First, I thank my God for the opportunities, blessings, and challenges over these last several years. Second, I thank Him for this great ministry opportunity to serve Him and Trinity Baptist Church as part of the pastoral team.
I must say I am very excited about this great ministry opportunity. It is my hope and prayer that people will see this not as my opportunity to serve and minister to the church but rather an expanded, even more focused opportunity to serve and minister to the church. Trinity has been such a blessing to my family and me over the last three years and I pray that we have been able to bless and encourage others as we have served in different ways. As a pastor at Trinity, I want to help each member and soon-to-be member see the importance of being equipped to and making the most of opportunities to serve.
I am planning to share a more detailed post tomorrow.
Here are some thoughts, quotes, and a song to help with the assignment from Sunday Holiness class.
Learning and meditating on Biblical doctrines, reading and re-reading Gospel-centered books, and listening to songs are great ways to rehearse/remember the gospel.
Doctrine:
Sanctification is the ongoing work of God in the life of the believer, whereby the Spirit of God, in cooperation with the believer, brings about holiness in the character, conversation and conduct of the believer.
Initial sanctification is being set apart from the power of sin and set apart unto God. This occurs at the moment one is saved (1 Cor. 1:2,6:11; Heb. 10:10; Eph. 1:1; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:2).
Progressive sanctification is a supernatural process accomplished through the Father (1 Thess. 5:23), the Son (Eph. 5:26) and the Holy Spirit (2 Thess. 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2) and in cooperation with man (Romans 8; Galatians5; Philippians 2:12-13; 1 Cor. 15:10). Progressive sanctification is also an ongoing process (Phil. 1:6) towards the goal of Christ-likeness (Rom. 8:29).
Ultimate sanctification is when believers will be completely conformed to the image of Christ and free from the presence of sin (1 John 3:2; 1 Cor. 15:50; Rom. 8:23, Phil. 3:21).
Good Books:
The Gospel Primer by Milton Vincent
Saved for Good Works
Through the gospel I learn not only of the saving works of God on my behalf, but I also learn that one of God’s key purposes in doing these works is to put me to work myself.
The Bible tells me that when Christ redeemed me, He did so in order that I might now be “zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:14) When God “works” in me day by day, He does so in order to produce in me the desire and the power to “work for His good pleasure.” (Phil. 2:12, 13) Indeed, though I am saved by grace and not by works, I am God’s “workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that [I] would walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10)
Being naturally lazy, I do not normally thrill at the prospect of work; but the more I embrace the saving work of God on my behalf, the more I find myself embracing the works for which God saved me. And as I am “working hard” at doing these works for the good of others, I experience the truth of Jesus’ words: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:34 - 35) I also find myself saying with Christ, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to accomplish His work.” (John 4:32 - 34) Indeed, gospel-motivated works do for the soul what food does for the body. They bring refreshment, enjoyment, blessing, and strengthening to the doer of the deeds, even more so than to the receiver. Hence, the fact that God has prepared such works for me to do becomes a part of what makes the gospel such great news to me.
Preaching the gospel to myself each day not only reminds me of the love of God for me, but it also reminds me of the love of God for the works that He has saved me to perform. When I see the Cross, I see the premium that God places on the works that He has prepared for me. How valuable all of these works must be if Christ would die so that I might now perform them! And how precious are those for whom these works are done if Christ would die that they might be served!
Song:
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