Gospel Gobbledygook

Gospel Gobbledygook

Confession: Belgic Confession: Article 22; Heidelberg Catechism: QA62; Canons of Dort: Third & Fourth Head, RE 4

Scripture: Romans 4:1-8, 9:30-10:5; Ephesians 2:1-10 (Read from ESV)

Preacher: Rev. David Inks

Sermon Outline:

• Introduction
• 1. Rejection of Election
  2. Free Will
  3. Faith = Faithfulness
  4. Righteousness Infused
  5. Mono-Covenantalism
  6. Double Justification
• Conclusion

Sermon Video:

https://youtu.be/UYjKQ4nORSg

Belgic Confession:

Article 22: The Righteousness of Faith

We believe that for us to acquire the true knowledge of this great mystery the Holy Spirit kindles in our hearts a true faith that embraces Jesus Christ, with all his merits, and makes him its own, and no longer looks for anything apart from him. For it must necessarily follow that either all that is required for our salvation is not in Christ or, if all is in him, then he who has Christ by faith has his salvation entirely. Therefore, to say that Christ is not enough but that something else is needed as well is a most enormous blasphemy against God—for it then would follow that Jesus Christ is only half a Savior. And therefore we justly say with Paul that we are justified “by faith alone” or by faith “apart from works.” However, we do not mean, properly speaking, that it is faith itself that justifies us—for faith is only the instrument by which we embrace Christ, our righteousness. But Jesus Christ is our righteousness crediting to us all his merits and all the holy works he has done for us and in our place. And faith is the instrument that keeps us in communion with him and with all his benefits. When those benefits are made ours they are more than enough to absolve us of our sins.

The Heidelberg Catechism:

Lord’s Day 24

Q.62 Why can’t our good works be our righteousness before God, or at least a part of our righteousness?

A. Because the righteousness which can pass God’s judgment must be entirely perfect and must in every way measure up to the divine law. But even our best works in this life
are all imperfect and stained with sin.

Canons of Dort:

The Third and Fourth Main Points of Doctrine
Human Corruption, Conversion to God, and the Way It Occurs

Rejection of the Errors 4.

Having set forth the orthodox teaching, the Synod rejects the errors of those
Who teach that unregenerate man is not strictly or totally dead in his sins or deprived of all capacity for spiritual good but is able to hunger and thirst for righteousness or life and to offer the sacrifice of a broken and contrite spirit which is pleasing to God.

For these views are opposed to the plain testimonies of Scripture: “You were dead in your transgressions and sins” (Eph. 2:1, 5); “The imagination of the thoughts of man’s heart is only evil all the time” (Gen. 6:5; 8:21). Besides, to hunger and thirst for deliverance from misery and for life, and to offer God the sacrifice of a broken spirit is characteristic only of the regenerate and of those called blessed (Ps. 51:17; Matt. 5:6).