Created (and Redeemed) to Be Happy and Holy [Children's Catechism 21 — Theology Simply Explained]

Pastor walks his children through Children's Catechism question 21—especially explaining how God created us happy and holy, into which He brings us back when He redeems us.

Q21. In what condition did God make Adam and Eve? He made them holy and happy. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary from the transcript: God created Adam and Eve in a state of holiness and happiness, reflecting His righteous and holy nature, as revealed in Scripture such as Ecclesiastes 7:29 and Ephesians 4:24, where humanity was made upright and in God’s image. Their condition was one of divine communion, with God Himself as their ultimate joy, providing all that was good and necessary for their flourishing in the Garden. This original state of grace is restored in the new man through Christ, the Last Adam, who renews believers in true righteousness and holiness, reestablishing the happiness that comes from fellowship with God. Though the first Adam fell into sin and misery, the redemptive work of Christ restores what was lost, ensuring that all things work together for good for those called according to God’s purpose. God’s design for humanity was that they would be happy and holy.

Why We Need Another Adam [Family Worship lesson in Hosea 6:4–7:16]

What remedy is there for those who are like Adam? Hosea 6:4–7:16 looks forward to the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these twenty-four verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that our own repenting is so riddled with sin like Adam, that our only hope is another Adam, the last Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Come to Jesus [2024.09.29 Morning Sermon in Matthew 11:28–30]

The Lord Jesus gives you a free, full, favorable welcome to Himself.

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The Son Who Fulfills All Righteousness [2023.10.22 Morning Sermon in Matthew 3:17–4:11]

Jesus is the great and true Adam, the great and true Israel, and the great and true David, Who Himself has obeyed righteously and perfectly as the perfect and forever humanity, the perfect and forever church, and the perfect and forever King.

(click here to DOWNLOAD video/mp3/pdf files of this sermon)

A Perfect Man, Church, & King [Family Worship lesson in Matthew 3:17–4:11]

What sort of Son is Jesus? Matthew 3:17–4:11 looks forward to the morning sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these twelve verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Jesus is the last Adam (the firstborn Son of a new humanity), the firstborn who Israel was meant to be, and the eternally blessed and perfect Son Who has redeemed us to conform us to Himself. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Spirit-Born Killers [2023.08.09 Midweek Sermon in Romans 8:12–13]

Brothers in the Spirit join the family business: killing sin.

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Who Can Perfectly Keep God's Commandments [Shorter Catechism Q82 Simply Explained]

Pastor walks his children through Westminster Shorter Catechism question 82—especially explaining and applying how Adam could have kept God’s commandments but didn’t, the last Adam did perfectly keep them in His people’s stead, and the last Adam’s people genuinely but imperfectly keep them now, and will perfectly keep them forever.

Q82. Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God? No mere man since the fall is able in this life perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but doth daily break them in thought, word and deed.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

A New Standing and a New Self (Nature) in Jesus [Family Worship lesson in Romans 5:18–19]

In what ways are the federal headship of Adam and of Christ similar? Romans 5:18–19 looks forward to the sermon in this week’s midweek meeting. In these two verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that both in Adam and in Christ, all who were in them came into their standing before God and had their character come into them.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

A New Standing before God in Christ [2023.03.09 Midweek Sermon in Romans 5:18]

First Adam, and then Christ, brought all who were in them into a new judicial standing before God.

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The Super-Abounding of Christ Over Adam [2023.02.15 Midweek Sermon in Romans 5:15–17]

The goodness, righteousness, and life of Jesus are infinitely greater for those who are in Him than the offense, condemnation, and death that were ours from the first Adam.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Three Ways the Last Adam's Benefits Are Infinitely Greater Than the First Adam's Detriments [Family Worship lesson in Romans 5:15–17]

How is the first Adam’s covenantal representation unlike the last Adam’s? Romans 5:15–17 looks forward to the sermon in this week’s midweek meeting. In these three verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the goodness, righteousness, and life of Jesus are infinitely greater for those who are in Him than the offense, condemnation, and death that were ours from the first Adam. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Assured by Sin and Death? [2023.02.08 Midweek Sermon in Romans 5:12–14]

One great reason that we sinned in Adam and died with Adam was so that we might learn about (and be sure of) our union with Christ, our actions in Him, and our benefits with/from Him.

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Union with Our Federal Head [Family Worship lesson in Romans 5:12–14]

Does it seem wrong to you that we would be forgiven through another Man’s death, and blessed through another Man’s obedience? Romans 5:12–14 looks forward to the sermon in this week’s midweek meeting. In these three verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the reality of federal representation and union with our federal head is already obviously true in the fact that we are spiritually dead sinners who also physically die. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

WCF 15.3.4, Motivation for Repentance: Greatness of Every Sin and Greaterness of Abundant Grace (2021.08.08 Sabbath School lesson in Rom 5, 6, 8; Matt 12; Isa 1, 55)

The greatness of the guilt of the smallest sin is one motivation to repentance, but the greaterness of grace for the pardon of the greatest sin (and of all your sins taken together) is a much greater motivation to repentance.(click audio title within player for a page where you can download mp3/pdf files of this lesson)