Faith: Union With The Mediator
Minister: |
Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: |
6/27/2010 AM
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Text:
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John 15;
Lord's Day 7
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Psalters: |
203, 339, 397, 356 |
- The power of faith.
- Scripture and the Catechism speak of being grafted into Christ and of receiving Him.
- In grafting a branch from one tree is attached on the stem of another tree, so they grow together.
- Applied, God takes the elect branches from the dead tree of Adam and grafts them into the vine of Christ.
- This work of uniting us with Christ is accomplished before we are conscious of it (as unseen as a building’s foundation).
- Faith is given when God implants Christ’s life in the elect at regeneration.
- The activity of believing is possible because the power (ability) to believe was given (Acts 5:31).
- The power (ability) to believe is a living thing, and therefore it is active (James 2:17,20,26).
- The essential activity of faith is that of knowing Christ, drawing from Him, and turning to Him.
- Faith is knowing Whom we have believed so we abide in Christ, to cleave to the Lord (Acts 11:23).
- Living branches (on this side of the grave) need pruning and purging, so we produce more and better fruit.
- The activity of faith is like anything living, namely, it should be developing, but sometimes is wanes.
- The activity of faith is also a work of the Holy Spirit, Who constantly breathes live into us.
- The Spirit works the activity of faith through the means of the Word, the means of grace.
- Bound together with Christ, Christians gain an assurance of their salvation.
- The nature of our faith is that we have a certain intellectual knowledge of all that God has revealed in His Word.
- What believers know makes them confident and sure.
- Confidence is a part of friendship and is rooted in the knowledge that we are loved (as children with parents).
- Our assurance usually corresponds to the activity of faith.
- The further we are from God’s Word, the more barriers are set between ourselves and Christ.
- Jesus always calls us to Himself, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden.”