The Natural Man in 1st Corinthians 2:11-16

<h2>Where Does Saving Faith Come From?</h2> Why are unregenerate people so callous toward the things of God? Paul’s conclusion is that the unregenerate man is dead in his sins, and is totally incapable of any saving understanding whatsoever of spiritual matters. So, that begs the question, "Where does Saving Faith come from?" This sermon was preached at Ballymacashon Congregational Church, and Templepatrick Reformed Church, recorded at TRC and used here with their kind permission.

Where Does Saving Faith Come From?

Is repentance JUST for Conversion?

<h2>The Repentant Life</h2>Catechism Class. LD32 Q87-88 Read: 1st Corinthians 6:9-11&nbsp;&nbsp;Q.87 Can those be saved who do not turn to God from their ungrateful and impenitent walk of life?&nbsp;A. By no means. Scripture says that no unchaste person, idolater, adulterer, thief, greedy person, drunkard, slanderer, robber, or the like shall inherit the kingdom of God. The Christian life is a life of repentance.&nbsp;We are forgiven, but we are not yet perfect. That is still to come.&nbsp;The real issue is the difference between how a Christian deals with sin, compared with how an unbeliever deals with it.&nbsp;The Christian will hate his sin, loathe it.&nbsp;It will burn his conscience, it will make him weep, until he comes before the Lord and repents.&nbsp; Read the <a href="https://saltyscrivener.uk/2023/03/20/the-repentant-life/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NOTES HERE</a>.

Catechism Class: LD32Q87-88 The Repentant Life

 Ephesians 1:8-10

<h2>The Mystery of God's Will</h2> &nbsp;In this passage we see that God’s will has already been revealed to us, – it is to bring his people, and everything in Creation, together in a new heaven and earth, where Christ is glorified&nbsp;Colossians 1:18 Sermon preached at Ballymacashon and Templepatrick Reformed Church. Recorded at TRC and used by kind permission. Read the <a href="https://saltyscrivener.uk/2023/02/04/the-mystery-of-gods-will/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NOTES HERE</a>

The Mystery of God's Will

Special Episode for St Patrick's Day

<h2>REPRISE: Patrick, Roman Catholic or Reformed?</h2> In addressing this particular title, I am aware that I will probably run the gauntlet of divided opinion about the man. Many Roman Catholic people hold Patrick in such esteem that they will accept little or nothing about him which runs counter to their perceived opinion. Many Protestants have, traditionally, been so apathetic about Patrick that they have bee content to ignore him, and leave it to their Roman Catholic friends to celebrate his life in whatever way they have chosen. This paper seeks to challenge both positions and to encourage us, in this modern age, to consider our soul’s welfare, as Patrick did in bygone days. Read the <a href="https://saltyscrivener.uk/2021/03/13/the-real-st-patrick/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NOTES HERE</a>

REPRISE: Patrick, Roman Catholic or Reformed?

Why good works are part of our Christian life

<h2>Lord's Day 32 Q86 The Value of Works</h2> Our study of the catechism today takes us into an area of our Christian Faith where there is some confusion among people who claim to be Christians, yet one where we need absolute clarity.&nbsp;The Catechism helps us greatly: Q86, Since, then, we are redeemed from our misery by grace through Christ, without any merit of ours, why must we do good works? We answer, Because Christ, having redeemed us by His blood, also renews us by His Holy Spirit after His own image, that with our whole life we show ourselves thankful to God for His blessing, and that He be glorified through us, and that He be glorified through us,&nbsp;then also, that we ourselves may be assured by our faith by the fruits thereof;&nbsp; So why must we do Good Works and what will those works be? Read the <a href="https://saltyscrivener.uk/2020/06/13/4068/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NOTES HERE.</a>

Catechism Class: LD32 Q86 The Value of Works

A sermon from Matthew 18:17-19

<h2>Church Discipline&nbsp;</h2> In Matthew 18:15-17 we see:- <ol><li>The Possibility of Christian Discord. Moreover if your brother sins against you,</li></ol>So the overriding principle here is very simple.&nbsp;When discord happens in the church, we must recognise it and do something about it, and to put things right. <ol><li>The Procedure for Christian Discipline.&nbsp;</li></ol> <ol><li>The Practice of Christian Discernment. let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.</li></ol>Now here’s where this text gets really interesting.&nbsp;When a brother has sinned against you, and all the avenues for reconciliation has failed, what do you do?&nbsp;Jesus tells us right here; we are to regard that person as a heathen and a tax collector.&nbsp;Now what does that mean? &nbsp; This sermon was recorded in Templepatrick Reformed Church in 2018, and is reproduced here with their kind permission.

Church Discipline

<h2>LORD'S DAY 31 - Church Discipline.</h2> In our last catechism class we looked at The Keys of The Kingdom.&nbsp;&nbsp;Matthew 16:19&nbsp;&nbsp;We saw that our catechism instructor teaches us that the ‘Keys of the Kingdom’ is THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL, which opens the door to the kingdom of heaven for those who will come and be saved, and which closes the door of the kingdom of heaven to those who refuse to repent.There is a second way in which the ‘Keys of the Kingdom’ are employed –&nbsp;through Church Discipline. Read the <a href="https://saltyscrivener.uk/2020/06/07/catechism-class-h-c31b-the-keys-part-2/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NOTES HERE</a>

Catechism Class: LD31 Q85  Church Discipline and The Keys

Ephesians 1:7-8

<h2>Grace</h2> How can we even begin to measure the extent of God’s saving love and favour for His people? It would be impossible. Grace in this sense grace is the unmerited favour of God upon sinners, – the idea of our salvation being a completely free gift – that God loves us when we were unlovable, chose us to be his, without any merit on our part, and at great cost to himself,-&nbsp;the death of his only begotten son.&nbsp; This sermon was preached at Ballymacashon Congregational Church, and Templepatrick Reformed Church and was recorded at Templepatrick. It is reproduced here with their kind permission. <a href="https://saltyscrivener.uk/2023/01/28/the-riches-of-his-grace/ " rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read the NOTES HERE</a>.

Grace

What are "The Keys of the Kingdom?" Part 1.

<h2>Catechism Class: LD31 Q83 The Gospel and the Keys</h2>What are "The Keys of the Kingdom?" Part 1. Matthew 16:19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Q 83. What are the keys of the kingdom of heaven?A. The preaching of the holy gospel and church discipline. By these two the kingdom of heaven is opened to believers and closed to unbelievers.Q 84&nbsp;How is the kingdom of heaven&nbsp;opened and closed&nbsp;by the preaching of the gospel?A. According to the command of Christ, the kingdom of heaven is opened when it is proclaimed and publicly testified to each and every believer that God has really forgiven all their sins for the sake of Christ’s merits, as often as they by true faith accept the promise of the gospel. The kingdom of heaven is closed when it is proclaimed and testified to all unbelievers and hypocrites that the wrath of God and eternal condemnation rest on them as long as they do not repent. According to this testimony of the gospel, God will judge both in this life and in the life to come Our Instructor in the Catechism helps us to understand what Jesus meant by the ‘Keys of the Kingdom.’ Read the <a href="https://saltyscrivener.uk/2020/05/31/catechism-class-h-c31-the-keys-of-the-kingdom/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NOTES HERE</a>

Catechism Class: LD31 Q83 The Gospel and the Keys

<h2>Glory!</h2> Ephesians 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In this study we are going to look at a word frequently spoken by Christians. GLORY! A sermon preached at Ballymacashon and Templepatrick Reformed Church, and recorded at Templepatrick, and used with their kind permission. Read th<a href="https://saltyscrivener.uk/2023/01/19/glory/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">e NOTES HERE</a>.

Glory

Christian Ethics, Doctrine and Life

Christian Ethics, Church History, Reformed Doctrine, Regulative Principle of Worship, Congregationalism, and of course, the Heidelberg Catechism are all topics that are discussed on The Semper Reformata Podcast, hosted by Bob McEvoy, the pastor of The Old Reformed Church at Ballymacashon, Killinchy, Co.Down, Northern Ireland. Find out more at https://saltyscrivener.uk/podcast/ Telegram: https://t.me/SRPodcast

The Semper Reformata Podcast

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Where Does Saving Faith Come From?

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The Mystery of God's Will

REPRISE: Patrick, Roman Catholic or Reformed?

Catechism Class: LD32 Q86 The Value of Works