Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV)

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

When we acknowledge that God has provided everything needed for salvation in Christ, we begin to see clearly that all our spiritual (i.e. Holy Spirit given) treasures are centered on our covenant relationship with God.  Faith is no exception.  We must be careful to define this word properly.  Faith can simply mean “belief,” but belief is not the same as faith.  Even the demons believe that Jesus is the Son of God.  Salvation restores our covenant relationship with God and so the faith we receive is a “saving faith.”

The Westminster Shorter Catechism QA86 states “Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered in the gospel.”  The key here is that we “receive” and “rest” upon him alone for salvation.  First, saving faith is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8) that enables us to put our trust in Christ.  Second, saving faith allows our new self to rest and rely on Christ for our salvation from beginning to end.  In other words, saving faith allows us to say, “I am sinner, deserving of eternal punishment and the outpouring of God’s wrath, but by God’s grace, I look to Jesus Christ and place my trust and hope in Him from today and for all of eternity.”

1. What is saving faith? 
2. What is the difference between believing in Jesus and trusting in Jesus?

1 John 1:5-10 (ESV)

5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Once we rest on Jesus for our salvation, we come to see that the ‘old self’ still resides within.  We desire the things of the flesh.  We desire to put ourselves at the center of the universe.  We fail to love and help our neighbors.  As we continue to sin, we are called to daily repent and believe!  Repentance is the act of confessing our sin to the Lord and belief is putting into action our “saving faith,” to trust that Jesus has forgiven us!  Our saving faith is not a single-use gift, but a lifelong instrument to fight sin and to live a life pleasing to God.

1. At CCPC, our worship service has a time of repentance and assurance.  Why are these two elements important? How can you replicate it in your own personal walk?
2. A major part of growing in faith is in relationship with repentance.  How can we continue to trust in Jesus for forgiveness if we do not continue to repent?  How is your spiritual life of repentance/faith?

James 2:14-26 & 1 Timothy 1:5 (ESV)

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good[a] is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
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18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

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5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

Saving faith indeed points the believer to Jesus to trust in him for the forgiveness of sins and to pursue a life of holiness.  But saving faith is not simply internal and personal.  Saving faith leads the believer to good works.  “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘God in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?  So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:15-17).  “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5).  Saving faith “produces” a deep love for the brother and sister in need, a desire to fulfill the law of love by acts of mercy and kindness. 

Saving faith is not a personal psycho-spiritual crutch, but a powerful gift from the Lord that enables us to put love into action--in poverty or riches, in sickness or in health, in suffering or rejoicing. ​

1. Is your faith in Jesus too private? Spiritualized? Selfish?
2. How should our faith in Christ lead us to love? 

Deuteronomy 32:4 & Romans 3:21-26 (ESV)

4 “The Rock, his work is perfect,
    for all his ways are justice.
A God of faithfulness and without iniquity,
    just and upright is he.

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21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it-- 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

The God of creation is a righteous God, perfect and upright in all His ways (Psalm 111:7; Psalm 119:137).  God is righteous not because He adheres to some outside standard, but He is righteous and just simply in His being.  He did not have to learn or acquire righteousness, but righteousness and justice is expressed in (1) His creation.  God created the world and gives to all nature what is required (Matthew 5:25-33).  (2) Humanity.  God created men and women in His own image, to mirror his perfect righteousness and justice.  (3) God revealed righteousness in His Word (Psalm 119). 

Our understanding of justification by faith is grounded in our worship of a Holy God who has revealed justice and righteousness.  Our covenant relationship with Him is predicated on a just and right relationship—perfect obedience (Genesis 2:15-17). 

Let us worship our Holy God who has revealed what is just and what is right.

1. Did God learn how to be just? 
2. How does knowing that God is just in his being lead us to worship Him?
   

Romans 5:18-21 (ESV)

18 Therefore, as one trespass[a] led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness[b] leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

In the garden of Eden, Adam represented all of humanity.  As the federal head, his obedience or disobedience would set the course of human history.  If he obeyed, his righteousness would have been credited to all his descendants.  Unfortunately, his disobedience led to our fall.  Therefore, when Adam sinned, “many were made sinners” (Romans 5:19). 

This fallen state consists of “the guilt of Adam’s first sin,” “the corruption of the human nature,” and all the “acts of transgressions” which follow (Westminster Shorter Catechism QA 18). 

How are we to be saved from this state of misery?  How can we undo what Adam did? 

1. How did Adam fail as our federal head? 
   
2. What are the three parts of our fallen state?
   

Romans 5:18-21 (ESV)

18 Therefore, as one trespass[a] led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness[b] leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Our righteousness needed to be restored!  We may think our own works could solve the issue, but due to our corrupted nature this is impossible.  All of deeds are as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). 

Jesus restored righteousness by coming here as the Second Adam.  Where Adam failed, Jesus succeeded in keeping the Law perfectly.  Jesus’ righteousness is then imputed to the believer and we have been justified. 

No longer do we live under the federal head of Adam, we live under the federal head of Jesus.  No longer are our nature’s completely corrupt, but we now able to obey God and follow Him. 

1. Why can’t we justify ourselves?  Why can’t we be righteous?
   
2. How did Jesus acquire righteousness?  How is it imputed (given) to the believer?