep sleep. And it was as if God was saying, if this covenant is broken, then made this punishment be inflicted on me.

God himself. It's so what we find it was a living demonstration or drama demonstration of the judgment curse to be inflicted in the case of covenant breach. So if that covenant was broken, God would suffer. Not Abraham because he didn't walk through the sla animals as a sinner, we're gonna look at this more closely in a minute, but as a sinner, Abraham would break it. Inevitably.

He's a sinner. That's what sinner do. They break covenant. We don't keep covenant. And so Abraham had to be cursed.

But it says in cursing Abraham or Abraham. God said him who curse you, I will curse. So God would have to curse him self, if he cursed Abraham for breaking the covenant. Well, Abrams gonna break the covenant. He's got cursed Abraham.

So God has to curse himself. It's a wonderful way of describing what's to come in the future. Any questions, Marie scripture have anything Right. Just Right. Not true.

God himself makes that oath, then he's swearing to his rob. Oh, how would I define curse? Well, it'd be the divine disc favor to put it lightly. God's... Remember the blessing of the priest and numbers 6, I believe the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you While the lord's frown, his dis favor.

His anger is his curse upon mankind. And he mitigate that curse oftentimes with threads of mercy, you know, When... In his judgment, as we've seen throughout history. He's always ming his mercy, which is incredible. But his curse is his favorite.

Yes. Go ahead. We find it ultimately working itself out at the cross. Yeah. With jesus.

So when Jesus is died under the infinite wrath of God. He died under the curse of God, and he endured that curse for all the elect. Now, you know, the tragic thing is is that the un unbelievable will have to endure that curse in and of himself, which is never ending. That's probably the worst part of it, no hope. But the blessing on the other side is never ending, which is probably the best part on salvation.

Yeah. Does that does that help? Okay. Okay. Jim?

Thank you, Marie. So during the ritual Abraham guarded his sacrifices from the birds of prey. And oftentimes we don't understand what this heart of the ritual signifies, but we think that these birds of christ implies the demonic forces. The devil seeks to destroy and oil and to des anything that serves the purpose of god. The birds were told in Revelation 19, eat man's flesh at the judgment, which is also described as the great supper of Gods.

So if you... If you're gonna try to draw parallel there, these birds are the same kind of birds that represent the evil forces a destroy man. The slain halved animals symbolize the terrible curse of death both violent and forsaken. And God's personal presence represented by the fire pot and the smoke looking cloud were represented was represented by the columns of fire and smoke. And so this was a vivid prophetic representation of the cr of Jesus Christ.

He's teaching his people, what's going to happen. How God is gonna redeem those who labor and live under the curse. Jesus is gonna take the curse for us because we are covenant breakers. That's who we are. We cannot escape.

Being no respect of persons Christ would not spare even himself if he had to curse Abraham. He'll keep his covenant. God always keeps his word. So you can bank on his word. He would put himself under the threatened judgment curse as noted since Abraham was a sinner god as the celestial judge was obliged to curse him.

If he didn't curse him, he'd deny himself. If he did curse him, he'd curse himself Either way, God takes it upon himself, and he steps in and provides the mediator. Since he made a solemn promise, he curse himself. God is not the covenant breaker, we know that to be true, but his promise is fulfilled only through the seeds Bruised Reads. Or Bruised Healed.

So you remember, he made this promise in Genesis 03:15. And all along the way, he has clarifying the promise for us. He's on unfolding further the revelation. This oath ceremony in Genesis 15 gives us more clarity about the woman's seed. But it's the same gospel.

All along, it's the same gospel. Those sealed his commitment to suffer death and abandonment on the Roman cross and therefore we have Christ saying, why have you forsaken me? And it's a quotation from Psalm 22. Any questions on this 1. Okay?

So the book of Hebrews, it's looking back probably the most Jewish oriented book of the new testament. It seems to allude to this ceremony in chapter 10. Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain that is through his flesh. And this this language of passing through that har back to the old ceremony in Genesis 15. Jesus uses this concept when he's speaking to Thomas He said I am the way and the truth and the life.

No 1 comes to the father except, not by me. Through me. And again, it's har back to this idea that it's through the way of salvation. Jesus himself passes through the judgment curse of god opening up the way for us to be reconciled. Okay.

The way involves the beaten bloody pierced flesh and the shed blood of Christ our redeem. He alone is the only way to safely pass through the fiery swords. You remember the cher at the entrance to the paradise But it's the garden of far? This is embarrassing. What's the garden?

Eden. Now. It's your daughter? Sorry. I'll just think of your daughter sorry.

Okay. The garden of eden. I was testing you. I wanted to see if you remember what that was. The chair being were entrusted with the fiery swords to guard the way to the, way of life.

And so Christ had the pass through those sharp burning swords to reopen the passageway to eden. And we note how the fiery weapons were woven into the embroidered veil before the most holy place in the temple. Remember, beautiful embroidery that Moses head, and David had put into the veil between the holy place and the most holy place. So the only way through into the most holy place, the very presence of God was through the flaming swords. The sac official cutting symbolism is repeated again when Abraham was to sacrifice his son Isaac at the right moment.

You remember got intervened, and it for shadowed God's delivering up his own son for sinner. He told Abraham, take your son, your only son, the son of promise and offer him up And at that point, Abraham had been trained over decades of walking with the Lord in his face was mature enough that he didn't hesitate. He took a son Isaac to the mountain, walked up the mountain with his son who said, father, we have the wood. We have the fire. Where is the sacrifice?

Well, my son God provide the sacrifice, and they got to the top and he bound his own son, who by that point was probably 18 or 19 years old, at least 18 or 19. Meaning he was a man. Abraham was old by that point, and there's no way Abraham could have overpowered his son. So it suggests that Isaac voluntarily let him bind himself as he sacrificed on Mount Maya. And the person of Isaac had also highlighted the sun's commitment to pass through the way for us, the way of death is therefore transformed into the way to the father.

It is now the way of life. He's transformed it. Death is no longer an enemy. It's friend for the Christian. Any questions on this 1, in it's 22, Jonathan,

Speaker 2: that also reflected in the if lights being went through the red sea going through the waters.

Speaker 1: Yes. So car back. Yes. Very good. Yes.

Exactly the... It's also depicted symbolically in the It's going to the red sea, as you said, and that there's a way of looking forward to our baptism, which points also to the flood waters of judgment. Yeah. Okay. So So for all who hear God's word and believe in Jesus Christ like Abraham did, who was the father of the faithful.

There is eternal life. An unbelievable blessing. An incomprehensible benefit. We share that work those words all time, but we can't even conceive of what that means. He received the sign of ci vision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith, while he was still on ci sized.

The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being ci... Without being ci size so that the righteousness would be counted to them as well. This was the historical outgrow of God's free, sovereign and eternal election. Abraham is a perfect example for us an idol her. Right?

A son of idol, chosen and plucked out of the fire brought into the promised land because of God's free sovereign eternal election. There's no other reason. Hey abraham didn't deserve it. He didn't earn it. Didn't buy it.

God just chosen. And that's why you're here. That's why I'm here. He just chose you. And it's hard for human beings to get their minds around that.

It doesn't seem fair. But nothing about this is fair. If we're talking about fair. Are we all belong in hell. So let's just put aside all discussions about fair.

This is grace. You know, the workers that and it we're hired the first hour complained because the workers hired at the eleventh hour. We're given the same thing. But Jesus says, isn't isn't it my prerogative? To give as I see fit, if I wanna be mer to them and give them what I gave to you, who are to complain.

He had continued to divide humanity, for example, Noah, chosen him Sc chose him pi, Abraham, Isaac Jacob all the way down the line, he's choosing. Showing that and is the sovereign foundation is the gracious foundation of his salvation. According to a sovereign good pleasure, he distinguished between individuals, not just nations. I know the the the minister to whom I went when I was convicted of sin and wanted to figure out what was going on, and he was actually the 1 god used to convert me I I've told the story for, but he years later when I was back to thank him for being involved in my conversion. He told me I don't believe an individual salvation, those passages refer to nations.

Okay. But we're seeing here that the passages of God's grace and sovereign election refers to individual 2. He's picking individuals. He's not just picking nations. And so yes, it refers to as a name and my chosen people, but he picks you and he picks me, and that's an incredible thing.

Isaac election illustrates the divine power in miraculously producing the promised seed. Jacob's election illustrates the divine grace by which the covenant blessing is gained. This guy's a rich. He's a to See, a liar. He's du and yet god chooses him and you see Jacob over time through his life becoming more san and yet at the end of his life, he's still struggling with the same setting sins isn't that encouraging.

You and I go with the same setting sins. Every day. And you pray against it. You strive against it. You strategize eyes against it, it still happens.

And hopefully over time it gets a little bit less, but the only time you're gonna free of it ultimately and perfectly just when you see him in heaven. So I'm encouraged to buy Jacob. I think the change in his name to Israel shows that God gave him a new status as well discover this morning in the sermon. Yeah. Taught that the covenant was much broader a much broader circle than election.

We he have Ishmael and Esa who are in the covenant, ci size and yet not true israel. So the covenant and it's kind of a hard concept to get our brains around, but the covenant is wider it's an election. Not all of Israel, are Israel, Right? Not all of the church, our true church. That's the truth.

The israelites as a whole failed to inherit the blessings that were promised to Abraham and Pulse says it's not as though the word of God has failed. Yes. There's a lot of jews out there that have not believed. They're part of the covenant, but they're not believing. Well, then has it failed?

No. It's not as though the word of God has failed for not all who are ended from Israel belonged to Israel. And not all our children of Abraham because there is offspring, but through Isaac, shall your offspring be named. Remember, Isaac, this chosen promise child. That's how god operates.

This means that it's not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise. That's how God operates. He chooses. Sovereign. He elect from before the foundation of the world, and nothing can interrupt his ever last love.

Nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Any questions on election? Brian?

Speaker 3: So having you compare what in romans 9 with someone with the prod child who is part of the.

Speaker 1: An ultimately prod child 1 who's died and maybe has given no indication whatsoever of shaving face.

Speaker 4: I'd saying in either case.

Speaker 3: Well, what Was lost sizing more someone.

Speaker 1: Yeah. I was long as it's was brass in the lungs we have hoped. Right? So we wouldn't wanna say... I mean, there can be a child who's going the way of the prod goal seemingly at this point.

Hopefully will reclaim the child. But I would say that, you know, the covenant is wider than election that as hard as it is, for us to understand that child, if that child never repent and dies in his sins then he is not part of the even though he was part of the covenant. Yeah. It's like the visible church and the invisible church. Right?

There's always a remnant in the church. As we've said, there is no pure church on earth, perfectly church church. And that's hard to embrace, but it's true. So we pray we labor and we work and Eric

Speaker 5: speak to goals, to speaking to others don't necessarily agree with action language of love and hate really difficult to talk shaking that way. So you talk a little bit about why the word

Speaker 1: hey. Right. Yeah. When in, the the question is all about Jacob I loved you, so I hated this language of love and hate. Why is it so stark.

And it's because God oftentimes uses comparisons to emphasize his point. And if you think about Esa, he did not hate him in the sense of sending him to hell immediately. He actually blessed him in many ways and gave him, you know, 12 princes a whole a nations came. He gave him a land that was guarded for centuries. So in comparison into his love for Jacob, which involves the eternal blessings of Christ.

Well, this love is compare like, hate comparatively. So I think that's 1 way to look at it is we have to that he is using comparative language. If you don't hate your father, mother, wife, children and have me first. You're not my. What what what are you talking about?

Jesus? I'm commanded to love my wife? Okay. It's comparative. You're supposed to love Jesus.

So much that compared to that, your love or any loved 1 on earth is like hate. There's just no comparison. You know, that's the kind of thing. Okay? Those who were in Christ by faith are identified as the promised seed, and the believing seed in history was always a remnant within the nation of Israel just as it is in the new testament church.

God has not rejected his people whom he fore knew. So so too at the present time, there is a remnant chosen by grace. As regards the gospel their enemies for your sake. But as regards to election, they are beloved for the sake of their fore. So those 3 verses, we have these interesting statements regarding god's electing purpose.

There was individual election verse 5, at the present time, there is a remnant chosen by grace. The remnant, not the nation. We find individuals being chosen single out, distinguished by god. And there is national the israelites and believing Jews were enemies of the gospel, but because God had chosen the nation, the nation is beloved, and their beloved for the sake of their fore fathers. There is There's a degree of temporal blessing that descends upon the children of Abraham by the flesh because of national election.

If that makes sense, Yes.

Speaker 3: Is part an election concept that which it is offered but it's not. So when do you?

Speaker 1: Yeah. I think that there is a difference between the election of Israel as a theo nation, a unique type of election in history and the election of individuals to salvation exactly.

Speaker 3: And we you say that for early in other

Speaker 1: Kings saul.

Speaker 3: Yeah. Horse king cider.

Speaker 1: Yeah. Is. Yeah. He's the Messiah.

Speaker 3: Correct So no

Speaker 1: Right. Yeah. Absolutely. I think you're right. Saul and cyrus cyrus is actually called his Christ to deliver his people, Israel right, but he's not saved.

So there is there is a distinction that Man is talking about between, like a national election or choosing of instruments that God will use for the benefit of his people and election to salvation. And so you see it here. He chose israel as his nation. He chooses individuals for salvation. His promise didn't fail with those who fell away because his promise never referred them.

Okay? The promise of salvation. His promise is fulfilled in the redemption of the the heirs of righteousness, which is received by faith. So all of those who are ordained to eternal life, his promise fulfilled. It prevail.

He keeps his word. If you read that new testament and you hear Jesus tell you all who come to me. I'll never cast out and you believe it. It's true. He uses that in your life to draw you to Christ.

If you read that statement and just ignore it, sc at it, it doesn't apply you. So 1 of the primary... Ways of developing assurance is the fact that you believe what god is for field. Now you and I both wave, we have doubts. We're weak, but there as many times when, oh, my my my faith and this promise strong.

I really think it's true, you know, and you have a desire to read the word, and you have an interest in the things of worship, and those are great evidence of saving grace. Those these are those whom got 4 new and chose by grace on whom he had set his love from eternity. And it's that, which distinguishes his people. His electing love. Our salvation can be traced ultimately to his electing love from before the foundation of the world.

The remnant according to the election of grace are chosen from eternity to be vessels of glory. It's not of works. Done. It's not of works foresee. You'll hear some people saying, well, God fore saw that you would do certain things.

That's why he chose you, but it doesn't make any sense, it's absurd. If you can foresee what's gonna happen, he ordained what happens. Right? It's gonna be certain. He knows it's gonna happen because he ordained.

It's his pure free me divine, grace. Over and over again, the Bible is teaching us. It's grace. Has nothing to do with who you are, what you've done where you're nothing, which is kinda hard to understand, but it's true. Why would god choose me?

I have no idea. No idea and neither to you. The foundation of all our hosts and all of our aspiration for eternity is laid in god's election. Is sovereign, good pleasure. Any question Yeah.

Of point being made is that that we... They accuse us of not being able to say Jesus loves you and it's a great plan for your life. No. We we can't say that ind, but we can say Jesus offers to you, salvation. Here are the terms.

All you need to do is believe in him and trust him for your salvation and you're in. And if you do that, I have every reason to think that he loves you from eternity. I think that's wonderful. I think the terms are are freely offered to everybody. So, yeah, to say, I can't look into the eternal counsel of God, but I can sit look into his word and see what he said.

And he makes this offer freely and sincerely to every human being? That's what's the amazing thing. How can he be sincere in his offer when he knows who are gonna accept it, but who might argue with God? I mean, he he can do it. It's a very free and sincere offer of Sal by faith alone in Christ alone to anybody who responds.

At the same time, he chooses whom he will apply that salvation too, and it's a mystery, Got supernatural overcame the natural obstacles that stood in the way of his promise. Remember he overcame Sarah's barren this which was way past child bearing age when 90 years old. Is anything too hard for the Lord, at the point time, I'll return to you about this time next year and then Sarah shall have us son. Absolutely astounding. God overcame the age of Abraham who himself is a hundred years old as good as dead for pro creation.

He overcame Abraham policy of conceal his wife's identity, which did threaten her chastity at least twice. Right? Overcame all the alternative air that were passed over by the lord. There was lot. There was El.

There was ish ishmael. None them. The son of your loin, Abraham. The promised son. Every human strategy was defeated, all human resources were exhausted and yet god's promise prevailed.

When it seems so unlikely. His promise prevail His word is more sure than the earth itself. It required sheer supernatural for the promise to enjoy for wish and God did not disappoint. As a matter of fact, the name El s die, I think it was made famous by Amy Grant. I can't remember it wasn't she the 1 sang that song.

Yeah. God almighty first appears within the Abrahamic mc narratives. That's where we first encountered God almighty. When Abraham was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to Abraham said to him I am God almighty El should die, Walk before me and be blame. So he is teaching them and us that it's by his power, not by might, not by strength of human ingenuity or anything else.

It's by his power and the holy spirit that things get done. Any questions on this. Okay. Now the Abraham abrahamic promise did did not exist apart from human obligations. Okay?

So we find as we'll see that there were certain obligations at Abraham had to fulfill. Only has he answered for Obeyed god's call, did he hope to enter the promised land. And yet, we know as good new testament believers that the heavenly inheritance is not secured on the basis of his obedience, but on the basis of Abraham faith. Right? We're taught good reform presbyterian Christians, we under stand it's not by works.

But the promises exist alongside of the obligation that if fulfilled evidence divine graves. Do you see the difference? The obligation of the covenant are fulfilled not as means to an end, but as affects of the cause. If you're chosen by God then inevitably, you're going to show it by obedience. That's evidence of grace.

So we obey the 10 commandments not because we're trying to earn God's favor, but because we please our father. Huge difference. Strive for peace with everyone. Sorry. And for the h without which, no 1, will see the Lord.

You ever seen that verse. The h without which, no 1 will see the Lord. And he's not just talking about imp righteousness. He's talking about h of life He's not talking about perfect h. He's talking about the kind of h that grows out of a true sincere work of grace in your heart.

If that seed of God is planted in you, it's gonna produce fruit. And inevitably and that fruit will be onto h. So if you see the evidence of grace in your life if you're growing and h incrementally, then you will see the lord. You may be show of this that everyone who is sexually immoral or imp of who is cove that is an idol has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Now, does that mean if somebody commits 1 of those sins it's done?

No. It means that's not the habit of your life. You're moving more and more away from those kind of things, such or some of you corinthians Right? But you've been washed. You've been cleansed.

You've been renewed. And the Korean church is dysfunction as it was, show the evidence of becoming more and more holy, and that's what he's talking about. So also faith by itself if it does not have works it's dead. Luther hated that verse. Hated it.

Didn't want jane to be in the Bible because of that verse. But the the thing is, James is not saying anything different than Paul. He's simply saying, look, I have no reason to think your faith is genuine if there's no works. If there's no sincere obedience, it's never gonna be perfect. But if there's no obedience in your life, I have no reason to think you're a true Christian.

If you're trying. And if your life is characterized by repentance I have every reason to think you're a true believer. If if obedience functions as the merit ground of salvation, it's a works principle. While Abraham obedience was necessary for salvation, it was most certainly not merit notorious. I hope you get that distinction.

Obedience is necessary. It's a necessary attendant to faith, but it's not merit. That's a huge distinction that we had to understand. It doesn't earn you anything. If you're a believer, the first moment that you trust in Christ, you have as much favor from God as you'll have after 40 years of walking with him.

It doesn't change. But it's necessary because it shows the true graces is at work. The ground of Abraham salvation was the obedience of Jesus who lived and died vic car. Any questions? That's the ground of our salvation.

The source is god's electing love. The ground is christ to a obedience and the means or the holy spirit applying salvation through the word to your heart. It's all god. It's a try and work. It's marvelous.

Faith and obedience or twin gifts of saving grace as well as twin fruits of the holy spirit. They're distinct, but they're always connected. Faith and obedience always come as a parent. That's what James means. God's called to abraham to leave her the Cal was like Jesus called a disciples ship.

He saw Matthew sitting at the tax booth and he said to him follow me. Leave what's comfortable, leave your way of life follow me. It.

Speaker 2: Is that will false undervalued moments when I. Through whom we have received grace and to bring about you meetings and faith them among all the held for.

Speaker 1: Absolutely, it's in Romans 16 too the same phrase. Convenience faith. Absolutely. It's the obedience that is the fruit of faith. So...

Yeah. Absolutely. Good good mention, and think we always say things like, well, it's salvation is by faith alone, but it's always by a faith that is never alone. Right? And that's what he means.

So it's encouraging. Ed?

Speaker 2: Sorry. So z or 9 has a similar phrasing? Is that the same thing?

Speaker 1: Do you have a attack mixture.

Speaker 2: I'll tell it before since past sorry.

Speaker 1: It's alright. It's alright. Is that the h 1 without which she will never see the

Speaker 2: lord

Speaker 1: Whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me every day, taking up your cross, than Deny I and yourself, modifying your sin If anyone's serves me, he must follow me and where I am there you will be my servant will be also. These are faith and obedience, faith and obedience, the obedience of faith. Covenant disciples is a matter of self denial and following Jesus Christ. Our evan should be characterized by come and die. That's the call or disciples ship.

It we're not seeker sensitive in the sense that we're sensitive to the sinner feelings. We want the sinner to hear the truth. Yes, there's eternal. But you gotta come and die Unless a seed falls to the ground and dies, it cannot bear fruit. First to Jesus primarily, but to us as well.

You take up your cross. Turning from idol to serve the true and living God, leaving home and comforts for his sake. It's what he required of Abraham, go from your country Kindred father's house that's free cars of us. While I can't go on anymore. I'm.

We've reached the time and any final questions or comments that you might have. Nicole of Abraham is pretty amazing as it his covenant, and it's still in force and it applies to us. All the promises and the blessings in Christ. Okay. We all set.

Excellent. Let's close the prayer. Father we're so thankful that from all the eternity, you've chosen your people according to your sovereign, good pleasure. There's much of this that we don't under stand, it's mysterious and yet it's encouraging as well because we know that no 1 and nothing can t your eternal purpose. We thank you for choosing us for reasons known only to your yourself, and we pray that you're spirit will now prepare us for the great privilege and duty of Worship.

We ask it all in the match name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Speaker 0: Thank you for listening. For more information or to connect with us, visit us at redeem Ohio dot org.