Justified by Faith, Empowered By The Spriit - Romans 5:1-9 - Our Advocate

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5:1-5

This week, the title of Pastor Jonathan's sermon is, "Justified by Faith, Empowered by the Spirit."

There are times when my own words are not good enough, and it is wiser to simply cede the metaphorical online microphone to someone who draws us into the happy mystery of the Gospel with a fitting word.

This week, we learn about the Holy Spirit's role in giving us up— Hope which does not put us to shame. Hope which looks like Christ dying for the ungodly. Come on Sunday to see what the Spirit might say to us through this message. Come to the church blog to see a fitting quotation from Lutheran Pastor Sarah Hinlicky Wilson about the implications of this very good Gospel:

"Christ came not for the good. Not even for the ones who wanted to be good or tried to be good. Not for his well-meaning allies, not for the ones who remembered to say thanks. He came for the unrighteous, the sinners, the ungrateful, the evil, the lost, the condemned, the ungodly. In short: his enemies. The ones who don’t want to be saved at all, whether because they don’t think they need it or because they frankly prefer their sins to God’s company. Christ wanted so much to rescue and redeem his enemies that he became sin for their sake, a curse for their sake, and then simply offered his redemption as a gift, knowing full well that some wouldn’t want the full pardon and the steadfast love and the everlasting life, if it meant conceding their enemy status.

Two thousand years later we are still stunned by the news and still haven’t figured out how to be a church that corresponds to its message. Because what could such a church be? Only a perpetual embarrassment. People selected chiefly on account of their disqualification to accomplish great things. A fellowship of such sinners that backbiting and betrayal are an inevitability. Ambassadors who constantly consider defecting to the other side. How can God expect to win more to His church with that kind of public relations campaign? Unless, of course, that is exactly the point."

--->>You can read more at https://www.fbcmuncie.org/blog.

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Audio-Only Podcast Bumper Music is an arrangement of “Be Thou My Vision” by Dr. Clifton Davis, FBCM’s Worship Arts Pastor.

First Baptist Church, Muncie, Indiana is a Spirit-led Community gathered to join Christ’s presence in our community.
We gather at 309 East Adams Street, Muncie, Indiana, 47305, each week. Our worship service is at 10:45 a.m.

Our current scriptural watchword for this season is “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45).

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