T H’s Reviews > Putting Amazing Back into Grace: Embracing the Heart of the Gospel > Status Update

Chapter 11 - Two Keys of Spiritual Growth

God continues to minister to use through his means of grace. Within the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA) denomination, we believe them to be the Word of God (Bible, Preaching), Sacrament (Baptism, Communion) and Prayer. Horton goes into the meaning and importance of the two components of the sacrament.

After reading further into the important of it, witness baptism or partaking in the Sunday communion had more meaning to it. Another reason why belonging to a local church is so important since the means of grace is accomplished by God through the local churches.

Chapter 12 - A Kingdom of Priests

Important takeaway from this chapter is on the topic of Priesthood of All Believers. We often think certain "calling" is more holy and sacred (i.e. pastors) than the others (accountant, restaurant owner, etc.) but this chapter was a good reminder that ALL calling including our profession or role at home is equally important to glorify and honor God.

"All God requires of a Christian is the very best, most creative, and most profound work he or she can produce."

For our kids, we have never emphasized perfection or good grades. Instead, we emphasized their best as students of God as their calling. And if their best ends up with a "C" grade, then all glory to God! He will use that grade according to his purpose and plan as long as we are faithful and do our best to our call.

Chapter 9 - Righteous Sinners

So this chapter talked about lot of different things so I'll try to highlight the areas that really spoke to me.

1. Justification is an act shown by God that we are now made righteous through Christ's righteousness. In other words, we are declared "not guilty" and justified by grace alone, faith alone. Sometimes, they refer this in the light of "double imputation" where our sin has been imputed to Christ and his righteousness to us. This is important because if we do not understand that justification is not something we aim for (goal) but something that has already been completed (basis), we will always be working to be justified before God. And we know that when "we" do the work, it will always fall short.

2. I appreciate the emphasis on the "object" of our faith rather than the "act" of having faith itself. It's like having a friend talk to you all about being in love without mentioned once about the person he/she is in love with. This friend is clearly in love with the "act" of being in love and not with the person. Instead, we must realize Christ is all in all; as a result, we are able to delight in having faith in him. Also a good reminder that object of our faith does matter too: Jesus Christ.

3. This chapter touches upon a topic that I think about often since so many Christians (including myself) fail to recognize that Christ is not only our Savior (work on the cross to save) but also our LORD (living here and now for his glory). All the Biblical reference about living for Christ (picking up the cross, fruit of the Spirit, etc.) is not there so you can simply see what a Christian lifestyle looks like but to live it (sanctification). This is actually one question I always ask our new members who have been baptized, confirmed, or becoming a member since it's important that our faith in Christ doesn't just end there with believing in his existence and accomplished work but a continual transformed lifestyle until the end.

"Christ's lordship is not an option for the first-class Christians but an inevitability for all who share his life." -Horton

3. Do not get sucked into the "steps" of growing in the LORD but rather, make Christ the focal point of all that you do - technique over truth, method over message.

4. Christian liberty - now we're going into what Christians can and can't do. This is a pretty touchy subject even within the Reformed circle as well. Is drinking, gambling, and smoking a cigar not allowed? There are various arguments and supporting Scripture being used on both sides but to me, this is pretty simple. If there is someone that will be stumbled if they saw me drinking at a restaurant or gambling at the casino, then just don't. It's not worth stumbling someone over it especially recognizing the negative impact of alcohol and gambling within the Korean culture. At the same time, don't judge others if I witness them drinking or gambling either.

"A godly exercise of Christian liberty will always serve the ultimate aim of our existence: to glorify God and to enjoy him forever."-Horton

Chapter 10 - No Lost Cause

This is a short chapter but a very important one because it's so comforting!

It talks about the "P" in TULIP: Perseverance of the Saints. It basically means that what God has started in us, he will be faithful to complete it until the end (glorification).

"Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession - to the praise of his glory." Eph 1:13-14

Reformed Christians talk about this phrase often - "once saved, always saved". Romans 8:38-39 supports this statement knowing that nothing in this world will be able to separate you from the love of God. However, some have converted this statement into a selfish statement. "Welp~ if I'm always saved, then I might as well go back to my sinful lifestyle to enjoy what I was doing!" Romans 6:15 talks about this very scenario and Pauls' answer was "BY NO MEANS!". Btw, Romans is a great book to really outline the reformed doctrine this book has been talking about but I digress. A true regenerated heart would not only stop their sinful lifestyle but live FOR and TOWARDS God. As my poor attempt to put it into today's illustration... just because I became a father by having kids, it doesn't give me a reason to live my own lifestyle apart from them since I'll always have a father title regardless. Instead, because I have become a father as a gift, I would WANT to do everything for my kids to show that I am a wonderful father to them.

Becoming a child of God is truly a gift; therefore, living for God's glory and to enjoy him forever is simply a natural byproduct and an overflow of knowing your new identity in Christ.