Jennifer Bales

"If you are justified, you will do good works." Correct. "Do good works so that you remained justified." Wrong. One flows out of the other. It is the work of the Spirit. You can't reverse-engineer sanctification. Streams don't flow uphill.

Anglicans believe that Scripture is not only God’s word written, but its purpose and power is to lead us to know and love the one who loved us first: “That we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ.” The Bible is not a rulebook or a catalogue of good examples to emulate, but primarily the overarching story of God’s saving grace in Jesus. Reformation Anglicans join the English reformers in recognizing that God’s word speaks in two ways: law and gospel. Law is that portion of Scripture that commands, prescribes, and exposes our guilt. The law is God’s moral measure and his requirement of perfection. It’s seen in words like “should,” “ought,” ‘you must” and “you shall.” But the law has no power in itself to fulfill what it demands (a scale can tell you that you need to lose ten pounds, but it can’t lose it for you). The law is wonderful: holy, righteous and good (Romans 7:12), but it begs for a solution outs...

“Picture a twelve-year old boy growing up in a healthy, loving family. As he matures, through no fault of his parents he finds himself trying to figure out how to really assure himself a place in the family. One week he tries to create a new birth certificate for himself. The next week he determines to spend all his extra time scrubbing the kitchen clean. The following week he determines to do all he can to imitate his dad. One day his parents question his strange behavior. “I’m just doing all I can to secure my place in the family, guys!” How would his father respond? “Calm yourself, my dear son! There’s nothing you could possibly do to earn your place among us. You are our son. Period. You didn’t do anything at the start to get into our family, and you can’t do anything now to get out of our family. Live your life knowing your sonship is settled and irreversible.” ~ Gentle and Lowly, pg 182

Gospel Gal: Rest in the Righteousness of Christ~Joy Dudley : Like lighting one small candle to supplement the sun, is adding man's weak merit to what our Lord has done; For He the books of heaven ...

The word “Gospel” is so familiar and frequently used that it is possible to lose sight of its genuine meaning, “good news.” This question is vital as we face a series of movements within our churches which seek to redefine the meaning of the Gospel. In each case we are being offered “another Gospel” (Gal 1:6). The Good News of Christ faces a threat on the order of that faced by the Galatian Christians. What Happened to this Good News? The fathers in the early church spoke the Gospel, but their concerns tended to focus on apologetics, the Trinity, Christology, the canon of Scripture and the church. As often as not the “Gospel” message among the early fathers was that Christ had come, and salvation is available to those who trust Christ and behave themselves. This was not good news for sinners. By the thirteenth century the Gospel of grace was understood as a progressive transformation of a person’s moral life. The gospel equaled sanctification. People were thought to be morally sick...

"That Christ earned our redemption as the reward for his faithful work comforts us, for it assures us that we are saved by his merit and not our own. We are acceptable to the Father not because of our obedience, but because of his obedience. As Heidelberg Catechism Question 60 puts it, Although my conscience accuses me, that I have grievously sinned against all the commandments of God, and have never kept any of them, and am still prone always to all evil; yet God, without any merit of mine, of mere grace, grants and imputes to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ, as if I had never committed nor had any sins, and had myself accomplished all the obedience which Christ has fulfilled for me; if only I accept such benefit with a believing heart."

121 Q. Now explain the meaning of this article, “From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.” A.* With my eyes turned to the heavens and my heart at peace in all distress, persecution, and rumors of war, I believe in and await the coming of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. I am fully confident that as He came the first time to earn our salvation, He will come again to impart to us the full fruit and enjoyment of that salvation He earned, in order that, as it is written, “having now been justified by His blood, much more shall we be saved from wrath by His life. For if when we were still enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life” (Rom. 5[:9, 10]). 122 Q.* Does this article then bring you comfort rather than terror? A. Since all the Articles of Faith have been composed for our comfort, this one too is here certainly not to trouble us but to comfort and delight us. Second, Christ...

Today: Christ's righteousness for us remains unshaken. His love toward us undeterred. His mercy toward us unchanged. And so, our peace with God remains the same.

Genesis 2:4 "These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens." What is the significance of the genealogies and the "generations" in the Old Testament? Why did the authors of Genesis record them? They had Faith. Faith in Christ who from their perspective was "the promised seed." The only reason the generations of Adam and Eve were recorded in Genesis was to track the awaited promised seed from Genesis 3:15. The saints that recorded the lineage of Eve were convinced of Gods promise to send a seed that would "crush the head of the serpent." Because of this they wrote down and recorded the generations of descendants. You can see the anticipation of the promise with Abel... "I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord." Genesis 4:1 And Lamech when he had Noah... "Out of the ground that the Lord has cursed, this one shall bring us relief from ...

Ordo salutis- This is Latin for “order of salvation.” Theologically it is the order of decrees by God in bringing about the salvation of individuals. the ordo salutis is 1) election, 2) predestination, 3) calling, 4) regeneration, 5) faith, 6) repentance, 7) justification, 8) sanctification, 9) glorification.

I was taught in seminary to “preach to felt-needs” by holding each sermon up to the test: what are you asking them to do? This approach made sense. It kept my sermons fairly focused and it gave the flock something to work on. Sometimes the answer was “pray more!” It was often “give more” or “do more for God.” Other times there were instructions about how to have a happy marriage or how to forgive those who hurt you. In the best of those sermons, parishioners carried home with them some advice that might be helpful in their daily lives. It sounds good, right? What could be wrong with relaying concrete application points and actions steps, and giving my opinion about what people should do? Now I see that the end result of try-harder and do-more sermons is crushing. Those messages were not good news, no matter how pleasant and entertaining the preacher is. If we are honest, such sermons eventually result in tired, beat up Christians who carry with them the constant reminder that they do...

Sermon notes: Baptism: Matt 28:18-20 Methods for making disciples: Word and Sacrament (Baptizing). 3 Ways to Use baptism properly: -It does not save us. We trust Christ, not baptism for salvation. We look to Christ to Whom our Baptism points. -It is a visible Gospel. It preaches the Gospel to us: Christ's death, burial, resurrection. Not your act, but God's promise. Not our gift to God, but His gift to us. Not a pledge of our obedience, but His promise to us. -It is initiation into God's visible church. Disciples are made by baptizing. It is a covenant sign (Abrahamic Covenant: context) that is universal: to all nations. Matt 1:1 Jesus: Offspring. Matt 28: He is administering the Abrahamic Covenant in the New Covenant. Gal 3:16. Isa 53:8. Reformed teaching on Baptism: 39 Articles, WCF, Belgic Confession. The Bible knows nothing of an unbaptized Christian. >Christ's sacraments are inseparably connected to church membership. Acts 2:41-42 (Great Commission in action: ...

"At the heart of most religions is a moral code. At the heart of Christianity is a cross, planted in the middle of history." Michael Horton

As fallen sinners, we can come up with thousands of reasons to doubt Christ's love and patience toward us. But, he deals gently with the ignorant and wayward (Heb 5:2). He will never cast out anyone who comes to him (Jn 6:37). He doesn't break bruised reeds (Mt 12:20).

"When I am at the judgment, I will appeal to Christ alone, who is my Advocate. My works are NOT my Advocate." ~John Fonville

“The Reformed confessions teach that the pedagogical (second use) use of the law never disappears. Question 115 of the Heidelberg Catechism asks, “No one in this life can obey the Ten Commandments perfectly: Why then does God want them preached so pointedly?” Here is the answer: “First, so that the longer we live the more we may come to know our sinfulness and the more eagerly look to Christ for forgiveness of sins and righteousness.” Likewise, the Westminster Confession of Faith (19.6) states that the second use of the law remains of great use to the believer. The law helps believers to discover “the sinful pollutions of their nature, hearts and lives, so as, examining themselves thereby, they may come to further conviction of, humiliation for, and hatred against sin, together with a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ, and the perfection of His obedience.”” John Fonville “all three uses of the law (i.e., civil, pedagogical and normative) are always present in the believe...

In the Christian life, we are propelled forward in pursuing good works and righteousness by being pointed to Christ, not ourselves. We are motivated by love, gratitude, joy, safety, security, and peace--not fear and doubt.

Abraham is not Moses, not a covenant of works. The Abrahamic Covenant is God's unilateral covenant with Abraham: the promise of the Gospel (The Covenant of Grace). Galatians 3:8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached **the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.” Genesis 15:1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great.”... 12 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, terror and great darkness fell upon him. 13 God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. 14 But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions. 15 As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a...

The Mosaic covenant powerfully points us to Christ precisely due to its strictness. He is the One who fulfilled Sinai’s command, “Do this and live” (Lev. 18: 5). The moment we begin to water down the law character of this covenant, the work of Christ starts to become obscured. If we are blind to the depth of our sin, then we are handicapped in perceiving the grace of God to save us in Christ. As the saying goes, if you don’t understand sin, you will never understand grace. So God gives us the history of Israel to show us our sinful identity. We discover our spiritual poverty, not primarily through introspection, but by looking to the revelation of God in history as he deals with his people. As Paul remarks about the Old Testament history, “Now, these things happened to them as types and were written down for our instruction” (1 Cor. 10: 11, my translation). By types, Paul means that the events Israel experienced were pictures or models of things to come. They pictured not only Christ b...

“We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain.” (Heb. 6:19) The anchor of your soul isn’t your own faithfulness to God’s law. How frequently you pray, or read the Bible. Jesus Christ, seated at the right hand of God the Father, is the anchor of your soul. His work, and prayers, sustain and keep you.

What do you believe concerning the Holy Spirit? A. First, he is, together with the Father and the Son, true and eternal God. 1 Second, he is also given to me, 2 to make me by true faith share in Christ and all his benefits, 3 to comfort me, 4 and to remain with me forever. 5 1.Gen 1:1, 2; Mt 28:19; Acts 5:3, 4; 1 Cor 3:16. 2.1 Cor 6:19; 2 Cor 1:21, 22; Gal 4:6; Eph 1:13. 3.Gal 3:14; 1 Pet 1:2. 4.Jn 15:26; Acts 9:31. 5.Jn 14:16, 17; 1 Pet 4:14.

The law of God never spoke a word of comfort to the weary. It was not designed for such. Its very nature forbids it. It can anathematize, alarm, and wound; but not a solitary word of consolation and soothing can it address to a soul weary and heavy-laden with sorrow and with guilt. But it is the glorious gospel of the blessed God that the Lord Jesus speaks to His weary ones.

“God knows we have nothing of ourselves, therefore in the covenant of grace he requires no more than he gives, but gives what he requires, and accepts what he gives.”

Gospel Gal: To-Do List Christianity: Horton : It seems that the diet people are getting today, all across American Christianity, is a to-do list! ...Doing...Not believing!  #MichaelHort...

The love of God is not like our love. The love of God does not seek the lovable, the likable, or the one who will love him back. God loved us, as it were, even before he found us, even before he created us, from the very foundation of the world. Indeed, his love created us, formed us in our mother’s womb, recreated us in the womb of the church, and continues to love us even when us are mean, spiteful, and unmerciful. Men in search of a wife look for a woman who is attractive, who will love them back. Not God. He found an ugly, disease-infested prostitute whose life was littered with impurity, shame, and every manner of wickedness. This woman God joyfully made his bride. He washed her clean of every filth, forgave her past, clothed her in his own righteousness, and pronounced her beautiful. This woman for whom God did this—she is us. Do not ask why. Simply say Amen. For what else can one say to the love of God except Amen? Yes, yes, it shall be so. The planks in our eyes and the specks...

Gospel Gal: Quotes and Thoughts from "Let a Person Examine Him... : The sacrament requires and demands self-examination. The Lord's supper summons us to examine whether we are Christian or non-Christian. ...

Following Jesus isn't what saves us, Jesus saves us. Submitting to Jesus isn't what saves us, Jesus saves us. Not that we shouldn't submit to Jesus or follow Jesus but doing these things aren't what save us .Jesus saves us . We are saved by what Jesus has done for us not by what we do . He lived a perfect life on my behalf (obeyed the law perfectly for me) , He died a substitutionary death—in my place, He was buried, He rose again on the third day from the grave for my justification, then He ascended into Heaven where He is now seated at the Right Hand of the Father and forever lives to make intercession for me. - Quote in the picture is by Joy Dudley-

Gospel Gal: Christ Our Advocate: Joy Dudley : Christ Our Advocate: Joy Dudley (Heidelberg Q&A 49) How does Christ's Ascension into heaven benefit us? First he is our Advoca...

~ Scripture proof ~ 1.Ps 103:3, 4, 10, 12; Mic 7:18, 19; 2 Cor 5:18-21; 1 Jn 1:7; 2:2. 2.Rom 7:21-25. 3.Jn 3:17, 18; 5:24; Rom 8:1, 2.

Gospel Gal: Rest in the Righteousness of Christ~Joy Dudley : Like lighting one small candle to supplement the sun, is adding man's weak merit to what our Lord has done; For He the books of heaven ...

Heidelberg 60. Q. How are you righteous before God? A. Only by true faith in Jesus Christ. 1 Although my conscience accuses me that I have grievously sinned against all God's commandments, have never kept any of them, 2 and am still inclined to all evil, 3 yet God, without any merit of my own, 4 out of mere grace, 5 imputes to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ. 6 He grants these to me as if I had never had nor committed any sin, and as if I myself had accomplished all the obedience which Christ has rendered for me, 7 if only I accept this gift with a believing heart. 8 1.Rom 3:21-28; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:8, 9; Phil 3:8-11. 2.Rom 3:9, 10. 3.Rom 7:23. 4.Deut 9:6; Ezek 36:22; Tit 3:4, 5. 5.Rom 3:24; Eph 2:8. 6.Rom 4:3-5; 2 Cor 5:17-19; 1 Jn 2:1, 2. 7.Rom 4:24, 25; 2 Cor 5:21. 8.Jn 3:18; Acts 16:30, 31; Rom 3:22. ~~~~~~~~~ Heidelberg 61. Q. Why do you say that you are righteous only by faith? A. Not that I am acceptable to God on account of the worthines...

Union with Christ in Paul’s Epistles by J.V. Fesko ~article from Tabletalk Magazine~ One of the most breath-taking passages of Scripture appears in the opening of Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians, where the Apostle literally starts at the very beginning when he writes, “In love he [that is, God] predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ” (1:4–5). As Paul unfolds all of the blessings that believers receive, he anchors salvation in Christ with the repetition of a phrase: “In him …” Paul writes, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses … to unite all things in him…. In him we have obtained an inheritance…. In him you also … were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit” (vv. 7–13, emphasis mine). Paul repeats the refrain “in him,” which points us to the doctrine of union with Christ. But what exactly is union with Christ? In his Systematic Theology, Louis Berkhof defines union with Christ as “that intimate, vital, and spiritual union betw...

 How come nobody ever told me before that Jesus obeyed the law perfectly for me  ? I am so thankful that Jesus obeyed the law perfectly for me because i never could .  He lived a perfect life on my behalf, and died a substitutionary death—in my place, He was buried ,He rose again on the third day from the grave for my justification, then He ascended into Heaven where He is now seated at the Right Hand of the Father and forever lives to make intercession for me.

https://eternallyassured.blogspot.com/2020/06/jesus-surrendered-all.html?m=1&fbclid=IwAR2ktoxKNR3nJixMVeIx8r4qtsmDiuvAjimQLe6ftQZXZk4fu6S0lKUOwa8

https://corechristianity.com/resource-library/articles/5-things-you-need-to-believe-about-jesus-2nd-coming/?fbclid=IwAR3YwoI6asaEPvsvznf7GRe0ojI4wCb5ny--G_sB255sS15m1gXGQs0nRxc

https://corechristianity.com/resource-library/articles/what-happens-when-christianity-doesnt-work/

https://heidelblog.net/2020/06/what-the-reformed-can-learn-from-a-1532-synod-preach-christ/?fbclid=IwAR3ci-cBCgyQKQ6ImUfUNQTSpN3KC-meF8zrpDZ6XX-49UDUgWOrvicINhM

https://www.paramountchurch.com/blog/post/understanding-the-contrast-of--law--and--promise--in-galatians-3?fbclid=IwAR1VcpvtE_gcW0ZAj7l0DZMx1Tz_gz-dO6tMNJHht_S1-3UQlEoa5MmKk-o

On a live stream cast today it was stated that we proclaim the gospel in words and deeds. This is a common yet fundamental category mistake of law and gospel. We do not proclaim the gospel in words and deeds. We proclaim and believe the gospel and then respond (never perfectly but only a small beginning in this life) out of gratitude in deeds according to God’s moral will (i.e., the Great Commandment-love of God and neighbor, Matt. 22:33-40). We are redeemed from our misery by grace through Christ, without any merit of ours, and our response of gratitude is to do good works. We do good works (e.g., homeschooling our children during a quarantine) because Christ, having redeemed us by His blood, renews us also by His Holy Spirit after His own image, so that with our whole life we may show ourselves thankful to God for His blessings,1 and that He may be glorified through us;2 then also, that we ourselves may be assured of our faith by its fruits,3 and by our godly walk may win others a...

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10221479976772487&set=gm.869386353484171

Psalm 62:8 - Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. ~Martin Luther: If you are lacking something, well, here is good advice: “Pour out your heart before Him.” Voice your complaint freely, and do not conceal anything from Him. Regardless of what it is, just throw it in a pile before Him, as you open your heart completely to a good friend. He wants to hear it, and He wants to give you His aid and counsel. Do not be bashful before Him, and do not think that what you ask is too big or too much. Come right out with it, even if all you have is bags full of need. Out with everything; God is greater and more able and more willing than all our transgressions. Do not dribble your requests before Him; God is not a man whom you can overburden with your begging and asking. The more you ask, the happier He is to hear you. Only pour it all out, do not dribble or drip it. For He will not drip or dribble either, but He will flood you with a ...

https://corechristianity.com/resource-library/articles/creeds-and-confessions-q-and-a-with-justin-holcomb?fbclid=IwAR2MFp0YiQ5mvZZANU0kgP3FDNArpQimrGNl4kt1e7-9VVLEkjBV9Uol4_U

Our peace before God comes not from the fact that we will never fail but that Jesus will never fail us.

https://www.paramountchurch.com/blog/post/graeme-goldsworthy-on-the-four-reformation-solas?fbclid=IwAR3X4tmO5hRQ1Gri96Ij9DJDC36FQon_J6my8nwdbB9DKs04ObbFk_0ui8E

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10215789054542988&set=a.10215204475928888

https://heidelblog.net/2020/04/what-is-covenant-theology-harrison-perkins-explains-in-7-minutes-and-43-seconds/?fbclid=IwAR3QLyXl5w_RwZ0LExzb3ERiYDF5wEC-7_dwKfw0OkoO3O7aAgVGMwWDCaI

https://www.paramountchurch.com/sermons/sermon/2013-04-07/he-was-buried?fbclid=IwAR1D0LS2vT4iGcF-CgBtuM_RhMNDyq-7k6tisFhdQF4yAz9YO4FiXQXATYg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-UmemwpAvA&fbclid=IwAR0mSl1yHq7a6eWAA_SnWlpJVeKUE6xQtRAca3k0nbzGLTDo6v0CKbtRrrw

Far too many Christians view God as a stern, aloof Father ready to pounce on them when they sin. If this is your view of God, I encourage you to pray that the Holy Spirit will witness to you of the joy and comfort that should be yours as God’s adopted child.

https://www.paramountchurch.com/blog/post/moses-viruses-and-?fbclid=IwAR0RWKmUB7IdxRMSuqdjZq_xE_rFCI7ql1cDm5kYxeJcj3O3M_CLgwBRUOE

~Praise for the Lord’s Mercies~ 103 Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. 6 The Lord executes righteousness And justice for all who are oppressed. 7 He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel. 8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. 9 He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; 12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressio...

https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/union-with-christ-in-pauls-epistles/

Picture made by Marissa https://www.paramountchurch.com/mediaPlayer/?fbclid=IwAR3WVn14mjvje3OJ11yolRscdhco7UPG5FXP42TKVx2NbHsszfOAozJhi0E#/sermonaudio/442

https://www.paramountchurch.com/blog/post/why-do-we-like-to-be-constantly-told-what-to-do?fbclid=IwAR1zVQQ8K72Cu9qrR9uejCDLief7cEjswaFwt9D0KS32gMwaOl-UzV8_4fs

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10221846542296396&set=gm.897305590692247&type=3&theater

Deliverance of the Israelites through the blood of the Passover lamb prefigured the coming of Jesus, who is the Passover Lamb of God who would obtain salvation for God’s people through His substitionary death on the cross. https://www.paramountchurch.com/sermons/sermon/2020-01-19/behold-the-lamb-of-god

Heidelberg Catechism 62. Q. But why can our good works not be our righteousness before God, or at least a part of it? A. Because the righteousness which can stand before God's judgment must be absolutely perfect and in complete agreement with the law of God, 1 whereas even our best works in this life are all imperfect and defiled with sin. 2 1.Deut 27:26; Gal 3:10. 2.Is 64:6. 63. Q. But do our good works earn nothing, even though God promises to reward them in this life and the next? 1 A. This reward is not earned; it is a gift of grace. 2 1.Mt 5:12; Heb 11:6. 2.Lk 17:10; 2 Tim 4:7, 8. 64. Q. Does this teaching not make people careless and wicked? A. No. It is impossible that those grafted into Christ by true faith should not bring forth fruits of thankfulness. 1 1.Mt 7:18; Lk 6:43-45; Jn 15:5.