May 13th, 2025

13th May 2025


Pray (ACts)


Read (Hebrews 11v16)


Message (Scott Woodburn)


It is always nice to be liked by those around us and yet there are some people who for whatever reason will never take to us. I realise that I will never be able to please everyone and I know that some people will never forgive me for things that I have said or done. I’m not happy about this but there is little I can do to change it. Where I find true rest is in the opinion my Lord has of me.


Admittedly, the Lord knows me at my very worst - He is not a loving parent who is unaware of what their children are really like. The Lord knows my sin and yet even when I was dead in sin the Lord made me alive in Christ. Last week we discussed regeneration which speaks to how the Lord transforms guilty sinners from spiritual death to spiritual life. No one can call upon Jesus unless they have been regenerated. The Spirit works regeneration and what follows is that the sinner freely and willingly calls upon Jesus with a brand new heart of flesh.


But what does the Gospel do once we call upon the Lord by faith? Gloriously, the Lord God declares us to be righteous in an act that we call justification. Justification is a once and for all declaration by God that the sinner is right in His sight. It is not based on human works but on the righteousness of Christ which is credited or imputed to the sinner’s account by faith.


Imagine your bank account is empty and you have no means to fill it up. Imagine too that the bank manager is going to punish everyone whose account is empty. Then imagine that one day another’s abundant wealth is credited to your account. You didn’t do anything to deserve this kindness but even so the bank manager is satisfied with the new state of your affairs.


This is an imperfect picture of what is going on with justification but perhaps it gives us a wee glimpse of what is going on when Christ’s perfect righteousness and obedience is credited to our account. The Lord looks on Jesus and pardons us. He declares us to be righteous because we have exercised saving faith in Christ.


I have made my peace with the fact that some would be happy never to see me again. I’m not delighted about it but I’ve made my peace with it. Thankfully, the Gospel is glorious and the Lord considers me as one of His children. Therefore I look to my heavenly reward knowing that God is not ashamed to be called my God.
  
Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC


Q82 Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God? No mere man since the fall is able in this life perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but doth daily break them in thought, word, and deed.
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