Baptist Christian Church

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Romans 8:12-17

We invite you to join us for worship each Sunday morning at 9:30. You can download our service on iTunes or tune in for “The Good Word” each day on AM 1230 WSAL or on Hoosier Country 103.7 FM just after 8am. Last time we learned that sanctification teaches us we are to be constantly moving further and further from sin while becoming more and more like Christ. There is another interesting truth about sanctification that is important for us to know. Sanctification involves cooperation between God and us. Sanctification is the doctrine that so clearly explains how God reveals His will and work in redemption through His adopted children. So let’s begin with:

I. GOD’S ROLE IN SANCTIFICATION. All things God begin with God The Father. So God’s role in our sanctification begins with The Father as:

1. HE PREPARES US. Read 1 Thess. 5:23 and Heb. 12:3-11. We tend to think of discipline backwards rather than in the order God presents it. Here is a concise definition of “discipline” from TDNT the upbringing and handling of the child which is growing up to maturity and which thus needs direction, teaching, instruction and a certain measure of compulsion in the form of discipline or even chastisement. When God disciplines us, He is involving us in the entire spectrum of “being conformed to the image of Christ.” We start with instruction which is saying – this is WHAT you need to know or learn. Once we have the information, we then enter the teaching, or application phase which tells us – this is HOW. Then follows direction which is EXAMPLE or what you are learning is supposed to look like. God never begins with chastisement; He always begins with instruction or telling us what we need to know, then how to do it, and what it looks like in our daily life. This principle of discipline is presented in God’s dealings with Israel and is spelled out by Jesus and recorded in Matt. 18. As God The Father prepares us,
2. GOD THE SON IS OUR PATTERN. Read Heb. 12: 1,2. V. 1 tells us progressive sanctification is to be the norm of daily living. The race is life; endurance, perseverance, patience are all words that mean a constant and consistent effort that doesn’t fluctuate. 1 Pet. 1:22 reminds us “Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps.” 1 John 2:6 tells us “He who abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked.” The entire earthly life of Jesus says to us “here is The Example/pattern of what your life as an adopted child of God is to look like. The earthly life Jesus “teaches” us how what we read in Scripture is to be lived out in our daily lives. Finally: God is active in our sanctification in that:
3. GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT PRODUCES sanctification within us. Read 1 Peter 1: 1, 2. The Holy Spirit influences and brings about true sanctification/separation as a result of desire from the heart of the believer. Our positive response to the promptings of the Holy Spirit to become more and more like Christ is what Scripture calls being led by the Holy Spirit. Now watch, how this works. When we allow God’s Holy Spirit to lead us He leads us in such a way that it becomes our heart’s desire to “walk by the Spirit” as Paul says in Rom. 8:14, and walking by the Spirit is a visible sign to us privately that we are progressing in our spiritual growth and being conformed to Christ’s image; it is also a visible sing to others around us that our salvation is real, and our commitment to Christ is also genuine. All this is just the beginning of the part God play in our sanctification. The more you study Scripture, the more you will see God is involved in every part of our life all the time, with the goal of leading us further and further away from the ungodliness of this sinful world, and closer and closer to Himself and a life of holiness and righteousness. Next time we will look our part or role in sanctification.

If we can help you with your spiritual questions, call us at 574-643-9419.

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Romans 6:1-14

We invite you to join us for worship each Sunday morning at 9:30. You can download our service on iTunes or tune in for “The Good Word” each day on AM 1230 WSAL or on Hoosier Country 103.7 FM just after 8am. There are 3 truths involved in most relationships with others.

1. We choose the people with whom we establish personal relationships;
2. we are responsible for maintaining the relationship;
3. we determine the quality/level of the relationship. How we interact with the other person determines how strong, intimate, and detailed the relationship becomes, and how long it stays intact.

Establishing, a personal relationship with Almighty God is similar, except

1. God chooses with whom He has a personal relationship;
2. God is responsible for maintaining the relationship;
3. He sets the criteria that determines the quality of the relationship. And there is a 4^th truth concerning a personal relationship with God, and that is
4. the relationship is eternal. We learn these truths from the Biblical doctrines of election, calling and adoption.

Our response to and cooperation with God in allowing Him to conform us into Christ’s image determines the quality of the fellowship we have with God. Fellowship is the way the relationship expresses itself through the lives of those involved. God has given us very clear criteria we must follow if our fellowship with Him is to be dynamic, thriving, inviting and growing. We learn what that criteria is in the Biblical doctrine of sanctification. As one theologian explains: Sanctification is the progressive work of God and man that makes us more and more free from sin and more and more like Christ in our actual lives. Another way of saying this that is more practical is to say sanctification is: the gradual and progressive influence of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life that causes them to exchange unrighteousness for righteousness in their daily living. You have also heard sanctification defined as “separation” or “setting apart”. It is only to the degree we allow God to be the Sovereign Ruler of all parts of our lives that we become more and more like Christ. The only way to become more like Christ is to allow The Holy Spirit to influence us to obey all of God’s Word. Obedience is simply doing what God says, the way He says, when He says. An unsaved or unredeemed heart can’t submit to God and His Word because it is unable to let anyone else, especially God, be first or be in control. Sin can’t, and won’t allow humility! It is possible for a person to be a true Christian with much evidence of their salvation and love for Christ in their daily living, but have not come to the point in their life where they feel that can trust God to teach them humility. These people are not legalists or hypocrites, they are true men and women of God who, for some reason, have not come to the point in their Christian life where they are able to let others either show or teach them a different way to do something. Normally, such people are not arrogant or rude, they just have to do everything their way. They are telling their brothers and sisters in Christ, please be patient with me; I love my Savior, I am just struggling in this one area of sanctification. You can pray that God will open a door for you, or they will come to you and ask you to pray with/for them as they learn to trust God in that area of their life.

If we can help you with your spiritual questions, call us at 574-643-9419.

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John 1:1-13

We invite you to join us for worship each Sunday morning at 9:30. You can download our service on iTunes or tune in for “The Good Word” each day on AM 1230 WSAL or on Hoosier Country 103.7 FM just after 8am. Now that we have studied how God gives us new spiritual life in regeneration, we turn our attention now to the 6^th doctrine in the systematic explanation of all that happens in our salvation, and that is the doctrine of adoption. Adoption is an act of God whereby He makes us members of His family. In all interpersonal interaction there are two “ships” that we need to understand. The 1^st ship is relationship! Webster defines a relationship as “The quality or state of being related. A connection by blood, marriage, etc.”  When God adopts us into His family He is establishing a personal relationship with us. That relationship is established on the shed blood of His Son. Our relationship to God in salvation cannot be broken by us because we have nothing to do with any of the conditions that establish the adoption agreement, nor do we have any involvement in any of the conditions that hold the agreement in force. The second “ship” is fellowship. Mr. Webster defines fellowship as “friendly association; a mutual sharing, as of experience, activity, interest, etc; a group of people with the same interests; company; brotherhood.” Fellowship is the way the relationship expresses itself in the lives of those involved. The act of God in adopting us into His family, establishes an eternal relationship that is expressed to us through fellowship. With that information, let’s consider what Scripture tells us about:

1. THE PROOF OF ADOPTION. We are related to God in Christ – Read Jn. 1:12; and Rom. 8:14-17. Read Eph. 4:1-16 where, because we are all adopted into God’s family as His children, we are also related to each other as brothers and sisters. Now let’s consider an important, though often ignored proof of adoption into God’s family; and that is proof in our daily lives. Read Gal. 4:1-7. The proof Paul is addressing is the proof of assurance, or reassurance that comes to our hearts when Satan attacks us with thoughts of doubt. Another way we see the proof of adoption through our daily lives is our obedience from our heart to ALL God’s Word! As with most everything, God gives overwhelming proof that we are adopted into His eternal family. Now let’s consider the:
2. PROCESS OF OUR ADOPTION. have all heard people say, “I’ve been a Christian all my life”. The Biblical doctrine of adoption clearly teaches that no one is born a Christian. One writer says adoption is opposite to the idea of being born into a family. The very concept of adoption is a demonstration of mercy and grace in action. When a person is adopted it is because the one doing the adopting is compelled by the love in their heart to change the status of the person being adopted from being an orphan without a family, into the status of being a family member. In order to be saved a person must believe the truth about Christ being the Savior, and they must place their faith in Him. So adoption is one of God’s responses to saving faith. Or, faith comes before adoption. Read Gal. 3:23-30. We read John 1:12 earlier. There we learn “all who receive Christ as Savior are given the power to become children of God.” Again, notice – the power to become children of God – comes from God! Another part of the process of adoption is assurance of adoption is given by The Holy Spirit. Notice in Gal. 4:6 Paul tells us the result of being adopted children of God causes the Holy Spirit to call God “Father.” Look closely at Gal. 4:7. The manner in which God conducts the process of adoption is that we are adopted as legal heirs. Paul’s point in Galatians is that our salvation changes the way God sees us, from being viewed as His enemy, to being adopted into His family as a child. Take a few minutes to review this information and you will see how serious God is about establishing and maintaining an eternal relationship with you! How grateful we should be God chose us to be part of His family! Amen!

If we can help you with your spiritual questions, call us at 574-643-9419.

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Romans 3:27-31

We invite you to join us for worship each Sunday morning at 9:30. You can download our service on iTunes or tune in for “The Good Word” each day on AM 1230 WSAL or on Hoosier Country 103.7 FM just after 8am. Paul now brings his argument for justification by faith to a close. In so doing he asks a series of rhetorical questions and answers that prove justification is received by faith. Paul’s whole point here, and in this entire section, has been that salvation is so magnificently enormous, that no human being could ever begin to pay for it. In fact, from God’s viewpoint, to make any attempt to pay for salvation is, not just an insult, but blasphemy to Him! The idea of salvation from a human standpoint is so “big,” that to think of it as a free gift is almost beyond human reasoning! Why is it that when a gift reaches a certain point on the “WHOA” scale, we think we have to pay for it in some way? Imagine how you would feel if you gave someone a gift that was extraordinarily expensive, and they said to you, “Oh my! How much was this, I’ll pay you for it?” Chances are, you would be terribly hurt and perhaps even a little angry that they would be so arrogant as to think they had to pay for such a gift! Right? Multiply that times infinity and that’s how God feels when we think we can pay God in some way for our salvation! Let’s look at Paul’s concluding paragraph.

1. FAITH EXCLUDES BOASTING – 3:27. In this instance, “boasting” should not be understood as one author says, “unwarranted self-adulation for meritorious achievement. Rather we should see it as justifiable pride on the part of the Jewish nation for having been chosen by God for a special role in the drama of redemption.” By its very nature, faith eliminates boasting. One author points out: people cannot boast about something they received through no merit of their own.” Boasting/bragging is the outward expression of inward doubt! A person who feels the need to tell others how wonderful they think they are, is telling you they are insecure, and unsure about the truth that God will properly reward them for their achievements! When we are feeling like God has withheld the blessings, remember this: nothing about our salvation relationship to God is based on feelings. It is always based on fact/truth! And that fact or truth is God’s truth! The lost and hypocrites “feel” God has mistreated them (or a loved one) in some way. They feel/think – If God really is a God of love, He would not have let some tragedy happen; or He would have made some situation better to show them His love. Because sin makes us feel so inadequate and undeserving before God (which in fact we are), sin causes us to think/feel we must compensate for our undeserving inadequacy before God by trying to impress Him with our own idea of what is noteworthy to Him. Your idea of covering or removing your sin, isn’t going to get the job done? Only blood can cover sin. Here is an interesting statement one writer makes concerning the relationship of faith and boasting. He says, faith implies the surrender of all self-glory. That is a great one sentence commentary on v. 27. If you believe God can save you from eternal hell, then He can also reward you more than all you can imagine or ask! All you have to do is be patient and leave the boasting to God! One day you’ll be glad you did!

If we can help you with your spiritual questions, call us at 574-643-9419.