Q & A 20
Q. Are all people then saved through Christ
just as they were lost through Adam?
A. No.
Only those are saved
who through true faith
are grafted into Christ
and accept all his benefits.1
1 Matt. 7:14; John 3:16, 18, 36; Rom. 11:16-21

Q & A 21
Q. What is true faith?
A. True faith is
not only a sure knowledge by which I hold as true
all that God has revealed to us in Scripture;1
it is also a wholehearted trust,2
which the Holy Spirit creates in me3 by the gospel,4
that God has freely granted,
not only to others but to me also,5
forgiveness of sins,
eternal righteousness,
and salvation.6
These are gifts of sheer grace,
granted solely by Christ’s merit.7
1 John 17:3, 17; Heb. 11:1-3; James 2:19
2 Rom. 4:18-21; 5:1; 10:10; Heb. 4:14-16
3 Matt. 16:15-17; John 3:5; Acts 16:14
4 Rom. 1:16; 10:17; 1 Cor. 1:21
5 Gal. 2:20
6 Rom. 1:17; Heb. 10:10
7 Rom. 3:21-26; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8-10

Q & A 22
Q. What then must a Christian believe?
A. All that is promised us in the gospel,1
a summary of which is taught us
in the articles of our universal
and undisputed Christian faith.
1 Matt. 28:18-20; John 20:30-31

Q & A 23
Q. What are these articles?
A. I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

Word Document w/ Scripture References

Perth by Bon Iver

Calgary by Bon Iver

Q & A 16
Q. Why must the mediator be a true and righteous human?
A. God’s justice demands
that human nature, which has sinned,
must pay for sin;1
but a sinful human could never pay for others.2
1 Rom. 5:12, 15; 1 Cor. 15:21; Heb. 2:14-16
2 Heb. 7:26-27; 1 Pet. 3:18

Q & A 17
Q. Why must the mediator also be true God?
A. So that the mediator,
by the power of his divinity,
might bear the weight of God’s wrath in his humanity
and earn for us
and restore to us
righteousness and life.1
1 Isa. 53; John 3:16; 2 Cor. 5:21

Q & A 18
Q. Then who is this mediator—
true God and at the same time
a true and righteous human?
A. Our Lord Jesus Christ,1
who was given to us
to completely deliver us
and make us right with God.2
1 Matt. 1:21-23; Luke 2:11; 1 Tim. 2:5
2 1 Cor. 1:30

Q & A 19
Q. How do you come to know this?
A. The holy gospel tells me.
God began to reveal the gospel already in Paradise;1
later God proclaimed it
by the holy patriarchs2 and prophets3
and foreshadowed it
by the sacrifices and other ceremonies of the law;4
and finally God fulfilled it
through his own beloved Son.5
1 Gen. 3:15
2 Gen. 22:18; 49:10
3 Isa. 53; Jer. 23:5-6; Mic. 7:18-20; Acts 10:43; Heb. 1:1-2
4 Lev. 1-7; John 5:46; Heb. 10:1-10
5 Rom. 10:4; Gal. 4:4-5; Col. 2:17

Word Document w/ Scripture References

I am excited to share that this partnering team had its first official meeting earlier this week. The meeting was a huge success! During our time together we reviewed and amended a proposed plan for the residency period. This plan should be finalized withing the next couple weeks. Once approved, this plan with provide a template for a public timeline that will be published sometime shortly after the residency begins in April. This timeline will outline all of the major benchmarks from the beginning of the residency period to the launch of Trinity Grace in March 2013. It is incredibly exciting to see target dates identified as this dream that began five years ago is finally becoming a reality! Please pray for continued wisdom and guidance for myself and the partnering team during this planning process.

Also, as I recently shared, we have finalized a plant location after sensing a clear clarification of God’s calling on our family to love, serve, and plant the gospel in Midland, Michigan. We rejoice in this answer to prayer and look forward to planting in the location where God has clearly drawn and planted our family. In addition to identifying Midland as our target city, we have identified a specific target area within the city; a .75 mile radius around the intersection of Ashman Street and Carpenter Street. If you are not familiar with Midland and would like a better picture of our target area, you can take a look here.

Finally, along with the 12 month residency plan, our partnering team discussed five important financial support streams. As Rachel and I look ahead to this residency period, we realize that we are going to be reliant upon the generosity and support of others who share the vision of a church being birthed in Midland. Over the next two months we will begin raising support from these five primary streams; Christian Reformed Home Missions, Classis Lake Erie, partnering churches, plant team members, and individual contributors. Please pray for Rachel and I as we begin to raise financial support in anticipation of the start of the residency in April.

If you would like more information about what is happening with the planting of Trinity Grace in Midland, please shoot me an email at shawn@trinitygracecrc.org

Q & A 12
Q. According to God’s righteous judgment
we deserve punishment
both now and in eternity:
how then can we escape this punishment
and return to God’s favor?
A. God requires that his justice be satisfied.1
Therefore the claims of this justice
must be paid in full,
either by ourselves or by another.2
1 Ex. 23:7; Rom. 2:1-11
2 Isa. 53:11; Rom. 8:3-4

Q & A 13
Q. Can we make this payment ourselves?
A. Certainly not.
Actually, we increase our debt every day.1
1 Matt. 6:12; Rom. 2:4-5

Q & A 14
Q. Can another creature—any at all—
pay this debt for us?
A. No.
To begin with,
God will not punish any other creature
for what a human is guilty of.1
Furthermore,
no mere creature can bear the weight
of God’s eternal wrath against sin
and deliver others from it.2
1 Ezek. 18:4, 20; Heb. 2:14-18
2 Ps. 49:7-9; 130:3

Q & A 15
Q. What kind of mediator and deliverer
should we look for then?
A. One who is a true1 and righteous2 human,
yet more powerful than all creatures,
that is, one who is also true God.3
1 Rom. 1:3; 1 Cor. 15:21; Heb. 2:17
2 Isa. 53:9; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 7:26
3 Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Jer. 23:6; John 1:1

Word Document w/ Scripture References

I am very excited to share a brief update that came as an unexpected result of the CPD Partner’s Meeting held on January 10th. Rachel and I have been struggling for some time with some misgivings and uncertainty concerning the exact location where God was calling us to plant. When we initially began this process two years ago, we felt called to plant a church in Midland. You may read more about that here. However, after some reflection, we began to waver in that decision – questioning whether it was indeed God who had called us here or following our own desire as to where to plant.

During the course of our conversation in the partner’s meeting, that decision was confirmed for us. I remember a two specific instances where the sense of calling became crystal clear. I remember listening to myself describe certain elements of Midland and the city’s culture and being struck by how obvious it was that this was indeed where God had called us to plant. I also remember being surprised that no one interrupted us to draw attention to this fact.

Following the meeting Rachel and I spoke about this during our car ride home. After I had shared with her what it was that I felt the Holy Spirit speaking to us during the meeting she confirmed that she was thinking the same thing. She was also surprised that no one addressed this – because it seemed so clear and obvious to the two of us.

Without any expectation of addressing that specific issue during our time together, God in His good providence spoke through His Holy Spirit when we least expected it. We rejoice in this answer to prayer and look forward to planting in the location where God has clearly drawn and planted our family. We know that the timing of our answer was a direct result of the time that we set aside to humble ourselves, fast, and pray as a couple and the direct result of prayers on our behalf.

We have been excited to share this update. Please join us in praising God for His answer to prayer and for His mercy, faithfulness, and loving kindness extended to the wrong people.

1. Reverence for Fallen Trees by The Black Atlantic

2. Holofon by Dorena

3. Kid A by Radiohead

4. Passive Me, Aggressive You by The Naked and Famous

Q & A 9
Q. But doesn’t God do us an injustice
by requiring in his law
what we are unable to do?
A. No, God created human beings with the ability to keep the law.1
They, however, provoked by the devil,2
in willful disobedience,3
robbed themselves and all their descendants of these gifts.4
1 Gen. 1:31; Eph. 4:24
2 Gen. 3:13; John 8:44
3 Gen. 3:6
4 Rom. 5:12, 18, 19

Q & A 10
Q. Does God permit
such disobedience and rebellion
to go unpunished?
A. Certainly not.
God is terribly angry
with the sin we are born with
as well as the sins we personally commit.
As a just judge,
God will punish them both now and in eternity,1
having declared:
“Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey
all the things written in the book of the law.”2
1 Ex. 34:7; Ps. 5:4-6; Nah. 1:2; Rom. 1:18; Eph. 5:6; Heb. 9:27
2 Gal. 3:10; Deut. 27:26

Q & A 11
Q. But isn’t God also merciful?
A. God is certainly merciful,1
but also just.2
God’s justice demands
that sin, committed against his supreme majesty,
be punished with the supreme penalty—
eternal punishment of body and soul.3
1 Ex. 34:6-7; Ps. 103:8-9
2 Ex. 34:7; Deut. 7:9-11; Ps. 5:4-6; Heb. 10:30-31
3 Matt. 25:35-46

Word Document w/ Scripture References

Q & A 6
Q. Did God create people
so wicked and perverse?
A. No.
God created them good1 and in his own image,2
that is, in true righteousness and holiness,3
so that they might
truly know God their creator,4
love him with all their heart,
and live with God in eternal happiness,
to praise and glorify him.5
1 Gen. 1:31
2 Gen. 1:26-27
3 Eph. 4:24
4 Col. 3:10
5 Ps. 8

Q & A 7
Q. Then where does this corrupt human nature come from?
A. The fall and disobedience of our first parents,
Adam and Eve, in Paradise.1
This fall has so poisoned our nature2
that we are all conceived and born
in a sinful condition.3
1 Gen. 3
2 Rom. 5:12, 18-19
3 Ps. 51:5

Q & A 8
Q. But are we so corrupt
that we are totally unable to do any good
and inclined toward all evil?
A. Yes,1 unless we are born again
by the Spirit of God.2
1 Gen. 6:5; 8:21; Job 14:4; Isa. 53:6
2 John 3:3-5

Word Document w/ Scripture References

For the month of January, ChristianAudio.com is offering a free download of J.I. Packer’s book, Knowing God. You can get it here.