Our Many-Faceted Beautiful Salvation in Christ

Dear friend,

Salvation is a result of simply recognizing your need and trusting Jesus to meet that need. We are sinners who deserve death and Christ has died in our place, to take away our sin and give us eternal life when we trust in Him. However, salvation is also like a beautiful diamond. When you look closely at it, you see many different facets.

Theologians often describe this using what they call “the order of salvation.” It is a summary of our redemption described in the New Testament. Here are some of the beautiful views of salvation given in the scripture:

We are chosen, called, born again, converted, justified, adopted, sanctified, and will be glorified with God in heaven.

Here are some brief definitions for each concept:

- Chosen (God determines to save us by His grace and kindness)
- Called (the gospel message is proclaimed to us effectively so that we respond)
- Born again (we are regenerated, given new life by God’s Spirit)
- Converted (we repent of our sins and place our faith in Christ)
- Justified (God declares us “not guilty” on account of His Son’s work on the cross)
- Adopted (we become God’s children, members of his family)
- Sanctified (we continue to mature as Christians until we are in heaven)
- Glorified (when our life on earth is over, we will be in heaven with God)

Praise God for the salvation we enjoy in Christ. Praise Him that it is so simple and can be understood by little children and yet it is so beautiful that we can ponder the amazing aspects of it for all eternity!
Your servant,

Stephen

Rev. Stephen St. John
Pastor/Elder

Cry Out to God and Take Decisive Action

Dear friend,

Imagine that you are in bed at night when you hear the loud crack of breaking wood and the shrill sound of smashing glass. Soon there are footsteps pounding toward the bedrooms where you and your family sleep. From the rough voices you quickly realize a gang of enemies are in your house and they have come to do you harm. What are you going to do? Most likely, without a second thought, you will cry out to God for help and then take decisive action.

Thankfully, this kind of thing does not happen very often, but there are other more common dangers. Have you ever considered how dangerous temptation and sin are for your family? Lust, greed, lying, gossip, covetousness, stealing, unholy hate, and many other sins are enemies that break into lives and hurt them. Are you prepared to mount a defense against these things when they sneak up on you, your spouse, your children, or your friends? What can you do?

The same thing you would do if a group of bad guys attacked your home. Cry out to God for help and take decisive action. This is what the Apostle Paul does when faced with sin and temptation:

First, he cries out to God for help in Christ:

“Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God . . . Jesus Christ our Lord!” (from Rom. 7:24b-25).

Next, he takes decisive action in the battle against the threat of sin in his life:

“I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave” (1 Cor. 9:26-27).

“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry” (Col. 3:5).

Paul’s trusts Christ to remove the penalty of sin, which he could never take care of on his own. This does not mean, however, that the apostle just sits down in comfort with the sin around him. No, he goes to war against those things that threaten spiritual harm. Let’s follow his example. Cry out to God and take decisive action!

Your servant,

Stephen

The Heavens Declare the Glory of God

Dear friend,

For our 20th wedding anniversary, Jennifer and I went to Bali for the first time. While we were there God revealed Himself to us.

In fact, God is speaking to people all the time. Christian theology teaches us there are two broad ways He does this. One is through special revelation, God’s voice as we hear it primarily through the scriptures. The other is general revelation, that is the way the created world announces to us that there is a God.

Of course special revelation is necessary for salvation. If we did not have the message of the gospel, then we could not know how to be saved from sin, death, and hell. Nevertheless, the other kind of revelation is a powerful reminder that the God of the Bible is the King of the Universe. People in the world might try to deny his existence, but a few moments on the beach in a place like Bali leaves us breathlessly aware that there is a powerful, intelligent, omnipresent Creator with whom we must deal.

When you look at a beautiful garden flower, an intricate butterfly, a microscopic cell, or the evening sky, do you hear them proclaiming Him?

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour fourth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out to the ends of the earth, their words to the end of the world” (Ps. 19:1-4a).

Your servant,

Stephen

Ask the Holy Spirit to Bring Unity and Love to Church

Dear friend,

This week, while preparing for our Tuesday night theology class, I ran across this sentence:

“When the Holy Spirit is working strongly in a church to manifest God’s presence, one evidence will be a beautiful harmony in the church community and overflowing love for one another.”*

I often pray for unity in our church family because it is my heart’s desire to see a “beautiful harmony” in our church. I also pray routinely that we would love one another. But rarely do I think to cry out for the assistance of the third Person of God in bringing these things about! The unity and love which we desire to see in our midst should be flowing from the Sprit of God who is within us. Let’s make it our habit to ask Him to make His presence known through the powerful working of the Holy Spirit!

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Gal. 5:22-23).

Your servant,

Stephen

Rev. Stephen St. John
Pastor/Elder

Work Cited: * p. 647 - Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Inter-varsity Press. Nottinghan, England, 1994.

The Grace of Confession

Dear friend,

Do you confess your sins when you pray? King David did, or at least most of the time he did. On one occasion he kept his sins bottled up in his soul and did not speak of it to anyone, not even God. This “man after God’s own heart” was as big a sinner as anyone. You may know already that he committed adultery with a married woman named Bathsheba. Learning later that she was pregnant with his child, he tried to cover it up. When that did not work, he used his power and influence as king to see that the woman’s husband Uriah was killed. David was a murderer and an adulterer.

Perhaps, however, you have never thought about how long this gross sin continued to reside within the confines of David’s own mind and heart. We learn in 2 Samuel 12 that the child of David and Bathsheba was born before David ever opened his mouth about his sin. This means for at least nine months, probably longer, he lived in denial of his guilt. Most likely he continued to go the the temple and worship. Maybe he tried to read the scriptures and even pray about some things. But about his sin, he remained silent. This reeks havoc on the soul. Listen to King David’s own testimony:

“For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer” (Ps. 32:3-4).

The description here is of a man whose hurt is chained up by his own lack of honesty before God. By grace, David does not remain in this predicament. The Lord sends his word, through the prophet Nathan, and David confesses. Oh what a difference it made for him. He said, “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is not covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity and in whose spirit there is no deceit” (Ps. 32:1-2).

Is there something you need to confess to the Lord? Of course there is! We are all sinners. We all sin each day. Talk to God specifically about those sins you are aware of in your life. Beg his forgiveness in Christ and then you can enjoy the blessed words of God, “The Lord has taken away your sin” (2 Samuel 12:13).

Your servant,

Stephen

Rev. Stephen St. John
Pastor/Elder

Medicine for the Christian Who Feels Like a Loser

Dear friend,

Feeling unworthy? The source of this feeling can be varied. Some, aware of their many deficiencies, cannot stop being disappointed in themselves. Others, live or work in the proximity of someone who is always quick to point out their faults.

Here is some good scripture medicine for the Christian who feels like a loser:

“If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies? Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died - more than that, who was raised - who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us!” (Romans 8:31-34).

Christian friend, next time you are convinced of your unworthiness, next time your conscience condemns you, or next time another person charges you with shortcoming, remember the words above. If you have faith in Jesus, then you are approved, welcomed, accepted, and loved in the court of Heaven. Jesus himself has declared before the throne of the Almighty that you are more than okay!

Your servant,

Stephen

Rev. Stephen St. John
Pastor/Elder

The JIBC Plan for 2010

Dear friends,

Some of you may be wondering if JIBC has a “plan” for 2010. The answer is yes! It is the same plan we have had for many years now. We will strive with all our might to “glorify God upwardly through worship, inwardly through discipleship, and outwardly through evangelism.” Worship. Discipleship. Evangelism. That is the plan.

With the Lord’s help we will bring Him glory with genuine, authentic worship each Sunday morning. This worship will be characterized by God honoring variety in style and presentation. It will also be anchored in the simplicity of biblical worship such as: singing, praying, giving, preaching, the Lord’s Supper, and baptism.

With the Lord’s help we will bring Him glory with relational, biblical discipleship. This discipleship will be gospel-driven with a desire for people to love God more deeply by seeing Him more clearly in the scripture and experiencing a relationship with Him in their lives. Opportunities for discipleship will include: sermons, Sunday school classes for all ages, a variety of Bible studies, and courses at the Reformed Baptist Institute.

With the Lord’s help we will bring Him glory with bold, purposeful evangelism. This evangelism will be centered on the biblical truth that a relationship with Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved, to have a right relationship with God, and to inherit eternal life. We will proclaim this message in all our preaching and teaching, we will continue our support of missions and evangelistic outreach in our city and country, and we will strive to create opportunities for each member of JIBC to share the good news of Christ with others.

Friends, please pray for JIBC as we seek to do these things. Let’s beg God to bless our efforts. Also, make sure that you are involved in each area of the plan. Come to worship, get involved in discipleship, and be on the lookout for evangelistic opportunities. May the Lord bless the church for the glory of His great Name!

Your servant,

Stephen

Rev. Stephen St. John
Pastor/Elder

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