Greetings, Redeemer Family!

Throughout the month of October we will be highlighting the five “solas” of the protestant reformation in the early portion of our worship service. Though these five brief statements cannot serve as an accurate summation of the reformed faith, they do help us to keep focused on some of the essentials of our faith.

This week or focus is Sola Fide –(justification) by faith alone in Christ alone

Our Call to Worship is a series of Scripture verses which speak of our justification by faith alone.

Women 1 Peter 3:18
For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the spirit.

Men Acts 4:12
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.

Women Ephesians 2:8-9
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.

Men Romans 5:1
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,…

Women Romans 5:2
…through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

Men Romans 5:3-4
Not only so but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Women and Men Romans 5:5
And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

We’ll also use question 72 from the Westminster Larger Catechism as an affirmation of our justifying faith in Christ.

Westminster Larger Catechism, Question 72

What is justifying faith?
Justifying faith is a saving grace, wrought in the heart of a sinner by the Sprit and Word of God, whereby he, being convinced of his sin and misery, and of the disability in himself and all other creatures to recover him out of his lost condition, not only assents to the truth of the promise of the gospel, but receives and rests upon Christ and His righteousness, therein held forth, for pardon of sin, and for the accepting and accounting of his person righteous in the sight of God for salvation.

Hymns used in the beginning of our service are “And Can It Be”, “O, the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus”, and “My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less.” “My Hope…” would be an especially good hymn for you to work through with any young children that are in your home

My Hope is Built on Nothing Less
Tune: SOLID ROCK

1. My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
(Theme: we trust NOTHING for salvation but Christ. That’s the HOPE we’re singing about)

On Christ , the solid rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand
all other ground is sinking sand.
(Ask your child to think about the difference between a huge boulder of rock and a sand castle on the beach!)

2. When darkness veils his lovely face,
I rest on his unchanging grace;
in every high and stormy gale,
my anchor holds within the veil. (refrain)
(Though we do not see Him, still we rejoice with an inexpressible great joy because we know that His TRUTHS will stand through the storms of life)

3. His oath, his covenant, his blood,
support me in the ‘whelming flood;
when all around my soul gives way,
he then is all my hope and stay. (refrain)
(The blood of Christ shed for us- the Covenant of Grace- these will stand forever- even though the earth may pass away!)

4. When he shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in him be found;
dressed in his righteousness alone,
faultless to stand be-fore the throne.
(What a blessed day that will be- to be clothed in the righteousness of Christ; to stand before the throne of God, judged fautless- to sin no more. Perhaps helping our children to begin to understand this and long for this day will help us to long more fully for heaven!)

Text: Edward Mote, 1834
Music William B. Bradbury, 1863

Mike will be preaching on II Kings 1:1-18 in a sermon titled “The Confrontation of Grace.” Please read this portion of Scripture in preparation for our corporate worship.

Be filled with praise,

John Bennetch