19. Prayers must be sanctified and consecrated by the blood
of Christ alone. We ought to pray
through Him alone and our prayers will get to the Father in purity. We do not need the sprinkling of holy water
of the Romanists. Paul speaks of the
satisfaction for us before God. Jesus alone
satisfied the Father’s divine wrath. God
does not reject the once and for all sacrifice of Christ alone and He will
always accept us because of it. We have
been reconciled to the Father through His only beloved Son. We are made one with Christ forever. We must stand on the solid ground of Christ’s
death and passion. If we don’t, we will
stand in perplexity and doubt. If we don’t
come upon the death and passion of Christ alone in our prayers, it will be vain
and unprofitable. We must pray in faith
but if we don’t come in faith it will not help us.
20.The Lord Jesus Christ was given a ransom for all of the elect and He made satisfaction by His death and passion on the Cross; however, the world deludes itself with trifles but the most important decision is to follow Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Someone could be blown to bits but the most important thing in life is to know Jesus Christ. Everything is trifling compared to knowing Jesus Christ. We cannot call upon God unless we have a mediator. The one mediator is our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ. People think their are different ways to God; that is, different intercessors but there are Jesus and the Spirit of God that are our intercessors. We are washed and purified by Jesus Christ and through His awesome death. We are not washed and purified by the religion of Rome but only through the merits of Jesus Christ alone. We see that Rome uses OT things to bring people to Jesus but these things have passed away. We are all full of pollution and defilement. It was not enough for them to know this. The answer is not in the things that are passing like the water at the entrance of the temple but it prefigures Jesus Christ and His blood atonement. We ought to focus on Jesus and His death. When we repent, we trust in Jesus by saying "...through Christ crucified in whom we trust. Amen."
21.We cannot purchase God's favor through ritual, ceremony, works, sacraments, or merits of other saints. We cannot purchase God's favor with our own schemes or devising. We ought to have been cast off and utterly condemned for thinking we could purchase God's favor by anything else than Jesus alone. We need the atonement of Jesus alone to make us right before a holy God. We are declared righteous in His presence and this is something that none of us can undo. There is no secret way to undo the imputation of the unified merit of Christ alone. Luther's hymn "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" speaks of devils seeking to undo us, but we can rest assure that no one can be undone who has His merit alone by His Spirit of Holiness. People assure themselves that their sins are forgiven by something or someone else than Jesus Christ. Let's stay with the simplicity of the gospel of grace and peace; that is, the essence and simplicity of the gospel is Christ alone. We are not forgiven of original sin in baptism, but the Romanists says we are forgiven of it in baptism. If someone of another religion is baptized in the Roman system, their sins are forgiven them through the waters of baptism. If we sin after baptism, there are merits of the saints to seek after and the work of indulgences. If we really want pardon, we must seek it on God's terms; that is, it is in His Son's redemptive mercy in the Cross that is our righteousness imputed to us by faith alone.
22. The Romanists cannot fully repair themselves through a earthly compensation. Rome adds the merits of the saints and the power of the keys of the church to impart penance through confession to a priest. I think through their system the merits of Christ alone are made worthless. I sincerely desire that it would not be so, and that Rome would have true hope; however, I beg to differ because the unified righteousness of Christ alone is all-sufficient for how the sinner is made right with a holy God. We ought never to trust in our own performance in this evil, depraved and fallen life. There is a false self-righteousness among us. I suggest to you that works of supererogation are nothing but fifthly rages. I think it is blasphemy to add to the purity of the work of Christ alone and this is what Rome does.
23. Paul is not speaking of a ransom made just for little children and those who are not baptized. I think this is for all faults that make us guilty before God. We may come to the good Lord and find mercy and love in Christ Jesus. The ransom of Christ alone extends to all our sinful sins. We must have recourse to the atonement of Christ each day. We must repent through the merits of Christ alone and we shall be forgiven. I suggest to you to put all your confidence in Jesus Christ alone because He is strong enough to save. Scripture directs us to the death and passion of our Lord Jesus. Jesus' blood was shed for remission for all our sins. This is a common doctrine throughout the Scriptures. We must understand the necessity for a Redeemer. Rome also says that we are not radically corrupt or totally depraved, but that we hold to some goodness in us. We needed the Redeemer's blood to reconcile us to the Father.
24. Redemption is for both Gentile and Jew. The grace of Jesus was common to all mankind. It is enough for the Jew to stand before a holy God. It is enough for the Gentile to stand before a holy God. Why has God chosen people for His inheritance? Calvin asks, "Why was it his pleasure that only the Jews should call upon him? Why did he confine his promises to them? Why did he give them figures [of what was to come] and grant them an expectation of this great Redeemer who was promised?" (pg. 57). Since the world was created, He always had certain people for Himself. God made a covenant with Abraham and cut out the heathen from the hope of spiritual salvation; however, in the OT we see God calling some Gentiles to Himself. But now He calls all mankind to Himself through the written Word of God. For a time it pleased God to make the Jews His people, but now He calls the heathen or the Gentiles to be made partakers of His grace. He wants His church to extend to the whole world. He brings to the fold those who are afar off. This is the true meaning of Paul in his sacred text this evening.
I hope you enjoyed my notes from Calvin's sermon. I pray that I will finish the sermon soon but for now I pray God uses this mightily in your walk with Him. Grace and peace to you.
21.We cannot purchase God's favor through ritual, ceremony, works, sacraments, or merits of other saints. We cannot purchase God's favor with our own schemes or devising. We ought to have been cast off and utterly condemned for thinking we could purchase God's favor by anything else than Jesus alone. We need the atonement of Jesus alone to make us right before a holy God. We are declared righteous in His presence and this is something that none of us can undo. There is no secret way to undo the imputation of the unified merit of Christ alone. Luther's hymn "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" speaks of devils seeking to undo us, but we can rest assure that no one can be undone who has His merit alone by His Spirit of Holiness. People assure themselves that their sins are forgiven by something or someone else than Jesus Christ. Let's stay with the simplicity of the gospel of grace and peace; that is, the essence and simplicity of the gospel is Christ alone. We are not forgiven of original sin in baptism, but the Romanists says we are forgiven of it in baptism. If someone of another religion is baptized in the Roman system, their sins are forgiven them through the waters of baptism. If we sin after baptism, there are merits of the saints to seek after and the work of indulgences. If we really want pardon, we must seek it on God's terms; that is, it is in His Son's redemptive mercy in the Cross that is our righteousness imputed to us by faith alone.
22. The Romanists cannot fully repair themselves through a earthly compensation. Rome adds the merits of the saints and the power of the keys of the church to impart penance through confession to a priest. I think through their system the merits of Christ alone are made worthless. I sincerely desire that it would not be so, and that Rome would have true hope; however, I beg to differ because the unified righteousness of Christ alone is all-sufficient for how the sinner is made right with a holy God. We ought never to trust in our own performance in this evil, depraved and fallen life. There is a false self-righteousness among us. I suggest to you that works of supererogation are nothing but fifthly rages. I think it is blasphemy to add to the purity of the work of Christ alone and this is what Rome does.
23. Paul is not speaking of a ransom made just for little children and those who are not baptized. I think this is for all faults that make us guilty before God. We may come to the good Lord and find mercy and love in Christ Jesus. The ransom of Christ alone extends to all our sinful sins. We must have recourse to the atonement of Christ each day. We must repent through the merits of Christ alone and we shall be forgiven. I suggest to you to put all your confidence in Jesus Christ alone because He is strong enough to save. Scripture directs us to the death and passion of our Lord Jesus. Jesus' blood was shed for remission for all our sins. This is a common doctrine throughout the Scriptures. We must understand the necessity for a Redeemer. Rome also says that we are not radically corrupt or totally depraved, but that we hold to some goodness in us. We needed the Redeemer's blood to reconcile us to the Father.
24. Redemption is for both Gentile and Jew. The grace of Jesus was common to all mankind. It is enough for the Jew to stand before a holy God. It is enough for the Gentile to stand before a holy God. Why has God chosen people for His inheritance? Calvin asks, "Why was it his pleasure that only the Jews should call upon him? Why did he confine his promises to them? Why did he give them figures [of what was to come] and grant them an expectation of this great Redeemer who was promised?" (pg. 57). Since the world was created, He always had certain people for Himself. God made a covenant with Abraham and cut out the heathen from the hope of spiritual salvation; however, in the OT we see God calling some Gentiles to Himself. But now He calls all mankind to Himself through the written Word of God. For a time it pleased God to make the Jews His people, but now He calls the heathen or the Gentiles to be made partakers of His grace. He wants His church to extend to the whole world. He brings to the fold those who are afar off. This is the true meaning of Paul in his sacred text this evening.
I hope you enjoyed my notes from Calvin's sermon. I pray that I will finish the sermon soon but for now I pray God uses this mightily in your walk with Him. Grace and peace to you.
