Korean Church in Maryland - GARDEN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

ㆍ작성자	한 태일 목사
ㆍ작성일	2010-10-22 (금) 02:03
ㆍ분 류	주일설교

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[10/20/10] 수요예배 - The Gospel of Grace

What happened to the Gospel of Grace? (Eph. 2:1-10)
We live in an age of weak theology and casual Christian conduct. When you look at current Christian society our knowledge is insufficient, our worship is irreverent, our lives are immoral. Perhaps the simplest way to say this is that evangelicalism has become worldly. This can be demonstrated by comparing with yesterday’s liberalism. They seek the world wisdom, believe the world’s theology, follow the world’s agenda, and adopt the world’s methods. According to the standards of worldly wisdom, the Bible is unable to meet the demands of life in this postmodern times. By itself, God’s world is insufficient to win people to Christ, promote spiritual growth, provide practical guidance, or transform society. So, churches supplement the plain teaching of Scripture with entertainment, psychological therapy, signs and wonders – anything that promises to appeal to religious consumers. According to the world’s theology, sin is merely a dysfunction and salvation means having better self-esteem. The world’s agenda is personal happiness, so the gospel is presented as a plan for individual fulfillment rather than as a pathway of costly discipleship. The world’s methods for accomplishing this self-centered agenda are necessarily pragmatic, so churches are willing to try whatever seems like it might work.
So what happened to the Gospel of Grace? According to late pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, Rev. James Montgomery Boice, “It identifies six major cultural trends: secularism, humanism, relativism, materialism, pragmatism, and anti-intellectualism or mindlessness.”
What has replaced the gospel of grace is a message that is partially biblical but ultimately self-centered. As the famous Reformed Princeton Theologian Benjamin Warfield recognized, the gospel is not really the gospel unless it is a gospel of grace; in other words, the gospel is only good news if it speaks what God has done to save sinners. So the gospel stands or falls with the doctrines of grace.
Thus, I would like to talk about the doctrines of grace this evening. These doctrines of grace, five distinct Bible teachings constitute the purest expression of Reformed Theology. Or you may say, of Calvinism. These truths are contained in the Old Testament Psalms. They were taught by Jesus as recorded in John 6 and 10 and elsewhere. The apostle Paul confirmed them in his letters to the Romans, the Ephesians, and others. Saint Augustine argued for the same truths over against the denials of Pelagius. Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, William Tyndale, and of course, John Calvin, and the puritans were Reformed Theologians, such as John Knox, Thomas Cartwright, Richard Sibbs, John Owen, John Bunyan, Matthew Henry, and many others. In America many thousands were influenced by Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield, all of whom were Reformed Theologian. In more recent times the modern missionary movement received its direction and initial stimulus from those in the Reformed tradition. The list of these pioneers included such great missionaries as William Carey for India, Robert Moffat for Korea, and David Livingstone for Africa.
In short, the doctrine of grace has been preserved throughout the church in many periods, and which has been always characteristics of the church at its greatest periods of faith and expansion of His kingdom.
Then, nothing is more needed than today than these doctrines: Total depravity, Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible grace, and the Perseverance of the saints. We, as a Reformed Church, insist that salvation is by grace from beginning to end. Salvation is a gift, in every sense of the word – God’s gift for undeserving sinners who cannot be redeemed apart from God’s grace. The gift is given to those to whom God chooses to give it; and although it is offered to everyone, it is not given to everyone. When God does choose to grant this gift, however, he effectively places it in the hands of his child; and once it is received, it can never be lost, stolen, or damaged. Truly, it is the gift that keeps on giving!
Within today’s text the apostle Paul shows some of these doctrines. In Eph. 2:1-10 Paul clarifies what it means to receive salvation and to be a part of Christ’s body, the church. Here the apostle moves from eternity past into time. Paul presents the past, present, and future of the Christian: what he was (vv. 1-3), what he is (vv. 4-6, 8-9), and what he will be (vv. 7, 10). Within this framework he gives six aspects of salvation: It is from sin (vv. 1-3), by God’s love (v. 4), into life (v. 5), with a purpose (vv. 6-7), through faith (vv. 8-9), and unto good works (v. 10).
Let us look at vv. 1-3. It teaches the doctrine of men’s total depravity. Maybe the words “total depravity” is not the best way of speaking about the doctrine of utterly pervasive sin, or man’s inability in spiritual things because we are all as bad as we can be and that everyone is equally sinful. Sin has pervaded every part of our physical, mental, and emotional makeup so that there is nothing about us that remains untouched by sin. Therefore, it is better to speak of radical depravity or the pervasiveness of sin. References are Rom. 3:10-11; Ps. 51:5; Isa. 48:8.
Look at vv. 4-5 and chap. 1:4-5, 11-12. It shows the doctrine of God’s unconditional election. If the condition of the human race is as bad as the biblical doctrine of depravity indicates, then salvation must originate with God. It must be a work of the triune God, accomplished and applied by him without any assistance on our part. The first step in this reaching out is God’s determination to do it, which is what the word election refers to. It means that what happens in an individual’s salvation is determined by the prior decision of God, who established the decrees of salvation in Christ before the world began. “Unconditional” indicates that this decision is made apart from anything God might foresee in the sinful creature. If election were based on anything that the sinner might be or do, then ultimately salvation would depend on human merit. But in order to prove that salvation is all of grace, election is a loving act of God’s sovereign will.  Other references are Jn. 15:16; Rom. 11:7.
This doctrine of unconditional election leads to the next one, the limited atonement. The terminology may be misleading many of us because “limited” suggests that somehow the death of Christ did not do all that it could do or ought to do, that it was ineffective in some way. That is not what the doctrine of limited atonement is meant. Thus it would be better to call this doctrine definite atonement or particular redemption. It signifies that the death of Christ has saving efficacy of the elect, and for the elect only. Christ made satisfaction for sin when he died on the Cross, offering himself as the perfect substitute for God’s chosen people (Matt. 1:21). Therefore, according to the plan of salvation, Christ’s death atoned for the elect but not for the sins of those who never come to him in faith. References are Matt. 20:28; Isa. 53:8; Jn. 13:1
So, inward calling is made only to the elect and inevitably draws them to faith in Christ. Look at vv.7-9.  This is work of the Holy Spirit. He enables sinners to repent and believe in Christ. Because God is sovereign in their salvation of the elect, it is not possible for them permanently or effectively to reject this effectual calling. God’s grace is irresistible and invincible; the Spirit never fails to accomplish his saving purpose in the mind, the heart, and the will of God’s chosen people. References are Isa. 55:10-11; Jn. 6:44, 65.
Lastly, the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints is not showing in today’s text. However, John 6:37-39, 44, 10:28-29, and Romans 8:33-39 clearly teach it. Sometimes this doctrine is called the doctrine of “eternal security.” It has two parts: 1) that God perseveres with his people, and 2) that because God perseveres with his people, they also persevere. The perseverance of the saints really is the preservation of the saints, for their perseverance depends on God’s preserving grace. It is faithfulness of Christ, rather than the faithfulness of the Christians, that brings the saints to glory. Other references are Rom. 11:29; 1 Pet. 1:3-5.
So, the doctrines of grace point to one central truth: salvation is all of grace because it is all of God; and because it is all of God, it is all for his glory. To fully appreciate the glory of God in the doctrines of grace, it helps to recognize the role of each person of the Trinity in the Five Points of Reformed Theology or Calvinism. Election is the choice of God the Father. The atonement is the sacrifice of God the Son. The grace that draws us to Christ and enables us to persevere to the very end is the work of God the Holy Spirit. Thus, salvation is all God’s work from beginning to end as it must be, if we are to be saved. Consider: if we are actually dead in our sins (radical depravity), then only God could choose us in Christ (unconditional atonement), only Christ could atone for our sins (particular redemption), and only the Spirit could draw us to Christ (irresistible grace) and preserve us in him (persevering grace). Therefore, all praise and glory belong to God alone: “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever!”(Rom11:36).

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
One professor at Westminster Theological Seminary said, “The goal of Reformed theology is the worship of God. The posture of Reformed theology is on one’s knees. The mode of Reformed theology is repentance.” That is a good set of guidelines to remember as we have discovered the beauty of Reformed theology.
The doctrines of grace help to preserve all that is right and good in the Christian life: humility, holiness, and thankfulness, with a passion for prayer and evangelism. I believe the true Reformed Christian ought to be the most outstanding Christian – not narrow and unkind, but grounded in God’s grace and therefore generous of spirit. Look at v.10 in today’s text.  Although we have no part in gaining salvation, good works have a great deal to do with living out salvation. By God’s grace, made effective through our faith we become his workmanship, created in Christ for good works. God has ordained that we live lives of good works, works done in his power and for his glory. Before time began, God designed us to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:29).
If you are true Reformed Christian who has received God’s grace and seeks to live for God’s glory, you should have a God-centered mind. You should always have a grateful heart for his grace and live holy life (2Tim. 1:9).
May our Lord bless you to live out like a true Reformed Christian! Amen!!