This sermon examines the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints in the light of the biblical warnings against falling away.
Read 1 Corinthians 1:8-9
Assurance of Salvation
This sermon explores John’s teaching in his first epistle on assurance of salvation. Assurance is rooted in the saving work of Christ and the promises of the gospel, it is confirmed by examining our lives for confession of sin, obedience to God’s commands, love for the brothers and belief in the testimony of God concerning his Son. The role of the Holy Spirit in assurance of salvation is also considered.
Read 1 John 1:1-2:11
Growing in Holiness
Because Christians are united to Christ in his death and resurrection they are dead to sin and alive to God. This is the basis for any growth in holiness. This holiness consists of the negative side of not allowing sin to reign and the positive side of offering ourselves to God.
Read Romans 6:11-13
Adoption
Paul’s goal in this passage is to assure the people of God that they are sons of God. He compares the status of OT believers to young children while believers after the coming of Christ are given the full rights of sons.
Read Galatians 4:1-7
Repentance
This passage teaches the absolute necessary of repentance for salvation. Repentance is a turning from sin to God. It is has to do with our relationship with God, it is necessary for salvation, it is both a gift of God and something that we do, it is an ongoing reality in the Christian life and it is possible because of Jesus saving work.
Read Luke 13:1-3
By Grace Through Faith
Salvation is received through faith. Faith is both a gift of God and an activity/attitude that we are called to exercise. It involves an belief in the truth claims of the bible, but also a personal trust in Jesus Christ for salvation. The fact that works do not play a role as the basis for salvation means that it is rooted in the grace of God.
Read Ephesians 2:8-9
Made Righteous by Faith in Jesus
This passage is a key passage in the biblical teaching on justification by faith. The concepts discussed in the sermon are “a righteousness from God,” “redemption,” “propitiation,” “the justice of God,” and “by faith apart from the law.”
Read Romans 3:21-31
Made Alive in Christ
This sermon examines the teaching of this passage that believers have been made alive with Christ. In the light of the biblical story of redemption this granting of new life must be seen as part of the beginning of the renewal of the cosmos. The reason that believers are made alive with Christ is that they are united to Christ. Other passages show that this union with Christ happens through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Read Ephesians 2:4-7
You Were Dead in Sin
This second sermon of the series consider a another part of the biblical teaching about human sin and that is the fact that apart from salvation humans have a sinful nature. In this passage the key point is that apart from God’s saving grace, everyone is dead in transgressions and sins. This condition is described with reference to the world, the devil and our own sinful nature. The verses that follow this text show how God brings dead sinners to life with Christ.
Read Ephesians 2:1-3
No One Is Righteous
To understand the gospel we must understand what we are saved from. This passage teaches that apart from salvation all of mankind is unrighteous before God. It shows us a number of the characteristics of our sinfulness and confronts us with the truth that we are all accountable to God. The passage makes it clear that there is no hope of salvation from man’s side. We need to be rescued. The verses and chapters that follow describe how God does this in Christ.
Read Romans 3:9-20