Series
Rev. Jerry Hamstra
The Book of Esther
The Book of Esther
Sermons
Rev. Jerry Hamstra
Introduction to Acts
Introduction to Acts

A Natural Question Profoundly Answered

Read: Romans 6

“The good news is not only that we are forgiven and accepted as righteous by God through faith in Jesus Christ. The good news is just as much that the power of sin over us is broken. A huge part of what is good about the good news is that we are set free from the power of sin in our lives when we believe in Jesus. The problem with sin is not just that it makes us liable to God’s punishment. The problem with sin is also that sin is destructive and dehumanizing and devastating. Sin takes away from our joy and our happiness and our quality of life in the deepest sense. And so, it is a huge part of the good news that believers are released from the slavery to sin and to Satan.”
— Rev. Jerry Hamstra

Celebration and Theology (go together)

Read: Romans 5

“Now given the fact that Christ gave his life for us while we were his enemies, we can be all the more confident that he will save us in the end now that we have been reconciled to God. Given the fact that Christ gave his life for us while we were fighting against him, we can be sure that we will be saved by his life. It is wonderfully true that Christ’s life saves us as well as his death. But the point the Paul is emphasizing at this point is since Christ made the ultimate sacrifice for us while we were his enemies, we can be absolutely sure that we will be saved in the future.”
— Rev. Jerry Hamstra

The Importance of Faith in Salvation

Read: Romans 4

“A clear understanding of this idea that we are counted righteous on the basis of Christ’s righteousness and not on our own obedience is crucial for our confidence that we are right with God and that God therefore accepts us and is looking upon us in favor. If assurance of God’s favor was based upon our works, we could only have assurance if we were perfect. That means that there can be no assurance if our acceptance with God is based on our works. But if we understand the gospel we can have that assurance because Jesus’ work is perfect, and his perfect righteousness is credited to us.”
— Rev. Jerry Hamstra

Sin and Grace

Read: Romans 3

“All that talk about our sin and guilt and our inability to keep the law and to be justified by law-keeping – all that negative stuff paves the way for this message that we can be free from our sin and guilt and in God’s good books by receiving righteousness as a gift through faith in Jesus Christ. There is nothing more precious in all the world than being right with God and we can have that without earning it, just by receiving it by faith.”
— Rev. Jerry Hamstra

God’s Covenant People Need the Gospel

Read: Romans 2

“The application here is that we must realize that being part of the church does not automatically make us right with God and that we must examine our own hearts and lives so that we are aware of our own sins and the seriousness of our own sins. This is so very important because the only way to be saved is through the gospel and the gospel requires that we understand and confess that we are sinners and that we deserve the wrath of God against our sins. This is the point that Paul is stressing in this second chapter of Romans.”
— Rev. Jerry Hamstra

Introduction and the Need for the Gospel

Read: Romans 1

“And so, when Paul says that the gospel reveals the righteousness of God he is saying something that is more relevant to you than whatever it is that tends to dominate your thoughts. The world is about God. Real life is about God. The purpose of everything is the glory of God. And so, this idea that the gospel reveals the righteousness of God is supremely important for your life.”
— Rev. Jerry Hamstra

The Narrow Door

“So, when Jesus says to those who are refused entry into his house, “I do not know where you are from,” he means that he does not have a saving relationship with these people. He does not know them in a saving way. So, it is not enough to know something about Jesus. It is not enough to call Jesus Lord. It is not enough to have some acquaintance with Jesus.”
— Rev. Jerry Hamstra