Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
Our sermon text for this coming Lord’s Day will be James 1:17-18. Here the brother of our Lord is speaking of the kind of “Father” we have in heaven. You will remember that James has referred to Him as “the Father of lights”—the Creator and Provider who delights in giving “good” and “perfect” gifts to His children (v. 17).
But as we will discover in this text, our Father is not only the Giver of all that is “good,” we also learn some other essential truths about His nature and character. First, He is always the same—“with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (v. 17). Secondly, He is the Author of our salvation, the greatest gift we could ever receive from His hand—“of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth” (v. 18). And, as James makes clear, He saved us by the power of His Word—“the word of truth”—the Gospel. And third, the eternal purpose for our salvation is that we might be totally His—“a kind of firstfruits of His creatures” (v. 18). And what magnificent truths these are! And what encouragement and assurance there is to be found here, especially in our seasons of trial and temptation.
Some Homework
As you meditate upon these inspired verses in preparation for Sunday, let me also encourage you to become more familiar with how this second truth—that our salvation is due in total to the exercise of our Father’s “will”—is set forth by Jesus in John 3:3-8 and explained in our Reformed confessional heritage. Below you will find some statements from the Westminster Confession of Faith that will assist us as we come to contemplate more fully the gift of salvation that we have been graciously granted in Christ our Lord.
WCF 9:3
Man, by his fall into a state of sin, has completely lost all ability to choose any spiritual good that accompanies salvation. Therefore, an unregenerate man, because he is opposed to that good and is dead in sin, is unable by his own strength to convert himself or to prepare himself to be converted.
WCF 3:5
Those people who are predestined to life, God—before the foundation of the world was laid, according to his eternal and unchangeable purpose and the secret counsel and good pleasure of his will—has chosen in Christ to everlasting glory. He chose them out of his free grace and love alone, not because he foresaw faith, or good works, or perseverance in either of these, or anything else in the creature, as conditions or causes moving him to do this; and all to the praise of his glorious grace.
WCF 10:1
All those—and only those—whom God has predestined to life, he is pleased to call effectually in his appointed and accepted time, by his Word and Spirit. He calls them from the state of sin and death—in which they are by nature—to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ. In this calling, God enlightens their minds spiritually and savingly, so that they understand the things of God. He takes away their hearts of stone and gives them hearts of flesh, renews their wills, and by his almighty power turns them to what is good and effectually draws them to Jesus Christ. Yet he does this in such a way that they come most freely, being made willing by his grace.
I can’t wait for Sunday to get here! What a joy it will be to worship our great God and Father together! And how blessed we will be as we hear His Word proclaimed!
I love you all so much,
Mike