From Faith to Faith
October 2005 VOL. XXI No. 10
Senior Pastor: Dr. Carl W. Bogue
Assistant Pastors: Rev. Bruce Buchanan & Rev. James Kobb
Attention ladies of Faith Presbyterian Church: The October WIC meeting is scheduled for October 15th and will be a different schedule than normal. There will be a short business meeting and devotion beginning at 10:00 a.m. (No breakfast before). At 11:00 there will be a wedding shower for Staci Woolf and a necessity baby shower for Dawn Duff. Lunch will be provided. If you have any questions regarding wedding gift ideas for Staci please contact Avone Blasiman. With regards to the necessity shower for new baby Duff please keep the gift anonymous and in the $5 range. The idea is to welcome this new covenant child with love!
Daylight savings time ends Oct 29th . Make sure to set your clocks back at bedtime Saturday, Oct. 29 so you will be on time for church!
Looking ahead....next month, beginning Nov. 6th, the deacons will begin their annual “holiday food drive”. A box will be placed in the vestibule for you to place your canned goods and non-perishable food items. The food collected will go to needs within our own congregation and any surplus may be given to local food banks. Anyone wishing to make a cash donation rather than food may do so...please see Deacon Carl Childers.
Attention WIC Quilting Class: The class for Oct. 15 has been rescheduled. Please contact Myrna Best for the new date and time.
Justification By Faith, Out of Date?
by B. B. Warfield
[This essay was originally published in The Christian Irishman, Dublin,
(May 1911), 71. Warfield was one of the greatest theologians of the early
20th Century, and always had a precision in pointing out the heart of the
matter on any theological issue. In a month when we celebrate the
Reformation, it is worth revisiting the issue of Justification by faith. This
is especially so since it is a doctrine very much under attack today, even
within evangelicalism.]
Sometimes we are told that Justification by Faith is “out of date.” That
would be a pity, if it were true. What it would mean would be that the way
of salvation was closed and “no thoroughfare” nailed up over the barriers.
There is no justification for sinful men except by faith. The works of a
sinful man will, of course, be as sinful as he is, and nothing but
condemnation can be built on them. Where can he get works upon which
he can found his hope of justification, except from Another? His hope of
Justification, remember-- that is, of being pronounced righteous by God.
Can God pronounce him righteous except on the ground of works that are
righteous? Where can a sinful man get works that are righteous? Surely, not
from himself; for, is he not a sinner, and all his works as sinful as he is?
He must go out of himself, then, to find works which he can offer to God
as righteous. And where will he find such works except in Christ? Or how
will he make them his own except by faith in Christ?
Justification by Faith, we see, is not to be set in contradiction to
justification by Works. It is set in contradiction only to justification by our
Own Works. It is justification by Christ’s Works. The whole question,
accordingly, is whether we can hope to be received into God’s favor on the
ground of what we do ourselves, or only on the ground of what Christ does
for us. If we expect to be received on the ground of what we do ourselves--that is what is called Justification by Works. If on the ground of what
Christ has done for us -- that is what is meant by Justification by Faith.
Justification by Faith means, that it to say, that we look to Christ and to him
alone for salvation, and come to God pleading Christ’s death and
righteousness as the ground of our hope to be received into his favor. If
Justification by Faith is out of date, that means, then, that salvation by
Christ is out of date. There is nothing, in that case, left to us but that each
man must just do the best he can to save himself.
Justification by Faith does not mean, then, that salvation by believing things instead of by doing right. It means pleading the merits of Christ before the throne of grace instead of our own merits. It may be doing right to believe things, and doing right is certainly right. The trouble with pleading our own merits before God is not that merits of our own would not be acceptable to God. The trouble is that we haven’t any merits of our own to plead before God. Adam, before his fall, had merits of his own, and because he had merits of his own he was, in his own person acceptable to God. He didn’t need Another to stand between him and God, whose merits he could plead. And, therefore, there was not talk of his being Justified by Faith. But we are not like Adam before the fall; we are sinners and have no merits of our own. If we are to be justified at all, it must be on the ground of the merits of Another, whose merits can be made ours by faith. And this is the reason why God sent his Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life. If we do not believe in him, obviously we must perish. But if we believe in him we shall not perish but have everlasting life.
That is Justification by Faith. Justification by believing in Christ. If Justification by Faith is out of date, then salvation by Christ is out of date. And as there is none other name under heaven, given among men, wherein we must be saved, if salvation through Christ is out of date then is salvation itself out of date. Surely, in a world of sinful men, needing salvation, this would be a great pity.
October preaching schedule
Oct. 2: AM & PM: Pastor Buchanan
Oct. 9: AM: “Christ’s Credentials”; John 5:31
PM: Pastor Kobb
Oct. 16: AM: #120 “Who is Really in Charge?”; Psalm 82
PM: Pastor Buchanan
Oct. 23: AM: #121 “Do Not Be Silent, God”; Psalm 83
PM: Pastor Kobb
Oct. 30: REFORMATION SUNDAY
AM: “The Law and Conversion”; Romans 7:9
PM: To Be Announced
Adopt a Missionary Family
Several families here at Faith Church have chosen a particular missionary that
our church supports, to pray for them, write to them and share news of home with
them and share their news with our church family here in Akron. Would YOU
consider adopting one of the missionary families that need to be adopted? Please
let Fern Richards know if you would like to adopt a missionary.
Open for Adoption:
Harriet Butler – Navajo Reservation, New Mexico
Doug Miller – South Carolina, USA – Chinese population
Sam Mateer – Chile And McNeills – Uganda
Donnans in Florida (RCM)
Already Adopted:
Kadleceks-Andersons -Czech Republic
Blasimans-Taylors in India
Childers-Jones in Ivory Coast
Sebrights-Beth Bogue-Scotland
Sevciks-Mikhails in Middle East
Bruders-Carrs in South Africa
Anderson-Campbells in Spain
Tasseffs-Johnsons in a country in Europe
MISSIONARY UPDATES AND INFORMATION
Don & Fran McNeill – Uganda: The new academic year has begun for the Uganda Bible Institute. Most of the three story building in Mbarra to be used for a library and classrooms is nearing completion. Don says, had they the facilities and staff, they could be teaching 200 pastors within the next year or so. Obtaining students is not the limiting factor, only the facilities to accommodate them. Don and Fran will return to the United States in December to transition from a two year term with MTW to career status. They had planned all along to be career missionaries and MTW has now given them the opportunity to do so, pending final approval. They are asking for our continued support, financially and with our prayers, that the Lord will keep them in Uganda and bless their work there.
Gary & Linda Johnson – a country in Europe: The Johnsons are thankful that both a homeschool assistant (Christin) and a substitute grandmother (Mrs. Yancy) have agreed to come to a country in Europe this fall to help with the various tasks of church and Christian education. Pray for their travel safety and adjustment. Please pray for David and Stacy Bergmark. David will be tested for ordination soon and Lord willing, will be ordained at the beginning of November. Pray for their two week trip to Holland with the whole family. David will be representing a country in Europe in the Baseball World Championships there.
Prayer Chain Requests
July 18: Susan Brown’s surgery went well. Her right ovary-mass was removed and all tests indicate that it was non-malignant.
July 24: Susan Brown is home from the hospital. The biopsy was negative. Please pray the mass they sent to pathology is negative also.
Aug. 8: Susan Brown requests prayers for their Bible Study Group, Lake OPC. They are meeting in a temporary facility, but need to find a new location. She also asks for prayers for growth in their group.
Aug. 14: Please pray for Church Jamison’s family. Chuck’s mother passed away unexpectedly yesterday. Chuck’s father passed away a month or so ago.
Aug. 16: After 27 radiation treatments Jim Bruder’s tumor is still 14cm and did not shrink. Yesterday he went to a chemo doctor and she admitted him to Akron General. After re-evaluation it is determined he has Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and not Plastocycoma as previously indicated. New treatments are being discussed in lieu of this new discovery. Jim is in good spirits and has accepted the news. Pray for the doctor’s guidance and wisdom.
Aug. 17: From Chuck and Robbie Jamison: Thank you for your prayers. Please pray for peace for the while family.
Aug. 18: Susan Brown received the pathology report today. No cancer. Praise God!
Aug. 22: Marianne Sevcik’s mother is going to have surgery to remove a growth on her thyroid. Before surgery the doctor indicated he did not believe it was cancer, but after the surgery he informed the family it was indeed cancer. Please pray for her parents, as they are unbelievers. Pray for their spiritual and physically healing during this difficult time.
Aug. 28: Andy Bogue has injured his knee at church. He had an x-ray which showed nothing broken. He had an MRI done as well and is waiting on the results. Pray for continued healing and that the MRI shows nothing serious.
Aug. 30: Marianne Sevcik reports that her mother’s cancer is very treatable and the prognosis is positive! The Sevcik family is very grateful for all the prayers and rejoices in God’s mercy.
Aug. 30: From Chuck and Robbi Jamison: Thank you all for your cards and words of encouragement during this difficult time. The outpouring of love from God’s people is a blessing.
Aug. 30: Andy Bogue received the test results from his MRI. He does have torn cartilage in his knee. He will be seeing an Orthopedic specialist soon.
Aug. 30: Dr. Bogue and Deborah are due to arrive home from Cyprus tomorrow evening. Pray for their safety in travel and for much needed rest.
Aug. 31: Note from Lee Whaley in Florida: I came through the hurricane with little damage. My son Michael and his family are here. They live in Mobile and have no power.
Sept. 4: An email was sent from the web magazine of the PCA regarding Hurricane Katrina damage to PCA families and churches in the Gulf region.
Sept. 10: An email was sent from the OPC church regarding Hurricane Katrina damage to OPC families and churches in the Gulf region.
Sept. 10: Another email was sent from the web magazine of the PCA with Hurricane Katrina updates. Also, it was announced that the communion offering taken tomorrow at Faith will be sent to disaster relief for the hurricane.
Sept. 11: While accessing Marianne Sevcik’s mother for the proper cancer treatments the doctors discovered two life threatening blood clots which required immediate attention. Please pray for a spiritual awakening and salvation for her mother as well as physical healing.
Sept. 13: Karla Richards had an MRI done on her head. She has had severe migraine headaches lately.
Sept. 14: Jim Bruder was taken to the ER when he began to spit up blood.
Sept. 15: Jim Bruder is stabilized and doing much better.
Sept. 16: Jim Bruder continues to improve and may be released from the hospital soon.