A Pop Quiz #1

Returning to Expository Ministry After Tragedy

0:02 The following sermon was delivered on Sunday morning, October 7, 2007, at Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey. It was five and a half weeks ago, August 29th to be exact, that we as a congregation received the shocking news of the murder of Areth and of Kathy Kahn. For the visitors among us who may not know or be familiar with those names, they were a missionary and his wife sent forth from this congregation to the country of Pakistan. And since that time, I've sought in my public ministries of the Word of God to set before you, the Lord's people, biblical perspectives and scriptural counsel and comfort calculated to help us to respond to this tragedy. This tragic event in a biblical, realistic, and God-honoring way. However, even while two of the men of this congregation are there in Pakistan laboring diligently to settle many matters which must be addressed,

1:18 I believe that the time has come to return to those patterns of public ministry which have been owned of God over the years in our life together, patterns of public ministry which have been owned of God over the years in our life together, patterns of public ministry which have been owned of God over the years in our life together, patterns which, in a very real sense, prepare us for seasons of volcanic-like disruption such as we have experienced in the murder of the Kahn's. And one such pattern of our life together has been the consecutive exposition of the Scriptures, either by opening up large sections or books of the Word of God, such as Pastor Carlson, has been doing with 1 and 2 Samuel, or I did more recently in opening up 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, or in addressing in a comprehensive and logically structured and balanced way some vital doctrine of the Word of God.

2:23 Again and again throughout, I'm sorry, and this is what I have been doing for the past 23 messages on the subject of the Word of God. On the subject of justification. And here, you'll have to forgive me, dear people, I hate to read my notes. But the disturbance with my ears is such that when I look up from them I become disoriented.

2:46 So please bear with me. A preacher should look you in the eye, and everything in me screams against being glued to my manuscript. But I'm going to have to be. Please bear with me.

2:59 I'm going to go back. I dropped a stitch. In stating that we have been committed over the years to consecutive exposition of the Scriptures, one form of that, preaching through books or large blocks of Scripture, or taking major biblical doctrines and setting them out in a comprehensive and logically structured preaching and teaching method. And that's what I have been doing in recent months with the doctrine of justification.

Review of the Doctrine of Justification: Context and Definition

3:33 And again and again, throughout the 23 messages which I've already preached on this doctrine, I have stated that justification is that wonderful provision of redemptive grace that is God's answer to the most important question that you and I can ever ask, namely, how can I, a guilty, hell-deserving sinner, find acceptance with the living God before whom I must stand in the day of judgment? It is this doctrine that answers that most important question that you or I can ever raise. How can I, a guilty, hell-deserving sinner, find acceptance with the living God before whom I must stand in the day of judgment? And as we come now to the final two messages on this all-important doctrine of Scripture, let me remind you of the tracks down which we have traveled in arriving at our destination in these last two sermons.

4:51 Today and next Lord's Day, I plan to conclude this series of sermons. Well, I began by highlighting the great importance of this doctrine, both with respect to the glory of God and to the good and well-being of men. Then I addressed what I call the biblical context of the doctrine of justification. This doctrine does not come to us on a skyhook.

5:20 It comes deeply embedded in other truths of the Word of God. And we considered three of those. Who God is in Himself as a God of holiness, justice, and truth. Who God is in relationship to us as our Creator, lawgiver, and judge.

5:40 And what God has purposed to accomplish in His redemptive grace. And the doctrine of justification cannot exist without the support system of those other biblical realities. Therefore, when a vigorous, biblical doctrine of God is established, it is the doctrine of justice, justice, and truth. When it is lost among God's people, the doctrine of justification is not far behind to be lost with it.

6:11 And where we blur what our relationship to God is, and His to us as Creator, lawgiver, and judge, the need for justification will no longer be felt. And if we do not see justification in the context of God's purpose, not only to rescue us from the gospel, not only the guilt of our sin, but the power of our sin, and to conform us to the image of Christ, we will have a distorted view of this marvelous biblical truth. Then, we took the time to establish that the word justify is a legal, a forensic term. When God says in Proverbs 17, 15, He who justifies the wicked, and condemns the righteous, is an abomination. To justify does not mean to make righteous, for if someone could make a wicked man righteous, it would be a virtuous thing. It means to declare righteous before the law to which one is accountable. To justify, in terms of the biblical doctrine of justification, is to make a declaration concerning one's legal, legal status in the courtroom of God.

Review of Justification's Seven 'Rooms': Author, Recipients, Source, Substance

7:33 Then, with the larger catechism definition of justification, as a teaching outline, likening that definition to a beautiful and adequately furnished seven-room house, I preached many of the pertinent tasks, seeking to expound them and to apply them with reference to this wonderful provision of redemptive grace. And we saw the seven rooms. Room number one, the author of justification. Justification, the catechism definition, is an act of God's free grace, wherein He does this and does that. Justification is, by its authorship, the act of the living God Himself, and Him alone. We do not justify ourselves, nor do others justify us. No priest, no preacher can justify us.

8:37 Only the God who owns His courtroom and acts as the ultimate and final judge in His courtroom, only God can say to any guilty sinner, pardoned and accepted as righteous before the law. Then, secondly, we consider the recipients of justification. Justification is an act of God's free grace unto sinners. Sinners objectively defined by God, which includes all of us.

9:13 But it is not just sinners objectively defined by God who are justified, but sinners who are brought subjectively and experientially to feel and to own their state as sinners. For Jesus said, I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Faithful is the saying worthy of all acceptance. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and any who refuse to own personally their state as sinners cut themselves off from ever knowing the blessing of justification.

9:54 Then, thirdly, the source of justification. The definition says, justification is an act of God's free grace unto sinners. The source of justification is not found in us, but it is found in God, His utterly undeserved favor and love, His totally unearned beneficence and kindness to sinners. It is an act of God's free grace.

10:25 The author God, the recipient sinners, the source, free grace. But what is the substance of justification? It is pardon and acceptance. Listen again to the definition.

10:40 Justification is an act of God's free grace unto sinners in which He pardons all of their sins, accepts and accounts their persons as righteous in His sight. Pardons their sins, accounts and accepts their persons as righteous. The pardon of all our sins, past, present, and future, as far as their legal liability before the law of God in the court of heaven, all sin is pardoned when we are justified. Paul could write, There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. But it is more than that. It is the accepting and accounting of our persons as righteous. The scripture says, We are accepted in the beloved, not only forgiven of our sins where we have broken the law, but treated as though we had fully kept the law.

Review of Justification's Seven 'Rooms': Ground, Method, Means

11:49 That's the substance of justification. And then in the fifth place, we went into that fifth large room of the ground or the basis of our justification. And what is it? The catechism definition is biblically accurate.

12:06 Not for anything wrought in us or done by us, but only for the perfect obedience and full satisfaction of Christ. Negatively, the ground or basis of our justification is nothing done in us by God himself and nothing done by us to merit the favor of God. The ground of our justification lies totally outside of us. Even the work that God does in us and He always does an amazing thing in us when He justifies us, that's called regeneration and definitive sanctification.

12:51 And it issues in progressive sanctification and will ultimately culminate in glorification, but that's not the ground of our justification. Nothing done in us by God, nothing done by us to merit anything before God, but positively based upon the perfect obedience of Christ, His life of suffering obedience, and the full satisfaction of Christ, that is, His death of obedient suffering, His perfect life lived out under the law, and His death under the curse of the broken law. That and that alone is the ground of our justification. And then in the sixth place, what is the method of justification? The definition again is so helpful. By God imputed to us.

13:49 This status of being justified is imputed to us. It is put to our account because we are placed into union with Christ. The same way in which Christ became sin for us while personally sinless, we become the righteousness of God in Him while personally unrighteous. Paul could write in 2 Corinthians 2 Corinthians 5.21 Him who knew no sin, Jesus, God made to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. How is Christ made a sinner? Not by His participation in sin or being defiled by sin. He knew no sin.

14:43 The writer to Hebrews says He was holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sin. And yet the text says God made Him to be sin. How? By imputing to Jesus the guilt of our sin and punishing Him by imputation.

15:02 Because He takes the place of our representative and our surety and our covenant head. God treats Him as though He were us and He punishes Him by imputing our sin. In a similar way His righteousness then is imputed to us. It is put to our account when we are united to Christ.

15:27 Then God's acceptance of Christ becomes His acceptance of us. And justification has nothing to do with what He does in us but what He declares is true of us by imputation. And then the method of justification? God imputes it.

15:48 And then finally the means of receiving justification and received by faith alone. We know Paul says that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Well, for those of you visiting with us the opening up of those seven marvelous rooms using the framework of the larger catechism took us a number of weeks many, many texts of scripture you're getting in 10 or 12 minutes the distillation of the very heart of this marvelous doctrine. Now, having expounded the biblical confessional, catechetical and classic evangelical and protestant doctrine of justification that's what I did you didn't know it but that's what I did the biblical, confessional, catechetical and classic evangelical and protestant doctrine of justification I took up two practical pastoral concerns. Number one I addressed the apparent contradiction between James and Paul regarding the place of works in our justification and secondly I addressed the problem of ongoing sin in the life of the justified. Now, what I plan to do in the remainder of the time today and then again next Lord's Day God willing is something I've never done

Introduction to the Pop Quiz: Purpose and Categories

17:16 in more than 50 years of preaching. You say, it must be something Pastor 50 years of preaching you've done an awful lot of strange things in the 10, 20, 30 years I've been around here. What is it that you've not done? Well, what I've not done is given you a quiz to see how much you've learned.

17:39 Now, I'm not going to have the deacons come down the aisle and pass out paper and pen and have you put your name on it. So I can judge how much you've learned. I want you to sit there and judge yourself as to how much you've really learned. Now, why am I doing this?

18:03 Not to be novel not to be clever but I am so persuaded that your well-being as a Christian is attached to your comprehension and spiritual assimilation of this doctrine that if you've sat under these expositions and haven't laid hold of the heart and soul of what we've been setting forth I want you to sit there self-condemned and ashamed of yourself and borrow the CDs or the tapes and listen to them until this stuff gets into the texture of your soul. If it doesn't you're not going to be a stable Christian. You're not going to be able to face life with stability and death with confidence. You will not have the stuff to do what Jude says all of God's people are to do not just the preachers contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints. If you do not have a grasp on this central basic doctrine of the faith how can you contend for it?

19:16 How can you recognize those thoughts and those influences that would dilute this doctrine that would undermine this doctrine that would seek to replace it with something other than its place in the scheme of God's redemption? And that's the only reason I'm doing this. It isn't what I had originally planned to do but yesterday as I prayed and waited before God I found myself increasingly shut up to this avenue until I had to say Lord, I've got to do something I've never done before so be it. I don't believe I'm violating any explicit directive of the Bible.

19:55 So here we go. Two sets of questions. Two sets of questions. One set this morning and another set, God willing next Lord's Day morning.

20:07 And the questions are going to be governed by the only two categories existing here this morning that count for anything in the light of eternity. There are only two categories of people here this morning in terms of categories that count for anything in the light of eternity. Now I know there are two basic categories into which all of us fall males or females boys or girls men or women. But in the light of eternity that doesn't matter diddly.

20:40 There are only two categories that matter in the light of eternity. And what are they? They are the categories clearly spelled out in these texts. Psalm 1 in verse 6.

20:55 The Lord knows the way of the righteous but the way of the ungodly shall perish. Every one of you is either righteous or ungodly. The category of Matthew 25 31 to 46 When the Son of Man shall come in his glory he shall sit upon the throne of his glory there shall be gathered before him all the nations and he shall separate them the one from the other as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats he shall set the sheep on his right hand the goats on his left. Righteous, ungodly sheep and goats and listen to me there are no spirits there are no spiritual hybrids no spiritual hybrids sheep or goats or Ephesians 2 1 you hath he made alive who were dead in your trespasses and sins you are either alive in Christ or you are dead in your sins or Romans 5 verses 12 to 21 you are either in Adam in a state of guilt condemnation and death or you are in Christ in a state of righteousness

22:21 justification and life no middle ground in Adam in a state of guilt condemnation and death in Christ in a state of righteousness justification and life you are either on Adam's belt or Christ's belt and there is no one else in between or 1 John 3 verse 10 in this the children of God are manifested and the children of the devil you are either a child of God or a child of the devil I didn't make these distinctions they are there on the surface of your Bible children of God children of the devil or 1 John 5 verse 12 that we read this morning you either have the son and life in him or you have not the son and you are a stranger to life or John 3 verse 18 he who believes has eternal life he who believes not is in condemnation dear people the categories are clear unmistakable righteous wicked sheep goats alive or dead in Christ in Adam children of God children of God children of the devil you have the son you have not the son you believe you don't believe where are you

Quiz Question 1: Clearer Understanding of Justification's Nature

23:50 where are you one category or the other and what I want to do this morning is at least begin to address some questions to those of you who are in Christ and were present for if not all at least many of the 23 expositions of the doctrine of justification I've made some intensive reviews along the way so total ignorance is inexcusable even if you didn't hear all of the messages question number one judge yourself with this question do you now have a clearer understanding of what it means to be a justified sinner can you honestly say and then articulate if I were to talk to you one on one that you now have on this date October 7th 2007 a clearer understanding of what it means to be a justified sinner than you had six months ago and could you then tell me in what way your understanding has been clarified or amplified would you say to me I now understand

25:18 as I never saw before that my justification involves not only the pardon of all my sins taking away of my guilt but I've come to see like I've never seen before it actually means that God credits me with a positive righteousness as he could look upon his son and say this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased he fully obeys me in all things at all times in all circumstances and in all relationships that God now views me just like that in the court of heaven can you say that your understanding has been increased it has been expanded it has been intensified that you've come to see the wonder of what that beautiful picture in the book of Zechariah is all about and here I read from Zechariah chapter 3 verses 3 to 5 listen to the words now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and was standing before the angel and he answered and spoke unto those that stood before him saying take the filthy garments from off him and unto him he said behold

26:47 I've caused your iniquity to pass from you and I will clothe you with rich apparel and I said let them set a clean mitre or turban upon his head so they set a clean mitre or turban upon his head and clothed him with garments it is one thing to have the filthy garments stripped away it's another thing to be clothed in beautiful garments have you come to see dear believer that's what your justification is how would you answer if you had paper and pen to that first question do you now have a clearer understanding of what it means to be a justified sinner that in the language of the catechism is an act of pardoning all our sins but more than that accepting an account abounding our persons as righteous in his sight I can remember when opening up the biblical text on that and preaching feeling at times that I was going to fly out of this body has it gripped you that's who you are before the living God justified pardoned accepted question number two do you have an enlarged understanding of the grounds

Quiz Question 2: Enlarged Understanding of Justification's Ground

28:16 of your justification do you have an enlarged understanding of the grounds of your justification the first question leads into the second do you really believe now that the grounds the procuring cause is totally external to you totally outside of you in another do you understand now and joyfully embrace the fact that that the ground of your justification is not only the death of Christ which satisfied the penal judgments of the law but the perfect obedience of Christ which earns acceptance before the law have you come to see what I've emphasized again and again what is so beautifully stated in the catechism what is the ground of our justification it is the perfect obedience of Christ and the full satisfaction of Christ it's Christ's substitutionary death that fully satisfies the justice of God the ground of our justification is the obedience suffering of Christ upon the cross Christ redeemed us

29:42 from the curse of the law being made a curse for us Galatians 3.13 but Christ's life of suffering obedience fully satisfied the preceptive demands of the law Romans 5.19 as to the one man's disobedience the many were constituted sinners so by the obedience of the one shall the many be constituted righteousness has it come home with clarity by the power of the Holy Spirit the penal demands of the law satisfied in his death the preceptive demands of the law fully met in his life and the righteousness that is mine in the court of heaven if I may change the metaphor that garment of righteousness has as its warp threads that were constructed out of the perfect obedient life of Christ and in its woof it has threads constructed from his suffering unto death and in the obedience of Christ and in the death of Christ every thread necessary to clothe me in a garment of perfect righteousness has been constructed by him and there is not

31:08 a thread missing and I must not dare add a thread out of the stuff of my own works or my own sufferings I ask you child of God do you have an enlarged understanding of the grounds of your justification can you say with Paul my great passion is that I may be found in him not having a righteousness of my own which is of the law but the righteousness of the law which is of God by faith in Jesus Christ or 1 Corinthians 1.30 but by God's action are you in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption that according as it is written he that boasts let him boast in the Lord do you find yourself more inclined to boast in the Lord can you say I call him what Jeremiah 23.6 says under the new covenant he will be called the Lord our righteousness can you sing the words we often sing from the heart when from the dust of death I rise to claim my mansion in the skies even then this shall be

Quiz Question 3: Clearer Understanding of Justification's Method (Imputation)

32:36 all my plea Jesus has lived has died read your face folks I'm doing the best I can with my tin ears I hope with my clear head has this gripped you has it gotten down into here to where you face your own sins and all the accusing powers of hell and say you have nothing to say to me my righteousness is in another out of my sin in myself and in Christ I am no sinner out of Christ and in myself I am a sinner question number three do you understand more clearly why the method of justification is the imputation of righteousness and not the infusion of righteousness do you understand more clearly why God's method is imputation putting sin into sin and not the infusion of righteousness do you understand more clearly why God's method of justification is not putting something to our account not putting something into us the fundamental error of the Roman Catholic doctrine of justification lies right here they make justification to reside in God's work in us not God's

34:05 work for us outside of us in Christ if justification means that all sin is pardon and I have a perfect standing before the law of God it is because God has imputed our sin to Christ and his righteousness to us that we have a perfect standing before the law of God it is because God has imputed our sin to Christ and his righteousness to us that we have a standing before the law of God without condemnation have you come to understand this more clearly and is it a matter of persuasion and could you turn to the scriptures that teach that it is by imputation that this righteousness is ours not by infusion or by impartation question four do you see more clearly why faith alone is the means of appropriating the blessing of justification do you see more clearly why faith alone is the means of appropriating the blessing of justification I sought to emphasize that faith

Quiz Question 4: Clearer Understanding of Justification's Means (Faith Alone)

35:34 is the spiritual grace of the empty hand that takes a proffered and offered salvation it brings nothing but its emptiness nothing in my hands I bring to you faith faith is the God appointed bond of union with Christ so that believing we are now in Christ and in union with Christ his righteousness becomes ours we are accepted Paul says in the beloved one if any man be in Christ the little phrase in him is concerning our salvation it is located in Christ that's why John again and again speaks of believing in or into or upon Christ is not just believing in some things about Christ out there but faith brings us into vital union with Christ himself and in union with him all that is his becomes ours not only in the present but also in the future question number five do you understand and could you explain to someone why there is no contradiction between Paul and James concerning the place of

Quiz Question 5: Reconciling Paul and James on Works

37:03 works in our justification do you understand and could you explain to someone why there is no contradiction between Paul and James concerning the place of works you see the major error that Paul was attacking in the book of Galatians and somewhat in the book of Romans was this Paul was attacking the notion that there is something that I can be in my religious background or something that I can do in my religious activity that will contribute to my acceptance with God of faith alone the error Paul was attacking and that he had in his crosshairs was the error of dead works contributing to my salvation James was dealing with a different error James was dealing with the idea that the faith that is unto salvation is simply an acceptance of God in a way that is not the same as the belief in the world of the preserve myself from the devil and

38:32 from all other people in my life including myself in my church and in not the faith that is out to salvation. James is demonstrating that if our faith truly unites us to Christ, it is the faith, Galatians 5, 6, that works by love. It is a faith that brings us into a life of obedience to the Word of God and to the person of Christ. Paul teaches that as well.

39:09 But the dominant emphasis of the Apostle Paul, he had in his crosshairs the dead works that will damn us. James has in his crosshairs dead faith that will damn us. Do you see that? Do you understand it?

39:28 Could you sit down with your Bible when someone comes along and says, oh, well, the only place where faith alone is even used in the Bible is in the book of James. And it says, do you see that Abraham was not justified by faith? So how could you sit with your Bible and defend the biblical doctrine of why we are justified by faith alone? If you don't care enough to take what you've heard, pray it in, validate it with your own eyes in your Bible, and ready to spill blood for it, sooner or later it will go out the back door of this church.

40:11 Sooner or later. It will go out the back door of this church.

40:17 The Apostle Paul could not perpetuate orthodoxy even in the Ephesian church. He said to those elders, I know that after my departure, wolves will come in, perverse men will rise up from your own ranks. Dear people, I'm not an alarmist. I'm a biblical realist.

40:41 And some smooth-talking, sweet-speaking character will someday want to stand in this pulpit and tell you that your salvation in some way rests upon what you can do and what you can produce, something other than the naked hand of faith that lays hold of the offered and the perfect Savior. Is this stuff in your gut that you're ready to rear back on your hind legs and say, no, not while I have life and I have breath?

41:21 If you can sit through this series of sermons and just enjoy seeing me pour my guts out for you and say, well, that was interesting, that was good, and not take the time to pray the stuff in and ask God to make it part and parcel of the texture of your own inner life, you're kissing the truth goodbye for unborn generations.

41:49 My days are numbered, folks, not just in this pulpit, but all the parts breaking down one by one. It may not be long before the fourth hole in the ground out there behind that white church is going to be filled. Marilyn's in one of them, Areth and Kathy in the next two. The fourth one's waiting for me.

42:13 And when I'm there, I hope you'll remember this is the man that wasn't content to simply preach the truth and lay it out before us. He was. He was passionate in his longing that we internalize it and be ready to defend and to die for it. Question number six.

Quiz Question 6: Dealing with Sin as a Justified Believer

42:35 Do you understand more clearly how you're to deal with your sin as a justified child of God? I took three or four messages to address this. Did any of that sink in? Do you understand more clearly how you're to deal with your sin as a justified child of God?

42:53 That you must take your sin seriously because God did. But you must not let your sin bring you into legal bondage and fear. Rather, you must deal with your sins as a disobedient child of your heavenly Father, not as a guilty criminal before an angry judge. Further, you must deal with your sins remembering Christ is your advocate, your high priest and your intercessor.

43:26 John said, My little children, these things I write unto you that you may not sin, but if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous one. Remember our Lord said to Peter, Peter, Satan has desired to sift all of you like wheat, but I've prayed for you specifically, Peter, that your faith be good. Fail not, and when you have turned again, strengthen your brethren. The Lord Jesus made it plain to Peter on the eve of his horrible threefold denial that he wasn't throwing him away like junk.

Quiz Question 7: Balanced Understanding of God's Character

44:07 He was going to lovely restore him as one of his precious sheep for whom he was just about to spill his own precious blood. And then the final question, do you see why the maintenance of a balance understanding of the character of God is crucial to the preservation and propagation of the doctrine of justification? Do you see why the maintenance of a balanced understanding of the character of God is crucial to the preservation and propagation of the doctrine of justification? If we do not have a balanced, biblically based appreciation of his holiness along with his mercy, his justice along with his love, his fiery indignation against sin along with his amazing pity towards sinners, the doctrine of justification will mean nothing to us. It's only when men take seriously there is an incensed and angry God in heaven who could drop them in the ground, into hell in the next moment if he chose to, that there will be any good news in being told that God who has righteous anger also has infinite and holy love

45:36 to the likes of you. And he sent his only begotten Son that in his Son he might work out a way he may still be just and yet justify the ungodly and the unrighteous. Oh, my sinner friend, is that good news? It is good news when we see God in his infinite holiness and in his inflexible justice and then in his infinite and amazing love.

46:07 If you have a God who's all terror, then the notes of justification will just not register in the minds of hearts of men and women. If you've got a God as we saw last week who is just all mush and gush and wouldn't harm a flea, why run from the wrath to come into the Lord Jesus if there is no coming wrath? Well, dear people of God, how did you do in your pop quiz on the doctrine of justification? If you couldn't honestly answer in the affirmative to the majority of the questions, then either I have failed to make these vital issues clear and convincing, or you, as a child of God, have failed to grasp them, pray them in, and to begin to manage your walk with God in the light of them. What are the other...

Call to Assimilate and Defend the Doctrine

47:06 I've done my best. I've told my wife that some of the most intense, demanding study that I've done in years, I've done in preparing these 23 sermons. They're not perfect sermons. I go home Sunday nights and I lie in my bed and I think of all the things I wish I had said that I didn't say.

47:30 All the things I wish I had said differently. And when I speak about them to Dorothy, she said, Dear, you prepared, you preached your heart out. Leave it with God. I said, I can't.

47:42 If I get a chance to do it another time, I want to do it better.

47:46 Let me ask you, have you labored to grasp it? Have you labored when you leave this place to pray it in, to mull it over, and to assimilate by prayer and reflection and meditation? Because you see, my task, according to Ephesians 4, among other things, as a pastor, is to help you that you will become stable in your understanding of doctrine, that you be no more children tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, by the slight of men and their craftiness wherein they lie in wait to deceive. I have not bothered you with going into what's now called the federalism, the federal vision and the new perspective on Paul.

48:30 There are current heresies on the doctrine of justification that are complex and diffuse. I've not wearied you with that. Why? Believing if you grasp the heart of the biblical teaching as it is so beautifully summarized in that larger catechism definition, get hold of these biblical concepts and categories, understand the one or two pivotal texts on which they are based, understand the one or two pivotal texts on which they are built, you'll be able to detect these errors and say, nah, that's not attractive to me.

49:03 How does that fit with this? And how does that fit with that? That's been my passion, dear people, that by God's grace, this doctrine may live in your heart. It may become part and parcel of the way you manage your walk with the living God.

49:19 And if you had to confess, there's an awful lot I didn't grasp, then may I urge you, borrow the CDs and listen, read Professor Murray's chapter in Redemption Accomplished and Applied on Justification. Memorize the larger catechism definition and the texts that are given as proof text.

49:42 God willing, next week, I want to ask some questions for those who are in the other category, the ungodly, the goats, the unrighteous, children of the devil. But as I sat and wrote on my notes, no presumption, we may not be here next week.

50:06 Sitting here today, if you're not in Christ, if you've not fled to Him and laid hold of Him by faith, I urge you today, go to Christ, in whom God offers to you a perfect righteousness, the full pardon of all of your sins, and an acceptance of your person as righteous in His sight because of what Christ has done and what God has done. But God freely and sincerely and passionately offers you in the Gospel. Go to Christ and find the joy of this salvation that is in Him. Let's pray.

50:55 Our Father, we can only plead with You that by the Holy Spirit You will do that work that You alone can do. We pray for those of Your people who have been able to sit here and affirm their faith. Affirm that by Your grace their understanding of this doctrine has indeed been enlarged and increased and has influenced their walk with You. For those who have had to confess that much of it just went over their head and never found its lodging in their hearts and in their understanding, O God, stir them up to be determined that they will not go on in ignorance or with truncated views of this great and glorious provision of Your grace. Seal Your word then to all of our hearts to the praise of Your name we ask it. Amen.